That roaring lion called March exited like a lamb today! Talk about smooth water...perfect for water skiing....all day long....though most would think it a little chilly...started at 50 degrees and warmed to almost 70! Still pretty cool for being on the water. If fact, according to what we saw, it was actually warmer in Wichita today than where we are....Dataw Island, SC....wherever that is. We plan to stay here tomorrow then head in to Charleston on Wednesday. Dakota is scheduled for yearly routine doggie tests and a much needed bath on Thursday....some serious grocery shopping in store for us...then dinner with John and Dianne.

We've planned our stops after Charleston to Norfolk....and both of us are even making plans for our three weeks in Norfolk...I'm flying home for two weeks...leaving Floyd and Dakota to "bach it".  Scares me to think what mischief they will get into without proper adult supervision ...maybe I should leave them a list of chores???

And the winds blew!!! You'd think being from Kansas we'd know wind...but again much stronger and longer around these here parts. We were blasted in Key Biscayne ...then again in Ft Lauderdale...and now again??!! Started at about 11:30 last night...blasting us at 20-30 mph...weather man says to continue all day...we are not going anywhere. ...so scratch all those marina plans for the next couple of days....now we get to re-call, re-adjust, re-plan. Not a problem!!

As luck would have it, we had already adjusted our original plan for Charleston ....in case you weren't aware, Floyd has fallen in love with THE BILTMORE. When we left there last October, a docent told us we could take an exclusive behind the scenes tour...pricey but we'd get to see all sorts of places not open to the public. We had planned to put Dakota in doggie day care, rent a car, drive four hours to Ashville, stay in a hotel, take the pricey tour....than drive back....etc. we had talked to the Biltmore people once about it...but when I called yesterday to book it....they had a very different story. Seems that pricey two hour tour wouldn't really show us much we hadn't already seen....so we ditched that plan immediately....all things work....because now with this wind, we'd have not made any of those original deadlines.  Ah, such is the boating life.

Now I have some time for cleaning, organizing, laundry, reading...napping...our time in Charleston will be shorter..but less expensive.  Dakota still needs to visit a veterinarian ...and Floyd will need to change oil....and we'll get to spend an evening with our friends, John and Dianne, aboard TUTTO BENNE.  It'll all work out!

Kilkenny Creek...yep, pretty much like we remembered it...wooden rickety docks...in the middle of no where...oh, and a grumpy dock master. We hardly left the boat...and couldn't wait to move on.

Hilton Head Harbor..and to get there involved a few tense moments...I don't know about you but driving through a place called Hell's gate causes anxiety!! And what were we thinking to go through Field cut and Ransom Creek at low tide???? Yep, ran aground just once...and soft silty stuff...so no damage...the sail boat SOLAS , we were traveling with spent a while aground...then I guess a small motor boat came along and pulled them off! They stopped at Hilton Head Harbor for gas and we got the story on that.....we don't remember any of these issues last time through...must have come through at high tide...there was I reason I didn't want to do this part again...and today was a grim reminder!

On the plus side, this marina hosts a five star restaurant...which we visited tonight! Awesome experience !! Champagne dressing on the salad...cheesy homemade butter for our bread...chicken/ andouille gumbo soup...chessy grits and shrimp...crab cakes....all wonderful!!!

Short day tomorrow as we head to Datow Island....four and a half hours is a snap....

O dark thirty...and we are outta here....it's over 70 miles to our next marina...so after spending several long days cruising, we have a really long day today. Hopefully, the weather gods will start to warm things up, as some of these snaky creeky places are not so deep. We'd like to be able to drive from the flybridge and see the depth sounder. Though that may just make us more nervous.

Jekyll Island is definitely a place where we would have enjoyed more time...small island that was once the playground for the rich and famous ....maybe next time??.... We did visit the local restaurant...Floyd had a great bowl of crab chowder and then he tried the shrimp and cheesy grits. They were both awesome. I'm still in search for the best crab cakes...those I had last night won't make the list. The homemade key lime pie, on the other hand, was every bit as good as the one Floyd makes. Though he would say, " not quite!"

On our way to Kilkenny Creek marina...we've stayed there before...it was a real character place...just a small spot in the swamp with rickety wooden docks...plus we were attacked by the green headed flies...oh, the memories!! We think we are early enough in the year that the flies won't be an issue...but last night we were attacked by sand gnats...so who knows what bugs lurk just around the corner???

We blew into Palm Coast...and very friendly place...big space for Dakota to run but it was full of stickers...so once was enough. They had sweatshirts on sale...I couldn't resist. Another quiet evening at the fuel dock...I could  a barely get off the boat so I didn't! Winds died a little over night...but 48 degrees when we left there.

We spent a long day Wednesday  cruising to Jacksonville...we could have stopped at Matansas Inlet...where we anchored in a 13+ mph current last time....no! thank you!....or St Augustine, with those brutal tidal currents...no! Thank you very much!! Instead we opted for the Jacksonville City free docks...no electric, but a lovely, cement floating dock next to a city park and some sort of bus departure point. According to reviews we looked at, we thought maybe we'd be the only boat there but two other boats pulled in about 30 minutes behind us. Not loopers, and weren't very social...so another quiet evening on the TUMBLEWEED!!

Just a few words about dolphins and manatees...we never grow tired of seeing dolphins. They are a part of our daily sightings....sometimes singles but more often small groups, even babies. So graceful and sleek ....we've even watched them circle, hunt and catch....pretty exciting stuff. We try to keep track of how many we see... Often reaching 20+ per day. We love 'em. Those manatees are another issue....since arriving in Florida in January, numerous times during each day we are in " go slow zones" ...."manatee watch area"....and we have yet to see one in those areas. We did finally see one as we docked in Titusville...then later as we passed through the Canaveral Haulover Canal , we saw so many in the boat launch cove that we couldn't count them...or see how you could get a fishing boat in or out of there. Nothing pretty about a manatee...brown sludge, big back and tail, nostrils and snout like a hippo....and how do they know to stay in those manatee zones???

Tonight we'll be in Jekyll Island...working our way to Charleston. It is a little warmer but the sun has yet to make an appearance. Dakota seems to rest better during the day when we drive from below...which is the way we travel on cold cloudy days.

I thought Sunday was windy....Monday was worse. Cloudy, cold and windy, windy , windy.   Good that all that wind was on the nose....but sure makes for wind in your face...which is the name of the boat that passed us! We thought we were the only crazies...actually, before the day was over there were five of us in a caravan.   We drove from below most of the day. Halifax River Yacht Club for a quiet peaceful night....we were the only people around...then on to Palm Coast tomorrow.  Floyd is a little worried about going north...it is still cold and snowing up there...maybe we should slow down a little! Give 'em a chance to thaw!

On Sunday the wind blew us into Titusville....literally ! I thought Kansas was windy...Florida is sure doing its best to keep me from missing it! We managed to find the shocker radio station web site to live stream the basketball game...We arrived as the WSU women's basketball game was reaching its ending! Just when we thought they had it won...down they went.  I took Dakota for a little run in the dog park next to the marina while Floyd finished securing the boat...and we settled in to cheer on the shocker men against Kentucky....and what a game it was....nip and tuck, tuck and nip...our boys played with such heart and grit....but with nano seconds left, they scored and we missed the go ahead shot! Dang, the end! But alas, there are lots of good teams who are done! Now we owe Susan and Carolyn drinks plus we don't have to time boating around basketball games or keep track of brackets!  Folks came out of boats and hung around our dock...all talking about the game...yes, seems they are from Kentucky...I couldn't listen, even though they were saying great things about our shockers...Dakota and I went  back to the dog park....where he made friends with another lady who threw the ball...and he even took it to her....really, who is this dog??? Short night and we head to Daytona tomorrow.