Heading North, Latitude Adjustment.

Squidlips Restaurant and Bar in Melbourne Fl. We stopped here to visit our friends Steve And Pril who helped us with the lend of their car to do some shopping and go to a computer store to get our computer running again. Turns out the problem with the computer was a minor glitch that most 12 year old's today could have figured out in a minute. We were about a month without it.

The waterway in Central Florida, probably the Daytona Beach area. There were miles and miles of this, not to say that there weren't areas of park, and wilderness.

St Augustine. The city is one of the oldest in North America and was first a Spanish Colony. It's celebrating its 450th birthday this year. The Tall Ship is on loan from Spain.

St Augustine is a neat well kept tourist attraction. This is one of the many parks in the down town area.

A sample of the small shops on George St., St. Augustine.

Another St Augustine Tourist attraction.

There are many varieties of Sea Birds in Northern Florida. A little get together at low tide on the waterway sand bars.

Brown Pelican looking for a meal.

A Shrimper going around Moxie at low tide. We had to wait for mid tide in a few places in Georgia during the new moon cycle, the low tides were 1.5' lower than the normal low tide and with 5.5' draft, we just couldn't get through some of the cuts. The channels haven't been dredged in years because of budget restraints.

We anchored a night in Kilkenny Creek, GA. We got to experience a severe thunder storm in the late afternoon with 40 mph winds, torrential rain, and of coarse, thunder and lightning. It only lasted about 40 minutes.

Not sure if this is deliberate, I don't think so. You have to be very mindful of the depths along the waterway, especially at high tide when the edges are maybe just a ft or two under water. We have touched a few times but have always managed to get off ourselves. We have seen a lot of boats that weren't so lucky and had to have a towing service help them get off.

Passing through Charleston Harbor. The Queen Victoria is at the Cruise Dock. We pushed on to Towler Cove Marina, just north of Charleston and got a drive to "Trader Joes" to stock up on supplies.

It's starting to cool down with temperatures in the low 70's and 50's at night. We try to average 35-40 miles a day on the waterway, some days more, and some less. We have been lucky to avoid stormy weather so far.

These boats travel along at 10 to 25 mph and thankfully slow down to pass us, as they leave a big wake when they are at their cruising speed. This boat has passed us on numerous occasions.

We stopped for an afternoon and a night at Georgetown SC. They have a nicely restored waterfront with shops, museums and restaurants.

Honeysuckles in bloom, Georgetown SC. Its full spring here with all the leaves out and flowers blooming.

Along the Waccamaw River in Northern South Carolina. This is a tidal fresh water river that's part of the ICW. We have left behind the low marshy creeks of Southern South Carolina and Georgia. Before the Civil War, the River was lined with rice plantations and was the biggest rice producing area in the United States. After Slavery was abolished, Rice production in this area became uneconomical and by the early 1900's, production withered out.

A "Rare Bird" in the world of cruising. Fritz is from Holland and is cruising the waterway on a 35' (+or-) rigid inflatable boat (RIB). There is a small cudy with living accommodations and 600 HP to get him wherever he wants to go fast.

A different architectural style of a fixed 4 lane bridge with 65' vertical clearance. We are passing by Myrtle Beach, SC.

Myrtel Beach area, there were what seemed to be miles and miles of high rises and very fancy houses along this stretch of the waterway.

We stayed a night with Art and Kate Hesse in Carolina Beach, NC. We met them going south in November. They spent the winter months exploring the Florida Keys and got as far South as Key West and the Dry Tortugas. It was the first time we slept in a real bed since visiting our friends, Moira and Ed, in Sarasota last December.

One of the beautiful sunsets, this one at an anchorage in Georgia.

TRIP NORTH : USA

April 7 – 8 / 15              Fort Pierce City  Marina, FL  ( Mile 966)

April 9/ 15                     Mooring, Vero Beach Municipal Marina,  FL                                                                  (Mile 972)

April 10-11 / 15              Anchorage, Aeu Gallie, (Melbourn) FL

April 12/15                    Free City Dock, New Smyrna, FL

April 13/15                    Palm Coast Marina, FL ( Mile 803)

April 14/15                    Mooring at St Augustine FL

April 15/15                    Jacksonville Beach, Palm Cove Marina, FL

April 16/15                    Anchored off Fernandina Beach, FL

April 17/15                    Morningstar Marina at St. Simon Island, GA

                                        M 677

April 18/15                    Anchored at Tea Kettle Creek, GA

April 19/15                    Anchored at Kilkenny Creek, GA (M 614)

April 20/15                    Marina at Turner Creek, near Savanna GA

April 21/15                    Took a Mooring Ball at Beaufort Downtown                                              Marina,                                         Beaufort SC (M 536)

April 22/15                    Anchored in Church Creek, SC

April 23/15                    Toler Cove Marina, North Charleston SC

                                       (M 462)

April 24/15                    Anchored South Santee River (M 420)

April 25/15                    Harborwalk Marina, Georgetown SC (M 402)

April 26/15                    Tied up to free dock at North Myrtle Beach, SC

                                       (M 355)

April 27/15                    Mooring Ball at Carolina Beach, NC. (M 295)

April 28/15                    Anchored in TopSail Sound, Virginia Creek, NC.

                                       (Mile 263)

April 29/15                    Marina at Spooners Creek, Moorhead City NC

                                       (M 210)

April 30/15                    Oriental Marina at Oriental, NC. (Mile 182)