Friday June 1, 2012
Thursday started out amazing and continued. We spent the day with Dave and Denise, most of the first part looking for a radiator cap. Lunch was calling us and Denise, as usual, suggested a great little restaurant just off the beaten path. Quaint little place dripping with charm. They are known for their Tomato Basil pie and I can certainly see why. I told them the only thing wrong with it was the servings were not big enough. It was delish! Always room for desert, cheesecake with raspberry rhubarb sauce poured over it topped the lunch off. Culinary catering is only open for lunch and I found it to be the perfect luncheon stop for great food. The plan was, and we know about plans, to see the town as rustic and historic it is after we found a radiator cap. I think we went to 4-5 stores before we found one. Now we can start the engine again. This may have been one of the problems before and never caught. Now it is good as new with a new hose and cap. Denise went back to the house to start dinner while David took us to pick up some groceries, deliver them back to the boat and pick up laundry. They were kind enough to let us catch up on clean clothes, towels and sheets. Anyone who has cruised before knows what a treat that is! When we got back to the house, dinner filled the neighborhood air. I am not sure how she managed to whip up something so delish in record time. I thought all Southerners talked and move slow. Not Denise. She can multitask and throw a feast fit for a sailor who has been a year at sea. Dinner was glazed ham, squash casserole (I need to get that recipe), kale greens with yum yum peppers and vinegar, cucumber and tomato salad drenched with balsamic vinegar and fresh basil, and the most delicious creamed corn, fresh from the cob and of coarse, cornbread and Irish butter. Then, believe it or not, she jumped up, hand whipped some whipping cream and warmed berries that were poured over angel food cake. Those treats are really something for us. The boat doesn’t lend to making such an elegant southern feast as Denise’s kitchen, which is enviously huge might I add. Her counter, she says, is used for wrapped bodies, it’s big enough! Scampering around her feet were Matilda and Grace, their girls. Grace is the “lickanator” and I promise you if you didn’t have a shower before you got there, you will walk out feeling like you did. She is so sweet and excitable. Her tail whooshes back and forth and if you are not quick enough, you may think she doesn’t have one. Matilda, on the other hand doesn’t have a tail to wag. But I she is one to put on a show for a treat. She sits, jumps, rolls over, plays dead and stays, all before the commands roll out of your mouth. I think she is a mind reader but nevertheless, she is right on top of doing the whole routine, knowing there is a treat at the end. Quite a show girl. They came back to the boat later on that evening with us and met Stasia, which Mom (Denise) was more frightened of their safety than they were. Stasia was ready to play and sat there the whole time waiting for them to come below and see her boat. Mom said no. It was good to see both Dave and Denise. There is something to be said about Southern Hospitality...they are pure breads on that! We wanted to stay longer, as the laughs and friendship bloomed into a lifelong relationship we developed in just a few short days, but the weather called us out, and we are at the mercy of weather windows when sailing. There were times when we were waiting for a window for two weeks before we got one, and when in Luperon, that window never came so we could cross the Mona Passage to Puerto Rico so we turned back and here we are. Next time. We promised Dave and Denise another visit on our way out next time. We will certainly miss them and their generous hospitality.
Friday morning we set sail on the Atlantic Ocean for Port Royal Landing Marina in Beaufort, South Carolina. It was going to be a long sail, We left about 10:00 in the morning and arrived there about 2:00 the next day. We had planned to go outside and Fred changed his mind since it was raining and storms were imminent. As we left, Fred said he needed to talk to me and we needed to make a decision. He was arguing with himself about going outside on the seas again. I could tell he wanted to try it and I agreed, to give it a try, we could stick our nose out and see if it was conducive for the trip. It was. I was ready...except one thing, I forgot to take a seasick pill since we were originally going the intracoastal. I was down for the count within a half hour out. I did take a pill but it took quite awhile to work, leaving me with a headache that lasted the duration of the trip. Be Prepared...I learned that in Girl Scouts. Somehow that slipped my mind Friday morning. Fred and I took turns at the helm, he was there most of the time but I did give him breaks, the longest a 1-5 am shift. Early evening was spectacular. A pod of dolphins spent nearly an hour playing at the bow of our boat. I have heard of them doing that but never witnessed it. They were breaching, diving in triplets, stopping and laying on their side to see us as if they were looking for an applause. Fred said there were about 7 or so. I lost count because I went to the bow of the boat to get a closer look. I felt if I stretched my arm out, they would come up and swim to it. It was an amazing experience, never to forget. A few battle ships doing maneuvers played on our port and starboard, never to come close enough to get a good look at them, one during the day and one at night. The moon was bright as Casa Mare slid through the waters, sending white capped wakes to her stern. One could easily communicate with God because I got the sense it was just God and me out in that vast dark ocean, no lights to be spotted on the unseen distant shores. As the moon set
I got the feeling a dark sunset was before me, orange moon with the deep skies sent chills down my neck. It slowly slipped behind a few clouds on the horizon and sent the night into darkness and the stars were suddenly turned on like a light switch. It reminded me of the starry nights on the islands far away. I wondered how life was back there where we had just been a few short months ago. I missed the Islands and it’s serenity. I can almost hear them beaconing me back. Soon….Sweet winds...soon.
I woke up to the sun beaming down on my face, drenching it with welcoming warmth. It was a cold one last night and I was glad it was over. 28 hours after we left St. Augustine, we were greeted at D dock at Port Royal Landing Marina by friends of ours, Sami and Barry from s/v Deja Vous. Sami wanted to have us for dinner tonight although some other friends of theirs, a retired US Navy sailor are coming in also so we are going to the Yacht club for burgers tonight and having dinner at Deja Vous tomorrow night. Sami and Barry are full time live-aboards and their home is a trawler, huge trawler. Barry is busy with projects, sanding and stuff. He actually has a work room on that monster. All my work is done is in the cockpit on this boat. It is an amazing place to live. It’s good to be here. Time for some sleep and then dinner.
Dinner was wonderful! We ate under a humongus live oak tree, with Sami, Barry, Paul and Stephanie from s/v Snow Goose. After dinner Fred and I roamed the docks visiting friends of Fred’s who are staying here. Fred lived at this marina for 10 years so he has lots of friends here. I kept hearing a noise coming from the water, the same sound in the water I heard in St Augustine. It sounded like the water was popping. Finally, my curiosity got the best of me, convincing myself I was not hearing things, I asked. It’s the shrimp and crill in the waters eating stuff off the bottom of the boats. I actually thought the gel coat was cracking on the boat rubbing against the dock. Mystery solved and I learned something...Shrimp and Crill are not silent and they clean boats, somewhat, the protein anyway and...there are plenty of shrimp in South Carolina. I could see why Forrest Gump’s friend went into the shrimping business. Port Royal shores are breathtaking. This port will need to up there with the top ten for me. Tomorrow Fred and I are going downtown and see the history. I can’t wait. We are missing our good friends Roy and Mary from Giddeon. They are coming back Tuesday but we are leaving Monday, I think. It’s good to be in the Carolina’s again! My Mom is from Adam’s run, near Charleston, Sc and My Dad from Wilmington, NC so I love to say I am a Carolina Girl! Darn proud of it too!
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