We are home in Mystic for the summer. And we got here in record time.
We stayed in Annapolis one extra day because of forecast small craft warnings in Chesapeake Bay. It wasn't that bad but it allowed an offshore storm to move farther east and northeast and a high pressure area to fill in. I'd been watching this progress for a week with the hopes of it letting us have a smooth passage up the NJ coast or letting us go straight to Montauk from Cape May. Almost worked perfectly.
From Annapolis we had a flat calm day to Chesapeake City on the C & D Canal. The free dock there was out of service due to repairs/upgrading. There was no deck on the new floating dock. Oh well. Not a problem, plenty of room to anchor 'though it filled up quickly after we got there.
We left at 0500 (dark) with the current in our favor and just made it through the RR lift bridge before it closed for a train. Delaware Bay was a little choppy at the beginning (1 ft) but we still had the current. When the current turned against us the chopped faded away so it all evened out. A couple of hours later the current was back with us and it took us all the way down the bay to Cape May where we decided to head north and not to Montauk direct. Going to Montauk would have meant arrival there well after dark the next day and it would take us closer to the northeast bound storm.
We did not stop in Cape May, just kept going. We had an easy swell, occasionally 4 to 6 feet, with bare ripples from the breeze so the night went fairly well. Not our easiest passage there but pretty nice. We got to Ambrose Channel into NYC just after dawn the next day and had the current all the way through the City. We averaged 10 knots over the ground and sometimes near 12. The East River up near the northern end of Roosevelt Island was amazing to behold. Standing 3-4 ft waves with whirlpools and shears. Exciting. Hell Gate itself wasn't as bad as just outside either end of it, just very fast. It was so fast that we could have gotten to Port Washington by 10 AM if we had not decided to continue on to Port Jefferson. Chesapeake City to PJ in 33 hours. A new record! We left the C & D on Sunday and we were at PJ earl Monday afternoon.
The next day we were home in Mystic. Way ahead of schedule.
So our summer work has started. The Pearson was in good shape but filthy. The Dean is pretty dirty, too. A new bimini project is on the horizon and then there's all our medical visits to take care of. Life on board is tough but someone has to do it.
Next blog likely not until the end of the summer.
Sunday, May 10, 2015
Tuesday, April 28, 2015
Annapolis Again
Here we are in Annapolis, MD again. One of our favorite stops. Another work break for Carol.
We had a relatively easy trip from Wrightsville Beach to here. Surprising because our Pamlico and Albemarle Sound passages have been awful in the past. We went to the Mile Hammock anchorage with only one delay for a bridge opening, the others we timed well. It's a short day because there are no other good spots further on. That makes the next day longer, of course.
For the first time northbound we passed up the Cedar Creek anchoring spot we like to go to Oriental for the second time. A couple of boats at the free dock were nice enough to move a bit to make room for us at the end of the 'T' but we were not able to find a sports bar open so we could watch the UConn WBB team at the Final Four. Closed for Easter of all things. Fortunately we are able to watch games on our phones now. A small screen but we hold it right up to our faces.
After that win we headed out into the Neuse/Pamlico/Pungo system for a long day but it was nearly perfect and painless. We anchored in the south end of the open part of the Alligator River with other boats that had been following us. Then the Alligator and Albemarle passages were pretty calm, too. Even the Pasquatank River up to Elizabeth City was nice. We took ICW Route 2 so we could find a TV to watch the Finals of WBB. We found a sports bar in Elizabeth City and we were Champions AGAIN!!!
We then went north on the Dismal Swamp Canal on a rainy day but only to the visitors center and park. A guy we met at the Oriental dock was still with us and joined us at Elizabeth's Dock at the Deep Creek lock the next day, too. Lockmaster Robert Peel was not there on arrival but we chatted with him the next morning after his day off before we locked through. We managed to hit a tree again heading up to Deep Creek. Last Fall southbound it was because we were going around an obstruction in the water and couldn't avoid the overhead tree. This year it was just inattention on the helmsman's part. And canal narrowness. And poor canal maintenance. And helmsman's brain fade. Sigh.
We took a short trip up to Hampton City Docks because of forecast storms and winds but an added benefit for the expense was filling our fuel and water tanks, showering and doing most of our laundry. We also had the experience of having an aircraft carrier call us on the VHF radio to suggest we clear out to the other side of the channel as she was getting underway from the Naval Base. Running us over would have caused a lot of paperwork. For them.
In the past we have called warships to ask about their intentions or security zones but to be called by them was new. BTW... we moved over. A lot.
After Hampton, VA we entered Chesapeake Bay in really nice conditions and went to Reedville then Solomons before getting up here to Annapolis. In Annapolis we do shopping, sightseeing, shopping, repairs, dining, shopping and when we get time, shopping. We again went to the Naval Academy to observe their traditional noon ceremony and also enjoyed the silent drill team demonstration afterwards. As interesting as when we there at the same time Michelle Obama was. We're also here for the Spring Boat Show and I had the chance to talk to some people about engines, catamarans, liveaboard life, paddle boards, safety and food.
We're getting underway in a few days for our last legs to Mystic. Unsure yet if we will do overnight passages or in which direction, towards NYC or Montauk. Not likely Montauk.
We had a relatively easy trip from Wrightsville Beach to here. Surprising because our Pamlico and Albemarle Sound passages have been awful in the past. We went to the Mile Hammock anchorage with only one delay for a bridge opening, the others we timed well. It's a short day because there are no other good spots further on. That makes the next day longer, of course.
For the first time northbound we passed up the Cedar Creek anchoring spot we like to go to Oriental for the second time. A couple of boats at the free dock were nice enough to move a bit to make room for us at the end of the 'T' but we were not able to find a sports bar open so we could watch the UConn WBB team at the Final Four. Closed for Easter of all things. Fortunately we are able to watch games on our phones now. A small screen but we hold it right up to our faces.
After that win we headed out into the Neuse/Pamlico/Pungo system for a long day but it was nearly perfect and painless. We anchored in the south end of the open part of the Alligator River with other boats that had been following us. Then the Alligator and Albemarle passages were pretty calm, too. Even the Pasquatank River up to Elizabeth City was nice. We took ICW Route 2 so we could find a TV to watch the Finals of WBB. We found a sports bar in Elizabeth City and we were Champions AGAIN!!!
We then went north on the Dismal Swamp Canal on a rainy day but only to the visitors center and park. A guy we met at the Oriental dock was still with us and joined us at Elizabeth's Dock at the Deep Creek lock the next day, too. Lockmaster Robert Peel was not there on arrival but we chatted with him the next morning after his day off before we locked through. We managed to hit a tree again heading up to Deep Creek. Last Fall southbound it was because we were going around an obstruction in the water and couldn't avoid the overhead tree. This year it was just inattention on the helmsman's part. And canal narrowness. And poor canal maintenance. And helmsman's brain fade. Sigh.
We took a short trip up to Hampton City Docks because of forecast storms and winds but an added benefit for the expense was filling our fuel and water tanks, showering and doing most of our laundry. We also had the experience of having an aircraft carrier call us on the VHF radio to suggest we clear out to the other side of the channel as she was getting underway from the Naval Base. Running us over would have caused a lot of paperwork. For them.
In the past we have called warships to ask about their intentions or security zones but to be called by them was new. BTW... we moved over. A lot.
After Hampton, VA we entered Chesapeake Bay in really nice conditions and went to Reedville then Solomons before getting up here to Annapolis. In Annapolis we do shopping, sightseeing, shopping, repairs, dining, shopping and when we get time, shopping. We again went to the Naval Academy to observe their traditional noon ceremony and also enjoyed the silent drill team demonstration afterwards. As interesting as when we there at the same time Michelle Obama was. We're also here for the Spring Boat Show and I had the chance to talk to some people about engines, catamarans, liveaboard life, paddle boards, safety and food.
We're getting underway in a few days for our last legs to Mystic. Unsure yet if we will do overnight passages or in which direction, towards NYC or Montauk. Not likely Montauk.
Monday, March 16, 2015
Northbound 2015
It's been a long time since my last posting, Christmas 2014. It's now mid March 2015 and we are in Southport, NC.
We left Marathon the last week of February shortly after winter came and went there. It was three days. It got down to the 40s. That was winter. Otherwise in our two months there the low (at night) was about 55 a couple of times. Brrrr. We actually missed those three days because Carol had a job assignment in Fort Myers, FL and I tagged along to visit my aunt in Cape Coral. At age 98 she might be sharper than I am. While in Cape Coral the temps got down to actual freezing not our idea of freezing which is 50 degrees.
Northbound we had to stop in Ft Lauderdale (Harbour Towne Marina) to get hauled for a saildrive oil change. This can't be done while in the water on our boat. It was a preventive oil change because of repairs to one of the saildrive/transmissions and a check for any metal bits in the oil. Very expensive. Over $700 for an oil change! This beat our 50 hour service oil change by $200. Normally I do this service in the fall as part of our annual paint and maintenance haulout but we had to do this twice this cruise, Once as part of our 50 hour new engines service and this second time to check for metal shards. None found so that was good.
We stopped at a new to us anchorage in North Palm Beach to visit a childhood friend of Carol's and then had a very wet day up to Ft Pierce. The weather was so miserable that we spent big $$$ to go to a marina for two nights. Harbortown. Very nice. Expensive. $2/foot.
Things went well through our stop at St Augustine to meet our friends, Bob and Jane Fulton. From there we went offshore to the St Mary's River and Cumberland Island. Not a bad passage but the next day was the most misery we've had in a while. It topped the driving rain between Palm Beach and Ft Pierce. Banging into the wind and waves crossing the sounds of lower Georgia is not fun. We had just gained a day of travel by going offshore of northern Florida and I didn't want to give it back right away by staying put for another night. Bad choice.
Going through Georgia and South Carolina went smoothly to the point that we had several days that we traveled farther than normal and made up days anyway. We didn't have to push that first day in Georgia. Sigh.
We stopped at Barefoot Marina in North Myrtle Beach for a night to go to one of Carol's former co worker's home for dinner. A very nice house in Conway, SC. Not a lifestyle for us.
Then it was a day to the Pipeline Canal near Southport, NC and after a rainy day at anchor we saw on a webcam that a spot had opened up for us at a free dock in Southport itself. We scooted over there and are exploring the town over two days. Nice. Not bad at all, if a little small.
We'll be leaving in the morning to stop at Wrightsville Beach for Carol's next excursions to hotel life and work. I'll be working on the boat. Doing maintenance. And freezing. Hope spring comes soon.
We left Marathon the last week of February shortly after winter came and went there. It was three days. It got down to the 40s. That was winter. Otherwise in our two months there the low (at night) was about 55 a couple of times. Brrrr. We actually missed those three days because Carol had a job assignment in Fort Myers, FL and I tagged along to visit my aunt in Cape Coral. At age 98 she might be sharper than I am. While in Cape Coral the temps got down to actual freezing not our idea of freezing which is 50 degrees.
Northbound we had to stop in Ft Lauderdale (Harbour Towne Marina) to get hauled for a saildrive oil change. This can't be done while in the water on our boat. It was a preventive oil change because of repairs to one of the saildrive/transmissions and a check for any metal bits in the oil. Very expensive. Over $700 for an oil change! This beat our 50 hour service oil change by $200. Normally I do this service in the fall as part of our annual paint and maintenance haulout but we had to do this twice this cruise, Once as part of our 50 hour new engines service and this second time to check for metal shards. None found so that was good.
We stopped at a new to us anchorage in North Palm Beach to visit a childhood friend of Carol's and then had a very wet day up to Ft Pierce. The weather was so miserable that we spent big $$$ to go to a marina for two nights. Harbortown. Very nice. Expensive. $2/foot.
Things went well through our stop at St Augustine to meet our friends, Bob and Jane Fulton. From there we went offshore to the St Mary's River and Cumberland Island. Not a bad passage but the next day was the most misery we've had in a while. It topped the driving rain between Palm Beach and Ft Pierce. Banging into the wind and waves crossing the sounds of lower Georgia is not fun. We had just gained a day of travel by going offshore of northern Florida and I didn't want to give it back right away by staying put for another night. Bad choice.
Going through Georgia and South Carolina went smoothly to the point that we had several days that we traveled farther than normal and made up days anyway. We didn't have to push that first day in Georgia. Sigh.
We stopped at Barefoot Marina in North Myrtle Beach for a night to go to one of Carol's former co worker's home for dinner. A very nice house in Conway, SC. Not a lifestyle for us.
Then it was a day to the Pipeline Canal near Southport, NC and after a rainy day at anchor we saw on a webcam that a spot had opened up for us at a free dock in Southport itself. We scooted over there and are exploring the town over two days. Nice. Not bad at all, if a little small.
We'll be leaving in the morning to stop at Wrightsville Beach for Carol's next excursions to hotel life and work. I'll be working on the boat. Doing maintenance. And freezing. Hope spring comes soon.
Thursday, December 18, 2014
Happy Christmas
Happy Christmas and a terrific New Year to all our friends and family!
We are at our second home, Marathon, FL for a planned two month stay. We arrived after a wonderful weather window from Fort Pierce. Sorry to upset anyone but it's been blue skies and mid-70s for a while now. Hoping it stays that way for our entire stay. Okay, unlikely. We have had less than ideal winters here.
From Ft. Pierce we went down the ICW to Lake Worth, West Palm Beach. The air temperature AND the water temperature was 74 degrees. I took advantage of these conditions to go for a swim in crystal blue water to check the props and keels for any damage from our time aground at Riverside Marina in Ft Pierce. Just a little bottom paint missing from our port keel. 4 inches high - two feet long. Not bad. We've done that before! We discovered that we broke our new transmission on that side of the boat. The actuator shaft that goes into the transmission itself has a pin or bolt at the end of it to engage the power forward or aft. That pin is gone so the engine only goes forward and cannot be put in neutral or reverse. We're hoping it's an easy repair and covered under the waranty. We'll see. It's always something. From West Palm we went offshore all the way to No Name Harbor on Key Biscayne, Miami, FL. A very long day, 0645 to 1745. The great weather continued as we went to Islamorada area and then had a great sail in the Hawk Channel all the way to Marathon. So here we are as the outstanding weather continues.
We met people we've known from previous visits and have found that the mooring balls were all filled the day after we arrived. It's getting too popular here. Pass the word... it's boring here, nothing to do, no shopping or restaurants, unfriendly, just stay away!
I'm taking it a little easy as I recover from my prostate procedure but I've already played some softball with no major side effects. Just the usual early season soreness. Holding off on batting until next week. Yoga starts tomorrow for Carol and we'll be fully into the community here as we get through the holidays.
Heather arrives in a few days and boyfriend Mike arrives two days after Christmas.
Once again Happy Holidays to our friends and family! Please try to keep any news of bad weather up there off the internet. It tends to make us gloat and feel smug. That's not good for us.
We are at our second home, Marathon, FL for a planned two month stay. We arrived after a wonderful weather window from Fort Pierce. Sorry to upset anyone but it's been blue skies and mid-70s for a while now. Hoping it stays that way for our entire stay. Okay, unlikely. We have had less than ideal winters here.
From Ft. Pierce we went down the ICW to Lake Worth, West Palm Beach. The air temperature AND the water temperature was 74 degrees. I took advantage of these conditions to go for a swim in crystal blue water to check the props and keels for any damage from our time aground at Riverside Marina in Ft Pierce. Just a little bottom paint missing from our port keel. 4 inches high - two feet long. Not bad. We've done that before! We discovered that we broke our new transmission on that side of the boat. The actuator shaft that goes into the transmission itself has a pin or bolt at the end of it to engage the power forward or aft. That pin is gone so the engine only goes forward and cannot be put in neutral or reverse. We're hoping it's an easy repair and covered under the waranty. We'll see. It's always something. From West Palm we went offshore all the way to No Name Harbor on Key Biscayne, Miami, FL. A very long day, 0645 to 1745. The great weather continued as we went to Islamorada area and then had a great sail in the Hawk Channel all the way to Marathon. So here we are as the outstanding weather continues.
We met people we've known from previous visits and have found that the mooring balls were all filled the day after we arrived. It's getting too popular here. Pass the word... it's boring here, nothing to do, no shopping or restaurants, unfriendly, just stay away!
I'm taking it a little easy as I recover from my prostate procedure but I've already played some softball with no major side effects. Just the usual early season soreness. Holding off on batting until next week. Yoga starts tomorrow for Carol and we'll be fully into the community here as we get through the holidays.
Heather arrives in a few days and boyfriend Mike arrives two days after Christmas.
Once again Happy Holidays to our friends and family! Please try to keep any news of bad weather up there off the internet. It tends to make us gloat and feel smug. That's not good for us.
Friday, December 12, 2014
Fort Pierce
It's a few days away from the end of our stay in Fort Pierce, FL. What an adventure! BTW, we HATE adventures!
After Wrightsville Beach we went to an anchorage we've used in the past right on the NC/SC border. Then we went to a marina in Myrtle Beach for laundry, fuel, showers and a chance to meet with one of Carol's former co-workers for dinner. Carol inspired her to retire and they upped and moved out of Connecticut to Conway, SC in record time.
It rained while we were in Myrtle Beach but the weather improved after a gale blew through the next day. It forced us to find a new spot to anchor in the Wacamaw River, but that wasn't bad. Thanks Skipper Bob!
We stopped in a spot we used early in our ICW cruising just north of Charleston and then went offshore out of Charleston Harbor. Because we were not as close to the ocean as we usually are we got to the ocean and turned south in late morning instead of our usual early morning. We had a decent offshore and overnight passage with following 1-2 ft seas and 10-15 kts directly on the stern. Overnight we had a brief time when the wind shifted west and gave us some beam seas but all in all it wasn't bad.
We got to St. Augustine in late afternoon and picked up a City mooring. We got showers and fuel and got underway in the morning. Back in the ICW. The next day was an easy leg to New Smyrna and then the whole theme of this years' southern cruise changed dramatically. UGH!
About 0300 I awoke to extreme abdominal pain. Gas! Constipation! Food poisoning! Something! Something bad.
After several hours of delay for male stubbornness and denial we had Fire/Rescue and the USCG take us to shore and to the nearby hospital. Minutes from our boat to the ER. There I got pain medications and a CT scan. They were happy to tell me that of all the nasty possibilities I only had a kidney stone. ONLY! 5x6 cm. That's big. And no previous symptoms. This was the start of my 'procedures'.
A stent to my kidney. Lithotripsy to blow up the stone with sound waves. And then one more time under anesthesia to remove the stent and remaining stone pieces with a basket. A basket up in my kidney! I still shudder thinking of that one. Unfortunately all these body invasions left my plumbing very annoyed and swollen. I had trouble urinating and it was decided I finally had to deal with my long term prostate issues. BPH.
I spent five days in Bert Fish Medical Center, an OUTSTANDING facility with amazing staff, and left on Thanksgiving Day. 10 am discharge, underway at noon. We had planned to be in Fort Pierce for Thanksgiving with our long time friends, Mike and Carol but we were a few days late.
We anchored in Faber Cove for about a week while visiting and Carol went off to work. Then we got a slip in a real crappy (but cheap) marina so we could drive back up to New Smyrna for one more procedure, a T U R P. It's a removal of parts of the inside of the prostate from the inside of the prostate. No external incisions. Figure it out. Just one night in the hospital which was cheating because it's supposed to be day surgery (NO WAY!) and one more night in a hotel in nearby Daytona Beach and we came back home to the boat. After a day we removed my catheter. FINALLY, after two weeks! This was a trade of one discomfort for others but the new discomforts are fading daily.
This we hope will be the end of our adventures (medical or otherwise) for a while. We get underway Sunday for Marathon unless other sh... I mean stuff happens.
Christmas in the Keys are still the plan.
this fine looking liquid is my urine between "procedures"
After Wrightsville Beach we went to an anchorage we've used in the past right on the NC/SC border. Then we went to a marina in Myrtle Beach for laundry, fuel, showers and a chance to meet with one of Carol's former co-workers for dinner. Carol inspired her to retire and they upped and moved out of Connecticut to Conway, SC in record time.
It rained while we were in Myrtle Beach but the weather improved after a gale blew through the next day. It forced us to find a new spot to anchor in the Wacamaw River, but that wasn't bad. Thanks Skipper Bob!
We stopped in a spot we used early in our ICW cruising just north of Charleston and then went offshore out of Charleston Harbor. Because we were not as close to the ocean as we usually are we got to the ocean and turned south in late morning instead of our usual early morning. We had a decent offshore and overnight passage with following 1-2 ft seas and 10-15 kts directly on the stern. Overnight we had a brief time when the wind shifted west and gave us some beam seas but all in all it wasn't bad.
We got to St. Augustine in late afternoon and picked up a City mooring. We got showers and fuel and got underway in the morning. Back in the ICW. The next day was an easy leg to New Smyrna and then the whole theme of this years' southern cruise changed dramatically. UGH!
About 0300 I awoke to extreme abdominal pain. Gas! Constipation! Food poisoning! Something! Something bad.
After several hours of delay for male stubbornness and denial we had Fire/Rescue and the USCG take us to shore and to the nearby hospital. Minutes from our boat to the ER. There I got pain medications and a CT scan. They were happy to tell me that of all the nasty possibilities I only had a kidney stone. ONLY! 5x6 cm. That's big. And no previous symptoms. This was the start of my 'procedures'.
A stent to my kidney. Lithotripsy to blow up the stone with sound waves. And then one more time under anesthesia to remove the stent and remaining stone pieces with a basket. A basket up in my kidney! I still shudder thinking of that one. Unfortunately all these body invasions left my plumbing very annoyed and swollen. I had trouble urinating and it was decided I finally had to deal with my long term prostate issues. BPH.
I spent five days in Bert Fish Medical Center, an OUTSTANDING facility with amazing staff, and left on Thanksgiving Day. 10 am discharge, underway at noon. We had planned to be in Fort Pierce for Thanksgiving with our long time friends, Mike and Carol but we were a few days late.
We anchored in Faber Cove for about a week while visiting and Carol went off to work. Then we got a slip in a real crappy (but cheap) marina so we could drive back up to New Smyrna for one more procedure, a T U R P. It's a removal of parts of the inside of the prostate from the inside of the prostate. No external incisions. Figure it out. Just one night in the hospital which was cheating because it's supposed to be day surgery (NO WAY!) and one more night in a hotel in nearby Daytona Beach and we came back home to the boat. After a day we removed my catheter. FINALLY, after two weeks! This was a trade of one discomfort for others but the new discomforts are fading daily.
This we hope will be the end of our adventures (medical or otherwise) for a while. We get underway Sunday for Marathon unless other sh... I mean stuff happens.
Christmas in the Keys are still the plan.
Monday, November 3, 2014
Wrightsville Beach
We're now at our next stop, Wrightsville Beach, NC. A spot close enough to an airport for Carol to get to work. It's kinda protected but with a strong current but... it's NOT Charleston. What's wrong with Charleston you may ask? Okay, go ahead and ask. I'll wait.
We love Charleston but the Ashley River anchorage has way more current and it's more exposed so we're going to try some new spots for work breaks.
Since my last entry we had new engines installed at Pleasure Cove Marina in Pasadena, MD by Bay Shore Marine. Of course it didn't go smoothly and cost way more than planned. We had one bad engine bed which meant a major unplanned repair and delay to even get started on it. The total cost, including normal annual maintenance and future maintenance supplies, approached $50K. Ouch. Oh well, a deduction from Heather's inheritance.
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After leaving Pleasure Cove, we spent a week and a half in Annapolis. This is one of our favorite stops. We went to the boat show and went on zero point zero boats and only spent $5 not counting lunch and Painkillers. What did we do? Spent six hours talking with services and supply people. Accomplished a lot.
From there we had a great sail to the Solomons, a lumpy trip to Deltaville (5-6ft seas) and a choppy passage out of Chesapeake Bay into the ICW at Norfolk.
.JPG)
Once on the ICW we decided to go down the Dismal Swamp Canal. The weather was forecast to have gale force winds and we had the time to go slower down the Diz. It's much more protected. We stayed at Elizabeth's Dock at Deep Creek and had a nice visit with Robert Peel, the lock master there. We also stopped at the Dismal Swamp Visitors Center for the first time. Pretty nice. This was followed up by a one night stop at Elizabeth City. We got to know and chat with a number of fellow cruisers at each of these stops.
.JPG)
One of the incidents we had involved hitting a tree in the canal. If you've cruised you know that occasionally you encounter floating logs and branches that need avoiding. Sometimes there are submerged deadheads, too. We hit a couple of those here but I'm talking about hitting an actual tree, the kind that grow overhead. How, you may ask? Go ahead, ask.
Anyway, there was a tree that had fallen into the canal and lay across it covering at least half the width. We have a 24 foot beam and when I squeezed over to avoid the floating tree the mast and spreaders got entangled with the branches of a tree, or two. Several came raining down on us. A new experience.
.JPG)
After the Diz our next NEW stop was Oriental. We got a spot at one of the new free docks and explored the small but cute harbor town.
.JPG)
I've skipped some of our stops to tell you about the unusual (for us) ones. Our next stops were expensive ones. Because of our new engines we had to do 50 hour oil changes and valve adjustments. We got hauled at Jarrett Bay at a cost of $600 to change our saildrive gear oil. And I did the work myself. 30 minutes out of the water and we moved on. Ouch again.
Then we stopped at Town Creek Marina, Beaufort (Bo-fert) for two nights for the oil and filter change and the aforementioned valve adjustment. Another $500. This boating thing is expensive. But... they did throw in a new hat.
Between Beaufort and Wrightsville is Mile Hammock, the anchorage at Camp LeJeune. We stopped there along with two dozen of our closest friends. Okay, not so close as friends but close as well, imagine Block Island on the 4th of July weekend.
We survived that and a thunderstorm and boat bumping early in our stay in Wrightsville. Let's see what new adventures await us.
We love Charleston but the Ashley River anchorage has way more current and it's more exposed so we're going to try some new spots for work breaks.
Since my last entry we had new engines installed at Pleasure Cove Marina in Pasadena, MD by Bay Shore Marine. Of course it didn't go smoothly and cost way more than planned. We had one bad engine bed which meant a major unplanned repair and delay to even get started on it. The total cost, including normal annual maintenance and future maintenance supplies, approached $50K. Ouch. Oh well, a deduction from Heather's inheritance.
After leaving Pleasure Cove, we spent a week and a half in Annapolis. This is one of our favorite stops. We went to the boat show and went on zero point zero boats and only spent $5 not counting lunch and Painkillers. What did we do? Spent six hours talking with services and supply people. Accomplished a lot.
From there we had a great sail to the Solomons, a lumpy trip to Deltaville (5-6ft seas) and a choppy passage out of Chesapeake Bay into the ICW at Norfolk.
Once on the ICW we decided to go down the Dismal Swamp Canal. The weather was forecast to have gale force winds and we had the time to go slower down the Diz. It's much more protected. We stayed at Elizabeth's Dock at Deep Creek and had a nice visit with Robert Peel, the lock master there. We also stopped at the Dismal Swamp Visitors Center for the first time. Pretty nice. This was followed up by a one night stop at Elizabeth City. We got to know and chat with a number of fellow cruisers at each of these stops.
One of the incidents we had involved hitting a tree in the canal. If you've cruised you know that occasionally you encounter floating logs and branches that need avoiding. Sometimes there are submerged deadheads, too. We hit a couple of those here but I'm talking about hitting an actual tree, the kind that grow overhead. How, you may ask? Go ahead, ask.
Anyway, there was a tree that had fallen into the canal and lay across it covering at least half the width. We have a 24 foot beam and when I squeezed over to avoid the floating tree the mast and spreaders got entangled with the branches of a tree, or two. Several came raining down on us. A new experience.
After the Diz our next NEW stop was Oriental. We got a spot at one of the new free docks and explored the small but cute harbor town.
I've skipped some of our stops to tell you about the unusual (for us) ones. Our next stops were expensive ones. Because of our new engines we had to do 50 hour oil changes and valve adjustments. We got hauled at Jarrett Bay at a cost of $600 to change our saildrive gear oil. And I did the work myself. 30 minutes out of the water and we moved on. Ouch again.
Then we stopped at Town Creek Marina, Beaufort (Bo-fert) for two nights for the oil and filter change and the aforementioned valve adjustment. Another $500. This boating thing is expensive. But... they did throw in a new hat.
Between Beaufort and Wrightsville is Mile Hammock, the anchorage at Camp LeJeune. We stopped there along with two dozen of our closest friends. Okay, not so close as friends but close as well, imagine Block Island on the 4th of July weekend.
We survived that and a thunderstorm and boat bumping early in our stay in Wrightsville. Let's see what new adventures await us.
Monday, September 22, 2014
Complaints
Believe it or not, several people complained my last post did not have enough detail. Apologies. We were a little busy as we got ready to depart for our fifth cruise south and the health events in the month of August.
I'll sum up and add some detail here. We are now ashore getting upgrades, repairs and maintenance. We've been really busy for a week but now have a little break waiting for the next craftsman to start work. We're having engines replaced and, of course, had complications. The bed of one of the engines needs major work before it can accept a new engine. This is costing a lot in extra time and money. Nothing ever goes smoothly on a boat.
Over the summer we only had six boating events. 1: Memorial Day weekend we met Heather's boyfriend Mike and took a brief cruise to Watch Hill/Napatree. We were surprised as we left Mystic Harbor with unforecast dense fog. Carol's birthday present, a new chartplotter GPS, came in very handy helping find the buoys. 2: We took a daysail (WHAT??? A DAYSAIL???? We haven't done that in a l o n g time) in June. We went out to meet the Morgan that was doing some test/practice sails in advance of its historic cruise. See info and photos on this in a previous post. 3: Carol and I took a cruise to Montauk for one night at the summer solstice. BTW... that's 21 June. 4: At the beginning of July I took a solo cruise around the forks of Long Island with the Waterbury Power Squadron.
5: Later in July Heather joined us to do a similar cruise of the Forks before Carol's scheduled heart surgery.
As August started Carol was in the hospital for a heart mitral valve repair. This turned out to be a replacement job. The recovery was the same regardless. Complications were only because some of the medications did not agree with her. This slowed her down for a few days but a week after the surgery we were underway on a cruise (6) to the USCG Academy in New London. Of course I wouldn't allow her to do anything. We hadn't been there by boat since the late 1980s. Got a chance to see the cadets doing their formations, exercising and getting their butts chewed out by their upperclassmen leaders.
.JPG)
And that was it for the summer. A lot of doctor visits, some hospital time and then recovery time. But a month after surgery we were underway for the start of our fifth southbound cruise.
We went from Mystic to Port Jefferson on our first day which was Labor Day. We believe we saw a large Leatherback turtle about halfway to PJ. Never saw one in the Sound before. We also caught a 2' Bluefish. Made a delish dinner. And a lunch the next day, too. Port Washington was our next stop and from there we went through the big city all the way to Cape May, NJ. We got a bit of sailing in off the coast of NJ until the wind shifted too close to the bow to sail. Seas were only about 1' so the overnight wasn't bad and the morning approaching Cape May was flat calm. We rested a bit and got fuel and then left after about an eight hour stay.
The overnight passage up Delaware Bay wasn't too bad with some wind behind us. Carol's new GPS helped us negotiate the channel turns. The GPS did NOT help with the commercial traffic. AIS did but some large ship encounters were a bit rough on the nervous system. The Chesapeake and Delaware Canal was closed due to dense fog when we arrived but we did not know this and had no trouble going through it. Couldn't see the bridges overhead but could see the sides of the canal. What else do you need?
Once we were in Chesapeake Bay we had a lot of time before our haulout appointment. We stayed a night in the Sassafras River, two nights in Worton Creek and two nights in Rock Hall. One night with nearby thunderstorms while we were in a very protected spot was the only minor concern.
So now, again, we're onshore with the clock ticking off and deleting our savings. We've been getting a nightly visit that has been disturbing Cleo.
.JPG)
I'll sum up and add some detail here. We are now ashore getting upgrades, repairs and maintenance. We've been really busy for a week but now have a little break waiting for the next craftsman to start work. We're having engines replaced and, of course, had complications. The bed of one of the engines needs major work before it can accept a new engine. This is costing a lot in extra time and money. Nothing ever goes smoothly on a boat.
Over the summer we only had six boating events. 1: Memorial Day weekend we met Heather's boyfriend Mike and took a brief cruise to Watch Hill/Napatree. We were surprised as we left Mystic Harbor with unforecast dense fog. Carol's birthday present, a new chartplotter GPS, came in very handy helping find the buoys. 2: We took a daysail (WHAT??? A DAYSAIL???? We haven't done that in a l o n g time) in June. We went out to meet the Morgan that was doing some test/practice sails in advance of its historic cruise. See info and photos on this in a previous post. 3: Carol and I took a cruise to Montauk for one night at the summer solstice. BTW... that's 21 June. 4: At the beginning of July I took a solo cruise around the forks of Long Island with the Waterbury Power Squadron.
5: Later in July Heather joined us to do a similar cruise of the Forks before Carol's scheduled heart surgery.
As August started Carol was in the hospital for a heart mitral valve repair. This turned out to be a replacement job. The recovery was the same regardless. Complications were only because some of the medications did not agree with her. This slowed her down for a few days but a week after the surgery we were underway on a cruise (6) to the USCG Academy in New London. Of course I wouldn't allow her to do anything. We hadn't been there by boat since the late 1980s. Got a chance to see the cadets doing their formations, exercising and getting their butts chewed out by their upperclassmen leaders.
And that was it for the summer. A lot of doctor visits, some hospital time and then recovery time. But a month after surgery we were underway for the start of our fifth southbound cruise.
We went from Mystic to Port Jefferson on our first day which was Labor Day. We believe we saw a large Leatherback turtle about halfway to PJ. Never saw one in the Sound before. We also caught a 2' Bluefish. Made a delish dinner. And a lunch the next day, too. Port Washington was our next stop and from there we went through the big city all the way to Cape May, NJ. We got a bit of sailing in off the coast of NJ until the wind shifted too close to the bow to sail. Seas were only about 1' so the overnight wasn't bad and the morning approaching Cape May was flat calm. We rested a bit and got fuel and then left after about an eight hour stay.
The overnight passage up Delaware Bay wasn't too bad with some wind behind us. Carol's new GPS helped us negotiate the channel turns. The GPS did NOT help with the commercial traffic. AIS did but some large ship encounters were a bit rough on the nervous system. The Chesapeake and Delaware Canal was closed due to dense fog when we arrived but we did not know this and had no trouble going through it. Couldn't see the bridges overhead but could see the sides of the canal. What else do you need?
Once we were in Chesapeake Bay we had a lot of time before our haulout appointment. We stayed a night in the Sassafras River, two nights in Worton Creek and two nights in Rock Hall. One night with nearby thunderstorms while we were in a very protected spot was the only minor concern.
So now, again, we're onshore with the clock ticking off and deleting our savings. We've been getting a nightly visit that has been disturbing Cleo.
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