Beaufort South Carolina

Another fantastic old city - Beaufort has a well lovely waterfront with paths and waterfront restaurants. We watched the Veterans day parade complete with military marching bands, high school bands, police and fire fighters - truly inspiring display of US pride. (yep forgot the camera on the boat)

Happy hour half price hamburgers and beer draws a crowd of cruisers in Beaufort South Carolina

Sunset in Beaufort SC

St Augustine, Florida

We headed to Hilton Head with Andy & Judy (Jacobs Ladder) and Dave and Corinne (At Last) and anchored a Salt Marsh  in Cooper River for the night in preparation for a 20 hour sail out side (meaning outside the ICW in the Atlantic) This was to avoid several days of navigating the many twists and turns of the ICW through Georgia. We entered St Augustine cut following At Last as they have navigated this channel before. Not an easy feat! We had travelled though the night with wind and waves on our stern and arrived sooner than anticipated so we had to wait outside a bit until first light. The bouys are constantly moved due to the shifting bottom so they are not charted. We also had to deal with crashing waves heading toward the shallower shoreline. And sure enough about the middle of the narrow channel we meet a huge shrimp boat with booms extended. Thankfully he moved outside the channel to allow us to enter. Minutes later we are safely anchored in St Augustine.

View of St Augustine from our anchorage

Old mill tavern complete with working water wheel

Can't get enough of these sunsets

Oldest wood school house in the US

Anchorage and mooring field in St Augustine

Castillo De San Marcos Fort is the oldest in the continental US. The Castillo replaced the last of nine successive wooden forts which since 1565 had affirmed the Spanish dominion and protected Spanish shipping returning to Spain.

Flagler University in St Augustine

St Augustine City Hall

Love the work hours

St Augustine distillery 

Barrel aging fine spirits

Example of the architecture in St Augustine 

A real fun couple - Andy and Judy of "Jacobs Ladder" We really enjoyed travelling with you and "At Last"
We hope to meet up with them again! (PS this is not the real fountain of youth behind them)

We've started to provision for our winter in the Bahamas. Just how many packages of crackers do we need?

Don & Ann. We spent a few days in Titusville- Thank you Don & Ann we really enjoyed ourselves! And thanks for driving us around especially to the Costco of wines and spirits!!!!

Large condo development in North Florida

Interesting living accommodations (we find several examples of people living aboard boats that have not moved in years)

Vero Beach

Vero Beach is better know by cruisers as "Velcro Beach". With its all round protection, free bus service, Saturday farmers market, restaurants, beach and access to shopping its no wonder cruisers tend to stay. (some even move here when they no longer cruise). We arrived with intentions of staying a days. Those few days turned into 2 weeks.

Beautiful & well protected. Boats are tied to mooring balls 2 or 3 rafted together.

Cruisers Thanksgiving Dinner. Cruisers bring the side dishes and the "CLOD"s (cruisers living on dirt) provide the turkey and ham. This year 188 enjoyed a delicious dinner and music afterward.

We finally meet Gerald (the original owner and builder of our boat). Gerald and his wife Ena spent 4 years completing "Katie" now R Kalliste'.