Wow! I just looked at our last posting and it has been over two months! So most of you all know the SolMate crew arrived safely back to the states in early June with the help of our brother-in-law Tom Ryon. Many thanks are owed to Tom for handling the helm on our first night watch leaving the Abacos, Bahamas to USA.
Our original plan was to leave Green Turtle cay and go for a two and half day journey crossing over the Bahama Banks then making way to the Gulf Stream with land fall in Savannah, GA. Well the first thing you learn in cruising is that ALL plans are made in jello. Our first night with Tom at helm we hit an intense squall with over 40 knots of wind and blinding rain. By sunrise the inside of the boat looked like a hurricane hit it and so did all of the crew. Poor Bella stopped eating and drinking; therby not going potty for almost two days straight. A group decision was made and we diverted that day to make landfall at Fort Pierce, FL.
Despite Tom's plans to fly out of Savannah we still managed to figure it out by renting him a car to make the drive and catch his flight on June 3rd. It was a heck of a ride back and both Brandon and I are thankful for Tom's skill and help.
Since then we have been beating the waterways pretty hard up the ICW to run from this crazy, intense heat. Wow, while we were in Savannah the heat index was 110 degrees. Poor Bella hates the heat and it has created a whole other level of concern.
One very memorable trip was up the Dismal Swamp in NC. The trip was very quiet and peaceful and is the historic route laid out by George Washington. We did an overnight stay at the the vistiors center. There is so much history here that it was overwhelming to read and take it in. It was here that we went through our first lock - a very cool experience. The first lock we crossed was at Deep Creek and it raises the boat about 10 feet in elevation, and the lock at mile 33, just beyond south mills, lowers you the same amount. Tannic acid from the leaves and decaying vegetation give the water a color similar to stout tea, isn't too inviting, so no swimming for us. We made a couple of quick trips via our truck while in GA to visit family, friends and take care of business. Spending time with my sister Megan and her kiddos was a ball. We all had so much fun and got to see their new house they are moving into Aug 2nd, congrats it is gorgeous!
We made tracks to Marietta to see our neighborhood buddies The Gossetts and Westbrocks. Also, we had a wonderful lunch visit with all of Brandon's former work friends, a ton of laughs shared there. The visit was too short but so great to catch up and get hugs from all. We departed GA on Father's Day with our favorite buddy boat and friends Las Siernas heading NORTH!! Since we left Ga, we have shared many celebrations amongst us all. First, was our 15th wedding anniversay on July 1. Happy Anniversary to my SolMate! Second occassion was on July 5th for my birthday. Yikes here I come 42 yrs old but what a way to celebrate life on a cruise with my family, thank you God for all my gifts in my life. Third was the celebration of Esme's birthday on July 18th. What a wonderful dinner party we shared with the Las Sirenas family.... Happy Birthday Esme!If one has a ton of patience then you would love to travel up the ICW (InterCoastal Waterway aka the "ditch") because it is long and extremely cumbersome. Not much room for error because in some spots you will only see 6-7feet in depth. Our boat draws 5.5ft, margin of error very small plus the heat has been so intense with no wind makes for very long days. Nonetheless, it was nice to share the experience traveling through SC and NC and now we are currenty in Anapolis, MD. This is where Las Sirenas cruising time comes to a cose. They have decided to change life plans and do something different so the boat will remain at a marina here in Anapolis and maybe up for sale. We wish them all the best they truly will be missed as we continue North. They are life long friends and have made a big impact on our lives! Best wishes and Love to all on Las Sirenas!!!
Two last July birthday wishes go to my nephew Taylor who celebrates his bday on July 26th and to Sean Ryon at the end of July ---have a great day you guys!
I hope to get more consistent recording our trip up North, as we plan to make it to Maine. Plus we would love to have visitors at any point during our trek up the coast it is a beautiful (plus we are out of the ICW YEAH)!
Alana and Belly Boo surfing in the ICW June in South Carolina....
A crane gracefully glides over the Dismal Swamp...
Brandon and I enjoying a dinner and movie at the Commodore Theater in Norfolk, VA. It was built in the 1940's and has been refit to offer dinner seating in comfy club chairs.We hope to hear from you. Sorry for to long dry spell.
