America's Great Loop With our boat "Little Bit More"

Sunday, May 21, 2023 Beaufort Safe Harbor Marina The great news is, Little Bit More is docked right at the end of the ramp leading to beautiful Beaufort SC - the not-so-good news is that the starboard engine is completely shut down.  When Scott pulled the oil dipstick, the oil literally shot out of the port.  This could only mean one of two things, either water or fuel is making its way into the oil.  We decided to book a week here to try once again to find an 'expert' and also wait out the storm that is forecasted. We woke to a beautiful blue sky and warm weather. Scott is already busy forming a plan on what to do. He decided to change the oil and the plugs which is very messy and tricky when hovering over the transom. He also ordered a new thermostat after speaking with one mechanic. More parts getting thrown at this engine.... Not to be deterred Scott scheduled a tour with Janet's' Walking Tours.  This festy and very knowledgeable native of Beaufort leads us through

Sunday - Happy Mothers Day Celebration Jekyll Island Marina and Jekyll Island Club and Resort This was possibly one of the best Mother's Days I've ever had in terms of what we did. Of course, not being able to celebrate with my Mom or my daughter and son-in-law was the only negative.  We started the day on Jekyll with the trolley ride through the historic district.  The museum along with an excellent guide gave us the back story of how this incredible club was created and enjoyed by wealthy families in America's history. Built-in the late 1800's as a hunting club for select wealthy business men it quickly became a favorite winter resort.  Within the first couple of years, the families began building 'cottages' to include wives, staff, and children to join the fun.  Less than 15 were built, with 9 still standing and looking as though they are lived in today.  These 'cottages' are about 8,000 to 12,000 square feet.  Georgia has done an incredible job of re

Sunday - May 7, 2023 Sisters Creek Jacksonville Free Dock After a beautiful cruise we stayed on the free dock at Sisters Creek near Jacksonville. The falling tide and wind made docking a little tricky, thankfully a fisherman from the dock helped us secure our lines.  Monday - Tuesday Fernandina Harbor Oasis Marina This quaint town located on Amelia Island was a wonderful experience. Great food, lovely day and night strolls to coffee shops and good restaurants. The Fernandina Harbor Marina was located right at the end of the town main street. Wednesday Sea Camp Anchorage Cumberland Island  Dungeness Ruin We decided to head north to Cumberland Island and hopefully get a glimpse of the wild horses. This island did not disappoint. We rode bikes through huge oaks, hundreds of years old and learned the story of the Dungeness Plantation. This enormous plantation was originally built by the Nathaniel Greene family and later bought and expanded by the Carnegie family. The horses are a legacy f

 Sunday Today was quiet, we will travel a few short miles to Seven Seas Marina and Boatyard in the morning to haul out and have the new ECM unit installed. Monday - Tuesday Little Bit More gets a ride First an early morning cruise and preparation for our haulout. Seven Seas is a working marina started in the 50s with the original owners still active. It's always a little nerve-wracking to watch your boat swing in these massive lifts. The dock hands are very easy to work with and are very efficient. Wednesday - Friday A glimmer of hope and then more parts needed Kombucha Breakfast The starboard engine started right up after the new ECM was installed, BUT we had no electronic connection with the engine.  That meant that we could not measure how fast the engine was running so yet another part had to be ordered. On Friday the mechanic had the new electronics installed in less than an hour AND we are leaving in the morning! We have had a nice couple of weeks but are anxious to get going

Sunday A bike ride on Daytona Beach and docktails with fellow Loopers We used the Brompton bikes and joined our friends to explore Daytona Beach. The boardwalk is being renovated in areas but has a long way to go. You can still drive a car on the beach and we tried to ride the bikes without much success! We joined several loopers for docktails and was treated to Diane from "Wilma Mae" blowing the sunset conch shell.  We all cheered when we heard someone answer in the distance! We toasted our friendship with the 'Looper's' toast and 'tiny beers' made with the Spanish liquor 43 with cream floating on top of shot glasses.  There are good ships and there are wood ships And there are ships that sail the seas But the best ships are friendships And may they always be! The rest of the week! We had a  trouble with the starboard engine on our way to Halifax Marina in Daytona.  Monday morning when we prepared to leave it would not start.  Scott was able to find a mec

Sunday, April 16, 2023 - Lake Peck and another storm Lake Peck was an early stop for us.  This anchorage is known for the beach which is easily accessible with a dinghy.  We launched the dinghy and motored over to the beach. A short walk through the mangroves to a beautiful beach.  Unfortunately, it was extremely windy so we settled for a long walk. The clouds were already gathering and we began to see lightning strikes in the distance.  Before it was over we were in for another all-out storm, torrential rain, 3 ft. waves, and lightning strikes. We were definitely on high alert for about 2 hours while the storm passed. Monday - Vero Beach Marina After last night we decided to get a reservation at Vero Beach Marina. This marina is on the east side of the Indian River.  After a very long day of an east wind, we were tired and ready to stop rocking and rolling.  Tuesday - Satellite Beach Jill and Steve Mickey Our friends from our Colorado neighborhood, Homestead relocated to Satellite Bea

Sunday - Happy Easter! The day began with a lot of sunshine and a beautiful Easter Service at Downtown Harbor Church. DHC holds services at the Museum of Science and Nature in the IMAX theatre.  The pastor delivered a message packed with scripture all beautifully delivered with the central theme being that, the fact that our savior rose from the dead and that  changes everything! We took a leisurely walk back to the boat and then it started to rain and rain and rain.  Monday and Tuesday A visit to Sailorman and West Marine If you own a boat and are in the Ft. Lauderdale area don't miss Sailorman. https://www.sailorman.com/ Part consignment, partly used boat parts, and a lot of new products are all packed into a huge warehouse.  We scored some cleats, flags, and other odds and ends.  If you can't find it at Sailorman, the biggest West Marine we've ever been in is two blocks away. We scored a new Rocna 22 lb anchor, I'm calling it boat jewelry! Oh, and Happy Birthday to m