Foreign Affair Sailing

Cass and Pete Visit

Cass and Pete drove up from Charleston to spend a day with us in Georgetown. They previously lived in Kansas. Now, they are both retired and enjoying a simpler life in the South. They have been following our blog and wanted to learn more about our adventure and plans for the future. We gave them a tour of Foreign Affair and spent some time aboard bringing each other up to date on the progress of our lives. It is amazing how quickly the direction of our lives can change. Who knows where we will be or what we will be doing five years from now. We ended the day with a pleasant lunch at the River Room Restaurant.

Maintenance and Relaxation

Monday, November 28. We changed the engine oil and fuel filters in the morning. We discovered we could no longer secure the cover to our raw water strainer because corrosion had stripped the threads on the post and wing nut to such an extent they would no longer hold. Dwayne will get a die and attempt to cut new threads for a nut a size smaller than the original. This currently looks like the easiest fix.

Farewell Paul - Hello Pawleys Island

We bid farewell to Paul. He is heading off-shore again bound for Florida. He had a couple of good days rest and is raring to get moving again. The weather looks good for sailing south for a couple of day before a front moves in which will create high winds. Paul will come in at some point to wait out the weather and then move on to his ultimate destination of Boca Chica/Key West.

Drive to Charleston

We rented a truck and drove into Charleston. Enterprise was out of cars and the truck was offered instead. It was a club cab which gave us the seating we needed. They gave us a 20% discount on the rental and 1/4 tank credit on gas since the truck burns more fuel then a car. It was comfortable enough. We'll drop it at the Charleston Airport when we fly out to meet Brian and Janet in Fort Lauderdale for our Celebrity Cruise to the Caribbean. St. Thomas, St. Martin and San Juan.

Another Day in Georgetown

Today was a maintenance day for the boats and boaters. Paul had a number of projects to complete on Enough. Having the truck allowed us to get parts and Paul needed a few items. Dwayne studied the cruising guide Paul had for the inlets on the Atlantic. A jump from Georgetown to Charleston will eliminate the challenges associated with shoaling at McClellanville and the restrictions on the Ben Sawyer Bridge. Charleston to Savannah would also be a good run off-shore. Frank and Carol did the run from Savannah to St. Simons because of a bridge closure today. Paul wants to go off-shore all the way to Key West. He's having a great time sailing south and likes not having to have one eye on the depth sounder to avoid running aground on the ICW. Dwayne also read Paul's copy of the American Sailing Association's Guide for Bareboat Cruising. It was a good refresher and had a few useful tips.
Too bad boat handling and navigation is not as easy as the book makes it out to be.

Happy Thanksgiving

We had a great Thanksgiving and have much for which to be thankful. Carla watched the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade while Dwayne and Paul found comfortable rockers on the marina porch. The sun was shining and warm weather continued to make us feel good. Of course, the high point of any Thanksgiving is the meal. We had all the traditional fixings: turkey breast, stuffing, cranberry sauce, mashed potatoes, cream corn and pumpkin pie. It was just the three of us. Much different than the Thanksgiving we enjoyed last year with a few hundred cruisers at St. Mary's, GA. We expect to be with our families next Thanksgiving. Foreign Affair will be laid up for the winter next year.

Enough Arrives In Time For Thanksgiving

Paul arrived early in the afternoon and anchored Enough just off our marina. Dwayne launched our dinghy to bring him ashore as Paul's dinghy is stowed away while he is traveling off-shore. He left Long Island a couple of weeks ago and caught up with us. The weather was very favorable for his passage with winds from the north most of the time and seas of less than 4 feet. Paul will rest here for a few days before renewing his journey south. We are amazed at his accomplishment.

Hakuna Matata Heads South

We bid farewell to Frank and Carol and helped them cast off. Hakuna Matata disappeared into the rising sun. She was headed south for warmer weather.

Relaxing in Georgetown

It was good to not have to travel and be able to just relax for a while. We passed time by sitting in the rocking chairs on the marina's sunny porch watching others coming and going. Dwayne and George developed solutions to all the world's problems while Carla and Carol walked the dog, checked out the shops on Front Street and hiked to the Piggly Wiggly for food. George finally got Earnie, a local marine mechanic, to tap out a broken hose fitting to the dripless stuffing box on Hakuna Matata which broke off while Frank was switching his heating and air conditioning system over to the heat mode. Fortunately, Earnie had the part needed and was able to make the repair without any complications. We ended the days with wonderful dinners and stories of our travels.

Marina at Great Sand Dunes (Myrtle Beach, SC) to Georgetown

We left Myrtle Beach with the sun shining and the temperature warming. The run to Georgetown was easy as there were no significant shallow areas or inlets to hinder our progress. In fact, we had good water depth the entire way, particularly when we were on the Waccamaw River which is very deep and wide. The wind picked up as the day progressed. It was blowing pretty good when we entered the marina which presented some challenges at docking. The marina was full for the evening.

South Harbour Village Marina to Marina at Great Dunes (Myrtle Beach, SC)

We cast off at 0715 with Foreign Affair leading and Hakuna Matata following close behind. We had a couple of problem areas to negotiate; however, we were on schedule to arrive at these locations at or near high tide. The tide along our route is about 5 feet which really helps a lot. We had no difficulty and the current pushed us along at over 6 knots all day. We were tied in and relaxing at the marina by 1500. Carla and Carol teamed up for preparing dinner - fresh green salad, fried chicken, french fries, squash and zucchini. Dinner in the sunny cockpit with no wind and 70 degrees temperature. Life is good.

Motts Channel Anchorage to South Harbor Village Marina (ICW SM311)

We left the Motts Channel anchorage at 0800 following one of the sailboats anchored with us. The tide was in our favor and we ran at 7 knots or greater for the first two hours. We slowed down as we came to shallow areas but our track from the previous day plus the 5 feet of extra water gave us good confidence in the water depth and allowed us to travel fast. We passed through all the problem areas with no problem. We took on fuel and pumped out our holding tank at Joyner Marina at Carolina Beach before heading into Snows Cut and on to the Cape Fear River. We only had a two miles to go after crossing the Cape Fear River before reaching the South Harbor Village Marina where we stopped for the evening. We were at dock by 1230 and looked forward to a restful, warm day.

Topsail Sound to Motts Channel Anchorage (Wrightsville)

Peace and Quiet left Topsail Sound about an hour before we did. They were headed to Wilmington which is about 12 miles up the Cape Fear River from the ICW. Departing Topsail Sound was easy as we had an extra 5 feet of water at high tide and a track on our chart to follow getting out. The channel from the ICW to the anchorage is narrow and can be a bit challenging at low tide. This was our third visit to Topsail Sound and we'll probably stop again on our way north as it is a very convenient, quiet anchorage once you get into the sound's deeper water. We anchor in about 10 feet MLLW.

Swansboro to Topsail Sound

We were underway at 0730. Peace and Quiet, traveled with us to Topsail Sound where we anchored for the evening. Duck hunting season is open and we heard shotgun blasts for the first hour or so. Then the artillery from Camp Lejeune joined in and we had the sounds of a small scale battle for the next two hours. Eventually, peace returned to the waterway and the dolphins appeared. We came across a pod of at least twenty feeding in Stump Sound. We slowed down to about 2 knots and let them frolic around the boat for about 45 minutes. There were a few juveniles who occasionally jumped out of the water which was a big thrill. Carla was really excited as she loves the dolphins. A dolphin sighting a day keeps the blues away. We saw our first dolphin on this trip yesterday. There will be many more to come the further we head south. The weather is getting warmer which is great.

Swansboro

It rained much of the night which was good because Carla had washed the decks using our anchor wash-down pump to draw water from the river which is brackish. The fresh rainwater was a great rinse and Foreign Affair sparkled in the late morning sunlight. It was still raining when we woke and it looked like it would continue raining or another hour or so. We decided to just stay put and wait for better weather tomorrow. We had a number of chores to do and with the temperatures forecast to reach the high 60s with sunshine, this was as good a place as any to do them.

Oriental to Swansboro

We made the 44 miles run from Oriental to Swansboro in 8 hours. Our top speed was 8 knots just before the State Port Terminal. Our slowest speed was 4 knots which was shortly after turning into Bogue Sound at the State Port Terminal. Our boat speed must have been about 6 knots and the current 2 knots or more. There was quite a bit of traffic at the inlet with numerous sport fishermen out. The Coast Guard and tow boats were busy. We saw one sailboat trying to clear a fouled prop. We heard a Carolina Skiff calling for help when his engine quit and wouldn't restart. We also heard of one sailboat grounded. We made it to Casper's Marina to refuel and anchored off Swansboro without any difficulty today. Several other boats joined us in this popular anchorage.

Oriental

It was a beautiful day in Oriental. The sun shone bright and kept the temperature comfortable all day. We did some more shopping. Our first stop was the farmer's market where we bought a bunch of bakery: pumpkin and cream cheese roll, bread, cookies, jam and a shrimp quiche. Next stop, the fish market for shrimp and haddock. A little further down the block, we stopped for post cards. Then the bank to use the ATM. Lastly, the hardware store for propane and rat poison.

Belhaven to Oriental

It was a great day on the waterway. We left Belhaven at 0745 with clear skies, bright sun and a brisk breeze. We were able to motor-sail much of the day on the wide and deep Pungo, Pamlico, and Neuse Rivers. Foreign Affair maintained her speed at over 6 knots and hit a high of 7.5 knots for a few brief minutes. We made the 45 mile journey in about 6 hours. To top off a great run, we were able to secure a complementary slip at the Oriental Town Dock. It was the last one open and we got there just ahead of two other boats. It is so shallow in at the dock, we are barely afloat. But we are afloat and very happy to be at dock in this very friendly small town. It has a lot to offer for cruisers on the ICW.

Alligator River Marina to Belhaven

November 9:  It was an easy day today. We covered the 45 miles down the Alligator River, through the Alligator River - Pungo River Canal and on to Belhaven in 7 hours. We cast off at 0700. Dwayne called the Alligator River Swing Bridge as we left the marina and it opened as soon as we arrived at the bridge. The channel was well marked and there was always plenty of water under us the entire way. River traffic was very light. Carla saw no alligators.

Coinjock to Alligator River Marina

Norfolk, VA ICW Mile 0 to Coinjock, NC

The wind continued to blow in the 10 - 15 mph range all night long. We could hear an occasional gust blowing through the rigging. We laid out a lot of chain to make sure we held. We anchored here last spring on our way north and were confident we'd stay put as the bottom was good mud and the Fortress anchor hasn't failed us yet. We slept in as we were expecting a short run of only 25 miles to our anchorage. However, we had numerous bridges and one lock to negotiate before getting there.

Mobjack Bay to Norfolk

We woke to a beautiful sunny day. The East River was serene. We took advantage of the calm conditions to swap the chain on our anchors making the Fortress the primary anchor. We feel the Fortress will work better than the Rocna in the mud we will encounter going down the ICW. It worked well for us in the past and never dragged. The Rocna dragged through soft mud while we were in heavy winds and waves off Rock Hall. We suspect it dragged some when we were anchored in soft mud off Reedville. We decided to make the switch trusting the Fortress will serve us better on the ICW. The Rocna is a fine anchor and we like it; however, the Fortress seems better in mud. Exciting, eh?

Great Wicomico River - Reedville to East River - Mobjack Bay

We had a good run from Reedville to the East River on Mobjack Bay. We were able to sail for several hours as the wind was on our starboard rear quarter. The waves averaged 4 feet and gave us a good push with the boat often surfing at 7 knots or greater. Mobjack Bay is quit impressive. It is a large bay covering an area 4 miles wide and 7 miles deep with 4 sizable tributary rivers. We headed up the East River to explore and anchor. Beautiful homes are sprinkled along the shoreline. There is one old water mill on one of the creeks feeding the river. It was a warm sunny day and we thoroughly enjoyed being able to poke around some parts of the Chesapeake Bay which we have not been as of yet. We are looking forward to having more time on the Bay next summer. Now, we are focused on getting south as quickly as possible without driving ourselves too hard. It is getting colder each day.

Solomons Island to Cocrell Creek on the Great Wicomico River - Reedville, VA

We had a good run from Solomons Island to Reedville a distance of about 45 miles. We were able to motor sail for a while with both main and genoa. We maintained a speed over 7 knots for almost an hour before we had to alter course which put us too close to the wind to continue sailing. When we dropped the main sail and rolled up the genoa our speed went down to 5 knots. The waters at the Potomac River's mouth were relatively calm which made for a pleasant passage. It is important to get across the Potomac in good weather as winds against the current can create very uncomfortable conditions. The forecast was for high winds beginning early evening and lasting a day or two.

West River to Solomons Island

We had a quiet night on the West River. We got underway at 0930. Some watermen were hauling in their crab pots near the river's mouth. They were the first we have seen since we returned to the Bay. Their deadrise boat was a pleasant and familiar sight - one we hadn't seen for a long time. We also encountered a fishtrap established on a shallow area just off the marked channel. These fish traps are a real hazard because they are sometimes hard to see in the day and impossible to see at night.

Rock Hall (Haven Harbour Marina) to West River

We spent the morning in Haven Harbour Marina doing chores and preparing for movement. Carla did some laundry. Dwayne used the 5 gallon can to get some diesel so we could change our fuel filters and add to the fuel tank. He replaced the old snubber line which was frayed during our night at anchor off Rock Hall with a new one. There was time enough to watch a short episode of Distant Shores while waiting for the wash to dry. The Shards have been sending out emails with links to programs which might be of interest to us. There two most recent contained links to segments of their TV programs on the Bahamas. They are both entertaining and informative. To learn more go to the following link. Paul and Sheryl have other segments also posted to YouTube.