Beaufort, SC

Post to follow...w/pictures

Hilton Head, SC

The front arrived exactly 1 hour after we tied up at Palmetto Bay Marina on Broad Creek, Hilton Head Island, SC. We departed Thunderbolt marina at 1030 and headed for Hilton Head, 20 miles north. We thought if we are going to get stuck somewhere with the weather, then Hilton Head is not too bad of a spot. We had planned to make Charleston by Sunday, but that will have to wait till this blows out.

Winds are a steady 25 knots NE with long gust to 30 knots. We have seen a max gust of 35 knots. We are inside the t-head but unfortunately we are the first boat to the NE taking the 2 foot+ waves for the rest of the marina. The floating dock is on our port side and the NE winds are hitting our port bow at 20 degrees. This is good because it pushes us off the dock, but we are riding as if we are at anchor. No rest here, the dock lines are snapping and cracking and the winds are loud.

We are 8 days out of Vero Beach, FL, we have covered 400 miles on the ICW, we have anchored every night and we thought we would “splurge” and take a dock. Now it looks like we will simply stay here for a few days and enjoy Hilton Head Island.

PS:I had to lower the IP flag when the winds hit 25 knots, it was making us heal too much! J

Here is a link to our updated MAP with times and notes…
Or here..
http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hl=en&msa=0&msid=105090025371473892622.000448f23592b5279919a&ll=32.219772,-80.776978&spn=0.679656,1.496887&t=k&z=10&iwloc=00044997e52387293b141

We launched the bikes at Hilton Head and rode to the store.

Georgia Sunrise

We anchored in Kilkenny Creek inside the ICW off St. Catherine's Sound. What a beautiful sunrise we enjoyed. The bugs will eat you alive here if there is no wind as in this video but the sunrise is well worth it!

Enjoy the beauty...

Jekyll Island Packet Club JIPC

We now have an official Island Packet Club House, just like the rich and famous of yesteryear. This private club can be accessed via the ICW just north of Jekyll Creek Bridge at mile marker 684. The club house is open to all IP Fleet members who properly fly their colors. Here is the view of the club house from the river. Please stop in and spend a night at Jekyll Island Packet Club, or JIPC for short. Enjoy...

Click this Club House Image for a Larger View

Fort IP (formerly Matanzas)

Island Spirit (IP35) and Charmed (IP440) sailing vessels of the Atlantic Fleet of the Island Packet Navy, have successfully commandeered Fort Matanzas. While Catspaw (IP380)maintained an all-night offshore vigil covering that defensive sector. Catspaw was assisted by the ship's cat, Tiller who has exceptional night vision and skill at spotting enemy ships!

Safe anchorage in the Matanzas River has now been secured within 100 yards of the Fort for the entire Navy. However, if ye are NOT flying your proper IP colors, a warning shot will be fired across your bow at 1.5 miles approach. Ye shall certainly be sunk at 1.0 miles out without the IP Colors flying PROUDLY! We hope all IP Navy vessels will spend a night off the Fort. Enjoy.

Island Spirit & Charmed Anchored off the Fort.
Photo taken from atop the lookout deck
after commandeering the Fort for Island Packet.

Map location to Fort IP
see interactive map here

Cocoa Village, FL

Blog to follow...

Departure: Vero Beach, FL

Departing Vero this AM around 7, we just punched through the known approaching cold front and rain. Peak winds reached 31 knots 20 degrees off the port bow as we headed north crossing Sebastian Inlet on the ICW inside. Now we are on the north side of the front with 10-15 NW winds and the sky is looking less threatening. We may continue past Melbourne and press on for Cocoa Beach.

We are getting our skills back after getting “soft” in Vero!

More to follow….

Video Tour of Vero

Before we left Vero on 3/20/08, we took some short video clips of the town from our bikes. This tour starts at the city marina, then goes under the Barber Bridge, past the Riverside theater, the Art Museum, down Honeysuckle to the beach then back north to Date Palm road and back to the marina. This is a short 2 mile ride and gives you a nice view of Vero Beach, FL. Sorry abou the wind noise on the mic, it was blowing about 20 knots from the South.

Enjoy this 7 minutes video tour of Vero, from Bike.

Library Life in Vero

Blog Place holder for post to follow

On the Pad: Vero Beach

Our Drexel University 10 week semester has come to a close! The 27 page paper has been submitted, the PowerPoints were presented, the WIKI idea mocked up, the school Internship completed, and the collaborative projects closed. YAHOO.

Island Spirit, IP35, has now been serviced, new oil and yanmar filter, new fuel filters 30 micron red and new yanmar secondary, newly rebuilt and serviced alternator with all new bearings, brushes, and “guts”, all systems checked…so…we are on the launch pad here at Vero Beach City Marina. One last run to the store with the IP company car, then if all goes as planned, we will begin the journey NORTH Thursday. We will be traveling with IP440 svCharmed and our first major stop will be back at Fernandina Beach FL. Along the way we will anchor each night again, as we did coming south, with stops at Melbourne, Titusville, Daytona, St. Augustine, Pine Island, then Fernandina. From Fernandina Beach we have an option play of heading offshore to Charleston or we may run the Georgia ICW. Either way, the adventure is about to begin again! You can count on these email interruptions and of course some video blogs uploaded as well.

First task now that the ship has been fully serviced is to video this fabulous VERO BEACH area via my last bike ride.

Let the blogging resume…..

Life aboard: Vero Beach, FL

Paradise FOUND:
Life aboard Island Spirit, Vero Beach FL. Our first winter aboard…
…on a study sabbatical working on new Master’s Degrees via Drexel University online
Here is what a day is like…

1. Wake up via the Florida State bird, The Mockingbird, and listen to a full repertoire of 20+ bird calls. This mockingbird is GOOD! 0430!
2. Doze off, wake up, doze off, repeat till fully awake. 0730.
3. Brew coffee, pack bathroom bag, and coffee to go, and walk to the bathhouse. 0800.
4. Pick up subscription newspaper on way to bathhouse. 0805.
5. Hit the showers, then head for the captains’ lounge. Read the paper. 0815-0830.
6. Return to Island Spirit, prepare a hearty breakfast, eggs, pancakes, fruit. 0830-0900.
7. Read the am paper, check emails, prepare for the day. 0900-0945.
8. Pack book bags w/network, laptops, lunch, books, notebooks, and head for the Vero Library. 0945-1000.
9. Arrive at the library, take over a corner window 6 foot desk, set up our own network, 2 laptops, get online, and login to Drexel.edu. 1015
10. Work online, via www.Drexel.edu participate in discussion boards, start new threads, reply to threads, read, write, keep up. 1015-1400.
11. Take a break for lunch when enough is enough…1400
12. Return to work, writing, reading, and participating until we had our fill. 1400-1600.
13. Leave Library, return to Island Spirit 1600.
14. Break out the bikes, go for a cross Vero ride, three parks, tour the beach, ride the town. 1600-1700
15. Return to Island Spirit, cover bikes, prepare for sundowners, and enjoy the sunset. 1700-1800
16. Work together to prepare a fantastic meal, and enjoy this alfresco in the cockpit. 1800-1900
17. Read, study, enjoy the evening, go for strolls, look at the stars, live. 1900-2200
18. Prepare for bed, lights out 2230.
19. Dream of another wonderful day, prepare for AM mocking bird wake up. Return to #1, start over!
20. L I F E….IS….G O O D….!

Notice:
No TV! We have not watched TV for over 10 months! We do not miss it one bit!
We read, we study, we ride bike, walk, go to the beach, and work on the boat…we simply L I V E…
LIFE IS GOOD on Island Spirit

Heading for Library w/Island Spirit in backgroundv Vero Library Work Desk...NICE View

Bike Rides most days after Library

Typical Pelicans on Piling