2007-2008 Cruise Summary

“SUNSHINE”

ICW Cruise 2007 - 2008

Statistical Information

Number of Days aboard SUNSHINE = 212
Number of days in transit = 87 (41%)
Number of “Lay Days” = 125 (59%)
Most number of days we stayed in one spot without starting the engines = 31

Number of days anchored = 50 (23.5%)
Number of days docked = 79 (37.2%)
Number of days on a mooring ball = 74 (34.9%)

Number of days on hard for bottom painting and repairs = 8 (3.7%)
Number of days docked for visiting family = 33 (15.5%)
Number of days docked while we visited home = 20

Number of days free dockage = 6 (2.8%)

Highest dockage fee = $68.20

Fuel Information:
Total engine hours = 572.73
Total gallons of fuel consumed = 524.85
Average price of fuel (gas) = $3.61/g
Total cost of fuel = $1892.61
Fuel consumption = 0.92 gallon per hour

Records for Longest day
Longest day (hours traveling): May 10, 2008 17 hours 45 minutes
Longest day (mileage): May 10, 2008 117.0 statute miles

Total Miles = 3554.20
Average miles per day when moving boat = 40.85

Crew: Willis, Lucille, Marje, Ed, Jeff, Gary, Jim, Dee, Joe

Total Number of Frozen Margaritas Consumed = 120 (Thanks Andrew!)
P.S. Sunshine was a dry boat until Ed (remember the scotch!) showed up!

Happy Mother's Day!

Sunrise from our last anchorage of the trip

Weather: Clear and calm to start the day; low temp 55 degrees, high temp 72 degrees in the bubble; winds built throughout the day; we had the boat in the marina before the winds became strong

Comment: This is the last run for the trip. We motored up the NJ ICW through the back bays behind Brigantine, into Great Bay, Little Egg Harbor and finally Barnegat Bay. The water was a bit choppy in Great Bay and the Little Egg inlet, but not bad. It was mostly flat elsewhere.

The channel remains well marked. We didn’t have any tense (low) spots to worry about. It was mostly a workman type day. Get the job done and get home. We stopped for a final fill up at Morrison’s Marina.

We talked to “Duetto” regarding marina options. They anchored in Sunset Lake (Wildwood) last night and are doing the NJ ICW. They’re not sure how far they get. We hope to see them before they leave the area. The weather reports indicate that they may be staying put for three of four days!

We arrived at Holliday Harbor in Waretown, “SUNSHINE” summer home, at 1400 hours. Instead of tying up at the fuel dock, we were waved right into the travel slip. In almost no time “SUNSHINE” was lifted, power-washed and blocked. She’ll stay on the hard for most of the summer. We intend to clean her up, give her a good washing, waxing and complete a few other projects.

We are home! But before returning to the life of a landlubber, We offer these comments about our trip:

• We met and befriended many really nice folks;


• We cruised with several boats and had a marvelous time meeting, sharing and enjoying the camaraderie of the crew of these fine vessels;


• We have shared moments with the special crew of five boats in particular. We are honored to number these people among our friends.

These words of Jimmy Buffett are most appropriate:

These moments
we’re sharing,
May we always remember.
These moments are shared by a
few.

So drink it up (we did a lot of that!),
This one’s for you.
It’s been a lovely cruise!

Thanks, Dave, Fran and Larry, Pat and Ray, Vanessa and Andrew, Joe and Sigi and our crew, Marje, Ed, Jeff, Gary, Jim, Willis, Lucille, Joe and Dee. You made this a most memorable trip for us. We hope you had fun!

Hope to see you on the water in the fall!

Records Are Made To Be Broken

Sunrise over the C&D Canal

Weather: Overcast; wind variable to 10 knots mostly from the NE in the Delaware Bay and the SE in the Atlantic; Temp was cool – 52 degrees at wake up time (0450) and the high was in the mid 60’s; in took a few hours to warm up, but the temp in the bubble was in the high 70’s… Thank goodness for the bubble!

Comment: The day began in a strong, foul current in the C&D Canal. It took 3 ½ hours to travel the 12½ miles to the Delaware Bay. The story changed as we entered the upper bay - thankfully so. We were running at 10.3 mph in a relatively flay bay with less than 5 knots of wind.

As we rounded the Salem Nuclear Generating Station on Artificial Island, we were able to roll out the jib (0830). Now the current and the wind were helping us along. It was a great ride! We finally rolled the jib in at 1500 hours. By 1540, we were in the Cape May Canal, still making good time.

During the trip on the Delaware Bay, we listened to the weather report throughout the day. It seems that two cold fronts are approaching. They may hamper our efforts to get home for Mother’s Day. The reports indicate that there will be a narrow window of opportunity to get all the way to Barnegat Bay. The fronts are supposed to arrive Sunday (Mother’s Day). For us to get home, we’d have to pass through Cape May and keep trucking to Atlantic City. This would mean a nighttime transit of the Absecon (Atlantic City) Inlet. It would also mean that we have an incredibly long day on the water (time and distance records)!

The Great Catsby (Cape May)

We decided to keep trucking. Some of the boats (“The Great Catsby,” “Fourth Watch,” The ketch from Nova Scotia) from the Engineers Cove anchorage were already lying at anchor near the Coast Guard Station in Cape May. We also passed the giant aluminum catamaran trawler that we first saw (and heard – it’s very loud!) in Vero Beach. This boat looks like its on steroids. We waved as we passed them all. Our intent was to head out Cold Spring Inlet to check the ocean conditions. Then we’d make the go/no go decision.

A big motor cat (Cape May)

Outside, we were greeted by rollers and a confused sea. The predicted northwest wind (very favorable for us) were no where to be found. Instead, we found southeast wind pushing rollers onto our starboard quarter. As we distanced ourselves from the inlet, things calmed a bit. At Wildwood, we made the decision to go for it. We were on our way to Atlantic City. With the jib our, we were motor sailing in the 7.0 to 7.5 mph range. The day remained overcast. There were only two time during the day when we saw the sun – sunrise and sunset. It was a beautiful sunset, our last one for this trip, but we could not get a good shot because of the rollers that kept the motion of the boat “lively,” but not uncomfortable.

We entered Absecon Inlet in the dark. There were a few apprehensive moments because some of the marks are not lit. Still, it is a straight run and we managed very well. At one point we heard a fishing boat hail a sailboat entering Brigantine Inlet. We thought that odd, because sailboats cannot negotiate that shallow inlet. A few seconds later the fishing boat captain again hailed a sailboat. We thought he might be talking to us. How many other sailboats would be entering an inlet at 2200 hours? Anna Marie responded by saying that this was a sailboat entering the Absecon Inlet. The fishing boat acknowledged and asked for permission to pass us to starboard and then turn to port into Clam Creek. We reported that we were already passed Clam Creek. It must have been along day for this cap as well!

We had the anchor down at 2235 hours just off of Harrah’s Marina. The current runs strong here. We were concerned about it and the anchor resetting when the current changed. We vowed to check our position in a couple of hours to make sure all was A-Okay.

We each had a cup of soup and hit the sack. The night time temperature was in the high 40’s. It was cold in the cabin and the sheets were like ice! I thought we were bringing the warm 80 degree westher from Florida. Apparently, it must have fallen out of the gift box!

On the day, we traveled for seventeen and three-quarter hours. It was the longest day of the trip as measured by the clock. We covered one hundred seventeen miles. Another record! This was by far the most number of miles we traveled in a single day!

Yikes, it's Raining!

Weather: Holy cow, we haven’t had this much rain during the entire trip! It hasn’t been this cold either! Anyone want to head back to Marathon?

Comment: Reading and game playing were the order of the day. I read “Memories of Summer” by Roger Kahn, a nostalgic look at baseball in the mid part of the last century. It was light reading and perfect for a rainy day. Anna Marie was engaged in puzzles and solitaire. At one point, it got so cold and damp on the boat that we fired up the propane heater for an hour or so.

The anchorage now had ten boats with an additional three cruisers tied up at the town dock. There wasn’t any movement on the boats. Everybody just wanted to stay dry and warm. The rain let up a bit at around 1700 hours. We were able to hop aboard the dinghy and head to shore. We treated ourselves to dinner at the Bohemia Café. The crab sandwiches were adequate, but not spectacular. The crab cakes were overcooked and lacked flavor. Still, it was great to walk around. Eating out was a nice treat today!

Once back a the boat, we raised the dinghy back on the davits and prepared for an early departure tomorrow morning. We be hauling the anchor at 0500.

Earlier in the day, we were surprised to see several boats pull into the anchorage. One in particular, let his anchor away very near another sailboat. The captain of this other boat wasn’t on board, so there was no one there to give the offending captain the “evil eye” or to offer words of encouragement to anchor elsewhere. We both knew that if the boats did not swing in unison (they never do for long) trouble would ensue.

While getting the dinghy ready for hoisting onto the davits, Anna Marie and I noticed that the boats mentioned above were almost touching. Luckily it was relatively calm in the harbor. The couple on the bigger boat (that anchored too close to the smaller boat) were busy trying to figure out how to remedy the situation without re-anchoring in another location. Actually, the harbor was pretty full. There may not have been another place to anchor.

While they watched and waited, the smaller vessel’s anchor rode wrapped around the bigger boat’s keel. The Captain suddenly developed a sense of urgency and started barking out orders to the Admiral. Eventually, he boarded the other vessel. I heard him call for a knife. Aparently his strategy was to cut the anchor line. He apparently cut the bitter end of the anchor line from its attachment point to the boat. Now that he had access to all two hundred feet of rode, he somehow twisted and untwisted the rode until it was free. He cleated it off and piled the rode beyond the cleat it a “rat’s nest” on the deck. He then boarded his vessel and shoved the smaller vessel off.

He hauled up his anchor, motored around in a circle and proceeded to drop the anchor in virtually the exact same spot! It took another fifteen or twenty minutes for him to realize that this wasn’t going to work. He hauled the anchor again and this time headed in... our direction. Fortunately, he kept going, eventually tying up to a face dock in th marina.

He must have reported the incident because in a matter of twenty minutes, the Marine Police tied up to the smaller boat, looked around, called in the boats registration number to the dispatcher who reported the name, address and phone number of the boat’s owner. They then headed back to their dock.

Once we were ready for departure, we hit the sack. Tomorrow promises to be a long day. We just didn’t know how long!

The Weather Holds Us Up in Chesapeake City

Weather: Overcast, showers, small craft advisory; Wake up temp 66 high near 80; wind 15 to 20 knots gusts to 25

Comment:
0700 breakfast and listen to NOAA; weather doesn’t sound good! Change plans – won’t to the Delaware Bay with the small craft advisory
0730 engines on; anchor up – motor to fuel dock at Bohemia Bay Yacht Harbor
0823 Engines off @ BBYH fuel dock
0840 Underway – Destination Chesapeake City, MD
1012 Anchor down, engines off – Engineers Cove, Chesapeake City, MD

There were three boats already lying at anchor in the cove. Shortly after our anchor was down, three other boats entered the anchorage – The Great Catsby (Manta 42 Catamaran), Fourth Watch, and DeLaMer). We recognized them from Marathon.

We introduced ourselves and found out that they left Marathon on March 28. Bob and Paula (Fourth Watch) told us of their trials and tribulations. They had some difficulties while anchored in Coconut Grove. A boat drifted down on them, their rode got wrapped in the motorboats prop. Sea Tow came to assess the situation. They couldn’t separate the boats so they called a diver. The end result was Fourth Watch’s anchor chain had to be cut. They were towed to the marina. When they went back to retrieve the anchor, it and the float that was attached, were gone! In addition, they had engine problems (injectors, injector pump, fuel pump) and transmission problems).

This was their first trip, when asked if they were going to do it again, they said yes, but not right away. They have to go home to earn more cruising bucks!

Carol and Rich (The Great Catsby) are on their way home to Point Judith. This is their fifth trip south!

We launched the dinghy for a stroll around the “city.” It has changed since my first visit in 1980. During that trip, a friend and I went ashore, and had dinner (mussels marinara and drinks) for under ten dollars. Today, two bowls of Maryland Crab Soup, one order of fries and two sodas were twenty dollars! We ate dinner aboard!

A Record Setting Day

Sunrise over Drum Point

Weather: The wind clocked from the NW in the morning to the south in the afternoon; wind speed ranged from 0.0 knots as we hauled the anchor to 12 knots in the afternoon; it was hazy and sometimes sunny with a high of 80 and a low of 65.

Comment: This was a record setting (smashing) day. Here are some entries from our log book:

• 0535 Final goodbye to “Kallita” and cast her off.


• 0540 Engines on and anchor up! It is dawn and the sunrise is scheduled for 0602 hours. The running lights are on but there is enough light to easily see the marks and other boats.


• 0700 We are kickin’ ass! Speed in 9.2 motor-sailing in 11 knots of wind out of the northeast. We have gone 8.1 miles from the anchorage.


• 0800 The speed is down to 7.6 mph in 8 ½ knots NW wind.


• 0900 The jib is in as the wind dropped to less than 3 knots. We are making only 6.2 mph which is average any other day.


• 1000 We motoring along at 6.5 mph. we have gone 29.9 miles in four hours and twenty minutes.

The "Virginia"

1100 The jib is out and we are motor sailing at 7.1mph.

1200 6.5mph in 5 knots out of the SE. 43.3 miles on the odometer

1300 6.4 mph will pass under the Bay Bridge in 30 minutes

• 1400 Foul current! Speed is down to 5.2 mph – it looks like we’ll be fighting current for the rest of the day.
  
• 1500 6.0 mph still in a foul current


• 1600 6.7 mph in 10 knots of south wind, still in a foul current – Jin in at 1630 hours


• 1700 6.1 mph – passed by fuel dock at Tolchester – weather doesn’t look good for tomorrow so we’re devising a new plan. Anna Marie checked with the Delaware City Marina regarding dockage for tomorrow. It may be an option as there are things to do. If we get hung up there for a couple of days, the kids could visit and not be bored. The plan to be home for Mother’s Day is in jeopardy!

Sunset over the Northern Chesapeake

NOTE: We motor sailed for nine hours and ten minutes today!

• 1800 We’re making 6.0 knots in 11 knots of southerly wind and have traveled 79.5 miles


• 1900 Just passing the Sassafras River


• 2000 The current has turned! We’re making 7.1 mph. Too bad we’re going to stop within the hour!
• 2040 Anchor down, engines off – Cabin John Creek MM 10.0. It is 75 degrees and the wind is 4.5 knots out of the south. We have traveled 95.7 miles in 15 hours. Small craft warnings were posted at 1800 hours. The wind is supposed to pick up to 15 to 20 knots out of the south with gusts to 25 tonight. NOAA promised the same for most of tomorrow with some diminishing of wind strength in the evening. Showers and thunder showers are also in the forecast.
  
  We will try to get fuel tomorrow and at least make Chesapeake City on the C&D Canal. If the weather isn’t as bad as predicted, we’ll go the eastern end of the C&D to check out the Delaware. If it’s bad, we'll head toward Delaware City for the blow. If not, we’ll head down bay to Cape May. Once there, we check the weather to find out when we can get home!
  
  After tending to the log book, we’re going to chill out for a few minutes and then it’s off to the sack. We’re both pretty tired!

Goodbye Kallista!

Weather: FOG! Morning fog!! Light and variable winds although we were able to motor sail for a few hours; Low temp in the mid 60’s, high in the mid 70’s; The day cleared nicely by 1000

Comment: We hauled the anchor at 0745 and motored to the Deltaville Marina fuel dock where we took on 19.9 gallons. “Kallista,” who was rafted to us, peeled off and headed up bay. “Rides with Pegasus” offered to slow down a bit so Kallista could follow. “RwP” is one of two Canadian boats (CARAT is the other – she has a pirate for a skipper) we have been seeing since Oriental. They have Radar. It was a nice gesture and “Kallista” gladly accepted.

We were at the fuel dock for twenty minutes before slipping our lines and heading out into the fog ourselves. Visibility was limited to perhaps a quarter of a mile. We managed to hug the shore, but kept our distance from the shallows.

By the time the fog had cleared, we could see that “Kallista” and the Canadians were about a mile of two out toward the middle of the bay. Once the fog lifted, the rest of the day was a milk run. The wind was light and variable. We were able to motor sail for a couple of hours.

With nothing to do but steer, I turned my attention to the auto pilot. After reading the manual, I adjusted both response settings, and gave it a whirl. It held the proper course (within 6 degrees) for the next four hours. Sweet!


Diamonds on the water!

We made it into Back Creek at the Solomon Islands and had the anchor down by 1820 hours. “Kallista” is rafted to us for the last time. We plan to have a final dinner and celebration together. We are leaving bright and early in the morning. We hope to get to Engineers Cove on the C&D Canal before nightfall. With any luck, we’ll do the Delaware Bay in comfortable wind and sea conditions on Thursday and the final leg of the trip in the dreaded Atlantic on Friday.

Goodbye Kallista!

Cinco de Mayo!

Weather: Some sun but mostly hazy all day; low in the low 60’s and high in the high 60’s. There were significant temperature variations throughout the day, including a high of 77 degrees that lasted for about an hour. The winds were generally ten knots or less, although they were in the 10 to 15 range for a couple of hours. Wind direction started from the north clocking to the east by the afternoon.

Comment: At the appointed time (0645 hours), Fran, Larry, Anna Marie and I met on the dock. We were on our way to Starbucks when we happened upon D’Egg – a downtown dinner that specializes in “eggs.” A newspaper article claimed that the place goes through 3600 eggs per week. It wasn’t that busy on a Monday morning! Both the coffee/tea and food were very good.

During breakfast, we discussed the weather forecast. The wind was predicted to be out of the north at ten knots or less. The end result of our discussion was that we would slip our lines upon returning to the boats. This we did, and by 0745, we were motoring out of the marina.

The Elizabeth River had an amazing number of tugs working on this Monday morning. We saw a Cast Guard cutter, a Naval Warship, several container ships and dozens of pleasure craft, mostly trawlers heading north. We heard a security announcement on the radio from a Naval Warship that was departing Pier 9 and would be outbound. We passed Pier 9 only moments before. We saw a ship, but it was still tied up to the dock. We never did see the ship leave the harbor.

There were whitecaps at the mouth of the bay, but things settled down nicely, for a short period of time. During the day, the wind would build to perhaps fifteen knots and then diminish to seven knots. At times there were whitecaps on the water and at other times there were none. All day long, however, the sea was “confused.” We rocked and rolled for ten hours. This was not a white-knuckle, hang on and hold your breath motion. We weren’t concerned that equipment would be strained to the breaking point. All we did was rock and roll. It wasn’t uncomfortable nor was it particularly comfortable. It just seemed to make the day last forever.

On the day, we motored for 10 ¼ hours, making 55.5 miles. Our average speed was 5.4 miles an hour. It seemed much slower than that!

After we set the anchor in Jackson Creek, Deltaville, “Kallista” rafted to us. Then Larry and Fran came over with some chips and salsa which we consumed while playing another rousing Mexican Train Game.

It’s Cinco de Mayo! EVERYBODY MAKE SOME NOISE!

Norfolk, VA

Weather: Rain shower overnight. Didn’t hear the thunder that as supposed to accompany it. We awoke to an overcast sky that brightened as the day wore on, eventually giving way to a partly sunny sky. The temp reached 81 degrees. It was actually warm in Norfolk. The winds were generally light although we did see 10 knot wind for as we traveled the Elizabeth River.

Comment: We were up early (as usual)! Anna Marie made pancakes for breakfast. I worked on routes and waypoints on the GPS. We slipped our lines from the NC Dismal Swamp Visitor Center at 0735.

Hello Virginia!

We motored up the canal in overcast conditions and a temperature of 66 degrees in the bubble. As we motored out of the Deep Creek lock, it was a warm 81 degrees. Our trip in the swamp was over. During the last two days, we spotted innumerable turtles, a few Canada Geese and even two water snakes (Black Rat Snake and what I think was a Copperhead).

Larry's and Fran's son came to take some photos.

We arrived at the Waterside Marine in Norfolk at 1320 hours. After securing the boat and tending to a few boat chores, we met Larry and Fran for appetizers at “Eat at Joe’s Crab Shack.” We always enjoy the fare at Joe’s.

Anna Marie and I walked through the mall. There are several restaurants and the Virginia Store and not much else. It is hard to imagine that there is enough clientele to allow the restaurants to survive.

Looking back at the last brodge openning of the trip.

When we returned to the boat, I changed the oil (with Anna Marie’s help). We met Larry and Fran and their son Paul for dinner at Max and Erma’s (in the mall, two blocks from the waterfront). It was a great pleasure to meet Paul. He is an ICE official (I could tell you what that is but then I’d have to kill you). Suffice it to say he is one of the good guys and he puts really bad people away for a lot of years.

Paul lives in Chesapeake City, near the Deep Creek Lock. He took photos of our boat and “Kallista” from the bridge and the lock area, went home and brought back a CD containing 75 photos he had taken. They are great! He’s quite a photographer.

When we got back to the Marina, we noticed that Sharon and Larry (“Lead Free II”) were in the marina. We shared some cruising stories before meeting Fran and Larry aboard “Kallista.” We listened to and discussed tomorrow’s forecast and made plans for breakfast and departure.

One of the other boaters in the marina is concerned about the predicted three foot waves in the mouth of the Chesapeake. We’ll check the conditions when we get to the bay. We have established contingency plans in case it is too rough.

Finally, and most importantly, we are at “Mile 0.” The end (or beginning) of the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway (the AIW or more commonly the ICW). We have the Chesapeake Bay, the Delaware Bay, a small portion of the Atlantic Ocean and Barnegat Bay yet to go.

We’re hoping to be home by the weekend, weather permitting!

Be prepared, we’re bringing the good (sunny and warm) weather with us!

NC Visitors Center

Weather: It was a fine day. Although windy, we spent most of the day in the Pasquotank River, Turner’s Cut and the dismal Swamp Canal; we didn’t feel much of the wind. The temp made it into the 80’s and the low was in the mid 60’s. It was clear and sunny all day.

Sunshine over the Pasquotank

Comment: Our lines were slipped from the Elizabeth City Town Docks at 0630. The Elizabeth City Bascule Bridge opened on request, but only one-half of the span was operational. We carefully picked our way through it.

Look closley at that Osprey.

We slowly motored up river, keeping the speed down to about five miles-per-hour. Flotsam, snags, stumps and other debris can be a problem. On two occasions, we thumped something lurking below the surface, no damage was done and “SUNSHINE” merrily continued on her way. The doors to the South Mills lock were closed when we arrived. Anna Marie threw over the CQR and “Kallista” rafted alongside. We sat there in the company of five other boats waiting for the lockmaster to open the doors.

At about 1040, the doors opened. All of the boats slowly made way to their assigned positions. The lockmaster slid the lines around the bollards that were about twelve feet above us. Once all the vessels were secure, the rear doors to the lock were closed. Water entered the lock and in fifteen or twenty minutes, we were raised eight feet to the canal level. The front doors opened and the boats slowly and orderly made their way out.

Tied up at the NC Visitor's Center

The lockmaster hoped into his truck and drove northward a few hundred yards to the bridge. Once he opened it, all the vessels were merrily on their way. “Loophole”, a Mainship motor vessel that we have seen on the waterway since Oriental, “Kallista” and “SUNSHINE” tied up at the NC Dismal Swamp Visitor Center. There was already a boat at the dock. Loophole tied up directly behind it with “SUNSHINE” behind. “Kallista” rafted to “SUNSHINE” as all of the dock space was now occupied.

After lunch and a brief respite, Anna Mare, Larry, Fran and I borrowed the Visitor Center’s four loaner bikes and rode the greenway trail toward the South Mills Lock and back. All told, we peddled six miles. It was too easy… downhill in both directions!

On the loaner bikes.

We spent a few minutes in the center and then walked over the new barge bridge to the brand new Dismal Swamp State Park headquarters. We toured the facility and check out the displays. There are sixteen miles of mountain bike and hiking trails. We’re saving that experience for a future visit.

Back at the boats, we enjoyed some down time (I should have changed oil in the engines, but didn’t remember until working on the logs at 2230 hours) and reading. Fran prepared a feast for dinner – ham, stuffing and gravy and a fabulous chocolate chip muffin cookie!. Anna Marie contributed a sweet potato casserole and Iced Tea. The meal was great and the muffin cookie spectacular. Fran had to work over a hot stove and oven for hours to pull this meal off. It was a most enjoyable dinner that we enjoyed on one of the many picnic tables available to visitors of the center.

Following dinner, we enjoyed a rousing Mexican Train Game. Fran and Larry had never played. They are quick studies. Although there were several lead changes, Anna Marie emerged victorious when Fran, who had been leading, pulled some terrible bones. That’s the way the cookie crumbles!

We’re planning a 0730 departure for the Deep Point Bridger and Lock and then it’s on to Norfolk, where we have slip reservations at the Waterside. We expect it will be our last slip until we get home. We do have a “Plan B” as scattered thunderstorms are predicted for this evening and tomorrow morning. Uncle NOAA promised a fine Sunday afternoon for our enjoyment.

That’s the story from the Great Dismal Swamp!

The Albemarle Sound to Elizabeth City

Weather: Of all the times to get the forecast wrong, this wasn’t it! The forecast was for southwest wind @ 10 to 15 knots. What materialized was SW to W @ 20 to 25 knots. The Low temp was in the low 60’s and the high was in the high 70’s. The sky was clear and sunny.


Sunrise from the Aligator River Marina.

Comment: We were up at 0600. Anna Marie talked to Fran and the plan changed from a 0700 departure to a 0630 one. The wind was blowing from the SW @ 10 knots. As we cleared the breakwater, we were exposed to the SW wind and waves which gave us a roll as we waddled toward the ICW.

After turning northward, we unrolled the jib and were motor-sailing at almost 7 mph. It was a pleasant ride and we were hopeful for a smooth crossing. We entered the sound at 0715. Whitecaps were visible, but the ride was still easy and we were speeding along at close to 8 mph.

At 0800, the apparent wind was pegged at 11 knots. We began to get the waves and wind on our port quarter. The wind seemed to be moving closer to the west. Our speed was 8.3 mph, we were 11 miles out of the marina and we noted in the log that conditions were becoming “rough.”

By 0900 conditions improved a bit. There were fewer white caps and we were blasting along at 9 mph in 13 knots of wind out of the west. We were 18.9 miles from the marina and were just entering the Pasquotank River. The wind gauge recorded a gust of 22.7 knots. It was time to reduce sail a bit! We pointed the boat down wind, idled the motors and rolled in, leaving out a smaller piece of th jib. That only lasted for another ten minutes when the wind clocked still further making it impossible for the jib to hold air.

At 1100, we were steaming along at 5.9 mph under power only. The worst of the crossing was over. Who knew the river would be worse than the sound! ”SUNSHINE” tied up to the town dock and the engines were off at 1130. It felt good to be in the protection of the harbor.

“Kallista” was about twenty minutes behind us, giving us enough time to get secure before scurrying across the harbor to help Larry and Fran tie up. Fran was a trooper. She had nothing but kudos for her captain!

All four of us were glad to be here. We suspect that weather may make the sound impassable (for our sized boats) perhaps until Monday. Lunch out was well deserved for the crew of both vessels.

During the lunch conversation, it became clear that Larry and Fran don’t know what happened to the Palmetto bug. I suspected that Larry developed a new strategy for dealing with the rascal. He made sure “Kallista” bounced and rolled from wave to wave while in the sound and the river. The motion of the boat caused things to be thrown about the cabin in a random, haphazard way. Although he denies it, I believe he was hoping the one heavy item or another would squash the bug and complete the deed that the bug spray and the traps couldn’t!

After lunch, it was time to clean up the boat and get some R&R. Anna Marie strolled to the deli for a loaf of fresh baked bread. They were sold out! I worked on the log and did some cleaning and chilin.’

Together with Fran and Larry, we sauntered over to the Wine and Cheese party hosted by the ROSE BUDDIES. The tradition is going strong, even after Fred’s demise. In fact, there seems to be an infusion of spirit. There were at least five “Rose Buddy” officials at the gathering. Dave, who helped Fred for over twenty years, was the spokesperson. He provided pertinent information about the town, the trip north through the Dismal Swamp Canal and how to fill up our tanks with fresh water.

The docks were practically full with sailboats and some trawlers. One couple is doing the loop on a small (twenty-five foot powerboat). I was surprised that over one half of the boaters attending the party were doing this portion of the trip for the first time. Many said they were drawn here by the publicity generated by the Rose Buddies and Elizabeth City’s reputation as the “Harbor of Hospitality.”

Enjoying the "Dinner and a Movie" experience.

The four of us departed the party for the “traditional” dinner and a movie. This is the fourth time that Anna Marie and I have done this and we continue to enjoy the whole experience. The theater has tables for four complete with a light and a phone. One just has to pick up the phone to order their meal and beverage. A few minutes later, the beverages are brought to the table and the meal follows. When the theater is crowded, the meal can take up to an hour before it is brought to the table. This has not been our experience. We usually get our food within a short period of time.

The featured film was “Smart People,” starring Denis Quaid, Thomas Hayden Church, Sarah Jessica parker and Ellen Page. The movie was interesting but I wouldn’t call it great by any stretch of the imagination. I laughed at several of the situations in this dark comedy. The soundtrack was the highlight of the film for me.

Suffice it to say that the ladies in our company might have preferred a “chick flick.”

We returned to the boat by 2100 hours after bidding good evening to Larry and Fran. I finished the day’s log and we made ready for a 0645 departure tomorrow. We plan to stay at the NC Visitor Center. We expect that some of the boats in the town docks will be staying at the Visitor Center as well. It may be turn into a rafting situation.

Weather: Sunny and hazy all day; low in the mid 50’s, high in the low 70’s; winds less than 10 knots to start. By the time we were in the marina, the wind was 20 to 25 knots out of the south.


Sunshine before departure
from Dowery Creek Marina.

Comment: We departed the Dowry Creek Marina at the appointed time (0700 hours). KALLISTA lead the way out of the marina and into the channel. Once again, we were underway before most (if not all) other boats. The trip to the Alligator-Pungo Canal was uneventful. We navigated the channel and didn’t see any shallow depths to worry about even though the depth gauge sounded the shallow water alarm frequently. In fact, it became so frequent that I turned the alarm off for fifteen minutes. Eventually it straightened itself out and I turned the alarm back on. It didn’t go off for the rest of the day.

The twenty mile canal is a cut through a cypress swamp that is not nearly as attractive as the cypress swamp through which the Waccama River (South Carolina) flows. We reached the Alligator River before 1100 hours. We navigated the lower, protected section easily and rolled out the jib when we made the turn to the north. We had 10 to 15 knots of wind out of the south as we motor-sailed up river to the Alligator River Swing Bridge. We rolled up the sail to pass through the bridge.

Just before accomplishing that task, we passed a 25’ Cape Dory sailboat who was under auxiliary power headed south into the fifteen knot wind. We watched as the vessel was lifted by the waves and dropped into the troughs, sending spray flying everywhere. The boat shuddered to a complete stop before regaining momentum. We also thought about the skipper and how he was handling the beating.

We recalled our trip up the Alligator River in “FODDER’S CAT.” At that time, the wind was clocked at 32 knots out of the north. I’m sure we were bobbing like a cork and getting thrashed around like the little Cape Dory. We tried to imagine what we would have looked like to south bound vessels.

At various times during this trip, Anna Marie and I have been discussing the differences between “SUNSHINE” and “FODDER’S CAT.” “FODDER’S CAT” was our twenty-four foot Atlantic City 24’ Cat Boat. It was our home on our first ICW Adventure. If anyone is interested, I posted a link under "Other Blogs." Click on Fodders Cat.


After passing through the Alligator River swing Bridge, “Kallista” and “SUNSHINE” made the sharp left turn into the channel leading to the Alligator River Marina. It provided the most “fun” of the day. The wind and waves were now on our beam and we were unceremoniously rocked and rolled all the way into the breakwater protecting the marina. Once inside, we sallied up to the fuel dock to take on some gas. “Kallista” headed to the fuel dock too. We nestled into our respective slips and attended to some chores.

After dinner, it was movie night III. We watched “Hitch” starring Will Smith. Larry and I have practice at this dinner and a mvie thing as we expect to do the ore formal dinner and a movie in Elizabeth City tomorrow evening.



That’s the story from the “SUNSHINE” where every day is warm and sunny.

Our First Visit to Dowery Creek

Dowery Creek Marina Bottle Tree


Weather: The day started partly cloudy; as we were traveling the waterway it was partly sunny most of the time; the wind was out of the northeast at 10 to 15 knots (nearer 15 knots in the morning and nearer 10 knots in the afternoon); the Neuse River presented short, steep chop, but things calmed down in the Bay River, the Canal and the Pamlico and Pungo Rivers. The overnight temp was a cool 50 degrees and it reached 79 degrees in the bubble. We were quite toast during our time on the water today. For most of the trip, we had two side curtains open.

Comment: SUNSHINE and KALLISTA slipped lines at the appointed time (0700). The Neuse River presented a light chop. Both vessels unrolled jibs and we were motor-sailing at 7+ mph. As we progresses, the wind strength pegged 15 knots and the light chop turned moderate with some steep breakers. Whitecaps could be seen all over the river. Our speed dropped to 4 mph. Fortunately, things straightened out in the Bay River and for the rest of the day. All-in-all, the most challenging conditions lasted for no more than two hours in the Neuse River.

At one point, after we rolled in the jib and while hobby-horsing in the steep chop, Anna Marie crawled to the foredeck to make sure the anchor was secure. It looked loose and we didn’t want to lose it overboard in those conditions.

We were able to motor sail on the Pamlico River but had to roll up as we entered the Pungo as the wind was back on our nose.

Dowry Creek is a very nice marina. It boasts clean, private restroom and showers. Among the amenities are a small store, a pool and a cruiser’s lounge complete with a gas fireplace, kitchenette and satellite TV. Although the marina is famous for “Beer Can Chicken,” it wasn’t served on this evening.

Hello Olwen!

Weather: In a word, “Beautiful!” The temp was cool in the morning and evening (low 50’s) and warmed up during the day (low 70’s). It was mostly sunny. Winds were 15 – 20 knots out of the NW.

Comment: Our first order of business was breakfast with Fran and Larry in the marina’s restaurant. Anna Marie finished the laundry detail she began yesterday. I made some phone calls and sent e-mails regarding the water heater (it was delivered to Shelley’s house today) and the refrigeration water circulating pump.

I also called Olwen Jarvis. Since we couldn't boat up to her house, she drove down to our boat! She offered to take us shopping, but we are well provisioned. Instead, we just visited for a couple of hours in the marina's restaurant. It sure was great to see her. We only wished we could have seen Captain Bill and the other Windjammers (Hamilton’s and Dalton’s) who call Fairfield Harbor their home. Thoughtfully, Olwen brought photos of everyone. It has been eight years or more since these friends moved from New Jersey and they all look great... North Carolina life must be good indeed!

We were able to reminisce about some of the other Windjammers and found out a little bit about some of the many activities in which Bill and Olwen are involved.

After bidding our goodbye to Olwen, we caught up with Larry and Fran. We borrowed marina bikes and rode around Oriental, investigating the community by bike on such a lovely day was a natural high. Most homes and grounds are well maintained. We came across Deaton’s Boat Yard and moseyed around before we rode around to the marina on the other side of the creek. Both are home to some very nice sailboats, many capable of crossing oceans.

After dinner, we enjoyed another movie night with Fran and Larry. Tonight’s feature was “Los Vegas Vacation,” one of the series of Chevy Chase’s “Vacation” movies. It was great fun.

After the movie, we turned in. Departure for tomorrow morning is scheduled for 0700. It’ll take us at least an hour to removed all of the fenders protecting SUNSHINE from the pilings. (P.S. This is only a slight exaggeration!)

Lay Day in Oriental

Weather: Windy! Small craft warnings posted, 25 knots gusts to 30 out of the South; Some rain (a shower or two throughout the day, but not enough to get us wet until around 2200 hours), but not the 2” in two hours predicted.

Comment: We awoke to an overcast, windy day, and the wind kept building, making it to 25 knots with gusts to 30. We were glad to be secure in a slip in a safe harbor… or were we? One of the fenders keeps rolling out of position, but we keep jamming it back in place. It wasn’t problematic because it took about three or four hours to roll out.

We met Fan and Larry at the dockside restaurant for breakfast. We can highly recommend the omelets. They were excellent! During breakfast, Larry and Fran told us about the discovery of a Palmetto Bug in their boat. Larry saw movement out of the corner of his eye. It took a few seconds to realize what it was. He got up to catch the bug but missed. It fell to the floor and scooted away before he could grab it. They don’t know where it got to, so after breakfast, we’re all borrowing marina bikes for a trip to the hardware store where Larry hopes to purchase bug spray, bug bombs and bug traps. He and Fran really want to get that little rascal!

After Larry sprayed the chemicals and set 17 different traps, we walked to a waterfront park. The Adirondack chairs were most inviting, and we sat for a spell to chat and watch the waves, whitecaps and foam build on the Neuse River. While we were gone, “Kallista” was closed up as tight as a drum in a effort to allow the spray and traps to do their job.

Back at the boats, Larry opened the hatches to air “Kallista” out while we went aboard “SUNSHINE” to attend to the logs. Both Anna Marie and Fran found time to do laundry. The bouncing motion on “SUNSHINE” was rocking me to sleep.

At the height of the blow, the boats were bouncing quite a bit. Rather take our evening meal aboard, we chose instead to dine at “M&M’s.” We all enjoyed our meals and dallied over coffee and tea. By the time we returned to our boats, the wind had eased to about twenty knots and we weren’t bouncing nearly as much.

Fran and Larry suggested that we do a “movie night.” That sounded great to Anna Marie and me. They brought over a few flicks from which to choose. We all agreed on a comedy and “Wild Hogs” (Tim Allen, Martin Lawrence, John Travolta and William H. Macy) was the selection. We thoroughly enjoyed this movie about four middle aged men who need a “bikers’ road trip” to relieve the boredom of their hum-drum lives.

This was a good lay day. We dodged a few rain drops and were still able to bike, walk and do some things in town. We watched boats eave the harbor, but we were happy to be secure in our slips.

Oriental, NC

Weather: Started sunny but changed to partly sunny, partly cloudy, then cloudy before we pulled into the marina. The wind was less than 5 knots primarily from the northwest. The wind increased in the evening and we had a few drops of rain. A cold front is moving through and the weather is predicted to deteriorate for the next two days.

Comment: We enjoyed another easy run today! It was a pleasure to be on the waterway. We were able to motor-sail with the jib for an hour of so. It helped as we motored against the current the entire way from Morehead City to Oriental.

Colorful House with PDQ Morotcat on lift

The weather has caused us to modify our trip. We planned to travel up the Neuse River to visit folks who moved from the Barnegat Bay area about 10 years ago but we don’t want to be on the Neuse River in 25+ knots of wind on our nose. Besides visiting friends, we have heard great things about visiting New Bern. I hope we can do it on a future trip. So far, we have only passed through on the occasions when we take Route 17 to Myrtle Beach to visit Sandi and Matt, and Josh and Rose.

We chose the Oriental Harbor Marina for dockage. The crew of “SUNSHINE” was directed to slip A-11. As we made our way into the slip, we found that the reported 20 foot beam was a bit inaccurate. We made it through the first set of pilings with inches to spare. We could only get about 3 feet of the nose past the mid-slip pilings before wedging the boat tight between them. This wouldn’t do for sitting out a blow from the south. SUNSHINE would be beaten against the pilings all day and night.

Since there was no other beamier slip available, we chose to pull the boat back so the dinghy was sticking most of the way out into the fairway. This wouldn’t be a problem for several reasons:

• Slip A-11 is near the end of the fairway;



• A boat five slips from us was sticking even further out into the fairway;



• Given the weather conditions, there wouldn’t be any boat traffic for the next two days.
  

Squeezed in

Our strategy was sound, but it still left us precariously close to the starboard side finger pier and pilings as well as the two port side pilings. We used three fenders to protect “SUNSHINE” from the port side pilings and another five fenders on the starboard side. Even in the relative calm conditions we had while tying up, all the fenders were “squished” between their respective hull and the pilings/finger pier. We hoped they would stay put during the blow.

Once “SUNSHINE” and “KALLISTA” were securely tied up, Anna Marie and I used the marina’s loaner bikes to pedal around Oriental a bit. We really like the town. Anna Marie read that the population is about 850 people and the average age is 59. The number of boats in the town is about three times the population, causing Oriental to be billed as the Sailing Capital of North Carolina.

Oriental scene

The Anchor's Up (1 hour 20 minutes before schedule)!

Weather: Mostly sunny; low in the mid 60’s high in the mid 70’s; light wind until about 1200 hours; motor sailed for most of the day with the engines throttled way back (almost to idle speed).

Comment: As usual, we jumped the gun for departure! Instead of the planned 0745 departure, we started hauling the anchor at 0620. Fran and Larry did a Chinese fire drill to pull their anchor. Sorry guys! We saw that you were up and on the bow. We thought it was time to pull up the anchor. It seems we can never actually haul the anchor at the appointed time.

We were underway at 0630 and headed for the Onslow Beach Swing Bridge. Because two trawlers from the anchorage were waiting, we had enough time to “catch up.” It was a different story for “Kallista.” They appeared to us to be only a minute away from the bridge, but the bridge tender closed the bridge telling “Kallista” and two following sailboats that they would have to wait for the 0730 opening.

After clearing Camp Lejune, we unrolled the jib and motor-sailed all the way to Morehead City. We throttled back on the engines and enjoyed a very quiet ride.

“Kallista” arrived just as we were clearing the Morehead Yacht Basin fuel dock. We passed them on the way to our “T” head and tied up. “Kallista” tied up right behind us after fueling up.

After some R&R, the four of us took off on a walk around Morehead City and eventually had dinner at the “Sanitary” Seafood restaurant. The meals could best be described as average and the bill came to just under $50.00 for two; not too bad we guess.

During the walk back to the boats, we vowed to leave together, without the Chinese fire drill, at 0700. We are headed for Oriental where we expect to wait out approaching weather that may keep us at the dock until Wednesday.

To Mile Hammock Bay, Camp LeJune, NC

Weather: Sunny with lows in the mid 60’s and highs in the 80’s; Calm wind, glassy water surface

Comment:
We wer underway at 0640 hours. In short order, we passed through the wrightsville Beach Bascule bridge and, one hour later, the Figure Eight Swing Bridge.

Given the calm wind, the "no-see-ums" paid us a visit in for an hour or so. At 1100 hours we passed throught the Surf City Swing Bridge.

At abot 1200, the breeze picked up enough to allow us to unroll the jib. We had it out for an hour before rolling it in to allow better visibility for negotiating the New River Inlet. It's another inlet noted for shifting sands and channel buoys that are moved frequently.

Anchor Down, Mile Hammock Bay, Camp Lejune, NC at 1400.

We were the first two vessels to anchor in Mile Hammock, we were eventually joined by thirteen other boats. In the last few days, we have been seeing quite a few vessels making the northbound trek.


Kallista at anchor - Mile Hammock Bay

Happy Birthday Anna Marie!

Weather: Sunny all day! Low in the high 50’s, high in near 80; wind 5 to 10 knots out of the northeast; just a beautiful day on the waterway!

Comment: We slipped our lines at 0640 with “Kallista” just ahead of us. Larry and Fran allowed us to pass and followed us up the waterway to the Cape Fear River. Our plan for transiting the river was perfect. We rode the current all the way up river, at times getting a 1.5 knot push.

We are certain the plan was a good one because every northbound cruiser in the area was executing the same plan. There were probably two dozen recreational boats on the river at the same time. There were several small shrimp boats working the river as well as the Bald Head Island and the Fishers Island Ferries.

The current turned on us in Snow’s Cut but was back in our favor an hour or so later when we passed the Carolina Beach Inlet.

The anchor was down in the Wrightsville Beach anchorage by 1230. We enjoyed a good lunch aboard and then set out to pick up Larry and Fran in the dinghy. We docked at the little town dinghy dock and headed for the beach. Our walk was about a mile and one-half in length and we marveled at the number of people enjoying the warmth and sunshine, many appeared to be college aged kids. We wondered why as spring break is (or should be) over.

Two tractors, one a bull dozer and the other a very large articulating front end loader were working the beach. The loader was sunk up to the axel in the ocean and the bull dozer was unable to extricate it from the water and wet sand. The situation was becoming precarious as the tide was coming in. About an hour after getting stuck, the loader was finally pulled out of the water to higher ground. We guess that worker was breathing a sigh of relief!

We stopped at a local market where Larry and Fran purchased the ingredients to make an angel food pineapple cake that Fran is going to bake for Anna Marie’s Birthday. Yes, it’s her birthday today! She has now completed sixty trips around the sun.

Larry and Fran have invited us aboard “Kallista” for a pasta dinner. We’re looking forward to joining them and having another gam about our experiences, trip highlights and perhaps even some of the trials and tribulations (if there are any). Thanks Larry and Fran! We enjoyed the clebration, dinner and cake! You really didn’t have to go through all that trouble. It did indeed make Anna Marie’s birthday very special!

Before heading back to the motherships, we stopped at a local restaurant for some cold beverages. They surely hit the spot! Once finished, we rode the dinghy back to our vessels. Fran slaved over the stove/over, preparing dinner, Larry predicted that he would take a nap, I worked on the logs and Anna Marie took a look at the cruising guides to think about the next few days on the waterway.

Wrightsville Beach has a very nice beach that is especially good for walking as the sand is relatively hard. The town however, is nothing special. The anchorage is big. We have been joined by abut ten other boats so it looks like we’ll have company on the waterway again tomorrow!

A Stop at St. James Plantation

Weather: Low in the mid 60s, high near 80; Overcast with a brief rain shower in the AM to partly cloudy, partly sunny and finally mostly sunny in the late afternoon; NE wind @ 10 – 15 knots

Comment: After a check of the current for the Cape Fear River and the weather report, wedecided to stop at the St. James Plantation Marina in Southport, NC. The wind was predicted to be 15 to 20 with gust to 25 out of the northeast, and we would be bucking the max ebb current – a recipe for a slow, uncomfortable day.

Sunset Beach Goats

With the Boat/US discount, the marina rate is $1.05/ft and since they only have 50 amp electric service, we passed on the electric hook-up. They don’t lend adapters, but they sell them for $166.00. We passed!


Traveling today was uneventful. At Sunset beach, we passed a herd of goats. We didn't see them on our previous voyage on on our southward trip, but here they are today.

We had no difficulty at all with the Shallotte Inlet or Lockwood’s Folly Inlet, even though reports of shoals abound.

We heard “Snow Cat” on the radio, but did not see it. Ana Marie remembers it from Marathon and tat we exchanged hellos with the skipper in the Marathon West Marine.

Fran and Larry are coming over for dinner tonight. We’re preparing a pork loin on the BBQ and Fran is bringing potatoes and veggies. Since last night’s happy hour was canceled due to rain, this will be their first happy hour on the north bound journey!