INNTW adventures

Stats for May 25, 2019

Origin: Manteo Free Wall

Destination: Turners Cut Anchorage

Distance: 61.4 miles

Speed: 8 mph

Time on the Move: 7 hours and 29 minutes

We planned to stop in Elizabeth City for some of the afternoon because we heard some great things about the area. 1-they have a free wall. 2-there is a brewery closeby 3-it is a nice stop on the way to the lock to enter the Dismal Swamp.

On the way, we passed by an old Naval blimp airdock from WWII in Weeksville. This is where they housed the blimps that patrolled the NC coastline looking for German U-boats. The hangar is over 1,000 feet long, 150 feet high, and 300 feet wide. HUGE!! And FASCINATING!!

We passed through a drawbridge in the middle of town and got tied up on our 2nd choice of free docks. Unfortunately the dock with the easiest access was full, so we went to our 2nd choice. It turns out that there are gates to the business next to this free dock that lock when the business closes, cutting off access to your boat. Thank goodness one of the workers came out and told us that or we would have been truly homeless for the night!! We had about 3 hours until we needed to get back to the boat, so we went to go find the brewery.

After walking through town, we found that the brewery was closed until 4:00. On a Saturday!! That was after the time we needed to be back to the boat, so we headed to a different restaurant and were not impressed by the cleanliness or the food. Bummer. I would have much rather saved my money and ate on the boat.

Then I wanted to go to the museum, but I was overruled because the kids wanted to go to a splash pad I found on my map app. It was quite a walk and kind of small when we got there, but we made the most of it. Mike took us for ice cream cones to make the walk back to the boat a little easier.

Overall, our experience in Elizabeth City was a bust. We had high hopes, but it just didn’t turn out to be all that great for us. Ah well, can’t complain about ice cream and a splash pad, I guess.

Mid-afternoon, we left the dock and headed towards the mouth of the Dismal Swamp. The Dismal Swamp is a hand-dug canal dating back to the early 1800’s. It took slaves 12 years to dig the 22 mile long trench in very rough conditions. Between the heat, bugs, swamp, and wild animals such as bears, bobcats, and snakes, I don’t think working on the canal was a prized work assignment. It is a fascinating area though. I did some research on the swamp as we went through and learned that it was a safe haven for thousands of Native Americans and escaped slaves throughout the years because the harsh conditions meant that they were unlikely to be discovered.

The swamp has a lock at the beginning and the end that only open 4 times a day, meaning that you need to really plan your arrival carefully. We chose to get pretty close to the first lock after leaving Elizabeth City with the plan that we would lock through with the 8:00 lock in the morning.

Driving towards our anchorage, we passed through narrow channels with towering trees, calm brown water, and little civilization. It was absolutely beautiful and felt like we were completely isolated from people.

Mike got about 3 miles from the lock and just dropped the anchor in the middle of the channel since the locks were closed for the day, meaning no other boats would be passing through here. Then, we figured we’d be moving before the first locks the next day, so we would be out of the way for new boats coming through. Even knowing no other boats would be coming through, it felt weird to be right in the middle of the river, but it sure was beautiful.

Colin has been making baskets since we left St. Augustine, where he first saw a park ranger making them. He finished his 3rd basket underway today and we were all impressed by how well he’s doing!! He just uses pine needles and string. I love that he is creative and confidant enough to try new things and then try, try again to make them even better.

Our night was very calm and relaxing. Until we climbed into bed. Then, all of a sudden we heard some scratching in the back of the boat that had us scrambling out of bed to see what it was. It seems that our boat was very slowly spinning with the changing of the current and we were scraping against the branches and bushes along the shore. Not exactly an ideal situation for the inflatable dinghy or the unprotected props, not to mention the plastic windows. Mike pulled in the windlass a little to move us closer to the center of the channel and that helped just enough that we squeaked past the trees and swung around facing the other direction. Originally Mike told me to go out there on the bow to pull up the windlass and I told him “no way!” There was no way I was going out on the bow in the swamp at night. With those branches touching our boat, who knows if any snakes or creepy crawlies were out there?! Luckily, that was the end of the excitement for that day.

Stats for May 26, 2019

Origin: Turner’s Cut

Destination: Top Rack Marina

Distance:

Speed: 5.9 mph

Time on the Move: 5 hours and 9 minutes BUT FOREVER NOT MOVING

The next morning, we were moving shortly after 7 to make it a few miles down the canal to the first lock for the 8:00 opening. As we neared, Mike called the lockmaster and was told that they didn’t have power and were waiting on a bucket truck with a longer arm to come and reach the transformer. He instructed us to tie up to the dolphins (piles) and he would let us know when he was ready. That was at about 7:50am. It was already 80+ degrees, humid as can be, without a bit of breeze.

It didn’t take long before we were rafted 4 deep in two rows waiting for the power to come back on. Unfortunately the next bucket truck that arrived didn’t have a long enough arm either, so they were waiting on another truck to arrive. It was SO HOT!!

We watched a movie, I blogged, I took a shower, Mike worked out, Mike played his music loud enough to annoy our neighbors, and we all got so frustrated. It was extremely hot and sweaty just sitting around.

FINALLY, we saw a bucket truck working on the transformer and all the boats started to cheer. We were so excited that someone was there helping us.

After a short bit we were cleared to start entering the lock. We hadn’t locked for months and months, but this was a pretty easy lock, so we weren’t too worried. Cramming all the boats into the lock that were waiting took a while and required some rafting up of boats. And finally, we were ready to lock through. The locks were not set up for big boats like ours and the fact that the cleats didn’t have any posts sticking off made it tricky to keep our lines on the post when we were on the high side of the lock. Just a different style with new things to think about. Everyday teaches us something new on this trip, that’s for sure!!

We FINALLY locked through by 1:00pm for the 8:00am lock. 4 hours of waiting in the extreme heat was not how we thought this day would go.

Getting ready for this long awaited day, we were trying to feel like this:

But it was SO HOT we really felt like this:

At this point, we had 2 choices. The swamp is generally traversed at a slow pace, but Mike did NOT want to stay overnight at the visitor’s center, as so many people do, to explore and fully enjoy the swamp. He did NOT want to “get stuck” there any longer than we already had been. Understandable. So that meant that we had 2 1/2 hours to pass the 22 miles to the last lock. Most people travel through at about 5 miles per hour, but we went through at about 9-10 in order to make the last lock.

This fast pace can be bad for several reasons. There are lots of floating trees and logs that boater’s call “dead heads” just below the surface. If you hit one, that is bad for the prop and hull and the faster you’re going, the bigger the problem it is. Also, the scenery is meant to be enjoyed, that is why we chose to go through the swamp. Yet, instead of a nice calm ride, we were just melting, complaining about our long delay, and praying to escape before the afternoon lock closed. Ah well, we enjoyed the trip, just at a faster speed than we had planned.

On our 22 miles through the swamp, we ended up seeing 1 water snake, a few ducks, and a few kayakers. We also hit a few things, but nothing that we think caused any major issues. It was a beautiful trip, but way too hot and much more stressful than we anticipated.

We arrived for the 3:30 lock at about 3:15. It was perfect timing. There was only one other boat in sight. However, the lockmaster decided to wait for all the other boats that got held up by the morning lock fiasco. It was very nice of him, but very frustrating for us because we were left to hold station and idle in place until about 4:30 when he finally locked us through. If we had known they would hold the afternoon lock, we would have gone slower. But at least we would be out of the swamp and moving ahead freely, on our own schedule.

We planned to head right in to Norfolk, but this trip has taught us again and again to be patient and flexible and we were in for another opportunity to practice our skills. When we arrived at one of the railroad bridges along the way to the marinas in Norfolk, it was down. The bridge tender said it was undergoing maintenance, and she wasn’t sure how long it was going to be. We sweated and idled and sweated and idled with about 30 of our closest boat friends, waiting, hoping, pleading for the bridge to go up. Finally, after an hour or so, we gave up and made a new plan. There was a marina about 4 miles the wrong way down the river (closer to where we just came from!) that offered slips with power (AIR CONDITIONING) for just $1/foot, so we headed there. Whew!! AC never felt so good!! I don’t think any of us stepped foot off the boat that night except to plug in the power cords, but we were sure thankful to be there and relaxing in the cool air!

Thank you for following our adventures and reading all about our hot and delayed trip through the Dismal Swamp. Hopefully tomorrow will be a less eventful day!

Stats for Wednesday, May 22, 2019.

Origin: Ocracoke, NC

Destination: Manteo, NC

Distance: 66 miles of hell

Speed: 9.1 mph

Time on the Move: 7 hours and 16 minutes

When the anchor came up THIS muddy, I should have taken it as an omen about the day and dropped it right back down. I mean look at all that mud?! I brought up about half a foot of chain at a time and sprayed and sprayed and sprayed the thick gooey mud off, making a mess of the deck. Painstaking. Filthy. Slow. I think Mike might actually have gone back to sleep for a bit while I worked. Finally, the anchor was up and I only had the deck left to clean.

We headed over to the ferry dock to quick pick up our bikes. We know you’re not supposed to dock there, but we were going to be quick–just long enough to load up the bikes. Of course we had to explain this to 2 boaters and a ferry worker in the 17 seconds we were docked there. 5 bikes back on the boat and we escaped before the ferry showed up. All this before coffee, even.

Now out to the Pamlico Sound to start our day towards Manteo. I hoped it would be an easy day, despite the fact it would be a bit long. We were down a kid, and things are always surprisingly easier with just 1 child out of the equation. It doesn’t matter which one. I’m not picking favorites, but when we only have 2 kids, things just seem to flow better.

But that was when we were counting on 1 1/2-2 foot waves. We expected them to be on the bow, like they were, but we did not expect them to multiply in size. The day started off a little rough and instead of getting easier, it just got worse and worse. We were stuck traveling 66 miles into 4′ waves right on the bow. If they were coming from any other direction I would have loudly suggested we turn around and go back to our quiet little harbor, but waves on the bow are the best place to take waves on our boat.

9 hours (or so) that we were expecting our trip to take would be forever in those waves. Never ending white caps. Barely any land in sight. Only 3 boats within sight all day. It was just not comfortable. Mike decided to run a bit faster and to see if it would be better, and it was, but it still wasn’t comfortable to the point where we could walk around the boat safely or do anything at all besides hold on, really.

Then came the realization that several things on our boat were not as they should be. The paddleboards that are tied on the bow were taking an awful lot of wind. The top one was flapping in the wind like a sheet and slamming down onto the bow. I was worried that the strap holding it down would break free, and then we would have a huge problem if it blew into our salon windshield. We were also watching the dinghy closely because the water was washing over the swim platform and lifting it up off the davits and setting it down a little out of place. The dinghy was strapped down, but just by one strap. We couldn’t even put the tow rope on it, just in case it slipped off the davits, because the drain plug was pulled out, so it would surely sink if it slipped off the swim platform.

Besides these two major issues, there were all kinds of leaks and groans from running the boat so hard in rough water. But, we know the boat can take much more than we can, so seeing no better options, we continued on towards Manteo. Poor Mike had to just watch all day as the boat bashed into the waves. I at least got to play some games on the floor with the boys to help distract us and pass the time. Thank goodness we only had 2 kids with us that day. Regardless, it was not the “easy” travel day I hoped for.

By running a little harder, the good news was that we didn’t have to travel quite so long. And boy oh boy did we deserve some nice calm water and a shorter trip after bouncing through those waves!! The bonus was that there was a playground right next to our marina and a brewery literally across the street. The kids played while Mike washed the salt crust off the boat and I got laundry started, and then off to the brewery we went.

I have to say, as much as the ride wasn’t fun on this particular trip, it’s funny how the stress of a bad ride disappears so quickly once things calm and we’re tied up safe at the dock. It wasn’t a scary day (other than the thought of a broken windshield or losing the dinghy), but it was just a very long, uncomfortable ride. However, a few hours later, looking at this sunset, those bad experiences start to soften.

The next day we moved the boat about 500 feet to a free dock right next to the marina. Seriously–who would stay at a marina when they could stay at a free dock?! I guess people who need power or need to do laundry, but we felt pretty lucky to move over to the free dock. Even closer to the playground, if that’s possible.

Mike’s mom came to pick us up and take us back to their condo a short drive away in Nag’s Head. She told us we could have their car to do exploring and sight seeing in the area and then later, the grandparents would watch the kids while we had an adult dinner out!! This day just keeps getting better and better!!

We started our adventures off by going to Kitty Hawk to learn about the Wright Brothers and see the area where they perfected their flying machines. It was interesting to learn about their childhood with parents who raised them to be creative and think outside the box and a sister who believed in them completely. The kiddos all earned Junior Ranger badges and it was really a lot of work (for all of us).

The question was, “What inspires you??” Hayley: hard work. Tobin: inventions. Colin: pizza and robots. Kelly AND Mike: trying new things.

Next we headed to Jockey’s Ridge State Park because we heard something about sand dunes. I imagined some big sand hills, but I didn’t think it would look like the desert!! What a crazy place this is with all the sand piled up!! It was interesting to learn that the dunes are always moving and drifting due to the coastal winds blowing the sand. I seriously think it would be possible to get lost out here if we weren’t careful. And then I wouldn’t get my date night. Yikes!!

On our way back to Grandma and Grandpa’s beach condo, we saw a drive-thru beer store called “Brew Thru.” We were amazed and delighted by such a concept, so we had to stop!! What a country!!

We took our new goodies back to the beach condo and joined Larry and Cheryl for a swim in the pool. The kids raced each other and even challenged their dad and grandpa to races.

Can you believe anyone still has energy for more adventures?! Just writing about everything we cram into one day is exhausting!! But of course, there’s more!!

As promised, Larry and Cheryl fed the kids and had some good quality grandparent time with the kids so Mike and I could go out to dinner. We haven’t been able to “get away” from the kids in quite a while (and we even had a car!!), so the choices of what to do were overwhelming. We ended up eating at Outer Banks Brewing Company, which is partly powered by a wind generator (awesome!). Then we headed to…where else but the grocery store?! We took advantage of being kid free and having a trunk to stock up!! After that we went to some place on a pier to listen to live music and we got lucky because the band was awesome!! It was one of those nights that was hard to tear yourself away and be home by 9 like you said you would be. We made it, but just a little late. We loaded up Hayley and Colin in between bags of groceries, leaving Tobin to have his turn to stay overnight with Grandma and Grandpa. It was a long day, but we got so much accomplished!!

We had one more day in Nag’s Head, visiting with Grandma and Grandpa Herbon, so we headed to the beach right in front of their condo. It was HOT and WINDY. Tobin was so excited to show us these black things that were all over the beach. They are skate egg sacs. Skates are in the shark family, but I think they are similar to a ray. Considering how many of these things were washed up on the beach, I’m assuming they are quite plentiful in the water here! Tobin went fishing that morning and even caught a double header with 2 skates!! Woah baby. Of course the creature catcher was totally into this and all the other creepy things he found washed up on the beach.

We headed back to the pool and then took advantage of unlimited hot water to shower everyone living on a boat. Then we headed to another “shrimp hour” at the spot on the pier that had live music the night before. We were lucky enough to score a table that would fit all of us. The shrimp were 15 cents each so we splurged and ordered 80. Most of the people at our table were thrilled. Colin, Hayley, and I moved right past shrimp hour and on to the dinner hour.

Our last stop was another pier where there was an aquarium and lots of fishermen to keep us all entertained. We watched these guys pull in all kinds of fish!! The kids were cracking up at how many fish they were catching. It was fun to watch and had a beautiful view!!

We’ve really enjoyed having Larry and Cheryl around off and on for the last 10 days or so. We appreciate their effort to visit, their flexibility on the “where” and the “when,” their chauffeur services, and their willingness to take all the kids for some special one on one time!! Thank you, thank you, and we love you!!

We had a great time in Nag’s Head and the surrounding area!! Thanks for reading about and following along on our adventures!!

Stats for May 20, 2019

Origin: Oriental Free Dock

Destination: Ocracoke Anchorage

Distance: 45.5 miles

Speed: 8.6 mph

Time on the Move: 5 hours and 18 minutes

We were up and on our way early to get away from the smell of those shrimp boats…BLEH!! Just kidding (kind of)!! We were anxious to get to Ocracoke and get our long travel day heading out to the middle of nowhere under our belt. Heading to the Outer Banks is off the typical looper path, but many loopers travel this route, if weather permits. Since we’re meeting Mike’s parents out this way, we made sure weather permitted.

Even though we had a pretty good ride, I was still thankful to get closer to land and find our anchorage. Right away the harbor reminded us of Beaver Island, Michigan. A very protected harbor, surrounded by fishing and pleasure boats, out in the middle of nowhere.

This car ferry docked right next to us as we made a quick stop to drop off our bikes on land before dropping the hook. There is a passenger ferry and a car ferry (from 2 different directions) that head to Ocracoke because the state doesn’t maintain the bridges and roads here anymore. Instead, they just run ferries.

After the anchor was set, we were ready to get off the boat and explore this gem of a town. First, that requires us to get our bikes in working order. They take quite a bit of abuse from sun and salt water sitting out there on the bow, so every time we go to use them, Mike has to work all the kinks out first. He is such a patient dad to put all that work in. He must really love bike rides!!

Of course 3 of the bikes needed attention on this day, but mine was the worst. I peddled but the chain wouldn’t catch and would just go round and round. Mike finally decided he needed to remove my tire and do some more work on it back at the boat.

Since my bike was out of commission for the day, we tried to walk around and explore. We went through the museum and then to the British Cemetary. Back during WWII these 4 British soldiers were killed off the coast of North Carolina, while helping fight German U-boat attacks off the coast. Britain promises to bury British soldiers on British land, but rather than ship the bodies home, they permanently leased this small portion of the island and buried their dead here. It was interesting and kind of sad that the soldiers are actually so far from home. It seems to be quite the destination in town, so they have lots of good thoughts sent to them from Americans. In a bigger cemetery right next door, I saw a family that lost 3 children in the same month. I’m guessing it was a yellow fever outbreak, because that seemed to be quite common in this area during the late 1800s. There are over 80 cemeteries on Ocracoke!!

The town was kind of busy and things were kind of spread out, so walking wasn’t very fulfilling and we were getting frustrated and bored. Mike is always a problem solver, so he decided to rent us a golf cart for the day which is a common method of transportation on the island. It was a perfect solution to not having bikes!! Maybe even better!

After we got our wheels we were free to roam and explore! We headed to a restaurant that had “shrimp hour” instead of “happy hour.” Mike and Tobin were thrilled!! Hayley and I had chicken wings and Colin boycotted all of it.

Next we tried to get to the beach, but it was outside the main part of town where golf carts are allowed, so we had to turn back. Bummer. We found our way to the 1718 Brewery where we tasted some good brews while the kids played bean bags and ran around on the porch like monkeys.

We were really anxious to get out to the beach at Springers Point, where Blackbeard the pirate is said to have spent his last few days before losing his last battle to the US Navy just off the coast in 1718. We picked up a pizza and headed out there.

Apparently Blackbeard spent his last few days “drinking and making music” along this stretch of land, historically famous for housing pirates, as it is close to the Pamlico Sound but also great for concealing oneself. Some say there is still treasure hidden through this area, as Blackbeard’s treasure has never actually been found.

We didn’t find any treasure, but we did get some beautiful sunset views. Most of us ate pizza while Hayley just dropped hers in the sand (again and again). It was a beautiful spot and seemed pretty magical to think about it being a pirate hideout. Tobin thought it was magical because it is also now a crab sanctuary.

One of our last adventures of the day lead us to the lighthouse. It was stunning, but we were disappointed that we couldn’t see the sunset from here. The park rangers don’t keep the lighthouse open for you to walk through, so we just had to admire it from outside.

Mike fixed my tire overnight, so the next morning started off with a bike ride. It was still a little busy and the area through town only had a narrow bike lane right next to the road, so it was a little tense. Soon a bike lane opened up, separate from the road, so that made our ride much more comfortable. We stopped at the beach to take in the sights before turning around.

We stopped by the Blackbeard museum because we just can’t get enough of this pirate!! It was well worth the $4 per person to walk through the exhibit and learn a bit more about his life. I was amazed to learn he had only been pillaging and plundering on his own for 2 years when he was killed. After the US Navy killed him, they hung his decapitated head off their bow sprit as a warning to others. Gross!!

We met up with Mike’s parents who drove and took the ferry down from Nag’s Head, NC. We had lunch on the water, overlooking INNTW, and then went exploring some more. Grandma and Grandpa went to the museum and lighthouse with Hayley while I went cruising with the boys around town in our golf cart. Later we met up at the brewery.

After a stop at the brewery, we sent Grandma and Grandpa on their way with a very excited Hayley. She was thrilled to spend some time as an only child with Grandma and Grandpa. The rest of us went back to the boat where the boys fished while we watched a beautiful sunset. They caught a few little babies like this, but the fun thing is it doesn’t matter what they catch, as long as they’re fishing.

Thanks for reading and following along on our adventures!!

Stats for May 19, 2019

Origin: Swansboro Dock

Destination: Oriental Free Dock

Distance: 52.4 miles

Speed: 7.9 mph

Time on the Move: 6 hours and 34 minutes

It was another early morning as we set off for the day. We had a mid-way point of Beaufort (Bo-fert) North Carolina where we wanted to spend some time. We weren’t sure if we would stay the night in the anchorage there, or move on a bit further before sunset.

After anchoring in Beaufort, we dinghied in to explore.

There was a cute little main street filled with shops, restaurants, and museums. We started off exploring a little, buying Hay and Tobin new Beaufort shirts, and peeking in the boat building museum. Then we headed to lunch.

After lunch we headed to the Beaufort Maritime Museum. We have been to many, many maritime museums along the way, but this one was great!! First of all, it was completely FREE!! Second of all, it was interesting with lots of history and artifacts from the area, but mostly I loved it because of the information about Blackbeard’s ship the Queen Anne’s Revenge. This ship was found in 1996 just out of the Beaufort inlet after it ran aground and sank in 1718. Just now, more information and artifacts are coming to light as researchers study the remains of the QAR further. It is great pirate lore!!

Next we stopped by Fishtowne Brew House for fun for all!!

After a few hours of fun in Beaufort (Bo-fert) we decided to pull up the anchor and move further north before sunset. There was a free dock another 20 some miles down the ICW, so we set our sights on that for the night.

When we pulled into Oriental, we realized both of the free dock options were right next to HUGE shrimping boats that smelled A LOT like shrimp. I told Mike I couldn’t do it and we had to leave, but he pulled up to the dock anyway. So there we were.

We had a beautiful evening on the free dock, but it was a pretty smelly one.

Thanks for reading and following our adventures!!

Stats for May 18, 2019

Origin: Provisions Dock, Southport, NC

Destination: Swansboro, NC free dock

Distance: 79.6 miles

Speed: 8.5 mph

Time on the Move: 9 hours and 20 minutes

Shortly after we got off the dock at Provisions, we saw a great example of the freighters that use this inlet. We passed by this tanker headed out to sea and even watched a pilot boat go right up to it, I suspect to get the pilot off the ship before it got too far out of the harbor.

We passed by Sunny Point before too long, which is the nation’s largest ammunition shipping point on the east coast. It covers 16,000 acres and has tight security, as you can imagine. The entrance along the water is blockaded with concrete piles connected by chains and signs warning of a restricted zone. It is also manned by a security boat. By land, I’ve read that there are large sand berms protecting the whole area. This shipping terminal is used to send ammunition, explosives, and dangerous cargo around the world, as well as supporting Fort Bragg if soldiers there are mobilized.

The kiddos worked on some school work underway, as usual. Hayley is just about finished with her entire 2nd grade math book, and she regularly journals and reads for fun. Colin has a chapter left in his math book, and he reads for fun regularly, but journaling is not his idea of a good time. He still does it multiple times a week because I’m the meanest teacher, obviously. Tobin is working on a preK-Kdg bridge book, loves practicing math, and often traces and writes numbers and letters. His interest in paper/pencil work has increased immensely in the last month or so. I don’t want to push book work with him, but he wants to be like brother and sister, so workbooks it is!!

We had some desolate stretches during our day and some busy stretches. Heading towards this bridge in Wrightville Beach was one of our busiest spots. The bridge was set to open on the hour, but we were pretty sure we could sneak under with about 6 inches to spare, so we went for it. Turns out that we probably had a foot or more. But let me tell you, dodging all these boats, aiming for the center of the bridge, and avoiding other boats putting in at the boat launch was stressful!! Whew!!

We filled up with cheap diesel fuel near Sneads Ferry where this shrimp boat tied up RIGHT IN FRONT of us to fill his fuel tanks as well. Luckily, he was ready to pull out just before us because I didn’t feel great about getting off the dock with him about 12 inches in front of us.

Our next excitement along the waterway was provided by the Marines at Camp Lejeune. There was a very low bridge operated by the Marines that opened strictly on the hour and we happened to get there at EXACTLY the right moment. How we get so lucky without looking ahead, I’ll never know!! Then we traveled through a “live fire” area that is used for training. Of course they weren’t firing or doing any training at the time, but just seeing the signs and targets riddled with bullet holes was creepy enough.

We had a few options for anchorages and one of them was highly recommended because you could quite often see Marine training maneuvers on the water and flights overhead (not in the live fire range, of course!). We would have stopped, but we didn’t see much to look at when we went by and who even knows if the Marines train on Saturday evenings?! Hopefully they get the day off!! So we continued about 10 miles down the ICW to make good use of our day.

I thought we were going to anchor and next thing I know, Mike found a free dock at Swansboro that he wants to tie up on. Sure enough, we stick the landing with live music and a restaurant full of people just at the end of the dock. We were a bit further away from the crowd this time, but the music was great. Mike wanted to get the kids off the boat, so he found a playground nearby. Leave it to him–always time to fit in another adventure. Just when I’m ready for jammies, he’s breaking out the soccer balls. Really, though, it was a nice walk through a historic town and we all enjoyed getting some energy out.

After playground time and soccer practice, we headed back to the boat under the light of a full moon. Tobin was crying in my ear about something he saw on the ground that I wouldn’t let him pick up, so it was a long walk back to the boat. I’m sure he was just tired, but I also blame that full moon.

The dock here was a great stop. We don’t mind anchoring one bit, but hearing the music and having the opportunity to get off the boat were welcome after a long day of travel.

Thanks for reading and following along!!

Stats for May 17, 2019

Origin: North Myrtle Beach

Destination: Provisions Restaurant docks in Southport, NC

Distance: 37.6 miles

Speed: 8.2 mph

Time on the Move: 4 hours and 35 minutes

When we woke up in North Myrtle Beach, we had a few chores to get done before heading out for the day. We needed to pump out our waste tanks, and luckily, they have dockside pump out. The bad part was that Mike had to do the pumping, but it was nice not to have to move the boat. We also filled the water and prepped to leave the dock. We had a warm send off from the locals at the marina. About 10 people gathered to watch us leave. I didn’t think we were that exciting, but apparently they did.

Again, we had to call the dredge boat to lower their pipe and send an escort to lead us out of the marina. This time we passed through uneventfully, never seeing the pipe resurface. As we pulled out of the marina, we passed by a large fishing boat. No matter how many times we see them, they catch my attention–such character!!

Our drive was filled with residential areas mixed with natural areas. There were lots of large rentals along the way, mixed with smaller homes in neighborhoods, and some areas with really big, beautiful homes. We even saw an RV park.

Along the way we had a few discussions about where we should actually go for the evening. Mike’s parents still had Colin with them, and they were planning on meeting us wherever we ended up and spending the night on INNTW. It seemed like all the hotels were booked between bike week and a festival held nearby. We were all excited that Grandma and Grandpa were going to finally spend the night on INNTW!! We ultimately decided to dock for free at Provisions Restaurant dock, where you can stay overnight if you eat there. DEAL!!

The wind was picking up, but the ICW was so protected we couldn’t really tell the difference. When we neared Provisions, there were several docks to scan to try to find the right one (though the large word PROVISIONS on the roof ultimately helped. Also, the wind really picked up because there is a wide river area leading to an inlet to the ocean and the white caps were rolling. The tide was falling, but still on a mid tide, so we were stunned to see this sailboat washed up on a sandbar right next to the restaurant. There were 2 tow boats there trying to get him off the bar.

We realized quickly that Friday early afternoon was a very busy time at Provisions, so lots of diners would have the chance to see us dock. Great. Nothing like pressure, right?! We decided to stern in (back in) because the docks were so short, and we needed easy access off the boat. However, we were worried about the depth at the dock because just a few slips down we could see sloping sand piled up against the sea wall, again we were on a mid-tide. Mike called the slip he wanted and Colin and I prepped the lines and were ready to do our best to help the captain into the dock.

We say our boat is like a sailboat when it is windy because of our large enclosed flybridge. Most of the time, we love the flybridge, but when it is windy and we’re docking, it is the enemy. Mike kept getting pushed around by the wind, so he had to re-approach the dock a few times before he felt comfortable. There was a gentleman on the dock willing to catch our lines and that was a huge relief to me in those conditions. In the end, Mike backed into the wind to get us in the slip, but we were pushed sideways by the wind hard enough before we were far enough into the slip that the corner of the wooden dock scraped against the side of our boat pretty good. It was a little stressful, especially with a crowd looking on, but sometimes you’re just glad it’s over. Thank goodness for the guys on the dock who helped catch the lines!

We tried to move the boat back into the slip a little more with the lines, but couldn’t get it to budge. I blamed it on the wind, but Mike had the suspicion that we were actually beached and sitting on our props in the sand. Thank goodness the docks were new and in good shape because they sure had a job keeping our 30,000 pound boat in one place all night!! Overall, it was not a great docking experience, though it didn’t cause much damage except to our egos, but then the thought that we were sitting on our props had Mike worried all night. Not to mention the wind and waves rocking us. In hindsight, a different anchorage would have been a much better choice, but it worked out. (Worst docking experience with boats around: St Ignace. Worst docking experience with no other boats involved: Provisions.)

Mike and I “checked in” and had a quick drink at the bar to calm our nerves. Grandma, Grandpa, and Colin arrived and we headed to to see the town. We learned that this is a very important inlet area because it brings in a lot of shipping traffic to the port of Wilmington, NC. There was still a large metal tower along the shore where pilots used to stand lookout, waiting for big ships to come into the channel that they had to board to guide through the shallow waters of the inlet up to the port.

We found a park, read about the history of the area, stopped at a winery for some tasting, found a candy store for the kids, and then decided it was time to head back to Provisions for dinner. That place was hopping and we felt like we were in a bit of a fishbowl on our sundeck. That is probably why I don’t have a picture of 100 people staring at the new scratch on my boat, but I sure wish I did.

We had a great dinner and a beautiful sunset. That wind did not stop all night, though!! We were rocking pretty good, but Grandpa said it helped put him right to sleep on our salon couch. The kids thought the sleepover on INNTW was fun, and they even let the adults stay up late talking about how we don’t like talking about politics. Provisions closes at 10, so it was quite lively until then, but it quieted down pretty quickly, which we appreciated. (Mike and I thought of some bar/restaurants back home on the Clinton River that could never have this kind of set up because they are too wild and open too late–fun to visit, but not fun to stay!)

The next morning Larry and Cheryl left INNTW around 8:30 so we could get going. We had some miles to put under our keel in order to meet them closer to the Outer Banks in a few days. It was a good visit, but unfortunately I didn’t take many pictures.

We were relieved when we were finally able to pull away from the dock, after some careful consideration for wind and waves. Luckily, the props don’t seem to have been affected from sitting in the sand for part of our stay. Provisions is a great place to stop, but I’d recommend bowing in, only stopping in good weather, and finding an alternative spot if you have longer than a 50’LOA (length overall of your boat).

Thanks for reading and following along on our adventures!!

Stats for May 14, 2019

Origin: Charleston Waterfront Marina

Stopover: N. Santee River Anchorage

Distance: 50.5 miles

Speed: 8.6 mph

Time on the Move: 5 hours and 50 minutes

We left Charleston mid-day after some soccer and a quick trip to the Fort Sumter Museum, so we figured we would just get as far as we could before dark and then find an anchorage.

Under way, Colin made his first attempt at making a basket out of pine needles. He watched a park ranger work on this task in St. Augustine and has been anxious to give it a try ever since. Pretty good for his first try!!

Once we settled into our anchorage, Mike fished with Tobin and Hayley, so Colin and I played Old for a while on the flybridge. I love having time for games and crafts on the boat! That is one of the best parts about this trip from a togetherness factor. There is sure a lot of togetherness!!

After dinner we watched a 1975 movie called “The Wilderness Family” that we picked up at the library dvd sale. It is about a family who leaves their busy lives behind to move to (you guessed it!!) the wilderness for a simpler way of life. We can totally relate to the family, though their lives are much different than ours. Everyone enjoyed the movie–can’t beat entertainment like that for $1!!

Stats for May 15, 2019

Stopover: Enterprise Passage

Distance: 45.1 miles

Speed: 7.5 mph

Time on the Move: 5 hours and 49 minutes

We were up and moving early the next morning because we wanted to stop in Georgetown, SC for a bit during the day. There was a day dock there that we planned to tie to so we could walk around town and check it out.

Just as we were getting close to Georgetown, Mike called me to the flybridge to tell me the Coast Guard was stopping all the boats going through the area and boarding them for safety inspections. Being stopped by the Coast Guard is something that is always a possibility, but has never happened to us. It is similar to a traffic checkpoint where police officers make sure you are following all safety rules. I quick ran through the boat and told the kids that the Coast Guard was probably going to come on our boat, but there were no problems. Then I bribed them to stay still and quiet while the coasties were onboard and made sure they had their life jackets on their laps so they wouldn’t accidentally walk upstairs without them. I also flushed the toilet and quick pulled the covers up over our bed. Nothing like unexpected company, right?!

Sure enough, we watched this guy head right towards us and knew our first boarding by the Coast Guard was imminent. We were a bit surprised because they didn’t hail us on the radio or state their intentions to come aboard, but the just circled behind us and pulled close to our port stern. I opened the sundeck door and they asked where the easiest place to come aboard was, but they were already stepping onto the swim platform. So I went downstairs to let them in.

Two men came aboard and at that point introduced themselves and said we were going to undergo a safety inspection. I took them to the sundeck where they ran through a list of about 15 things they needed to see like life jackets, fire extinguishers, ID and registrations, signage, etc. Sure enough, we passed their inspection no problem, though Mike did have to quick write out a waste management plan to satisfy that requirement. We were thankful for their stop but happy to see them go. It is a little overwhelming to have Mike to continue to drive the boat while I run around and find all these things to show them.

The kids were so funny. Hayley was right with me every step of the way, finding things they needed, but the boys just kept on watching their tv show, not even noticing these armed men in giant boots traipsing through their home.

After all that excitement, we were practically to the free dock in Georgetown. We got tied up, made some new friends right away on the docks, and headed out to see the sites.

We stopped for lunch and ate with a 100 of our best biker friends. We timed our stop to coincide with Myrtle Beach’s bike week and apparently they like to take field trips. There were bikers everywhere!! After lunch, we stopped at the FREE area museum before heading on our way.

We headed out of Georgetown mid-afternoon, wanting to get as close to Myrtle Beach as we could before sunset. Georgetown was a lot of fun for a few hours!!

As we continued on we passed by this cool looking pirate ship. Ya just never know what you’re going to see out here on the water!

We drove through some very pretty channels to get to our anchorage for the evening.

Stats for May 16, 2019

Destination: N. Myrtle Beach

Distance: 30 miles

Speed: 7.8 mph

Time on the Move: 3 hours and 51 minutes

Again, we wanted to get started early on our trip in to North Myrtle Beach so we could make the most of our day. Plus, Grandma and Grandpa Herbon were there waiting for us!! Mike’s parents were coming to meet up with us from Northern Michigan, and luckily, they are good at going with the flow of a flexible schedule. They pretty much said what day they’ll be here and asked where to meet us. So, Myrtle Beach it is!!

Heading through Myrtle Beach, there is a long, straight section of the ICW that is lined with homes and some restaurants. We had a few bridges to contend with, but only 2 that had to open for us. There is no extra room in this stretch to anchor, so that is why we had to stay 30 miles away the night before.

After we were all tied up at the marina, we took an uber to Mike’s parents condo. They had the most amazing view from their room on the 19th floor!!

The pool was on the 9th floor, where we still had a great view of the ocean, though it was a little windy and blustery.

After some pool time, we headed to the beach for some relaxing and playing. Can you believe these kids don’t just fall into bed every night?! Just writing about everything we do is exhausting!!

After dinner, we took advantage of unlimited hot water and a bath tub to clean up. I feel bad the kids can’t take baths on the boat!! Colin stayed overnight at the condo while the rest of us headed back to the marina to rest up for another day of travel where we would meet up with Grandma and Grandpa again.

Thanks for following along!!

Stats for May 11, 2019

Origin: Beaufort Free Dock

Stopover: S. Edisto River Anchorage

Distance: 28.6 miles

Speed: 8.7 mph

Time on the Move: 3 hours and 17 minutes

Stats for May 12, 2019

Destination: Charleston Waterfront Marina

Distance: 41.3 miles

Speed: 7.3 mph

Time on the Move: 5 hours and 37 minutes

We left Beaufort mid-day and made it as far as we could before dark.

Somehow I don’t have any pictures of our anchorage, but it must not have been all that exciting anyway. We woke up BRIGHT AND EARLY on Mother’s Day morning to finish the trip in to Charleston. Colin woke up bright and early with us, but luckily the other two slept in a bit. That must be the advantage of having an actual bedroom.

It was a bit windy docking in Charleston and we had some current to consider as well…not to mention parallel parking in between a looper boat we don’t know and our friends The Blessing. Of course the captain got the boat right in there no problem, though it was a tad intimidating at first.

After getting INNTW all tied up we headed out to explore the town. Of course, our first stop was a playground and a park where the kids played soccer with some new friends for a bit.

We walked through the City Market area (where the kids wanted to buy everything of course!!), down a cute little alley way, past a beautiful church and an old cemetery all in some on and off rain. We didn’t quite know what we were doing or where we were going, but the rain definitely put a damper on our exploring. We turned lemons into lemonade and found a pub for some dinner while the rain passed.

It was the kind of place with dollar bills all over the walls and ceiling. Somehow I gave in and gave the kids each their own dollars to decorate while we were waiting for our food. It was interesting to see what they came up with!!

We wanted to explore more, but thunderstorms were threatening. Mike headed off to the grocery store while I went back to the boat with the kiddos. We had some relaxing tv time while it rained. Mike brought back ice cream from the grocery store, so that was a great ending to Mother’s Day!!

The next day the boys got haircuts on the dock while I got the laundry done. Then we headed off for a full day of exploring. There was a tour boat that left from right in front of INNTW multiple times a day and people would line up right in front of our boat. The morning group got a good show of what boat life is all about between the haircuts and laundry. Between people on the dock and the dockmaster, we had several people speak out in support of our decision to take the kids on such an adventure at this point in our lives.

We set off on scooters to explore the city. Our first stop was the Old Slave Mart Museum. This is a building built for the specific purpose of auctioning off slaves once it started becoming taboo and was no longer allowed to occur out in the open on the streets. There was also a jail for slaves here and a holding area for slaves heading to new homes. It was filled with stories, pictures, and artifacts of slavery in the south and lots of information about the slave trade overall. At one point in history, Charleston processed 40% of slaves coming into the United States. Slave auctions ended here in November 1963. It was very sad and eye opening to learn about some of the details of the slave trade. I am a firm believer that children of all ages will attend to and understand what is age appropriate for them. Our kids each were surprised, interested, and saddened at different things, depending on their maturity level.

Our next stop was at the Old Exchange Building which was built in grand fashion by the British in 1771. It was meant as a place to import and tax goods, but it was built to exude the power and wealth of the area at the time. Later, during the Revolutionary War, the British used the basement as a dungeon and prison for soldiers, citizens, and criminals. Stede Bonnet, a pirate once in alliance with Blackbeard, was held here at one point before he was hung in White Point Park, just down the street. I think the most interesting thing is that the basement floor is the original brick from 318 years ago and there is one area where you can see the original seawall that once surrounded the city.

The building is also famous for many other reasons beyond the basement. It hosted George Washington and was one of 4 buildings still standing where the Constitution was ratified.

Continuing our bike tour, we were hangry and all we could find were expensive restaurants, it seemed. So we wandered, hit another playground, and spent some time getting hangry.

We ended up giving up on the restaurants close by and heading for White Point Park. This is sometimes referred to as Battery Park since it is next to the Battery. We learned that 100 pirates were hanged in this park over the years. One of our tour guides joked how it used to be a place of war and torture and now it is one of the most famous places to get married in Charleston. Seemed kind of ironic to me.

Of course we had to stop to examine a salamander we found in the bushes. How they can find these things while scootering by, I’ll never know…

We wandered the pathways (which aren’t paved, but have small stones on them) and waited for our Domino’s delivery man to arrive. Sometimes pizza just swoops in to save the day. I like to think we are quite resourceful at times, and this is one of them. Problem solvers.

After we ate, we checked out some statues around the park and started our walk back towards the boat. We found some amazing homes!! We also found happy hour. And then a library….the fun just keeps on coming!!

We found a great library where we don’t actually read books. Instead, we browse the used book/dvd sales, play with their toys, and play games on their computers. Ah well…

The next morning Mike took the kids for a bit more soccer at the field while I worked on the blog. They also found the Fort Sumter Museum and learned about the place where the first shot of the Civil War occurred. After they ran off some energy, we readied the boat for traveling to our next stop. We could have stayed in Charleston for another week, but I have a feeling we’ll be back some day!!

Thanks for following along on our adventures!!