All good things must come to an end...Rendezvous over goodbye Norfolk

Today we traveled about 50 miles to Deltaville  (Doziers Regatta Point) they have a great deal here 1.25/ft stay 2 nights the 3rd is free (for AGLCA).  Hmm wonder how long we will stay?  Doziers is a sponsor of the AGLCA, in fact Jack Dozier was in Norfolk for the Rendezvous.  Doziers is owner and publisher of the Waterway Guides and the Skipper Bob books. 

 On the porch at Dozier's Regatta Point

 Jim chatting with Steve from Suncat they were our dockmates in Norfolk we first met Gold Loopers Steve and Jean at River Dunes in Oriental NC they are from S.Portland Maine and have been cruising for more than 30 years, 5 of them on SunCat.

 Just ourside the Harbor in Deltaville.

Though the rendezvous is over, today about half of the boats that left Norfolk ended up at Regatta Point in Deltaville.  When we arrived we were invited to Happy Hours on the porch, it was a very nice gathering with wine and cheese provided by the marina.  And we thought the rendezvous was over!  It was a very pleasant gathering, thank you Jack it was indeed very generous of you to host all the loopers.  The facilities here are extremely nice with a pool, very nice bathrooms, showers and laundry room, a courtesy car actually 2 of them and they have a boaters lounge with a big screen TV comfy couches and a leave one take one library.  We stopped here in Oct. on our way down south and because of weather we were here for 6 days.
Tomorrow we will take the courtesy car to the grocery store and West Marine to stock up on item.  Jim may do an oil change and some other boat maintence and I have a pile of laundry.  And though the loopers consider it a badge of honor we need to remove the mustache from SweetPea.
*note to Denise.....no fly swatter needed this time!

Norfolk Va and the AGLCA rendevous

It has been a bit more than a week since my last post,  I have tried but the WiFi here at the Waterside Marina has not been great for loading pic.  So here goes, I will try to load in some pictures again later this evening.
So for the last week we have been at the Waterside Marina in Norfolk with more than 40 boats and 200 members that are here for the rendevous for the America's Great Loop Cruisers Association http://www.greatloop.org/
These rendevous are held twice a year and are extremely informative and a great social event for the members to share their stories and experiences of what its like to travel America's Great Loop.

 The Great Loop is the continuous waterway that encompasses the eastern portion of North America including the Atlantic and Gulf Intracoastal Waterways, the Great Lakes, the Canadian Heritage Canals, and the inland rivers of America's heartland.


It is also known as the Great Circle Route and is considered one of the safest long distance cruising routes in the world. To travel all, a portion, or any of the magnificent side trips of the Great Loop is an adventure of a lifetime.

Docktails between sessions

Happy hour lives on

where did everyone go? must be time to get ready for dinner

meet Carol and her BIG boat dog......Monty isn't he beautiful

May 1 to May 8th our last week in NC

We spent 3 days in Morehead City just over the bridge from Beaufort NC.  When we were in Sneads Ferry we found they had a consignment store, while Jim was looking around he found a used davit system which was happened to be the same one were planning on purchasing for the dinghy.  Great find at a 1/3 the original price, so Jim installed it in Morehead City.

We then moved on to Oriental NC (River Dunes Plantation) WOW what a place.  Its another one of those planned communities,  the place is amazing, Pool with private cabanas 2 hot tubs, showers you have to experience to believe, the clubhouse is beautiful with a pub, theres a pool table and an incredible library.  Also an outdoor fireplace with a seating areas all around the porch, and a firepit away from the building with rocking chairs around it.  And a workout room, oh and we can't forget the courtesy car.  All this for $1.25/ft a must stop.

Next was Belhaven NC,  we stayed at Dowry Creek this time, we had heard so many good things about it being super cruiser friendly.  And it was, they have a chicken dinner they put on in the clubhouse not sure how often but we were lucky enough to hit it right.  They have a happy hour or 2 every night, BYOB and its nice if you bring an appetizer but not necessary .  Great time! They also have a pool, laundry, and courtesy car to get into town.

Then onto Alligator River Marina, good stop over,  not much happening here, there is a reaturant in the gas station along with a convience store with beer and wine.  the marina is small and very well taken care of but no car and not close to anything.  Theres a morning newpaper dropped off at your boat in the morning.

 Dowry Creek so pretty here.

 there clubhouse pool and bottle tree

 Dowry creek

 sunrise on Alligator River

secluded home on the Pungo River

All safe in Sneads Ferry NC

 The troops are in!  These boats can move, 40 kts and they only have a 9" draft

We had originally planned to anchor in the area of Camp Lejune but weather prevented it. 

 This weather is for the birds!

We have spent a couple days in Sneads Ferry waiting out the storms.  They came through today and luckily we found a safe spot south of Morehead/Beaufort NC.  There was rain, thunder, lightening and considerable wind.  No tornado's here they were just south west of us.  An unbelievable lightening show going on now.  Tomorrow we will head out to Morehead City for the weekend.

update... (4-29) We made it to Morehead City Yacht Basin, we got in about 1pm there are 5 looper boats here. We should begin to see more now as the mass exodus from Florida is well under way, and the AGLCA rendezvous is just 2 weeks away.

Southport to Wrightsville Beach NC

 St. James Plantation Marina just south of Southport NC very nice private gated community Tiki bar, restaurant, very well stocked store for the galley.  Very Friendly slip owners we had 2 people offer to take us into town for shopping.  One man gave us a 2 hour guided tour of the area he took us into Southport, Bald Hill Island and all around the Plantation.  A very nice day,  finished off with cocktail on the boat.

 Snows Cut.

 A nice day at the Beach.

 Wrightville Beach Marina,  Just a short bike ride to shopping and West Marine.  Nice restaurant's all around.  Lots of boat traffic but very little wakes.

We had to pass this dredging operation in transit to somewhere in the Beaufort NC area.  Nice to see the equipment being used in the area.  However they traveled many miles over areas that needed dredging.

Ospery Marina and Grill in Myrtle Beach SC FYI Fuel $3.61

Short trip today just 30 miles to Myrtle Beach.  Today was the first day we traveled in the rain, how nice to have canvas!  The people at this marina are super friendly and the price is really good as well.  We got a pumpout, had lunch in the grill, 50 amp electric and a slip for the night all for $77.  Oh and they give you a goody bag when you check in which consists of cheese (block) a sleeve of crackers, 2 packages of honey buns, 2 can cozy's, a great deal of area information and the phone number of a gentleman who owns an Italian resturant nearby, who will pick you up at the marina, drive you around town to shop.  How nice is that!  We won't use that service but very handy indeed.  Tomorrow we will move on to NC. 

The end of our week in Charleston and on to Georgetown SC

A sunrise in Charleston in the background is the Yorktown aircraft carrier.

This is one of the boats celebrating the blessing of the fleet that took place in Mount Pleasant across the way.

This is one of our dock mates at the Charleston Maritime Center,  sure is a wide one!

One of the many interesting boats at the Maritime Center.

A cruise ship coming into port.

Another cruise ship this is a very busy port.  And a great city with lots of history.

On April 19th we left Charleston this is what looks to be a boat cemetery.

Smoke on the water.  As we were traveling north we came upon this fire, many acres on the ICW no houses here.  This is the Goat Island area, just across the way is all the homes.

When we got into Georgetown we heard someone radio the USCG that the fire had jumped the ICW and was beginning on the side where the houses were.

We rode our bikes into downtown Georgetown another quaint little town.  It was about a 10-15 min ride down some pretty little streets.

Pretty quiet here.  We had a nice lunch at the Rice Paddy I would highly recommend it, its set in what was an old bank.  I had an open faced warm crab sandwich it was excellent, but the salad was even better they make all their own dressings and it was excellent as well.

This is the harbour walk we took a stroll down the boardwalk.  They say you can anchor in the very small and narrow waterway but it looked as though all the space was taken by locals as their own private space.  There is also a marina right next to the harbour walk but there is also a pulp mill not far away and man it stinks.  We could smell it at the Georgetown Landing, smells like boiled cabbage.

*Side note - Unfortunately the day we got to Charleston I was feeling under the weather and remained so most of the week,  the day we left Jim wasn't feeling to great either.  So since leaving Charleston we have only traveled 60 miles and Jim is beginning to feel a bit better and we hope to leave Georgetown today.