Monday, November 25, 2019

Flying Fish & Dancing Dolphins!

Update from last post: the best interpretation of what was happening with those sunset reflection pictures came from Lynn on Seaven, she said, “I think the pictures are magic, if you look closely you can see a unicorn” 🦄 I also appreciate the “too much Sangria” comment posted, but since you didn’t drink the sangria and you still see the double sunset, I think Lynn’s explanation is the most logical😁


We are still anchored on Bohicket Creek on Wadmalaw Island, SC.  We have been getting some boat projects done while enjoying our granddaughters.  Finally, the weather improved and we were able to take the girls on a boat ride to see if we could find dolphins.

Lucy and Maggie are very good at spotting dolphins!

Don’t worry...this is not the sea-sick position, this is the dolphin watching position.  The dolphins would spot (or hear) the boat and head right toward us with the clear intention of playing in our bow wave. Lucy was very accurate when she described what she saw, “Grandmom, it looks like they are body surfing”

We were all treated to a lot of oohs, ahhhs, and giggles.  I am so excited that we got to share this experience with them...expectations achieved!

In addition to playing in the bow wave, the dolphins love to fish in this river.  We have observed them working in pairs to round up fish and burst out of the water to grab a mouth full.  The school of fish explodes out of the water in an attempt to escape, but the dolphins clearly know what they are doing.  The fish really fly out of the water.  Again, Keith was the patient person who captured this picture! 

Keith and I were able to enjoy the Thanksgiving lunch celebration at the elementary school...yum...cafeteria food😉 Two little girls were very excited to have us there, that is all that matters!  After lunch we decided to drive around the island and explore the local attractions.  I had visited the Angel Tree a few years ago, and was excited to return!

The Angel Tree is a historic landmark in Charleston, SC. It’s actually located on Johns Island.  It is a Southern Live Oak that is thought to be between 400-500 years old.  It stands at 66.5 ft tall, has a circumference of 28 ft., and produces shade that covers 17,200 square feet.

It’s this big!

Southern Live Oaks tend to grow more outward than upward, with branches going out in all directions and sometimes going into the ground before resurfacing and continuing to grow.  From tip to tip it’s longest branch distance is 187 feet.

It’s hard to find one picture that does this tree justice, so you are getting one from every angle.  After our visit to the Angel Tree, we took a short drive on the island and ended up at a fish hatchery.

Hmmm...do they hatch Rockfish or Sturgeon?  It just so happens that we stumbled upon this site on a Thursday afternoon at 1:30, and the sign on the gate stated ‘self guided walking tours Thursdays 1:00-3:00.  How lucky are we??

There was a very nice trail and boardwalk around the property, and it was a great day for a walk.

There were several sheds with large tanks inside, but they were totally enclosed with chain link fence and locking gates.  However, there was one outdoor tank that contained Atlantic Sturgeon.

Very prehistoric looking, in fact it is sometimes considered a living fossil.  Sturgeon were in great abundance when the first European settlers came to North America, but have since declined due to overfishing and water polution.  Sturgeon can live for 60 years, and weigh over 800 lbs., because of this long lifespan they don’t reach sexual maturity for approximately 15 years.  In an overfished environment, it’s hard for any fish to live for 15 years, which means they can’t reproduce.  Therefore, they are considered threatened, endangered, and even locally extinct in many original habitats.

This facility is raising Sturgeon for scientific research...cool!  Back to the boat, where again, the pelicans taunt me!

These pelicans were following a crab boat, hoping for a free meal.  I still haven’t been able to capture the perfect picture, but I will never give up.  We will be leaving here on December 2 to head for Fernandina Beach. Happy Thanksgiving!!





























Tuesday, November 19, 2019

Rain Rain Go Away!

Do you notice anything strange about this picture?
I know what you are asking...if the boat is anchored and the wind is blowing strong enough to make that flag ‘stand up’ why isn’t the boat turning into the wind?  Strange...unless stronger forces are influencing the motion of the boat (or of course if the boat was aground it would not turn into the wind, but it is not aground).

We are anchored in Rockville (at the blue dot). We are very close to the ocean, in an area that has a 6-8 ft tidal range.  The current created by the tidal flow is very strong in this location, and dictates the direction the boat faces  while at anchor, unless the wind is blowing 25+ mph.  When we are in bed at night the sound of the water rushing past the hull gives the feeling that we are moving through the water very quickly. Even though water is rushing past us, it does not cause any motion in the boat unless the wind gets strong enough to turn the boat perpendicular to the direction of the current. For the most part, this has been a very comfortable anchorage with excellent holding.

This anchorage offers several benefits. 
  1. We are close to Nicole, Joey, Lucy and Maggie so we are able to enjoy a lot of family time.
  2. There is a public boat ramp a few hundred feet away so we have our car in the parking lot and can leave the Whaler on the pier to come and go as we please.
  3. There is a shrimp boat fleet right around the corner and we can watch them come in, and head right over to the dock for the freshest shrimp ever!
Believe it or not, this is the place that sells the best shrimp I have ever eaten, Keith and I have become addicted to shrimp tacos.


This is the same place with the shrimp boats back, and a super high tide...the dock is under water.


We have been experiencing very high tides this week. This doesn’t look right!

The weather here (I know everywhere) has been windy, cold and rainy.  I had big plans of all the fun we would be able to have with the girls when we visited Charleston with the boat, and actually got to stay for a few weeks.  They have been anxious to spend the past two weekend on the boat with us, but instead of kayaking, paddle boarding and fishing...we have spent many hours playing card games, coloring, telling stories, watching movies, and doing puzzles.  Still great fun, but not what I expected! Someone used to tell me, “if you would lower your expections you wouldn’t be disappointed so much”, while I never quite agreed with that philosophy, in this example that might be true. However, I do believe in this motto, “the difference between an ordeal and an adventure is your attitude” sooo even though it’s not what I planned it is still a great adventure!

When we were able to slip outside to practice casting, grandmom spent most of the afternoon untangling fishing line that continued to unspool from the reel, because “this thing must be broken”😁

Better idea...these reels are not ‘broken’!

We did get to enjoy cooking together, Maggie makes an awesome kale salad!

In spite of the horribly cold rainy weather, we were super happy to have Tammy and Chuck join us for lunch.  Again, it wasn’t the beautiful lunch cruise I envisioned (with dolphins playing in our bow wave), but we tried to make sure our guests stayed dry and comfortable...adventure!

Kuber (Keith’s Uber) ride to (and from) the boat in our foul weather gear.

Inside was warm and dry, and held the promise of sangria and shrimp tacos.  Tammy’s apple square dessert topped off a perfect day!

I have also had the opportunity to hang out with my daughter Nicole, when the girls are in school. She recently purchased 18 acres on Wadmalaw Island and has great plans to build a new home and create a permaculture wonderland.  Here I am helping her inoculate downed trees with mushroom spores. You drill a hole and hammer a wooden dowel, that contains spores, into the hole then cover it with wax.  This was the first time I have ever ‘planted’ mushrooms, but it was pretty cool and I can’t wait to see the fruit of our labor, literally!

Speaking of downed trees with holes. This tree was recently cut down on the side of the road.  I would imagine there is a very upset woodpecker nearby!

I am looking for some input regarding the next two pictures.  I took a series of 6 pictures in an attempt to capture this sunset. Only after looking at the pictures did I notice that there seems to be some type of reflection in all of the pictures.  The sun is setting directly above the water, however, it looks like there is a miniature sunset above the cloud. 
Originally, I thought I captured a moonrise in the sunset picture (there was a full moon that night), but when I saw the next picture in the series I had to believe this is some type of reflection.

A thin cloud has now moved across the sun  (in the actual sunset) and is more clearly depicted in the ‘reflected’ sunset seen in the big cloud.  These are unaltered pictures taken with my iPhone.  I’m pretty sure at least one person who follows this blog (Pete) can explain these pictures. I would love to hear from anyone with an opinion about my double sunset pictures (or anything else you would like to tell me😁)










































Sunday, November 10, 2019

School Bus Captain Needed


I know there are plenty of children who are transported to school by boat, but I didn’t realize there are actual school bus boats.  I always thought most of these children take a ferry to the ‘mainland’ to catch a bus to school.  This is the first time I have seen an actual dedicated ‘School Bus Boat’...a special kind of bus driver is needed for this job.

After several days of traveling we decided it was time for a layover day.  We found a very nice place to anchor in Thoroughfare Creek, with fairly good wind protection and very little boat traffic.  The day turned out to be rainy and grey until sunset, then the scenery became magical!  The water was so calm that it produced an amazing mirror image.  These pictures are not altered or edited in any way...

This series started because I was determined to get the reflective picture of these pink clouds...then we couldn’t stop! 






One of the last shots we were able to get before it got too dark, Seaquel with the fog settling on this amazing scene.


Right Hand and Seaquel resting peacefully at anchor.  Gail captured this shot with her drone.  We had a wonderful time ‘Buddy Boating’ with Gail and Eddie.  I think we have found our ‘Couple Kindred Spirit’.  I was very surprised to find another couple who seems to have a very similar cruising attitude.  Keith and I tend to be a little on the rogue side, for most people. Our idea of cruising is not to hop from one marina to the next, plugging into shore power to run the television, and eating in restaurants every night.  We want to be self sufficient in a quiet anchorage, exploring all nature has to offer. Thankfully, Gail and Eddie also embrace ‘our’ version of the cruising experience.  We thoroughly enjoyed our time with them, and hope we might catch up with them in the Keys or Bahamas this winter.  We will be staying in Charleston for a few weeks, but they have continued south to Florida.


It was exciting to pass Charleston’s Battery Park.



As we neared our destination on Wadmalaw Island, we were greeted by several very playful dolphins.  They played in our bow wave for at least 20 minutes.  This is true happiness for both the dolphins and the observers.  I have been accused of giggling at times like this...I will neither confirm nor deny!

While the dolphins were still with us, we rounded the bend to see our two Grandaughters anxiously awaiting our arrival.  The top of their van offered a much better view. As we approached shore to anchor we could hear their little voices chanting, Right Hand, Right Hand🖐 


They can see the dolphins much better from here!  Guess who came with a bag packed for the weekend😁







Tuesday, November 5, 2019

Joystick Danger

Since my last post we have traveled over 300 miles on the ICW.  We are currently anchored near Pawley’s Island South Carolina, and will arrive at our next ‘destination’ after two more days of travel.  We have been covering about 40 miles per day, and anchoring in very interesting locations.  Luckily, we have not seen any new insect swarms or pirates,  but it has been an adventurous week.
We have seen a lot of evidence of hurricane damage.  There are many boats grounded, piers destroyed, and roofs in need of new shingles.


Pelicans are still mocking me, and refuse to allow me to get a picture of them gliding beside the boat. Every time I grab the camera they either change flight direction or dive into the water.

There are many boats for sale (cheap) if you are interested in ‘living the dream’😁

The ICW provides a variety of scenery. In some areas we are very close to the ocean with easy access through an inlet.

Beautiful marsh lands also make up a large portion of our scenery.  I was surprised to see so many bird species peacefully sharing the same small marsh pool.

However, my favorite ICW sites are the areas that look like we are in the middle of a very old swamp. There are places that feel as though we should not be taking this big boat into that small waterway.  

I could take pictures of these trees all day long!

Then suddenly, we are back among the mansions.  Many homes along the ICW seem so extravagant that Keith and I usually play the game ‘Resort or Home’.  I argue that most of these structures have to be resorts, but Keith is probably right in guessing home.

We experienced a little excitement over the past two days.  One incident turned out to be interestingly fun, the other terrifying and dangerous.  Once again I am going to admit to a terrible mistake we made, in hopes that it might spare someone else from the same mistake.  I’ll tell the interestingly fun story first.  As we transited the ICW near Oak Island SC we were passed by a Coast Guard boat several times, and each time they passed us we saw them stop an oncoming boat.  After the third boat boarding we witnessed, we discussed that they must be either bored or they are training. A few minutes later the radio came to life...” Right Hand, Right Hand this is the US Coast Guard off your starboard stern.” I was at the helm at the time so I replied, “ This is Right Hand”.  I heard, “Captain, we are going to board your vessel for a safety inspection”. Of course I replied, “I will slow down and put my vessel in neutral.” I was surprised to hear, “That won’t be necessary Captain, continue on you course and we will match your speed to transfer personnel.”  WOW, I know most people aren’t excited to be boarded, but I thought that was pretty cool!

The inspection went well.  We were able to provide all items they requested, and prove we maintained a safe and environmentally friendly vessel.  We were awarded the ‘gold sheet’.  My son is in the Coast Guard so everyone know I love my Coasties!!

They were picked up in the same manner, with all women at the helm...GO LADIES!!

Now onto the mistake...
The next day we were passing through Myrtle Beach.  I had first helm shift and was focused on a few shoal areas. Even though it was a chilly morning I moved to the steering station on the bridge to have a better view of the narrow rock ledges we would experience in North Myrtle Beach.  A few hours in, Keith opened the wooden drawer to get the charging plug for the laptop.  This was ‘normal operating procedure’ when the laptop we use for navigation indicated a low battery.  He plugged in the laptop and everything seemed fine.

We intentionally transmitted this area at low tide so we could see the rock ledges (this area is known as the rock pile) that line the channel, and yeah, the water looks like very old coffee!  We made it through the rock pile without incident, and about an hour later it was time to change helm duty.  We were still in a fairly narrow channel, and I had been using the auto helm most of the morning. Only turning it off to hand steer through shoal and rock ledge areas.  The auto helm was engaged when Keith took the helm, and I stepped to the side and picked up the camera to take some pictures. I turned to take a picture and instantly the boat made a severe 90 degree turn to port. I yelled “what did you do?” He yelled, “nothing!”  Neither of us knew what happened. I reached down and turned off the auto pilot while he killed the throttle and threw her in reverse...then jammed the throttles forward.  The boat stopped just feet from the canal bank, without touching anything. However, again our hearts were racing and we searched for the cause of the incident. We thought we had a major auto helm malfunction.  Keith was the one to spot the actual problem. Our auto helm has a joystick control that we use to avoid crab pots and debri when we are in open water.  We have not taken the joystick out of the drawer since we entered the ICW, because it is NOT for close quarter maneuvering.  However, the joystick handle got wedged against the drawer when Keith removed the power cord, and my hip must have bumped the drawer when I turned to take pictures.  I’ve always known I am a little ‘hippy’ and have used it to my advantage in the past.  If there is a door stuck I can easily get it open with one bump of the hip, but I never considered my hips dangerous!  Moral of the story...don’t leave your joystick plugged in, and if it is plugged in, don’t get your joystick stuck in a drawer!

Anyway...after a long day, we had to bohemian anchor (that’s when you deploy an anchor from the bow and one from the stern to stop your boat from swinging in a tight spot) to stay out of the channel that we knew shrimp boats would be using in the morning.  The next morning this shrimp boat stopped right next to us to set up their gear before leaving the inlet.  I never knew a person walked out on the outriggers to get the nets ready...COOL!!

















We’re Back

  Hello from Great Harbour Marina! Yes, this is the same location as the last time I posted, in April, but the boat has not been here all of...