Mike
08/26/2009, Solomons Island, MD

Well, I arrived in Solomons Island, Maryland today after a beautiful sail. I had great winds from the right direction and I decided to forgive the National Weather Service. Until I heard about Tropical Storm Danny!

They're saying it could be a hurricane by the weekend and, naturally, its heading my way. Grumble Grumble Grumble........

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Mike
08/25/2009, Reedville, VA

I was up and out of the anchorage at 0620 this morning. While going through Hampton Roads, one of the busiest seaways in the world, I met a nuclear submarine coming in. I, of course, gave him the right-of-way. I would have, even without the Coast Guard broadcasting a warning on the radio that any vessels venturing within 500 yards of the sub would be subject to "use of force." I decided I didn't want to find out exactly what that meant.

I passed though Hampton Roads and entered the Chesapeake Bay. The weather forcast for this part of the Chesapeake was for S/E winds at 3 knots, gusting to 8. Sounds nice doesn't it? I'm sure it would have been. Instead, I found 20 knots of wind out of the NNE, which put it right on my nose. Unfortunately this made for a bumpy and wet ride.

The winds eventually moderated but stayed on my nose all day. I made it to Reedville, VA and tied up at the Reedville Marina. Here's a picture of the sub.....taken from over 500 yards away of course!

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Mike
08/24/2009, Norfolk, VA

Well, after fuelling up, I left Coinjock and continued north. As I went along, the scenery changed from swampland to evergreen forrests. I also began to encounter lots of opening bridges and had to factor their opening schedules into my plans. Despite a few hiccups, I made to to Norfolk without incident and anchored at Hospital Point on the Elizabeth River. Here's one of the bridges.

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Mike
08/23/2009, Coinjock, NC

Well, I got the anchor up at 0700 and headed into the canal. It was raining as I left and continued to do so for most of the day. The canal and the Alligator River itself wind through a giant cypress swamp. It's really pretty in a "Deliverence" kind of way. Lots of birds and reptiles. In addition to seeing some eagles, I saw a water moccasin swimming across the canal.

After leaving the river, I crossed Albermarle Sound and made it up to the marina at Coinjock, where I stopped for the night. Here's another swamp picture for ya!

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Mike
08/22/2009, Alligator River

Well, Norma got to sit still in New Bern for two months. That's the longest she's been in any one place since we left home. The second month she sat there by herself while I went traveling about without her. So, by way of making it up to her, I decided we should take a trip. I was starting to get "port rot" from staying in one place too long anyway.

I need to have Norma hauled out for a complete bottom job anyway so I decided to do it in Annapolis.

Thus it was that I left New Bern at 0845 this morning. I motorsailed down the Neuse River into Pamlico Sound and then up Goose Creek. As I was approaching the Pamlico River, I got clobbered by a pretty nasty thunderstorm. Along with the storm came 30+ knot winds that made my crossing of the Pamlico River a lot rougher than it might have been. It was a little unplesant but it could have been worse.

I made it to the entrance of the Alligator / Pungo River Canal and anchored for the night. I actually managed to get the anchpr set in the dark and during a second thunderstorm. How about that?

I'm enclosing a picture of the Alligator River Canal. Is that banjo music I hear?

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Mike
06/29/2009, New Bern, NC

Well, here I am in New Bern, North Carolina. Its a really cool (and really old) little town on the Neuse and Trent Rivers. It was the colonial and the first state captital of North Carolina, until they moved the state capital to Raleigh. (Which I'm sure we all remember from watching Andy Griffith re-runs.) It was establised in 1710!

I'm going to stay here and get some boat jobs done before heading back south again in the fall. I'm also going to leave the boat here and travel back to the midwest for a couple of weeks to visit friends and family and to play with the Boat Drunks at the Eastern Illinois Parrot Head Club fundraiser on August 1st in Champaign, Illinois.

If you're sure it won't put you to sleep, I can keep you all informed on the progress of the various boat jobs. I've already removed the damaged sections of my dodger (see posting reference hail storm from August '08) and dropped them off at a sail shop to be repaired.

I've also scrubbed the growth and slime off of the water line and plan to have the boat hauled out sometime in August for a complete bottom job. Busy, busy, busy.... But don't feel too sorry for me, I've still found time to check out the town and hang out by the pool nearly every day since I've been here.

Since I haven't taken any New Bern pictures yet, here's another one from Phins to the West. Me and some guy.

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