Enjoying Christmas with Family
We are spending the holidays with family and friends. Postings to the blog will be few until we return to Foreign Affair and continue our journey. Best wishes to all.
Waxing and Ortho Appointment
Dwayne continued to wax the boat (will it ever end?). The afternoon was spent at the doctor and hospital. Surgery went well and the wound is looking good. Doctor gave Carla instructions on what she needs to do before her next visit in a few weeks. After the doctor's exam, we went to Flagler Hospital to get copies of her x-rays and medical record so these can be included in the records maintained by her primary care doctor. Now, it is wait for the healing process to do its magic.
A Day at the Hospital
We drove the marina courtesy car to Flagler Hospital to have Carla's leg examined by an orthopedic surgeon. It was decided she needed to have surgery to repair the damage done from her fall. She was admitted to Flagler Hospital in the afternoon and surgery was scheduled for the evening. All went well and she should be released the day after surgery. Recovery is expected to be 8 to 12 weeks.
Waxing and Waiting
Dwayne finished waxing the port side of the boat. Carla spent most of the day cleaning the cockpit and reading. It was another warm day in the 70s but mostly cloudy with some brief periods of sunshine. Both of us were tired by the end of the day. Work and warm weather just take it out of us.
Waxing the Hull
Dwayne spent most of the day waxing the hull. It takes a lot longer than one would think when you have to do it from a dinghy. Carla soaked up some sun while reading in the cockpit. The weather continued to be super - sunny and mid 70s. We watched the Packers beat Dallas in one of the better games of the season for the Packers. Overall, a very productive and relaxing day.
Holiday Boat Parade
Like many cities on the Florida coast, St. Augustine has its holiday boat parade. Several of the boats from Camachee Cove Marina participated. One went out as a Christmas tree with green light strings forming the tree with blue and white lights illuminating the star at the tree's top. Another boat went out with Santa, a snow man and some dolphins. We thought the most attractive was the sailboat with the rail covered with beautiful blue lights representing the sea and dolphins leaping at the bow. Pictures do not capture how beautiful these marvelous boats looked in the dark of night.
Removing the Moustache
We are on a facing dock at the main entrance to the marina. Our neighbors are all hard at work cleaning and polishing. Foreign Affair looks neglected and stands out with her ICW moustache. Wanting to be a good neighbor and not appear to be the local derelict, we spent the day cleaning Foreign Affair. Carla worked on the deck and cockpit. Dwayne worked deck down cleaning the hull and removing the ICW moustache. The moustache is the result of tannins in the waters of Virginia and the Carolinas. Fortunately, FSR (Fiberglass Stain Remover) does a pretty good job of removing the moustache.
Camachee Cove Marina
The pump-out boat showed up at 0900 and we emptied our holding tank prior to going into Camachee Cove Marina. Next, we moved the outboard from the dinghy to the motor mount in the cockpit where it will be stored until after the holidays.
Once again, we slipped our mooring to make the 1130 Bridge of Lions opening. "Slack" for the Camachee Cove Marina entrance was 1300. Bridge of Lions does not open between noon and 1300. So, we had to make the 1130 opening or miss "slack" by the 30 minutes it takes to get from Bridge of Lions to Camachee Cove. Il Nostro Sogno, another of our rally boats, passed through the bridge with us as they had to get their boat to a boat ramp north of the bridge.
Cleaning and Boat Handling
We spent the day cleaning and polishing Foreign Affair. She didn't get Carla's usual TLC on the way south. As a result, we have a lot of work to do to bring her back to pre-rally condition.
We slipped our mooring in time to make the 1130 Bridge of Lions opening so we could head north to practice our boat handling skills in preparation for entering Camachee Cove Marina. This marina lies perpendicular to the Tolomato River and just north of the ocean inlet to St. Augustine. As a result, the current can get very strong at the marina entrance and makes getting into the marina very challenging at times. We arrived at the entrance about a half hour before slack tide and made several practice approaches to the marina entrance. This is the first marina I have heard of which has its own day markers and a range to help a skipper gauge the approach to the harbor entrance. The current is significant even at "slack" and there is still water immediately inside the breakwater which complicates the situation further. You have to keep your bow into the current, go fast and be ready to correct your over-steering to compensate for the current and cut your speed so you don't run aground at the shoaled area behind the breakwater. We spent about an hour and a half practicing boat handling in the current.
St. Augustine Wanderings
We did laundry and spent the day wandering about the St. Augustine colonial historic district. The Spanish settled in St. Augustine 450 years ago. Many of the buildings in the colonial historic district are hundreds of years old. The streets have for the most part maintained their original orientation. They are very narrow and many are cobble stoned. Among the sites preserved is the oldest wooden school house in the United States and the Castillo. It was a sunny, pleasant day. We ate lunch at the Mill Top Tavern which is a roof-top restaurant on top of the old mill. It was a good day of relaxation.
Farewell to Tom and Christina
We had a farewell lunch with Tom and Christina. Tom did a marvelous job helping the Rally Fleet stay on the move by troubleshooting boat problems and taking care of repairs when he could or offering advice on how to get something fixed when he couldn't. They will be leaving St. Augustine tomorrow and heading further south. Hopefully, we will meet again at some anchorage or marina in the future.
SAIL Sailing South Seminar
SAIL Magazine sponsored the "Sailing South Seminar" and those of the SAIL ICW Rally remaining in St. Augustine attended to learn more about sailing to the Florida Keys, Dry Tortugas, Bahamas, Cuba, and Caribbean.
Hard Blowing Nor'easter St. Augustine Moorings
We are in the grip of a strong Nor'easter with winds in the upper twenties and gusts into the thirties. All the boats on moorings are rocking and rolling. There are whitecaps in the harbor and rigging is singing. Waves outside the St. Augustine Inlet are 8 - 10 feet.
We decided not to dingy in for the final SAIL ICW Rally briefing because of the high winds and waves. We had a rough day on the boat and did not get much sleep. The winds blew hard all night. We know what is meant by the phrase: "shiver me timbers". Strong gusts shook the mast so hard it caused it to tremble and the rigging to groan. The forecast is no change for at least two more days.
Pirates in St. Augustine
We dinghied in to do laundry and take showers early in the morning while the harbor was relatively calm. A nor'easter is beginning to make life more challenging. Winds increased all day long and were blowing steadily in the high teens and low 20s by the time we had to leave for the St. Augustine Cruisers Net monthly happy hour get-together which was held at the Frida Taqueria & Tequilla Bar. Over 100 cruisers showed up and we had a great time learning about the pirates who periodically came to St. Augustine's to pillage and burn down the city. The food was fantastic and the pirates were boisterous and braggadocious.
St. Augustine Cruisers Net "Think and Drink"
We moved Foreign Affair to a mooring ball and spent the day cleaning her. Carla worked deck up and Dwayne sat in the dinghy working on the hull. It is going to take some time and effort to get all the ICW mustache off bow. The boat was not getting the same high level of care as usual while Carla was away. The maintenance project list is a long one. We want to get as much done before we head home for the holidays.
St. Augustine Day 2
Dwayne spent the day walking to the marina where we will have our work done on the engine. He confirmed our reservations and completed the work order. On the way, he discovered a full size replica of Michelangelo's sculpture, David, located outside the Ripley's Believe It or Not Museum. It was made from marble quarried at the same site as that of the original and sculpted in full scale. It was a pleasant surprise. Even the copy is marvelous.
Pine Island to St. Augustine
We spent a very quiet night on anchor at Pine Island with Valiant and Full Circle. The first of the SAIL Rally fleet passed our anchorage as we weighed anchor. It was only 12 miles to St. Augustine. Our goal was to make the 1130 opening of the Bridge of Lions so as to arrive at the St. Augustine Municipal Marina near slack tide. Those of us who anchored at Pine Island missed the opening by just few minutes and we had to wait an hour for the next opening. We still got in with little interference from the current and not much later than the rest of the fleet.
Fernandina Beach to Pine Island Anchorage
It was a bright sunny day and easy passage from Fernandina Beach to our anchorage behind Pine Island about 9 miles north of St. Augustine. The farther south we go the more populated the area. Homes line many miles of the ICW and boat traffic is increasing. We had our daily dolphin sighting; however, we did not come across any manatees. Some of the other boats in the fleet got some good pictures of a manatee near Beach Marina. We got in early and can sleep late tomorrow waiting for slack tide in St. Augustine so we can dock with minimal current.
Fernandina Historic District
Dwayne spent much of the day touring the Fernandina Beach Historic District. Most of the buildings on main street and nearby homes date from the period between 1855 and 1915. The historic district is a 50 block area located at the north end of Amelia Island and recognized on the National Register of Historic Places.
Carla did laundry and attacked the mildew appearing on Foreign Affair. The humid, warm air is promoting mildew and becoming a problem on many of the boats in the fleet. The smell of bleach and vinegar is common on the docks.
Shopping in Pajamas and Fort Clinch
When we went down Centre Street to do some grocery shopping in the morning, we found the street bustling with activity and discovered many of the shoppers in the historic district were in their pajamas. It has become customary for the stores to offer big discounts to those shopping in their pajamas on Black Friday. Everyone seemed to be having a great time and there was no shoving or scrambling for the limited offers like at the big box stores.
Thanksgiving in St. Marys
Most of the SAIL Rally members headed to St. Marys for the 15th Annual Cruisers Thanksgiving Dinner at the century old Riverview Hotel and Seagle's Saloon. Somewhere between 150 and 200 cruisers showed up and brought food to give thanks for the wonderful lives we enjoy afloat. The turkeys and hams are prepared by the people of St. Marys and the rest is pot luck sides and desserts from the cruisers. Needless to say, it was a wonderful meal and plenty of food for all.
St. Simons Island to Fernandina Beach
We departed St. Simons Island at slack tide; however, the wind was really blowing hard and made getting off the dock a slight challenge. Fortunately, Chick, the dockhand, gave us very detailed instructions on how to use the wind and current to turn the boat around and safely get out of the marina. The winds grew steadily from the low teens to high teens and low twenties. We cinched down the dinghy and everything below was stowed to minimized damage as we knew the waves in the sounds would be building through the day.
St. Simons Island by Bicycle
We toured St. Simons Island by bicycle. Our fist stop was a tabby house built in 1805 which was formerly inhabited by slaves working on Retreat Plantation. It is one of eight houses originally located on the site. Today it is a gift shop. Our next stop was the old Coast Guard Station. When it was built during the 1930s it was only a few hundred yards from the beach. Now, the beach is over 1/4 mile away and still moving seaward. Today, the Coast Guard Station is a museum dedicated to educating its visitors on life in the Coast Guard particularly during the 1930s and 1940s. It also provides information on the formation of barrier islands, the plants and animals which inhabit these islands.
St. Simons Island
St.S imons Island is one of Georgia's "Golden Isles". We walked into St. Simons Island Village. The village is located in the shadow of the St. Simons Island Lighthouse. There is a great pier for viewing the surrounding waters and Jekyll Island across the sound. We climbed to the top of the lighthouse which is still functioning today. It contains a museum and furnishings from the late 19th and early 20th centuries typical of what would have been found in the light house of that era. The village is filled with boutique shops and restaurants which cater to the tourists and golfers. The island has several beautiful golf courses.
Wahoo River Anchorage to St. Simons Island
After a very quiet night at anchor, we left the Wahoo River at 0830 bound for St. Simons Island. We were not sure we'd make it as we had to wait for the tide to give us a boost through the Little Mud River which is only 3 feet deep in parts at low tide. Tides in this part of Georgia are around 9 feet. We arrived at the entrance to this trouble spot at 1230 but needed to wait a while for more water before beginning our passage. We entered the Little Mud River at 1310 and had no difficulty getting through on the rising tide.
Savannah to Wahoo River Anchorage
The current at the marina was very strong and each boat’s
departure was planned based upon its orientation to the river and the other
boats around it. All but 4 of the fleet
were able to depart between 0630 and 0700.
The remaining 4 did not attempt to depart until the current
significantly slowed. The wind was
blowing unfavorably and the fairways were narrow. Foreign
Affair was the first to attempt to get underway and unfortunately, Dwayne
was not able to back out of the slip, turn the boat and get into the river
without coming into contact with the boat in the next slip. Fortunately, the damage was minimal. No damage to Foreign Affair but the other boat had some
clevis pins on the davit system bent which can be replaced. Needless to say, Dwayne feels very badly
about this incident.
Savannah
SAIL Rally members boarded a trolley for a guided tour of
Savannah followed by a few hours exploring the city on foot. Savannah is rich in history and many of the
oldest buildings in town are well preserved.
The many tree lined, grassy squares which date back to the city plan
laid out by General James Oglethorpe added greatly to the city’s charm. The Cotton Exchange and warehouses which line
the riverfront still exist and are today restaurants, taverns and gift shops
catering to the many tourist who visit the oldest city and former capital of
Georgia. Everyone had a great time on a
fine sunny afternoon.
Beaufort to Thunderbolt
What could have been a very uncomfortable and challenging day on the water turned out to be one of our easiest passages.
We departed Beaufort just prior to dawn. The current and winds were favorable and we left the harbor without incident. Both Port Royal Sound and Calibouge Sound were very calm and the rain by-passed us so we only experiences a few brief sprinkles of rain. The one bridge opening went well and we timed our arrival at the marina to minimize the problem of heavy currents.
We departed Beaufort just prior to dawn. The current and winds were favorable and we left the harbor without incident. Both Port Royal Sound and Calibouge Sound were very calm and the rain by-passed us so we only experiences a few brief sprinkles of rain. The one bridge opening went well and we timed our arrival at the marina to minimize the problem of heavy currents.
Beaufort
Crew Change
Fenwick Island to Beaufort
Dewees Creek to Fenwick Island
We headed out of the Dewees Creek anchorage shortly after 7
am. Our plan was to work our way through
the trouble spot just north of the Ben Sawyer Bridge and arrive at the bridge
in time for an opening. We’d then not
stop in Charleston but continue on our way chasing the rest of the fleet to our
next anchorage.
Georgetown to Dewees Creek Anchorage
Georgetown
Georgetown
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| Susie and Terry |
Ernie, the mechanic showed up early in the morning and
worked with Dwayne changing fuel filters, checking the fuel for water or dirt,
running the engine to determine symptoms and explore cures.
One possibility was something like a rope or
line snagging the propeller which could cause the reduction in engine rpm. Time for someone to go swimming and it wasn’t
going to be the mechanic.
Dwayne
borrowed some goggles from the owner of a neighboring boat and took the
plunge. The water was so dark the
goggles were worthless. Dwayne had to
run his hands over the propeller and shaft to determine if they were free of
any foreign object such as ropes or lines.
This may be the South but the water is no warmer than Lake
Michigan. No lines were found on the
propeller or shaft. Dwayne headed for a
hot shower right after his swim. More work
on the engine and eventually it seemed to run better.
Osprey Marina to Hazzard Marina in Georgetown
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| TowBoatUS |
We departed Osprey Marina at 0700 in heavy fog. It took 2 hours for the sun to finally burn
the fog off the Waccamaw River. We were
making really good time with the strong current flowing down the river until
our engine started having fuel problems.
We normally run at 2700 rpm and for some reason, without touching the
throttle, the engine would drop to 2200 rpm.
It did this several times and one time the engine stopped running
altogether. We dropped anchor and
checked the filters to see if there was any indication of water in the fuel or
dirt fouling the filters. Everything
looked fine. We called BoatUS to get a
tow and alerted a mechanic at the Hazzard Marina to get assistance and reserve a
slip for the evening.
Osprey Marina
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| Osprey Marina |
We spent the morning being briefed on the next leg of
our journey (Osprey Marina to Charleston and on to Beaufort). We will encounter several “trouble spots” and increasingly high tides and swifter currents. This section of the ICW can be particularly
challenging as there is no easy way to negotiate all the problem areas without
facing some challenges due to tide and current.
We have basically been charged to develop our own plans for negotiating
this 165 miles or so of the ICW. We get
to decide which potentially bad spots we want to take on under less than
perfect conditions.
Myrtle Beach Yacht Club to Osprey Marina
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| Entering "The Rock Pile" |
Rain continued today but the temperatures were 10 degrees
warmer than yesterday and the rain was not as heavy.
We had several “trouble spots” to contend
with today. We had to pass through “The Rock Pile” which is a section of the ICW cut through solid rock and not very
wide. It is difficult to see the
channel, particularly at high tide. If
the water is low and you stray out of the channel you can damage your boat on
the unforgiving rocks.
Again, there were
several bridges which presented potential challenges with opening times and
water height affecting overhead clearance.
Our friends on Valiant had to
climb their mast and remove their antenna and instruments from the top of their
mast to clear some bridges due to high water at the bridge. The heavy rains are keeping water in this
section of the ICW at abnormally high levels.
Up to 30 inches of rain has fallen here in the past month.
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| Entering Osprey Marina (Into the Woods) |
We also encountered some unexpected sights along the way. Golf is very popular in Myrtle Beach. These golfers got a lift over a big water hazard.
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| Gondolas for Golfers, Myrtle Beach |
Sometimes it gets really shallow and land appears at low tide. Usually, you keep the red buoys to the right and green buoys to the left. Janet wasn't sure what to do here.
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| Aids to Navigation |
Southport to Myrtle Beach Yacht Club
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| Atlantic Ocean and Lockwood's Folly Inlet |
Rained almost the entire day. Our feet were wet but the rest of us stayed
warm and dry in our foul weather gear.
Saw some dolphins on the way south.
Some sections of the ICW were undeveloped
and others were mile upon mile of homes lining the waterway. We could see the Atlantic Ocean when we
passed some of the larger inlets. We
could often see the homes and high rise resorts lining the Atlantic beaches.
With all the people living on the barrier
islands we had to pass through and under numerous bridges. Some of these bridges were on a schedule and
others would open on request. One thing
you don’t want to do is arrive at a bridge which opens on the hour a few
minutes after the hour and have to loiter for a long time waiting for the next
opening.
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| Houses along the Atlantic Ocean Beaches |
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| Not one of ours |
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| Foreign Affair at Myrtle Beach Yacht Club |
Southport
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| Yes, Janet, you can have dessert. |
Dwayne spent the morning doing boat maintenance and changed
the oil in the marine gear. Janet went
shopping (again, and not for food).
Southport has many boutique and thrift shops which Janet likes to
explore looking for bargains and unusual items.
She has already begun her Christmas shopping.
The SAIL Rally group had a wonderful meal at Mr. P’s Bistro. Dwayne had beef tenderloin, crab and scallops
with roasted potatoes and fried green tomatoes.
Janet had the same but skipped the fried green tomatoes. She also had crème brulee for desert. Great service and delicious food at a very nice
restaurant. Mr. P’s will be on the list
of things to do on the way north in the spring.
Southport, NC Official Reception
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We were officially welcomed to Southport, NC by the Mayor and Chamber of Commerce at a reception held at the Southport Marina. Mark Doyle accepted the Mayor's official welcome decree on behalf of the SAIL fleet.
The day was spent on boat maintenance, laundry and shopping. Janet started her Christmas shopping and did laundry while Dwayne worked with a mechanic changing filters and inspecting the engine. Sunny and warm - mid 70s.
Topsail Sound Anchorage to Southport
It was very foggy when we weighed anchor. We followed our previous day’s tract to find
our way out of the anchorage to get to the ICW channel. Dwayne tried to cut back into the main
channel too soon and the boat bumped over one sandbar and nearly grounded but
fortunately, we were able to power up and find our way to deeper water. Lesson learned: stay on the track that took
you into the anchorage and go slow getting out.
Spooner Creek Marina to Topsail Sound Anchorage
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| Surf City Bridge |
It was a cloudy day and lightly rained a few times during
the day. The wind was perfect for a
broad reach most of the morning. So, we
let the genoa out some and achieved a top speed of 7.4 knots.
We got through our “trouble spots” without any trouble due
to good water depths and good local knowledge passed on by our SAIL Rally leaders. We saw several dolphin early in the trip. We arrived at both bridge openings at the
proper time to permit an orderly passage without much delay. Topsail Sound had plenty of water and room
for us to anchor. Overall, it would have
been a perfect day had the sun shone.
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| Dolphins |
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| Marine Corps Base Camp Lejuene |
Spooner Creek Marina
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| Briefing at Spooner Creek |
We had our briefing for the next leg of our journey. We will be encountering our first “trouble
spots” on the ICW which are places where it is easy to go aground due to
shoaling, strong currents or contend with other factors such as live-fire
exercises at the Marine Corps Base Camp Lejuene. We will also have to plan to arrive in time to
meet bridge opening schedules.
Oriental to Spooner Creek
Weather forecast was for 100% rain and we got it. Our worst travel day so far. It rained almost continuously and sometimes
it was very heavy rain which really reduced visibility and made it difficult to
see the channel day markers. Everyone
was glad to get into the marina and dry out after a long day at the wheel.
Provisioning in Oriental
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| Janet on a grocery run |
It was a beautiful sunny day with a high in the low
70s. Everyone was busy doing boat
maintenance and provisioning in preparation for our next move. Several of the boats will go off-shore rather
than travel the ICW. In doing so they
will avoid some trouble spots and get a chance to sail rather than motor for
the next 100 miles or so.
Halloween
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| Mr. Grinch |
It was a great day and night. We got to sleep in and spend the day as we
wished.
Janet’s big project was carving
pumpkins to enter into the pumpkin carving contest. She carved one for the SAIL Fleet using the
SAIL logo and the burgee design. She
also made a “spooky” one for “Foreign Affair”.
The winning pumpkin was a sentimental favorite: Mr. Grinch.
The marina brought in a really good band and awarded some
great prizes for various reasons: best
costume, best jack-o-lantern, etc. The partying
continued until mid-night.
The “Foreign Affair” crew slipped away to watch the World
Series at a bar a few blocks down the street from the marina. People in Oriental are either not interested
in the World Series or cheer for the Mets.
Dowry Creek to Oriental
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| Uhoos - Ukolele Band |
We were welcomed in Oriental by the Uhoos Ukolele Band. Their tropical attire and the warm, low 70s temps made us feel like we really were headed south.
The Oriental Marina's Tiki Bar kept the party going with a live band later that evening.
We should have stayed and enjoyed the music. Instead, we went to Nel's Sports Bar to watch the Kansas City Royals lose the third game of the World Series to the Mets.
NC BBQ and Music by "The Platters"
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| Platters |
More boat maintenance and socializing today. The real fun began with our bountiful North
Carolina BBQ followed by entertainment by Milton Bullock, one of the hit Motown group “The Platters” and Mary “Bubbling Brown Sugar”.
Janet was acknowledged for her light feet on the dance floor. The highlight of the dancing was the SAIL women doing the "Electric Glide".
Dowry Creek Marina
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| Sunrise at Dowry Creek Marina |
Janet washed the decks while Dwayne worked on the blog. In the afternoon, we went to Belhaven using the marina courtesy
car to get groceries. We finally got
cell coverage in Belhaven and were able to make phone calls for the first time
in 3 days. We also added to the blog.
We were able to watch Game 2 of the World Series thanks to
the marina having Direct TV. No cable
out here far from the nearest town.
Alligator River to Dowry Creek Marina
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| Alligator River - Pongo River Canal |
We had a short and easy run today from our anchorage to
Dowry Creek Marina on the Pongo River.
Weighed anchor at 0900. Anchor
really held well and dug deep as we had to put in some effort to get it free in
the morning. Winds blew pretty hard all
through the night and into the morning.
We had a short distance to cover on the Alligator River
prior to entering the Alligator River – Pongo River Canal. The canal was much wider and deeper than the
Dismal Swamp Canal. Shore line was pines
and tall marsh grass. Water was still
black from tannin. The wind really
picked up as we entered the Pongo River and lost the benefit of the pine trees
protecting us in the canal. We took on
fuel and entered our slip at about 1400.
Crossing the Albemarle Sound: Elizabeth City to Dowry Creek Marina, Pongo River
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| Valiant crossing Albemarle Sound |
The weather forecast for crossing the Albemarle Sound was
going from bad to worse. If we stayed in
Elizabeth City for the extra day as planned, we would most likely have been
forced to stay two additional days waiting for the weather to improve to make
our crossing. Initially, the decision
was to stay put as there were “small craft” warnings for the Albemarle with
winds in the 20s and waves forecast to be between 2 and 6 feet from the
north/northeast.
At 0730 the boats which
stayed north of the Elizabeth City bridge came through the bridge and rather
than taking slips at Mariner’s Wharf, they continued down the Elizabeth River
to cross the Albemarle. George, the
skipper of Valiant, alerted us to
this fact and we quickly got underway to make the crossing. Two of the boats ahead of us turned back half
way to the mouth of the Elizabeth River because they felt the conditions were
too rough. We kept going. The crab pots were our biggest challenge as
they were painted black and very difficult to see due to the glaring sunlight
reflecting off the dark, tannin colored water.
The crabbers in this area are Vietnamese refugees and they believe black
is a lucky color for fishing/crabbing.
Thus they paint their crab pot floats black. Janet did a great job spotting under very
difficult conditions.
Elizabeth City, NC
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| Patrol Boat - River (PBR) |
We took a hike to the Pelican Marina which was about a half
mile from Mariner’s Wharf with the intent of doing our laundry and taking
showers. We arrived at the marina at
about 10:30 only to discover their marina office was closed on Sundays until
noon. So, we sat and waited.
There were two PBR (Patrol Boat, River) at the dock which
was very surprising. These boats were
used by both the US Navy and Army on the rivers of Vietnam. Now they are privately owned and patrol US waterways. The marina
manager who lives at the marina noticed our interest in the boats and came out
to the dock to share what he knew of the boats and their histories.
Chesapeake City Landing to Mariner's Wharf, Elizabeth City, NC
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Elizabeth City was very welcoming. The city has free slips and docks right
downtown. There are no services, i.e.
electric, water, pump-out or fuel but you can stay up to two nights as guests
of the city.
Finally Heading South
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| Aircraft Carrier |
We departed Hampton Public Piers at 0815 taking the main
channel out of the harbor and the shortcut north of Hampton Bank across the
shipping channel and on to the Norfolk Navy Yards. Janet was at the helm most of the day and did
a superb job.
The Navy was busy today.
One submarine was coming into port, naval gunnery practice was taking
place on the Potomac and Navy patrol craft were busy protecting the Navy ships
in the yard. We saw 4 aircraft carriers
and dozens of other ships as we moved down the Elizabeth River.
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| Janet at Helm |
We entered Deep Creek and the Deep Creek Canal system
shortly after noon. Traffic was busy at
the Deep Creek Lock and it took a couple of hours to get all of our SAIL fleet
through the lock. No one location was
capable of allowing all of our boats to stay in one place. So, the fleet was docked at several sites
along the Dismal Swamp Canal. We tied up
with 3 other boats at the Chesapeake, VA dock.
Link to SAIL Blog: http://icw.sailmagazine.com/blog/
Link to SAIL Blog: http://icw.sailmagazine.com/blog/
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| Deep Creek Lock |
We had a great start south with the sun shining all
day. Temperatures reached the high
60s. No major breakdowns or incidents
marred the day. Tomorrow we head to the
Dismal Swamp Welcome Center for a reception and orientation on the Dismal Swamp
and the canal.
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| Dismal Swamp Canal |
Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday Hampton Public Piers
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| Jake, Our Diver |
We had several days of seminars in preparation for our
voyage. Much of the time was spent preparing
the boats and provisioning. Mechanics
inspected, serviced and repaired the boats.
Radio/communications systems were tested. The Coast Guard Auxiliary conducted safety
inspections. Many of the boats had a
diver clean the bottom and install new anodes.
Fender boards were fabricated for the locks. Boats were refueled, sanitation systems
pumped out and water tanks filled, as well as, food brought aboard. There was always something more to be done.
Of course, there were always social events in the evening. There was another gathering at La Bodega when
Peter Nielsen, the Editor-in-Chief for SAIL Magazine arrived. The following night there was a “docktail”
party the night prior to our departure.
Saturday Sunday and Monday - Hampton to Columbia and return to Hampton
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| Wine Tasting at La Bodega |
Saturday was a continuation of the seminars in the morning
and boat maintenance/provisioning in the afternoon. The day ended with a wine tasting and music
at La Bodega. The owners were very
welcoming and informative as they presented wines from Europe for our
tasting. It was a great way to finish
another wonderful day. We purchased
several bottles of wine and some wonderful sharp, white cheddar cheese. Wine was great and prices were very
reasonable. We’ll be back next
spring.
Hampton, VA Snowbird Rendezvous
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| Hampton Yacht Club Docks |
It has been a busy week since our last blog post. Much has happened - good and bad. We left Hampton on Saturday with friends to
attend the SAIL ICW (Inter-Coastal Waterway) seminar at the Annapolis Boat Show
on Sunday. The seminar was very
informative and well done. Of course, we
had to have crab cakes at Chick and Ruth’s and malted milk shakes.
On Sunday morning, Carla got word that she needed to get to
Nashville due to a death in the family.
Fortunately, we were able to get her a direct flight and she arrived in
Nashville five hours later.
Chisman Creek/York River to Hampton, VA
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| Fort Monroe |
We slept in since we were facing a short run of only 25 nm
to Hampton. Dolphins surfaced near the
boat when Carla started the engine. We
watched them until they swam out of the creek toward the Bay.
We weighed anchor at 10. The winds were blowing in the low 20s and
waves got up to 4 feet high. Of course, the
wind was always against us which made for a rocky ride but the boat handled it
all well. Top speed was 6.2 knots. We were down to 3.3 knots as we came into the
James River bucking the wind, waves and tide.
Three other sailboats were also coming into port and one of them was
really taking a pounding and getting sprayed.
We felt sorry for the poor guy until we realized we might have looked
the same to him as he did to us. In the
end, we got into harbor without mishap.
Smith Creek/Lookout Point to Chisman Creek/York River
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| Wolf Trap Lighthouse |
Saw a brilliant sun rise as we weighed anchor. It was a beautiful, peaceful anchorage in
Smith Creek – no houses or other boats. The
winds were very low for most of the day 0-10 knots. Waves were no more than 1 foot which made for
a smooth passage to Chisman Creek on the York River. Little of note today other than how nice it
was on our way south. Traveled 68 nm in 11
hours with a top speed of 7.2 knots.
Tobacco River to Point Lookout
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| Navy Range Control Boat |
It was another great day on the Potomac River. The sun was out again and temperatures
reached the low 70s. Little to no
wind. So, we motored the entire
day. Tide was with us most of the way
and we made good speed (7 knots top and always over 6).
Today there were naval exercises which caused us to remain
close to the Maryland side of the Potomac and maintain contact with the navy
range control vessels as we moved from one special purpose buoy to another to
stay out of the danger zone. Carla was
amazed at the sound of large naval guns and the roar of low flying jets. I told her she needed to hear an army
artillery battery firing rounds for effect as it was much more impressive than
what we heard today.
Washington, D.C. to Tobacco River
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| Fort McNair |
Finally, we are underway again. We said goodbye to the Capital Yacht Club and
passed Fort McNair at 0800.
We could not
have asked for a better day. Sunshine,
light breeze and dead calm waters. The
trees are starting to show signs of fall with a hint of color change. The only less than perfect condition was all
the deadwood and trash washed out into the Potomac River by the recent
rains. We had to remain vigilant as
there were some substantial logs in the river for the first 15 miles of our
trip. The danger of floating deadwood
decreased as the river widened. It was
not until we reached the Tobacco River that we had to once again maintain a
diligent lookout – this time for the many crab pots at the river’s mouth. We anchored in quiet waters off Chapel Point
almost in the exact spot as on our way up the Potomac over two weeks ago. We haven’t met one person who likes anchoring
in the Tobacco River due to the crab pots.
Unfortunately, it is the last deep anchorage until reaching Washington,
D.C.
Washington D. C.
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| Chinatown, Washington D.C. |
The sun finally came out this afternoon and we enjoyed our
last day in Washington, D.C. We had a
great breakfast in a café near the National Portrait Gallery and American Art Museum
which we visited in the morning. The
afternoon we spent at the National Museum of the American Indian which is one
of the newest museums on the Mall. With
that, we have now spent some time in each of the major museums on the Mall.
Seven Seas Cruising Association Gam
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| Lin Pardey Receiving Seven Seas Award |
This weekend we attended the Seven Seas Cruising Association
Gam at Camp Letts on Maryland’s Rhode River just south of Annapolis.
A gam is a friendly interchange between
sailors on vessels at sea. It was common
practice for American whaling ships to heave-to when they met during their
voyages to exchange news, mail and socialize.
About 125 SSCA members attended and enjoyed the comradery. At every meal we shared a table with one or
more couples who crossed as least one ocean or sailed completely around the
world. Needless to say, we asked them to
share some information about their experiences.
Surprisingly, they were as interested in learning about our limited
cruising experience as we were in hearing of theirs.
Washington D C
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| Barge Drawing Anchor From Emelina |
We prepared as best we could for Hurricane Joaquin.
We’ve been anchored out since August 30 and
had planned to spend one more night at anchor before moving into a slip for the
weekend while we attended the Seven Seas Cruising Association Gam. However, the forecast was for winds in the
20s and gusts up to 50 mph for the evening.
When our neighbor, the super-yacht, Emelina,
brought in a barge to help her drop her anchor while docked, we knew it was
time to get a slip right away.
Washington DC
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| A Million Dollars |
Carla went to see how the government prints our money while Dwayne kept an eye on the boat and did some work on the computer. She said the tour was very interesting and informative.
The weather has been fair to poor. It rained much of the night and the winds are picking up today. We are locked in here until the tropical storm passes north of the Potomac.
Washington D C
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| Holocaust Museum |
Returned to complete our tour of the Holocaust Museum. Well done videos described the rise of Adolph Hitler and the Nazi Party to power and the efforts to purge Europe of Jews and other undesirable people. The museum's main exhibit was laid out chronologically and well presented. Recent and on-going events of genocide are presented.
Washington DC
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| Dorothy's Ruby Slippers |
Toured the Museum of Natural Science and Museum of American
History.
The Museum of American History was one of the best on the
Mall. Among the most interesting
artifacts on display were: George
Washington’s sword, the portable desk used by Thomas Jefferson while drafting
the Declaration of Independence, Ben Franklin’s walking cane, the stove-pipe
hat worn by President Lincoln the night he was assassinated and Dorothy’s ruby
slippers, to mention only a few.
Definitely, one of the better museums on the Mall.
Washington D C
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| Holocaust Museum |
Another maintenance day.
Pumped-out and took on water.
Carla scrubbed decks and polished stainless. Dwayne went to charge up the electronic
devices.
Later Dwayne went to the
Holocaust Museum. Had a great dinner of
scallops Dwayne picked up fresh from the fish market.
Washington, D.C.
Went to the Mall.
Visited the Hirshhorn Museum, Sculpture Garden and National
Archives. The docent at the Hirshhorn was
young and tried to engage those around her by asking questions intended to
elicit comments on the artworks. The
responses ranged from the inane to insane.
Every answer is a good answer because modern art is whatever it is to
the beholder. The Sculpture Garden was
more “down to earth”. We also had a
wonderful lunch there for just a few dollars more than what we would have spent
for hot dogs from the street vendors
Saw all of the important documents of our government: Declaration of Independence, Bill of Rights,
Constitution, etc. Surprisingly, the
lines were very short and we were not rushed through the exhibits. This is another advantage of retirement – you
can go in the off-season.
Washington D.C.
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| Caisson Arlington National Cemetery |
Had a great lunch with Bob and Sandy, old friends of
Dwayne. Went to Arlington National
Cemetery and the Pentagon 9/11 Memorial. Saw a wreath laying ceremony at the
Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, the horse drawn caisson used in burials, the
Kennedy gravesite and other monuments in the cemetery.
Stopped to visit the Pentagon 9/11 Memorial
on the way back to the boat. It was a
good day for walking: sunny, yet cool.
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| Kennedy Gravesite |
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| Pentagon 9/11 Memorial |
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