Category Archives: Uncategorized

Island Bound has been sold

9/30/2022
Southport, NC
Posted by Bill

Well today we completed the sale of our beloved Island Bound. We are feeling very sad about it, but we know it was time to close our sailing adventures and move on to the next chapter. I have been sailing my entire adult life and it was always a real passion for me. I always dreamed of having a boat as fine as our Island Packet…she is a great boat and it has been an experience of a lifetime cruising on her. All that being said….this is hard to deal with.

The boat sold to a great couple that we have enjoyed getting to know, Wil and Tori, and we are excited for them. We are happy that people like them bought the boat and will care well for her. We will enjoy following their adventures!

A special shout out to our good friend Hayden Cochran for all of his help during the process.

Now we start the process of finding the next boat…this one without a mast.

Island Bound for sale

5/11/2022
Posted by Bill

Long time…no post. We obviously haven’t been traveling the last few years on our boat. I think we are done cruising outside of the US…at least for now…and we are finding that we don’t use the boat like we used to. It is time to move over to the DARK SIDE (lol) and purchase a power boat. Not sure if we will get a trawler or a sport fish that has decent accommodations, but we are looking at both types of boat.

Either way, our beloved Island Bound is going up for sale. What follows is the listing. If you know of anyone who is interested please let us know.

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Island Bound – 1995 Island Packet 40 Sailboat
Asking Price $140,000
Location: Southport NC
Email: IslandPacket4095@gmail.com

Island Bound was a Great Lakes fresh water boat from 1995 to 2014. In 2014 the owners spent 5 years living aboard and cruising the east coast, Florida Keys and the Bahamas, and cruised the same areas for winters after that. She is a solid boat well suited for cruising the world. The owners are moving on from sailing to power boating.

Specifications:
• LOA – 42′
• LOD – 40′
• LWL – 34′
• Beam – 12′ 11″
• Draft – 4′ 8″
• Height – 54′, 57’ including VHF antenna
• Displacement – 22,800
• Ballast – 10,000lbs. Lead/concrete
• Headroom – 6′ 5″
• Construction Fiberglass
• Hull Number 28 of 139
• Hull and Deck – Solid Fiberglass
• Designer -Robert K. Johnson
• Builder – Island Packet Yachts (USA)

Tankage:
• FUEL – 90 Gallons in 1 Aluminum Tank – Located in Keel – Range Approximately 625 Miles
• DOMESTIC WATER – 170 Gallons in 1 Aluminum Tank – Located in Keel
• FUEL & WATER Tanks are Located in Keel for Lower Center of Gravity
• WASTE HOLDING – 30 Gallons in 1 Aluminum Tank (never had a drop of salt water in it) with Macerator

Interior:
• Sleeps 6 in Two Double Berths each in Private Cabins & Two Single Berths
• Forward Cabin Mattress – Custom Memory Foam
• Heads – 2 Private & Enclosed
• Marine Toilets – Manual Pump, Forward head new in 2010 and rebuilt 10/2016
• Hot & Cold Pressure Water System
• Stove/Oven – Princess 3-Burner
• Refrigeration – Adler Barbor 12V
• 2 air conditioner/reverse cycle heat units – 1) Mermaid Air 16,500BTU replaced in 01/2016, 2) Mermaid Air 7,000BTU
• Cabin Lights – almost all are LED Bulbs
• Cabin Blinds – Linen new in 2018
• Fans – (4) in Galley, Aft Cabin, Forward Cabin & Salon
• Drawers & Hanging Lockers – Cedar Lined
• Chart Drawer
• Stereo – Sony Radio/CD Player with Remote Control
• 2 smart flatscreen TVs
• Speakers – (2) Interior & (2) Cockpit

Mechanical / Electrical:
• Yanmar 4JH2E, 50hp, Freshwater-Cooled, Direct-Drive, Inboard Diesel Engine
• Engine Hours – 3,774.7
• Propeller – Sailprop 2000 3-Blade reversing prop
• Batteries – House – (3) Group 27 AGM – new 02/2015, Engine Start – (1) Group 27 AGM – new 02/2015
• Outlets – (12) 12Volt DC – Located in Front Cabin, Salon Cabin, Cockpit Helm, Etc.
• Solar Panel Controller – Morningstar TriStar MMPT 30
• Wind Generator – Marine Kinetix MK4 400W – new 6/2016
• Battery Charger/Inverter – Xantrex Freedom 458 2000W – new 12/2014
• Xantrex Freedom remote panel
• Xantrex Link 2000-R battery monitor – new 10/2014
• Heart Interface Path Maker battery combiner
• Shore Power – 124Volt AC 30amp
• Bilge Pumps – 12Volt DC Automatic/Manual and backup Manual Whale Gusher
• Television Antenna top of mast
• Water maker – 20 GPH (runs off a Honda 2000 generator) – new 9/2016
• Miscellaneous Spare Parts Filters, etc.
• Vessel Documentation – Includes Engine Maintenance Log, Major Work Receipts & Maintenance Receipts
• Boat Equipment Manuals

Navigation / Communication:
• Radar – Raymarine 2kw with backstay mount – new 2008
• GPS – Raymarine Raystar 112LP – new 2008
• Autopilot – Raymarine Evolution EV1 with wireless remote – new 9/2015
• Speed/Depth/Wind/Log – Raymarine i50/i60 – new 12/2019
• Chartplotter – Raymarine E80 – new 2008
• Compass – Ritchie 6″
• AIS receiver – Raymarine – new 2008
• VHF Radios – 2 Raymarine 240, one at helm and one at chart table in cabin

Spar / Rigging / Winches / Sails:
• Mast – Aluminum
• Rigging Type – Cutter
• Standing Rigging – Stainless Steel
• Running Rigging – Dacron – Miscellaneous Spare Running Rigging Lines
• Winches – 2 Lewmar Ocean Series 30 CST, 2 Lewmar Ocean Series 48 CST, 2 Spinnaker winches
• Sails – Genoa – Furling 130% with 2 reef indicators. Battened mainsail with 2 reef points and Jiffy Reefing rigging. Staysail – Furling. Asymmetric Spinnaker with ATN Sock (virtually brand new). All sails except spinnaker are Quantum and purchased in 2008.
• Lazyjacks
• Harkin Furlers
• Mast Ascenders
• Dorade/Air Scoop Vents – 4 with cover plates

Ground Tackle:
• Windlass – Simpson Lorance with Bow Deck Foot Controls
• Bow Sprit Double Rollers for 2 Anchors
• Chain Locker – Double with Light
• Wash Down – Saltwater Pump
• Primary Anchor – Lewmar Delta 55#
• Chain – 300′
• Secondary Anchor – Bruce 44#
• Chain – 150’
• Rode – 150′ Nylon Rode

Safety:
• Railings – Stainless Steel Bow Railing / Stern including Side Railings Around Cockpit
• Navigation Lights
• Anchor Light – LED
• Life Jackets (4)
• Flares
• 4 Fire Extinguishers
• Rear Folding Boarding Ladder

Miscellaneous:
• Bottom Paint – 3 coats new 10/2021
• Zincs – new 10/2021
• Kato Dinghy Davits – new 10/2021
• Cockpit Cushions
• Cockpit Table at Helm
• Cockpit Cold Water Sprayer
• Extra Companionway Doors
• Outboard Motor Mount Bracket
• Outboard Motor Lift
• Staging & Personal Items to be Removed at Time of Sale

Note
• Island Bound was a fresh water (Great Lakes) boat until 2014
• Davits, radar and wind generator have been de-installed.
• Boat was surveyed in present condition in 10/2021

Disclaimer
The owner offers the details of this vessel in good faith but cannot guarantee or warrant the accuracy of this information nor warrant the condition of the vessel. A buyer should instruct his agents, or his surveyors, to investigate such details as the buyer desires validated. This vessel is offered subject to prior sale, price change, or withdrawal without notice.

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Last days in Marathon

2/13/2019
Boot Key Harbor, Marathon FL
Posted by Bill

After a 2 week wait we finally got a mooring ball. The waiting list is now 38 boats…crazy! We have had a couple of weeks of great weather after getting the mooring. Figures…you have the nasty stuff at anchor and good weather on the secure mooring ball. But life has been pretty good. Hi temps in the upper 70s and low 80s and for the most part sunny days! We feel for the people up north. Life has been hell for them weather wise.

Speaking of weather. We had a couple day window of some really nice weather forecast and Tricia’s sister Diane and her husband Mark were RVing with a spot 40 miles north of us in Siesta Key. We decided to go up and anchor off of the RV park and spend a few days with them. We kept our mooring paid up so we could return to it. We had a great time partying with Mark and Di and the RV park is really nice there. Then that night the wind kicked up out of the north and we got soaked trying to dinghy back to the boat. After checking the forecast, it looked like it was going to continue to be rough and we reluctantly decided to head back to the protection of Boot Key Harbor the next day. The forecast was wrong and just as we got to Marathon the wind died and the weather was fantastic for the next day….we were pissed. That’s how it goes….

In the mean time we have been dealing with dinghy engine issues. The day after we get back to Boot Key we are heading out in the dinghy to see the manatees at the end of the channel and the dinghy engine makes this whoop, whoop, whoop sound. Not something I have ever heard before. Further experimentation shows that it only happens above 1/3 throttle and in forward gear only. I talk to Matt and we call our known outboard engine resources here and in Southport. They suggest replacing the water pump components and see if that fixes it. I find a water pump kit in walking distance and pick one up. I have never dealt with the lower unit of an outboard where this is installed, but Matt has, and he pretty much did the work for me as I helped and learned. As it turned out, the impeller was in bad shape so good that we replaced all of that. After a test drive we get the same result, plus, the faster you rev the engine, the slower you go. Ahhhhh….a spun prop. Propellers for outboard motors have a rubber bushing between the prop and the prop shaft on the motor, protecting the lower unit from running aground. When you do go aground, the bushing is sheared and the prop shaft just spins without the prop following it. I don’t recall going aground, but it is what it is. So, I can’t find a prop locally, so we order off the internet with 2 day delivery. Our dinghy is the only way to shore and fortunately we can go just above idle speed and the prop will bite. We go painfully slow for a couple of days and install the new prop when it arrives. Now all is good! Just glad that didn’t happen in the Bahamas!

We are waiting for a weather window to cross to the Bahamas, and I think we finally have one. We leave Marathon Friday, jump to Islamorada, then to Anglefish Creek, and cross to Bimini on Sunday. There I will buy a BTC sim card for my phone and we can continue the blog in the Bahamas.

Merry Christmas from Key West

12/25/18
Key West, FL
Conch Harbor Marina
Position: 24 33.766N, 081 48.021W
Posted by Bill

The worst thing you can do when cruising is have a schedule, and we broke the number one rule heading to Key West. Our reservation in the Conch Harbor Marina started on the 13, and we didn’t want to miss any days in our one month reservation period, so we headed out in less than desirable passage conditions…to meet a schedule. It ended up being an all day ass kicking…even being behind the reef in the Hawk Channel. The boat was getting thrown all over, rolling back and forth from side to side. Stuff was flying around in the cabin below and it was difficult to keep from getting thrown around in the cockpit. I told Tricia…we said we were going to keep cruising until it wasn’t fun anymore…and if we have to travel in these conditions, we are on our last trip! We pulled in to the marina and got tied up late afternoon and were glad to be done with that trip.

Key West has lots of activities. Our usual daily routine involves hitting a good happy hour somewhere, enjoying the food and drinks, and then walking around in the evening to people watch and catch some good live music. We have been doing that pretty much every day. We also watched the Christmas boat parade in our marina, which was really good as always. We also spent a few days at the pool at Dante’s which is at the entrance to our marina, taken a few bike rides, rented scooters and went to Stock Island to have lunch at Hog Fish, and have taken walks every day. It is nice to be able to just walk off the boat without dealing with the dinghy, and the marina is in the heart of all of the action, which makes it easy to get into the vibe here.

Our good friends Rick and Barb (who have a boat next to us in Southport) came down for Christmas and stayed in an inn just a few blocks away, and we have been having a great time with all of us together again (like at home). We went to dinner at Mangia Mangia, a great Italian restaurant, for Christmas Eve, and then had an early dinner on the dock on Christmas Day. We had some friends on the dock and some we know that live in Key West join us, and we had a group of about 20 people. Everyone cooked/brought something and we pigged out!
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My favorite shirt in the Key West stores says “Key West…where the weird go pro!” It is pretty spot on, and a great example is this guy wandering the streets sporting his Christmas spirit:
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Also these pictures of street vendor food trucks:
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Mass quantities of alcohol are consumed here, to the extent that hang over treatments are a thriving business:
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And there is no lack of creative expression, including vehicles:
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There are some crazy boaters too. This guy pulled in on Christmas Day, when he knew no staff would be working the docks, and filled up his fresh water tanks with the marina’s water, then took off. Interesting that he had a Victorian couch and wing backed chairs on the back deck…lol!
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Hell’s Angels on scooters:
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A few shots of the Christmas boat parade:
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Cool Christmas lights in the palm trees:
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The weather was a little chilly for a few days while a front came through, bringing 40 plus knot winds, but other than that we have had excellent weather…nice and warm, with little rain. Given that we grew up in the north, it doesn’t give you the feel of Christmas like we know it, but I’ll take it any day over the cold!!!

Merry Christmas to you and yours!! I hope you had a good one! The blog will see you in the new year.

Surviving Florence…and getting ready to go

9/30/18
Southport, NC
Posted by Bill

It looks like Florence has tampered with our departure plans. For those we have not spoken with, we decided to weather the storm here in Southport. No problems with the house or the boat…thank God, but it was a crazy couple of weeks for us.

We prepared early two weeks ahead of the storm getting bottled water and making lots of ice and food. A week before the storm we prepped the boat: all sails off, dodger off, bimini off, solar panels off, secured wind generator, doubled all lines and added fire house at chafe points, capped and taped dorade openings, taped all vents, taped electronics, taped lockers, and sealed the companion way hatch with duct tape. This took several days. We also removed our Engle portable refrigerator/freezer, 5 gallon water jugs, Honda generator, gasoline jugs, solar showers, and dinghy, and took it all to the house. At the house we secured everything on the outside or brought it in, took down the gas lantern, filled bath tubs with water for flushing toilets in case we lost water, filled 5 gallon jugs with water for drinking/cooking, bought 20 gallons of fuel in jugs for the generator, and made sure all of the flashlights had fresh batteries.

The storm hit Friday (9/14). Thankfully, it hit north of us at Wrightsville beach, and we got the better side of the storm. Areas north of there got the bad side. Unfortunately, the storm stalled to a crawl and punished us for 3 days. We lost power at 7:15 Saturday morning. Our neighbor has a whole house generator and offered room in one of his refrigerators and to plug an extension cord into an outside outlet. We powered the Engle, our internet modem, wifi router, and charging for all phones, computers, and tablets. Tricia had a great setup for our house refrigerator and freezer, using the ice blocks we made to keep them cold, and re-freezing them in the Engle. The internet went out with the power, but we could use our cellular connections for all but one day of the outage period. The public water mains were compromised and we lost water Sunday morning. The eye wall of the hurricane came through about a mile north of us on Saturday and we were getting gusts that shook the entire house and many more that shook the bed. Amazingly, they had power restored early Monday afternoon.

All roads out of Southport had bridges washed out or were flooded. We had plans to go to our niece’s wedding on 9/22 in Dayton Ohio, but weren’t sure we could get out in time. Tuesday, some friends on our dock came from Winston-Salem and told us how to get around all of the road closures, but the rivers were going to crest and cause more closures. We cleaned up all of the yard debris in our yard and in most of the neighbors yards around us, and decided to head out to get to the wedding. We left Wednesday morning, just as the water was restored, attended the wedding (congrats to Anna and Andrew…a fantastic wedding!), visited family and got back to Southport on the 28th, just as the water boiling alert was lifted. It still looks like a war zone in Southport, and there are several roads blocked due to sink holes developing from the large amounts of rain. We got more than 30″ of rain from the storm, had a meager storm surge of around 3 feet, and had winds over 100 MPH. I have never seen it rain like it did!

Hats off to the all of the authorities, governments at all levels, and especially the work crews. They did a fantastic job of getting utilities and roads back in order. I feel for the people who are still dealing with flooding…it looks awful.

Our experience as cruising sailors helped us be comfortable during this ordeal. Having a portable freezer, portable generator, water jugs, gas jugs and solar showers, really helped. Now we have to put everything back together and try to get ready to leave. Our original plan was to leave 10/15. We lost several weeks of prep time to the storm and wedding, and the ICW (Intracoastal Waterway) is shut down between Little River and Winyah Bay until 10/19, so we will not be able to leave as planned. We will re-evaluate in a week or so and keep you posted.

Some pics:

Island Bound ready for the storm:
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Flooding on West Street at the neighbors house:
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Our front yard:
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Welcome summer

6/11/18
Southport NC
Posted by Bill

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Well we are glad winter is over! We picked a hell of a year to skip traveling south in the boat…coldest winter in NC for over 10 years! We were glad to have our house to be in, instead of the boat. There were many days where the docks were frozen over, and lots of people had issues with their boats because of the deep freeze. There is typical no need for winterization of the boat here as long as you keep a small heater running, but that was tested big time this year. Thankfully, we did not have any issues with Island Bound.

We thought we would be able to use the boat some, especially after February, but we only made one trip to Wilmington for St Patricks day, and had a great time. Spring brought more than the usual amount of rain and record cool temps, so that affected our time at the boat. To top it off, the dredging of the marina was delayed a year. Because it has shoaled over, we cannot leave or come back to the dock unless we have mid tide or above. That has put a damper on boating for sure. They tell us they will dredge come this fall…fingers crossed.

So, we have spent most of our time on the house, and we needed to! Still haven’t hung any pictures, but the outside is pretty much done, and the inside still needs a couple of projects and some decorating. We have been able to have parties and overnight guests, so I guess that is what is important!! Life is so different going back to the house. Lots more room, real flushing toilets, really good internet access, a fantastic shower, but most of all we spend our time so differently. Lots of TV watching, unfortunately, and only a fraction of the time with nature as compared to our cruising lifestyle. It was a nice break but we are itching to get moving again.

The weather got back to normal in May for the most part, and we have been going to the boat daily to work on her, and just to sit and hang out on the water. Many of our happy hours are sitting in the cockpit or on the dock with other friends. Also, the seasonal happenings around town have kicked in, and there is almost always live music within walking distance. Actually, that is one of the best things about living in the historic district…we walk everywhere, and the boat is only 3 blocks away. We will go for days without driving, which is awesome.

Now we start to focus on getting the boat ready to head south. We are planning to leave mid-October and take our time. We really enjoy stopping and spending time at what have become our favorite places to hang for a few days. We have a reservation for a month in Key West again starting mid-December, but that is our only scheduled commitment. Let’s hope hurricane season doesn’t wipe out our cruising grounds this year!!! The Keys really took a beating last year, but most places have done a great job recovering.

If you are cruising south this fall, or doing a beach vacation nearby, come visit!

Chillin’ in Blackpoint

3/21/17
Great Guana Cay, Blackpoint Settlement, Exumas, Bahamas
Position:24 06.177N, 076 24.082W
Posted by Bill

Well, I finally got a decent internet connection, but it is a short window. We left Sampson Cay on the 19th and sailed down to Great Guana Cay, anchoring in the bight at Blackpoint Settlement. We tucked up close to the northeast shore, expecting winds out of the north and then northeast. The winds backed to the northwest and the anchorage is very exposed to any kind of west component. We were positioned so the direct waves did not hit us, which was good, but there was a wrap around swell that hit us on the beam (side), and we rolled badly all night. Needless to say we did not sleep well at all…again! Overnight the wind shifted north and the rest of the time here, we had great conditions.

Blackpoint is a favorite stop for people cruising the Exumas. There are a couple of good restaurants…we ate at both…and a couple of bars…which we hit…a couple of stores, one of the best laundry facilities in the Bahamas…which we used, free trash collection, and free R/O water. The people are very friendly and the beaches are cool. We are leaving today and going back north to the Exuma Land and Sea Park, and Warderick Wells, some of the most scenic views in the Bahamas. We are expecting 30 knot winds for several days out of the east, so we will try to get mooring balls with east protection.

I can post a couple of pics today, but will do a “catch up” blog with more pictures as internet access allows.

Here is what it looked like coming across the Little Bahama Bank. We were in 16 to 20 feet of water believe it or not:
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A cool picture of our wake on the crossing:
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Here was us moored at Hawksbill Cay:
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Our secluded anchorage at Sampson Cay. See the anchor chain ahead of the boat in 12 feet of water:
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More pictures to come!

Layover in Jekyll Island

11/13/16
Jekyll Island, GA
Position:31 02.690N, 081 25.366W
Posted by Bill

On the 10th, we departed Beaufort and cruised into Georgia, anchoring in Turner Creek at position 32 00.900N, 080 59.363W. We debated on several alternatives to position ourselves for the first of 3 major shoal areas in Georgia, Hell Gate. Neither of us had anchored in this creek and we heard mixed reviews about it’s viability as a good stop over. We were pleasantly surprised. The creek is very narrow, but the holding was excellent, and there were several shopping and eating options within a short walk of the anchorage. You have to pay a fee to bring your dinghy ashore at the local marinas, but it is worth it. We checked out the hardware store and the Publix grocery store, and then found a dive bar right on the water that was tucked away behind the surrounding commercial real estate. You really had to know that it was there, and after one look, you first thought…I think I’ll steer clear of this place. It was fantastic! No need for happy hour, the drinks were incredibly cheap, and strong! Plus free popcorn!! The place was packed with locals. One guy asked us “How did you find this place? No one but locals every comes here.” We told him we were anchored 150 feet off the back of the place, and he was very welcoming. This was a major find, and we had a great time!!!! A view of the anchorage:
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The next day we moved on to the Crescent River to stage for the next shoal area, Little Mud River. We faced a major current for the first several hours and we were worried that we would not pass Hell Gate with enough tide to keep us off the bottom, but we made it without incident. As soon as we slowed the boat to put the anchor down in the Crescent River, the no-see-ums swarmed like a plague. If you have never had to deal with them you are lucky. We ducked down below and missed a great evening and sunset because of those pests!! You can barely see them and they bite like mosquitoes. The bite itches something fierce…more than mosquitoes. We anchored in position 31 29.334N, 081 19.703W.

Yesterday we upped anchor a little later than first light because we needed to time the tide through Little Mud River and target Jekyll Creek for later in the day…both major shoal areas. We had the current with us most of the day and actually had to put the boat in neutral for several hours…still drifting at 3 to 5 miles per hour. The currents in Georgia are crazy, and the tides are 8 to 9 feet! A cold front was moving through and the wind was gusting over 35 knots for most of the day. We moved through several open water areas called sounds that provided little protection from the wind, and coupled with lower temperatures (in the low 60s), the day was horribly miserable. We have had more than a month of great weather and it made it more difficult to deal with the mess that Mother Nature dealt to us on this day. I had 3 sweatshirt/fleeces and foul weather gear on, including ski gloves, and I was shivering cold while driving the boat. The wind and current made it very challenging to steer the boat, especially through the shoal areas. We had originally planned to anchor in the Jekyll Creek area, but when we got there and tried to anchor, we changed our plan. There were about 7 or 8 boats in the anchorage struggling to keep from dragging, and the sea state and wind really made us think twice. We called the marina at Jekyll and took the last 2 spots on the face dock. We were so thankful to be able to tie up to a slip. Afterwards, we watched the boats in the anchorage struggle all night, and one power boat dragged into a sailboat. Another sailboat dragged about 300 yards overnight and was sitting just off our port beam (left side) when we awoke this morning. It was crazy and we were glad we weren’t in the anchorage!!!! Today’s forecast was more of the same, and we have had our asses kicked in the next sound on the southern route, so we stayed an extra day and explored Jekyll Island. We have always wanted to check it out but never have. The marina had a free golf cart so we drove around and checked it out. Jekyll was home of the Millionaires Club back in the late 1800s, Jekyll Island became an exclusive hunting club for families with names like Rockefeller, Morgan, Vanderbilt, Pulitzer, and Baker. They established a millionaires club and built a “Disneyland” type atmosphere for the members to enjoy. When German submarines were discovered off shore in the mid 1940s, they freaked out and donated the island to the state of Georgia. The once private retreat is now part of The Jekyll Island Club National Historic Landmark District, one of the largest preservation projects in the southeast. Here are some pictures of the historic area with the millionaire’s mansions:
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Some of these are “cottages” of Rockefeller, Goodyear, Vanderbilt, Flagler, etc… You can go inside some of them and some are now museums, but we didn’t really check that out. It is a cool island and we are glad we stayed another day to see it. As it usually turns out…fate was involved. This morning about 7:30, the shore power went out, just as I was making coffee. At first I thought it was a problem with our boat because other people had power on the dock. Through my troubleshooting, I found that we only had 60 volts coming from the shore power connection, clearly a problem with the marina, but I also noticed that we had some burn marks on the receptical where the shore power goes into the side of the boat…not good! Last summer I had to replace the air conditioning receptical for the same reason, so I swapped out that receptical for the burned one. Now I will have to replace the other before we use air conditioning or heat. These types of problems are the leading cause of fire on a boat, so I am glad I found it before we had a problem. It turned out that a fuse had blown in the marina, and that was the real problem, but had I not gone through the troubleshooting process, we may have had a major problem, and somewhere other than a dock, where the problem is easier to deal with. Now if I could only fix the problem I have with our newly installed wind generator…but that is the subject of another post!! Tomorrow we get back on the “road” again, pushing into Florida!

The Wehmer clan takes the Hampton

6/14/16
Catawba Island, Lake Erie, Ohio
Posted by Bill

Last Thursday we rented a car and headed back in to the “real world”, something I was regretting, except for seeing the family. If you follow the blog, you know how we have come to hate going back into the regular dirt based lifestyle that we came from…traffic, out of touch with nature (for the most part), and back to land locked Ohio to boot (except for Lake Erie I guess). This time we were going to Canton Michigan, on the west side of Detroit, to see our niece Elise graduate from high school. We were going to go straight to our house at Lake Erie, and then on to Canton on Saturday, but we made a last minute decision to stop for a day in Columbus to see Tricia’s sister and her husband, and take care of a couple of things we could only do in Columbus. It was a busy stop over, but we managed to check out the Park Street Festival down in the Arena District. Lots of great people watching. Tricia and her sister Diane snapped this one while we were there:
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Then we hightailed it to Michigan, meeting up with our kids and grand kids, my 3 brothers and their families, all staying at the Hampton Inn in Canton, except Andy and Robin who live there. Eldest daughter Sarah had 3 of her 4 boys with her. Oskar, the youngest had come down with a fever and had to stay behind with Pete (bummer all for all). Youngest daughter Jessica was there with husband Eric, and her 3 kids. Rick and Bev had their 2 kids. Chip and Brenda came late with their oldest daughter and her boyfriend. First stop…the indoor pool at the Hampton. Thank god there was no one else in the pool, as we arrived like a viking herd, complete with beach balls and pool toys. It was like a scene from a National Lampoon movie…think – the caddie day at the Bushwood Country Club pool. It was a blast!
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Andy and Robin were brave enough to have us all over to their house for dinner. The next day we descended on the Hampton breakfast area. You could see the looks on people’s faces, as if to say, OMG what is going on here! LOL! We then attended the graduation ceremony and afterwards, Andy and Robin hosted a dinner at a great German restaurant. It was a real treat to have everyone together, something we rarely do unfortunately. Great fun, and sorry to see it end. Congratulations to Elise, and good luck at The Ohio State University!!! Elise is on the left:
Elise Grad Pic

Then we headed to the lake house. It was in good shape again this year and weathered the winter just fine…thank goodness. Last night we went to Put In Bay for dinner with our friends/family Jen and John, with daughter Allie, taking their boat over. The place was almost deserted. We had a great time catching up with them and got a good boat ride. We have a few projects here at the house, including getting the jeep ready to take back to Southport. We have kept our 1994 Jeep Wrangler in the garage at the lake house for the 16 years we have owned this place. We decided that we will try to get it back to Southport. Fingers crossed. Then it is back south early next week. This was a short and busy trip. We intend to be back for the month of August.

Two new Ass Captain award recipients

3/26/16
Posted by Bill

Those who follow the blog regularly know of the Ass Captain awards. Inspired by Ass Clown in the movie Office Space, the Ass Captain is an award that goes to boaters doing stupid shit. Here are the latest two…

Award one goes to the 50 some foot trawler that anchored on top of our buddy boat, Island Bound, in Big Majors Spot. They put out about 30 feet of scope when they should have put out at least 60, and then proceeded to drift over Mark and Jan’s anchor. When Mark and Jan went to pull anchor when we left, they had to literally get under the back end of the trawler to retrieve the anchor. Their boat name had Idaho in it, and we affectionately called them Mr Potato Head due to their stupid antics while they were anchored near us.

Award number two goes to a 50 something foot sport fishing boat that was going south near us as we went north to Ship Channel Cay. The guy actually swerved towards us to get closer so that his six foot wake could have maximum impact when it rolled our boat. I wouldn’t even give him the satisfaction of knowing it bothered us by calling him out on the radio. What a jerk!