A Beautiful Evening

Christmas, boats, and sunsets!!

We didn't go anywhere so I don't have much to say, but I wanted to share this picture with you.  Even though we were just sitting at the dock, this is one of the reasons I boat.  I just can never get enough of the beautiful views we get to see on the water!

Christmas Boat Parade

Elixir at the dock - ready to go!

On December 5, we took part in the annual Christmas Boat Parade in Brunswick, Georgia. We spent almost a month decking Elixir out with lights and Christmas decorations.  This was our first time being in the parade and on top of it, we were representing CleanerWaters.org so we wanted it to be good!

Our son, Josh, and his wife, Melody, drove over to join us in the parade.  It was the first time they would be underway with us!

It was also the first time we would be underway after dark, so it was expected to be an exciting night all the way around!  We were not to be disappointed.

Elixir backing out

We had some anxiety as the wind was kicking up at about 15 miles per hour with gusts to 20, and did I mention it was dark?  At the appointed time, we backed out of the slip without a hitch.

At first we just puttered around trying to not go anywhere, while all the boats began to pull out of their slips, one by one.  With 15-20 mile an hour winds, this was not the easiest of tasks.  But we kept from hitting any other boats and eventually they began to form up the line for the parade.

Elixir passing in review

As we got in line, we all proceeded to Mary Ross Park, where the Brunswick City Parade had just
ended, so there was a crowd of people waiting to see the boats.  We all passed single file within about 50 feet of the seawall.  It was fun because we could interact with the crowd and both sides got the other to hoop and holler louder!  Many people shouted words of encouragement to CleanerWaters.org  (we had a banner on the side of the boat) for the good work it is doing.  This made us feel good about being a part of it!

More boats

The parade was to make three circles passing in front of the park.  As we rounded the far end on our first pass, I was dutifully following the sailboat in front of me.  With all the lights on Elixir, when I would look out all I could see was black, other than the lights of the other boats.  Did I mention it was dark out?  Suddenly, he turned sharply to starboard.  "What is he doing?", I asked no one in particular.  Just about then I discovered what he was doing as Elixir lurched from running aground!  Instinctively, I immediately threw her into reverse and backed off before we became stuck.  I then gave her hard right rudder to get back to deeper water and "thud", I hit ground again!  At this point, not know why I kept hitting, we grabbed for the spot light and discovered we were surrounded by marsh!  I had not run aground, I ran ashore!  Luckily, the bottom was soft so I again backed her out and just kept backing.  After I was sure I was in deep water again, I rejoined the parade!

Elixir backs out so the Coasties can get in

We made the second pass with no problems.  Then on the third pass, as we were passing along side the seawall and waiving to the crowd, I watched a car drive straight into the crowd and almost go over into the water!  We saw people flying in every direction and at least one person was thrown into the water, right in front of us!  I immediately threw Elixir into reverse as I did not know how many were in the water or where they were (you guessed it, it was dark) and I did not want to run over anyone with my 30,000 pound boat.  While I backed away, Josh and Melody both trained lights on the water and found the one woman who was in the water.  Marie grabbed a life ring and threw it to her, but in her shock, the woman swam to the pilings instead.  I could only think of all those barnacles!  Ouch.

The Coast Guard was alerted to the situation (they were in the parade) and they radioed asking if anyone had a light on the woman.  I responded that we did and so they headed for our light.

The Coast Guard pulls the woman aboard!

As they arrived, we backed out of their way and let them take over.  They pulled the woman aboard and took her to the marina where an ambulance  was waiting.  We were all focused on the woman and when we finally looked up to the shore, the car was gone.  I have no idea why it ran into the crowd like that.

At that point the call came over the radio to halt the parade and we all headed back to the marina.  The whole dock turned out to assist us in pulling in and find out what happened.

Afterwards, we all went to a party for the participants and Elixir won first place in two categories!  We were selected as the best new entry and the best power boat!  CleanerWaters.org was also recognized for all the work it does in removing debris from the waterways!
It was a great night and we can't wait to see what happens next year!

A Visit from the Parents

Now this is relaxing!

My mom and step-father would be travelling south on I-95 over the weekend, on the way to their home in Florida.  Knowing that I would probably be on the boat over the weekend, they scheduled to spend the weekend with us in Brunswick.

As soon as I knew they would be coming, I began to plan a day trip.  My mother used to have a sailboat and made trips on it to the Bahamas.  My step-father owned a couple of trawlers back in the 80's and has cruised with us before.  So both of them enjoy boating.  I though they might like to get underway!

Lunch at 685 Seafood Restaurant

But then, just weeks before the scheduled visit, my first mate, line-handler, and wife (that's all one person), had something come up that prevented her from going with me to Brunswick.  Now what?  I had never taken Elixir out without Marie on board.

Now some of you may be wondering what's the big deal.  I had my parents on board to handle lines plus dock hands.  But Marie doesn't use dock hands.  She lassos the cleat from the boat.  Not only that, but she can mostly tie off the line without leaving the boat.  So she can get 3-4 lines over without any help while I stay at the helm holding Elixir in place.

View from the 685 Seafood Restaurant

Additionally, we know what each other is going to do.  We often hear couples yelling at each other as they are docking.  But all I do is tell Marie which line I want over first ( this is the line I will pull against to keep Elixir in place).  From that point on she does whatever she does without any prompting from me.  All I know is she will tell me when that first line is over and when she is done (at which point I can shut off the engine).  So I was nervous to pull out without her.

I did not want to let my parents down though, so I asked a neighboring sailboat to help cast off and catch us when we returned.  And off we went.

Dick at the helm

It takes about an hour to reach the restaurant which is long enough to enjoy it but not long enough to tire of it.  The predicted winds held off and the weather was comfortable, especially going over.

The restaurant was nice and we ate on the porch with a view of Elixir....and the other boats.  Dick took his turns at the helm which allowed me to prepare lines and fenders, something Marie normally does.

We all enjoyed the trip and my first time underway without Marie was a success!  Its good to know I can do it, but hopefully I won't have to very often!

International Coastal Cleanup Day

Elixir sports her new banner!

September 19, 2015 was International Coastal Cleanup Day.  On this day, hundreds of thousands of people around the world join in to clean up the coast in their area.  As the flagship of CleanerWaters.org, Elixir joined in the effort.

Our granddaughter, Tori, and her father, Daryle, joined us for some cleaning and some clean fun!

We pulled out Saturday morning and made the hour long trip over to Driftwood Beach, where we had decided to volunteer our cleanup efforts.

Daryle at the helm while Ron watches on

As soon as I cleared the slip, I let Daryle take the helm.  Daryle, our daughter, Jennifer, and their daughter, Tori, frequently come to join us on Elixir and so I figured it was time he learned to captain the boat.  His ability to be at the helm can put an extra person in the rotation and also allow them to take Elixir out on their own.  He actually did very well keeping her on a straight course and successfully maneuvering the boat while we dropped and retrieved the anchor three times.

Once we loaded up the dinghy with the crew and supplies, we landed on the beach and began cleaning.  It was amazing the amount of garbage laying within feet of unsuspecting families.

The crew returns for lunch

After about an hour of cleaning the beach we began transporting the garbage back to Elixir in time for lunch.  We had originally intended to dinghy back to the beach after lunch for some swimming, but the water was a little rough and it was windy, so the crew voted to move elsewhere.

Elixir at rest off Ft. Frederica

As we began to bring up the anchor, one of the huge car carrier ships went by.  It is common to see them coming and going out of Brunswick, so we paid little attention to its presence until Daryle yelled that a big wave was coming!  I looked up and saw about a 10 foot wave about to hit us broadside!  I yelled at Marie, who was manning the dinghy line (the dinghy was still in the water) to keep it out of our propeller.  We had no time to react other than to grab a part of the boat and hold on.  With only 25 foot of anchor line out in 18 foot depths, we could not even maneuver to head into the wave.  It rocked us hard and the gunnel was only inches above the water on the side Marie was on.  I thought for sure she was going over.  She told me later that her concern was the dinghy as Elixir rolled over on it 3 times before we settled back down!  As soon as we could stand again, the cry went out, "where's Tori?"  Not seeing her on deck, I scrambled inside to find her calmly climbing out of the V-berth!  She told us how she braced herself to keep from falling out of the berth and then watched as all sorts of items flew about the cabin!  What a relief to see that she was safe and I was impressed at how maturely she handled the whole situation!

We come as friends!

The excitement over, we completed weighing anchor and headed up the ICW to Ft. Frederica to give the crew a much needed break.

After arriving ashore, the first thing we saw was deer... lots of deer.  And they did not seem afraid.  They just cautiously kept a safe distance from us but you could get quite close to them.

Ft. Frederica was one of the oldest British forts in Georgia, built about the same time as Ft. King George in Darien.  However, Ft. Frederica was built with stone so parts of it still remain after almost 300 years!

Are they trying to sink Elixir?

The fort was supported by a fairly large town for the times and parts of the town still exist.  It is an interesting walk to go up and down the streets reading the signs that tell about the history of the town.  John Wesley preached there on occasion and was bitten by one of the more sourly residents!

The fort was built to defend against the Spanish in Florida who would conduct raiding parties up into Georgia.

The Fort's magazine

A benefit of coming by boat was that the park closes at 5p.m.  They close the park by locking the gates across the road leading into the park, so cars can not enter.  As a boat, we dinghy to a dock on the other side of the park and walk in.  So once the park closed, we had the whole place to ourselves!  Well, us and the deer. :)

We stayed the night anchored off the fort where we were well protected from the wind we had experienced at Driftwood Beach.  It was a calm peaceful night on the hook.

The crew and their "catch"

The next morning, we pulled up the anchor and headed back to Brunswick.  We collected some more garbage out of the water on the way.  Once at Brunswick, we unloaded the garbage and discovered we had collected 85.9 pounds!  It was a successful cleanup!

It was time to say goodbye until the next time and then we went our separate ways.

Labor Day 2015

Not the best start to a cruise

Labor Day Weekend was a busy but fun time for us.  We have not been able to get underway since the 4th of July because Marie had surgery shortly after and has been recovering.  The doctor told her she could not go out on the boat for about six weeks.  I'm pretty sure he just made that up to keep me from boating!

But at long last (it seemed like forever), she was cleared to resume her duties as First Mate (or is it Admiral?) and so we pulled out on Thursday morning - destination Darien, Georgia.  The weather was overcast and it looked like a storm could start any minute, but we were underway.

CleanerWaters.org

While we were confined to the dock, I completed a project we had been working on ever since our trip to Miami.  We founded a non-profit organization called CleanerWaters.org.  From now on, whenever we leave port we will be cleaning the waterways, rivers, and ocean of marine debris.  Its our way of giving back for the great time we are having cruising on Elixir.  In just a few months, we have already collected close to 800 pounds of garbage that would have otherwise made its way into the ocean.  On this weekend, we chose to clean the waters between Brunswick and Darien.  For more info on this project and how you can help, check out www.CleanerWaters.org.  Any donation you can give to help this important cause will be greatly appreciated!

North River Anchorage

Thursday night, after a 5 hour cruise, we anchored at the mouth of the North River.  The view of the marshes was endless and we spent the evening watching the shrimp boats returning from the sea and heading up the river to their home port in Darien.

The following morning, we continued our trip and turned up the Darien River, following in the wakes of the Shrimp Boats the night before, and headed towards Darien.

Bottle Trees were seen throughout Darien

The town of Darien is full of history.  As the second oldest city in Georgia, it has much to offer to any history buff.  One of the first English forts, Ft. King George, was built there in the early 1700's and a replica stands there today.  They hold reenactments on the first Saturday of each month.

Darien was also the site of a sad chapter in the civil war, when the Union forces captured the undefended city which was occupied by mostly women and children, and burned it to the ground.  You may remember that scene as depicted in the movie "Glory".

Elixir watches the Shrimp Boat Fleet

Darien was once one of the busiest seaports on the east coast, known for its lumber, cotton, and rice exports.  When those industries died off for various reasons, a fleet of shrimp boats came to make Darien its home.  Modeled after the hardy ocean-going shrimp boats, Elixir felt right at home.

For us boaters, one of the best things about Darien is its free city docks.  The town marina allows you to stay there for two nights at no charge.  Even the electric and water is free!  Of course, the idea is that you will spend money while there.  But, hey, with the money saved on docking, you can afford to!

Green for go biking!

While there we visited many sights in the town.  If you don't want to walk, you can rent some bikes from The Peddling Pig, which aside from reasonably priced rental bikes, boasts the only operating stop light in McIntosh County!  Darien has a great bike path and is well worth the ride!

We also visited the old jail, which has been turned into an art gallery and museum.  The old jail house used to be home to both the inmates and the sheriff's family.  I can't imagine being a child and growing up in the same house as all the drunks, crooks, and thieves being held just upstairs!

We cleaned up over 290 pounds of trash on this trip!

Darien boasts several seafood restaurants that serve fresh off the boat shrimp.  But come early and come hungry.  They are normally busy and serve you more than you can eat!

The local hardware store has a large marine section, which is great for any needed repairs on the boat.

As much as we hated to leave, on Sunday morning we pulled out and headed back towards Brunswick.

Solemar, Moonshine, and Elixir share a dock

Of course, the weekend was yet to be over.  Back in Brunswick, our good friends Steve and Benita were onboard their 53 foot Defever, Solemar.  We always enjoy visiting with them and a morning cup of coffee and conversation on the aft deck of Solemar has become a ritual.  I can assure you that we have solved many of the worlds problems in those morning talks!

And to add to the fun, Gary and Diane onboard Moonshine, a 43ft Defever, were also in town for a visit.  It was nice to see them again after meeting them at the last Defever Rendevous!



We stayed until Monday afternoon and then headed home, sad that it was over and anxious for the next trip to begin!

July 4th!

Bombs bursting in air!

We had our third annual 4th of July celebration on board Elixir this past weekend!  For the second year in a row, we were fortunate to have our son and his wife onboard to celebrate with us.  They live about 3 1/2 hours away so it is nice that they take the time to drive that distance to be with us on the holiday.

Ken & Josh watch from Solemar as the fireworks are set up

We also had Marie's brother, Ken, visit Elixir for the weekend.  It was the first time he has seen Elixir so of course we had to take him out for a quick cruise on Friday.  We chose Driftwood Beach as we had heard good things about it but had never been there.  It takes about an hour to travel to the beach from the marina and Ken got to try his hand at the helm.  He actually did very well and I let him stay in command until we reached our anchoring spot.

Horseback riding on Driftwood Beach

One of the great things about Driftwood Beach is how close you can anchor to the shore.  The beach falls off very quickly to 30 foot depths and you can anchor so close that you can almost jump to the beach from the boat!

So after we dropped anchor, we kicked back and relaxed, ate some lunch, and just watched the world go by.

Ken & Marie by one of the larger pieces of driftwood

Eventually, we dropped the dinghy over and headed to the beach.  We spent several hours at the beach walking around and getting our feet wet.  We saw quite a few turtle nests which were protected by mesh to keep predators from digging them up.  It was a beautiful day!

Turtle Nest

The next day was the 4th, and for awhile we thought the fireworks were going to be called off.  A severe thunderstorm rolled in and blanketed Brunswick with rain.  At one point the wind got so strong it was rocking us all over even though we were in a slip!  The next day, we discovered that a tree in the marina was blown over.  Good thing there were no cars there when it happened!

Elixir fared better than this tree

For the second year in a row, Steve and Benita hosted the party on their boat, Solemar.  They put out a big spread and we all gathered chairs on their upper deck for a bird's-eye view of the fireworks.  We all had a great time and we are thankful for Steve and Benita's generosity!

Destination Anywhere

St. Andrews Beach

We took Elixir out again this weekend.  What was our destination?  Anywhere but the dock!

Ever since we relocated Elixir to Brunswick, we have not found a beach we can anchor off of.  On our return from the trip to Cumberland Island, we saw a potential place off St. Andrew's Beach on Jekyll Island.  So we figured we could check that out and see if it would work.

We use an App on our iPhone called Active Captain that tells us among other things, where you can anchor.  Technically and legally, you can anchor pretty much anywhere you are brave enough to try.  But the anchorages listed

Chart Plotter with Active Captain 

on Active Captain are tried and true and you know they can work.  There are also ratings that let you know any problems and how to anchor there without getting into trouble.  Anchorages are easily spotted as they are marked with a green anchor symbol.  You can see three of them in the picture to the left which are by Jekyll Island Marina.  But there was no anchorage listed for this spot (where the blue backwards C is in the middle of the picture).  So we had no way of knowing whether you could anchor there or not.

We arrived around 5pm, after waiting for the tide to come in enough to make it through Jekyll Creek.  We circled around checking the depth and found a suitable location about 500 feet off the ICW.  Good enough.  We dropped the hook and it set the first time.  So far so good.  The wind started picking up and peaked out at 15mph.  At first, the wind just drove us inside, but otherwise there was no problem.

Grilled veges on the grill!! mmmm!

But then the tide changed.  With the outgoing tide,we found ourselves in a situation where the strong wind was blowing one way, and the current was pushing us the other.  Neither one wanted to lose the battle so we became a pawn in nature's war.  First we were pushed back by the current until we were tight on the anchor line.  At that point Elixir would spin around bow into the current, straining on the anchor line.  With the hull presenting a low profile to the current, the wind would take over pushing against our wide stern profile.  We would begin to move forward in an arc, keeping tight against the line at about a knot of headway.

Off to Korea for some more Kia's

Eventually the current would begin to turn the boat, which gave the current the upper-hand.  It would then push us back and start the process all over again.  Whenever we were sideways to the current we would be violently rocked.  Then when we reached the end of the line and the boat would turn, the anchor line would always be on the wrong side of the boat and would scrape the bottom and bow as the boat turned making a horrendous noise.  When we checked after returning to our dock, we could see where the line had scraped a considerable amount of the bottom paint off, so we will have to pull the boat this winter and have it repainted.

Sun setting over the Sidney Lanier Bridge

The winds finally calmed down during the night and we awoke to a beautiful day.  With almost no
wind, the water was as calm as could be.  We got lots of work done on the boat in the morning and then enjoyed just hanging out, relaxing and grilling lunch.

But the wind was predicted to pick up again that night, so we decided to move.

We went through Jekyll Creek and anchored in the Brunswick River within sight of the Sidney Lanier Bridge.  There is nothing there and no reason to anchor there, but anchoring anywhere is better than being at the dock.

We spent the evening watching the big car carrying ships headed out to Korea and just relaxing.  The next morning we got up and headed back to the dock to head back home and prepare for the work-week.  As we drove home I kept remembering, anytime on the boat is a good time!

Memorial Day 2015

The Memorial Day Weekend Crowd!

We attended our granddaughters graduation (from 5th to 6th grade) on the Thursday before Memorial Day.  She lives in a different town than us, but it is sort of on the way to the boat so the plan was to head to the boat for Memorial Day weekend after her graduation.  As luck would have it, her principal announced that they did not have to attend the last day of school on Friday.  What better graduation present than a cruise?  So she quickly packed and joined us on our trip.

We decided to go to Cumberland Island.  Some of you may recall that we tried to take Tori to Cumberland Island last year, but mechanical failures left us short of the goal.

Canopy Road

So off to Cumberland Island we went.  We left Friday morning and after 5 hours we dropped anchor with about a dozen other boats off Cumberland Island.

The next day we launched the dinghy and went over to the dinghy dock to explore the Island.  We walked about a mile to the old ice house, which has been turned into a museum.  It showed the history of Cumberland Island which included the era of the Carnegies who at one time owned most of the Island.

Dungeness Ruins

After checking out the Dungeness Dock which was next to the museum and discovering we could have taken our dinghy straight there and avoided the mile walk, we started off for the Dungeness ruins.  We traveled a canopy road that ran from the dock to the ruins of the mansion and as we walked we could just imagine guests arriving to visit the Carnegies and being taken down this road in a horse drawn carriage.  It must have been impressive. After a short carriage ride the visitor would round the bend and suddenly see the huge mansion.  What a sight it must have been before it burned down.  Even now as ruins is it still impressive!

A group of horses grazes on grasses exposed by low tide

A herd of horses wandered the grounds of the mansion grazing on the grass that makes up the huge lawn.  Horses have run wild on the Island for hundreds of years.  At last count there are about 150 still on the Island.  We ran into small groups of them throughout our stay at the Island and could even spot them from Elixir.

After visiting the ruins, we proceeded on towards the beach.  Along the way we visited the small graveyard which was next to what was probably once a small church.

A knarled forest

The walk to the beach was long and much of it was through sand dunes.  By the time we arrived at the beach, we were ready for a dip in the ocean!  I was very surprised that on the Saturday of Memorial Day weekend, there was barely a person on the 17 mile long beach!  One of the benefits of having a boat! (there is no way to reach the Island by car)  We walked another mile down the beach to a path that cut through the Island through a cool looking forest and ended up back at the dinghy dock.  After a full day, we return to Elixir for some rest and relaxation.

Main Street - Fernandina Beach

Having spent the day on Cumberland Island, Tori decided she wanted to change up the scenery and visit the nearby town of Fernandina Beach, Florida, on Amelia Island.

So Sunday morning we pulled up anchor and traveled a little over an hour to Fernandina Beach.  We pulled into the marina which is right next to the town.  We walked around checking out all the little shops.  We found a great little outdoor patio restaurant and enjoyed a great and relaxing lunch.  Then on to more shops!

A White Sun !

That evening, as we sat on the flybridge of Elixir, I suddenly spotted the moon.  It was only around 5 in the afternoon, so I was surprised to not only see the moon, but I was surprised at how bright it was.  A perfectly round disc of bright white, I called Marie over to look at it.  Just as she did, it started getting brighter until it hurt our eyes to look at it.  It was then that I realized that I was looking at the sun, not the moon!  I had never seen a white sun before so it was pretty cool!

Outside Restaurant

After a fun filled weekend, we returned to Brunswick on Monday.  Because it was a 6 hour trip returning, we stayed on board Monday night and drove Tori home on Tuesday.

After a year of trying, we successfully took Tori on a trip to Cumberland Island!

Tori gets showered by bubbles in Fernandina Beach

Both the day and our trip draw to an end with a great sunset!

Weekend Getaway

Moonlight at Cabin Bluff

One of the things we like to do is leave the dock on a regular weekend and just drop anchor somewhere nearby.  It really doesn't matter where, its just the joy of relaxing out where no one can bother you (ok - except for those pesky cell phones).  Sometimes people ask me why I want a boat that I don't fish on and can't go anywhere fast.  But if you have ever stayed on the beach, whether it be a condo, hotel, or house, you know how relaxing it is to just sit and listen to the wind and the water.  Well that's how it is with a boat.  The only difference is that if I get tired of the scenery or don't like my neighbors, I can move!

So last weekend we dropped anchor off Cabin Bluff, about 3 hours south of Brunswick by boat.  The idea was to relax and also to explore some sandbars I had seen on our way back from Miami.  We departed Thursday night and got there just before sunset.

American Star Cruise Liner passing our anchorage

By the time we woke up on Friday, the day was already starting out on the wrong foot (we'll get to that wrong foot later).  The weather had been predicted to be nice, but we woke to 10-15 mph winds!  Its hard to sit and enjoy the scenery in that kind of wind.

By afternoon, the tide went out enough to expose the sandbars and so we decided to explore them even in the wind.  We hopped in the dinghy and headed to shore.  The first thing we discovered was that it was not a sandbar, but a sand and mud bar.  So with each step you sunk a few inches.  Walking was laborious and you would not want to lay down to soak up the sun as you would also soak up the mud!

American Star the next day at Brunswick

Huge fish at our dock!

Marie suggested that I put out the anchor, but I said it was not necessary as the tide was going out so the the dinghy would end up being completely out of water anyway.  She didn't argue and we went to exploring the little island.  I guess we explored for longer than I realized because suddenly I looked over to see our dinghy drifting across the cove!  "No worry", I told Marie, "I will walk around the cove and retrieve it."  I started winding my way back and forth across the small sandbars which were still exposed, careful not to step on one of the many baby stingrays trapped in the tidal pools, and made my way towards the other side.  No sooner did I cross the last pool of water to reach the other side when the mud/sand just turned into pure muck!  I began sinking deeper and deeper with each step until I was sinking in past my knees.  At that point I became worried that I might sink in deep enough that I couldn't get out.  In addition, I realized the only thing that was keeping me from sinking deeper was that I was walking on the tips of mussels in a large submerged mussel bed.  If any of you have seen them, you know that they create colonies with each one connected to those around them forming a solid foundation but with the sharp edges of their shells all pointing up.......at me!  So I turned around and slowly retraced my long zig-zag path I had taken to get there.  When I was almost back to the starting point, I was closest to the dinghy as the crow flies, or in this case, the fish swims.  So I dove in and swam across the cove to get the dinghy.  Of course the dinghy was beached in a shallow mucky area and so I had to crawl on all fours through the muck to reach the dinghy.  As I climbed over the side of the dinghy, all the muck came with me and our grey dinghy instantly turned black!  At last I got the dinghy into water and started the motor and rescued Marie.

Manatees feeding on our dock!

Later, I felt something on my toe and looked to discover that it was split wide open!  It must of happened when I was walking on the mussel shells but I did not realize it.  Marie immediately went into doctor mode and patched me up but she said I should have gotten several stitches as the cut was about an inch long and fairly deep!

The next day the winds calmed down and it turned out to be a beautiful day.  Marie and I were both worn out, me from my adventure and her from stressing over the odds of my survival, so we just sat on the boat all day and watched the world go by!

The next day, we headed back to Brunswick.  Just like everything in life, boating has its ups and downs, but I'm always ready for the next trip!