Oyster Bay, Long Island

From the East River we traveled to one of the Eastern most Anchorages on Long Island Sound and spent the night. The next day we traveled the 40 miles or so West to spend a few days in Oyster Bay. This quiet community is home to some big names and we anchored in sight of John McEnroe's home and around the corner from Billy Joel's home. The anchorage was near ideal for this area and was within easy reach of a marina via dinghy. We thought about taking a mooring but at $1.50 per foot for a floating ball, we opted for our own anchor. In the pic above Anthem is anchored just outside the mooring field.

Hudson River South and the Harlem River

After leaving our Anchorage near Newburgh, we backtracked South on the Hudson making an overnight stop once again near the Harmon Croton Park. The next morning we steamed past the shores of Sing Sing prison (actually called Ossining now to clear up confusion over which was the prison, and which was the town). Beyond Ossining we passed Yonkers and then turned to make way for the Long Island Sound via the Harlem River. This narrow channel that makes Manhattan an island is an 8 mile stretch that is crossed by about 24 bridges. These bridges do not open without a city referendum (or at least thats the impression we got). No worries, according to the book, we could clear them all. The first mate was not so sure. The Captain bellowed "damn the bridges, full steam ahead" Actually it was more like "damn the bridges, I have to go to the head". The first mate replying, "you can go in a bottle, because you're not leaving the helm".

While you wouldn't call the Harlem River the most scenic leg of the trip (if fact it's a stretch just calling it a River), it was among the most interesting. On this short stretch, you pass through the Bronx and the inner city and then Yankees stadium. (photos temporarily misplaced) The surreal part is doing so from a rather conspicuous motoryacht. We waved at the locals as we passed by. Most responded with a stoic glare that seemed to say. "What the heck are you doing here and stick you silly hands back in you pockets". Ah... New York. 

For one brief shining moment.... 

Brenda reads on the aft deck as the sun fades. 

At the start of our journey back South on the Hudson, we stopped to anchor near Bannerman's Island. The ruins of his castle built as a Summer retreat in the 20's still stand.

View from Washington's HQ on the Hudson. Mountain top beacon fires served as a warning of approaching British ships invading the Hudson at West Point. 

While in Newburgh, we toured Washington's headquarters for the last year of the war. 

Newburgh's waterfront offers a tempting array of restaurants. 

Anthem at the dock in Newburgh, NY 

From the water, you have a striking view of West Point Academy 

Heading farther up the Hudson, the landscape takes on a new look. 

Street scene in Nyack, NY 

Stopping in Nyack and staying on a mooring, we took the afternoon to tour Nyack, NY. Turned out to be a good stop with a few small grocery stores and some quality atmosphere. These streets are where writer Carson McClure spent her last 20 years or so.

Anthem heads North on the Hudson passing under the George Washington bridge 

St. Paul's church at the Trade Center

St. Paul's church interior 

As many may remember, St. Paul's church located at the foot the Trade Center survived with no significant damage. The church then became a haven for many of the recovery workers immediately after the disaster and for those searching for missing loved ones.


WTC site as seen from St. Paul's graveyard 


Alter with "missing" posters and momentos 

Brenda and Jeff tour the ever popular Empire State Building which is again the tallest building in NYC.

World Trade Center site 

It is difficult to wrap you mind around the magnitude of devastation that must have existed when these buildings came down. Each building was more than double the size of the tallest neighboring buildings. You find yourself staring up in a futile attempt to imagine what it must have been like.

The building from which this photo was taken was nearly buried in the rubble of the World Trade Center.

Dewayne and Felicia liv'n large in Times Square 

Central Park 

Central park is perhaps the best part of NYC. In many areas you experience a bit of deja vu even if you have never been to NY. Consider the effect the result of hundreds of hours of TV and movies. This shot was taken on a lake near John Lennon's former residence.

Anthem cruises past Liberty 

Cruising into NY Harbor was a highlight although a bit nerve-wracking. The Statue of Liberty let us know we were on course.

Molly Pitcher Inn in Redbank 

We made a side trip to Redbank, NJ which is in the NYC area. This was a great place to hang for a couple of days while waiting for our friends Dewayne and Felicia to arrive from Chattanooga.

Anthem Docked at the Molly Pitcher marina in Redbank 

We had a great view of the Navesink river from our dock at the Molly Pitcher. If you look hard you can see Jon Bon Jovi's house in the distance.

Town of Redbank NJ 

Redbank had some great restaurants and shops. Turned out to be great place to celebrate Brenda's birthday.

Twin Lights light house on the Navesink River near Sandy Hook 

From the Twin Lights light house you had a great view of the Atlantic and Sandy Hook. The light is not exactly new equipment; it was dedicated by President Lincoln.

Jeff and Brenda at the top of the Twin Lights tower 

The QE 2 in NY Harbor 

On our first visit to the city via high speed ferry, we ran across the QE II. According to my calculations, assuming our current rate of boat length progression, Brenda and I will own a boat of this size in the year 3050. Anthem 572

The NYSE 

I asked where I could find lost and found. I told the security guard that I had lost a couple hundred thousand bucks in this building and thought maybe someone had found it. He responded by shouting something about "threat code 54" in his radio. I didn't stick around to find out what that meant.

Anthem gets hauled in Cape May, NJ 

When we departed Baltimore, we took with us a few thousand crustacean stowaways that had taken up residence on our running gear. It turns out that in NJ it is cheaper to get the boat hauled than hire a diver.

Brenda relaxing on deck in Chesapeake City 

This stop was on the C and D canal (Chesapeake and Delaware). We planned to anchor but found the anchorage filled with dredging equipment. The band for this waterside bar was about 10 feet from the boat.

July 4th dock party in Baltimore 

George W's crib 

While on our trip to DC we visited the seat of power. Tons of security and barricades. Unfortunate.

Union Station in DC 

Brenda and Jeff waiting for the next train on the DC metro 

While in Baltimore, we decided to visit DC once more. This time we took a train from Penn station in Baltimore to Union Station in DC. From there, the DC metro can get you most places you want to go.

Horst onboard Anthem's tender hunting giant rock fish on the Wye River 

Giant rock fish (actual size) 

Horst and Susie on the bridge with the Capt. 

While we were in St. Michaels, Brenda's Mom and Step-Dad came to visit and sample the cruising lifestyle. They adapted right away.

Bob and Nancy on Rachael J. stop by for a drink 

Our friends Stephanie and Alan aboard Gypsy heading to the Bahamas 

Brenda getting her baseball fix at spring training. 

Chris and Tom stopping by. 

Anthem in the mooring field; fendered up for unexpected guests. 

Check out new entry on St. Michaels

Yes, one more entry has finally been posted to the blog and all posts get more VISUAL

Enjoy.

Update from Brenda aboard MV Anthem

I know it’s been a very long time since our last installment on the BLOG, and since it’s been on my mind for a while, I thought I would write down some of our experiences over the past several months.

Our last entry ended somewhere around Baltimore and we spent a good amount of time on Chesapeake Bay. We discovered that there are many places to drop the hook and just hang out.


Anthem enjoys setting sun at anchor 

Some were very isolated and some were a short dinghy ride to a small quaint town just eager for our exploration. It was/is a freedom that I never knew existed and never realized I would enjoy. To tell the truth, I was pretty terrified at first, not knowing if we would crash into the boat next to us or go aground on the nearest shore. As with most things, you do it a few times and with experience it becomes a more enjoyable and even enlightening experience.


View from the kayak 

In October, we had a very enjoyable and memorable visit from our good friends Jim and Sylvia Huse. They came to St Michaels, Maryland. It was great to see them and see Sylvia about 5 months pregnant. She has since had baby William, so you know its been a long time since our last writing.


The Huses arrive 

We spent time on the boat catching up with what’s been happening in our lives as well as touring the beautiful town of St. Michaels. It was fall, so everything was turning the most vibrant colors.


The Huses and Brenda on the Lido deck 

During the latter part of October, we made a last minute decision to head up the Potomac River and spend some time in Washington DC.


Brenda visits the Capital 

We literally decided as we were in the mouth of the Potomac. We were both very happy that we did as we spent 2 weeks in DC and it was truly a fun educational experience, especially since this was right before the election.


College of William and Mary 

As we approached the city we had several Black Hawk helicopters fly over and practically land on the boat. Pretty scary considering Jeff’s last experience when he was boarded by the coastguard. I had never been to DC, so it was well worth the delay in getting south for the winter.


Smooch on Georgetown, SC boardwalk 

We spent about 3 weeks in Georgetown, SC during Thanksgiving. Georgetown is a quaint little town with a lot of history. Our new friends Karen and Fred Kippert aboard Kipster were there as well and it was great to see them again. We met them while on anchor up in the Chesapeake.


MV Kipster fendered for all comers 

We rented a car and drove to Atlanta for a short visit while on our way to Alabama for Thanksgiving. It was great to see my girls, good friends and get my hair done by my usual hairdresser (the simple things).

Thanksgiving was great at the Harris homestead in Guntersville, AL. All we could talk about weeks prior was Jeff’s mothers home cooked meals. It was just as good as we remembered as was the wonderful time spent with family.

The most exciting part was I flew to Munich, Germany for work and had a fabulous time. It’s so beautiful in Germany during Christmas. Yes, in case any of you were wondering, I am still working as a contractor for Hewlett Packard. I’m still enjoying it, and it’s been a great comfort knowing that I can still contribute to our financial future.

Well, that’s all for now. We want to be sure you will tune in for the next installment, which I promise will be soon. For those of you who are interested in visiting, we are currently in St. Augustine, Fl and headed to Daytona tomorrow (2-24-05). After a few days, we will then head to Vero Beach and may stay as long as 3 or 4 weeks. This would be a great time to come out to see us!

St. Michaels, Jewel of the Chesapeake

Since our stop in Oriental, NC we had solicited the advice of other more experienced cruisers on the must see stops on the Chesapeake. While the advice seemed to overlap on a number of points, there was but one city on which there was complete and utter concensus: St. Michaels, Maryland.

In fact we heard this refrain so frequently, that the prospect of not adding St. Michaels to our itinerary of the upper Chesapeake seemed folly. So with high expectations and dwindling Summer temperatures we set a course for St. Michaels.

Our arrival was late in the afternoon and after assessing our dockage and anchoring opportunities, we decided to spend the night on anchor just outside the harbor. This popular spot outside the main anchorage lacks significant wind protections but provides ample anchor swing room, which for us is a big advantage.


Sunset at St. Michaels 

We dropped anchor among the sailboats in the typical scenario: a dozen sailboats, a couple of trawlers and one 52' motoryacht named "Anthem". After the sailboats got over their initial shock and we were comfortable with the anchor set, it was time to take our front row seats on the forward deck to watch the sunset over the small city.

Our arrival was noticed not just by concerned sailboaters but also by the roaming band of swans that make their rounds in the city harbor as well as in the anchorages. We rounded up what scraps we could, to pay homage to these ornamental scavengers and enjoyed the beauty of the sinking sun framed by the harbor, with the silouettes of sails and swans.

With only one hour in the harbor, this mecca of the bay was certainly living up to expectations.

After a peaceful night, we hauled anchor and headed for St. Micheals town marina to get the best access to the city. This centrally situated marina was bordered by two restaurants and was within a five-minute walk to the center of town on Talbot St.


St. Michaels City Dock 

Once we were in the city, it was clear why this place has captured the attention of so many cruisers. It blends the charm of the many attractive elements of the bay in one place. Its got them all: small harbor with anchorage? check; historic church that chimes throughout the city? check; maritime museum, dozens of quaint shops, renowned seafood restaurant with the best crab cakes on the bay, check, check, check.


Street scene in St. Michaels 

It combines these elements in a town with authentic colonial history that has managed to hold back the pressures of hyper development that have victimized so many other quaint villages.

You get the feeling that real people live in this place despite the heavy tourist trade that drives at least the Summer economics of the place. Its a great tourist stop but it doesn't feel like a tourist haven.


Brenda in a park near the marina in St. Michaels 

The next day we headed out of the marina to anchor again outside the harbor. Our friends, Jim and Sylvia Huse were coming to visit from Atlanta. We prepared for their arrival by launching the dinghy that would ferry them from shore. When they arrived, Jeff headed for shore and loaded Jim, two suitcases and Sylvia (now 5 months pregnant) carefully into the dinghy. Sylvia’s lovely and stylish boots presented additional challenges as they had been specifically designed to be unstable and slippery on small boats (just a hypothesis).

With guests and luggage loaded on the mother ship, we were back underway to the Wye River. The Wye River, which is just a few miles from St. Michaels is just one more beautiful, unspoiled tributary of the Bay with anchorage after anchorage that border post card settings and cottages nestled in the trees. How much quaint beauty and idyllic charm can one couple take? We picked an anchorage from the many choices and determined to find out.

It was a great evening, enhanced by the company of the Huses who were veterans of many voyages aboard our first boat “Nameless Regal”. This trailerable 25 foot mega yacht was ferried over land, pulled behind our Ford Explorer to exotic destinations throughout the SE. The Huses suffered through the lack of A/C and heat, and were always great cruising companions. Together we had many good times for considerably fewer $$ than required by “Anthem”.

The following day we returned to St. Michaels and stayed at Higgins Yacht Yard. This slightly more humble marina also situated in the harbor gives equally good access to the city. From this location, we toured the city enjoying the many shops, pubs and restaurants of the small city center.


Jeff an Jim take turns at the crab boat helm 

We also visited the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum that sits on the point between the North and South Harbors. This working museum and boatyard offers perhaps the best collection of boats and marine artifacts anywhere on the bay. Even a landlubber can appreciate the demonstrations of craftsmanship and bay history featured at this popular attraction.


Exhibits at the Maritime Museum 

We finished our day with a meal at the renowned Crab Claw restaurant that is just outside the museum. This restaurant shares the title of “best crab cakes on the bay” with about 1000 other restaurants in the area. The cakes were good, but the best we had were in Solomon’s island. But that’s another story.


Crab Claw Restaurant 

With their business in St. Michaels concluded, the Huses prepared to return to the great Atlantan metropolis. We were sad to see them go, but happy we had enjoyed good weather for the entire trip.

We continued on in St. Michaels for a day or two enjoying the charm of the place and the company of one of our itinerant cruising friends aboard “Sails”. We finally rallied to leave port and prepared for a return to the true crab cake pinnacle, Solomon’s Island on the Western shore of the Bay.

Dropping the Hook in Baltimore Inner Harbor

Anchorage marina 

After a prolonged stay at Anchorage marina that led to a bit of dock fever, we headed out to find some new environs. By the time we completed our mandatory pumpout and had a few cocktails with some good folks we met on a vintage 65 ft Hatteras, it was getting dark and any plans to leave the harbor seemed unwise. Instead we headed into the Inner Harbor to see the lights of Baltimore and look for a good spot to anchor.


Anthem at Anchor in Baltimore Harbor 

We dropped the anchor in the small designated anchorage 100 yards from a WWII submarine and within a stone's throw from a 1800’s era sailing ship. The spot gave us a front row view of the city and ready access to the key attractions of Baltimore. For those who are not familiar with Baltimore, the city takes great pride in its waterfront and has developed an impressive array of attractions including shopping, tours of historical ships, an aquarium, and a wide array of restaurants. All of this combined with the activity of the city makes for a feast for the eyes especially at night. With calm winds and only one sailboat for a neighbor we settled in for a peaceful evening.


Constellation in her berth 

In the morning, we had another day of great weather. By noon we had finished our chores and launched the dinghy to make our way to a nearby dock. While seeking out a venue for lunch, we ran into Bob, Marilyn, Rick and Donna from the sailboats Zippidee Du and Naomi Marie. We decided to join up for lunch and had a great meal at M&S grill on the waterfront.

By afternoon we had abandoned our plans once again to escape the Harbor and back aboard Anthem, watched as sailboats filled the remaining spaces in the anchorage.


Brenda and Jeff with Anthem in background 

One of the downsides of being in the big city is the amazing variety of sounds one hears from all directions. The most interesting of these were the sound effects coming from the nearby atack sub, Torsk now serving its final duty as a tourist attraction. Once every 10 minutes from 10am to 4pm the sub would spring to life and sound its alarm and warn the non-existent crew to “Dive, Dive, Dive”. Sadly, only in the sleeping dreams of this aging ship, will she see the depths of the ocean again.


Our dinghy tied up next to the Torsk 

In the evening, again we settled in for another quiet night, this time with a more careful watch on our new neighbors anchored a bit too close for comfort.

The Voyage of “Anthem” Enters its Fourth Month

It's difficult to believe, but we are entering our fourth month of cruising and living out a few of our fantasies. The boating life is getting easier or maybe it's just that we now know what to expect (sometimes). We are enjoying ourselves, especially lately since the weather has been a bit cooler. The boat is holding up well with no major problems. However, Jeff continues his never ending boat improvement projects at virtually every stop. Jeff has also begun capturing media for the Waterwayexplorer project in earnest. These activities combined with the normal fun-making agenda make for few idle moments.

Brenda continues her job working with HP. She enjoys the job so we are finding ways to accommodate the necessities of the corporate consulting world: internet connection, reliable telephone connection, internet connection, faxing, internet connection, printing; you get the idea. Brenda is not a happy girl when the bits don't flow, so from time to time all else halts until we can secure sufficient bars (no reference to drinking) for life to return to normal. Generally speaking we've had it pretty good (except in NC) thanks to Verizon's healthy network services.

Even now as we compose this message in a quiet anchorage wherein the nearest town is distant and diminutive, the internet connection persists. Amazing stuff indeed.

Brenda also continues to master the fine art of line handling and has now surpassed Jeff in knot tying ability. Number of knots Brenda has mastered: 2 Number of knots Jeff has mastered 1 ½. Jeff's pathetic knot tying skill is offset by uncanny piloting and docking ability, so for now he gets to keep his Capt. Title.

Brenda's command of the deck during docking maneuvers strikes fear into the hearts of unsuspecting dock hands. Her orders to dock hands conjure the spirit of Edward Teach: "Bow line here, aft spring there, and make it snappy with that shore power cord, yee scurvy dog".

Cruising Baltimore at Night: Boating Pleasure or Terrorist Reconnaissance?

As I approached the bulkhead directly in front of the Baltimore Inner Harbor Visitor center, a security guard approached the boat and yelled “you can’t dock here, this is reserved space”. “Great, tell that to the Coast Guard”, I said while pointing to the bright orange Coast Guard boat with flashing blue lights now taking position behind Anthem and in front of the large police boat already tied to the wall.


1st Boarding: Brenda ready to greet guests 

This was the unlikely scene holding the attention of a couple hundred Baltimore tourists gathered on the pier in front of the two story waterfront plaza containing a dozen restaurants and bars. The scene had started about an hour before when Jon and I had been motoring around the Inner Harbor on a video expedition. Jon, a friend from my old eLearning days, had flown in for the weekend to help shoot footage for the waterwayexplorer project while Brenda was away in Oregon. Jon had just finished a water taxi tour, whereas I would follow in Anthem and he would get footage of the boat underway in the Harbor.

Jon had rejoined me on Anthem and was shooting from the forward deck when a Coast Guard boat circled and then came along side. The Coast Guard Capt. requested IDs and asked why we were videotaping the Harbor. I explained the project and offered our IDs. Jon’s ID being of an early paper vintage had suffered through numerous washings. Its tattered appearance cast a shadow of doubt on Jon and prompted a quick conference between the patrol boat’s crew and some unknown party on the other end of the radio.

While floating aimless in the Harbor, we continued to answer the questions of the heavily armed occupants of the patrol boat. Their questions ranged from boat ownership to federal documentation to last port of call and number of occupants onboard. When I protested about the likelihood of drifting into the pier and/or other craft in the area, the patrol Capt. ordered us to tie up on the bulkhead. The bulkhead was the permanent mooring of an 80 ft. dinner boat currently out for a cruise. The wall not designed for pleasure boats and lacked the normal protection of pilings or other barriers between the boat and the bare concrete. This fact combined with limited visibility added to my growing anxiety about our situation.

I gave Jon instructions on fender deployment and together we managed to keep the boat from direct contact with the wall. In a few minutes we were safely tied up directly in front of the Visitor Center. After landing, the Patrol Capt. informed me he would conduct a full inspection. For the next 30 minutes I went through a drill of finding documentation, demonstrating safety equipment, and revealing what was hidden under bilge compartments (mostly foul water).

By the time I got back to the bridge, I had about half a dozen additional plain clothes officers on board with more teaming about on shore. Anthem had become a high priority target for would-be terror trackers throughout the Inner Harbor. The lead guy informed me he was working on an FBI task force and requested to view our video tape. While Mr. Task Force scanned through an hour of video. I sat back and contemplated the weather in Guantanamo and pictured myself in orange.

I suppose I should have expected this and perhaps we brought it on ourselves, after all it was 9/11/2004 and there was a building in the vicinity that was at least named “World Trade Center”. Jon and I had skipped a day or two of shaving, so perhaps we projected a vague Osama-like militantism in an anglo, white bread sort of way. Perhaps our flagrant display of video equipment on deck was a secret sign of sleeper cell activity. Perhaps we fit a profile: two white guys on big boat with camera and no women. Who can say , the possibilities are endless.

After watching video for a while with Mr. Task Force, answering more questions and generally waiting for the other shoe to drop, the tone began to soften. They had determined our tapes to be clear of all subversive material and started to lose interest in the game (and the video). Given we passed our inspection with flying colors, they released us on our own recognizance. We untied and carefully moved away from the wall.

We felt that in some small way, we had done our part to ensure terrorists don’t take up motoryachts as a safe haven. With this small satisfaction, we decided to call it a night and head back to the marina for a late dinner and a little rack time.

Ego Alley in Sailing’s Capital City

Panoramic of Ego Alley 

Annapolis to some is the center of the maritime universe for good reason. It is the home to the Naval Academy, final resting place of John Paul Jones, and has a marine tradition that predates the Declaration of Independence. This holy place to sailors is also the capital of Maryland and among the hottest tourist destinations in the region.


Boats at anchor on Spa Creek 

In this place we chose to spend the Labor Day weekend and pick up a temporary crew member. With our normal planning horizon of about 48 hours we called ahead and found no room at the inn or in our case the half dozen marinas that serve the Annapolis area. The city dock didn’t take reservations so our new plan was to arrive early and snag a spot before the hoards arrived. We arrived on a Thursday afternoon and grabbed the last spot on a canal that runs into the heart of the city.

Annopolis is a virtual bee hive of boats and to get into the prime spots you must be comfortable with tight quarters navigation. This was especially true for Anthem entering the narrow canal and spinning about with boats on both walls of the canal. With about 3 feet of clearance on the bow and stern we eased into our spot just ahead of the “Save the Bay” Sloop. Once in place we had the city at our finger tips and in full view. After solving several problems with the city’s shore power facility we set out to scope out the possibilities. Our location was literally directly behind an excellent marine store and Jeff immediately made the first of many trips that would occur over the next few days.

Annapolis’ main street is the central focus of the tourist population but represents a well preserved glimpse into the past with store fronts, pubs and hotels that appear little changed in a couple hundred years. The proprietors have certainly changed; the architecture of the place remains most intact. This city represents the prototype of pseudo early American marine cities that have become popular in resort communities from Hilton Head to Walt Disney World. The catch with this town is that what you see is mostly the real thing or at least a carefully restored version of the real thing.


Brenda and Jeff on the streets of Annapolis 

On Friday, our new crew member, Greg Stevens arrived via Super Shuttle. A friend and former co-worker from Jeff’s Home Depot days, Greg is a fan of the water and the experience that surrounds it. Greg would be our guest until we made port in Baltimore on Monday.


Bystanders look on as Greg ponders deep thoughts 

On Saturday we started to understand why the canal on which we were moored was called “Ego Alley” by the locals. With the Labor Day weekend underway, and a Navy vs Duke football game on Saturday we were treated to an almost constant parade of boats entering the canal checking out the downtown area and then turning in the narrow space at the end of the canal to head back out. The boats executing this maneuver were in all shapes and sizes but consistently came within about 10 feet of our boat on each pass.

Overall this parade was pretty entertaining except for the offshore weekend racer boats that channel their exhaust thru-hull and therefore sound like a small battery of cannons being fired in rapid succession. This wonder of exhaust system design does little to increase horsepower, but much to revive the memories of past virility of their operators.

Before leaving the area, Brenda and I had the opportunity to visit the Naval Academy and pay our respects to John Paul Jones. The Academy is the kind of place that for a moment made me regret my lack of military background. It exudes naval tradition with a kind of regimented and orderly grandeur that permeates the place. The grounds and many of the buildings are spectacular and the various historical and museum sites make a visit more than worthwhile. For avid amateur captains like myself, the Academy evokes romantic fantasies of going to sea in tall ships, on dangerous missions in far away places. In Jimmy’s words “couldn’t fit the part too dumb or too smart”. Sometimes the unregimented lifestyle has its advantages too.

Dock at Barefoot Landing, SC 

Anthem at Barefoot Landing 

Downtown Georgetown, SC 

Jeff on deck in Hilton Head 

Miami Heat and Nautical Decadence

After a bit of a slog up from Keys we arrived in Miami Beach and were situated just a couple of blocks from Ocean drive which gave Jeff quick scooter access to the trendiest beach and nightclubs in the country. Needless to say, the scooter and wide-brim boat hat lent instant credibility in this place that worships style and glamour. We enjoyed South Beach more than we expected and had a great time taking in the varied sights that only Miami Beach can offer.


Christina and Brenda at Hall of Fame Marina 

In Ft. Lauderdale, we got in some beach time with our good friends Scott and Christina Critzer and matched our yachting prowess with the Mega yachts Ft. Lauderdale is famous for. We were doing okay until our yacht was mistaken as a tender and hoisted aboard “Aussie Rules”, Greg Norman’s 200 foot motor yacht. The embarrassing situation was quickly resolved; however, Scott was forced to stay behind as a deckhand based on an obscure maritime law allowing large yachts to press into service the guests of smaller yachts. Sounded strange but we didn’t argue.


Scott Kayaking in Ft. Lauderdale 

Our 4th of July layover in Palm Beach offered the opportunity to spend a few days with the Trump and Kennedy clan. Brenda spent Sunday afternoon touring Worth Ave with an open checkbook. Back on board the yacht we enjoyed a front row view of the Palm Beach fireworks.

Did I mention Worth Ave closes tight as a drum on Sundays and the truly rich wouldn’t be caught dead in Palm Beach in summer? No worries, we’ll pay a visit to “our people” when we get to Martha’s Vineyard.

Egmont Key Anchorage: 1st night out. 

Dining at Longboat Key 

Sunshine Skyway Bridge in St. Petersburg