Next, we headed to Marathon in the Keys, anchoring in the Everglades at Little Shark River along the way. Jenn, Scott, Courtney, and Carter spent a week with us at Faro Blanco (White Lighthouse) Marina, enjoying the beach, the turtle hospital next door, the diminutive key deer on Pine Key, and a visit to Key West. Linda and I then moved a half mile south to Harbor Cay Club where we stayed for a week. This was the place we stayed for two months on our first loop, and where we have come by car each of the last six years to stay in the club's apartment.
After Marathon, we spent the month of March in Key West at A and B Marina which lies close to most K.W. activities. Granddaughter, Jordan, and two friends spent ten days with us sightseeing, fishing, kayaking, paddle boarding, playing cards, and laying out in the sun. They were a total delight. Next, our daughter, Chris, and grandson, Corey (Jordan's mom and brother), came to crash for a week. We again played lots of cards, watched sunsets at Mallory Square, and genuinely enjoyed our time together.
On April 1, we again moved up the Atlantic Coast along the Intracoastal Waterway, parking the boat in Ft. Lauderdale while we went home for two weeks. From there, we anchored out at Jensen Beach, Daytona, and Jacksonville. In Jacksonville, where anchorages are scarce, we had to anchor out in the main river just outside the main channel, where we watched container ships and a cruise ship slide by. Concerned that our anchor might pull out during a tide shifts, we twice set our alarm clock to wake us up during the night. Even though the current was strong, our anchor with 150 feet of chain played out, stayed put. After stopping in Brunswick, Georgia for a night, we moved to Savannah, again sharing the river with sea-going ships, only this time we were tied to a dock. We spent several days there, walking the river walk, and biking its tree-lined streets. Leaving Savannah, we cruised through many shallow areas on the ICW, sometimes seeing less than a foot of water under our keel! We made it, though, and even though the horse flies coming from the tidal marshes were bad, we closed up the boat at anchor, turned on the air, and enjoyed a gorgeous anchorage along the way.
In Charleston, we caught up with our friends, Ward and Jean, who were tied up near us on the marina's "Megadock", a long face dock which could handle several mega yachts and small cruise ships. The most impressive yacht, in our humble opinions, was "Athena", a gorgeous, 295 foot sailing yacht, tied just across from us. The four of us shopped at the farmer's market, enjoyed a couple of great restaurants, visited the Calhoun House, which is the largest home in the historic district, and took a private horse and buggy tour past the homes and shops of old Charleston. Of particular interest to us as three active and one retired insurance agents, were the "marks" placed on many of the homes. Back in the 18th and early 19th century, these plates identified the company insuring the home. These companies also owned the fire apparatus and, typically, would only fight a fire if their mark was on the building!
Continuing north through North Carolina, we saw evidence of damage from last year's hurricane, including numerous derelict and abandoned boats. We also found more shallow areas. One of the most notorious skinny areas was near the New River inlet, where following the buoys would put you aground. While at Southport, we had attended a briefing where we learned how we might find our way through this tricky area. Following instructions, we put waypoints in our chartplotter, and white knuckling it, were able to lead three or four boats through to deep water. This part of the intracoastal is beautiful, though, with picturesque anchorages, quaint towns, and abundant wildlife. On this stretch, in fact, we saw a black bear ahead of us, swimming across the river.
After stopping at the little town of Coinjock and then the naval town Portsmouth, across from Norfolk, we entered Chesapeake Bay. We toured Yorktown, VA, the site of the last major naval battle of the Revolutionary War. We stopped at the active fishing town of Crisfield, MD, and vowed to someday take a ferry from this town to neighboring Tangier Island. The village of Tangier on the island has about 750 souls who, because of historic isolation, still speak a unique dialect of English which remains remarkably close to the way people spoke when they came over from the British Isles in the 17th century. Pretty cool. It's on our bucket list. We stayed a few days at beautiful Solomons Island, MD, and then Annapolis. Our time in Annapolis was a highlight of our entire trip. The city boasts a beautiful working waterfront, a quaint downtown center full of 17th and 18th century buildings, a vibrant historic district, and, of course, the Naval Academy. Our 75 minute tour of the Academy was awe inspiring. Our enthusiastic guide proudly mentioned that three of her sons had attended the Academy (with a fourth attending the Air Force Academy!), so her enthusiasm came from a long, loving association with the institution. We watched midshipmen gather in formation for their march to lunch, we saw the crypt of John Paul Jones in the lower level of the base church, we toured several magnificent buildings, and as this was graduation week, we were treated to a program rehearsal of the Blue Angels and saw many of the students enjoying time with their families.
Our next stop was Delaware City at the eastern terminus of the Chesapeake-Delaware (C-D) Canal which connects the two bays. Waiting for several days for Delaware Bay to calm down, we were able to visit with fellow loopers who were also waiting for better weather. One looper was from Grand Haven, no less, and was looping in a DINGHY! While exchanging boat cards, I asked him if he was enjoying his trip, and he said, without hesitation and with a huge smile, he was having a ball! When the wind finally died down, we motored down to Cape May, then to Atlantic City. We spent several days in town waiting for calm weather, but we made lemonade out of lemons by visiting fun places in South Jersey by rental car. One such place was Oyster Creek Inn, an area landmark, set in the salt marsh in what is now a national wildlife refuge. Its worn cedar shakes, its boat shaped bar, its local seafood, all regularly draw locals and people in the know. The third photo below shows a view from its back porch. We left Atlantic City in fog which did not dissipate entirely until we reached Sandy Hook, at the entrance to New York Harbor. We stayed in a picturesque harbor at Great Kills Yacht Club where the members welcome Loopers with open arms. The people there could not have been nicer. The next day, our two boats went under the Verrazano Bridge, past Manhattan, and on to the Statue of Liberty in the busy harbor. Though we have seen the statue several times before, it still imparts a feeling of awe and reverence. A fellow looper took a great shot of our two boats in front of the Great Lady.
Next, the Hudson River and beyond!
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