Hurricane Matthew

We'd been watching this storm track across the Caribbean and then it turns north and it's like wow this could be pretty big. Monday we start thinking we really have to start making a move so first thing Tuesday morning we leave our anchorage just north of St Augustine and plan to go to Green Cove Springs. GCS is 20nm inland from St Augustine up the St Johns river but to get there it is just over 60 miles as you have to go north up to Jacksonville first and then back down. With a dirty bottom and prop and the current in the river against us it was a little slow and then we get to Jacksonville and the city bridge opens at certain times and unfortunately we missed it by 5 minutes and had to wait 4 hours until 8pm. In the pissing rain we were very happy to have the new Simrad radar. The river is fairly well marked with not much traffic especially on a night like that and we made it safely to GCS arriving at 1am. I booked a spot to haul out on the way so at 6am we were up dropping the headsail and then in to confirm the haul and after waiting for 2 boats we were out early afternoon yesterday and very happy. Well as happy as can be, the yard is fairly disorganised with a lot of scruffy boats and junk around but it's the best we could do under the circumstances. The problem with leaving Sunflower in the water and setting lots of anchors isn't just dragging but all the stuff that may flow down the river when it floods like trees, boats, docks and whatever else that floats. There are creeks running off the river which would be great but they all have bridges blocking the entrances so that scraps that idea.

So then the fun begins stripping the boat of pretty much EVERYTHING, solar panels, sails, kayak, dodger you name it and all in the pooring rain. Sunflower looks like a bomb has gone off inside with everything on the cabin floor but we got it done and now we are in a cheap hotel room close by and the waiting game is on.. it will start getting windy in the early hours of tomorrow morning and then the peak will be that evening and there is not much else we can do besides sit back eating noodles and drinking beers watching the TV!! Ive given up watching the forecast as it changes every time but at the moment the eye is going to pass over ST Augustine heading straight up the coast so hopefully the 20nm inland we are will do us good but who knows it could all change once again for the better with any luck. Anyway we have done all we possibly can and now it's just a case of crossing our fingers and toes and hope sunflower will be alright:) and to be honest the scariest moment so far has been the lift to the hotel from a lady recommended from the marina. In Australia we would say she's a 50 year old bogan who's had a hard life. She was drunk as anything and trying to make small talk and telling us about previous accidents she's had and how her brakes don't work and she kept asking me if my name was Kaden (?) and after three times she gave up, luckily we made the 5 minute journey without a scratch!!

Hurricane Matthew tearing up the coast

Road Trippin'

After saying good bye to Al and Beth we went over to Virginia and stayed in another state park and camped right in their lake. Was a great couple of days just hanging out barbecuing, walking and getting scared in the car while Julie practices how to drive again! (She did alright;)

From there it was across to New Bern in North Carolina to see our cruising friends we met in Maldives Stuart and Sheila. Beautiful old town they live in, it's about 30nm up a sort of river system from the coast with a massive boating community, nice place. They live right on the water and at times have alligators on their front lawn!! We didn't see any but they're there, pretty amazing as they are 600nm north of the bottom of Florida and it freezes there in winter!? Brown bears are also a common sight and plenty of deer eating their roses on the front porch. It was a great few days meeting their friends and helping launch a friends boat and getting that going, driving down to Beaufort and checking out the Maritime Museum and having a look at all the boats around the place including theirs which is now for sale if anyone wants a great Stevens 47?? We also went one night to a music talent show (Julie thought we were going to a bar) at the local school which was a bit of a laugh and one of their friends was playing there who was really good. It was pretty interesting to see the small town out and about and it felt like it looks in the American movies from the presenter to the cheerleaders it was all there. 

Card games with a few beers also got pretty serious and now we have brought them back to Sunflower and that has been distracting us from a few jobs also!! It was really good to see you guys so thank so much for a great few days.

From there a few hours drive to another spot to camp for the night in South Carolina and then home to Sunflower the next day, it was a great trip. Very interesting to see the countryside, a lot different than what I expected I just couldn't get over the greenness of the forests to the mountains it was all real pretty and completely different to the mainly dry west coast of Australia!! It's a big old country also with a lot of history that everyone is super proud of and wants to share which is real nice. And then there's the churches, I couldn't believe how many. There will be a tiny town and it will have at least 5+ churches one for each religion and race and a lot I have never heard of, I didn't realise how religious the US is. Then there's the cars, you are nobody in the country unless you have a V8 truck with a 6ltr engine, they're a dime a dozen burning fuel like crazy around the place with nothing in the back. We did 2400 miles and it cost us just $150 in fuel for our 2ltre car so fuel is unbelievably cheap. Yes it's a very diverse country from what we have seen from Miami to Ohio it has something for everyone!!

Now we are back we are all stocked up with nowhere to go!! Just waiting for the Hurricane season to end. Well we are actually anchored in the nicest little spot a few miles north of St Augustine all by ourselves in a very quiet little part of the ICW. It's great, just a short dingy ride in and a walk and we're at the beach which is real nice. We have been ticking a few jobs of the list and making some plans, the latest is refitting in Guatamala?? Maybe be there by the end of the year, who knows??!

Stuart and Sheila 

Our campsite in Virginia

Bears around

Fremantle Sailing Clubs old travel lift in North Carolina!!

Hot Beef rolls heated while driving on the engine👌