"I get the news I need on the weather report, ohhh, I can gather all the news I need on the weather report.
Hey, I got nothin' to do today but smile ...." Simon and Garfunkel

Saturday, July 26, 2014

We set off from Cape May at 7:30 a.m., destination Atlantic City, approximately 40 miles and 8 hours travel time. Coming into the channel that would lead us into the North Atlantic, holding our breaths, hoping to at least start off with favorable seas as predicted ... but you know how that goes! However... today NOAA was right on!!! A perfect day to head back into the North Atlantic. Beautiful blue skies, warm temperatures, winds at 10 Knots, 1 foot seas with a 3-4 foot swell, all working together to push us up the eastern seaboard. We stayed out about five miles, west of the shipping lanes. Water depths varied from 30 to 50 feet, we set our course, set our sails, and moved into the easy ebb and flow of swells and sea.
As always, on an early morning, the fishing boats are out in full force, some in groups' others on their own. Some just sit, others move back and forth running from one place to another reading the waters, predicting how the fish will run, hoping for the big catch of the day. The true fishers were the dolphins. We saw about four pods, at different intervals, each with half to a dozen dolphins and of course the gulls diving and then fighting others to keep their catch. A glorious morning being enjoyed by all, except maybe the worm on the hook and the fish on the line or the fish being torn between hungry beaks.
About three hours into our sail, distant casinos began popping up out of the ocean. They would grow and be joined by others as we made our way up the coast. Meanwhile, our attention was given to the beautiful Jersey coastline with its pristine beaches for miles on end, dotted by amusement parks, ferris wheels, roller coasters and waterslides standing out like sentinels marking their spots on the shore. Then more beaches spotted with colorful umbrellas, beach goers staking their claim for the day! We the distant onlookers, watching the day unfold along the shore, wondering how many pointed at us "there's a sailboat!" as they watched their day unfolding. Different sides of the coin.
As we approached Atlantic City (AC) we were being paced by an afternoon rainstorm moving up the coast. We could see the rainfall as it moved pretty rapidly, no one on land was giving up their spot on the beach, either ducking under beach umbrellas or going in the water, you're at the beach cooling off on a hot summerday, what's the difference where the water comes from?! We grabbed our rain jackets, knowing when we turned to go down the channel we would meet up with the rain, perfect timing!! The channel jett was loaded with people their coolers and fishing rods and umbrellas dotted the run into the harbor. The wind and the swells pushed us into the fairway and we met up with the rain for the briefest of moments. Into the harbor and into the sunshine, drying the deck before it even knew it was wet. We were headed for Farley State Park Marina lying in the shadow of the Golden Nugget Casino. Dockhands helped us with our lines and gave us the cursory information needed to find our way to the office and giving us time to acknowledge their presence with a tip. We always tip, as it is always appreciated to have help with the lines especially if there is any kind of blow or current at the dock. Sometimes they deserve it and other times not, but it all comes round in the end. Bob walked up to the office to check us in and I cleared the cockpit of radios, gps, charts, binoculars, water bottles, granola wrappers, rain jackets (we are a messy crew) and the deck of lines.
We settled in to take in the scenery and remember our stay when we were south bound. Had us some Hebrew National all beef hotdogs and Bush beans for dinner, I swear this isn't all we eat, but sometimes it seems that way! LOL We settled in for the evening and watched the lights go on in Atlantic City and the music come up out of the casino. There was a band playing that sounded exactly like "Chicago", don't know if it was them, but they had the full horn section and sounded great. I tried to find out, but was unable to, suppose I could have asked at the bar, but I didn't and we enjoyed them whoever they were.
On Sunday the 27th we hung out on the boat and watched boaters packing up to go back to their homeports, Bob changed the oil and I went up and did some laundry. The weather continued to stay summery and we enjoyed an easy day, not that all of our days aren't easy! LOL. Monday the 28th we walked up into the Golden Nugget, quieter today but still people pumping the slots. Walked around the casino floor, saw a few folks hit the jackpot on the slot machines and immediately move to the next machine, they have a system. We walked by the "Hand of Faith" a huge nugget, on loan from the Golden Nugget Casino in Los Vegas, Nevada, in the shape of a hand, weighing 61 lbs. 11 ozs., found back in September 1980 with a metal detector, twelve inches below the surface in Kinghour, Victoria, Australia by Mr. Kevin Hillier. He was paid $1 Million for the nugget, today it is valued at $1.5M, but because of its size and purity would go for far more in the marketplace. I had planned to play one of the slots, but I'm not drawn to it, so I saved my quarter.
When we were here on our trip south, we had walked to the Boardwalk and were told afterwards, we should never have walked through the area, lots of crime. We took a Jitney, one of AC's shuttle buses that run all over the area, depositing people at whatever Casino they want to leave their money. We had a great walk, the Boardwalk goes on for at least five miles of Casino's, massage parlors, pizza places, T-shirt shops, Irene's Souvenier shops (in honor of my Mother, she loved the slots), restaurants, hotels etc., borded by the beach with it's white sands and sunbathers galore ... also, "the Pier" with it's amusement park rides and Carney atmosphere. Our goal was a good walk and PF Changs for some delicious soup, spring rolls and rice, an early dinner. After "Changs" we found our way back to the Jitney stop and we're deposited safely back to the Golden Nugget. Tuesday the 29th, we went back to the Boardwalk, walked, did a little shopping and back to the Casino to get ready for dinner at the Charthouse, one of Bob's favorites, located below the Golden Nugget. Had a great dinner and planned our trip tomorrow, Wednesday the 30th, we would be heading for Barnegat Bay, a 45 mile ride.

Wednesday, July 30, 2014

"And I said to myself sit down, sit down you're rockin the boat. I said to myself sit down
Sit down you're rockin the boat. Cause the devil will drag you under by the sharp lapels of your checkered coat
Sit down Sit down Sit down you're rockin the boat
Sit down Sit down (Sit down) Sit down Sit down you're rockin the boat." Don Henley - Sit Down You're Rockin'

We sailed out with the tide, leaving the dock at 7:00 a.m. We made our way out headed to the channel, checking for low water spots we had passed on the way in and negotiated them successfully. We wouldn't be so lucky later in the day .... When we turned into the North Atlantic wind and seas at our stern, a beautiful sail in the making. The day and the ocean was glistening, diamonds on the water. We made our way down the Jersey shore, watching the casinos sink into the ocean and soon disappear behind us. Seas were easy one footers with swells about three feet, a nice 10 knot wind brought us down the coast. All and all a pleasant day, until ... Barnegat Bay!!
Ahhhh! What can I say about Barnegat Bay... When we were heading south back in September of 2013 (yes, it really was that long ago!!) we met a couple at our first stop "Cuttyhunk", who lived on the Jersey Shore, she said "Barnegat Bay gets a bad rap... the first 200 yards are "snot"... "but after that it's a really beautiful harbor." Well ... the first 200 yards were more like a severe sinus infection with post nasal drip, but after that it was like Lake Placid, not the movie where Betty White said the "F" word and shot a giant alligator, but a soothing beautiful anchorage. This time, heading North, let me just say the entrance to Barnegat Bay held true to form .... We turned out of the peaceful blue Atlantic and immediately that beautiful sea that was behind us was now on our beam and those easy 3 foot swells, which had grown throughout the day to 6 foot swells behind us, winds had upped it to 20 knots. I was at the wheel, finishing up my shift. I'm not kiddin ya when I say it was pretty hairy!!! The entrance to Barnegat is bordered by jetties and low water. We made our way between the jetties and all that beautiful Atlantic was trying to come in with us. Once through the jetties Bob took the wheel, I tried spotting the next marker, lots of ocean spray (not the cranberry sauce) and waves making it hard to see. We made it past there with lots of deep breathes and focused attention!! Bob heads Spindrift toward the left of the channel, this is the track we had traveled back in September, I'm watching the depth gauge and the water is goin' down. I'm pointing at the guage, (he hates when I do that), says he sees it. Now, the noise level is high ... the engine is running, fortunately we had pulled our sail just before turning into the channel, the sea is roaring, waves are breaking, power boats are passing and were yelling at each other (yes we do do that) and all of a sudden, we're hitting the bottom. We turn trying to work our way out, water gets deeper, then on the bottom again. After a few tries we're in four feet of water and waves are coming at us down the channel. A parasail boat comes over to try and help us, he doesn't draw near what we do, but he can't get to close, because were on our side, waves push us up on the keel and back on our side. I'm on the deck of the cockpit, everytime we go on our side, the waves threaten to wash over us. Bob's telling me to stay down ("no problem man"), while he's holding tight to the wheel still trying to find water. Someone (I think the parasail boat), calls the Coast Guard asking if they are aware of the sailboat aground in the channel, next thing we know their is a boat at our side yelling "do you have Sea Tow or TowBoat US". I, from my low spot on the deck, yell out TowBoat US, as someone else yells you're going to be broadsided. I watch the wave come down the channel, we hold on tight. Needless to say, there was no time to go into a one minute meditation, "breathe deep, empty your mind, let your thoughts, melt away". I'm pretty sure ... I .. maybe not a scream, but yelled... no I probably screamed, I was petrified one of us was going in the water. The boat beside us was TowBoat US and he was trying to determine if he could throw us a line, he couldn't get very close because of the way Spindrift was bouncing around. Bob didn't want to be pulled off for fear of damage to our keel and or rudder. TowBoat positioned himself to block the waves coming down the channel, what little good that did, it was still appreciated. Bob was persistent and as the waves lifted us he'd gun the engine, we started moving with a bounce and a shudder, and a scream and a roar. He found the water!!!! Yeah Bob!!! Good Job!!! Go team go!!! The Tow boat guy stayed with us until we were in good water, made sure we knew where the deep water was and warned us of the low spots up ahead and how to avoid them. Bob yelled to him that we had come in this way back in September, he yelled that the whole face of the channel had changed after last winter, then he was off to rescue someone else. Bob told called him on the radio and told him where we would be and would he please come by when he was finished, Bob wanted to tip him in appreciation for staying with us, he said he'd stop by, but he never did. We turned at the lighthouse and down the fairway, moving cautiously, rounded the low water and made our way into the marina, tied up to the dock and breathed a collective sign of relief.
A former co-worker once said to me "ahh, sailing so relaxing." Sailing like anything else has it's moments, admittedly, more good then not so good! Now... sit down your rockin' the boat!
We showered and made some dinner, we would be leaving the next morning. I know, I know, how could we put all that fun behind us so soon, right?! We made a vow, we would, never, ever, not even in our wildest dreams, mention or go back into that place that will not be mentioned again!! Next stop, Great Kill, New York on the back of Staten Island.

Thursday, July 31, 2014

We left early before seas and wind had a chance to build. Going out was not nearly as much fun as coming in, we had a Coast Guard boat ahead of us and Bob called them on the VHF and asked if we could follow them out, we had run aground the day before, he slowed to our pace and we followed him safely out of the channel.
The day started off much like the day before. Summer warm and sunny!!! We had a little more wind today and seas were a bit choppy, but it was blowing behind us and we were able to set a good course and sail down the coast. Today we would leave New Jersey behind and cross into New York, enter NY's Ambrose Channel, round Sandy Hook and across the bay to Staten Island and Mansions Marina. This was a marina we had stayed at on our trip south located in Great Kill Harbor on the southeastern shores of Staten Island. This area was hit extremely hard by Hurricane Sandy, they were still trying to clean up and rebuild back in September of 2013, nearly a year after the storm. Back then they were in the process of rebuilding docks and cutting up boats that were lost in the storm. As told to us by the marina owner, complete with color glossies taken by the local news paper, "the water came up so high that the docks and boats on them came up over the tops of their poles, which are a good 15 feet tall. Then in a tumble all ended up like twisted lobster pots in the back parking area". Very sad to see. We're hoping to find he's been able to move forward in the rebuilding process.
We had a beautiful day, great sailing!! When we traveled down the ICW, many times we were unable to sail, traveling through low water, windy creeks and rivers. Being back on the ocean is such a wonderful treat, to feel Spindrift move with the wind in her sails.... Perfect!! We'd seen a lot of dolphins and Bob spotted a shark, on returning to the Atlantic and today the dolphins were around us once again. We were going to pass Sandy Hook with her Holly Tree Forest. I read that it was "enchanted". I wanted to stop there but it was impossible to get to the forest from the anchorage and the anchorage was a good five miles off of our course. We'll leave that adventure for another day, hopefully, we'll be able to catch a ferry over from New York sometime in the future. I believe Manhattan runs tours to Sandy Hook and the Holly Tree Forest.
As we approached the channel there was a huge storm system over Sandy Hook and you guessed it, as we turned to enter Ambrose Channel the waves were abeam of us and the winds picked up. Lucky me, it was my turn at the wheel. It was all I could do to keep my feet on the deck. Within an hour we were rounding Sandy Hook, waves were blocked by land and winds came up behind us. Once round the Hook, which is very beautiful when you can sneak a peak while trying to stay in the channel and on the deck, we tried to see the Holly Tree Forest, but weren't quite sure if we were looking in the right place. Not the same as walking through anyway.... As we progressed furnther in the waves calmed and soon we were in flat seas, the sun was with us once again and we were finding our way over to Great Kill. Bob brought us into the harbor, we had called to let them know we wouldn't be arriving until after 5:30 p.m. and they directed us where we should dock the boat. As it turned out we arrived at 5:45 p.m. not to far off the mark. We found our dock and tied up for the evening. We would be leaving in the morning heading through New York City, down the East River, into Long Island Sound, out of New York, into Connecticut and staying at Brewers' Marina in Stamford. When we reach Stamford we will have traveled 3391 miles on this great adventure of ours.

Friday, August 1st, 2014

We left Mansions Marina, Great Kill Harbor at 8:30 a.m. planning to catch tide and current to pull us back into Ambrose Channel, under the Verrenzzano, Bridge, and into New York City's Main Harbor where Lady Liberty stands. We had a nice breeze coming out of Great Kill which immediately died, seas were like glass, the sky was heavy with haze. I was hoping to get some good pictures of the New York City skyline, but only its ghost could be seen. We motored along and made our way to the Main Channel and under the bridge. There she stood, she takes my breath away, as beautiful as ever, in the haze, with her hope ..."Give us your poor...". Her full name is "Liberty Enlightening the World". She holds a torch and tablet upon which is inscribed the date of the American Declaration of Independence (July 4, 1776). For your information, Lady Liberty wears a size 879 shoe and has a 35-foot waistline. Bob tells me there are people that want to have her removed, that she offends ... this hurts my heart .... What is happening to the United States of America?

I remember coming through the East River when we were headed south, we were fighting against the current, now the current was with us and we expected to go through the City in half the time. It was pretty neat to see the Empire State Building popping out from different vantage points, as the river wound through the City. There are buildings, that some would call more beautiful, but ... on none of these can I see King Kong being attacked by airplanes, as he tries to find his one true love. There are other buildings that tell me of tradgedy and heartache, the United Nations building, the building in Memorial to the Twin Towers.
Who doesn't remember where they were when they first heard of the attack on American soil that took the lives of so many and left us numb with shock? I was in my car, on 95 headed for work in Needham, I had IMAS on the radio. He got a call from one of his cronies, who watched the first plane go into the towers from his apartment building. At that point we all thought it was "pilot error", "air traffic control" ... but, then .... I arrived at work everyone already there had the TV on in the cafeteria. The energy was heavy, solemn. All of humanity was focused on this one event and the souls that were leaving this earth. When the second plane hit we were all in tears. People running to their phones to be sure their loved ones were safe.
With combined hearts and energies of the world focused on one thing, all barriers broken down, no color lines, or country borders, just we as humans united in one thought ... one collective consciousness ... only problem is it takes tradgedy to bring us together and we forget all to soon.
My dad was very ill on 9/11 ... indeed Daddy was dying. I was sitting in the kitchen with my Mom in the house I grew up in watching the endless news reports, the films of people running with huge plumes of smoke and debrie filling the air .... Daddy was in the bedroom sleeping in the same bed I sat on when I was young and listened as he read the bible or watched as he took apart and meticulously cleaned his rifles... I can still smell the oil he used .... He had a deep respect for this country and his right to bare arms. His guns were always kept locked up and only brought out on the rare ocassion. As I sat in the kitchen, Mom behind the ironing board, trying to focus her mind on something other then the loss of her husband of 55 years, I remember thinking, that it was a blessing that Daddy was leaving now ... he wouldn't have to see the country he loved so dearly under attack, and; the Catholic Church to which he was devoted starting its fall to ruin ... his heart would break with the weight of it. Daddy died on September 14, 2001, never knowing of the conflict that was encompassing our country. Amazing, the things that trigger the times of our lives ... "King Kong".
Now heading north we pass Lady Liberty, the Harbor is lined with barges and tugs seemingly chomping at the bit while waiting their turn to head out to the Atlantic. The buildings started to break free of the haze/smog ... this is where we came to the split that would take us up the Hudson or to the East River, we took the turn to the East River following one of the many Staten Island Ferries in and started under the first of the many bridges that would lead us through New York City.
The ride down the East River was pleasant. When heading south we came through on a Friday afternoon and the River and Harbor area was a non-stop moving entity, but on this Friday morning, it was mainly pleasure boats, with the ocassional barge or ferry. We came through the City in record time, tall office and apartment buildings turned to tenament houses and power plants. We were soon passing Rikers Island and LaGuardia Airport and finally under the East Rivers last bridge. Leaving the "Big Apple" behind and putting our attentions on Long Island Sound.

"It is Balloon!! Chief Wild Eagle, Hekawi Indian Tribe, F-Troop

Tides, winds and currents remained favorable as we entered Long Island Sound. Sailboats filled the mouth of the Sound where it met the Atlantic. A pretty sight. The wind picked up behind us pushing us along. Out of the confines of the river and away from the heat of the City, the air cooled and thunderheads lined the shoreline. Approaching what appeared to be a lobster pot, it turned out to be a yellow ballon. Long Island Sound seems to be the place where ballons go to spend the remainder of their helium, disguised as lobster pots, we were fooled by many as we came down the Sound. We heard on the radio that a huge storm cell was approaching the area around Sandy Hook and stretching acrossing the Outer Harbor to the Verranzzano Bridge. We breathed a sigh of relief, we came through when we did and hoped others were able to find safety, we turned our faces to the Sound.
It was smooth sailing and we arrived in Stamford, Connecticut around 3:00 p.m., pulled into Brewers Marina. Nice Staff, very attentive, clean showers and coffee, bagels and pastries on the weekends, just what we need! Don't get me wrong, I love my sugar products, I just try to make them a once in a while treat. "Try" being the operative word here! We didn't leave the confines of the marina, which was quite large. Bordered by a park that stretched across the opposite side of the channel, many people fishing from the rocks and music, we were advised the area was not the best. I do remember walking to West Marine when we were here last and having dinner at Tomato's, but having been warned we stayed close. We walked the docks, did some laundry and Bob changed the oil. We stayed here an extra night due to thunderboomers in the area and heavy seas in the Sound, there was also a swim across the Sound that was taking place on Sunday, and we didn't want to be dodging lightening strikes and people. We left on Monday, destination Clinton, Ct.

Monday, August 4, 2014

Left Stamford 8:00 a.m., when we traveled this stretch heading south, the haze had been so heavy we couldn't see land and depended on our GPS to keep us in the middle of the sound and radar to keep us from any passing barges and or boats, until the haze burned off late in the afternoon. So this time around we got to see the surrounding area and the many little islands and lighthouses that line the coast. The day was sunny, but cool on the water, we wore our sweatshirts, Bob was still in shorts. We had a good sail, the winds around 12 knots and the seas 2 to 3 feet, tide and current in our favor. When we arrived in Clinton and settled into our slip it was 5:30 p.m. We planned to leave the early the next morning and wanted to stock up, it was a quiet evening and the dock master gave us a ride to a nearby supermarket. We had walked this stretch back in September 2013 and it was a good six miles coming and going. He brought us to the local bank so we could use the ATM and waited for us at the market. Our main objective was water and because we had wheels we loaded up with 12 gallons and a few other incidentals. When we got back to Spindrift we settled in with some soup and a salad for dinner and got ready for the next day. We would be heading to Block Island and back into the familiar waters of home. Tuesday morning the fog was heavy, really heavy, we were lucky we could see Spindrift. We waited for it to burn off and when it looked good, around 10:00 a.m. we cast off our lines and headed out, only to turn back before we even got out of the channel as the fog was coming back in with a vengence. We decided to stay, with the lack of visability and tropical storm Bertha beginining to shake up the waters, we pulled out our prudent sailor hats .... borrowed bikes and road down toward the market. Our plan was to go to the next town over, Westbrook, where friend Kathleen Taylor, told us they had the best seafood in the world, but ... just beyond the supermarket, the road went from 2 to 4 lanes with a small bike lane and we didn't feel comfortable riding bikes. We rode back to Clinton and stopped at a little Italian Market, got some nice italian subs and rode our bikes up to the village green where we had our picnic lunch and sat for a while watching the day go by. A lovely afternoon. Stayed another day waiting for the seas to lay down in the Sound. Walked up to the bank, it was open and we needed to replenish our rolls of quarters, we need them for laundry days. Walked back to the boat stopping at a neighborhood farm stand for fresh picked tomatos and zuchinni squash. Next day we'd be on our way. Destination Block Island.

Friday, August 8, 2014

8:30 a.m. we were on our way. Skys were clear and NOAA had predicted two foot seas in the Sound and winds at 15 knots. We worked our way out of the channel, seas were one foot, winds around 10, we knew they would build throughout the day. We headed down the Sound. Temperatures were warm and sunny. We were headed for a spot on the East side of the Sound called "the race". This is where Long Island Sound narrows at Fisher Island and all of the water coming down the Sound wants to fit through that narrow spot. When we came upon "the race", the water looked like a million fish were jumping, fortunately the current was with us and everything was going in our favor, thanks to Bob who figured it all out before we left the dock. The waters immediately dropped from 40 feet to 320 feet. Reminicent of the Gulf Stream. Our speed increased to 9 knots, I don't like it when Spindrift is moving that fast, she's not made for that and there is little control. Ahead of us you could see where "the race" ended and the waters calmed. We weren't in it for very long, we were afterall moving at the speed of light. Once through we were in Block Island Sound, and subject to the influence of the open ocean, but the waters were calm and flat with a 4 to 5 foot swell. Blessings!! After about three hours we started to see Block Island popping up out of the ocean and watched it grow bigger as the day progressed. By the time we arrived at Block, sailboats were coming out of the woodwork, we knew there was probably no chance of us finding a mooring once inside. It was about 3:15 when we entered and came down the fairway, the harbor was jamb packed ... Bob called the Harbor Master asked if there was anything available, he told us to meet him at the red 14 at the end of the fairway ... brought us over to a private mooring ball. Said we could stay overnight, but had to be off the mooring by 10 a.m. next morning and hopefully, we would be able at that time to find a free mooring in the rental mooring field. We were grateful to have a place to be overnight. Yeah Bob!!! We sat back and watched the harbor calm down, had dinner, watched the sunset and the lights go on in the anchorage. First time we were in Block we were in the anchorage it's a huge area and tonight we counted 117 sailboats. When the anchorlights go on on the sailboats, it forms what looks to be new groupings of constellations. It's really something to see. We settled in for the night, planning to get up early and start roaming the mooring field.
We got up at 6:00 a.m. and started into the mooring field, there are 80 mooring balls, all occupied at this time. Patience is the name of the game. We stayed on the outskirts, not wanting to disturb anyone and just started looking for anyone who might be moving. If we saw anyone that looked like they might be getting ready to go, we asked. We soon were given a lead on a couple of boats that would be leaving around 8:00 a.m., it was 7:00 a.m. at the time. Up until now we were the only boat looking but gradually, others started roaming the field. One of the power boats that we were told was leaving, looked like they were getting ready, we went over and asked, the women said they'd be leaving in about 45 minutes. We said we'd already been out here for two hours, what's 45 minutes more. We hung close and waited. Meanwhile, another sailboat, smaller then we, started circling the same boat, the women was telling them that we were waiting for the mooring, but these people paid no mind and went inside our circle around the boat. This is a cutthroat business ... mooring wars. Eventually when they were ready to go, she pointed to us and waved us in we came in as close as we could, I was getting ready to grab the line when she dropped it in the water ... her husband said "she's going to hand it to you", we were most appreciative. We fended off, so as not to hit their boat and she handed me the line!!! Thank-you, thank-you!! Blessings!! We would be staying for a week.

Well folks that's all for now, it's way past my bedtime. I promise to bring us home in the next couple of days.
Thanks for sticking with us!!

Much love and Blessings,
Annie

I know your wondering, "what are those two crazy kids up to now"! "What kind of trouble have they gotten themselves into"?? and

"Why didn't they tell us what was wrong with the engine for goodness sake"! Let's take a peek!!

Sorry I neglected to let you know what that oatmeal cookie dough/toothpaste substance was ... I was so excited to hear the cough, cough, sputter, sputter, varoommmm!!! that I totally forgot! Well here goes, in technical terms: all the heat, humidity, fuel, air and oil under pressure, sitting for long periods of time in the beautiful waters of the Bahamas and Florida, combined to make a paste that gummed up the injector pump rack and cam shaft lifters. Lucky for us, it quit when it did, in a safe harbor!! Blessings

Thursday, July 17, 2014

Left Crisfield. That's it, I got nothing else ....

Now you know that's not true! LOL

Although we had enjoyed the wonderful people we met in Crisfield, it wasn't a planned stay and we were way passed our welcome. We followed another sailboat "Nemo" out. They had been in Crisfield nearly as long as we, but their stay was of their own free will. We had enjoyed dinner with them one evening and had chatted with them on the docks.
Interesting couple Bill and Jeanie, she close to 70 he in his late 60's, they had met on the internet. We couldn't quite figure them out, they were like two pieces of a puzzle hers being one of those crazy mixed up collage type puzzles, his being of a more stoic nature. Nice people just didn't seem to fit together. Nemo is a 47 foot sailing vessel, pretty boat, I know Bill told us the make but I can't remember and you probably don't really care, so ... we'll leave it at, pretty boat. Bill confided in me that he gets nervous going out on the water and they've never put the sails up. Very Interesting!! (spoken in the Sargeant Schultz vernacular, for all you Hogan's Heroes fans!) He was formerly a junior stock broker, very junior he said and she was in real estate.
We were at the fuel dock having the poop tank pumped out when they left, he had said they would follow us out, maybe they decided against being downwind of us!

But enough of talking about people behind their backs ... we've got bigger fish to fry!!

We headed out of Crisfield harbor took a left into the Little Annemessex River for about four miles give or take ... and a right into Tangier Sound the seas were quite choppy and it was good to be underway. We would travel up the Sound to Hooper Strait about 12 miles, through the pass, we were advised by Dave our Ipswich dock buddy to stay well to the right or left of the green and into the Strait, this would dump us into the Honga River for about four miles. Once safely through we would take a right into Chesapeake Bay, at this point the waters calmed and winds died down. Our next right would be aproximately 30 miles up the Chesapeake to the Little Choptank River into Slaughter Creek with it's tricky windy approach to a marina behind Taylor Island.

Entering the Chesapeake at Bloodsworth Island an U.S Naval Reservation used for bombing practice ... I know ... bombing!!! We spotted an old ship that looked as though it had taken a number of hits, there were fighters screaming over head back and forth. At one point we were almost certain they called us on the radio, but transmission was a bit garbled. All we heard was "sailboat garble, garble" of which we were the only one in the area. Bob said "best to play dumb, they won't attack us." However, my overactive imagination was waiting for the accidental bomb drop from some hothead that had gone "postal". Took us about two hours to pass through the area, all along fighters continued screaming overhead. Ahhh, sailing, so relaxing!!!

Originally, we had planned to go to Oxford for a couple of days, but our delay in Crisfield nixed that plan. So Taylor Island here we come .... The last mile down Slaughter Creek was somewhat hairy, while we watched the sun sink in the sky. Going down a channel the best discription of which is a circular maze. I must say the sunset was most spectacular the sky was purple with a red, red sun dropping over the horizon, but once that sun dropped, trying to spot unlit markers was trying at best. A couple of power boats were racing back and we did our best to watch their entry points. Earlier in the day, the docmaster, who was gone at this point, had given us direction, there was one point where we weren't to adhere to red right return, but keep green to our right and head back into the channel. We approached slowly with caution while giant osprey watched from their nest on the marker. We made it into the dock in the dark with a collective heavy sigh. In the light of day the surrounding area was a beautiful place. Many estuaries to be discovered. Marshes and woodlands teaming with wildlife... but... we need to put some miles behind us, before we stop for more then and oveernighter. They do have a place for trailers, we'll put it on the list for our next adventure!!

Friday, July 18, 2014 to Sunday, July 20, 2014

Leaving the next morning, we were quite suprised we hadn't hit one of many crab bouys the night before. Never saw any of them. Blessings!
We left at the crack of dawn, able to follow our track from the previous evening. We were on our way to Swan Creek. This had been a stop for us heading south, a quiet little harbor with mooring balls to tie up. Once we got into the Chesapeake, we would have appoximately 54 miles to travel, it would bring us to Chesapeake MM 24. Todays journey would take us past Annapolis, when heading south we had stayed there for two weeks. The boat show was in progress at the time. They do two shows one geared to Sail, one Power. We never went to either show, but we did sit in the mooring field where all the exhibition boats entering and leaving the show went by us. One gorgeous 80 foot sailboat had gone by us and hollered over "you guys have your own boat show" for the price of a mooring ball, we agreed!! Blessings! Between shows, we watched little skiffs push rows of docks around to rearrange for the next show. Always entertaining in a mooring field. The first week we were in Annapolis, the weather was spectacular and we had spent many days discovering its history. We were directly across from the U.S. Naval Academy and toured their grounds, visited the old State House and passed by old bricks on narrow sidewalks ... but we stayed one day to long and the weather closed in on us, thus the second week. Still had fun ... we had walked a few miles to a supermarket and when we came out Naval cadets surrounded us on our walk back as they emerged from a Navy vs. Air Force game which they won. Nice to see them all in their Naval whites. But ... that was then, this is now ....
The day was beautiful, but with little wind, we sailed when we could and powered most of the day. After passing Annapolis, we come upon the William P. Lane Jr. Memorial Bridges. Again when heading South this looked to be one very long bridges, but on approach we see it's two very long bridges. Last time and this time there is a very large container ship sitting outside the bridge waiting ... time - tide "wait for no man" (Emily Dickenson). We pass by it feeling like the mouse running by the elephant and proceed under the bridges. Shortly there after our GPS went "kerpluwie"! I thought it had something to do with the bridges and the very large beacon marking the tip of Kent Island. We found our way and when well passed these two obstructions the GPS seemed to right itself. We soon came upon the channel to Rock Hall and then Swan Creek. Picked up a mooring ball and settled down for the evening, it was about 6:30 p.m. We planned to stay in Swan Creek for two evenings.
On Saturday, July 19, after breakfast, we worked at putting the engine on the dingy so we could go ashore. We hadn't used the engine since the Abaco's, so we were pleasantly surprised when it started up without any prodding. Bob went ashore to pay for the mooring and came back with a bag of homegrown tomatoes. Someone had given them to the young woman in the office and she doesn't like tomatoes, so we got to reap the benefits of vine ripened produce. We cleaned up in the boat and went ashore to take showers. Back
to the boat to deposit our shower paraphenalia and then back to shore. It was a beautiful day and we borrowed bicycles and biked down the shore road to Rock Hall and over to a neighborhood road with lovely well maintained properties and slow moving traffic. Came upon the center of Rock Hall and down to the supermarket stopping to pick up a few supplies and back to the boat. After dinner we went for a dingy ride into the back anchorage which opened up to be much larger then we had originally thought, then down to the
other end of the creek to see if we could locate the boat of friends we had met in North Palm Beach. This time not realizing the size of the marina in the back creek, just at dark we located their boat "Grace". Unfortunately, they weren't there, so we dropped our card through the wind screen onto the deck. Next stop: Georgetown, on the Sassafras River.

Sunday, July 20, 2014

As always, leaving early, following our track out to the Chesapeake. No cutting corners on any of these marinas. Channels are usually cut out with little margin for error, especially if you are a sailboat. If you don't know the shortcuts, don't try to find them! We were headed for the Sassafras River and Georgetown, MD which lies almost to its end. On our southern trip, about a half hour after passing the Sassafras headed for a beautiful mooring spot in Green Point, Worton, MD, we enjoyed tremendously. I saw my first American Bald Eagle there as I sat in my Kayak in the quiet in the middle of a creek. Blessings. We got a phone call from friends on Cape Cod telling us to stop at the Sassafras a beautiful place to go ... but we had already gone by and decided we'd stop on our trip back. A little history on Georgetown. "George Washington slept in Georgetown, and the town has the marker to prove it."
The Kitty Knight House, which is now an Inn and Restaurant, we had dinner there the night we arrived, is the most historic attraction. Local legend says, as the British advanced up the Sassafras, setting fire to everything in sight, back in 1813. Kitty Knight refused to leave the area because of a sick friend who occupied one of the houses. She came out with her broom beating down
the flames and shouting to the British Commanding officer "If you burn this house, you burn me with it." The officer was moved by her actions and four houses were left standing.
The Sassafras river is lined with beautiful homes, gardens, farms, horse farms, fields of lily pads, estuaries and anchorages. A beautiful setting and although we were only staying overnight, we throughly enjoyed our visit.

Monday, July 21, 2014

Today we would pass MM 0 of the Chesapeake, head into the C & D Canal, leave Maryland, enter Delaware and stop at Delaware City for an overnight stay. Once out of the Sassafras River we had about 10 miles of the Chesapeake left to go. Again we were blessed with a beautiful day, warm and sunny, we headed into the Chesapeake, remembering places we passed heading south. We spotted the vineyard on the shore, the vines had grown considerably since September 2013. Shortly thereafter, we passed the farm where two Zebras roam the area, that was fun to see, my inner child came out with that one! LOL There was a lot of activity on the water, waterskiers and jet skis, sailboats and powerboats all making their way to different ends, "passing like ships in the night." Just as we were approaching the entrance to the C & D Canal, another milestone in a trip that has many, the channel narrows and their is a blind corner up ahead, which suddenly is consumed by a massive container ship. He was on our side of the channel, not much you can do but get out of his way, with little choice, he was pushing us out of the channel where the water was low. We were riding the edge and he
blew his horn at us, (oopps "Janet's blowing her nose again". I knew you were with us Daddy!) We made it through and continued to the Canal.
The C&D Canal is a vital link in the ICW system, it allows for safe passage between Chesapeake Bay and Delaware Bay, it is 12 miles long/or 14 depending on where you find your information. The Canal opened for business in 1829 at that time it had 4 locks. The locks no longer exist and there are no tolls, the canal is at sea level. All of these factors invite a great deal of commercial traffic. The canal is 450 ft. wide, 35 ft. deep and the maximum allowable length of a self-propelled vessel is 886 ft. That's approximately 26 Spindrifts' lined up bow to stern, needless to say we feel a mite small going by one of those babies, but ...fortune smiled on us, other then the ship we met at its entrance we didn't encounter any others on this day. Blessings!!
We arrived at Delaware City Marina around 4:00 p.m., one of our early days. We sat down and relaxed enjoying the remainder of the daylight hours, marveling at how far we've come. Tomorrow we'd be out early again and on our way to Cape May, where we planned to spend three or 4 nights.

Tuesday, July 22, 2014 - Saturday, July 26, 2014

"When your rooster crows at the break of dawn. Look out your window and I'll be gone. You're the reason I'm trav'lin' on. Don't think twice, it's all right. (Bob Dylan)

We ought to rename Spindrift to "Crack of Dawn". Ate a quick breakfast and on our way, leaving Delaware City at 7:30 a.m., we were headed for Cape May, New Jersey. Our planned route Delaware City, to the Delaware River, Delaware Bay, to Cape May Canal to Utsch's Marina in Cape May Harbor. There was a tug pushing a barge, coming out of the C&D Canal, we crossed our fingers hoping that if he was going our way he'd get a move on and head out in front of us, as it turned out he anchored just outside of the Canal. We gave him a wide berth and moved on past. Eventually, he would pull anchor and be coming up behind us, hopefully, in a spot where there was plenty of space for him to pass. Got into the channel by the huge nuclear power plant, looking much like a Jini coming out of a lamp, I made my three wishes in case it was a Jini in disguise. We had seen the steam from the plant when in the C & D Canal yesterday and we would see this cloud of steam for a good 20 miles today before it was out of our site. We moved along past marsh lands staying within the channel in the Delaware River until we made our turn which would eventually dump us into Delaware Bay. The passage through the channel in the Delaware River is pretty far from shore, so their wasn't much to look at, the barge passed us and at the same time a barge going the other way passed him. Plenty of space for all of us ... we continued on, it was a good day, waters fairly calm and we made the passage without issue. Crossing Delaware Bay and seeing the North Atlantic for the first time in awhile, seas were calm and flat and we just trudged onward and into the Cape May Canal. At the final bridge which would put us into Cape May Harbor, we held our breath and looked up, this was the lowest bridge we had to pass under, it read 53 feet, it was close but we made it fine. When we passed under on our way south, the tide was lower and we had a little more wiggle room. But the Universe smiled on us once again and we were soon entering Utsch's Marina. We fueled up and pulled into a slip. It was around 6:00 p.m. Bob went up to the office to pay the bill and get information on the showers, wi-fi etc. I put a turkey breast in the oven and around 7:15 p.m., we settled down to turkey with mushroom sauce, rice, green beans and cranberries. A well deserved meal after a long couple of days on the water.
Wednesday, slept in for a change, and had a late leisurly breakfast. We walked to the market to pick up some dry stuff and water as ususal, we did a little siteseeing of the old victorians in the area. The day was very warm, we returned to the boat and showered. Boy did that feel good after a sweaty trek into town. We went over to the Lobster House, and waited an hour and a half to get in, we people watched, which is always fun. Bob had prime rib as is his usual, I don't serve red meat on board, so he gets it whenever he can. I had a seafood special. As always, the evening was enjoyable.
Thursday, once again we walked into town to do a little souvenier shopping, walked down one of the back streets and discovered more beautiful homes. Found a liquor store, so I could buy a bottle of wine. I went in and had a reflexology foot message, it was wonderful. Bob went into a nearby deli and had half of a liverwurst sandwich, he said, it was wonderful! We stopped back at the supermarket and picked up a couple more gallons of water, we can never have to much water and headed back to the boat. Had left over turkey and left over seafood special. Delish!!
Thursday, we went out for breakfast, which is always a nice treat. Hung out at the boat, Bob wanted to change the oil and I did some cleaning. Did some blogging and reading, talked about our plans for leaving on Saturday, we'd be going out into the North Atlantic and up to Atlantic City. Leaving the protective waters we've been in since crossing from the Bahamas. Pretty exciting.
Friday, we walked into town, traveling through yet another neighborhood, stopped for ice cream at Ben and Jerry's and the grocery store for gator aid, found a CVS for some much needed toiletries, headed back to the marina, showered and went to dinner at a Mexican Restaurant up the street. Good stuff. Sounds pretty much like a whirlwind tour, doesn't it.

Next time we talk we'll be in the North Atlantic! Each mile bringing us closer to home. That's all folks, see you on the flipside!!!

Lots of Love and Blessings,
Annie

Today is Thursday, July 31 we are in Great Kill on Staten Island, New York arrived this evening at 6:00 p.m. But were not ready to talk about that yet ... let's continue with the adventures that brought us here.


Wednesday, June 11, 2014

We left for Crisfield at 7:00 a.m., later then we planned, but, we thought it prudent to wait for a band of thunderstorms to pass through. Mother Nature always takes precedent. It was a pretty rough ride all day. The winds and seas that were predicted, were not the winds and seas that we got. Nothing unusual as you know! I hadn't slept well the previous night, an aching hip that troubles me now and then when the weather is just so, not an old wives tale, a new wife's tale LOL. Bob handled the boat most of the day. I managed a cat nap on deck and that took the edge off. The approach to Crisfield took us into Tangier Sound, passing by Tangier Island, up into the Little Annemessex River. The entrance into Somers Cove is between a condominium and a fish factory and not easily seen on approach. Unsure, we
were on the VHF with the marina and they directed us into the channel which soon opened up into a pretty large marina. Pheww!! We arrived at Crisfield at 5:15 p.m.

Planning to stay for a week, two weeks top, while visiting the outer Islands. Little did we know ....

One of the main attractions in going into Crisfield were the islands off its shore in the Chesapeake. Tangier Island, VA and Smith Island, MD, a friend had put the bug in Bob's ear, (not an airwig, like in that old "Twightlight Zone"EWWEE!) and he had been doing some research on both islands ever since we started north. We determined the channel into Tangier was too shallow for Spindrift's draft, and found that Crisfield had ferries going to both islands. Tangier is one of the last true working waterman communities on the Bay. The island is one by three miles and rapidly losing ground. Its fabled, lingering style of speech thought to be directly descended from early Elizabethan-era settlers and a "unique, isolated, blue-crab-driven culture," tweaked Bob's imagination and he started planning our trip. While
sailing over from Cape Charles we tuned in on the VHF radio and came across some watermen talking, like flies on the wall, we listened in to their conversations, some accents more pronounced then others, some much like a mouth full of marbles, and some maybe every third word came through to our untrained ears. Either way we got a chuckle.
Thursday, June 12th it rained most of the day, we stuck close to the boat and did a lot of reading and a little cleaning. Late in the day the sky's cleared and we walked up the street, stopped in the Visitor's Center, had a nice chit-chat with the woman there, her son's wife grew up in Arlington, MA and lives in Lexington, MA. I've said it before and I'll say it again, "an elephants faithful one hundred percent" (my Dr. Seuss is coming out again) the degrees of separation become smaller. She was heading for the Vineyard later in the summer where they have a summer home in Oak Bluffs. She directed us to information on both Tangier and Smith and we left happy travelers with pamphlets in hand.
The Crisfield marina, Somers Cove is run by the State, they had a special for the month of June $.50 a foot. A terrific price as marinas go, usually ranging from $1 to $2 per foot, we try for $1 to $1.50, some include electricity and some charge for that option. They also have monthly rates, and live aboard rates, and you can usually make a deal! Of course you can always find marinas that charge more, whatever floats your boat!! Somers Cove had security/a little iffy on that, Fuel/gas & diesel/"fer sher", supplies/meager, clean bathhouses/most definitely, floating docks for transients/always nice to see, a beautiful swimming pool, well kept grounds and a friendly crew running the facility. A huge property with 515 slips, 100 of these are transient, most of these are empty.
Friday, June 13, Bob's lucky day! WhooHoo!!! Rented bikes, the difference between State owned and private, up until now bikes were always courtesy of the marina. We biked down to the Food Lion, about a mile and a half away, saw a little more of the area, somewhat depressed. We were told when Hurricane Sandy came through the waters came into town about two miles, many people left and never came back. The bikes had baskets and we had backpacks we filled them with our purchases and made our way back.

Saturday, Sunday and Monday, June 14, 15 and 16

Bob made reservations on Tangier at the Chesapeake House, right down town from the Harbor. The island was visited by Captain John Smith in 1608, he gave it its name. In 1686 Tangier was settled by John Crockett. We got tickets on the Steven Thomas, the Ferry that makes daily runs to Tangier and on Saturday at 12:30 p.m. we were on our way. Had some friendly conversation with a couple who just came back from Boston. They were going to Tangier for a day trip. The ride to the island was about an hour and a half. The day was sunny and warm, the seas a little bumpy, but the Steven Thomas handled them with ease. We passed Old Island, where all that stands is a
brick chimney, all that remains of an old fish factory that burned down in the early 1900's. They processed menhaden a fish which was later outlawed as food for people (Here it comes, I can't help myself, it's screaming in my head "Soylent Green is people" all you Charlton Heston fans know what I'm talkin' about!) and the factory was never rebuilt. Manhaden is now used in pet foods and fish oil. It was an 11 mile ride to Tangier we arrived at 1:30 p.m. The harbor channel is lined with crab shanties each with its own dock. As you come into the harbor, there is a village of crab shanties standing on pilings in the water. These are the peeler sheds where soft crabs are held until they molt, they're then packaged, refrigerated and taken to the mainland for distribution.
The island itself is made up of marshes and tidal streams connected by bridges. Its "high ground" is four feet above high water. Like many of the islands we've visited golf carts and bicycles are the main mode of travel.
We were staying at the Chesapeake House run by the Crockett family, one of the oldest families on the island. They picked us up at the dock and rode us down to the Bed and Breakfast. There was to be a wedding on the docks later in the afternoon and they were setting up for the event. We got the scoop from the driver, nearly everyone on the island would be attending, all the ladies anyway. We were told by one gentlemen "that's women stuff"! Being that the island is only three miles long it didn't take long to get to the B&B. She quickly pointed out the dining hall and our room, as she had to get ready to attend the wedding. When we entered the B&B we were greeted by a couple of young girls and a boy 6, 8, 10 years?, they were guests, they offered to help us with our bags and led us up the stairs to our room. When they turned to leave I called them back said I wanted to tip them. The older girl turned and gave me "such a look" and said "we don't work here", I laughed, said I knew, but we appreciated their help! They were all pretty pleased with their new found fortune! LOL We learned that the children belonged to a family of nine who were in the remaining rooms of the B&B. Grandmother/Pat, Grandfather/Larry, daughter and boyfriend (Pat wasn't too happy about that combo), daughter-in-law soon to deliver a new grandchild and four grandchildren, Pat and Larry have been visiting the island from the time their own children were young and hope to continue for many years to come! The Noel Family, very nice people, we'd get to know them a little better in the next couple of days, sharing the family room and porch, breakfast in the dining room and on the street. We walked the main street and took some pictures, checked out the lay of the land. Came across the "Muddy Toes" library and went in to check it out. A note on the door reads " do not close the door when you enter or it will lock, put something in front of it". Why they would want to lock you in we couldn't imagine! We dutifully pulled a chair over in front of the door and checked out the book selection and also other means of escape should the door blow closed by imaginary forces. The policy is take, read and return. We took a couple of books and the next day returned others we had read. Probably not quite what
they had in mind, but we did return books. Closed the door when we left and walked down the adjacent dock to the end of a pier with a park bench and a beautiful view of the Shanties, sat for a while watching Watermen come back from their day on the water and reading the signs about birds and crabbing. Went in for an early dinner, served family style, all you can eat. They served ham, potatoes, green beans with bacon, clam fritters, crab cakes, applesauce, bread and ice tea. We ate our fill and retired to the B&B. Talked with the Noel's, did some reading and planning the following day.
Sunday morning we were joined at our table by the Noel family, the children with sleepy faces sat at the table and slowly woke up to scrambled eggs and all the bacon one pig could contribute, toast with homemade jelly, applesauce and orange juice. All at the table engaged in conversation and it was a pleasant start to the day. The Noel's would be leaving the island on the 4:00 p.m. boat back to Crisfield and heading home to Wilmington, DE.
After breakfast we walked up to the bike rental place and to return our books to the library "wink, wink". ("A nod is as good as a wink to a blind horse!") The bike rental didn't open until 11:00 a.m. The streets were empty, there is a strong Methodist community on the island and all "supposedly" were in church, we set off on foot. We ended up walking pretty much the whole island, down to the beach with its reputed outstanding sunsets, and dis-reputed greenhead flies. We walked over each of the four bridges, trying to catch a glimpse of some of the waterfowl, herons, ibis, oyster catchers etc., through the small well kept neighborhoods and the marshlands. We were out until mid-afternoon and decided bikes weren't necessary, we had pretty much walked the whole island. We went down to the main dock to watch the Steven Thomas come in and see who would join the island community today.
The ladies on the island have taken over the organization of arrivals and departures. With their six to eight seater golf carts, they are ready to deposit you and your luggage wherever you wish to go, or take you on a tour of the island with Tangier flare. A senior group had come in today and the fleet of golf taxis were ready to assist. The day had turned really warm and we walked up and visited the local ice cream shop sat inside and enjoyed the air conditioning and the ice cream. Later we walked back to the B&B and sat on the porch under the trees as the Noel family gathered their belongings to ready themselves for the trip back to Crisfield. The golf cart fleet was outside the dining room, apparently the seniors were inside for lunch. We sat on the porch behind the trees and listened to the locals chat in "Tangier speak". The seniors slowly trickled out of the dining room and the Tangier Ladies immediately put on their tour guide hats, enticing some to take a golf cart
tour while others chose to walk to the museum or the ice cream shop, not much else was open. As has been the case in many southern communities on Sunday! We heathens up north don't stop for a moment ....
Around 3:30 p.m. the cart with all the Noel's belongings headed down to the docks and we headed down to the docks around 3:45 to wave them off. The seniors had already boarded the boat and the Noel's were franticly looking for their daughter-in-law who had gone off to find a lost sandal. Pat shrugged her shoulders and yelled from the boat that this kind of thing always happens with such a large group. While Larry made his way down the street to find her, the whistle blew on the Steven Thomas, five minute warning, she came up the street as quickly as her pregnant belly would allow, youngest child in one hand and sandal in the other. We got a picture of Larry and Pat as the boat pulled away. We headed back to the dining hall for dinner and what did they serve but ham, potatoes, green beans with bacon, applesauce, clam fritters, crab cakes, bread and ice tea. If we ever come back, we will not get the package plan. "Live and Learn!" Don't know how the restaurants are but we would definitely check them out. After dinner we went and sat on the porch at the B&B, all was quiet in the house now that the Noel's had left and we made sure to lock the front door when we retired for the night.
Monday morning we went to breakfast where we were joined by some folks from Norfolk, they had sailed in the night before. They grounded in the harbor, then the current and wind washed them into another boat, made a hole in their boat. She said the hole was above the waterline and that they did no damage to the boat they hit. They would be heading back to Norfolk for repairs. Hope they made it safely! Good choice on our part to take the ferry over!
We had planned to go to the local museum, check out at the B&B time was 11:00 a.m. We went back to gather our belongings and leave them in the front room, the boat leaves at 4:00 pm. to take us back to Crisfield. We walked up to the museum and spent a good two hours, learning the history of Tangier and the decline of the blue crab industry. Likened to the Gloucester fisherman, the State of VA has cut back the months and hours the Watermen can do their crabbing. This is heartbreaking for many families who for generations have been on the water plying their trade. The decline has a domino effect, as we see how the crabbing industries decline, not just
Hurricane Sandy, has chased people from the area. Along it's waterfront, instead of the warehouses that supported the crab industry we see empty condominiums. Once selling for $500K now nobody wants them. They're trying to bring in the tourists, but there is nothing on the waterfront to draw them in right now. Hopefully for the people who live here in time this will turn around.
We went back to the B&B and sat in the cool of the porch and then took the ride with luggage down to the docks to catch the Steven Thomas back to Spindrift.

Wednesday, June 18, 2014

We planned to take a day trip over to Smith Island, but the temperatures were holding in the high 90's, unusual here for this time of year, we stayed on the boat with fans blasting, catching a littl breeze, it was a little bit cooler. We went up to the pool to cool down, but even there we found little relief. Our best bet was to go into the shower rooms which were well air conditioned, or hang out at the front desk for a little bit and chat with the employees. On Thursday the boat to Smith didn't go due to severe t-storms and lack of participation. We planned to leave on Friday for Oxford, but high winds and small craft warnings kept us on the dock. We called Oxford and switched reservations for Monday, June 23, the extended forecast was looking good to go! Walked up to the nearby Dollar store with our little cart, they were having a special on spring water and we wanted to replenish before we headed out. Figured if we walked up Friday, Saturday and Sunday and got six gallons
each time we'd be all set for a while. It was only about a mile up and the exercise would do us good. It was still pretty warm, so the walk was leisurely stroll.

Monday, June 23rd to Thursday July 17th

Okay the time line is not accurate at this point, but you'll get the gist of it! Everything actually ocurred but in a somewhat less confused order!

We woke early Monday morning and by 7:00 a.m. we were ready to go. Would have liked to leave earlier, but wanted to have our poop tank pumped out and the crew didn't come in until seven. Turned the key to crank the engine, she turned over but ... she just wouldn't start. Tried it several times ... still won't start. This has never happened!!!

When we came into Crisfield we stopped at the dock, got fuel and had our poop tank pumped. Came over to our slip. Was there water in the fuel? This is a well used fuel dock, so we really didn't think so ... but this is a brand new engine ... barely 20 months old .... We pulled out the books ... engine won't fire ... what to do .... "Most starting problems are simple ones", "A diesel engine is a thoroughly logical piece of equipment", "does the engine have air?", "If there is no obstruction in the airflow, perhaps the air charge is not being adequately compressed to achieve ignition temperatures." Bob went through every step, he was the hands on while I did the reading and the engine cranking. We tried everything one step at a time, eliminating the easiest first and working our way down the check list. Still she turns over but she just won't fire. Why is the engine a she??? Just askin'!! No stone was left unturned.
Our next door neighbor tried to lend a hand, but still .... We called, John B. back in Pocasset he installed the engine. He made suggestions, but we had already tried them ... we tried again. Disheartened we called Oxford and cancelled our reservation and made one for the next day maintaining a spark of hope that we would get her going. We took a break and took a walk.
Over the next couple days, Bob called Hanson Marine in Marblehead, they sold us the engine, contacted Universal via email, and the gentleman in Oxford lent a hand by finding us a mechanic to contact, guy doesn't do boat calls anymore, but it was the effort he put into finding someone that was appreciated.
Meanwhile, one of the dockhands, Bunky, and Bob have become good friends and he gave us the name of a mechanic in town who often calls on the marina, Mark Good. I've lost track of days but I believe by now it was Wednesday, we called him, he said he could come by the next day to take a look, call him around 10:30 a.m. We had also contacted a Universal dealer over in Ocean City, MD, they said they could come out next week toward the end of the week ... we declined knowing Mark would be out the next day. We called him in the morning, as promised and left a message, we finally got someone on the phone, they said he was out in the yard, he'd contact us when he came in, we never heard from him. Bunky came by, we told him the story, he was pretty upset, he considered Mark a friend an would walk over to see him the next day, if we still hadn't hear anything. Bunky talked to him for an hour the next day and for one hour Mark Good explained why he didn't come over. We had heard his Mother was ill, and we appreciate his anguish, but just tell us I can't come. He's just across the street so Bob went over and for a half hour he explained to Bob why he didn't come over. Meanwhile, someone told us to use some ether to jump start the engine. Dan a man who works for Mark Good gave Bob a ride to an auto parts place where they sold ether on his lunch hour. When he got back Bob spoke to the Universal dealer and he said absolutely not to do the ether or WD40 trick or we would negate our warranty. So if anyone needs ether ....
Bunky was feeling responsible, although he had no need to, for Mark not showing up. He spoke to the Pastor of his church, he was a diesel mechanic in another lifetime. He came over and checked out the engine, did the same things Bob had done and narrowed down to the same point Bob had, fuel was flowing until it reached the injector pump rack, then it wasn't flowing. He didn't want to take the rack apart not knowing the particular system or having the proper tools. He was very apologetic and felt badly, but we were just glad someone with knowledge had come and agreed with our diagnosis. We thanked him profusely for coming. Bunky got the name of another mechanic down the road, Lee Long, he worked at another boatyard in the area. Bob called the boatyard they said they'd try to send someone when they got their schedule in order. We rolled our eyes and crossed our fingers. The boatyard actually called back later in the day and said they'd send Lee Long over in the
morning. Lee came over and like Pastor Steve two days before, methodically went through the steps as we had and came to the same conclusion, again he didn't want to go any further, not being an authorized dealer mechanic for Universal, he didn't want to open the rack. We called the dealer in Ocean City (OC) and made an appointment for next week. Wishing we had gone with them in the first place, shoulda, coulda, woulda, didn't. Live and learn, Live and learn! Meanwhile, we received an email back from Universal explaining what they felt the problem was, Bob forwarded it to the dealer in OC, "Edwards".

During this period of time, Hurricane Arthur came through the Crisfield Area. We added extra lines to the boat and battened down the hatches to weather what may come. We had a lot of rain, the highest wind we saw was blowing at 45. Everyone on the docks weathered the storm nicely. If we had continued on our planned course we may have been going up the coast with "Arthur" on our heels! Blessings!!

We met Bunky's wife Ellen Anne and they took us for a ride on the outskirts of town, showed us where they live and pointed out some historical sites in the area. Very nice people, wanted to do whatever they could to make our unscheduled stay comfortable.

On Smith Island they make cakes with eight layers. "The recipe originated in the 1800's when wives would send cakes out with their waterman husbands during oyster season. The multilayered cakes ... stayed fresh longer ...." Well Ellen Anne makes these cakes, she says hers' are better then the ones on Smith.
We invited Ellen Anne and Bunky to join us on our boat to watch the fireworks on July 5th. When they arrived, Ellen Anne handed me a cake and said that's your wedding cake. It was a Creamsicle cake with eight layers, and my goodness it was delicious. (Pictures in the photo gallery). Ellen Anne and Bunky stayed and watched the fireworks, we had the perfect seats looking across the harbor.

Bob and I were sitting at a picnic table under a canopy and a gentleman came over asked if we were the folks from Boston with the engine trouble, and introduced himself as Bob Culver. He had heard of our predicament from Pastor Steve. We chatted for a bit and he invited us to come over anytime to see his boat, it was down the other end of the harbor. Later that day, he stopped by our boat and extended an invitation from himself and his wife Diane to come to dinner at their house. We accepted the invitation and said we'd walk over to his boat later on and get the particulars. We were eager to see the inside of his boat, as we had already admired it from the outside, so later in the afternoon we walked over. It was indeed beautiful inside, he showed us the particulars and invited us to look around. We stayed for a while and chatted he and his wife were hoping to travel the inter-coastal to the Bahamas. We offered to bring our charts and other books that helped us find our way, so they could take a peek. We set a time he would pick us up and we went off to take showers.
Bob C. picked us up as promised and we were off to his house a ten minute ride from the marina. His wife and little dog "Matey" welcomed us in and Bob C. went out to put some chicken on the grill. I helped Diane set the table and admired her décor, everything nicely put together. Diane had made herb iced tea and pepper jelly with cream cheese and crackers. Dinner was fresh vegetables from their garden sautéed and sweet corn on the cob with grilled chicken. The evening was relaxed and a welcome change to boat or restaurant. Delightful! Oh, and not to be forgotten ... homemade blueberry cobbler with ice cream! Yum!!
After dinner we broke open the chart books and talked about how we prepared for our trip south and answered what questions we could. It was a most enjoyable evening. Eventually Bob C. drove us back to the boat and we said we'd see him and Diane at church on Sunday. We would be going with the Daiseys'.
The mechanic from Ocean City came around 8:00 a.m. It was an hours ride for him and he started right in on the engine. His name was Chuck, very personable young man. He went through the steps, had me crank the engine over and then went to work, got to the heart of the problem the injector rack. He removed the injector pump rack and it was full of what to me looked like the batter for my oatmeal cookies before adding the oatmeal. Bob says it looked like toothpaste! The "technician" said it was caused by moisture, not sea water moisture (which is a good thing), moisture. Couldn't get an explanation of where that may have come from. This is a brand new engine, twenty months old. Said he has seen this before. Put the rack in a container to take with him. I asked so what happens now? He took the rack out and showed me that one of the injectors was worn down and they would have to rebuild the rack, I asked "how long" he said "they'll send it out today and we'll have it back by Wednesday "(this was Monday). (I think "that's not so bad") He says, "I know that's not what you want to hear, but that's the story". I said, "Well at least we're in a safe place" and told him "I'll sit down and cry after you leave". He laughed "ha, ha, ha". He didn't know how true that was. Frown. He said we'd get a call this afternoon, being Monday! He went off, they called and verified he'd be back Wednesday. We received an email invoice for $300 shortly thereafter. One hour coming, one hour going and 45 minutes on Spindrift's floor! We're hoping it's under warranty, he said "I'll check".
Later, on Friday the 11th, we went for a ride with Bunky and Ellen Anne to Chincoteague on the Atlantic Coast. Bunky grew up here and had some family business to take care of on the island. I had done some reading on Chincoteague and was eager to join the excursion. I was particulary interested in the wild ponies.

"Legend has it that the feral ponies on Assateague are descendants of survivors of a Spanish galleon that sank on its way to Spain during a storm in 1750 off the east coast."

"In the Pony Penning, which has been held annually since 1925, horses swim across the shallow water between the islands. If any animal is too small or weak to make the swim, they are placed on a barge and ferried over. All the horses are herded into large pens after running through the middle of town and down Main Street. Pony Penning takes place on the last consecutive Wednesday and Thursday in July. The actual swim occurs on Wednesday, the Chincoteague Volunteer Fire Company auctions that year's foals on Thursday, and on Friday the remaining ponies swim back to Assateague." Monies obtained are donated to the Volunteer Fire Department.
We didn't get to see the swim across, but we did see some wild ponies and many other sites in Chincoteague, a lovely ocean community. We stopped on the way home at one of the Daisey's favorite restaurants and then to Walmart to pick up some supplies.

We also saw NASA's Wallops Flight Facility, located on Virginia's Eastern Shore, it was established in 1945 by the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics, as a center for aeronautic research. They were getting set to put a rocket up later in the week to bring supplies to the International Space Station.

Late Tuesday afternoon Edwards Marine called us and said "The place where we sent the part is unable to have it rebuilt and returned until Friday!" "We're very sorry, the technician will be out on Friday afternoon". What do you say???

So there we were, and here we'll stay at the mercy of the engine gods!!!

We went to church on Sunday with the Daiseys'. Everyone said prayers for us in hopes Spindrift would get the repairs she needed and we'd travel safely back to Boston.

Diane brought some of her homemade pepper jelly to church, she knew I enjoyed it and wanted to share. Very nice. She and her husband Bob stopped over to the boat later that day and invited us to go to Salisbury to the movies. I declined, it was Bob's Birthday and he was on the phone with one of his children and I knew he hoped to have conversations with his other children and just relax for the remainder of the day and I had promised him dinner at what had become his favorite restaurant in Crisfield. They understood and wished him a Happy Birthday! They would stop over later in the week to return our books and bring some fresh vegetables from their
garden, eggplant and onions, they smelled so good. Mmmmmmm!!! We promised to keep in touch. Blessings!

Chuck from Edwards came over with the repaired injector rack. Replaced it and then the moment of truth ... he told me to crank her over ... I glowed the plugs and pushed the start ... the engine turned over but did not start ... my heart sank. He told me to try again ... glow ... start ... keep going ... keep going ... all of a sudden the engine started to cough ... keep going ... and then she caught ... yeah! yeah! yeah!!!! We let her run for a few minutes. We shut the engine down. Chuck changed the oil and we started her up again, she started, Yeah!!!! Blessings, Blessings, Blessings!!! Chuck told Bob to change the oil every 20 hours 5 x's to make sure all the guck worked through the system. Bob has faithfully complied.

The boat in the slip accross from us was owned by Dave and Alston, he was from Ipswich, MA and she was from South Carolina. He was a bit of a wise guy and Bob and he would banter back and forth, pretty funny! They had gone on a two week excursion in he Chesapeake and were very surprised to see that we were still on the dock when they got back. They offered their vehicle if we needed anything and Dave took us to the supermarket.

Everyone we came in contact with tried to help out however they could and we are very appreciative. Blessings abound! We will stay in touch with many of these folks as time goes by.

On Thursday, July 17th, we started our engine and headed out of Crisfield. The weather wasn't the best for traveling, but we knew we just had to move along for sanities sake. Our plan had changed we wouldn't make the stops we had intended. Although we still plan on taking a couple of side trips. We may never pass this way again!
So once again. We're on our way home! Jam packed with good memories and more adventures to come.

Talk soon,
Love to all,
Blessings,
Annie

Hello again! Long time no communication! But I'm back with bells on!!! Continuing our passage up through the Chesapeake. When last we met we had gotten to MM 0 of the ICW and headed through Norfolk and into Chesapeake Bay.

She's the mother of the waters, and people of this land.
Forty river children, reach to take her by the hand,
and flow through Maryland, and Virginia to the sea.
She's Atlantic born, Atlantic bound and free ....
(Song of the Chesapeake, Tom Wisner)

Sunday, June 8, 2014

After passing MM 0 in the ICW we continued on down through the channel passing under railroad bridges and highway bridges. The sounds of silence that surrounded us in the ICW had been replaced by sand blasting and banging, grinding and crashing, horns blasting. The sweet smell of sweet grass was consumed by smoke stacks, diesel fuel and the odors that permeate the air in a shipyard. Turtles sunning on a log and solitary heron fishing on the shore were now men, looking as small as ants, hanging as if from a rock ledge on the side of monstrous ships some 60 feet above the waterline. The ships lining the piers were ocean going freighters, ships from countries whose names we didn't know or those we needed an interpreter to read. We continued on through the many yards seeing freighters, aircraft carriers and battleships in all stages of repair, building and deconstruction. Ships that housed crews and their dining facilities, Hospital ships. I was on the lookout for my brother on the Maine Maritime ship USS Maine. He was out on cruise and they have been known to stop in Norfolk for fuel. Didn't really think we'd see him, but no harm in looking. There were remnants of the Festival which had gone on over the weekend, tents were being taken down and boats and tall ships were still adorned with their flags. We had heard the fireworks from the previous night and all the boats going back to their docks with horns blasting and music playing.
Further along we passed the Norfolk Naval Shipyard home to aircraft carriers, battleships, frigate boats and more. Boats transiting this area need to stay 100 yards from any U.S. Naval vessel. An abundance of patrol boats around the berthed vessels are there to see that this rule is strictly enforced. Naval ships and commercial ships are escorted in and out of the area by Coast Guard. We had a CG Cutter, that had just escorted a frigate out, go by us on their return their decks loaded with crew. We waved, some waved back. I often wonder if they're not supposed to wave and therefore some are breaking the rules while others are forcing their hands down to adhere to them.

Memories of days gone by when my Dad would take us down to the docks anytime their were military ships in Boston Harbor fill my head. We got to explore submarines, air craft carriers and battleships. When the big cruise ships would blow their horns, my Dad would always say "Janet's blowing her nose"! Janet being my younger sister. We would all know it was coming and laugh just the same. Still brings a smile to my lips. Good memories!

We passed by the Fort at Old Point Comfort in Hampton, VA. We had done quite a bit of exploring here on our way south. Walking the ramparts where a "pet cemetery" had been established for lost faithful military companions. Epitaphs to dogs, cats, birds and fish formed on rocks, granite stones, sea shells and other mediums shaped by adults and children alike with handprints and pictures and words captured in time until wind and weather wash them away. We walked passed deserted buildings where naval barracks once teamed with military personnal. You could almost hear the commands being issued and the footsteps running into formation, the bugles being blown. The laughter and talk of young men and women in the mess hall and the sounds of silence when day was done. The respect given our flag and the memories of fallen heroes who gave the ultimate sacrifice for our freedom. Heads bowed.

Some of the military housing outside the Fort was refurbished into assisted living and they had a large dining room where the public was invited to come in on certain evenings and enjoy dinner with the residents. We had stopped in to find out the dining days and hours and were told the dining room would be open this evening at 5:30 p.m., after the residents were served. We planned to explore the area and then return for dinner.
After our walk through the Fort we spent some time in the surrounding area watching the ships leaving the harbor and just enjoying the afternoon. By the time dinner rolled around we had worked up quite an appetite and were looking forward to resting our bones in front of some good food. We arrived at the dining hall, we rang the bell to enter and were told that dinner was not served for outsiders on this particular evening, we had been misinformed! After some disappointment ran through our bodies along with grumbling tummies, we made our way back to Spindrift and I'm remembering a nice hot bowl of Progresso soup and a salad. Delish!!!

I offer a little History, very little, not Bob's and mine, but of the area of Norfolk.
"Long before the arrival of English Colonists in the Chesapeake Bay area, the Chespean Indians had a settlement here on the banks of the Elizabeth River. By the time the Jamestown group arrived in 1607, Chief Powhatan had wiped them out." His proper name was Wahunsonacock, he was the father of Pocahontas! And he was one mean mothers son!
Back to the Colonist: One of the earliest settlements was a land purchase back in 1622, 200 hundred acres where Norfolk now stands.
Back to the Navy: "For two centuries, Norfolk has been a Navy town." "Before the Navy came into existence, merchant ships and sailors called Norfolk home."
So I've wet your whistle, if you need to know more you'll have to research it yourself!

Back to our travels North: I know, I know, it's about time!!
We sailed on, passing over the Hampton Roads Bridge Tunnel, better over then under in my opinion! With the inlet to the Atlantic Ocean in site we "hung a left" to enter the Chesapeake Bay. Our destination was Cape Charles, Virginia.

NOTE: Absolutely nothing of what I have written should be used for navigational purposes, or on anyone's term paper on American History.

That being said, let's continue. Working backwards, when we reached MM 0 of the ICW. We took up the end of the route for the Chesapeake at MM 178. When we passed Old Point Comfort and turned up into the Chesapeake Bay we were at approximately MM 160. We sadly closed our ICW chartbook, it had safely navigated us 2028 statute miles down the coast from Virginia to Florida and back up again. Now a new leg of our journey begins Virginia, to Maryland, to Delaware Bay.
When heading south we had pretty much done a zigzag down the Chesapeake. Stopping for two weeks in Annapolis, but that's another story for another day! I heard that!!! That collective sigh of relief! You just wait, you'll be suffering through Annapolis before you know it! But ... I once again ... digress!

The Western shore seems the more popular, with ports such as Yorktown, the Potomac, St. Mary's, the infamous already spoken of Annapolis, the Solomon's and Baltimore. We've decided to start north on the Eastern Shore, first stop Cape Charles MM is approximate 154. Already I miss my ICW flip chart with all the mileage mapped out. Boy did I get lazy!!
Arrived at Cape Charles Town Marina at 2:15 p.m. It was a fairly easy day, not enough wind to sail by, seas were flat accept for wakes caused by commercial and naval ships. As we came by the Yorktown area we needed to cross shipping lanes and were calculating crossing paths with freights and tankers. No problem, Man! They move a lot faster then we do, and would cross our path before we knew it was our path. LOL! Our plan was to stay in Cape Charles for 3 nights.

Having the choice of the town harbor or the resort marina, we chose the town harbor, looking to get a true feel for the area. Many of these harbor communities can be somewhat depressed, but the people are genuine and the taste of Americana authentic. Cape Charles Town Harbor has 120 floating slips, 30 for transients like ourselves. A youthful dock hand with flaming red hair and matching down home personality helped us with our lines and we were soon sitting back and checking out the area. Downtown was a short walk and we took the opportunity to check it out walking the main street, that was also a short walk.

Again a little bit of history. "For two and a half centuries, transportation in the Chesapeake Bay region was largely via water, and the Bay itself made a great and convenient thoroughfare. In the middle of the 19th century, railroads became the prime movers of commerce. To them, the Bay presented a barrier between the populous and industrial North and markets in the South. In 1884, the NY, PA and Norfolk Railroad overcame that hurdle when it built a rail line to the lower Eastern Shore of VA and connected it to Norfolk, VA. with Ferries for passengers and railcars." "Since no town existed to serve as the railroads terminus and to house employees...." The railroad created Cape Charles. There is a large collection of 20th century homes in the Victorian style, whose structures still stand. "These homes and business buildings earned Cape Charles a listing on the National Register of Historic Places."

Their were two train engines refurbished sitting on a track that led to nowhere and also one of the ferry barges, quite dilapidated, with tracks where the trains would pull up, the train passenger cars would be moved onto the ferry and transported down the bay and across to Norfolk. I'm not exactly sure of the logistics of that whole operation but it went on from the mid 1800's into the 1950's. The terminal was moved further south and the last ferry sailed in 1958. Probably more then you needed or wanted to know, but there you have it. Trains and Ferries 101!
When we got back to the docks, four Naval Academy boats had pulled in, two on the face dock beside us and two on a dock further down. We went off and took showers and got ready to enjoy dinner at the dockside restaurant and spent the remainder of the afternoon watching the Academy Cadets practicing docking and related training. The Cadets went to shower and clean up before their dinner. They were sitting on the docks beside us, one cadet a young woman was smoking a pipe and emitting language that could only be referred to as "trash mouth", something that didn't get cleaned up in the shower. Bob and I turned and a young man sitting on the naval boat, looked at us as if in embarrassment. The woman continued with her trash and Bob got up to say something to her when the young man told her to tone it down. She begrudgingly did so.
"When out on the" Bay "their arose such a clatter, we sprang from our" seats "to see what was the matter!" Canon fire was coming from the mouth of the channel and a tall ship was entering the harbor. What fun!! The Cadets that weren't at their boats were called back in a hurry. The face docks were needed for boats far bigger than theirs, and there was a flurry of activity as they scrambled to get the Naval Academy boats off the docks and underway. We had two more tall ships come in before the sunset, one firing canons, the other entering quietly. One of them docked next to us and a crew member told us of their intended route said he'd look for us at the Constitution in Boston Harbor. This all was an unexpected treat, the tall ships, French, Swedish and British and the Naval Academy boats.
We walked up to "The Shanty", just at the end of the docks. We both enjoyed a great piece of flounder on the outdoor porch and some wonderful live music, a lot of Grateful Dead and music in that genre. The musicians took a break and we headed back to the boat for a quiet night.
On Monday, June 9th we awoke to an empty face dock. The tall ship next to us was gone, apparently out at the crack of dawn, respectfully silent in their departure. After breakfast we decided on a walk into the neighborhoods to discover the old Victorian homes. We started down toward the mouth of the channel to find the local beach and check out the Bay from the shoreline. From there we made our way over across the street to a neighborhood street. Usually, on a walk like this, we just worm our way up and down side streets back to the main and continue on to the next side street. The day was growing hot ... I'm talking bright sunshine sweat pouring hot. We did our best to find the shaded areas, where it would immediately cool under the trees. Bob was counting houses for sale, we both said the number we thought we would see, but he was counting to suit his own purposes, counting the one way down there, or over here. I said no, no, no! "If we don't walk past it, we don't count it!" He is a troublesome fellow, at times! As always we had fun going up and down streets and playing the counting game. We came upon the Victorian's some in good repair, some, not so much! Admired what we could and felt sad for the rest. There is a particular kind of tree we'd been seeing pretty much throughout the South, they were lining one particular street. I had been curious to know what kind they were, but unable to find anyone who knew. There was a woman working in a beautiful flower garden, as we walked by we said hello, continuing down the street. I stopped and said "I'll ask her." I walked back and asked. "Crepe Myrtle", she said, I told her I'd first seen them in South Carolina, but never was able to find the right person who new what they were. "They're very pretty, but their fruit makes a mess on the sidewalks!" she said. "Yeah" I said, finally someone who knows!" Meanwhile, Bob walked back and joined the chat. Turned out she was from Brighton, MA. Her husband a retired Doctor, they retired in Cape Charles. Small world! I complemented her on her beautiful flower garden and told her to get out of the sun and drink a big glass of water. We continued on our way. When finally we got back to Main Street, Bob said "I'll buy you an ice cream." I said, "Why don't we get some lunch instead!" We headed down the street and stopped at Kelly's Pub. Inside, we found high ceilings with ceiling fans spinning, bottle glass windows and an old highly polished bar. The barkeep took our order. Bob ordered the Shepard's pie, I went with the crab cake sandwich, I was promised it was the best in the Bay, we both topped it off with a tall ice tea, found ourselves a table and sat back to enjoy the cool of the air conditioning and await lunch. The barkeep brought our ice tea and struck up conversation, he was from New Jersey and enjoying the lack of hustle and bustle in the Cape Charles area. Bob enjoyed his Shepard's Pie and to my inexperienced taste buds, the crab cake sandwich proved real good. After lunch we headed back to the boat, gathered our shower paraphernalia and headed to remove the sweat of the afternoon. Spent the remainder of the afternoon on the boat, watching manta rays play in the harbor, there were three of them and they put on quite a show. Swimming around catching fish from one side of the channel to the other, we also saw turtles and herons. Decided we wouldn't have dinner, lunch was late and filling and it was to hot to cook. We decided on a cool drink, some fruit and a game of scrabble. A very enjoyable evening. The following day we pretty much hung out on the boat, short walk up the street to buy some eggs, read some of the history of the area, that which I have already shared with you, and prepared for the following day. We'd be heading for Crisfield, Maryland. Approximate MM 111, the southern most town in Maryland.

I'll be sending another update at the end of the week. I won't promise, that is my hope!

Love to all,
Blessings,
Annie

,

Night like a river beginning to flow. I feel the beat of my mind go drifting into time passages. Years go falling in the fading light. Time passages. Al Stewart

When last we gathered together we were on our way up the Cape Fear River ....

Wednesday, May 28, 2014

7:00 a.m. fellow boaters helped us with our lines and pushed us away from the dock. Meanwhile, on another dock, further down the fairway, another sailboat was leaving at the same moment, we readied to swing and head Spindrift into the channel and found ourselves nose to nose, not really that close, but given the maneuverability of sailboats under power and the narrowness of the fairway, it was close enough. I spotted him and yelled to Bob, we zigged, the other boat spotted us, he zagged and we were both able to avoid any early morning unpleasantness. Once he was clear of us we made our swing and followed him out. Shortly thereafter another sailboat joined the procession soon to be followed by two power boats. Everyone had the same idea, ride the current of the Fear River down to the ICW cut. The mouth of the Fear was a quarter of a mile from the entrance to Southport, as we approached two tankers crossed heading down the river and out to the ocean, always good to see their sterns. The sun was already starting to warm the air and it looked as though the day would be beautiful. The ocean was calm at the inlet and the push of the current was as expected, we were averaging 8 knots. Whooohooo! We was flyin'!!! The sailboat ahead kept going out of the channel and in time we drew past him, Bob hollered an apology for the near collision in the marina, the fault was with both boats, early hours, sleepy eyes, eagerness to get started. The power boats that were further behind began to catch up and we were passed by one just as we turned into the cut that would put us into the ICW. As we turned to look behind us we saw a huge tanker coming down the Fear River heading for the ocean. Missed him by about that much ... as Maxwell Smart would say! Timing is everything. The water in the cut had dropped considerably from an average of 50 feet in the Fear to 7 to 8 feet in the cut it would run about 5 miles and then dump us into a Sound. Sounds here are not Sounds as we know them, they are generally wide but their depth will run anywhere from 20 feet to 1 foot so again paying attention to the channel markers is crucial. Today most of the channels are pretty wide and the water is pretty consistent in depth, except for those places where it's not! We were headed for Beach House Marina, Surf City, North Carolina MM 260.4, We had three bridges to call on one directly before our destination Marina. Our trip today would be 49 miles.

Lots of dolphins and pelicans fishing today and we're seeing more and more osprey and osprey chicks. They make their nests on the marker poles that line the ICW. We were early for the first bridge we encountered and slowed on our approach, the boats behind us whizzed on past us and were stuck circling before the bridge opened. Sometimes a bridge tender will open off schedule, if there is no traffic or if a barge comes along, commercial traffic takes precedent, they can't just put the breaks on, their pushing too much weight. Usually, you just have to wait until the scheduled time. Our approach for each of the bridges was the same, current and tide was still moving us along so our arrival at the bridges was quicker then calculated, we would slow ourselves down within three miles or so and take our time approaching. Not wanting to slow any sooner, aware that at any given moment current could drop as water diverted into other creeks and rivers. We passed through the bridge at Surf City, the Marina where we had reservations was directly after the bridge, we had been told "take a quick right immediately after the bridge" and there it was Surf City Marina with a sign across it "Marina Closed". Bob tried to hail them on the VHF, he had spoken to them earlier in the day to confirm our reservation. No one answered our hailing call, he called them on the phone, got hold of someone and the guy said come on in and directed us down to the slips, he told us to go into any slip that wasn't marked private. We crept in concerned about the depth and made it without issue, the marina was empty, "that's weird". At times like these Stephen King always comes to mind, "my mind". We pulled into a slip, tied up, it was 3:30 p.m. The man Bob spoke to appeared, seemingly out of no where, said we were fine, helped us hook up to electricity and told Bob to come up to the office to settle the bill. I cleaned up the boat and Bob went to the office. The marina had a huge warehouse type building where they stack boats. The procedure is; you call and tell them when you want to take your boat out; they bring it down on a fork lift apparatus and put it in the water at the proposed time; you pick your boat up on schedule. We've seen a lot of this down south, some up north. I saw this first in Sesuit, MA on the Cape. We were visiting Bob's sister and went to dinner at a marina restaurant nearby and they had boats stacked. On the ICW there are many, many marinas with this setup. It allows a marina that doesn't have a lot of dock space to accommodate many more boats then they would otherwise be able to handle. Bob got the scoop on the "MARINA CLOSED" sign, something about bankruptcy and foreclosure, "cash only please". Active Captain, Bob calls it Captain America, one of our go too for boating information and dockage, rated this marina as one of the best. Mmmmmm. That's all, just, Mmmmmm.
We went up and showered but stuck close to the boat, Bob was concerned that there was no security and we were the only ones here once the lights went out. The manager assured us that it was a safe area and that the police did patrol the area at night. We had dinner and I sat in the cockpit and watched a beautiful blue heron try to steal food from a sea gull, he chased him right down into the water. Pickins' must be slim. Of course, my camera finger is never fast enough. There are black headed seagulls here "laughing gulls" and I've been trying to get a picture of them. I was throwing some bread in the water, actually it was a spinach tortilla. Hey it's all I got!!! The gulls at home can hear bread drop in the water from a mile away. Not so here. Could it have been the spinach?? Eventually they came round nobody else was going to throw bread. I took several shots and managed to get the tip of a wing. Oh well! There were a couple of tour boats docked in the channel, a pirate ship and a paddle boat, they went out an hour or so before sunset and came back at sundown all lit up. That was nice. Tomorrow we'll be off to Spooner's Creek Marina, Beaufort, North Carolina, pronounced Bowford, NC MM210.

Thursday, May 29, 2014

Despite our misgivings about the Beach House Marina we both slept well and were rearin' to go in the morning. We pulled out of the marina at 6:15 a.m. Protein bars and bananas were the breakfast of the day. We were going to meet up with a friend we met in Man-o-War, he had given us a head of lettuce and the rest is history. We shared Chili with him on Easter Sunday and he brought us lobster salad sandwiches. You may remember Reid from North Carolina. Bob had been corresponding with him and he said when you get to NC contact me, we'll get together. True to his word he made plans to meet us at the marina and got our arrival time estimation.
We had a 50 mile day and everything went smoothly, not that it doesn't usually go smoothly, I don't want to bore you with... Beautiful weather, warm and sunny, we saw lots of dolphins today and fish jumping. Why do fish jump? Because they can!!! LOL. Lovely homes along the waterway.
I did clean the cockpit with a Mr. Clean magic eraser while underway, they really are magic you know! Did wonders, looks great, very pleased.

We pulled down a creek marked with signs and red lights cautioning not to pass if red lights are flashing, luckily they weren't, live ammunition fire in progress. We remember this area from our trip south, Camp Lejeune is located here and along the route we see many vehicles, tanks, old sheds, truck containers riddled with gun shot and more. Up ahead we see a gathering of people, some fishing off the docks, as we get closer there are many marines and what look to be families, tents and music. Must have been a family day, everyone looks in a festive mood and most everyone waves and we greet them with "Thank you for your service" as we pass by. There is a bridge at the end of the creek, we call ahead knowing we're a little early. The bridge tender says he'll open for us as soon as we get closer. He does and as always we thank him for the opening, with an additional thanks for his service. This is always appreciated by our young men and women in uniform, and it's the very least we can give.
We pulled into Spooner's creek at 4:00 p.m., Bob called Reid, we went to take showers, before we were back to the boat Reid was there. We locked up the boat and walked over to meet Laurie, Reid's wife and Skipper Jane their 12 year old chocolate Lab. They live in North Carolina, I believe Reid said the ride was about 400 miles, we didn't realize they had so far to travel (NC is a huge state) they came to meet us in their RV. We all piled in and we were off on another adventure. Reid was taking us to a boatyard where he was having a boat built and he was anxious to show Bob. Knowing our plan to buy an Airstream trailer Reid wanted us to see their RV. Laurie and I sat in the back and got to know each other, lovely lady, easy conversation. The ride to the boatyard was about a half hour and Reid was driving to get us there before they closed for the evening (fast). Laurie pointed out the local color in the area and the fact that a good many of the homes had family plots out front, all very old, most not belonging to the families that now lived there, but to those from days past. We made it on time to the first boatyard and met "the guy" (can't remember his name) who is building Reid's boat. The boat wasn't in this boatyard but another 10 minutes down the road. "The guy" had to leave to make a delivery, promising to be back shortly. We walked around and looked at the boats that were being built, always amazing to see how a boat is put together. Reid and Bob talked with the "other guys", Laurie myself, and Skipper Jane walked down to a nearby beach. Laurie wanted to show me the vast amount of shells that lined the beach, it was pretty amazing, shells of all shapes and sizes. She pointed out the lighthouse in the area and we started our walk back, governed by Skipper Jane, she's 12 and has a right to mozzie if she so chooses. I spotted a tree with at heart in it, not carved in but formed by the bark, Laurie was surprised she hadn't noticed it before, we both thought it was pretty cool. Skipper Jane didn't voice an opinion, she was eager to find the perfect spot to water the flowers as it were and have some dinner. Laurie and I went into the RV to prepare Skipper Jane's meal, she is well fed with special food and vitamins and a really cool dish that stops her from eating to fast. By the time Skipper Jane had finished "the guy" had returned, he got in his pickup and we all boarded the RV to take the short ride to the other boatyard. "The guy" opened up the shop for us and we were pretty impressed with the progress being made on Reid's boat. We stayed for a ten minutes, noticing the noseums were lining up for dinner, we said our thank-you's and goodbye's and got back in the RV to take the ride to Beaufort, NC for dinner.
Beaufort was about a 30 minute ride as I recall and Reid and Laurie pointed out the sites along the way. Reid pulled the RV into a spot behind the main street and turned on the air conditioning for Skipper Jane. We were early for our dinner reservation and walked up the main street to explore some of the town with it's small shops and restaurants. There was a Bluegrass quartet playing music on the common. We walked the boardwalk with many docks and boats in the harbor and the soundtrack of Bluegrass, seagulls and people chatting as they went by. Made our way over to the Old Tavern where we would have dinner. Dinner was wonderful and conversation was as well, we enjoyed the company of our new friends. Blessings!!
Reid wanted to show us some of the old homes on the back streets, but by the time we were back in the RV and driving down the road, the sun was setting and it was to dark to see. We headed back to Spooner Creek Marina, said our goodbyes and walked back to Spindrift. Laurie and Reid would pull over at a safe spot they knew they could spend the night before traveling back home. A lovely evening!

Our next stop would be River Dunes, Grace Harbor, Oriental, NC MM 173

Friday, May 30 and Saturday May 31, 2014

We left Spooner Creek at 6:50 a.m., our bellies full of tea and meal bars. I promise you this is not the norm for breakfast, although it may seem otherwise. On these early mornings out with sleep still in my eyes and dreams running through my head, it is easy and filling. We were eager to head out, River Dunes would bring us just above Hatteras, NC, our insurance requires us to be there prior to June 1st the start of Hurricane season. Today is a gloomy day and cold, we are dressed in long sleeves and our lovely yellow foul weather gear to keep in the warm. We thought we might have rain, but we lucked out with a brief heavy mist. We came to an Inlet at Morehead City, NC, loaded with barges and boat traffic, having to keep a sharp eye as to who was moving and who wasn't. We cleared the harbor and into a creek where two tugs pushing tandem barges heading south. There was plenty of space and plenty of water and they passed slowly with barely a wake. We had good water most of the way and it didn't get skinny until we were coming down a channel to enter River Dunes. There was a point where we realized we had lost our track on the GPS. Traveling south the GPS was programed to leave a track of our route, we had been able to follow this track as we headed north. We still had the ICW to follow on the GPS but the track made it a little easier in some of the areas where we would encounter low water. One of the spots we would really have appreciated the track was on coming into River Dunes, a particularly windy channel with lots of low water. Well, I do believe I left my finger imprints on the wheel, but we made it into River Dunes without incident. Pulled up to the fuel dock to give our baby some nourishment and then over to a slip where we would spend two nights.
Once in the well protected Marina, the warmth of the land warmed the air and we warmed our bones. River Dunes is a lovely marina, manmade cut into the land, when you finally make it to the main channel it is straight as an arrow with plenty of water, bordered with a rock wall and grassy shores. It has some 150 slips and a very nice restaurant in the Clubhouse. Boaters far and wide rave about their showers, three shower heads, Bob says the men's have five, strategically placed, and a built in steam bath, if you so choose, I did, it was wonderful. Most importantly the showers are immaculate. The surrounding area well maintained condo's and town houses and when you go out walking you find many single family homes and a small nondenominational church. The grounds are acres upon acres of well kept land dotted with ponds. Down the road a piece, there is a stable with three ponies. A lovely secluded area. Bob makes arrangements to borrow the courtesy car in the morning to go into the nearby town, Oriental, NC, to replenish our supplies. We clean up take showers and steam and go to the restaurant for dinner.
There is a rehearsal dinner party at the restaurant and many of the guests are staying on the grounds. We learn from the waitress that the General Manager and another employee are the bride and groom to be, the waitresses are eager to please and do all they can to serve us and make sure the rehearsal party goes off as planned. We do ask to have our seats moved as they sat us right beside the doorway of the bar where everyone was coming and going before they went into the party and it was hard to have any conversation. The meal and the company was wonderful as always. It was a pleasant, relaxing evening.
The following day we went into town as planned and did some grocery shopping, we only had the car for two hours so we were unable to do any siteseeing. We went to the grocery store for fresh vegetables, they're hard to keep and I only buy what I'll use within a couple of days. We also go to the brand new Walmart, not one of my favorite stores, but they had some items the other store didn't carry. Stopped and took some pictures on the return trip. Unloaded groceries into a cart walked down the docks and loaded them onto the boat. Being transients, we're usually put on the furthest dock out, it's fine, we can always use the exercise. Later, I cleaned the side of the boat, once again using Mr. Cleans Magic eraser, we had some black marks made by black bumpers on one of the many marinas we've stopped. Finished up and we went for a walk. On our way South we had stopped here and we wanted to see if any additional building had taken place, besides we love to walk and the day was beautiful and warm. Walking by the little church we could see they were setting up for the wedding, beautiful setting on a perfect day. There weren't any new buildings that we could see, but we had a pleasant walk. Afterwards we went for showers and when I came out the wedding was going on, I stood and watched from the deck and the bride and groom walked by me after the service. They looked beautiful! Bob just missed them, but I told him all about it, the guest were starting to gather at the pool area, where they were having drinks and hors d'oeuvers and the bride and groom came out for pictures. Weddings are always fun even when your on the outside looking in. We wandered back to the boat and got ready for dinner. The dinner for the wedding was in the restaurant, so we were put downstairs in the lounge area, there were two other couples. Again we were put by the door where the guests were coming in... der.... no problem, we were able to see all the pretty people parade by and once everyone was in they went upstairs and we enjoyed a wonderful meal. Our stay added memories to our adventure and we're ready to move along... tomorrow Dowry Creek, Belhaven, NC MM 131.7.

Sunday, June 1, 2nd, 3rd 2014

We left River Dunes at 7:15 a.m. Sunday morning to heavy seas and strong winds in the Neuse River. Not what NOAA promised. The Neuse is quite wide and there is an inlet to the ocean, this attributed to the seas building. We needed to travel about 10 miles before we would come around Maw Point Shoal and spot the marker for Neuse River Junction where we would begin our turn into the Bay River and have the seas and winds at our backs. As always when we went out "it doesn't look so bad" but after about an hour we were wondering if our decision was sound, seas were building against us. We fought our way through, with the jib sheet pulling us and the waves trying to beat us back. We were bundled up, the air was cold and once again rain threatened. It took a couple of hours but we made the turn and it was much easier on Spindrift as well as her crew. When we finally spotted the markers into the Canal, we were blessed with flat, calm sea, little wind and warmer air. What a difference a canal makes. Water on the entrance is pretty thin for about a mile then opens up for about 5 miles and thins out again before it opens into the Upper Spring Creek and Goose Creek which ultimately dumps us into the Pamlico River and then back into the Pongo River, "oh what a tangled web we weave". The wind picked back up but the seas remained barely a foot. From the look of the trees on the shoreline you would almost think you were in Maine. Almost. I can hear my brothers voice in my head "there's no place like Maine, there's no place like Maine". I do believe he's correct, but this is beautiful!

Arrived at Dowry Creek at 3:00 p.m. We had stayed here on the way south, and Bob had a discussion with the women who owns the Marina, Mary, her husband had died, he was a Veteran and Bob was giving her information on how she should file for his benefits. She remembered us and told Bob she had questions and would he have time to talk, he said he would gather information and website addresses and bring them over to her after we did our errands. We borrowed the car and went into Belhaven to pick up some toiletries and boat supplies and do a little sightseeing, very poor community, as are many of the communities along the ICW. Reid and Laurie had spent their honeymoon at an old inn here down by the water, some 20 years ago, we were going to take pictures to send to them, but we were unable to locate it, we tried! When we got back to the boat, Bob did some homework on the Veteran's website. Later on he was going to change Spindrift's transmission fluid so I began the process of taking everything out of the back cabin, so he could get to the transmission fluid container. It's an exercise I do periodically, a trigger for remembering what's back there, check out any supplies we may have, and anything else that is stored away and then to rearrange, get rid of and so forth. Figured this was a good opportunity to "kill two birds with one stone", as they say. Not that I would kill any birds with stones or anything else, mind you. It's just an old colloquialism! (I wondered when I'd have a chance to use that word and there you have it, I can check it off my list!) But I digress. I got the back emptied out and Bob brought his tools and other implements of destruction, I played the part of mechanics assistant and Bob did most of the dirty work, between the two of us we got the transmission fluid changed. Pheww!!

Bob gave the info to Mary and her partner who was also looking for Veterans benefits, although I don't believe he was eligible. Bob told her she has to fill out the paperwork, as he had told her on our previous visit. Some people wait for things to happen and when they don't get what they want they feel cheated, but they didn't put any energy into what they wanted. I suppose we're all guilty of that one time or other. Hopefully, Bob got the point across to her and she'll do the necessary work.

We decided to stay at Dowry for an additional day, so I could get some blogging done, I was hoping to catch up before leaving the ICW. There was good wi-fi here and I wanted to take advantage. We enjoyed our stay and got stuff done. What more could you ask for, beats me!!

Next stop Alligator River Marina, Columbia, NC MM 84. We'll be down to double digits in the ICW, WhooHooo!!

Wednesday, June 4th and Thursday, June 5th

Let loose our lines at 7:00 a.m. and waved goodbye to Dowry Creek. We would pass the 100 MM on the ICW today, hard to believe we've traveled nearly 900 miles from North Palm Beach and y'all have been a party to our travels, you lucky dogs! We were headed to the Alligator River Marina 48 miles down this river and that canal. Beautiful morning, small ripple in the water and winds were blowing about 5 knots. We could see a sailboat up ahead in the distance and there we're a couple of power boats approaching from behind, they would pass us in no time and we'd once again be bringing up the rear. Only one bridge to call on today and that was just prior to our destination Marina, it was on demand so no issues about arrival time. There was a 64 footer just before the canal about 2 miles up ahead, we would glide under that with ease. Someone on the VHF warned of a snag in the middle of the canal, just after going under the bridge. Although the canals are straight, consistant in depth and usually wide, there are often branches that have fallen in the water due to erosion on the shore, or worse yet tree stumps just sticking above the water line, stumps usually line the shore, but once in a while they'll be one in what appears to be good water, these are known as snags. As we approached the bridge, I got up on the bow, I didn't see anything under the bridge, but about a quarter of a mile in there was just the top of a stump sticking out of the water, just on the perimeter of the middle. That's the thing about the canals, they've been cut through a marsh or low water creek or land and the trees are just plowed down, not pulled up. I'm sure when they're cutting through much is removed, but much is left behind, then you add the erosion factor, really have to be careful going through, best to stick to the middle and always be on guard. The Bahamas has its "coral heads" and the ICW has its "snags". All good reasons to abide by rule #1, don't travel at night.

The Alligator River/Pungo River Canal runs for 20 miles. Within its confines the water is flat, wind is calm and the air is warm. We are serenaded by songbirds that circle and alight on the mast all the while chirping loudly. We pass under Highway 84 (our second 64 footer) and cross the Fairfield Canal and we are reminded of a road trip we took in May of 2013, heading down to visit friends Alice and Gerry by way of Skyline Drive, the Shenendoah Valley and the Blue Ridge Parkway and how every hotel we stayed at, except on Skyline Drive was a "Fairfield" and when on the way home we stayed in Fairfield, Virginia and took a day trip to Gettysburg.

Message to my husband, the words of Sir Paul McCartney.
"You and I have memories, Longer then the road that stretches out ahead.... We're on our way home, we're going home!"
Words of Annie Beggan: I love you Mr. Beggan, thanks for the memories!!!

Three dragonflys hitched a ride with us on this trip and stayed for a while before taking flight. We passed from the Canal into the Alligator River. At 12 Noon we pass ICW MM 100, between Cypress Swamp and Swan Creek. The River widens but we know enough to stay within the confines of the channel markers. We wind our way from one marker to the next. Red, red, green, red .... We are treated to the sounds of other songbirds, these are jet fighters climbing straight up and coming down in rolls and roars, flying low over the river and climbing again, setting off flares in a show of bravado! When I was very young I remember listening to the jets fly over our house, back then they would break the sound barrier. Small eyes and ears watching and waiting for the huge boom that would shake the air, and reverberate down to my very soul. Good memories. As we approach the Alligator River Bridge, we call on the VHF, the bridge tender replies, "bring her on up, I'll have it open when yah git here". As we approach the bridge, I call the Marina on the big radio down below, stronger signal, and ask how the water is in the channel, Miss Wanda, the owner, says we should be fine coming in, the water is at least 6 feet. The bridge is a swing bridge and as promised is open when we arrive, not even necessary to slow, we give our name and homeport and thank you's as we pass through and take the left to enter the channel to the marina. Closely watching as the water drops from 12 feet to 6, we ease on into the marina, pull into the fuel dock for fuel, and then over to our slip. Arrival time 2:45 p.m. There is one other sailboat here, by nightfall there will be two more sailboats and two powerboats. Going south, you guessed it... again, we stopped here ... and had dinner at the restaurant ... so we new enough not to do that again, even though their hamburgers are world renowned, it says so right on the sign!
Outside the showers, there are two hummingbird feeders and about 20 hummingbirds would come to feed, amazing how those little wings beat. Blessings! There were thunderboomers in the area and we watched the clouds build. NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) our main source of weather on the water, tells us that the following day there will be high seas and winds. We will be crossing Albemarle Sound which is quite expansive with depths ranging in the 18 feet area. With high wind the fetch can build a pretty good sea and remembering the Neuse River earlier in the week, we make the decision to stay an extra night. The T-storms blew through as promised with heavy rains and rainbows. I made lots of wishes!!! I'll let you know when they come true. Blessings!

After the storms, we were sitting in the cockpit, and we saw a women's red shoe float by, well ... my imagination goes wild with this occurrence. First of course, I look to see if Dorothy is standing on the dock with her basket in hand and one shoe on her foot, wondering how she'll ever get back to Kansas, how will she click her heels together .... Then my mind takes a Twilight Zone twist and an Alfred Hitchcock turn and where it ends up may be my first novel ... so I'll need to keep that one under wraps for now! Sorry!

Storms gone, wind and seas calmed, we head out at 7:00 a.m on the 6th of June, destination Coinjock Marina and Restaurant, Coinjock, NC MM 49.6.

Friday, June 6th, 2014

Seven a.m. we pull away from the dock and start our 35 mile trip to Coinjock, home of the best prime rib you ever ate. Everybody says so! Bob is very excited about this. On our way south, we didn't pass by Coinjock, we took the Great Dismal Swamp route. There are pictures of the Great Dismal Swamp in my photo gallery, please check them out. This was our first experience with "Locks" there are two, a very narrow waterway with much vegetation on either side. Being a sailboat we needed to stay directly in the middle or our mast would hit the tree branches. Also the experience of "things that go bump" ... in the river, hitting against the hull of the boat and then the "icing on the cake" skinny water. Not as skinny as we would experience further on in our journey, preparation for things to come. Very interesting when someone is coming the other way, barely enough space for two boats side by side. In the middle of the "Swamp" right before the second lock, there is a waystation. It is accessible by car or boat. This is an overnight stop for boats. There is space for 4 boats on the dock and then you tie to the boats that are tied to the dock. You can't go further then this point because the bridge for the lock is closed, last opening is at 3:30 p.m. When we arrive it is dusky, this was in October. There are 9 of us overnight. All tied together hunkering down for a cool October evening in the Swamp. Two boats across from us is a Canadian couple we had met back in Cape May, we would meet them a couple of times along the route down to the Bahamas and in the Bahamas. The end of the Great Dismal Swamp puts you in Elizabeth City, where we spent a couple of days.

Everyone says you should experience the Dismal Swamp at least once. I think more, to see the change of seasons, as nerve racking as those "bumps" could be, I found great beauty here. Bob would tell you to skip it all together.

Back to June 6th heading north: We started off in the Alligator River, wind is blowing around 10 knots and there is a ripple in the water. All the boats that came into the Marina after us have left before us, one of the bigger sailboats ran aground in the channel, but has managed to get himself off the hard and into deeper water. The sailboat that was there when we arrived is there as we leave. Bob and I both believe that the red shoe came from this boat, its name is "Loon", I leave you to draw your own conclusions. Any whoo!!! It's about 4 miles to Albemarle Sound, on our approach, the wind, blowing out of the north is still blowing 10K on our bow. Seas are around one foot. We can see that a number of the boats ahead of us have taken the Great Dismal Swamp route. We are, as the crow flies, off of the "Outer Banks". There are many crab pot bouys in the sound and with the sea being unsettled and the water grey with a grey sky, it makes them difficult to spot, we both keep a sharp eye. [Inside joke: I got "spoken too" for getting to close to one. Can you believe that Mike Furey?! Me getting to close to a pot! It's just to ridiculous to even think about.] The winds increase to 15, but we are close enough to the other shore that the waves do not have a chance to build. We come through the Sound into a cut that brings us into the North River, the channel is very close and on the charts the waters around it are two and three feet. The creek is windy with marsh land all around and no protection from the wind. Piece a cake!!! Been there, done that!!! We see many osprey nesting with their young on the red and green channel markers. A dragonfly lands on Bob's belly out of the wind and sits there for a good 15 minutes, before flying down below and landing on a ribbon next to a little silver dragonfly I have hanging from a hand grip. From there he flew over and landed on the curtain next to a picture of my Mom. Bob and I always say dragonflys and monarch butterflys are my Daddy watching over us. Well this time when he saw we were doin' fine, he decided to visit with Mom! How cool is that! Very! Blessings all around!
We come to the NC cut a straight shot under a 64 footer, we see giant turtles sunning themselves on a big tree trunk lying in the water, many, many dragonflys, blue heron and then under the bridge, pull over to the right. Welcome to Coinjock! Approximately 2:00 p.m. We are the first of many boats to arrive and by dinner time the docks are full. Some really beautiful boats from New England have arrived. I took pictures.
Well according to Bob, it was the best prime rib he ever ate. I myself went for crab stuffed flounder ... frozen in the middle ... and runny on the sides! Bad choice! The baked sweet potato was good! I ordered green beans ... here in the south not too many things are cooked without bacon ... That's what I get for cutting red meat out of my diet. Dessert was good and chocolaty! Blessings!!
Next stop Top Rack Marina MM 10.

Saturday, June 7, 2014

We leave Coinjock at 7:15 a.m. and enter Coinjock Bay, very skinny water and as always we adhere to the markers, the Bay puts us into the North Landing River, equally as skinny. Much like yesterday, lots of osprey and their young and dragon flys abound. Watermen pulling pots. It's a beautiful morning has the feel of fall and we enjoy a very pleasant sail. We've been seeing lots of "duck blinds" since Camp Lejeune and the number has increased significantly the past couple of days, but it must not be the season for blind ducks and fortunately there aint no shootin' going on. Mile marker 35 we leave the State of North Carolina behind and enter Virginia. We notice the lack of Pelicans and dolphins, palm trees and sweet grass are a thing of the past. We see a waterskier being pulled by a jet ski, that was a first and at a bridge opening there was a tree stump right in the middle. At first I thought it was a turtle, then a pot, but nope, it was a tree stump! We had a couple of bridges today that we had to call on, a railroad bridge that was open, and a Lock. The Great Bridge Lock, the Lock attendents are helpful with the lines and making sure everyone is secure. There is a a Great Blue Heron flying from one side to the other and back again. I love those birds with there eight foot wingspans and long delicate necks. Blessings! Directly after the lock is our destination, Top Rack Marina. There was a boat festival in Norfolk and it was near impossible to find space so we decided to stop before we got there. There was a really good restaurant and we had a very good meal. Thank goodness. No bacon in my green beans! Blessings! We heard the fireworks from the festival and there was a lot of boat traffic coming back from the festival, with barge traffic as well. Even though there was a bridge right there where they had to stop some people were a little bit out of control in the dark. The barges were blowing their horns, believe me that makes you stand up and take notice! Fortunately it all calmed down by 10:30 or so and we had a good night sleep. Next stop out of the ICW MM 0 in Hampton, Virginia and on to the Chesapeake!

Sunday, June 8, 2014

We left Top Rack at 6:50 a.m. to catch a bridge opening 3 miles down the river. Barges, dredges and railroad bridge #7 were in our future. Sweet grass and Palm trees and the beautiful blue green waters of the Bahamas slipping further and further away, our morning would be filled with factories and paper mills, fuel tanks and gravel pits. Oh how I miss the Bahamas! We left the ICW at 8:30 a.m. MM 0. "The taste is bittersweet" Feeling a real sense of accomplishment mixed with sadness. When we were going South this spot was a mile stone for us. I don't even think we believed at that time we'd make it to the Bahamas. We hadn't been past Block Island as we made our way south back in September 2013 and now we have traveled nearly 3,000 miles. It seems inconceivable we've come this far.
I'm getting a little misty eyed right now. I think I'll bid you all a good night and pick this up at another time, when my mind is clearer. There is more to come. I promise.

Next stop Chesapeake Bay.

Love and Blessings to all!
Annie

First of all, I want to thank all of you for reading about our wonderful journey. I'd also like to thank those of you who have sent your email comments or commented directly on the blog. I am inspired to hear your thoughts. I am so grateful that Bob and I are together and enjoying this wonderful adventure and I am also grateful to all of you for allowing me into your lives to share our trip. I am truly "doubly" blessed!

And now, "On with the show"!
Annie

Tuesday, May 13, 2014

There was an old women who swallowed a fly, I don't know why she swallowed a fly, perhaps she'll die?

Who knows what that's all about, but it sorta fits into the following story.

Weighed the anchor, and it was about 30 lbs, chuckle, chuckle. For all you not so salty types, to weigh the anchor is to lift or hoist it out of the water. Pulled out of Wally's Leg Anchorage at the crack of dawn, headed for Kilkenny, Georgia MM 614.1, on a rising tide. Huge fog bank to our west this morning, we hadn't seen fog since heading south to St. Augustine's back in November, fortunately this time it stayed off in the distance and caused us no angst. Georgia shipped in a huge supply of horse flies, so their was no shortage and stories of boaters swatting flies through the beautiful sweet grass and counting the number of dead were prevalent. One sailboater we met up with took pictures to prove his kill. Eye Matey, we are a morbid bunch!! It's not all fun and games out here, y'all! My solution was to spray the dodger and the bimini with bug spray, the flies would land but fly off. After some experimentation, I learned to do this before we left the dock, so Bob didn't have to hold his breath and feign loss of consciousness.

I promise I won't go on with the other 10 verses, but I like the second line of this verse

There was an old woman who swallowed a spider,
That wriggled and jiggled and tickled inside her,
She swallowed the spider to catch the fly,
I don't know why she swallowed the fly,
Perhaps she'll die.

Enough about flies ... this old women is keeping her mouth shut...
For now ... okay that's enough.

Back to Kilkenny. Palm trees have fallen away and been replaced by sweetgrass, it stretches for miles making a gorgeous picture with it's deep green color against the chocolate waters and blue sky. The ladies of Georgia and South Carolina make beautiful baskets and other adorements from the sweetgrass, very interesting to watch their nimble fingers bend and weave the grass into lovely works of art. However, one must take the good with the bad, sweetgrass also fills these windy river waters with floating reeds and we have to manuver Spindrift through these sometimes congested areas to prevent any problems with the engine intake pulling in this floating fauna. Lots of fish jumping today. Why? Cause they can! Not much wind, so, lots of horse flies, but they don't stay long. HA,HA,HA!!

A dragon fly just landed on the edge of my computer and sat for 5 seconds. Awesome! Every little bit adds to the experience!

We passed MM 645 at 10:40 a.m. today May 13, on our way to Kilkenny. According to our trip odometer at that point we had traveled 2299 nautical miles. One nautical mile is equal to 1.151 statute miles and one statute mile is equal to 0.869 nautical miles. Our ICW chart measures by statute miles and our odometer by nautical miles. Just to add to the fun!!

Pulled into Kilkenny at 4:00 p.m. We had passed this way on the ride down so I knew enough not to use the showers. It was a long day, had soup and salad for dinner and walked down to see if the heron tree was full of herons. Back in November the trees were full of birds, but not today!
Caution, Caution: This is totally gross so remove all little children within hearing distance. Okay? Okay. When I walked down the dock I smelled something funny. Not ha, ha funny, but funny strange. Under one of the boats on the dock, which had obviously been there for a while, tangled in the lines. I saw what looked like a hand, "startled", it was a big, dead, bloated turtle. That satisfied my curiosity, i went back to the boat. We can't leave Kilkenny without adding Bobs' hearing "banjo music in the distance" (Deliverance). Early to bed ... Cranky! Early morning out to a beautiful sunrise leaving decomposing turtles and banjo music behind. Next stop Isle of Hope MM 590.

Wednesday, May 14 and 15, 2014

We were on our way, taking advantage of the rising tide, Isle of Hope was a hop, skip and a jump from Kilkenny a meager 25 miles, right around the corner from Skidaway. We needed to take a left out of Kilkenny Creek into the Bear River. Travel for approximately 5 miles and take a left into the Florida Passage, then a right into the Ogeechee River. Not your right Dude, my right! LOL. Left into Hell's Gate then a left into the Little Ogeechee River, travel about a quarter of a mile and take a left into the Vernon River, approximately nine tenths of a mile take a left into Burnside River, pass Moon River and Pigeon Island will be on you left, take a right into the Skidaway Narrows, just as you go by Runaway Negro Creek (I kid you not, please don't take offense). Isle of Hope will be on you right. If you reach Grimball Point you've gone to far. As we wound our way through this menagerie we saw pigs and geese on Ossabaw Island, Coast Guard helicopter performing Coast Guard manuvers in the Vernon River at Possum Point, a shark in the Ogeechee River, followed a small barge for about 3 miles in the Burnside River and arrived at Isle of Hope at 12:30 p.m.
Checked in, showered, got restaurant recommendations from the marina crew, borrowed the marina's courtesy car and went for an early dinner at the local restaurant, the Driftaway... Lolly was our waitress... it was food and we were hungry. There was a Walmart nearby and we went in and replenished our water supply and toiletries. We, meaning I, drink a lot of water and we use it for tea and cooking. The water in Spindrift's water tanks is used for cleaning up, doing dishes and the like.
The following day, May 15th was rainy most of the day and we spent much of our time trying to figure out 'what is wrong with Bob' s Kindle'! I was going to do some blogging but Bob needed help trying to juggle the phone, computer and Kindle, as we took direction from the "Kindle Crew" on how to download updates and hopefully repair his kindle. It ultimately ended up, after 3 hours on the phone trying all their downloads and being shifted to several different people, that they will send him a new Kindle, even though his "warranty has run out and they don't normally do this" and "won't do it again"! The only glitch being that he has to send his old kindle back within 30 days of receiving the new one, otherwise, he'll be charged for the new one. This normally wouldn't be a problem, but we are not home. The Manager we spoke with said she would put it on her calendar to call Bob in July and send the Kindle at that time with the same stipulations. (Stay tuned for further updates!)
Borrowed the courtesy car to drive to the local Publix and pick up some things Walmart didn't have. We'll be off and running tomorrow morning, destination Scull Creek - Hilton Head, South Carolina MM 555.7.

Friday, May 16, 2014

Today we will cross into South Carolina at mile marker MM 575. In less then a month we have left two States in our "wake" and we're feeling pretty good about our progress.
The temperatures have dropped into the 50's and there is a brisk breeze, "bbbuurrr". Last night we had pulled out some of our heavier clothing and turned our little heater on. It was cold for our Bahama acclimated bodies! We had a quick breakfast and fellow boaters helped us with our lines, there was a Northwest wind blowing at 15-21 knots. Bundled up as best we could, we were on our way at 7:30 a.m. Skull Creek is a 36 mile jaunt from Isle of Hope and we are still playing the tides through these shallow passages. Spent the day keeping warm and pushing forward. We arrived at Skull Creek at 2:30 p.m. none the worse for wear. It's a mixed bag, when it's really hot on shore the temps on the water can be beautifully comfortable, and often when cold on the water the land temps are warmer. Not always the case, but today we were blessed with warmer temps on shore. Once we settled in we took advantage of Skull Creeks loner bikes and took a ride over to Hilton Head (HH).
The bike path for the most part went through conservation, golf course and some small neighbors. We got lost at one point but another biker on the path put us back on course and after an hours ride we came into HH. Walked around looking for a bank, found one and then parked the bikes and decided to go to lunch. Went into a place called "Munchies" had wonderful sandwiches. Mine was turkey and swiss with cranberries and mayo on rye and Bob had liverwurst with sharp provolone, mustard on rye and a kosher dill pickle on the side. Delish!! We topped it off with an ice cream, hadn't had one of those in a while. Yummmy!! Satisfied and rested we road back to Skull Creek, cut 15 minutes off the ride by going the right way and pheww we were ready for showers.
When traveling South we passed through Skull Creek but only stayed overnight. At that time I went up to take a shower and I was given a piece of paper that said "Gentlemen, there is a lady using the men's room, please keep out!" The paper was lined with duct tape so I could stick it on the men's room door .... Yah, right! I didn't take a shower that day. However, they have redone the lady's room and the showers were clean and private with locks on the lady's room door.
Bob called our friends Alice and Gerry. They live on Dataw Island right outside of Beaufort, SC MM 536.4. Beautfort (pronounce the Beau, as in Beautiful, and fort, as in Ticondoroga), sorry I just can't help myself)). This would be our next stop and we made plans to meet Alice and Gerry for dinner.

Saturday, May 17, 2014

Woke to a blue sky sunny morning, temperatures had risen to 65, winds were light and variable. What a difference a day and location change makes. Our plan was to leave at 10:00 a.m., it would be a short run to Beautiful Beaufort, SC and we planned to take a stroll into town and purchase birthday cards , we both have daughters having birthday's at the end of the month and didn't want to forget. It was a pleasant day on the water, warm and sunny, tides, currents and winds were all in our favor. We passed Parris Island and arrived in Beaufort and were tied to the dock by 1:30 p.m. One of the boaters on the dock stopped by and introduced himself, we exchanged cards and stories. We had seen him at Jekyll, Island, but he didn't recall. His boat was Gail (his wife's name)Warning. Bob showed him how to use one of the boating apps on the phone. We would both be moving on to Charleston tomorrow.
Bob and I walked into town, saw a beautiful bride and her bridal party, they were taking pictures on the promenade. Heard blue grass and country music from the park, Lovely setting, lovely day. We made our purchases and headed back to the boat. Alice and Gerry were due to arrive at 5:00 and we had 6:00 reservations.
We showered and got ready for their arrival. It was really good to see both of them. Alice brought us a lovely card and wedding gift, that was a nice surprise. We talked about our Bahama trip and our wedding. They had been down to the keys on their sailboat and told us about their trip, Gathered ourselves up and went for dinner. We ate at an old Pub, food was wonderful and there was plenty of good conversation. Always wonderful to spend time with these two dear friends. Another treat we had this evening, it was prom night and we saw many young women dressed in their gowns and matching ensembles and young men in their tuxes trying to impress their dates. It was fun to watch, and be an outsider looking in.
The evening passed all to quickly, we walked Alice and Gerry to their car and we headed back to our home on the water. Tomorrow, St. John's Island, right outside of Charleston, SC MM 472.6.

Sunday, May 18 through May 23

Left for St. John's Island, SC at 6:00 a.m., our first bridge was three tenths of a mile from the dock. We were followed by three other sailboats. The bridge was on demand and the bridge tender opened it up without delay. We went through some really skinny water and the second sailboat, much bigger then we made his move to pass as the water deepened. Once he passed it wasn't long before he was out of site. There was a sailboat further ahead, who ran aground going outside the channel. He got himself off the ground and fell in behind us. The last boat was Gail Warning, he planned to leave later in the day and said he would be anchoring out, he hollered to us when we pulled away from the dock and I guess he decided to join the group. We had both tried to get into Charleston Harbor, but they were having a big arts festival and there wasn't a spot to be had. So there we were three sailboats on parade. We would be doing better then 60 miles today and it's nice to have company along the way.

The day was overcast and we thought it might rain but it didn't although the sun never broke through. Long sleeves were the dress of the day and I had on my sweatpants. It was a pretty uneventful, Spindrift was in the lead and the other two boats followed at safe distance. The second boat pulled into a marina about three miles before we pulled into St. John's marina around 4:30 p.m. followed by Gail Warning.

We settled in for the evening and made plans for our stay.

"Gonna go back in time": I know we're already back in time, but bare with me. Please.

You remember we had some issues with Tonto on the way to Geat Sale in the Bahamas. Here is what I forgot to tell you about that incident. While Bob was at the wheel and I was squeezing my self through every available opening to stretch down the back of the boat with the pole and hook to fasten some lines. Besides skinning my knee, I saw that there was a cotter pin missing from one of the stays that holds the mast in place, gone unchecked this could have been a major catastrophe. Seriously, we never would have noticed it if not for the "D" ring on Tonto letting go. Blessings, Blessings!

Fast forward:

The reason I mention this is Bob and I had discussed calling the marine store in Charleston, where Bob had purchased the "D" ring repair kit, and if they were able do the repair while we were in Charleston we'd bring it over. We called them Monday morning, they said if we could get it to them that day, they'd have it done no later then Thursday. The glue had to cure and this is what took most of the time. We borrowed marina's loner car, got directions, packed up Tonto and headed out. After a couple of wrong turns, we didn't have my surfer dude with us, we arrived at Air-Sea Safety & Survival, Inc. Bob spoke to the owner and reminded him that when he purchased the "D" ring repair kit, he got nose to nose with Bob and said "99% of the people who do it themselves come back"! He was right! He thanked Bob for his candor and we left Tonto in capable hands and headed back to the marina.
We had planned to spend three days in Charleston and this hold us over, but it is well worth the time to have Tonto back on the stern of the boat.
Back at the marina I took a walk around the docks, took some pictures and Bob went back to Spindrift. Shortly there after, Nick from Gail Warning came over and asked if we'd come over and join them for drinks, not wanting to be rude we said sure and planned our "going back to the boat early speech". We let them know we were expecting a telephone call from home 'wink, wink', I had a glass of wine and Bob had some water, had a nice chat with Gail, we stayed for about an hour. After meeting them in Beautiful Beaufort we found him to be a bit of a "rule the roost" kind of guy and we weren't comfortable with his personality.
Tuesday, did laundry and talked with the young women who worked in the office we were looking for information on how we could get into Charleston. The loner vehicle was only available for 2 hours at a time and we wanted to spend the day. She said she could drive us into Charleston and we could taxi back. We made plans to in at 10 a.m. on Wednesday. This worked out great, she dropped us in a convenient location to see the sites, go to the straw market, have lunch, pretty much anything we wanted. We wandered the streets, marveled at the old homes, went through the straw market did a little shopping, we had lunch in a little hole in the wall no frills deli and it was the best Monte Cristo sandwich either of us had had in a long time or maybe ... we were just hungry, but honestly ... I think it was the best, found our way down to the waterfront and did more site seeing. We're pretty much meanderers walking off the beaten track, marveling at the old architecture, entryways and courtyards, trees and flowers and just enjoying one another's company. Found our way back to the straw market and called a taxi to bring us back to the marina around 5:00 p.m., it was a full and wonderful day.
Air-Sea Safety and Survival had left us a message during the day that Tonto would be ready Thursday morning. We signed up for the car and the next day picked Tonto up and promised not to put him in the water for at least two days, we held to our promise and still haven't put him in the water. Hope to do that before we get to the Chesapeake.
The next morning we'd be on our way, with good memories and hopes to return and spend more time discovering Charleston. Next stop Isle of Palms MM 456.8.

Friday, May 23, 2014

We left for Isle of Palms just as day broke. There was a cut we needed to go through where the current can run very strong and we wanted to get to it while the flow was moderate, also still watching the tides and the shallow waters and third we would be going through Charleston Harbor and hoped to get through before there was a lot of commercial traffic. We made it through the cut fine and proceeded to the Harbor. I remember coming through here when we were moving South, we had been in Charleston the spring before with Alice and Gerry walking the Battery and looking out a Fort Sumter, now we were looking at the Battery from Fort Sumter. It reminds me of the first time we went through the Cape Cod Canal seeing it from the water side, I'm always struck by the newness of the same old area you've visited time and again, and all you had to do was change your perspective. I look at life as a lot of angles, if things aren't working out, change the way you look at them and surprise what you look at changes. Annie's philosophy.

This time through Charleston Harbor we encountered barges and Coast Guard along with fellow travelers, so much for trying to get a head start on the boat traffic. Pipe and cable was being laid in the middle of the harbor. Coast Guard and pilot boats traveling back and forth to call attention to the work being done. We worked our way around the whole hullabaloo and found our way back in the channel that would bring us back to the ICW. As we turned into the channel, the coast guard was on the radio warning boaters of shoaling in the ICW, we slowed, we could see boats up ahead, but that's not uncommon we are in the ICW. As we got closer we could see a snag (branches that have washed into the waterway in a clump) in the center of the channel. There were also several large boats in different areas that appeared to aground, we had had a sailboat go by us and he appeared to get through the area fine, we slowed and proceeded with caution. Suddenly the depth dropped and we were "on the hard". Another sailboat was coming up on us and Bob warned him on the radio of the shoaling. He was bigger then us, we could see he bumped but being bigger and heavier was able to plow through. Meanwhile one of the power boats going our way, worked himself off and proceeded down the channel. We started to move and proceed behind him. He went on and we grounded again. There was a huge shrimp boat coming toward us, he would work himself free and ground again. We got free and continued to push forward. When we passed the shrimp he expressed his obvious frustration, we continued on and could see him continue to free himself and ground again. After about 200 yards the water deepened but we continued to tiptoe through until we were safely past. We heard the Coast Guard continue to broadcast throughout the day about the shoaling in ICW off of Charleston Harbor. Friend Pete advised we should try to stay off the hard after our grounding in Man-o-War. "We tried Peter, but sometimes, you've no choice but to plow through the low spots."

We managed to stay afloat the rest of the day and reached our destination of Isle of Palms. A boater up ahead got on the radio saying they spotted what looked to be a log and turned out to be an 8 foot alligator, we never saw it. The Isle of Palms marina is right along the ICW, we tied up to the face dock facing the ICW, it was early afternoon. We told the dock master about our grounding and he said the dilemma is that the ICW is federally owned the states it goes through are supposed to maintain it but end up waiting for funds from the government. Same old story, red tape! There's a restaurant right on the docks and after checking out the marina we walked over to see what was for lunch. Decided to partake. We were up on the second floor overlooking the ICW, the day was gorgeous, clear, warm and blue sky. Lunch was enjoyable, crab cake sandwich with black beans and ice tea for me, Bob enjoyed a pretty healthy looking reuben and sweet tea, warm breezes blowing through open windows, water skiers and paddle boarders made for a relaxing afternoon. This was a new stop for us and we enjoyed the rest of our day in pleasant surroundings. Tomorrow we will continue on to MM 402.9 Georgetown South Carolina where we plan to stay a couple of days.

May 24 and 25

Left at 7:30 a.m. to make the 54 mile run to Georgetown. Pleasant day on the water. Saw lots of dolphins today, diving and swimming across the bow and through our wake. Must have been a great area area and day for fishing because the pelicans were diving as well. Had some low water, but that comes with the territory, as we've learned and isn't nearly as nerve racking as it was on our way south, still no fun to watch the depth guage drop to low numbers. One point in a close channel with pretty skinny water we had an army corp of engineers ship pass us going south, we squeezed pretty close together but he slowed way down and all was well. Think he must have bumped the bottom. Saw an airstream in the woods, we're always excited to see airstreams. Hoping to purchase one after this adventure, but as I always say to Bob, "One adventure at a time". Arrived in Georgetown at 4:15 p.m.

Bob often judges a place by the restaurants we go to and Georgetown would be no exception. We had stopped here on or journey south and we hoped to revisit at least one of the restaurants we had enjoyed at that time. Back in November we had met up with new friends Mike and Fran and Bob and Bette. They invited us to join them for dinner and we went to a fine Italian restaurant and enjoyed a great evening of food and conversation. The next night we had gone to a restaurant that we thought was Thai food, as it turned out it was good southern American and we enjoyed the ambiance, the music and the food.
Back in November the week before we arrived there was a huge fire here on the waterfront. They lost a whole city block and from what we've been told some great shops and restaurants. In November you could still smell the fire and there were piles of rubble where historic buildings once stood. In May, they had cleaned up most of the rubble and the faint smell of burning wood was still in the air as you walked by on the docks.
We visited the shrimp market where shrimp boats stand delivering the catch of the day, bought a pound of shrimp. Everything is closed on Sunday and we were planning dinner for the following evening, tonight we would eat at the Thai restaurant, they had the best little deep fried Brussels sprouts, absolutely out of this world, this coming from someone who doesn't normal do fried. Every once in a while you need to break out and do something different, no matter how small. Earlier in the day Bob was going to change the oil and I had gone and had my nails done, hadn't done that since Hope Town for our wedding day and it was nice to just relax and be pampered. Even though she charged outrageous prices, and didn't do a very good job. I still enjoyed it immensely, it was really about just endulgeing myself. "So put that in your pipe and smoke it!" (One of my Mother's favorite sayings.) Love her, miss her!
We dined at the Thai restaurant with it's huge old windows, scuffed wooden dance floor and high ceiling fans, a wonderful waitte staff that made you feel as though you were from their home town, the food was excellent and the background music fabulous. Music plays a huge part in my life and I always appreciate a good sound track. A great evening was had by all!!
Sunday, we took a long walk, through some old and new neighborhoods and back down along the waterfront, found a park bench and sat. Life is good!
I made shrimp and tomato pesto over whole grain bowtie pasta for dinner. Yummy, if I do say so myself. After dinner we sat up in the cockpit until the sun set, did some reading and stayed up a little later then usual. We didn't plan to leave Georgetown until 1:00 p.m., otherwise we'd be fighting a tide. Our next stop was about 30 miles and as long as we got in before sundown it was all good! Next stop Osprey marina, Myrtle Beach, South Carolina MM 373.

Monday, May 26, 2014

Puttered around the boat this morning, cleaning up and getting ready to set out at 1:00. Heading for Osprey Marina via rivers and creeks, we fought some tide and current for about 5 miles coming out of Georgetown harbor, there's and ocean inlet right there, once we got away from the inlet and into the Waccamaw River and passed the entrance to the Great Pee Dee River all was well. I love the names of some of these rivers and creeks, most of them are American Indian names. We wound through trees and marshland, we saw Tarzan swinging vines, and trees that looked like Ents for all you Lord of the Rings fans. Turtles sunning themselves on dead wood that laid on the edge of the creek, dolphins and pelicans fishing and diving. Bob's brother and sister-in-law have a pontoon boat, so we lovingly refer to these boats as Jimmy and Joyce boats and we saw a lot of them on the river today. Didn't spot any palm trees or sweet grass today. Lots of oaks with Spanish moss hanging and greenery everywhere. Logs floating, something we have to look for in all of these rivers, after all we are for the most part going through wooded areas, and trees do fall. Erosion on the shore, much of it, but certainly not all of it, caused by boat wakes washing the shoreline. There were also a lot of jet skis on the water today, surprised at first that there was so much activity, but then I realized not only was it my daughter's birthday, special in it's own right, but it was also the Memorial Day holiday and these things accounted for all the boat traffic we were seeing.
We arrived at Osprey marina which is a cut in the woods, if it weren't for the sign and the markers you'd go right by. Its entry channel is surrounded by woods and it opens up into a small marina, very nice setting. It was 6:45 p.m. Everyone had left for the day, but we contacted them earlier and they told us where to go and where they would leave the keys for the showers and any other information we would need. Bob as always did an excellent job docking the boat and I handled the dock lines, once tied up we looked for the bag they were going to leave our information in and couldn't find it. Shortly, a little lady came down and said our info was in a large container on the side of the dock, she had stayed late and saw us docking. We found our promised bag with information, treats, crackers, honey buns and little pecan rolls (not that we need them, but every now and then everyone needs something sweet and, a Osprey koozie, calendar and small dry container for whatever needs to stay dry. Always fun to get unexpected presents!
We battened down the hatches shortly thereafter, we were in the woods and it was warm, we were in the water and it was getting dark and you know who comes out under those circumstances. Mosquitoes! I lit my citronella candles and put it on the steps to the hatch, this usually keeps the little buggers at bay. We would be off early tomorrow morning, we have a 65 mile trip to Southport Marina on the Fear River MM 309.

Tuesday, May 27, 2014

Left Osprey Marina at 6:45 a.m. have a long way to travel today 64 miles. Our Marina stop would be Southport at the entrance to the Fear River. I always think of Robert Mitchum when I think of the Fear River, Cape Fear. Others may think of Robert DiNero or Donny Walberg, but in my mind Mitchum was the best. On with the story. Always beautiful to start off early, especially when your coming out of place like Osprey Marina with all its trees, you can smell the earth and the coolness in the air that you know is going to warm. Everything is so alive and there's a freshness that not even Glade air freshener can create, and the quiet with only the sounds of the buzzing insects and the peepers. Blessings.
It was a long ride to Southport mostly rivers and a long pretty straight canal. At mile marker 342 we would leave South Carolina behind and enter North Carolina. We would pass several inlets to the ocean, but they were fairly small and would cause some but not to much change in our tidal flows and . The big one would be at the mouth of the Cape Fear River Entrance, but we wouldn't have to deal with that until tomorrow, today we would travel about a quarter of a mile from that point. The weather was warm and we went along our merry way. Todays tricky spot would be 18 miles where there are rock ledges along the side of the canal. This is called the Rockpile. Mariners are warned to use extreme caution in this area to avoid grounding. The really bad spots are marked well and as long as you adhere to the channel you should be safe. When the sun hits the water just right, you can see the jagged ledge jutting out into the canal and if that doesn't keep you in the channel, I don't know what will. We maneuvered it successfully. Yeah!! Also particularly in the canal areas along the edges there are a lot of tree stumps and dead wood that falls into the waters. So your undivided attention is necessary at all times. In case I didn't mention Bob and I do hour and a half shifts at the wheel, it gives each of us time to relax and look at the scenery, unless the area calls for us both to pay close attention.
Today we saw many logs that looked like alligators, but no alligators that looked like logs. There was a cable car crossing that took people across the river in gondola type cars. Bob was whistling at the ospreys, he has the pitch just right so the osprey almost always turn their heads and it shoots right through mine. We ran into a catamaran (not literally) from Duxbury, we've seen them along the route since then, but that's in the future. Lot of people clamming, mostly at the mouths of those inlets I mentioned, and a lot of skinny water but no groundings! Blessings. Another good day on the water, we pulled into Southport at 5:00 p.m. Got the boat in order and walked into the local restaurant area on Cape Fear, yes we were that close. Had dinner at Fishy Fishy, it seemed the most promising. Dinner was decent, I feel a little snobby, but everything they cook, if it's not fried, it has bacon in it. While I'm at it, I can't believe the number of people who smoke in the south. Ever since Florida, we see people lighting up everywhere. There are cigarette depositories outside every door. Thankfully that don't smoke inside ... it amazes me that so many people still smoke ... but I digress ... sorry. After dinner we walked around the area, which was beginning to fill up with people, and found an ice cream shop and sat at a picnic table and wiled the evening away. Walked back to the boat and got ready for our big day tomorrow...dun, da, dun ... running the Cape Fear River. Currents can run pretty high and were planning to catch them in our favor. On our way south we had and we were moving at 9 knots which is kind of scary for us in Spindrift, she's not made to move that fast and you have little control with such strong currents. Bob's been very good at working the tides and currents so our hope is to have some but not crazy waterski off the back of Spindrift current. Heading for Beach House Marina MM 260.4 in Surf City, North Carolina.

to be continued,

don't yah hate that!!

I'm going to leave you here, just dying to find out what happens on the Cape Fear River. I don't want to go on to long, hopefully I haven't, I wouldn't want you to loose interest. You'll be happy to know were almost caught up and will soon be in real time and who knows we may project into the future!

Love and Light,
Blessings to you all,
Annie