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

Sunday June 11, 2023 Wilmington, NC  Free Dock This free dock is located on the riverwalk with easy access to many great restaurants.  Still dealing with the starboard engine acting up, but lucky us Scott was able to McIver a fix and we think we're good - again! The dock doesn't have power but is secured by a gate.  We were exposed to the Cape Fear River and could be 'rolly'. We also started shopping for a marina that would be a good place to leave the boat while we travel to PA and back to Colorado. Tuesday, June 13, 2023 Port City Marina, Wilmington NC After a few rolly nights on the free dock, we moved to Port City Marina and met up with fellow loopers on the Wilma May, by accident! Hadn't seen them since Daytona.  That's the way this journey works we leapfrog each other crossing wakes when least expected.  Most 'loopers' use NEBO to keep track of each other, communicate, and capture our boat stats. Wednesday, June 14, 2023 Wilmington Marine Center Th

Sunday, June 4, 2023 USS Yorktown Tour This aircraft carrier served our country beginning in WWII.  Completed just six days before the attack on Pearl Harbor the vessel was named the USS Yorktown in honor of the Yorktown lost at Midway.  Our connection to this iconic ship is that Scotts Dad 'Gil' served on the USS Yorktown during the Vietnam War.  Walking through the ship we had a glimpse into this floating city.  From the outside it is immense and when standing on the flight deck walking under several fighter planes it was not difficult to imagine fighter jets being waved onto the deck.  Scott's Dad worked this very flight deck and shared many stories with us. I think he would have loved to know that we were able to walk through this piece of history. Monday - Wednesday Cooper River Marina We were still waiting and wondering what to do about the engine problems.  The appointment we had with the latest mechanic would be our last try.  Dillard Umphet from Liberty Marine (843

Sunday, May 29, 2023 Sylvan Shores Anchorage The ICW on this section of the Loop is flanked by wetlands and marshes.  This is the 'low country' and tides rise and fall about 2 to 4 feet every 24 hours.  We enjoyed a slow and beautiful cruise to our anchorage, with a cloud constantly hanging over us in regard to the reliability of our engine. Monday - Friday Cooper River Marina  We decided to stay at the Cooper River City Marina instead of the marinas closer to Charleston.  We hoped to be more accessible to the ever-elusive mobile mechanics.  Scott rented a car and we spent a couple of days visiting multiple marine shops and collecting names of 'experts' for Yamaha engines.  More than a few hours were spent debating a Plan B. The choices we have range from stopping the loop to a complete re-power.  I'm not sure how many calls Scott made before we finally connected with Dillard Marine and fingers crossed we decided to give it one more try before Plan B would have to k

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