May 10, 2005
On the Loop Again!
Whew!!!
What a busy month we've had! Weddings, bridal showers, house closings, and
moving from Canton, CT to Fairhaven, MA: we've been going non-stop since we left
the boat! But, all is accomplished, and we're back on the water and heading
north. We had some warrantee work done on the boat in St. Augustine at St.
Augustine Marine, where the service manager, Bobby Foster, did a great
job. Thanks Bobby, for getting Grace ship-shape for the final leg of our
Loop trip!
May 11, 2005
A Magic Moment
We logged
about 50 miles today and chose a quiet anchorage to put in for the night. There
was a sandy beach on one side of us, and a mudflat on the other. Sea birds
flew back and forth and squawked at our intrusion on their solitude. Soon, they
got used to us, and quiet returned. While Bob took a nap, I took Liberty, our
dingy, out for a row. While my goal was bit of exercise, the joy of just
drifting was too much to resist. Bobbing along on the waves, I just sat there
and took in the quiet, the sunshine, and the gentle breeze that kept me cool and
comfortable. Occasionally, I would drop the oars and row back to Grace, only to
set myself adrift again in my private paradise.
Finally, my
duties as a first mate called, and I prepared a simple supper which we ate on
the bridge, watching the sun begin to set. The path of sunlight on the rippling
water was both gold and silver and always changing as the sun sank lower. We
were delighted to see a pair of dolphins playing, their fins rising and plunging
in unison into the sun-sparkled water.
May 12, 2005
The Return to St. Simon's
After my dad
retired, he and my mother spent a month or so every winter at St. Simon's
Island, in southern Georgia, off the coast of Brunswick. The first year
they were there, my dad had a cerebral hemorrhage and was in the hospital in
Brunswick in intensive care. He recovered beautifully, but they had to spend
another month or two on St. Simon's until he was well enough to travel.
During this time, my brothers, sister, and I took turns spending time with my
parents on St. Simon's. All of us were amazed and touched by the kindness of
strangers that we encountered in this charming place. Moral support,
prayers, and even a wonderful place to stay at a Methodist retreat center, were
given out of pure kindness. Doctors, nurses, orderlies, and families of other
patients all made us feel genuinely cared for in this place so far from our home
in Connecticut. As a result, we all have good feelings about St. Simon's
Island, and my parents chose to return there for a vacation every winter for
many years afterward.
Because of
this, I was thrilled to have the opportunity to visit St. Simon's yesterday on
our voyage north. The Golden Isles Marina was just great, and they gave us a
ride to the village for the evening and picked us up when we were
finished. We had dinner in town and walked from the old fishing dock down
the beach several miles to the Beach Club, where my parents had stayed. Things
had changed some; there were a lot of attractive condos where little cottages
once stood, but the charm of the island remains.
Coming to
St. Simon's was also an opportunity for me to reflect upon the changes in my
life since I was here last, about 17 years ago. At that time, I was in the
process of an unwanted divorce, and my future looked pretty grim. I grew
up with the idea of becoming an adult, getting married, having a family, and
living happily ever after. A divorce was not part of my plan, so in a
sense, it seemed I had no future. However, God had a plan for me, and He
knew that I had a wonderful future. Coming to St. Simon's with Bob, my
husband whom I love and who loves me dearly, was a great reminder that God never
gives up on us, even if we do.
May 15, 2005
Shrimp Boats in
Savannah
I thought
our introduction to Savannah, Georgia was very fitting. Debbie, the woman
from Economy Rent-a-Car who picked us up at the marina yesterday was very
talkative and full of stories. She told us that the best years of her life
were the three years she and her husband spent working on a shrimp boat. There
were just three people on board: the captain and she and her husband. They
worked hard all day dragging and hauling nets for the shrimp. Each night,
the captain would go home, and the two of them had the boat to themselves.
She described how they would save a bucket of silver eels caught in the nets and
feed them to the dolphins each night. The dolphins would take them out of
their hands, and then her husband would even hold the tail of the eel in his
mouth and the dolphin would jump up and take it out of his mouth! They
would collect the shrimp that were still stuck in the net and "boil them
up" each night for dinner. She said shrimp from the market can't even
compare to the "shrimp baahl" they had.
All day we
were yearning for some fresh Georgia shrimp. At dinner, we happened
upon Uncle Bubba's Oyster House, where boiled shrimp was on the menu. It
was out of this world! Cooked in herbs and spices, we were up to our
elbows in it, and it was delicious!
Spanish
Moss and Live Oaks
May 15, 2005
Founded by
James Ogelthorpe from England in 1733, Savannah was designed around many
park-like squares, where huge live oak trees grow, adorned with Spanish moss.
The city is lush and shady, with many of the squares now adorned with fountains
and gazebos. As we explored the city on a lovely May Saturday afternoon,
numerous weddings were taking place in the parks, bridal parties posing in front
of fountains in the shade of the huge, gnarly live oaks. Surrounding the
parks are stately old homes, eclectic shops, and graceful churches.
Once
a bustling port famed for exporting cotton, Savannah's architecture is a
blend of architectural styles and is charming in its quirkiness. The area
adjoining the Savannah River is paved in cobblestone, taken from the ballast of
Savannah's sailing ships. Once abandoned factories have been converted into
restaurants, shoppes, and bed and breakfasts. River boats and tour boats line
the river front, with tourists pouring on and off, eating ice cream and
shopping. Street musicians entertain passers-by with saxaphones and
guitars.
Outside the
city, we visited Tybee Island, where Savannahans relax on the weekends.
The beaches are clean and the water is beautiful. There are pretty
cottages, and shoppes and restaurants offer their wares, food, and drink to
tourists. We were lucky enough to find restaurants where fresh shrimp and
oysters were taken directly off the boat and served to us.
Amazing!!!
May 18, 2005
The Fragrance of the South
From
Savannah to Charleston, we've been haunted by a seductive sweetness that hangs
in the warm, moist Southern air. Its intoxicating aroma has had me
sniffing every blossom and bush, breathing deeply and trying to remember the
magic of the fragrance. We've concluded that the main ingredient of the perfumed
air is the star jasmine, which grows wild by the side of the road and is also
used as a hedge and sometimes to adorn doorframes and windows. Its sweetness
speaks to me of a more genteel era, of ladies sipping sweet tea in the shade
of magnolia trees.
Aromas are
such a wonderful trigger to memory, and I hope that jasmine smell will always
remind me of the lovely cities of Savannah and Charleston, with their sea
breezes and window boxes in perfectly restored antebellum homes. I hope that
when I smell the star jasmine again I will remember to slow down, take a deep
breath, and savor the beauty, as I have done on this journey through the
South.
May 19, 2005
History: The Passion of
Charleston
As we've
traveled for the past 4000 miles on the Great Loop, one thing we've seen over
and over again is that a lot of` happy people have something about which they
are passionate. From the bass fishermen of Tennessee to the folks on Lake
Michigan who love the big ships, it has been such a pleasure to meet people and
hear about their passions.
In
Charleston, South Carolina, we met lots of people who are passionate about
history. It's no wonder; the city was founded before the American
Revolution and is wonderfully preserved. Charleston is a treasure of a town,
with cobblestone streets and a fascinating assortment of historical homes, in
beautiful condition and surrounded by flowers and lush vegetation.
We met one
fellow who runs an art gallery in town, and he spent almost an hour with us
telling about the restoration he did on his building. He showed us
pre-Revolutionary war nails as if they were made of solid gold, and the
beautifully preserved intricately carved molding was his pride and joy. We
met several college students who are attending college in Charleston to study
history and architectural preservation. Their passion for history was wonderful
to see. In a time when we see the same stores and matching malls all
across America, it is really important that young people recognize the value of
preserving these historical places. If only more cities would take a
lesson from Charleston and hold on to the treasures that they have.
May 22, 2005
A Full Day in Wrightsville
We took a
day off from traveling today, and what a fun day it was! We attended the
Wrightsville (NC) Baptist Church this morning, where we felt right at home
singing some of our favorite worship songs from Praise, then rode our bikes out
to the beach. The day was sunny and very breezy, and the water was a marvelous
blue. The beach was packed with sunbathers and swimmers, and we had fun
watching the surfers catch lots of nice waves. We took a walk out on a long
fishing pier and enjoyed the drama of a fellow pull in a very big
bluefish. After our bike ride, we were hungry and thirsty and were very
refreshed by iced tea and juicy grilled salmon with a citrus glaze at the Blue Water Grill. Just in case you think that's entirely too
healthy, we shared a piece of Caribbean Fudge Pie for dessert that we both agree
was the best dessert we've ever tasted! While we were eating, we watched a tug go by in a very narrow waterway. It
was pulling a huge barge, and then we realized it was pulling another barge, and
then another, and then there was another tug pushing from the end. It was like a
train!
Heading back
to the marina on our bikes, I found a store that had a sale on some
fabulous women's clothes! What could I do? I couldn't resist a bargain!
Back at the
marina, we had a very enjoyable visit with a couple from Cohasset, MA who are
heading north after a winter in Florida. We also caught up with the folks
on the boat We Be Blest, who we had met on the rivers. One of the most
enjoyable aspects of doing the Loop is experiences like this. Here we are in a
town we've never been to in our lives, and once again, we've run into someone we
know.
So tomorrow
we're back on the lovely waterway, heading north. We have plans to meet
Todd and Leesa in Norfolk, VA on Saturday, so we'll need to push a bit this week
to get there. The weather is so lovely down here I hate to head north too fast;
I hear it's been COLD in New England this May!
The Promised Land and
Sanitary Food
May 22, 2005
We spent
last night in Moorhead City, NC, where we took a great bike ride around this
historic waterfront town. In the late 1800's, there were some hurricanes
that destroyed many houses on the barrier islands between the ocean and the
inland waterway, on the inside of the islands. Many of the houses were
washed across the harbor and on to the shore in Moorhead City, where the
resourceful owners of the homes dragged them a safe distance from shore and
re-established their little community on the mainland. It was easy to see
the original cottages, little box houses with simple front porches, set between
the new and expensive homes that have been built between them. This area is
still referred to today as "The Promised Land."
The friendly
folks at the Portside Marina told us that no trip to Moorhead City would be
complete without a meal at The Sanitary Restaurant, and they were right.
Naturally, we asked the reason for the strange and unappetizing name for this
establishment. Apparently, two brothers, both fishermen, used to fry up
their day old fish on an old Coleman stove and give it away. Soon the
fried fish became so popular that they started charging money for it. Even
100 years ago, the Department of Health was on the alert and threatened to shut
them down because they weren't "sanitary." So, the brothers
cleaned up their act, and the place has been expanding and flourishing ever
since, under the name "The Sanitary Restaurant." The food was
good, fresh, and indeed sanitary. The old Coleman stove as well as
hundreds of wonderful pictures are on display there, which make for a memorable
dining experience.
New and Old Friends in a
Brand New Place
May 24, 2005
I LOVE days
like this on the Loop! When we got into Bellhaven, NC, we met two women in the
sailboat next to Grace who are from Swansea, MA, right near where we live in
Fairhaven, MA. They were very nice and a lot of fun, and we decided to
meet for dinner later. Then, we borrowed a golf cart that they offered to us at
the marina and took a ride over to the neighboring marina, to seek out some
folks we'd met earlier on the trip. We'd heard them on the radio so knew
they were in the area. We had a great visit with Gord and Hiedi from
Single Minded, folks we'd met in Paducah, Kentucky and again in Rogersville,
AL. We also met their friends Teena and Ron from Teena Maria, fellow
Loopers who've been traveling with Single Minded. After some torrential
rain, we finally decided it was time to get back to our marina where we had a
great time having dinner with Pat and Cheryl, from the boat Two Osprey, our
Massachusetts friends. They are two great ladies who took up sailing two
years ago and have just retired and have been having amazing adventures on their
41 foot sailboat.
As everyone
says, the people you meet are the best thing about doing the Loop. Today
was a great day!
Deer and Deadheads
May 25, 2005
Deer are one
of my favorite animals, and whenever I see one I feel like I've received a
special gift from God. They remind me of God's constant presence and
tender love. More about deer later...
Today while
traveling north on the Alligator River/Pongo River Canal, we were jolted when
Grace hit an unseen object. The canal is full of dead trees and logs, and
the parts that you see above the water are termed "deadheads" by
boaters. They are carefully avoided, as getting one of those objects
tangled in your prop means trouble. Well, there was no avoiding this one,
its ugly head hidden below the surface in the middle of the channel. Once
we hit, any acceleration above idle speed caused bad sounds, a funny smell, and
quite a bad vibration. No amount of manipulation between forward and
reverse would dislodge it. The water in this canal is a color somewhere
between that of strong tea and weak coffee, and Bob determined that a dive
overboard would mean hopeless groping in the dark, not to mention a very
uncomfortable swim, given the 55 degree day and chilly water.
So, that was
an hour and a half ago. We've called Towboat US, who will tow us back to
the marina we left almost four hours before this mishap.
I couldn't
help but begin to fret about our plans and schedule. We are supposed to
meet Todd and Leesa in Norfok, VA on Saturday, and we have a rental car reserved
to drive to New Jersey on Tuesday. Each day between now and then had been
planned and accounted for.
Just then,
we spotted a lovely deer, not in the woods, but swimming across the
canal. He was halfway across when an oncoming boat made him decide to turn
back to where he came from.
And so, when
Towboat US gets here, they will tow us back to where we came from this
morning. What will happen after that, I don't know, but I'm certain that
God is with us, right in the middle of the canal, and we'll be just fine.
