Southbound Train (or Boat)

So Southern Style got finished with her upgrades in Wrightsville Beach.  She is looking very "Spiffy" with clean decks, shiny brightwork, and new davit rails for the dinghy.  We also had a cool new "tray" built around our bow pulpit to contain the sand and mud that comes up on the chain rode when we anchor out.

Anchor Tray ( to keep water and mud from being rinsed onto the bow deck).  Now it is contained in the tray which drains overboard.

With all the work done, we left early Thursday morning December 12th making our way south.

The moon Thursday morning over part of Wrightsville Beach as we departed

Our first day took us south to Myrtle Beach for an overnight.  We saw many docks decorated for Christmas as we went down the Intracoastal Waterway.

Friday morning we left bright and early in cloudy skies.  The weather was predicted to deteriorate during the day, so we wanted to get off the dock while it was still dry.  

Coquina Light in Myrtle Beach Friday morning

By the time we got to Georgetown, SC our stop for overnight on Friday, it was pouring rain.  We got tied up and changed into dry clothes.  Needless to say, dinner was on the boat Friday night due to the weather.  

Saturday morning the rain had stopped and we were off to Charleston, SC.  The plan was to stay all day Sunday in Charleston to visit our dear friends Lacey and Davis Toney.  Unfortunately, the weather forecast was such that we had a really good prediction for calm seas off-shore on Sunday.  It was decided that the best option was to press onward on Sunday, running off-shore from Charleston to St. Augustine, FL.  Promptly at 5:50 AM (often referred to as "O'dark thirty") we were off the dock and carefully making our way in the dark out of  Charleston Harbor and into the North Atlantic Ocean.  By the time we were just past the jetty, the sun was just beginning to coming up on the horizon.

View out the front window as dawn was just beginning to break

Our trip was about 225 miles, so at our cruise speed of 21-23 mph, we were looking at 10 hours to get to St. Augustine, FL.  The first 2-3 hours were a little bumpy, but the seas kept getting better as the day progressed and by around 9 or 10 AM it was a down right nice ride.  We saw several other pleasure boats as well as work boats and one Navy war ship.

Shrimper off the coast

War ship (he showed up on radar, but we could get no other info to come up on our charts about him).  Guess he was in stealth mode.

We pulled into St. Augustine Sunday afternoon and rinsed Southern Style, then had some dinner at the Conch House.  

St. Augustine Light as we came in Sunday afternoon around 4:30 pm

Another early morning Monday, December 16th (off the dock at 6:30 AM) heading down the Intracoastal to New Smyrna Beach.

St. Augustine Light Monday morning

Passing under the Bridge of Lions in St. Augustine Monday morning.  Thank you bridge tender for the opening.

It was an uneventful trip down the Intracoastal on Monday to New Smyrna Beach.

Passing through Daytona Beach,FL

Ponce Inlet Lighthouse just north of New Smyrna Beach

We arrived in New Smyrna Beach at the city marina around 2:30 PM.  The plan is to be here for 3 nights.  Keith is going to get a rental car and drive to Orlando to play golf with a good friend at Bay Hill Golf Club (Arnold Palmer's home course).  This will give me some time to relax and catch up on some sewing before Christmas, so I will stay on the boat while Keith is golfing.  We hope to be back under-way, making-way south on Thursday Dec. 19th.