Myrtle Beach SC, 3 days out?

Those of you who follow our blog know that Jim has been heading south for the last couple of weeks from our homeport of Westport Massachusetts to Myrtle Beach SC. This area will become our NEW homeport.

 Unfortunately, I am updating this blog from long distance as Jim is traveling without me aboard.  We had placed and add on the AGLCA for crew to help with this journey south.  Terry and Charlene who are from Tennessee came to Westport MA to not only lend a hand but to experience what life on the water is like especially on the BIG water, as their experience has mainly been on somewhat smaller boats and mostly on the rivers system of TN.  They hope to travel the Loop in the future so this is a great experience for them to see what traveling the east coast is like.  For those of you who have travelled this area, know, that it is among the most intimidating portion of the loop as a large part is on the outside (Atlantic ocean) not necessarily bad, just much different than the protection of the ICW or the inner rivers.

 Each night when Jim has SweetPea tied up for the night he usually calls or e-mails me to let me know where he is and how the days journey was.  Usually my question is "how are Terry and Charlene handling it" his answer to this question is "Oh, their fine" he says that they are great to travel with, very helpful and pretty low maintenance.  WOW what more could you ask for?  At the end of each day Terry gets out the hose, boat soap and bucket. Jim has had to resort in kicking them off the boat to "GO check out the area, have fun, be back before midnight and don't bring home any strangers."   

Generally, the weather has not been bad and Jim is very patient in waiting on good weather and is less likely to get caught off guard, I however, am alot less patient with this area and I tend to be much more destination oriented, though I have gotten better, Jim may not agree though. *smile*

So, all is well on SweetPea, they are now on their way to Belhaven NC having left Alligator River this morning.  If weather stays good they are maybe 3 travel days to Myrtle Beach (Barefoot Resort and Marina) where the boat will remain for at least a month but maybe until after the first of the year.  Time will tell.

Side note: While Jim was docked at Norfolk Waterside someone came by the boat, since Jim had turned in for the night he didn't know who it was but was curious and hoped he would find out via an e-mail, he is still wondering who stopped by.

Its our 2 year Cruising Anniversary

Hard to believe its been 2 years since we left our home port of Westport Mass. what an adventure we have had, the places we have been and people we have met along the way has been nothing less than incredible.  SweetPea has traveled more than 10,000 miles now, maybe not alot in car travel, but considering we travel at 10 miles an hour on average that's alot.  I think to best understand it, what a person would travel an hour by car takes us a full day.  After all it's all about the experience not the destination. 

This time last year we spent our 1 year anniversary here........




With all these wonderful people on some unknown Island on the Tennessee River

 

And enjoying this beautiful sunset at the end of the day






Our 2nd anniversary is here......



Beautiful Cape May NJ and while docked this is the view..........




                                       But I, (Dale) is here!...........
                                   

But then If I wasn't there these fine folks won't be here.............

This is Jim's crew, Terry and Charlene on the bow of SweetPea

 

Sigh! .... Well as Charlene said to me as I was leaving SweetPea the night before they left port,  "I wish you were coming with us, but then again, if you were, we wouldn't be here!" LOL

Enjoy the trip, but I wish I was there too.

Happy Anniversary Babe be safe.

 

SweetPea heading south without me?

SweetPea left Westport MA on Friday Oct 5th, aboard is Capt Jim and the crew which includes Charlene and Terry Wiley who came aboard to help get SweetPea to Myrtle Beach.  We found Terry and Charlene via the AGLCA or did they find us?  They are from TN and flew up on Wed the 3rd and were very excited about the trip since they have no Atlantic Ocean experience and hope to do the Great Loop trip in the very near future.  Hopefully they will still want to do the trip after this adventure. 

Thus far they have spent a night in Milford CT a very nice town with alot to see and do with everything located directly off the dock.

Day 2 was on a mooring ball in Port Washington NY another wonderful stop though being the end of the season here and a quick overnight I don't think anyone went ashore.

Oh! I should say now that you may be a bit confused, I am, unfortunately, not aboard for this trip as I have some things to take care at home.  More about that later.

From Port Washington the next day was to Sandy Hook NY, there the hope was to hook up with a buddy boat for the trek down the NJ coast.  A few days before Jim left Westport we got an e-mail from our loop friends Gene and Ginny, they had brought their boat Free2B back to their home port (Orwell VT) for the summer and were planning to leave about the same time as Jim.   They were located about the same distance north from NYC harbor as SweetPea was east of NY.  Sure enough about an hour after Jim was docked in came Free2B, they will now travel together to Annapolis MD. 

This morning I heard from Jim and sure enough they are now heading from Sandy Hook NY to Cape May NJ. 

Sorry no picture today but when I get some sent to me I will add them, (unless Jim adds some himself, hint hint)

PS...... It was 37 degrees this morning here in Massachusetts brrrrrr!