Cruiser's Thanksgiving at St. Mary's, Georgia

     One of the nice social aspects of the cruising life is meeting new people with similar interests. Simple Life had just arrived in the St.Mary's anchorage and the anchor was set. Bob and Pat from Chanticleer whom we'd met during the hurricane at Dowry Creek dinghied over to invite us to attend the free oyster roast at 5:30 hosted by Seagles Restaurant in honor of the cruising community.

     It sounded great but first we needed a nap. It was 11:00 AM and Joe had passed out in bed from exhaustion after the overnight passage. I heard a knock on the boat. Lawrence from Elle and I knocked on the hull to welcomed us and inform us of the evening's activities. We'd met Lawrence and his wife Elaine way back in Chesapeake City, Maryland.

   
     The town of St. Mary's Georgia organizes an annual Thanksgiving bash for all cruisers who are passing through each year. Activities began on the Monday prior to Thanksgiving and ended with a pancake breakfast on Friday morning. We'd heard announcements for the upcoming celebration over the SSB Cruisehimer's net for a few weeks. Last year there were over 100 boats in attendance! Joe and I learned early on this trip not to plan too far in advance while cruising and that all plans should be cast in jello. We figured if we were in the vicinity we'd plan to attend and since we'd arrived in time we did check in with the organizers aboard Sea Tramp.

Photo by Debbie Rolen

 
     At sunset, Joe finally awoke from his "long winter's nap" we didn't feel up to going ashore for the oyster roast.
     But, on second thought, we were talking about oysters. Let's reconsider, after all Joe could live on oysters. Feeling a bit shaky and still groggy from our overnight ordeal, we dragged ourselves ashore. You've heard the old cliche, second wind...well we caught ours.

 Picture a hot fire, cool outdoor weather and a man with a shovel roasting the oysters over a wood fire while everyone with shucking knives stood around an outdoor oyster bar equipped with screens to catch the shovel loads of roasted oysters. I felt like a spectator at a cave man party! I ate my share of oysters as well. I don't even like oysters, but I was so caught up in the ambience that I had to participate. It was also happy hour, two for one beer and wine for $3.00! Everyone was very happy...the bartender "Cindy Queen of the Bar" was the entertainment with her boisterous demeanor and heart of gold.

Cindy "Queen of the Bar"

The cruising life is always filled with surprises. On Thanksgiving morning as Joe was making coffee he heard a dinghy engine. He went into the cockpit and the owner of Sea Tramp who organized the Thanksgiving celebration was there offering two Bloody Mary's to kick off the days' festivities. They made the rounds of the entire anchorage with drinks for everyone.
      Thanksgiving dinner was scheduled for 1:00 PM on Thursday. Everyone brought a side dish and the town provided the turkeys and ham free of charge. At 12:30 the cruisers lined up around the block. There were over 35 cruising boats in attendance this year. Volunteers had been setting up tables and chairs all morning in the Riverview Hotel dining room on the waterfront in St. Mary's and it looked lovely. Joe and I were invited to sit with the crew from Chanticleer, fellow Rhode Islanders Jeff and Susan on board Meltemi, and Bob and Brenda aboard Pandora.

Even though our stay in St. Mary's was brief I met another another cruiser with whom I made fast friends. We met at the oyster roast while she was photographing the festivities. Debbie is an artist whose medium is photography. Her subject matter ranges from a fascinating reflection series of studies on the St. Mary's river to a series of textural studies titled Art Dirt. Debbie's husband Josh and Joe hit it off right away. Joe's only regret was that we left before Josh taught Joe how to throw a seine net for shrimping off the boat. Hopefully, we'll all meet again when we return in the Spring.

Josh and Debbie
her photo of the oyster roast is above

On Friday morning the anchorage began thinning out as boats began leaving for their southern destinations. Some planned offshore passages with long days of travel ahead and others like us were moving a short distance away to nearby Cumberland Island, Georgia. We all parted with warm feelings from the holiday gathering we'd shared and for the warm welcome from the town of St. Mary's Georgia.
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Location:Georgia

Offshore from Beaufort, SC to St. Mary's, Georgia

Tidalholm the house used in the films, "The Big Chill"
and " The Great Santini"

     Beaufort is a wonderful stop along the ICW north south route. The town is steeped in history from the Civil War era and is remarkably well preserved. Its historic antebellum architecture is quite different from that of Charleston. Many of the homes were built on a grand scale and more closely resemble the architectural influence of Georgian and colonial federal as well as semitropical Spanish architectural styles.

One of my favorite ways to spend an afternoon in Beaufort is to explore the St. Helena's historic cemetery where Union troops once utilized the church as a hospital and used the marble slabbed grave markers as operating tables during the Civil War.

Beaufort is also a convenient place to jump offshore weather permitting enabling many to skip the dreaded shallows of the Georgia ICW. Nearby Port Royal Inlet is a well marked class A deep ship channel. Each morning we monitored Chris Parker's weather forecasts with hopes of staging an offshore passage from Beaufort to St. Mary's, Georgia within a couple of days.

The Downtown Marina in Beaufort was an ideal staging area for us to await the arrival of our mail shipment, rest and stay warm with electrical access for the ceramic heater. We'd spent a chilly, damp night in Tom Point Creek on the way to Beaufort so a couple of nights at a marina sounded good to me. Hot showers, a laundry, electricity, and heat! What more could a girl ask for? Maybe a nice dinner at one of Beaufort's low country restaurants would be a pleasant addition.

Monday morning before Thanksgiving Joe consulted Chris Parker via SSB radio concerning an offshore passage. Chris felt a passage would work for us leaving Port Royal Inlet on Tuesday morning with an arrival at St. Mary's inlet in Georgia at dawn on Wednesday morning! An overnight passage would take us past the entire 100 mile Georgia coastline. Normally this trip would take four days traveling the ICW route. Even though an overnight trip can be exhausting it seemed like a sensible alternative...

Simple Life left Port Royal inlet at 10:00 AM on Tuesday bound for sea. I called my friend Edie with a float plan for the passage and promised to check in with her upon arrival in St. Mary's. During the day we spotted numerous tankers and container ships. They passed a few miles from us without incident. The 3-4 foot seas were following with about a 6 second interval and a moderate chop. Of course everything changes with nightfall. There are no street lights on the ocean and it becomes difficult to steer to the waves. Situations seem magnified. Eventually, as predicted the wind picked up as did the seas.

During an offshore passage when I'm on my two hour watch schedule my imagination tends to magnify the real and imaginary. I have to admit that I became slightly anxious at times alone, at the helm in complete darkness. Simple Life seemed to be flying through the night with only white water behind her. I began worrying about sunken containers that may have fallen off the ships we'd seen during the day. If we hit one we'd sink! The Coast Guard was broadcasting security (pronounced say-cur-I-tay) concerning endangered Right Whales migrating in the area. I was certain we'd bash into one. It was time to sit back, assess reality from fantasy and smoke an imaginary cigarette. I monitored the radar and spotted a fairly large blip 12 miles off. Since we were near the St. Simon's inlet in Georgia I woke Joe due to the possibility that it was a large commercial ship. He checked with binoculars and confirmed that it was probably a ship and was glad that I didn't attempt to handle this on my own. Within a very short span of time the ship was headed toward us. Joe attempted a contact and received a call from another ship identifying the one we'd tried to hail as Canadian Highway. A response came shortly thereafter with a French accent, "I see you. I see you. I will turn to port momentarily."

My watch was over and I was happy to get some rest. As we neared the St. Mary's inlet the waves began building. I was jostled from sleep. Joe needed to slow down or we'd be there too early and we didn't want to approach the inlet in darkness. Waiting for dawn is similar to waiting for paint to dry. The darkest dark is just before dawn. Finally, a hint of light on the horizon and we pointed Simple Life toward the inlet. With a following sea and cresting 6-8 foot seas breaking at the stern with a 4 second interval, it was no walk in the park and I felt secure in our Island Packet. She handled the seas without difficulty and Joe steered very well. Five hours later Simple Life was anchored at the town of St. Mary's, Georgia. We felt happy to have arrived safely, had breakfast, tidied the boat, and settled down for an afternoon nap.
Welcome to St. Mary's Georgia!

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Location:South Carolina

Charleston, South Carolina

Architectural gem in Charleston

     Charleston, South Carolina exudes a certain quintessential southern charm. People are polite well mannered and friendly. Restaurants featuring traditional low country cuisine are virtually on every corner. In my opinion, it is one of the must see stops along the ICW.

                                           
An array of architectural styles from Georgian, to Federal, Italianate and Greek Revival mansions line the waterfront in the battery section of town. Along the side streets most of the private homes were built in a style that is characteristic to Charleston called the Charleston Single House. Some of these homes date back to the 1720's. The houses are one room wide and usually two rooms deep. They have two piazzas facing sideways with the gabled section of the house facing the street. The door on the street leads onto the porch instead of into the house. Strolling along Charleston's side streets and taking in these lovely southern homes is a delightful way to spend an afternoon.

   
      Prior to our arrival in Charleston we'd overheard other boaters reserving dock space in Charleston Harbor. Joe called ahead to reserve space in a marina for a couple of days. As usual, weather changes were looming and the forecast called for high winds, accompanied by rain and a 20 degree drop in temperatures. Normal high temperatures at this time of year are in the low 70's. Anchoring out in the forecast conditions seemed extreme and it would be a treat to be in at a marina. Joe reserved a spot at the Charleston Harbor Resort and Marina which is located across the Cooper River from the historic part of town. The marina provided a free shuttle ride to town and a water taxi. One negative aspect of staying in any marina in this part of the south is the presence of strong current. We'd hoped to arrive at slack tide which we did. Slack tide in Charleston is difficult to time due to its short time span of approximately 5 minutes. After that period of time the current picks up dramatically and can make docking or undocking very challenging even for the most experienced yachtsman.

With Simple Life secured safely at the dock we boarded the water taxi into town. The mate on the water taxi was most helpful and suggested a few places for cocktails and dining. Our favorite restaurant from our previous visit was Poogan's Porch. It had fireplaces in each of the cozy dining rooms and the menu featured traditional low country cuisine.

     Prior to our arrival at Poogan's Porch Joe wanted to try some of the special blends of whiskey served at a pub called Husk which was one of the mates suggestions, it was next door to Poogan's Porch. When we picked up the tab from our Husk experience I'm certain that "sticker shock" was written on our faces. I don't think they know the meaning of happy hour. Our dining experience at Poogan's Porch was wonderful as expected. I ordered shrimp and grits and Joe ordered Calabash style shrimp.

Our stay in Charleston was marred by a cold front that brought rain, wind and high seas. Small craft warnings were posted in Charleston harbor and it was an unreasonable plan traveling offshore or even move further down the ICW.
We planned our next move while waiting for better weather. Beaufort, South Carolina, another favorite southern town would be our next port of call.

You're Grounded!!

      Prior to starting this trip south I reminded Joe that we should get towing insurance since most of our travel would take place in the ICW. During our last trip it was rare not to pass at least one boat that had gone aground each day. By the time we actually purchased the insurance this year we were in southern Chesapeake Bay. There is nothing comparable in the north that makes having this insurance necessary. It's easy to become complacent. The reason? Boats rarely run aground in New England.

     Fortunately, there are numerous resources available to cruisers for checking the status of ICW water issues, bridge construction status and shoaling. Salty Southeast Cruiser's Net http:/www.cruisersnet.net and Active Captain are two reliable ones. Each day cruisers call in to the Cruiseheimer's Net http:/www.bigdumboat.com on SSB radio to check in and sometimes report announcements regarding areas that should be approached with caution due to shoaling. There are also animated tide charts that can be checked on Navionics. Unfortunately, with all of this technical brilliance even a mid channel reading on a chart plotter doesn't always guarantee good water...

     With this episodic build up by now you've probably formed a hypothesis. Yes, Simple Life went aground, mid channel in the ICW at Breach Inlet, just before the Ben Sawyer Bridge prior to entering Charleston Harbor, South Carolina. In this particular stretch the channel was straight as an arrow but, very narrow with swirling sections of water toward the sides indicating shallows. Unfortunately, the water was a murky, pea soup green and judging depths by sight was virtually impossible. Add fierce currents running 2-4 knots and you've got a serious problem with shifting shoals anywhere in the proximity of an inlet. Just prior to the grounding, I was watching our approach on the iPad. Joe was monitoring the chart plotter and depth sounder. He was reading the soundings out loud. I heard 6.2, 5.9, 4.9...panic! Nowhere to go...felt a bump followed by that sickening soft, smoosh!
It was obvious that we weren't going anywhere anytime soon. We'd had such a great day! We'd even timed our approach perfectly to make the next bridge opening at Ben Sawyer. It wasn't to be. Time to sit back, assess the situation and have lunch.
   
      We pulled the jib out in the event that we were right on the edge of deeper water. Simple Life didn't budge an inch. Joe decided to call Boat US and a dispatch was underway and would arrive within a half hour. While waiting a few boats cautiously approached from astern. Each called on VHF 16 for advice on which side to pass. We radioed back and said, "Starboard seems to have more water." Another Island Packet passed safely to starboard and indicated 7 feet of water on that side.

    Off in the distance I spotted a red boat with a flashing orange light! The theme from the Lone Ranger was playing in my head. The captain of tow boat pulled his boat nearby to give instructions to Joe who waited on Simple Life's bow. Within minutes we were towed into deeper water which register 6.2 on the depth sounder and we were floating. If we hurried it looked like we might make the next bridge opening and we were only an hour behind our original schedule.














      The bridge opened on the hour, all of the boats passed through and for now water levels seemed to be rising. Momentarily, the Island Packet that had safely negotiated the shoaled channel and had passed by to starboard went hard aground! Their grounding was not the fault of the Army Corps of Engineers though. They mistook a red day marker for the channel leading toward the commercial shipping channel in Charleston harbor. They ran aground in 3 feet of water. Tow Boat US was dispatched and on their way as we headed for our destination that evening. It was certainly a day for groundings as it was an astronomical low tide.

Simple Life at her dock in Charleston Harbor

     At this point I relish the thought of an outside passage. It would be much faster and less worry some. A front has currently stalled offshore bringing high seas and winds. We've been told that the front will affect us until Thanksgiving. This afternoon, a 55 foot Ted Hood design that had been offshore from Norfolk pulled into Charleston Harbor with a torn spinnaker sock and a sail that had become entangled in the prop. The couple aboard said it was a very nasty passage and needed to call a diver to check the entanglement on the prop.
     The moral of the story is; it's prudent to buy towing insurance. We've talked to people who have paid $1,500. this season to be towed out of the mud. When the grounding happens (it will) you'll be very pleased that you dropped that check in the mail to the towing company.

Location:Breach Inlet, South Carolina

Little River Inlet (N Myrtle Beach), Waccamaw River and Cape Romain National Wildlife Reserve

Joe happy with the warm up in Cape Romain, SC

     Our stay in Carolina Beach was brief and necessary. Winds had been forecast to be in the high 20's and a gale was off nearby Beaufort, NC. It seems there's always a gale off Beaufort. Temperatures were in the 50's during the day and high 30's at night. It was a bit chilly to say the least. We'd hoped to go offshore to Charleston, SC from the nearby Masonboro Inlet which is just south of Wrightsville Beach. We'd even consulted weather guru Chris Parker on SSB for a weather window on the passage. After mulling it over I suggested to Joe that temperatures in the 30's during the night were just too darn cold and that I couldn't stand watch in those conditions. My body and mind shut down after certain low temperatures. We agreed to take the inside route which would set us back only one or two days. The decision felt right and gave us the opportunity to explore Carolina Beach.

     This beach town is similar to visiting any resort town after the "season." Very few restaurants or shops were opened, but we did walk by one that looked inviting. The brightly, blue painted raised second story restaurant aptly named the Hang Ten Grill was one block in from the beach. In this area of the south many buildings are raised with pilings due to the possibility of flooding from hurricanes. The interior decor of the grill was heavy on the surf side without being over the top. Jack Johnson (surfer dude musician) was playing on the sound system and a mellow glow permeated the atmosphere. Our laid back server told us that the place was slammin' in the summer months. There were a few young patrons in booths and we felt content to have a warm, relaxing place to enjoy our lunch. We both agree that it's fun to venture off the boat and meet the locals and sample the local cuisine. After lunch we met a couple who asked us if we were new in town. They somehow guessed that we were on a boat and said, "Oh you're just like us, only we travel on land." Joe assumed they traveled in a motor home, but was quickly corrected. They lived and traveled in a conversion van. They sleep in Walmart parking lots and at casinos. A discussion about cold temperatures ensued and we compared notes on the best ways to keep warm. They had a heated mattress pad and we have a 12 volt heating blanket. I said that I wished someone would invent a heated toilet seat for those chilly mornings! They were shocked that we had a toilet and explained that they peed in a cup...I felt much like a spoiled kid after hearing their story. I vowed to never complain about the cold again.

     Our goals and objectives have changed somewhat lately from touring mode to travel and distance mode primarily due to cooler temperatures. Our next overnight stop was at the Myrtle Beach Yacht Club in North Myrtle Beach, SC. Laundry had been piling up since the hurricane and we hadn't stopped anywhere. As soon as Simple Life was tied to the dock laundry bags were packed and ready to go. The marina had three washing machines and I was able to get the wash in and take a very long, hot shower at the facility. The dock master also gave us a pass to the Officer's Club Restaurant on site. Joe had already checked the daily specials and planned to try the shrimp and grits which were delicious. The specialty in the   Carolina's is gulf shrimp and we usually order it when dining out.





Joe's favorite section of the ICW the Waccamaw River was on the trip itinerary the following day. The best way to describe it is to imagine traveling to see fall's colorful foliage, but instead of driving a car the mode of transportation is a boat in a winding river with eerie, Spanish moss laden branches.




The pristine Waccamaw River is a wildlife refuge and there is little to no development along its shores. The anchorages are directly off the main branch of the river behind islands. Sunrise along the river is magical with mist rising a few feet off the water filtering the morning light.









We planned a 40 mile day of travel which would take us beyond Georgetown, SC to an anchorage in the South Santee River near my favorite section of the ICW the Cape Romain National Wildlife Refuge.

Just before sunset we ducked into Price Creek off the ICW. I spent over an hour taking photos of eagles and dolphins catching their dinner in the creek. Watching wild animals at work is fascinating.

Dolphins fishing in Price Creek, SC

     The dolphins worked as a team corralling fish close to the marsh grass. One dolphin jumped out of the water much like the "trained" dolphins at Sea World. That particular dolphin seemed to be in charge of operations.    








     While I was preoccupied with my quest for the perfect image, Joe began calling marinas in Charleston, SC for a reservation for Monday. Nothing available! All booked up. But, one marina could take us on Tuesday. He began looking for possible anchorages beyond Charleston. One had access to a Piggly Wiggly to replenish our grocery supply. In the end it will probably work out in our favor. We'll get the shopping done while anchored and move to Charleston on Tuesday and Wednesday for some much needed R&R.


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Location:South Carolina

Intracoastal Waterway from Beaufort, NC to Carolina Beach, NC

     Prior to transiting the ICW each day it's imperative to be certain to take your blood pressure medication! This kind of trip isn't for the faint of heart nor does it resemble anything similar to traveling offshore. There's little time to relax and no time for daydreaming about palm trees swaying in the breeze in tropical paradise. The ICW commands a boaters full attention.

Shrimp boat in Bogue Sound

     Each day with plans in place, the clanking sound of anchor windlasses and chain being brought aboard at sunrise is a familiar sound in any anchorage while bleary eyed cruisers prepare for the morning departure.
     At this time of year even down south in the Carolinas temperatures can drop into the 30's and 40's overnight making it a chilly wake-up call in the morning. Sprinkle in a few more challenges from weather. Unexpected hurricanes, tropical storms, gales and the occasional "pop-up" thunderstorm and lets not forget cold nor'easters.

     We had an unexpected "interesting" experience on Sunday while motoring through the firing range at the Marine Corps training facility at Camp LeJeune. While perusing Navionics software on the iPad I noticed a strange arrangement of channel marker illustrations that didn't make any sense. I brought it to Joe's attention long before we were actually in the range. He didn't appear to be concerned so I didn't make an issue of the weird little red and green markers. I went below to make lunch when I heard "an issue" developing in the cockpit accompanied by "What the #%!¥!" Simple Life had arrived at the weird little red nun and green can that appeared to be off position. After abruptly turning back to calmly collect our collective thoughts, we began scrambling through our collection of cruising guides to find out what in the HELL was going on with these marks! One guide on which we rely heavily, "Skipper Bob" had listed about ten coordinates to safely guide a boat through the section. Joe went below to plug coordinates into the chart-plotter while I took over the helm motoring in loops in the channel and away from the markers. We needed to figure this situation out quickly with only an hour to go before sunset. After reading the guide aloud several times we felt slightly confident that we could make it through this badly shoaled area without running aground. It was time to make our approach. With eyes glued to the depth sounder and breath held we pointed the boat in the direction of the markers...and saw nothing less than eight feet right through to the other side. It was time to breathe out and start motoring for the anchorage before sunset.
The following day would require passage through numerous bridge openings. Some openings are on the hour and some open on the half hour. If the pack of boats arrives at the bridge too early it becomes a challenging attempt to stay within the boundaries of the channel while 10-15 other vessels circle around in the same limited space all at the mercy of the friendly bridge tender opening on schedule. Add some strong current and let's not forget the final ingredient, wind. Let's also consider that some full keel boats aka Simple Life don't maneuver as quickly as fin keeled boats. All the while awaiting the opening with everyone jockeying for position and then watch as boats go hard aground and pray that it's not your turn to put out that embarrassing call over channel 16 requesting a tow from Boat US. On this particular day we'd already passed two boats that had gone aground. Pressure!

    Now we have cold weather! We're in Carolina Beach, NC and it's cold. I hate cold weather and Joe reminds me often that it will get better. He says, "Temperatures are certain to rise if we keep heading south." I've heard that one before and we never took the foul weather gear off until we sailed into Hawk Channel at Key Largo. But, tomorrow's another day, we're heading south toward Charleston, SC and it really is supposed to warm into the 60's by Friday. We'll see if Joe is right.





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Location:Carolina Beach, North Carolina

After Hurricane Sandy

     Our stay in Belhaven was interesting. We hadn't been back to the town for eight years and I assumed that a certain amount of gentrification would have happened with the rise and eventual fall of the real estate boom. Joe ventured ashore to the local library to check emails since Verizon service is non-existent in Belhaven. So there were no phone calls to family for more than a week.




  When Joe returned to the boat he said, "Well things have really changed in eight years." I took the "bait" and said, "It's all built up right?" His answer was that there were fewer stores opened in town than the last time. Belhaven had been devastated by 4.5 feet of flood water during hurricane Irene in August of 2011. It had also been flooded by hurricane Isabel in 2003 just prior to our visit that year. it seems that Belhaven can't catch a break.


     The heart of the town still has a strong pulse in spite of its troubles. The hardware store remains in its original location in the historic part of town as well as the newly renovated, welcoming library with its very helpful staff members. A new tavern is under construction in the historic part of town and a free dock has been constructed for visiting cruisers that will provide electric and water alongside.


     There is a museum located above city hall displaying a plethora of collectables which range from antique to the bizarre. I had nightmares for days after seeing the 10 pound tumor preserved in a jar that had been removed from a local woman many years ago.

     Grocery shopping is about a mile walk from the free dock. Joe and I made the trek to the store several times during our stay and never had to walk back. Each time locals stopped along the bypass road offering rides back to the harbor even if it was out of their way.

     During our stay we met a local man Don Jones at the dinghy dock. He invited us to attend a chili cook off with him and his wife Nancy at the Belhaven Yacht Club that afternoon! I had an interesting chat with Nancy who is an artist and painter. We had a wonderful afternoon together and she invited us to dinner at their home the following day. During the yacht club party we were also introduced to the very welcoming Commodore Don Stark and his wife Marjie.



     Last Thursday with rumblings of hurricane warnings, Joe decided that we should leave Belhaven harbor for a more protected anchorage. Hurricane Sandy was barreling up the Bahamas and tropical storm warnings were in effect in Belhaven for the weekend with northeasterly winds forecast that would eventually switch to the north. After examining the charts Joe found Dowry Creek which is about an hour by boat from Belhaven. He felt it would offer the best protection for our situation.


     As it turned out Simple Life and we were fine. Since it appeared that we were protected, we stayed aboard during the storm. Several other cruising vessels pulled into the Dowry Creek Marina where nightly cocktail parties were held as well as pot luck dinners which helped to pass the time. One cruiser who publishes and sells On the Water Chartguides also organized several cruising seminars each day. Joe attended all of the seminars and said they were as informative as any boat show seminars.

     We have sailed south with our attempt to make up some lost time spent waiting out hurricane Sandy. We planned to visit Beaufort, NC but gale warnings are in effect for Wednesday. Beaufort's anchorage is relatively tight with little swinging room. Our consensus was to anchor in the harbor Saturday evening and quickly move south on Sunday hopefully escaping the forecast gale and making progress farther south.

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Location:Dowry Creek, North Carolina