Oh man did we start the next portion of the trip out with a bang!!  After traveling through pretty uninhabited Georgia, we opted not to stop in Savannah but press on. After crossing the Savannah River, Darrell commented that I should head more to port when we stopped cold!!  Grounded with a falling tide (2 hrs until low) and not budging. A power boat came along, heeled us over using the main halyard. My eyes about bugged out of my head when he almost dipped the rail in the water. With an anchor set to kedge us off and him pulling and me driving, we got her off - rather than wait 4-5 hours for enough water to float free. Whew!!!!!
     Next stop Beaufort, SC. A little more cruiser friendly than we found coastal GA. Tons of history, good food, and friendly people. Why Bill's Liquor Store staff even drove Darrell to the marina and back to the grocery store!
     It was hard to depart such a lovely and friendly place but we have been making plans. Next stop Charleston - home of Dean, Patt, and their dogs!  Yes we have been missing them since they moved from Miami. Drove most of the way there but got slowed down by a rain and thunderstorm. Lightening strikes galore - even saw one strike a channel marker about 1/2 mile ahead of us. Thank the Lord, we were spared!!
     Arrived at Wappoo Creek on Friday. All the next weekend we spent with Dean Revels and Patt Roldan. What a great time seeing most of the top sites in Charleston and eating like kings and queens!  It would be difficult to say what our favorite has been but the USS Yorktown has to rank up there!  WOW!  Dean and Patt have been such good hosts and sightseeing companions!!  
  The next week, we decided we needed to look into our increasing shifting issues a little farther. With Jason and Nicole expected the end of the week, we would take off the transmission to get it looked at. Shipped it to a mechanic we had been in contact with in Jacksonville. The tranny is history - too worn out to be cost effective to repair. Now, we are at a marina in Charleston trying to find one (new or used). 
     Meantime, Jason, Nicole, Kelsey, and Ava arrived in Charleston. We had dinners together, went fishing, exploring (Aquarium and Farmers Market) and swimming with the kids while they were here!  Good times as always!!