Solomons

Friday June 29
38 19.946N
76 27.434W

Big Day

Yellow X marks the spot

41 miles today - that's a big day, but we wanted to get to Solomons to have Saturday to prepare the boat for visitors. Turns out its a good thing we did not anchor out and came to a dock in a protected area. - there is a giant row of thunder storms heading our way - I am watching it on the radar. It has already knocked the power out in 60,000 residences in the DC area.

Our trip today was rather straight forward - out into the bay and north for 30 miles or so without a navigation change. Now we are in the Chesapeake we are learning to share the sea with big ships as the main channel is over 80' deep, and there are some big ports up north - Baltimore for example. In the last few miles we navigated into the XXX River and then into the creeks that make the inner harbor of the Solomons. We were well protected and secured to a new and solid looking floating dock.

We watched the storm arrive on our radar. There was a line of "purple and red" thunderstorms that was 100 miles long and 50 miles deep, travelling east at 60 MPH. We had stripped the vulnerable parts of the boat and tied down the rest well before it arrived, and a good thing too. When it hit us the wind was from the starboard forward quarter, and it was so strong it made the boat sort of kneel over, forcing it into the dock. I prowled around out side, adding bumpers and catching items as needed. The bar-b-que cover blew off, but I speared it with a boat hook and recovered it. One of the bike bags broke lose, but we could that as it was sliding over the deck. The harbor was a "maelstrom" with boats dragging (we did not see but were told) and furled sails being stripped of fore stays - makes a lot of noise! It was over for us in about 45 minutes. But the damage on land was quite severe - several days later there are still over a million people without power. The dock power only flickered a few times.


Launching the dinghy

Hooking up the hoist

This is quite a procedure so I thought it would be fun to document. It takes us about 30 minutes to launch and to recover, so we tend not to do it unless we are staying in one place more than overnight.

Cover off, hoist connected

Up and out

I get the easy bit

Ingram Bay, Sandy Point

Thursday June 28, 2012
37 49.421 N
76 18.890 W

Another great anchorage - we are starting to like the Chesapeake! Yesterday we made arrangements to spend tonight at a private dock in the Little Wicomico River. When making our float plan we had noticed that the entrance looked a bit dicey, so we called our host to check. He told us "No probs" and so off we went his morning.

First Swim

We arrived at the opening about 3PM and made a valiant attempt to get over the shoal but when the depth under the boat was down to 12" we chickened out. We had called our host several times for "local knowledge" but our calls were going to voice mail. The weather was also deteriorating, as forecast, so we changed plans and headed back south 10 miles to Ingram Bay, where we had back up anchorages. And here we are. Even had a swim.

Bill Mikler has heart surgery today. I feel a long way away. I am sure it will go well. We are waiting for a post op call from Tonni.

Sue and Bruce will join us in the Solomons on Sunday. We are very excited. It will be fun to have friends on board. We had planned to take a slip at the marina for the whole weekend, so we could get prepared, but they are booked till Sunday. So tonight we will make "Plan B".

Deltaville

Tuesday June 26, 2012
37 32.341 N
76 20.077W

We are right in the middle!

We are getting better at finding anchorages. After a rather rough passage, this place is a gem.In fact, its so nice we have decided to stay two nights. This is a satellite image that Bryce sent me. The anchorage is protected from all directions except south - there is about 2 miles fetch from the south, so even that is not too bad. Nice houses with neat lawns all around, a small marina to the west.

Yesterday's passage was a bit bumpy. It was a sunny day, but the wind got up to 20/25 MPH with some stronger gusts. It was a northerly, so we were heading right into it most of the day. I thought Tide Hiker handled it well, though the bow did tend to go "up and down a bit". Deidre did not put on her life jacket, so it could not have been that bad. Biggest problem was that we had "corn on the cob" for lunch and it rolled around in the microwave and then on our plates as we tried to eat it.

Wolf Trap Light

We went past a shoal called "Wolf Trap". (That may not ring any bells in Australia, but it is also the name of a well known outdoor theater here - think "Meyer Music Bowl"). Well, it is originally a shoal in Chesapeake where the British navy ship "Wolf" sank back "in the day" and now the sight of a caisson style light house build in the early 1800's. We did not get too close, and our camera is not too great, but here is a photo.






We will resume our northerly trek in the AM. Our immediate objective is to get to a marina in "The Solomons" by Friday night. Our friends Bonnie and Jon are there, plus we are planning to meet up with Sue and Bruce at the marina on Sunday, and spend a week together on board.

Close the windows!

As previously mentioned, the weather on Tuesday was a bit rough, but Tide Hiker did well. The crew on the other hand......

We have become so comfortable with placid weather over the last few weeks, that we forgot to close the port lights on the bow. They look into the V berth. Deidre popped down to use the jon mid afternoon Tuesday, to discover that "waves are breaking thru the port lights in the bow, and the V berth is sodden!" So first job in Fishing Bay was to drag out all the bedding, the carpet and the clothes in the top drawers to dry in the sun or go into the wash. What a lesson. So today they were screwed down!

Old Yorktown

Sunday June 24, 2012
37 14.037N
76 29.980W

Foot Therapy

My recollection is that some evening a week or ten days ago, Deidre and I were both bitten on the feet and ankles by some aggressive mozzies. It was not much of a deal then, and typically I am not affected much by insect bites, but since then all 4 of our feet have become quite unhappy. We find ourselves tearing at our feet with our nails plus a variety of other implements (such as the scrubbing brush, Brillo pad etc) randomly through day and night. It was getting to the point that I was thinking "medical advice" because our feet were swollen and there seemed to be risk of infection. I  yearned for some clean salt water, and last night in the York River we had that opportunity. So last night and this morning we sat on the swim platform and soaked our sore feet. I feel better today, we will see how we progress from here on.

Sunset

We are currently secured to a mooring ball off the "beach" at old Yorktown. This is a very historical place in the USA - primarily because this was the location of the last and decisive battle with the Brits in the Revolutionary War. It also had a role in the Civil War - probably for the same strategic reason. We arrived about 2 PM, we are "chillin" right now, but when the mood strikes us we will launch the dinghy and go ashore.

It was a calm night and we slept well.





Monday, June 25

We launched the dinghy last night, taking advantage of the calm.

We enjoyed our breakfast on the aft deck and then ventured into town about 10 AM. The Marina Manager (Mike) met us on the dock and we signed in and paid, and he told us all about the town and its facilities. We asked about a drug store, as Deidre needed to refill her prescriptions. Apparently it was a few miles away, but he generously offered to drive us in his personal car. We accepted and Deidre got her pill supply and I did some shopping at the supermarket next door.

Sorting out the outboard

We ran the shopping back to the boat, and a good thing too. In our absence someone had probably "waked us" and as a result the refrig doors had burst open and dumped much of the contents on the floor. We cleaned up and then jumped back into the dinghy to go back to town, only to discover that the starter on the outboard motor was making a terrible noise. So Deidre climbed back on the boat to make lunch and I investigated the noise. Turned out the starter motor mounting was lose and the Bendix gear was not making proper contact with the fly wheel, and just needed to be tightened.


We headed back to town after asparagus tips in fresh bread, washed down with a nice crisp Pino, sitting in the shade on the aft deck. (Retirement is definitely fun.) 

We had noticed that a decent sized warship was coming up the river and surmised that the bridge would have to open. So we stooged around in the dinghy to watch and take some photos. The bridge is the largest opening bridge in the USA. The warship was escorted by a couple of patrol boats, and there was two large tug boats waiting for it at the bridge.

Turned out that there was an ammunition pier just north of the bridge. No smoking!

The town provided a "Lolly the Trolley" for the tourists so we took a ride around the town and the battle fields, visited the Visitor Center (watched a movie) and the Victory Monument, where this photo was taken. The town itself was as neat as a pin, with many buildings dating from the late 1600's and 1700's. We were able to take a photo of Tide Hiker from the bluff. Such a sturdy looking craft!

ADAKY surrounded!

   When we got back to the marina our little dinghy was surrounded by the Coast Guard. We wondered if we had paid too much attention to the war ship, took too many photos? How much trouble were we in? But it looked like there was a storm brewing and we did not want to mess around with the Coast Guard. So we fronted up like we owned the place - turned out they were "in port" for lunch.

We were back at the boat none too soon, because a violent thunderstorm arrived within minutes. The water went from placid to a maelstrom. It really had our attention for about 45 minutes but then it was over. The water is flat as a mill pond again.

We are fortunate that Tide Hiker seems to deal with weather pretty well. Other boats seem to bounce around a lot more that we do. I suspect the fact that she is big and heavy - 35 tons? - helps a lot.

Poquoson River

Saturday June 23, 2012
37 09.165 N
76 24.875 W

The marina manager ("Brian") sought us out yesterday (as we were headed to the super market) to tell us they had just reduced their diesel price 30 cents to $3.359 gallon. They had been really good to us - we had slap up dinners for two nights at the marina restaurant but paid no marina fees - and this was a good price for fuel, so we decided to "fill 'er up". This would be the second time we had filled the tanks, so it would also give me an opportunity to calculate our "fuel economy". We took on 290.256 gallons and I calculated our fuel consumption per hour at 4.38 gph (including generator use). This was a bit disappointing, I had hoped to be somewhere in the "3's".  

First Bridge for the day

We were on our way at 10 AM, targeting the 10:30 AM opening at the next bridge. Talk about a change in scenery - from swamp to commerce, industry and war. The 10 mile cruise through Norfolk and Hampton Roads was busy and very interesting.  This was where many of the convoys assembled during WW 2, and it easy to see why. It is still a huge navel base. 

"Pods" of Destroyers

My goodness we must spend a fortune on the military. The number of ships and facilities in the area is enormous. Talk about the "military-industrial complex". We passed a series of wharves with 4 destroyers per wharf - I counted 16 destroyers in a row. We also saw a large aircraft carrier, a nuclear sub, a whole fleet of "roll-on roll-off" ships from the cold war era, floating docks etc etc. There is not room to put in all the photos. 

Three Roll-on Roll-off ships ready for WW 3

We had to dodge a few ships and barges as we headed through "The Roads" and out towards Chesapeake Bay. There was a fair in a downtown waterfront park and that added a bit of color to all the "Navy gray". It was a sunny day with a bit of a breeze, so the whole experience was pleasant. Once we cleared the main channels we headed North up the East shore of Chesapeake towards the Poquoson River. It was about 15-20 miles and a pleasant ride. We were tucked into a corner in 10-12 feet by 4pm.

The breeze died. It was hot and our feet were itchy. We tried the aft deck for relief in the shade, but it was just too hot. So we closed up the boat and turned on the AC and stayed like that all night.

Aircraft Carrier

Navy floating dock 

Chesapeake City, Virginia

Chesapeake City
36 44.373W
76 17.770W

It's now 4PM on Friday and I have had enough time to recover and update the blog. Today was a good one, but long, hot and challenging at times. Turns out the day's max temperature was an all time record for the date, and we were in a swamp.

Wednesday night we had anchored "behind" Goat Island on the Pasquotank River, a few miles upstream from Elizabeth City. We felt like we were in the Amazon, dark brown water, trees and growth choking the waters edge, lots of water birds and millions of bloody frogs at night. But when you look at the satellite photo, there was plenty of "civilization" close enough. But it did not feel that way Wednesday night. I did not want the boat to sink.

We had the AC on while we had dinner and cleaned up, but I hate the sound of the generator so shut it all down when we went to bed. It cooled off a bit after dark (which is about 8:30PM - today is the longest day of the year up here) and we both had a decent night's sleep. We had to be up a bit earlier next day because we wanted to get to the first lock for the 11.00 AM service. (Next one at 1:30 PM)

Recovering the anchor was a real treat. The chain was 100% coated with black, sticky mud. By the time we had the chain in the locker the fore deck looked like a mud wrestling pitch, and I did not look much better. But we are getting expert at recovering the anchor and we were on our way on schedule.

Having entered the lock

The first lock was fun. The Dismal Swamp canal was dug by slaves, starting in 1793, taking 12 years, and is about 22 miles long. God only knows how many must have died as the canal bisects a swamp.

The locks have been rebuilt 5 times, the current locks were built in the 1930s. The lock tender explained the mooring system he wanted us to follow over the radio as we approached. There was only one other boat in the lock with us (They passed us as we were recovering the anchor earlier that morning.) Tide Hiker and crew passed with flying colors - and with no scratches. The lock lifted us about 8 feet and we were on our way into the old canal.

Into the canal

The water in the canal was like glass and it reflected the trees and scrub that overflowed from the waters edge. At times it was hard for me to see where the surface was. It felt like the boat was suspended in air in a forest. It was quite weird. After we left the lock the channel became quite narrow, maybe as little as 50'. We typically had 2 or 3 feet of water under the keel, but the floor of the channel was choked with waterlogged trees, and every now and again we heard and felt "thump, thump, scrape" as the keel slid over a tree trunk (or worse?).


It was quite interesting for a while. But it was also getting hotter and more humid. Plus there was a speed limit of 5 MPH. Plus the biting bugs were out in force. Deidre stuck it out on the bridge for a while, but then started feeling faint retreated below into the AC. I stuck it out at the helm, cold drink in one hand, fly swatter in the other. We could only travel at 4 or 5 miles per hour because of the speed limit, the obstacles and depth. The hours dragged on. We saw a snake swim across. Enough of the Dismal Swamp! We crossed into Virginia at Mile 17.

We were 30 minutes early for the second lock, so tied up to a bulkhead - no scratches. The lock tender called us when he was ready at about 3:30 PM, and we repeated the process. No scratches. And we were out.

All of a sudden we were transferred from primordial swamp to industrial America. We were alongside a freeway, needed to give way to a barge, concrete plant on one shore, oil refinery on the other....but no bugs... hallelujah! We decided that we needed (and deserved) a marina for the night and found the right deal! At the Top Rack Marina you can work off your dockage ($65, very reasonable) in the restaurant! But as we approached the heavens opened with one of those thunderstorms you experience after a really hot day - it was raining cats and dogs and blowing like a hurricane, just as we arrived. I missed the approach 3 times and had to back off, but the "4th time was a charm", no scratches.

I think she enjoyed getting wet.

Deidre had been directing from the deck and was drenched. This photo does not do here justice. She told me that her nickers were even wet (But maybe from the excitement of my 3 missed approaches?)  I think she was happy because it was the first time she was cool all day.

We enjoyed a great nosh up in the restaurant that night and have decide to stay another day and do the same Friday. (It's great, we did not bring the bathroom scales with us!)

Friday June 22

The marina seems to be in an industrial area. There is a cement plant across the river and a lot of barge traffic. The nearest super market was a few miles away so we called them and they agreed to pick us up. The larder was down peanut butter on crackers. (And we both needed something for the bites on our feet!) We spent $250 at the market, but got a newspaper!

Our marina was primarily a dry storage marina, and we were moored right next to where they launched and recovered the boats. It was fun to watch. The lift trucks were enormous and lifted quite large boats in and out of the water with ease.

It rained cats and dogs again on Friday night, and this time the wet weather lasted several hours. Most of that time we were back in the restaurant spending our $75.00 on lobster bisque, crab cakes, a nice dry Italian Pino and fresh bread. All right!

Goat Island

Wednesday June 20, 2012
36 20.771 N
76 13.527 W

We are anchored at Goat Island on the Pasquotank River - at least for now. So far this afternoon we have tried to stay at a marina, a free dock and attempted to anchor 3 times. And I scratched the boat. We are hoping that this "third try is a charm". Its bloody hot, so we have a generator running and the AC blasting. Let's hope this anchorage lasts. I have my doubts, the bottom felt very soft and gooey.

We had a good night's sleep on the Alligator River. Following the usual morning routine we were underway at about 9:30 AM and through the swing bridge into the Albermarle Sound within the hour. The "crossing" took about three hours and then another couple of hours up the Paspoquank River to Elizabeth City.

Elizabeth City has the reputation as being cruiser friendly. The city provides a bunch of free docks for cruisers to use and arranges regular "wine and cheese" dock parties for the crews. Some times even the mayor comes down to visit the cruisers and free rides can be arranged for shopping trips etc. All sounded great.

We had a look at the free docks and were not too impressed as they looked small and we would need to back in. So we decided to try a "very reasonably" priced and "friendly" marina. We called them on the radio and they guided us to a slip. Well, it turns out a 35' boat might have been secure, but our baby's big ass was hanging out into the river and there was no way for us to get off the boat. Just crazy, and just not for us. So we excused ourselves and backed out "no hard feelings". It was tight, and I hit a pylon backing out. Shit, scratch #1.

So we headed back over to the free city slips. There was a bulkhead that looked OK, so in we went. There was no one there to meet us, so we were planning to put the boat alongside - the wind was in our favor - and I was going to jump ashore to take lines. The wind was blowing us in, so I figured it would work. Well, it did not, and I scratched the boat again.

Anchoring was the next choice. We went thru the lifting bridge and tried to anchor in the pool next to the bridge. It dragged. So we headed further up rived to another spot. We dropped the anchor twice and it dragged both times. Each time we recover the anchor ii came up covered in slime, so has to be hosed off each time. Our deck was looking like a building site. So we tried this spot and so far so good, but I am not convinced. Fingers crossed that the wind does not get up during the night.

There is another issue. Apparently the area is renowned for underwater tree stumps that grab anchors. So we have to drop the anchor with an extra line on a float that is attached to its head. If the anchor gets caught on a stump, the idea is to use the extra line to pull it out backwards. That's the theory.

Other than all the drama - its a beautiful spot. We could be in the Amazon. No sign of civilization, just water, big trees and deep and dark looking water. Its hot and still.

Tomorrow we are off to the Dismal Swamp - and our first lock!

Alligator River, NC

Tuesday June 19, 2012
35 50.594N
75 59.279W

At the end of the man made canal we entered the Alligator River and after a few tight turns it opened up to a wide featureless bay that was open on the north end but with a large long viaduct and and opening bridge that gave access into Albermarle Sound. It was too late to venture into the Sound so we just turned East towards the shore and dropped the anchor.

We were not  looking for shelter as there is just zero wind and nothing in the forecast. First impression - wow, is it HOT and HUMID. The water is as flat as a pancake. We have seen one little boat - otherwise not a person. There must be an air base around here as we constantly hear jet aircraft. Its just a matter of time before we fire up a gen and turn on the AC. Or just get into the fridge.

Old Cyprus stumps

We had left Belhaven about 9:30AM and dropped anchor here about 3:30PM. Most of the day we were in a dreary man made canal thru a large Cyprus swamp. There were lots of tree stumps poking thru the water towards the edges, so we were very careful to keep in the middle. For most of the day we had no phone or internet signal.

About 6PM a thunderstorm blew past us a couple of miles to our west. The wind came up and it was quite refreshing. We rigged the boat in anticipation of getting wet, but it never rained. We watched the  thunderstorm slide past us a few miles to the west.

Tomorrow we will spend the night in Elizabeth City, "Gateway to the Dismal Swamp Canal". Apparently it is a nice place for a night

Belhaven

Sunday June 17
35 31.890N
76 37.376W

We took our time getting organized this morning but even so we had the engines running and were off the dock by about 9:15AM. We immediately headed for the channel, but there was a big fat ferry right in the way, so we backed off and did a few laps of the anchorage until the ferry was out of the way.

The wind was still blowing from the North, but not so bad. The first few miles were a bit rolly (Deidre retired to the couch feeling a little strange) but half way across everything had settled down, and when we were in the lee of XXX peninsula, it was smooth sailing.

Belhaven from anchorage

Arrived at the Belhaven anchorage at about 3:30PM and dropped the anchor. It is very sheltered here, even if there was a wind, and there is not a breath. After we did our various "we are at anchor jobs" we popped on the TV - lo and behold we have about 10 channels, including the US Open Golf. Its also very quiet, and Deidre loves that. So it will be a relaxing evening. The internet connection is also decent, so I will upload some of the Ocracoke photos.

Tomorrow we have lots of ICW to cover.


Monday, June 18, 2012

Breakfast on the aft deck

We have decided to stay for the day. What's the hurry? Our friends in Ocracoke told us "The museum is a must see" and "The bakery is to die for!" How can we resist?

So we had breakfast on the aft deck and took it easy. We had the dinghy in the water by about 11AM and headed to town. We found a spot where we could tie up and get out, right next to the hospital.

We were immediately underwhelmed. We walked into "the center of town" to find a place that the freeway seemed to have passed. There were only a couple of shops open, but one was "the bakery" so we gave it a try. Couple of stale buns later we were back on the street.

Hey, where is my walker?

The Museum was closed till 1PM so we tried the only other place "The Senior Center" (We had detected a wifi signal from the bakery next door. This had potential!) Since I was now 65 years old, I felt right at home. The wifi was OK, so we did some emailing and I spent an hour downloading charts. We made a donation on our way out and headed for the museum.

The museum did not open! We gave up at 1:15PM and headed back to the boat for a longer cocktail hour.

For a moment, this gave us hope. What a shame nothing in the town resembled the cool little sign.





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Ocracoke

Tuesday, June 12, 2012
35 06.931 N
75 59.170 W

We were underway by 7:30AM today. We had a 5 hour run across Palminco Sound ahead of us, and the weather was scheduled to worsen as the day wore on, so we wanted to beat the weather, and have daylight up or sleeve if we had to beat a retreat. Palminco Sound is large and shallow, and therefore tends to discomfort as the wind picks up, and the harbor at Ocracoke (called Silver Lake) has only limited space. If we could not find a dock or anchorage, we would have to leave and make our way back.

Swan Quarter

All ended up well. As expected the wind picked up as we made our way across, but Tide Hiker took it all in her stride. We could see a big series of thunder storms ahead of us, working from south to north, but we were slow enough to let them pass across our bow. We did retreat below to the RPH in anticipation of a deluge that did not eventuate. The channel for the last 2 or 3 miles into the harbor was tight and windy, and a bit of a navigation challenge, but all that went well until a radio call  "Tide Hiker, Tide Hiker, this is the ferry SWAN QUARTER on your stern". Deidre climbed the stairs and looked behind: "Robert, there is a bloody big ship coming in our back door". It was the ferry, and they asked nicely if we would get out of the way and let them thru. We were happy to oblige.

The Schooner

We wanted to dock at the National Park Service dock but we could not find it. The harbor was quite tight and we were driving around the perimeter searching as the wind started to build. In frustration, I got on the radio and basically asked "Does anyone know where the NPS dock is located?" Interestingly, the captain of the ferry boat responded and gave us some landmarks that helped us find it.

It turned out to be a series of fixed docks (floating docks are preferred) and it is inexpensive ( because we qualify for a seniors discount of 50%!) but there is no dock side assistance, and the wind was still howling (well, "brisk" may be more accurate).

We spotted what turned out to be a youth training schooner parked opposite, and as we approached downwind at 100 MPH, Deidre yelled to the kids "HELP". Within seconds there was a stream of teenagers on the way and in we came. They were keen, but not very experienced. Deidre hurled the lines ashore and they grabbed them and tide then to just about anything they could find. That day I learned NEVER to give a bow line to anybody on a dock.

We quickly decided that Okra-coke looked like a great place for a couple of days. Smokey the Bear came down to the boat with in an hour of arriving (Where was he when we needed him?) and we paid up for two days. By the look of the forecast we maybe here a bit longer. The dockage is a great deal - we get a 50% discount because we are both over 62 yo! So its about $32 per day, which is a deal.

We went out for dinner at the Jolly Roger. Deidre's comment: "Just what Robert likes.... down by the water and grotty." I promised "table cloths" next night out.

Wednesday June 13, 2012

I assembled the bikes and we toured the town. Its a small place (700 permanent residents) but there are lot of visitors in the summer. We took our mail to the Post Office and then did some grocery shopping at the only place in town. Deidre was able to find about 60% of her list.

The forecast is not looking very good so we expect to stay longer, maybe 'till the weekend. Suites me, I like the place. The only bad thing is the internet service - there seems to be just enough band width for emails and text, but not enough for photos. I have tried several times, but adding photos to the blog just crashes the service.

The harbor was just a flood prone creek till WW 2. Then it was dredged and became a navy base, dealing with the U-boats on the east coast. The Brits sent some ships over to help. One of those was sunk and several of the crew were buried here. One street is called "British Cemetery St" and we visited the cemetery. It is very nicely done, with Union Jack, and maintained by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission.

We went out to dinner at Dajio tonight, and it was very nice - table cloths and all.

Thursday June 14, 2012

Our spot next to the Ferry Terminal

The wind is really picking up now. I added extra lines to the boat, including one from the bow all the way to the head of the dock. The wind is "on our starboard quarter" and tends to push the nose onto the dock on the Port side. I hope the special bow line will take off some pressure. We have two fenders at the point of contact, but it must be hard on the boat. We hear it creaking all night.

A young couple arrived on a sail boat. After they settled in we invited them over for a beer. They are newly married, about 30 years old, well educated and treating life as an adventure. We chatted for a couple of hours - it was fun. Deidre made roast dinner - was better than both restaurant meals. We watched a movie (there is virtually no TV reception) and went to bed listening to the wind.

Friday June 15, 2012

Big project today is to change the oil in both main engines. Deidre came down and helped. Messy business, but done now. Not cheap either, both engines take $75 of oil each.

After dinner we wandered into town for a cup of coffee. Lo, we came across the "National Ladies Arm Wresting Championship" at one of the local spots. They had a decent crowd (75??) and the event was covered by the local radio station and supervised by the fire department. It seemed quite fun. We watched a couple of heats, then moved on.

Bill (Mikler) had a heart catheter procedure today that was not successful. Apparently he needs open heart surgery that will be performed in a few weeks. Not much fun!

Saturday June 16, 2012

Fresh Fish for Dinner

We rented a golf cart today to do the shopping. The little market is a bit limited, but we managed to get the essentials. After off loading the groceries into the boat we used the cart to explore the rest of the town. On the way home we stopped at the local "Fishing Co-op" and bought dinner. Followed by a quiet afternoon, reading and listening to the wind blow.

Saturday night we went out to a nice restaurant with the young couple from the boat next door. (They were really fun - about Kylie's age, her dad was younger than me!) Turned out our waitress had been one of the finalists the night before.

South River Anchorage

Monday June 11, 2012
34 55.954 N
76 34.256

This is a great transit anchorage - wide, sheltered, good holding, pleasant scenery and reliable depth. But virtually zero internet access (I am typing this in Ocracoke) and definitely no water activities - the water is murky and there is a lot of jelly fish.

We did not leave Lookout Cape till after lunch. We wanted to pick up mail in Morehead City, and our package of mail was not expected at the marina till about 1PM, so we took our time. We radioed the marina on the way in and were told "Your mail package has just arrived". So all we had to do was nudge the boat up to the face dock and one of the helpers passed it to Deidre. Its fun getting the mail, even if it is all just bills!

A few minutes later we were back on the ICW heading for the Neuse River. We had picked out a couple of possible anchorages with the South River as the furthest. The day was calm and we made good time so we just keep running and ended up here by about 5PM. The south wind had picked up (and was forecast to continue) so we nosed into the wind towards the northern shore and dropped the hook. Deidre gave me some chicken to grill and I enjoyed the peace and tranquility of the river while on the boat deck.

Cape Lookout

Saturday, June 09, 2012
34 37.489 N
76 32.822W

Now this is what I signed up for! We are out of the ICW with its brown water and muddy bottoms, and now looking at calm blue water and sandy beaches in this wonderful anchorage. Deidre has the crock pot on with dinner simmering and filling the boat with wonderful aromas. We just had a couple "pop over" from another boat and spent an hour or so telling stories. In a few minutes we will drop our dinghy in the water and go exploring the beach, maybe walk over to the Atlantic side or visit the lighthouse. We think we will stay till Monday. This is IT! We are going to stay for two nights, and return to Morehead on Monday afternoon to pick up mail.

The anchorage is "inside" the tip of Cape Lookout, which is the most southerly tip of the Cape Hatteras peninsula. It seems the prevailing winds and currents have curled the sandy tip of the cape into an almost complete circle, and the anchorage is in the "eye" of that circle. The water is about 15' deep and the bottom is heavy sand - just perfect.

That afternoon we launched the dinghy and went ashore. As usual I was not thinking, so when we approached the shore Deidre asks "What now?" I responded "When its about 2' deep you jump over the side and pull us in, so that I can attend to the motor". This seemed to take her a bit by surprise, and she had a few points to make such as "I am not in my swimmers" and "I have the camera and phone in my pocket" and etc. But she did, and we pulled the dinghy onto the sand. Then she asks "What if the tide goes out while we are walking?" and "Do we have an anchor?" and "How are we going to get back into the dinghy?" I must admit, I really do not like complications, but I promised to do better next time. We went for a walk along the beach (And I spent the whole time worrying about the tide going out and not being able to drag the beast back into the water. But it all worked fine.

Saturday night we watched TV. We only get broadcast TV, and as we drift around we gain and lose channels, which can be frustrating. So we see 1/2 of a lot of shows (but we have seen most of them before, so we know the beginning or the end, as needed.)

Sunday we had visitors again (boy, these cruisers can talk) and then took the dinghy over to the beach near the lighthouse. This time we had a procedure, and we looked like champs (Who was watching?) but I did not get thru unscathed. When Deidre attempted to take some photos of the lighthouse, I had to confess that I had removed the memory chip and it was back at the boat......

After having a look at the lighthouse we walked over to the ocean side (the "back beach")

Back at the boat, we spent an hour or so getting all 225 feet of chain out of the chain locker, and giving the chain locker a hose out. That night we slept well, with 200 plus feet of chain in 20' of water.

Morehead City, NC

June 8, 2012
34 43.293N
76 42.280W

"Is that light flashing? Or is it the sun?"

We were out of bed at about 7:30AM this morning and underway within a few minutes. I recovered the anchor in my pajamas. When we arrived last night there were 7 boats in the anchorage, when I woke up we were the only boat! Obviously the other 6 boats knew something we did not, and so were are outa there! (We had heard thru the grapevine that sometimes the marines actually closed the ICW for live fire exercises!)  That was not the case today, but it turned out to be a decent decision because there was a turning bridge about 5 miles ahead that only opened on the hour. We were roaring along at out "fast cruising speed" of about 8 kts, with the bridge in sight about a mile away at 8AM, so I radioed the tender and asked if he would hold the bridge. The response was "No rush" - turned out  this was "the slowest bridge on the ICW" and it took about 5 minutes to open and 5 to close, and so we "sailed thru" not losing a minute.

It was a pleasant sunny day, so I sat up on the bridge in the warm morning sun while Deidre hustled up some breakfast. For the next 10 miles or so we were serenaded by the continuing marine artillery practice, till we left the base area behind us.

Barely a ripple

It was a perfect day, lots of sun and barely a ripple in the water. We were planning to join our new friends, Bonnie and John Bryant, at a marina in Moorhead City - just across the river from Beaufort, NC, about 34 miles away. We made good time and arrived about 1PM. They were waiting for us and had arranged a 50' space behind their boat on a face dock. Turns out they were not kidding about 50' - our boat is 49' 8" long and so we had about 2" spare at each end. Our anchor was just about poking into their cockpit - in the morning I was able to clean the ICW mustache off our bow from their swim platform!.

SFB at Moorhead City Yacht Basin

Immediately after arriving we enjoyed cocktails on their cockpit (shaded by our bow) and then went into town for dinner. The marina population was dominated by very nice and expensive Sport Fishing Boats. They were all gone before we woke up next morning. Jon and Bonnie were heading North next day, Deidre and I were planning to explore the area, so we parted ways again about 10 AM Saturday.

One Mile Hammock

Thursday June 7, 2012
34 33.049N
77 19.433W

Today was a "big day", 9 hours and 65 statute miles. This was not our intention but just the way it worked out.   Tonight we are parked in a "lake" that was dredged during WWII so that the marines could practice loading and unloading troop ships without going out into the nearby Atlantic, where the German U-boats were a threat.. The "lake" is a small part of Camp LeJeune which is a large Marine Base. Tomorrow we will start early and expect be in the Beaufort area after lunch.

Look out behind!

We were underway by about 9:15AM and headed NE up the Cape Fear river. There is a "real" shipping channel up the river and soon enough we were being overtaken by a large freighter. We kept out of his way and let him pass. After about 10 miles of the river, we took a cut over to the coast and resumed the familiar ICW routine. Except, that in NC the bridges all seem to open only once per hour. To lose an hour at a bridge is frustrating and awkward, so the whole day turned out to be an exercise in catching the bridges.

I think he has "Rght of way"

We were thinking we would anchor for the night a little South of Wrightsville Beach, but we were running with the tide and "Tide Hiker" was living up to its name as we "raced" along at 10 plus knots! Then it was 12:55 PM and the Wrightsville Bridge was opening in front of me and I just could not resist the temptation to sail right thru, and thereby Plan I went out of the window. The next bridge was at "Figure of 8 Island" just 6 miles away, and now we were fighting the tide, so that was just perfect and we sailed thru it. Which left all of our planned anchorages behind us, and the only feasible solution was to continue to One Mile Hammock. Oh well. The benefit is that we are now only a day from Beaufort "Gateway to the Outer Banks". We seem to be at the start of a favorable weather pattern, which may give us our chance to venture out into the Atlantic and maybe go to Cape Lookout for a night. We will see.

One Mile hammock turned out to be a poor anchorage, I would not chose it again. But it was a clear and cool evening, with a great sunset. I got to see the sunset from the boat deck where I was grilling our dinner.

South Port, NC

Wednesday, June 6
33 54.973N
78 01.395W

The "Southport Provision Company"

I am sitting here feeling like a total idiot. We are docked at a free "bar-restaurant" slip. (The deal is that if you buy dinner at the place you can stay overnight. It's not what you would call "fancy" - no table cloths, plastic chairs and tables, and probably a lot of fried food.) But that is not the issue. The issue is that I totally botched the docking because I forgot to disengage the auto pilot before I started to maneuver, and so (not surprisingly) the boat just fought me every step of the way as I tried to back in, and I missed the approach every time until Deidre said "Are you sure the syncro and auto pilot are off?". Damn! But even then, I was so discombobulated that I messed it up several times in a row. Oh well, I hope Tide Hiker can forgive me.

South Port is basically at "Cape Fear", like in the movie, but on the inside. We left North Myrtle beach this morning at about 8:15AM (after a great sleep, back in our own bed) and were here by about 2PM. We had left early because if this free dock had not worked out, we would have needed to steam another 15 odd miles to get to a documented anchorage. So, after we had tied up (and I dared to show my face) we went ashore and had a couple of beers in the restaurant, and then went for a stroll around town.

The trip from North Myrtle beach had been uneventful. It basically rained all the way, and was cold. After an hour or so, Deidre convinced me to move inside and run the boat from the RPH. She immediately rewarded me with hot soup (chicken and rice), buttered bagel and coffee for lunch. Not a bad deal. We used the "remote" automatic pilot and so I could sit on the RPH bench seat and watch the rain on the windshield, and steer the boat in the warm. (Next time I have to remember to turn the bloody thing off!)

Barefoot Marina

Sunday June 3, 2012
33 48.083 N'
78 44.874 W

We have been told that the ride from the Georgetown to Myrtle Beach is one of the best on the ICW. The ICW is really the Waccamaw river and it winds thru a large Cyprus swamp. The water is virtually "tannin black" (I flushed and flushed the salt water toilet  until I realized it was not dirty - just the color of the "sea" water). The osprey nests are a feature, often on the tops of the channel markers, and often with nesting birds in place. It was a perfect morning, sunny and calm.

Greg Norman "An Australian Grill"

We only had about 20 miles to run, and so we were all tied up at our new home by about 1:30PM. The marina is called "Barefoot Marina" and is part of a whole "Barefoot" tourist and retail development. (We are across the water from Greg Norman's "An Australian Grill". We thought we might have dinner there till we saw the "Australian prices"). The kids went off to the pool for the afternoon and Deidre and I took the time to do a bit of a cleanup.

Connor

After the kids returned, we let them "help" us launch the dinghy and then went exploring across the river.We found a bungee jump for Connor, who was totally fearless and entertained us with his aerial antics. Followed by a pizza restaurant and dinner and the dinghy back over the ICW to Tide Hiker.

Deidre and Fiona

Next day we took a cab to a "put-put" course (Myrtle Beach is the put-put capital of the world) and then to the beach. Deidre made sweet and sour chicken for lunch. It was a good day.

The kids returned to Houston on Wednesday. Kylie drove up to Barefoot from the IOP in the morning to pick them up and drive them back to the Charleston Airport. It was quite a squeeze in her little car.

Osprey River Marina

June 2, 2012
33 40.877 N  79 02.465W

In Osprey Marina

This is a "cute little marina" dug out of the cyptus forest that happens to have the best diesel fuel price in the region. I had been pricing fuel since arriving in Charleston, and this was the best, so it went onto our itinerary. We arrived about 3PM and went straight to the fuel dock and told the man "fill her up". Much to my surprise she only took 410 gallons, when I was expecting at least 600. Now I am a bit unsure about Tide Hiker's total capacity.

We had made a reservation for the night and was allotted slip C22 which was really a 40' dock, which meant I really had to back her in. There was about 50' space between the end of the slip and the forest canopy, so I had to push the bow into the trees to make the reverse turn. It all ended happily.

Osprey nest

The run north from the Butler anchorage was very pleasant and uneventful. David has a new fancy camera and so got some great shots of the Cyprus swamp and some of the innovative Osprey nests.

Butler Island

June 1, 2012
33 25.580N
79 12.357W

Tide Hiker at Georgetown

Georgetown is a dozen miles north of the Santee, and is a pleasant coastal town (with a small steel mill and a paper mill) and was the target for lunch. It has a quaint "old town" on the river harking back to the sail boat era with an interesting water front and plenty of free places to tie up. We arrived about Noon and let the kids lose. Also, Deidre had a little shopping to do (milk and juice) and I wanted to visit the bank, and we thought a break from the boat would be good for everyone.

Sunset

About 4 PM we headed out again, intending to anchor behind Butler Island about 10 miles north. Just about then a change blew in with some strong winds, and that had me a bit nervous. But the anchorage was a beauty, with lots of deep protected water and lots of room. When we arrived it was blowing from the south-west - nothing serious, maybe 20 mph with gusts to 30 mph, but Deidre and I did a good job getting the anchor down

It turned into a perfect evening. The rain settled the wind down to zero, and after the rain passed the water was dead calm and slate gray. David and I sat on the aft deck with a Tequilla Sunrise and soaked in the ambiance. Nice, it cannot get much better than this.

I decided (since I am the captain!) that we could all sleep without air conditioning, which we did, but seems like it was a mistake as some people did not sleep very well that night. Lesson learned!