Destination: Historic Beaufort, NC

05 Thursday Aug 2021

Posted by “Oh Captain My Captain” in From the helm

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2006 Mainship 34T, America's Great Loop Cruisers' Association, Atlantic ICW, Beaufort Docks Marina, Beaufort NC, Belhaven Community Chamber of Commerce, Belhaven NC, Blessed, BoatUS, Coastal destinations, Cruising, CruisingTheICW, Friends, Georgetown SC, Grateful, Harborwalk Marina, Hospitality, Life, Love, Mainship, Mainship 34T, Marinas, Memories, Myrtle Beach Yacht Club, Passage Maker Magazine, Reflections, Slow Dance, Soundings, Soundings Online, Swansboro, Thinking Ouside the Boat, Trawler, Waterfront dining, Wilmington NC, Wrightsville Beach

Last year, due to COVID-19 we did no long distance cruising. For this year’s journey, we spent our final night at home on the boat, so we could get an early start . On July 12, 2021 at 7:01 AM we cast off from the dock, idled under the Ben Sawyer, and began CruisingTheICW north!

First stop, Harborwalk Marina, Georgetown, SC. “Slow Dance” seems happy to be cruising again! Since returning from our 2019 summer on the Chesapeake, she’s gotten a new stateroom air conditioning unit, windless, the head serviced, new generator water pump, the hull waxed and new bottom paint, beautiful new Eisenglass for the upper helm, and last but not least, the annual service of the main engine, generator, and transmission. Since 2006, the main engine and generator’s oil has been changed every 100 hours, not counting the annual service done prior to departure for our multi-week cruises. Though we didn’t put 100 hours on her during COVID-2020, we adopted the rule of service annually or every 100 hours, which ever comes first.

While it’s rare for us to spend less than two nights in Georgetown, for a variety of reasons we had to keep pushing back our departure, so Georgetown was just an overnight stop on this journey. As always, Harbormaster Chris and his crew provided excellent service and a beautifully clean facility. And added bonus, it’s hard to remember when we’ve gone into Harborwalk and not seen at least one large and beautiful yacht docked there. If you’re CruisingTheICW through South Carolina, and have never visited Georgetown, put it on your itinerary. It’s a quaint little historic town with a harbor, Southern hospitality, good restaurants, SC Maritime Museum, and shopping,

Second stop, Myrtle Beach Yacht Club, Little River, SC. Since 2017 when we began our summer CruisingTheICW north, the yacht club has been our second night’s destination. Why? Reasonable dock fees, traditionally great fuel prices, great and reasonably priced food at The Officer’s Club private dining for transients and members, and as always, an accommodating and professional crew to help with docking and most anything else we might need. Unfortunately, the The Officer’s Club is closed Mondays and Tuesdays, so for the Admiral and me, there’s always next time!

Third stop, Seapath Yacht Club, Wrightsville Beach, NC. When we began CruisingTheICW north in 2017, we made it a point to spend at least a couple of nights in Wrightsville Beach to visit with old friends. Sadly, an old best friend, Bruce Allcorn, the friend that always met us at the dock no matter where we stayed in Wilmington or Wrightsville Beach, passed away unexpectedly last October. This year’s visit without Bruce was tough. To know the guy was to love him. Our friendship went back over 50-years to our high school days and love of Austin Healey 3000s. At his celebration of life last May, the only person in attendance to have known him longer than me, was his older brother. Memories, so many memories.

“Beach Music,” the perfect name for a beautiful vintage Hatteras yacht built in North Carolina, home of beach music and beach bands like the incredible Embers, who made the song, “I Love Beach Music” famous.

Seapath Yacht Club is only a couple of hundred yards “off the ICW,” with limited transient slips, but a quiet, sheltered place to overnight. Their new shower facility has to be one the newest and nicest on the ICW. Another plus is their proximity to some of the finest dining in Wrightsville Beach. For many reasons, Wrightsville Beach will forever be on our northbound cruise itinerary.

Next stop, the new Town Docks at Swansboro, NC. In years past, we visited Swansboro by car, and a couple of years we stopped by the town docks for Kate the Mate’s “nature call.” When I recently read that reservations could now be made for overnights at the docks, we decided to overnight there instead of having such a long day getting to Beaufort. While walking around Swansboro that afternoon, we stopped by the visitors center and learned the town is in the process of putting in shower baths and a washer and dryer for transients’ use, in the Swansboro Visitors Center. While the visitors center is not adjacent to the docks, the new facilities will be no further away than those of some other marinas we’ve visited. It’s great to see small towns like Swansboro welcoming ICW transient boaters. To many, the ICW is their “intrastate highway.”

On to Beaufort, our first multi-night stop this summer. In 2018, our departure from home was scheduled around getting us to Beaufort in time for the Admiral to celebrate her July 4th birthday there. This year it was scheduled around getting her to Beaufort in time to enjoy Saturday’s Farmer’s Market! I’m happy to say we made it.

Like Georgetown, Beaufort is a favorite stopping point for large yachts, and this year was no exception. As we entered the Beaufort harbor, the 142′ superyacht, “MISSING LINK” could not be missed. Owned by Jack Link, of America’s #1 Jerky Brand, “MISSING LINK” was designed and built by US builder, Christensen Shipyards at their Vancouver shipyard. The yacht’s interior was designed by Carol Williamson and Associates.

On the right of the photograph is “MISSING LINK,” and on the left is “Slow Dance.” “MISSING LINK” travels with an Invincible center console launch that is the approximate length of “Slow Dance.” It can be seen perpendicular on the other side of the dock between “MISSING LINK” and “Slow Dance.”

We first “discovered”Beaufort when my parents bought a little place on Harker’s Island, a short distance from Beaufort. When visiting the island, Beaufort was where we went for dinner and shopping. Today, we enjoy Beaufort Town Docks, but it’s not the only marina in Beaufort. When staying there, we can walk or cycle most anywhere around town. But, others we’ve met while cruising swear by Homer Smith’s Docks and Marina, the full service Town Creek Marina, and the new Beaufort Yacht Basin.

What to do in Beaufort. Having spent my career in the travel industry, I’m about the worst tourist you will ever meet. We love to travel, but when we visit a destination, we enjoy getting local input on things to do. While rarely do we visit every attraction and museum in the local visitors’ guide! But, in Beaufort, there are some things I’d encourage doing.

Visit the North Carolina Maritime Museum
Beaufort Historic Site and Museum Visitors Center
Old Beauforte Farmers Market (A Saturday event)
Water tours ~ there is a myriad of water tours offered in Beaufort. Though I’ve never taken one, but I would encourage a visitor to Beaufort or Morehead City to take two specific water tours, (1) a tour that takes you to Cape Lookout Lighthouse, (2) a tour that takes you to the 5,400 acre Rachel Carson Coastal Equestrian Preserve or the Shackleford Banks to see the beautiful wild horses in their natural habit.
For detailed information about the many reasons to visit Beaufort, Morehead City, and all the Crystal Coast of North Carolina, visit the Crystal Coast of NC.

Dining in Beaufort. Years ago when we came to Beaufort from Harker’s Island for dinner, Clawson’s was the old standby. Today there are a number of quality restaurants from which to choose. Some of our favorites within easy walking distance of the marina are Finz, Black Sheep Beaufort, Front Street Grill, The Spouter Inn, Ribeyes Steakhouse, Mezcalito Beaufort, and of course, the old standby, Clawson’s.

Historic Beaufort, Morehead City, and the Crystal Coast of North Carolina. Great cruising destinations.

“Dwell as near as possible to the channel in which your life flows.” Henry David Thoreau

DETAILING…It’s all in the details.

02 Tuesday Jul 2019

Posted by “Oh Captain My Captain” in From the helm, Marine Services

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America's Great Loop Cruisers' Association, Atlantic Yacht Basin, Beaufort Docks Marina, Beaufort NC, Belhaven NC, BoatUS, Bridge Marinas Urbana, Bridge Tender Marina, Cape Charles Town Docks, Cape Charles VA, Chesapeake VA, Coinjock Marina & Restaurant, Coinjock NC, Cruising the Chesapeake, CruisingTheICW, Detailing, Details, Dowry Creek Marina, Eastern Shore, Georgetown SC, Hampton Municipal Piers Marina, Hampton VA, Harborwalk Marina, Life, Myrtle Beach Yacht Club, North Carolina, Onancock VA, Onancock Wharf and Town Docks, Portside Grill Urbana, Preparation, Reflections, Slow Dance, Southport Marina, Truth, Urbana VA, Waxing, Wrightsville Beach

July, 2 2019. Urbana, VA. The most serious part of cruising is in the details — the preparation to be on the water for weeks, not hours. Each spring since we got Slow Dance, we’ve done our “due deligence” and prepped the old girl to take us port to port safely and securely. But this year we were in for a surprise.

Each year, Aaron Vickers, of Oil In A Day’s Work, services the main engine, transmission, and generator including new zincs and impellers. Our motto is, “If it’s needed or questionable, do it.” Last year it was time for new electronics, so electronics guru, Jeff Sechrest of Tidal Marine Electronics outfitted Slow Dance with new Garmins and radar at the upper and lower helms. “Admiral” Carolyn gets the credit for details related to provisioning. If not for her, I’d be eating beans and living in the same clothes the entire trip! Never underestimate the importance of the “Admiral’s” cruising details!

In marinas and along the waterways, people never see Aaron, Jeff, or the “Admiral’s” work, but they sure see the work of the person that “details” the exterior — and salt water, air, and sand take a toll on fiberglass, gelcoat, and paint. Enter David Vickers, owner and operator of NAVY Details, Hollywood, FL.

Three weeks before leaving on this summer’s cruise I stopped by the boat to drop off a few things. Walking down the dock I noticed a man and woman detailing a big Navigator a few slips down from ours. When I came out of the cabin to start home, the man approached me.

“I love your boat. I used to maintain one identical to it in Fort Lauderdale,” he said.

“Really,” I replied. “Who owned it?”

“A fellow named Patrick O’Brien.”

I smiled, pointed to the name, Slow Dance and said, “Meet Slow Dance, formerly known as Irish Rover.”

He pulled his phone from his pocket and said, “I’ve got to send Patrick a picture of you and the boat.”

A few minutes later Patrick called me. “Dick, are you going to let David detail the boat? He’s the best there is! Honest! He was the only one I’d let detail Irish Rover and the only one I’ll trust to detail my new boat.”

Needless to say, David agreed to stay in Charleston another week to detail Slow Dance. One week turned into about ten days as a couple of other owners in the marina wanted him to do their boats. That is a testament to his beautiful work and attention to detail.

What separates David from the vast majority of other detailers? He’s the consummate professional. He hired a local young woman to polish the bright work, but David personally compounded, polished, and then waxed the boat — a time consuming three part process that left Slow Dance looking like it just came off a showroom floor. And he literally detailed every square inch of the exterior, minus the canvas and Eisenglas, which are in need of replacement. He cleaned and polished everything on the upper helm — which other detailers have ignored. The biggest shock came when he called to ask about turning off power to the boat. When I asked why, I was told he needed to defrost the large freezer on the upper helm so that he could clean and wax it — not done by previous detailers. On a visit to the boat, his helper was cleaning shore power cords, the freshwater hose, all eight large fenders — again, not done by previous detailers. After he finally finished detailing Slow Dance, he thoroughly washed and dried her.

I’m writing this post from Bridge Marina, in Urbana, VA. So far we have overnighted in Georgetown, Little River, Southport, Wrightsville Beach, Beaufort, Belhaven, Coinjock, Hampton, Cape Charles, Onancock, and Urbana. In every port people in the marina have been amazed Slow Dance is a thirteen year old boat. For that I give full credit to master detailer, David Vickers, owner of NAVY Details.

Even calm water reflects off Slow Dance’s sparkling hull.

Slow Dance illuminated by an Onancock sunset

Slow Dance and the “Admiral” enjoy a Cape Charles sunset.

When David left Charleston with his camper, he was taking a slow journey up the east coast to Connecticut, where he will spend the summer — detailing boats of snowbirds that are among his Florida clients. As he says, Connecticut is much cooler than Florida in the summer, and he has an established client base awaiting him there. In late September he will start back south, and sometime in October he will put another coat of wax on Slow Dance, and that should hold her until he next spring when he will again detail her during his 2020 northern journey.

David Vickers is a detailer extraordinaire.