NEPTUNE IS PLEASED, NEPTUNE IS DISPLEASED

May 12, 2012   Dateline: Hilton Head Island, SC USA

Rich got me up early on Friday, he was concerned about the St Augustine Inlet and wanted to follow a sport fish boat out of it.  The sport fish, EMANON, is heading to Canyon Club Marina where it stays for the summer.  EMANON had run the inlet the day before and as Rich and I had heard bad things about the inlet it would be good to follow someone out who knew where they were going.  As it turned out I was up early but the sport fish was up earlier and left at first light.  At about 6:45 I left the dock and headed out.  I took it slow in the inlet, and then seemingly from nowhere a yellow hulled 60 foot sport fish flew past me.  I said “Hey Rich here’s our chance”, he pushed my throttles forward up  and away I went.  I heard Rich thank the boat for helping me out the inlet.

The rest of the 87 mile trip to St Simons Island was uneventful; I guess Neptune continued to be pleased with me.  I ran at 20 knots and we arrived before noon.  The Morningstar Marina is a nice marina with pleasant people working there and while it seems to be out in the middle of nowhere it has a terrific restaurant attached to it.  I pulled into the fuel dock behind a boat called ENTICER.  ENTICER is an old wooden Trumpy with a giant flag on it out of Newport, RI.  Her owners are true Trumpy owners because she is maintained to the hilt; her varnish is just so, her chrome polished.  I would post a picture of her here, but guess who forgot to take one.  It certainly wasn’t me.  Carol did get a picture of the marina.  Rich bought me some diesel and he guessed 300 gallons, I took 315.  The last time I got fuel he guessed 300 gallon and I took 302, he is getting pretty good at estimated my fuel burn.  Rich and Carol borrowed the courtesy car and went to the store.  The car had only 249,300 miles on it, a typical courtesy car, and the brakes worked well.  Carol did get the above picture of the Georgia bulldog at one of the stores they passed.

At the marina was a boat called BLUELINE who is also doing the Loop. The last time that I saw them was in Demoplis, AL, more than 6 months ago. 

This morning, there was a newspaper and muffins waiting in my cockpit for Rich and Carol---no diesel for me.  After finally getting underway for the 87 mile run to Harbour Town Yacht Basin on Hilton Head Island, I ran out the inlet and found it to be choppy.  Rich said this will smooth out as I got further out into deeper water and start to head north.  Wrong!!!!!  Neptune was displeased with us and the seas were really bad.  After slowing down to 10 knots, waves were still breaking on my bow and salt water was being blown up over my hardtop.  It was about 4 hours of twisting, rolling and turning in every direction with waves also crashing on my starboard side.  It was so bad that Rich got sea sick and that never happens. Carol ended up giving him a patch to put behind his ear.  Periodically an alarm would go off for a second or two but not long enough for Rich to see what it was.  Surprise, at the end of the day they found that my opening port holes in the mid stateroom and in the master head had leaked.  What a mess this created.  The alarm, they later learned, was a bilge pump located in a sump below the master stateroom where water that enters my living quarters drains.  Good thing they are staying with me on Sunday because it is going to take a long time to dry me out.  Since I am covered with salt they are going to have to give me a very good bath. 

I will stay here in Hilton Head for about two weeks, I heard Rich tell the dockmaster that he is going to have my oil changed, filters replaced and some  other minor work done on me while they go back to New Jersey.  I think I will miss them, but I am sure I can make some new friends here.