Several cruising friends had told us that we just had to stop at Cumberland Island, Georgia’s largest and southern-most barrier island, during our sailbatical. This natural habitat and National Seashore is said to be a spiritual place, with 17 miles of undeveloped beaches, wild horses, salt marshes, and historic ruins. And yes, you may remember… Continue Reading
Waiting to leave Kingsley Plantation on a high tide was just another reminder that we are back in the part of the ICW that requires careful monitoring of tides in order to avoid grounding. But knowing that we have successfully ventured before on this “ditch path,” without touching our keel on the mud, sand, or… Continue Reading
A few years ago, Dudley and I enjoyed one of our best vacations ever when we chartered a canal boat for nine days, exploring the Aquitaine region of southest France between Toulouse and Bordeaux (if you want to know more about chartering canal boats: http://www.leboat.com). At times, our sailbatical has reminded us of moments from… Continue Reading
In planning our first stop after departing our second home, we were hoping for something that would be fresh and exciting—something that would christen the earnest beginning of our journey north by creating a memorable positive experience. And bingo! We got that in Marineland, located just south of St. Augustine. This destination was not on… Continue Reading
The more time we spend on the water, the more we appreciate the services provided by the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG). Like all prudent mariners, we monitor VHF channel 16 when on the water. Since beginning this sailbatical, we have heard many important announcements from the USCG. Whether alerting boaters to “hazards to navigation,” such… Continue Reading
We left Cocoa Beach early on Day 142 and were quite pleased to motorsail (running the engine with sails out) with our genoa flying for seven hours on a southeast breeze. Having the genny out allowed us to throttle back since we gained more than one knot of speed from wind, plus the current was… Continue Reading
When we departed on this journey back in October, several cruising friends said they envied us a bit because it was our first time. And we would never have another first time like this one. Our first time cruising. Our first time down the ICW. Our first time at the Dismal Swamp Welcome Center. Our… Continue Reading
Back on August 13, 2015, Discover Magazine advised, “A new El Niño forecast is out, and while it may not be terribly surprising, it’s still worth noting: El Niño will almost certainly be hanging around for at least the next seven months, and probably more. But not only that. It continues to look very likely that… Continue Reading
The eastern coast of Florida has been quite the joyful discovery for us. Each town has had its own charms, and we continue to be amazed at how much we’ve enjoyed our travels in the 6th state of our sailbatical. An added bonus has been the absence of hours spent calculating tidal changes and shoaling… Continue Reading
In previous posts, I wrote about the importance of good coffee shops as essential cornerstones in small towns and communities, not to mention a mainstay of my own personal happiness. My blog post on Day 36 listed the following characteristics of an outstanding coffee shop: several different seating areas, electrical outlets near those seating areas,… Continue Reading
Cheryl Duvall and Dudley Whitney
3 Church Circle, Unit #138
Annapolis, MD 21401
cherylduvall@mac.com
dudleywhitney1@comcast.net