Sunday 4/20 – Saturday 4/26
With early morning favorable tides and winds, Puffin makes a northerly turn from Southport , heading up the Cape Fear River until making landfall at Carolina Beach State Marina (Mile 297) located at Snows Cut, an easterly landcut that connects Cape Fear River to Myrtle Grove Sound. At the marina state park we hike several trails, one which features the venus flytrap although we're not able to find any. Puffin transits Snows Cut on Monday morning and then continues northerly again, making way for Wrightsville Beach (Mile 283) where we anchor with many other cruisers at Motts Channel. With the beach only a few blocks away, we dinghy to a nice day use dock and enjoy another very pleasant day walking and shelling along the shoreline. That evening however, we experience a whopper of a thunderstorm with the frequency and seemingly close proximity of the lighting quite frightening.( It was really loud!) The next day, we decide to beat feet and head for the relative safety of the Beach House Marina (Mile 260) located at Surf City (Really!, although I'm sure it wasn't the one that Jan & Dean sang about.) We once again hit the beach where we discover that there are shark's teeth to be found.(Royce did find a few small ones.) The next day as we return to Puffin from the beach, we are surprised to find our looper friends, Bill & Jill( Transition) and Jack &Patsy(Honga) tied up at the docks, and later we all go out for drinks and appetizers. While our friends make way early next morning for a long run to Beaufort, N.C. ,we depart later, continuing along the North Carolina ICW characterized by a long barrier strip sheltering us from the Atlantic. As we enter Camp Lejeune, Puffin along with other boaters are stopped for a few hours for artillery and small-weapons firing. With that delay, we modify our plans and arrive late that afternoon to anchor at the channel in Swansboro (Mile 229). At 0'dark thirty, we depart our anchorage for Beaufort as we wish to be there early enough to have our Sunbrella cockpit cover repaired at a local canvas shop. After following the ICW on Bogue Sound, we arrive at the Beaufort Town Docks Marina (Mile 204) where the canvas shop accomodates us and makes our repairs that day. We not only rendezvous with our looper friends from Transition and Honga but are surprised to find Vance & Diane of Passport at the marina. We also make arrangements to meet Tony Bodenheimer, our good friend formerly from our hometown, Port Ludlow, WA who has moved to North Carolina. Later that afternoon after driving for 5 hours, Tony and his wife Lucia arrive at the Beaufort Marina and for the next couple of days we have fun visiting the North Carolina Maritime Museum and Fort Macom, touring the historic district, taking a harbor tour on Puffin, and dining out at some of the local eateries.

Hittin' the Carolina Beach State Park Trails

Far-Out Butterfly at State Park

Workin' Boat

Wrightsville Beach




Surf City!

Surf City Beach

Puffin at Surf City

Surf City area

Tony havin' lunch & a ride aboard Puffin





Lucia helping with lunch

Captain Tony at Maritime Museum

Wednesday 4/16 – Saturday 4/19
Departing Osprey Marina, we continue on the 27 mile land cut, making our way into Myrtle Beach, the heart of the “Grand Strand” and a popular vacation destination. We make dockage at Dock Holidays Marina (Mile 373) as it is within walking distance to the 60 mile long beautiful beaches, a convenient grocery store and a West Marine, places we manage to visit that afternoon. Later, we enjoy cocktails on the marina deck basking in the warm late afternoon sun. Thursday morning, Royce has a beauty salon appointment and I wash and waterproof the sunbrella cockpit cover with the stuff from West Marine. That afternoon, Puffin & crew depart Dock Holidays and head for a nearby anchorage on Calabash Creek (Mile 341). Our morning departure from Calabash Creek takes us out of South Carolina and into North Carolina towards Cape Fear and into Southport (Mile 309), another old but gracefully southern town that ranks among the top 10 U.S. retirement spots. During our 2 day stay, we visit the Southport Maritime Museum, featuring stories of local legends, shipwrecks and pirates, notably the infamous Blackbeard. We peruse the many antique shops and using a self-guided tour map, we explore the historic sites and old homes around town.


Unique Barge Bridge



Neat Dock

Southport Harbor(Puffin at end of dock)

Royce on Southport Dock

Which Way ?

Cape Fear Pilots Tower

Neat Bench




Neat Boat

Neat Dock House

Saturday 4/12 – Tuesday 4/15
With the truck & trailer stored, Puffin & crew depart from the Cooper River Marina in Charleston and after motoring northeasterly thru one of the most beautiful sections of the ICW. we find ourselves anchored in just such a surrounding at Minim Creek (Mile 415). The next morning, we enter Winyah Bay and soon come upon South Carolina's 3rd oldest city founded in 1730, the historic seaport of Georgetown,, where we tie up at Hazzard Marine Marina & Boatyard (Mile 403). Within easy walking distance, we head for town thru beautiful old oak-lined streets with many colonial homes. While exploring the town and strolling along the waterfront, we come across the Robert Stewart House, where President George Washington spent the night. We enjoy the boater's lounge at the marina and do some work on the blogsot in the afternoon. On the following day, we continue up the Waccamaw River, cruising by more beautiful areas of marshes, swamps, dense forests and endless deep creeks. Once again we spend the night on one of those creeks at the well protected anchorage of Thoroughfare Creek (Mile 389). The next morning, as our trek on the Waccamaw River comes to an end, our path turns easterly on a 27 mile land-cut. As we stop to take on fuel at Osprey Marina (Mile 373), we decide to call it an early day and stay put. After changing Puffin's engine oil and fuel filter, we explore the grounds, walk the docks and enjoy the evening.

Leaving Charleston

Anchored at Thoroughfare Creek

Hazzard Marine Moorage

Georgetown Homes

Georgetown Waterfront

Robert Stewart House

Along The Way

Saturday 4/5 – Friday 4/11
Towing Puffin, we cross the Savannah River into South Carolina , pass thru Beaufort and continue on towards Charleston where we once again make use of a Walmart to rest our heads. It is here in Charleston that we wish to launch Puffin and continue our adventure on the ICW, but first we must find an appropriate launching facility and a storage yard for our rig. Luck being on our side, we contact the Cooper River Marina, (Mile 464 - part of the Charleston Parks and Recreation Department ) and Matt, the marina manager graciously allows us to stay in the yard for a couple of days until the weather is suitable for launching. After launching Puffin and securing her berth at the marina, he gives us transportation back to the distant launch ramp to pick up our rig and allows us longterm storage in the yard free of charge. Our extended stay in Charleston is wonderfully occupied with tours of the historic downtown, Patriot Point Naval Museum (featuring the USS Yorktown), the Middleton Plantation, and Fort Sumnter. We also drive along the Isle of Palms, walk the beaches, and visit Fort Moultrie. The marina facilities with nice showers, a boater's lounge and helpful friendly staff make our visit even more enjoyable.

Resting at Walmart

Charleston Street Scenes

Nice Doors in Charleston

Great Southern Meal at Jestine's

Middleton Plantation

Glenn at Work at Plantation

More Plantation Scenes

Fort Sumnter

USS Yorktown & Diesel-Powered Sub

Royce in a Sub

Yorktown Flight Deck

Glenn The Gunner

Tuesday 4/1 – Friday 4/4
With work completed on Puffin on her trailer, we depart Sanford to portage Puffin northward. Our first stop is only a short distance away at Blue Springs State Park along the St Johns River. The spring is one of the sources of water for the St. Johns river as well as a winter harbor for hundreds of manatee as the warmer water temperature allows them to survive the winter. Although most of the manatee have left here by now, there are a few that we are able to see. This sight was also the homestead of a pioneering family that established a ferry stop here for tourism and citrus transportation ( The nearby town is Orange City) We continue north into Georgia ( We finally end our 5 month stay in Florida ) heading for Savannah, but with the day waining, we opt for a rest stop along I-95. Although we had visited Savannah many years ago, we are anxious to explore the city and surrounding area. With spring break vacationeers creating a no vacancy scenario at the local campgrounds, we decide to ask the working boatyard and marina at Hinckley Service Yard (Mile 582) if we can spend a couple of nights there and the friendly and generous manager not only says sure but furnishes us with power and the use of the facilities at no charge. With the truck unencumbered from her load, we tour the many fabulous parks placed in a symetrical grid throughout the historic city blocks and just as I did many years ago, partake in beer drinking as we walk along the colorful waterfront. Fort Pulaski offers us an insight into the life and times of the Civil War, and Tybee Island beckoned us with beautiful beaches to stroll. The beach gazebo at Tybee Island happened to have a dress rehearsal of “The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas” and they allowed us to watch. ( Lots of scantily clad women )

Blue Springs State Park

The Spring

On The Road Again

Savannah Parks

Around The Town

Savannah Waterfront

Fort Pulaski

Tybee Island Lighthouse










Tybee Island Beach

Showtime