Oct 27 to Oct 30

Wednesday morning we left late in the day for us - 9:00 a.m. because we thought we would have a short day.  One of the most interesting bridges on the water way is this pontoon bridge.  They are decommissioning it in the next month or so because they have built a new bridge.  In order to open the  bridge the bridge tender has to fire up the diesel engine and drive the bridge to the side of the river.

 Our original plan was to anchor in the Calabash River for the night.  We dropped the anchor at 2:00 and then the tide and the wind conspired to spin us in circles until we were dizzy (and worried about dragging the anchor).  At this point our attitudes went downhile which is silly because no matter how bad a mood you are in new good anchorages don't magically appear.  In this area of the waterway it is a LONG way between anchorages.  We ended up at a marina in Myrtle Beach.

Thursday was a better day, mostly sunny, temperatures in the 80s and many anchorage choices.  Most of the day was spent in a cypress swamp.  The swamp was pretty in an eerie sort of way as we saw very few other boats.  At low tide the roots of the trees are exposed. They look like they are getting ready to walk away with their scarfs of spanish moss blowing in the breeze.

Treebeard

A camoflaged aid to navigation.

 We spent Thursdday night anchored near Butler Island.  After dinner we rowed over to the boat POW-MIA and had a nice visit with some other Mainers.

Friday we were up bright and early as always and left before sunrise.  Finally, we had a north wind and were able to use the sails!  We had a fun day with some actual sailing and some fast motor sailing.  The creeks, canals, and land cuts were to narrow to safely sail without the engine on because of the volume of boat traffic.  Tacking was definetly out of the question.  The route today was from Butler Island down the Waccamaw River to Winyah Bay to the Esterville Minim Creek Canal to the North Santee River to the Fourmile Creek Canal to the South Santee River to a long land cut to Price Creek to Dewes Creek.  (Try following this on Google Earth starting at Georgetown, SC.)

See, we really do have a mainsail!

Palm trees

Saturday we headed into Charleston.  Coming into the harbor we saw a huge container ship and this gigantic car carrier.  The building just in front of the car carrier is Fort Sumter.

Oct 24 to Oct 26

Sunday was a mostly sunny day, and it was warm, which is a nice change.  Even though we are in the South we have looking like advertisements for The North Face.  We left Beaufort around 8:00 and made our way through the confusing channel with the current pushing us along at 7 to 8 knots just to make things interesting.  Luckily the ICW was open at Camp Lejeune so we were able to go through without anyone firing at us.  Last year when we were coming north they had closed the ICW so they could practice with live rounds.  The tracers set one of the islands on fire so that was interesting...  We anchored for the night at Mile Hammock Bay with about 20 other boats so the anchorage was crowded.  As we were pulling in Tom from POLAR PACER invited us for a pot luck on their boat with MUTUAL FUN. Before dinner Bill went over to help Tom with his engine.

We were part way through dinner when ULITA pulled in looking for a spot to anchor.  Tom yelled over to anchor next to POLAR PACER so they did, but ended up pretty close behind the boat.  We joked about letting out the painter on one of the dinghys and sending it back to them so they could come aboard.  Then the joke moved on to how funny it would be to let out the scope on POLAR PACER's anchor and back down on them.  As soon as someone said this the guys were all on deck letting out scope, putting out fenders, and extending the boat hook.  The look on Uli's face when he came up on deck and saw us rafted alongside was priceless.  Good thing he has a sense of humor!  The impromptu rafting did make it easier for Uli and Lita to join us for dinner.

Monday morning Bill had some sort of flashback to working life and set his alarm for 5:55 a.m.  (Bill does not completely understand the concept of vacation.)  On the brightside the sunrise was fantastic.  We were having a good run down the ICW in a pack of about 10 boats, 13 by the time we got to the first bridge, not counting the boat aground.  For a change the wind was just far enough off the nose to put up the sails if they were sheeted in very very tight.  About half an hour after we put the main up the sky started turning very dark so we reefed the sail.  Then the sky turned black so we took the sail down just as the rain hit. For a few minutes it was raining so hard we could not see anything which was alarming since we were in a narrow channel with a boat about 200 feet ahead of us and one on our starboard quarter that was trying to pass.  Luckily within a few minutes the visibility came back.  In the afternoon we missed one bridge opening, which meant we missed the next one, which only opens on the hour, by about 15 minutes.  While we were waiting we were entertained by dolphins fishing next to the boat and swimming alongside.  One dolphin would swim within about 5 feet of the boat and roll onto his side to get a better look at us.

Gail from STAR had warned us that the channel coming into Wrightsville Beach was shoaling and to stay close to the first green marker.  A sailboat ahead of us tried that and ran aground but was able to back out. The next boat tried a little closer to the other side of the channel and went aground, and again was able to back out.  Bill and I had a debate about whether to try the middle of the channel or to go a mile or so down to the other deeper channel and double back.  One of us lost the debate so we tried the middle of the channel we were at and promptly ran hard aground.  Fortunately we have Seatow insurance and the Seatow boat is docked very close to this channel.  The nice young man in the tow boat said people go aground here like clockwork.  After he had pulled us off the sand and into the channel we made it the rest of the way to the anchorage with no problem.  In the evening we had a yummy fish chowder dinner (thanks to my mother's recipe) on STAR during an impressive thunderstorm. 

Tuesday we got up bright and early as usual planning for a short run.  The 25 knot headwind while fighting the current made for a long day - for quite a while we were averaging 2.9 to 3.2 knots over the ground.  I thought Bill was going to lose his mind.  We finally pulled into St. James Marina for the night.  The marina is very protected, has very hot showers, inexpensive laundry, and only charges $1.05 per foot and has live music in the evening.

Photos

My favorite mural at Hampton, VA

Bill's favorite mural

TAMURE at Great Bridge

POLAR PACER and MUTUAL FUN leaving Mile Hammock Bay

The only pink lighthouse we have seen.

Oct 10 to Oct 24

We spent a couple of pleasant days in Hampton. The other cruisers were very friendly - we had a nice evening with Tom and Chris on the catamaran POLAR PACER. We also met some interesting people from Denmark on the boat ULITA. Hampton is a great place to walk around. Not only is the town pretty but they have also painted murals on many of the buildings. The public library is about a mile from the docks, and there is a free art museum next door. Bill commented that the buildings did not appear that old, then we read the historical plaques that are scattered all over town.  Hampton has managed to come out badly in every single war that even came close to its location.  During the Civil War the South burned the entire town to the ground so the North could not take it over.



We left Hampton on Saturday, Oct 16th and headed over to Great Bridge. The short run from Hampton through Norfolk made us have empathy for clothes in a washing machine. The wind was gusting over 30 knots and the seas were the very short steep Chesapeake waves. Adding tugboats, barges, and large ships to the mix made for an interesting day. Happily, after we went through the lock at Great Bridge Scott and Kitty (and a group of other cruisers) had saved us the last space on the free dock. If RONDO was 2 feet longer she would not have fit. Bill did an impressive job of shoe-horning the boat into a very small space. In the afternoon we went to the grocery store with Scott and Kitty and made good use of their new fold up grocery cart to carry the shopping home from the store. Bob and Gail from STAR were also at Great Bridge so we all had dinner together on TAMURE.


On Sunday we headed down the Virginia Cut and anchored out for the night and for the first time this trip inflated the dinghy and rowed over to visit with STAR (Boy have we become marina queens if this is the first time we used the dinghy!).

The next day we tagged along with TAMURE over to Manteo on Roanoke Island where we met some of Scott and Kitty’s friends, Janet and George. Janet not only gave us a professional grade tour of Manteo, but also invited us for dinner.

Tuesday we headed back to the ICW and anchored at Tuckahoe Point, just before the Alligator River-Pungo Canal. The anchorage is in a secluded location in the middle of nowhere and would be very quiet except for the fighter jets doing maneuvers and high speed turns overhead.

Wednesday we headed down the Alligator-River Pungo Canal as the morning mist was rising off the river. We stopped in Bellhaven in the afternoon and walked around then moved over to Pungo Creek to anchor for the night.

Thursday we went to Oriental and anchored next to STAR. TAMURE was at a marina and met up with friends with a car, Pat and Russ from CONSORT. We all went out to eat at a very cool restaurant, the Silos. The restaurant is built inside two old silos. The food was great, the beer was cheap, and the waitress had a good sense of humor about having a large table of cruisers.  Before we went out, in the interest of making new friends and keeping old ones, we decided to "shower". I lean out the companionway into the cockpit and Bill washes my hair.  Halfway through he asked if I was crying or laughing.  I explained I was doing both.  I was crying because he has no feeling in his fingertips and he was pulling my hair out by the roots and it hurt, and laughing because I was thinking of all the people who said they were envious. 

Friday Pat very kindly drove Kitty, Gail, and myself to the Food Lion - 15 miles away. It was a treat not to have to carry groceries and to have a girls day! In the afternoon Bill and I went for a long walk around town and got back to the town dock just in time to catch ULITA’s lines. The best part about cruising is the people you meet, and keep meeting. In the evening we had a pot-luck at the Sail Craft Marina with TAMURE, STAR, CONSORT, and a couple of other people who keep their boat at the marina.

Saturday we had tentative plans to stay in Oriental for the town pig roast, but the day was too beautiful not to use the boat so we headed to Beaufort, NC. The weather was fantastic - blue sky, no clouds, temperatures in the high seventies, lower eighties. As we were approaching Beaufort we started seeing dolphins. A classic old wooden poweboat with lots of varnish passed us with dolphins playing in the bow wake. Wow! In the afternoon we went for a walk around town and saw the wild ponies on Carrot Island.

(No photos - the internet is too slow today).

Cape May, NJ to Hampton, Virginia

Sunday, Oct 10


After a nice afternoon of visiting we returned to the boat. Thank you again Doug and Jackie for your hospitality, laundry and the car!

In the evening we met another cruiser, Roger from JoHee, who is traveling with his cat, Kitty. He invited us over to his boat to share the bottle of blueberry wine that the marina provides. We are looking forward to reading Kitty’s blog and getting the cat’s eye view of cruising.

Monday, Oct 11th.

We had to leave the dock by 11:00, so we anchored by the Coast Guard Base in Cape May harbor and spent a relaxing afternoon resting up as we are going to head straight for Norfolk or Hampton Virginia tomorrow which will be about a 30 hour run.

Tuesday, Oct 12th, and Wednesday, Oct 13th

At midnight flashes of lightning woke us up. When the wind started to pick up we got up to check on the anchor. Our anchor was fine but through the strobe light of the lightning we could see two boats dragging down on us, one to port and one to starboard. The wind was over 30 knots, gusting higher, and the rain was coming in sideways. The boat to starboard missed us by about 15 feet. We are still not sure how the one to port missed our anchor. We were both on deck with the engine running. Luckily both boats were able to get under control before they hit the ruins of the old dock behind us. It was pretty exciting for a few minutes. By 12:30 the storm had passed, everyone was re-anchored, and the rest of the night was peaceful.

We headed out of the Cape May inlet at 5:15 a.m. for an overnight trip to Hampton, Virginia. All day and most of the night the wind was very light and the seas were calm, so we motor sailed (okay, we motored and put the sails up just for the sake of having them up). Around 3:00 in the morning the wind came up, and by the time we got into the Chesapeake in the dark the wind was 15-20 knots and the seas were up. The waves are very steep and square in the Chesapeake. We were very happy to tie up to the Hampton Public Pier around 8:30 a.m., especially since most of the the other boats on the dock are cruisers headed for the Bahamas.

Old Lyme, CT to Cape May, NJ

We had a great couple of days at Rick and Robin’s house. It was great to spend some time with them and with Kyle and Eric. We just missed Kyle’s 18th birthday.


Friday night we went back to the boat. Kind Robin was slightly alarmed at leaving us with the boat jumping around on the dock in the 30 knot winds. Strangely, although from the dock the boat looked like a bucking bronco, it was fairly comfortable below. In the evening we went for a walk along the board walk at Old Lyme, it was very pretty by the marsh, but cold with the wind.

As always, thank you Robin and Rick for your hospitality!

Saturday, Oct 2, 2010

We left Old Lyme and had a nice sail in the afternoon. We ended up in “the gulf” at Milford. When we anchored it was calm and sheltered and the sunset was beautiful. In the middle of the night the wind shifted and we rolled around all night. Very uncomfortable and not a bit restful.

Sunday, Oct 3, 2010

A cloudy and cold day with NE winds 15-20 knots, gusting to 25 with 4 - 6 foot seas. Around noon the sun came out. We decided to go into Norwalk and tie up at the town dock. We usually don’t like to pay for dockage, but after last nights lack of sleep we decided to splurge. Also, I needed to go to a store and find some cold medicine.

Monday, Oct 4, 2010

Brrrr. Very chilly this morning. We don’t have an outside thermometer. Inside the cabin, after using the stove to make coffee it was only 58 degrees. We left the dock in the morning in a cold rain and thought about going into Zeigler’s Cove (just south of Rowayton), it was rough in that cove, so we anchored in the next cove to the north, Scott’s Cove. It was very calm and nice for a change. We were anchored by 10:30 in the morning so we spent a relaxing day reading books. I baked bread in the afternoon.

Tuesday, Oct 5, 2010

Yet another cloudy, rainy, and cold day with plenty of wind. We headed over to Port Washington to spend the night. On the way into the harbor we passed a very old fashioned looking square rigger motoring up the bay.

We anchored at the edge of the mooring field. Just before dinner time a couple of boats came in and picked up moorings fairly close to us. We were just getting ready to raise the anchor and move in case the wind changed so we wouldn’t swing into them when a launch came out to let us know that the yellow mooring ball next to us was free for two nights, so we happily moved over.

Wednesday, Oct 5, 2010

Finally, a mostly sunny day. We started out the day with a nice breakfast of eggs, home fries, and toast. As we pulled out of the harbor we could see the New York skyline in the distance. We had a great ride through New York. We went through Hells Gate with a 15 knot head wind and were still doing 8 knots. Sailing by the Statue of Liberty is spectacular. We anchored for the nights at Atlantic Highlands (Sandy Hook).

Thursday, Oct 6, 2010

We got up at 5:00 a.m. to head down the New Jersey coast. The high speed ferries are alarmingly fast and require keeping a sharp lookout, especially in the dark. Although I don’t particularly like sailing at night seeing the stars and the New York skyline lit up in the distance was impressive. The morning sailing was a bit rough with 20 - 25 knots of wind and 4 - 6 foot seas. In the afternoon the seas knocked down and the wind subsided to 15 - 20 knots. As we were coming into Barnegat inlet a butterfly flew in the lee of the boat for about 5 minutes and the first pelicans that we have seen this year flew by. Now that we are anchored, looking back on the day it was a nice day’s sailing.

Friday, Oct 7, 2010

We had a wonderful sail in the morning. We motorsailed for about an hour to charge the batteries, then as we came alongside a Sabre 30 we shut off the engine and sailed. We were able to sail slightly faster than they did for the rest of the morning which was fun. Mid morning I was at the helm, paying attention to my course, when I saw something out of the corner of my eye. A small bird landed on the tiller a couple of inches from my hand. It startled me, so I screamed like a girl, which startled it, so it flew around the boat and landed again. About an hour later another little bird flew in the boat, then back out. We were listening to the radio and heard a couple of other boats talking and one said they had a bird do the same thing, then a hawk came along and ate the bird. I hope this wasn’t our bird.

Around noon time when we were by Atlantic City the wind shifted onto the nose so we had to make a decision whether or not to go on to Cape May and get in around dark or go into Atlantic City. We decided to motor sail to Cape May. We got in around 7:00, just after sunset.

Saturday, Oct 8

In the morning we discovered that wherever the leak is coming from, it is worse than we had thought.  All of the clothes in my locker were wet.  Our list of boat work is as always growing instead of shrinking.  After pulling out all of the clothes it seems like the leak(s) are probably coming from some combination of one of the chainplates, the rubrail, and/or the dinghy tie down.  When Doug showed up with his car and his generous offer of using their laundry, he may not have realized how generous of an offer this was!  We had a fun day visiting with Doug, Jackie, Tom, Jerri, Kelly, Olivia, and Chloe.

Sunday, Oct 9

 Our boat is at the end of a t-dock where the fishermen hang out.  A man caught a little sand shark - about a foot long and let me pet it before he let it go.

We spent the morning rebedding all of the things that were probably leaking and bailing the water out of the sail locker (the dorade was also leaking...).   All of these chores involved also pulling everything out of every locker and piling it randomly around the boat, then putting it all away again. The joys of boating!  We then ran errands - West Marine, propane, Walmart, etc., then had Philly cheesesteaks for lunch, then went back over to Doug and Jackie's for another visit.  It is a treat being able to catch up with family.