We returned to TIGGER on a sunny, warm day in mid-January. That was the last warm day for the rest of the month. Record low temperatures descended upon Beaufort, South Carolina and dashed any hopes of getting deck work done before we headed south. Now the mission was just to get south to warmer weather.

Port Royal Landing Marina is tucked alongside the ICW just south of Beaufort proper. We enjoyed floating docks, plenty of water under the keel and friendly, helpful people running the marina. We had stayed there last year and came back this past year because we found them so accommodating. They didn't disappoint us.

But the list of jobs we could have done stayed just a list. We lounged down below reading and watching TV while the propane heater and space heater blasted away (electricity and cable was readily available - the joys of a marina). Every so often we'd stick our heads out of the companionway and sniff the brutal cold and slam the hatch shut and lay around some more.

Somewhere south were warmer temperatures and we were going to find them. So near the end of January on a less cold day, we waved farewell to the marina and motored out to point our very cold noses to the south. We chose motoring down the ICW instead of going offshore. The winter gales were still blowing and it was cold out there. But we found it wasn't any warmer on the ICW.

Dave and I may have been in the tropic too long. We like the warm weather. We were dressed like lumberjacks most of the time: jeans with sweatpants over them, two pairs of socks and then shoes, turtleneck jersey, sweater, jacket and foul weather jacket on top. A polartech cap with earflaps (you probably cannot find a funnier looking hat) and warm gloves were donned and doffed every hour as we relieved each other so the cold driver could go down below and huddle next to the always-on propane heater. When I was thawed I would relieve Dave. When he was thawed, he would relieve me. I forgot that offshore, we could set the sails, set the autopilot, and then huddle behind the dodger and let electronics and wind do the work. On the ICW, it takes standing at the wheel and constantly checking the chart to get south.

Come on February and Florida!