So, I said that you needed to wait until the next post to find out why we have been travelling north so quickly and early in the season. Well, the reason is I am pregnant! Yes, we will be numbering 6 come the beginning of May! We're indeed going to be running out of bunk space.
Now, before you start sending us emails questioning our state of mind or slap us with slander let me explain what we've been up to and our intentions.
New Years came and went in Nassau.
We applied for and were granted our obligatory B2 Tourism visas for the USA and the weather looked promising for a nice northerly passage to Charleston.
We left Nassau as the sun rose catching a few last glimpses of the fishing boats heavily laden with conch arrive in harbour
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We made for Grand Bahama with the idea that we could either overnight near there or head straight on to Charleston, South Carolina.
Unfortunately for us we chose not to stop as everything seemed favorable but about 3 in the morning we were hit with a squall that lasted for about an hour and then the following day the wind shifted and we could no longer close with the coast without heading dead up wind. We knew that the weather was going to change and we wanted to be across the Gulf Stream before it did, as a northerly wind can create a very nasty chop, and thankfully we did get across it but then it was painful trying to get into a port we could anchor in. After hours of trying to head to Cape Canaveral we turned down wind and headed into Fort Pierce.
We arrived at Fort Pierce, Florida in the dark and anchored in a "turning circle" near a fuel dock. It was a very quiet anchorage, like being tied up in a marina, so we all had a great sleep.
In the morning we were greeted by manatees grazing around our boat and dolphins fishing near the shore. We were very surprised at how cold it was! We actually had to put on sweaters, we hadn't had to do this since we were in Canada in the summer. Certainly a shock to us all especially since we really weren't very far from the Bahamas and we had not felt cold there at all.
Well, we needed to complete our USA immigration formalities so we headed ashore, an easy dinghy ride from the boat to a park and playground! The children were over the moon! Slides and climbing frames and the potential for other children to play with, YAHOO! On top of there being a lovely playground, there was also a very small but very nice aquarium run by the Smithsonian Institute. We went in there to see about calling a taxi to get to the airport, a very nice man at the counter called one for us and the taxi arrived shortly there after.
Immigration was painless! It took 10 minutes, a surprise after all the hoops we had to jump through in Puerto Rico.
We ended up spending 5 days in Fort Pierce, waiting for weather and trying to decide what we were going to do, head back out to sea and get to Charleston, (faster but we needed the right weather window for this trip) or head up the ICW (Intercoastal Waterways), (we could travel this if we could fit under the bridges.) We knew we needed to stop in a yard somewhere and get some work done too, needed the heating system to work on the boat before heading into even colder climes, but the question was where. We also knew that we could not head north too quickly yet because it was still really cold and snowing north of the Carolina's. So, we measured the masts again, and read the guide books again, and we monitored the weather.
The weather continued to come from the North, which was no help to us. Who wants to sail into a northerly gale across choppy seas, just dangerous and horribly uncomfortable. So with baited breath John went up the main mast hoping we'd find that Dark Horse was shorter than 65', the minimum height of all the fixed bridges on the ICW. We measured them twice just to make sure and sure enough we were just over 63'ft. We could go up the ICW! A huge relief because it meant we could get going and make some miles north as the weather didn't look like it was going to improve anytime soon.
So, broom stick in hand John went up the foremast, which is slightly shorter than our main mast, and taped it there at the same height as our main mast as a "safety precaution." The idea was if we weren't going to fit under a bridge the broom stick would hit the bridge, causing minimal damage to the boat and the bridge and we would quickly go into reverse and hopefully save the rig from a major calamity! We also joined BoatUS as a precaution in case we went aground. BoatUS is like CAA or AA for boats. They will come to you, where ever you are, and tow you where ever you need to go. This service had been recommended to us by a couple of other boaters who had used the ICW in the past.
Broom stick installed, BoatUS membership paid, weather still coming out of the north, but a beautiful chilly sunny day in Florida we upped anchor and began our motor up the ICW.
The ICW has proven to be a big surprise. We thought that our motor up the coast was going to be slow and dull. But it has been anything but that! We have seen lots of wildlife from dolphins, to spoonbills, to bald eagles and osprey. We have been in complete isolation, unable to find a mobile phone signal, under star strew wintery skies. we have navigated through acres of marsh land, and slowly picked our way between local shrimping boats after dark. We have visited the oldest city in the USA, St. Augustine, Florida and the Alligator Farm there. And we have found a base for work to be done on Dark Horse at Thunderbolt Marine Inc, near Savannah, Georgia.
Thunderbolt has actually been our home for the past 5 weeks. A lovely home it has been too. Karen the concierge, in the office has been a wonderful! She has helped us find activities for Lucy and Ruth to participate in, and she has offered suggestions on what to do while we were here. Our project manager, Lars, has been very helpful and professional in his handling of our work. And we cannot say enough about the quality of work done by the canvas shop, the refrigeration and the joinery work done. We have been very fortunate to have found such a lovely boat yard to call home for the past 5 weeks.
Below are some pictures of our trip up the ICW thus far and some of the work we have had done. We shall be continuing our trip north come Monday, our intention is to get up to Beaufort, North Carolina on the outside, (Atlantic) and then duck back in to the ICW at Beaufort to get around Cape Hatteras, notorious for being unpleasant for boaters.
We will continue to head north from there as far as we can get before it is time for the baby to arrive. We hope that we will at least make it to NY. Wish us luck and fair weather. As you may or may not know, east coast North America can be very fickle with it's weather at this time of year, one minute it is gorgeous warm and sunny, next minute it is snowing and blowing a gale. Mother nature please be kind!
Images From Along the ICW
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| Girls and Adam have found a tortoise at one of our overnight stops |
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| Bald Eagles abound on this waterway |
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| We go north as many go south |
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| As you can see, it is much colder here! |
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| Pirates starboard! |
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| One of the many lifting bridges we have passed through along the way |
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| Adam is not used to these temperatures! |
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| Military stuff along the way |
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| It is a chilly morning on the ICW |
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| A barge coming to pass us, better move out of its way! |
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| A state park near Savannah, Georgia where we were able to go for a nice walk |
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| Albino alligator at the St. Augustine Alligator Farm, definitely worth a visit if you have kids or like reptiles! |
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| Some of the alligators there are estimated to be over a hundred years old because the farm has been there for over a hundred years and the records show that some individuals have been too! |
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| We celebrated Adam's 2nd birthday with an ice cream cake! |
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| We went to Wormslow Plantation to see a muster reenactment for Georgia History Weekend |
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| Learning to throw a tomahawk! |
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| Making beeswax candles at Wormslow |
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| On the train at the Railway Museum |
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At the Children's Museum! What a fabulous place on a sunny day!
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Unfortunately for us we chose not to stop as everything seemed favorable but about 3 in the morning we were hit with a squall that lasted for about an hour and then the following day the wind shifted and we could no longer close with the coast without heading dead up wind. We knew that the weather was going to change and we wanted to be across the Gulf Stream before it did, as a northerly wind can create a very nasty chop, and thankfully we did get across it but then it was painful trying to get into a port we could anchor in. After hours of trying to head to Cape Canaveral we turned down wind and headed into Fort Pierce.
Good going you guys. What's the plan now?
ReplyDeleteThanks for that write-up, you guys :) Sounds like you are having a wonderful time :) Congrats on the 4th that's on the way! My sister did that route you guys are doing, but in the other direction, like that beautiful junk rig you have in your photos. That was about 25 years ago and they ran into a storm crossing the Bay of Fundy. Best wishes for clear skies, nice winds and more reptile farms...D xo
ReplyDeleteWonderful to hear about your adventures. I sailed DH when she was part of the Lloyds Bank Sailing Club so good to hear the old girl is having a great time state-side! Many happy memories especialy sailing around the Channel Islands and I cannot think what John meant by his earlier comment on the amount of grog that flowed in those days! Wish you well and look forward to future posts. Mike.
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