14 June 2010 | New Bern, NC
25 April 2010 | Mt Pleasant (Charleston) SC
24 April 2010 | NNSC, Norfolk, Va
16 April 2010 | Morehead City, NC
14 April 2010 | Charlerston SC
03 April 2010 | off north FL east coast
26 March 2010 | Hawk Channel
16 March 2010 | Key West Channel
15 March 2010 | Key West to Marathon
14 March 2010 | Boca Chica Marina, Key West FL
13 March 2010 | Downtown Key West
13 March 2010 | Boca Chica Naval Air Station, Key West, FL
28 February 2010 | Key West - Boca Chica Navy Base
14 February 2010 | Boca Chica Marina, Key West FL
25 January 2010 | Boca Chica, Key West FL
24 January 2010 | Key West FL
23 January 2010 | Boca Chica, KW, FL
22 January 2010 | Key West
21 January 2010 | Key West FL
20 January 2010 | Boca Chica KW, FL
New Bern, NC for the summer
14 June 2010 | New Bern, NC
Maury
This summer is not going as planned .... but then again very little does when you live on a boat. I guess this ios the joy of not having a real schedule to follow.
The job in Norfolk as a sailing instructor for the third year did not work out. They are into their fourth manager at the marina in 39 months and things were really hectic. The new manager decided that he wanted a younger crew so I guess age is catching up. Or age discrimination is striking. Can not exactly figure which way to go with this but the bottom line is that with all the termoil in Norfolkj Ginger and I decided to get out before the marina imploded on itself. We had met some wonderful folks in Key QWest who bragged non-stop about the great sailing community in New Bern so we decided to come down here for the summer.
New Bern is celebrating their 300th birthday this year and the downtown is involved in celebrations, concerts, and all kinds of activities at the downtown park every weekend. We figured that if we wanted to enjoy it that we should go stay in the middle of things so we got a slip for GYPSYSAILS at the NEW BERN GRAND MARINA which is attached to the new Hilton Hotel downtown a block from the park. Weekly jaz festivals, the pool, marble bathrooms and free laundry all add to the atmosphere with the floating docks and bottomless pots of Starbucks coffee. I could sure get used to this place.
I got a part time job at West Marine in New Bern which I can move to different cities as we travel. Not a lot of hours but the employee discounts are great. I will probably go up to Norfolk for a few days a week for the next few weeks to help our dear friend, Fred Wright, fix up his house for his new bride. I believe Fred is 78 this year and is robbing the cradle with a darling live wire 55 year old "trophy bride". More on this story later.
In the mean time we are enjoying the inside hospitality of New Bern with our friends, David and Leigh Pfefferkorm, who we met in Key West. In addition to having us stay with them whiole Ginger recouperated we are helping them restore a 34 foot wooded trawler. Talk about a real project.
Other friends from Key West arrived here yesterday. After spending four months on a mooring ball at Boca Chica 100 feet from them they are now tied up at the same dock we are ... one boat away. Claudia and Ed Davis were with us constantly this winter so the party continues. I'm sure Ginger and Claudia will figure ways to check out every tourist trap within the area. Ed is a Fed-ex pilot. Claudia is just a bubbly lady who is always smiling, laughing, taking care of her dog, Stormy, and cooking ... and cooking .... and cooking.
So our life is chganging direction a little ... but being inland on the Neuse River may turn out to be a really good thing is this oil slick does make its way around Florida. It could be a long summer and fall ... for us....BP ... and the birds.
Temporary Landlubber
25 April 2010 | Mt Pleasant (Charleston) SC
Ginger
Temporary 'Landlubber'
Since April 12 when I clumsily missed the bottom step of the hatchway stairs I have been fortunate enough to take refuge with our great friends Bob & Lynn Brennan in Mt Pleasant SC.
If it wasn't already enough that they had invited us to get some much needed R&R earlier that week, we knew that with my broken rib & a punctured lung we realized that with Lynn being an RN and like the doctor said, "I was not to get onto a boat, including my beloved Gypsysails for a few weeks yet! So, once again, our guardian angels have been attending to our needs to which we will be forever indebted. Since Bob will need help 'rescreening' his porch I think this will be a great start. For those unfamiliar with Mt. Pleasant - it is a suburb of Charleston SC and it is a town up from McClellanville and once you cross either the beautiful Ravenel Bridge or the 526 Bridge, Charleston welcomes you. Everyone loves Charleston; no matter where we have stopped in our travels I have never heard a negative word about our favorite town.
Although concerned about Maury going it alone on our 42 ft ketch back to Norfolk by himself, I knew that he is an extremely capable & diligent sailor,and in addition, has the ability to troubleshoot and 'repair' items when they go down, while under duress. (I have witnessed this many times (Remember, during our sea trial, Dec 2006, NOAA had been unable to predict the 30 plus hours "storms from hell'. That experience solidified my belief that I would rather have
"Capt Maury" onboard with me more than anyone I can think of during a crisis; however, as all sailors, we pray that we don't have to be challenged to the upper limits ever again!
Knowing that he transversed the ocean from Charleston up to Moorehead City and then to Dowry Creek on the ICW alone was certainly a challenge that he welcomed. Once he arrived there he welcomed having our friend, Mike Riese, one of his fellow sailing instructors at the Norfolk Navy base and another great friend, Di join in the last leg. Fortunately, our new weather computer program, 'Clearpointweather.com' allowed us both to monitor the weather; me from land and him whenever he was had 'line of sight' for weather updates.
My progress in healing and getting some great R&R at the Brennans is unbelievably wonderful; the pain is getting to be a lot more tolerable and every day I am now able to walk at least a half mile which is helping to keep my energy intact . . . not to mention the wonderful gourmet treats that 'Chef' Bob delights his wife and I with most every day! On the downside, Lynn & Bob won't let me help with anything around the house as 'Nurse' Lynn wants to avoid collateral damage.
Happily, Maury will be heading down here Monday evening hings go as planned. He definitely needs some R&R after the 2260 mile journey in Gypsysails. For our non-cruising friends . . .
Sailboats can travel realistically anywhere between 3 - 9 nautical miles an hour. Takes a little longer than laying tread on a highway.
In the meantime while I wait for Maury's arrival, I am enjoying the wonderful Spring weather which has arrived. Bob and Lynn have a wonderful butterfly garden in their backyard and the first hummingbird arrived yesterday. With several bird feeders, there are also lots of birds
who know they have struck it rich. The most awesome of any is the Thrush family who set up home in the bluebird box which is merely 10 steps from their back deck outside their screened porch. Needless to say, watching these Bluebirds of Happiness and learning that they are extremely social is a real treat. Their babies hatched the other day and will be fledging in another week; realizing that they must eat every 30 minutes both Mom and Dad stay constantly busy along with the good Steward Bob, who at least a couple times a day puts mealy worms in their 'plate' outside the box.
but the most terrific thing is the family of bluebirds which nested in the Bluebird box which Bob installed. Not even the squirrels can bother it and the added dimension is that the box is only about 10 steps away from their back deck. I have really learned so much about Bluebirds this week as Bob relates the secrets to being a successful protector, and the most astonishing realization is that they are extremely 'social' and welcome humans attending to them. The hatchlings have to eat every 30 minutes and the father and mother are extremely tentative, but they allow other bluebirds to help feed them. Of course the good Steward, Bob attends to them using mealy worms which of course the parents get to have a snack of them when not feeding them to their offspring.
Trip report - Key West to Norfolk
24 April 2010 | NNSC, Norfolk, Va
Maury
Gypsysails arrived safely back to her home slip on Thursday (23rd) at the completion of a 2260 mile voyage that began on November 4, 2009. She is
now sitting proudly in her slip connected to shore power with the wind generator turned off. The sounds of the fighter jets at Key West has been replaced by the noise of helocopters at the refueling station right next to the marina here. I guess it is just the sound of freedom as we seem to constantly be at training bases where there is continual activity.
The attached picture is of Gypsysails as she sat at the seawall in the Dismal Canal on Wednesday evening for her last night underway for this trip.
For those non-cruisers who follow this blog ... and the chuckles of the cruisers who do ...I will put a compliation of the trip from Key West below:
26 Mar - 0844 Departed Boca Chica Marina, Key West FL heading northeast
into northeast winds rerquiring motorsailing .... this should
have been an indication to us but it was not heeded.
2109 Anchored East of Grass Key near Marathon FL
27 Mar - 0758 Underway heading northeast into northeast winds
2128 - Anchored at Rodriquez Key East of Key Largo winds still east
28 Mar - 0735 Underway for Miami to Northeast. Wind East 17
1548- Entered Government Cut the Miami main shipping chanel.
With Ginger at the helm we immediately encountered a
large container ship in the middle of the channel that was
BACKING down the channel. Practiced collision avoidance.
1717 - Anchored in Biscane Bay across from Miami Yacht Club
29 Mar - In port Miami avoiding severe thunderstorms with 40 knot winds
30 Mar - 0451 Underway heading due north to Ft Pierce. Winds from the
North at 22 knots and 3 foot seas from the north.
Motorsailed all night
31 Mar - 0842 Anchored at Ft Pierce to meet up with S/V Dotori with David
and Anita Brewer who had just returned from the Bahamas
1 Apr - 0311 Underway with S/V Dotori in company for St Augustine,
Course due North. Winds from Northat 10 knots, Seas calm.
sunset - passed Cape Canaveral and saw space shuttle on
launch pad with sunset right behind it. Wind North, Sea flat.
motored overnightg
2 Apr - 1129 - Anchored in St Augustine by Lions Bridge in front of fort.
3 Apr - 1455 - Underway for Charleston. Heading offshore Northeast.
AT LAST ... winds South 10 knots seas flat to1 foot
2209 Left Florida waters
Motorsailed overnight
4 APR - EASTER SUNDAY ... offshore heading northeast ...
Early AM winds drop to zero seas totally flat ... motored
motored ....motored...
motored overnight in dead calm seas with no wind.
5 Apr - 0721 Entered Charleston jetty
0952 - Moored at Cooper River Marina in Charleston
5 - 11 Apr Inport Charleston visiting friends and grandchildren
12 Apr - While loading for departure the next day, Ginger fell on stairs and
broke a rib and punctured her lung. Fortunately we are staying
with our friends Bob and Lynn Brennan and Lynn is the head
nurse at a local hospital. Not much that can be done for Ginger
except painkillers and antibiotics.
13 Apr - Medical visit for Ginger
14 Apr - medical for Ginger ... lung healing but doctor says stay off boat for
at least a month due to rib. Decision to have Maury single hand
Gypsysails back to Norfolk.
15 Apr - 0418 - Maury underway for solo offshore to Morehead City NC
200 miles to the northeast.
GUESS WHAT ,,, winds from the northeast 15 knots seas 2 feet
1600 - winds decrease to 5-10 knots and seas decrease
2000 - winds decrease to 5 knots seas 1 foot
Motoring overnight
16 April - 0200 wind shifts to southwest at 3 knots
0537 - Pass Cape Fear light winds increase to 5 knots
1130 WInd Southwest at 11. Put out jib.
1600 wind increases to 16 knots from southwest. Boat speed
increases to over 9 knots.
1808 Entered breakwater at Morehead City
1835 - Anchored to west of main shipping chanel out of wind
17 April- 0857 Underway heading North up Intercoastal Waterway
0912 Aground in middle of channel due to salvage operation the
day before that moved a sandbar into the channel.
1037 Towed off sandbar
1255 Entered Neuse River
1701 - Entered Hoboekin Canal - PERFECT weather
1831 - Anchored in Goose Creek
18 April - 0807 - Underway for Bellhaven in 27 knot head wind
0934 - Entered Pungo River
1221 - Moored at Dowry Creek Marina for fuel
2202- Anchored in Pungo River near Bellhaven
19 April - 0704 Underway
0808 Entered Alligator - Pungo Canal
1250 Exited Alligator - Pungo Canal
1544 - Exited Alligator River
1857 Anchored on North bank of Albermale Sound
20 April- 0837 - Underway for Elizabeth City
1222- Moored to seawall at Elizabeth City NC
Visited sistership of Gypsysails to examine the hardtop
which I plan to copy this summer
21 April - 0902 Underway for Dismal Swamp Canal
1332- Entered south lock into Dismal Canal to be raised
8 feet to water level in canal
1622- Entered Virginia waters
1848- Moored to seawall at north end of DSismal Swamp Canal.
( Attached piucture from this mooring)
22April - 0838 Entered North Lock of Dismal Swamp Canal
1318 Arrived at home slip at Norfolk Naval Sailing Center, Naval
Station Norfolk.
Solo complete
16 April 2010 | Morehead City, NC
Maury
Gypsysails is safely anchored in Morehead City NC after I hade my first solo passage offshore. 198 miles. Arounf Cape Fear that has given us so much grief in the past....this time passed with 6 inch swells and 3 knoit winds as the "iron jib" moved me northj from Charleston.
Ginger was in Charleston recovering from her punctured lung / broken rib so she stayed on Clear Point Weather constantly checking conditions and rtelaying thye data to Roger ( on Reboot) who was attempting to connect with me on sevewral frequencies on the single sideband radio. Unfortunately Roger and I did not set up a communications plan so we never got connected to pass the info ... BUT Roger and I do know how to do it next time.
The next few days will be going up the intercoastal waterway to Norfolk. An absolutely beautiful trip ending with a transit of the Dismal Swamp Canal. No auto pilot for this section but definately great views and scenery.
Broken bone and solo voyage
14 April 2010 | Charlerston SC
Maury
We have had a good visit in Charleston. We stayed with our good friends Bob and Lynn. Got medical and dental appointments completed. Went up to Charlotte to visit son Steve, Kim and our three granddaughters. Visited with Larry and Susan Michael in Columbia. Everything was good.
As we were putting some material on the boat to get ready to leave Charleston for Norfoilk, Ginger missed the bottom step on the ladder and fell against the setee in the cabin. To make a long story short, it turned out that she had broken ( not fractured) one rib and that had punctured her lung. Both are very painful and severely restrict movement. The doctor says at least two weeks off the boat .... and possibly up to two months. Ginger will stay in Charleston with Lynn ( super nurse!!!) while Maury and Gypsysails head north.
This will be Maury's first solo experience on Gypsysails. I have always had at least one other person aboard. Can not say that I have not wanted to sail her alone but just never got to it.
Tomorrow will be the day. I will head offshore, around Cape Fear to Morehead City. It is only a 198 mile trip with good winds and calm seas expected.... but it will still be alone. This ought to be interesting for a 36 hour passage.
North from St Augustine
03 April 2010 | off north FL east coast
Maury
We have completed 434 mioles of our journey to Charleston although not non-stop as we planned. Two nights in the keys we pulled up to an island and anchoredf, then a day of "storm evasion" in Miami. We made an overrnight to Ft Pierce where we met up with Dqavid and Anita on s/v Datori. We buddy sailed with them and another boat , Differednt Drummer4" to St Augustine ... another overnight. We then spent last night in St Augustine beside the Bridge of lions and in the shadow of the old Spoanish fort. This morning we did a coffee pot luck on board, then walked two miles up to Sailors Exchange, the sailing discount/consignment store where I picked up a new captains helm chair and walked back with it. Then we onloaded 29 gallons of fuel, topped off our water tanks, said goodby to David and Anita and headed back out to sea for our trip to Charleston. We have an 8 to 12 knot south wind, 1 ft seas and a 186 mile trip in front of us. We plan to motorsail the entire way and although we will spend Easter about 60 miloes out to sea we should arrive Charleston for the morning flood tide on Monday. We have a dock waiting and a rental car to pick up. I guess this means that we are back to civilized life.
We are rapidly getting out of range4 for our computer so I will post this and let you know when we arrive in Charlerston.