Heading to Stuart & Del Ray

2/17/22 Another early start and 70 mile run, this time on a sunny Saturday, which stared out in a flat calm and gave Kathy time to practice some photo artistry… Our next stop was Stuart and we chose to spend 2 nights there, because we have heard good things about the area and were looking… Continue reading Heading to Stuart & Del Ray

On to New Smyrna & Melbourne

2/11/22 Leaving St. Augustine at 8:30 we headed south on a cool, clear day. Our destination was New Smyrna Beach and we traversed the Matanzas River among dolphins, pelicans, herons and cranes. Arriving in New Smyrna we pulled up to the fuel dock at New Smyrna Beach Marina and were greeted by some local fishermen… Continue reading On to New Smyrna & Melbourne

Reentering civilization…

2/10/22 The 60 mile trek from Amelia Island to St Augustine was completed in intermittent rain but good visibility. The meandering rivers, through rural marshes, gradually gave way to a more residential shore line (obvious affluence on the people-populated eastern shore…rustic scenery on the wildlife-populated western shore) And then, we entered the military-industrial landscape of… Continue reading Reentering civilization…

Florida…at last

We left Saint Simons Island, Georgia with mixed emotions. This seems like a great place to spend time but we are feeling a need to move on. The folks at Morningstar Marina were very accommodating, loaning us a car for a much needed run to West Marine, Winn Dixie & a liquor store with dusty… Continue reading Florida…at last

Finally on our way…

On Thursday morning the technician showed up, recharged the fridge and by 9:45 we got a late start…headed for Beaufort SC. This is slow 72 mile trek through the twists and turns of Carolina Low Country (referred to as “slow country” by the locals). The day was a sunny 72 and the travel required close… Continue reading Finally on our way…

The Charleston Delay

The weather in Charleston was unseasonably cold so we pushed back our return date to Wednesday, January 26th. The temps were in the low 40s when we arrived around 8pm and it dropped to 27 overnight. Our plan was to get organized on Thursday and head south to warmer weather on Friday. Riiight… After a… Continue reading The Charleston Delay

And finally…Charleston

After 33 days and 1,138 miles, SkipStone is now safely docked in Charleston, and we are home for the holidays. Several weeks ago, when we were in Portsmouth Virginia, we had two separate dockside conversations, with more experienced ICW travelers. Both members of both couples were visibly disturbed when we told them that we had… Continue reading And finally…Charleston

Thoughts on ICW Boats

Anyone contemplating this trip on their own boat, might find the following interesting. Everyone else should just skip to the next post. Several years ago, Soundings magazine ran an article about Captain Freddy, a young man from Rhode Island who did this trip in a 20 foot sailboat, using a blue tarp, strung between mast… Continue reading Thoughts on ICW Boats