ICW
| Vessel Name: | Puts 'n Calls |
| Vessel Make/Model: | Tartan 3500 |
| Hailing Port: | Mill Creek, Solomons. |
| Crew: | Don & Carol Reynolds |
| About: | We have been sailing the Chesapeake Bay for 35+ years. Boat #1: Balboa 20 ("Dalriada"). Boat #2: Catalina 25 ("West Pole"). Boat #3: Catalina 27 ("Serene"). Current boat: Tartan 3500 ("Puts 'n Calls"). |
| Extra: | Our now grown children (Chuck & Stephanie) began sailing at ages 5 & 7. Are now interested and excellent sailors. |
08 May 2014 | Solomons, MD
Day 36: The Eagle Had Landed
Left Reedville nine-ish, in our slip at Solomons by 4:30. Jib out a few times when the wind picked up a bit, but that mostly didn't work. So another longish day of motoring. Didn't mind, though, since we were headed HOME! Decent weather, too. The boat is a mess of course, but that'll wait until tomorrow: we're enjoying cocktails (good stuff, for celebratory purposes) and making regular trips down to the boat to offload a whole winter's worth of stuff. Maybe we'll finish by nightfall. Anyway it was a super-great trip; we are pleased we did it and are pleased to be home!
07 May 2014 | Romeys Dock, Warehouse Creek
Day35: Reedville, VA
Long slog north today, nearly 50 NM aginst moderate wind and currents, but eventually arrived at Mike and Polli Romey's dock. Quick run to see their boat, which is undergoing a major Awlgrip refinishing, then bak to their house for showers, cocktails and dinner. Joined by some friends of Romeys for dinner of steak & cake, wonderful. Sat around until nearly midnight drinking and catching up. It felt really good, as Carol said, to shower in a place where you don't have to wear shower shoes, and to sleep in an actual bed! With any luck we will be home in Solomons tomorrow. Yea!
06 May 2014 | Severn River Southwest Branch
Day 34: Mobjack Bay, VA
Rain early AM, evolved into a very gray morning. Winds unfavorable for sailing, not to mention all the commercial and military traffic on the waters here. So, motored out directly into 15 Kt winds and a nasty chop. This passage, at the outset anyway, was lots more uncomfortable than the Albemarle Sound. Eventually winds let up a bit and the sun came out. About the time we thought we could sail, the wind died completely, so the trip was much like the Waterway, motoring all the way. At anchor well before cocktail hour in an amazingly pretty anchorage. Long trek tomorrow, so early to bed.
05 May 2014 | Tidewater Yacht Marina
Day 33: Portsmouth, VA
Peaceful night. Obviously made the 8:30 locking (their first) this AM at the South Mills Lock. Lockmaster got four boats in, closed the lock and started filling it, when a plaintive cry was heard over the radio from two boats who'd been a few minutes late. Kind soul, the lockmaster emptied the basin and opened up for these guys so they wouldn't have to wait until the next locking at 11:30. Made decent time thru the Dismal Swamp Canal and were ready for the 1:30 PM locking at Deep Creek Lock, the second and final one, well before the appointed time. Rafted up with a couple of loopers (folks doing the Great Loop up the east Coast and down thru the Mississipi), and we swapped lies for the half hour before lock time. Should mention that each of the locks has a drawbridge nearby. The lockmaster is also the bridge tender, and after letting us thru the lock, drives to the bridge to open it for us. Swung up into the Elizabeth River and on to the Marina without incident except for some fairly substantial rain that was nowhere in the forecast. Guess we're back in the mid-Atlantic, where no one can predict the weather. Great dinner at Roger Brown's Sports Bar. Then bed and thunderstorms.
04 May 2014 | Dismal Swamp Canal, South Mills Lock
Day 32: South Mills
Early start, down the Alligator River to the dreaded Albemarle Sound. Crossing fairly lumpy due to winds, but other than being uncomfortable, was uneventful. Bypassed Elizabeth City and proceeded up the Pasquotank River, really scenic. Through the Turner Cut, and tied up for the night at the the dolphins just south of the South Mills Lock. Saw a startling number of turtles along they way, including several herds of them (or pods? Flocks? What's the collective noun for turtles anyway?) lots of flies at our tie-up point. Also again lots of swallows eating them, except for the ones inside the boat. Those got physical violence as I got out my trusty flyswatter and discovered how out of practice I am at this. Early bedtime and a quiet night. 48 Nautical Miles today.
03 May 2014 | Alligator River Marina
Day 31: Columbia, NC
Feels really good to be moving north! Weighed anchor about 7:15 to lots of sun and little wind. There's no lunar tide and basically no currents in this part of the ICW, so the current gods couldn't hold us back. Went thru the Alligator River Bridge and into the marina about 4:00, having Done just over 43 NM. Less than 100 miles to the Chesapeake! The marina is a Mom and Pop operation operated along with a gas station and convenience store/cafe. The owners are a very nice black couple who live on the premises and work their tails off. She starts serving breakfast at 5:00 AM! Cocktails amongst the flies this evening. The good news here is that there are a ton of barn swallows flying around eating most of them. Also there were a couple of kildeers in the area, and one of them did her feigning injury dance to lure Carol Way from her nest. We'd never seen that before.
