Back at the Annapolis Library in Eastport again!
While we were in Wrightsville Beach this year I experienced 3 offshore gales in 3 weeks making it a bit rough in the anchorage at times. Luckily the gales didn't actually occur on shore so the winds only got near 30 knots or so. Bad enough. The anchor held well as we had plenty of rode out and the holding is good except for one spot. How do we know which spot is not good? Well, you could guess.
I also found out they now have a 10 day maximum time you are allowed to anchor. How did I find that out? Got a warning notice from the local Ranger. Had a long conversation with him and was allowed to stay a bit beyond that time. Until Carol came back from her work trip. We won't be staying that long in the future due to a work schedule change we're planning on in the summer and knowing the new rule, we'll plan for it. We wondered why the local long term boats were no longer anchored there. Thought it was the hurricane blowing the trash out.
Any way we got all our boat work done - alternator replacement, fluid changes, etc. - and headed back up the ICW. Mile Hammock at Camp LeJeune was our first stop but first we had to go aground just past New River Inlet. The markers are out of place but we did fine until just past the inlet channel when we went aground slightly to the red side of the channel. That growing shoal has not been addressed recently, just the ones associated with the inlet. Those are pretty bad, too.
Going through the Browns Inlet area of the ICW and the Marine firing range was a snap as that area has been recently dredged, too. That dredging only lasts a year or so, fine in the spring, poor in the fall. Sigh.
Our next day had us stop at Jarrett Bay for fuel only to find they were closed. This slowed us down enough that we did not get to Cedar Creek until after the rain caught us. The good news was we beat Louisville in the NCAA WBB regional final to head to the Final Four for the 12th consecutive time.
The next day was our Neuss River/Pamlico passage. Once again we violated our rule about not going on the Neuss when the wind is out of the north. Bad weather was coming and we wanted to get to a safe place. The Neuse started out bad (1 1/2 ft seas) and then got worse (3-4 ft seas and bashing into them). Three and half hours of misery. Sigh (again).
We went into Belhaven where we often anchor but stayed at the Town Dock at $1 per foot per night. No services but a very narrow, protected spot for the wind direction. It blew very hard and poured down rain. The wind also blew the water out of the area. There isn't much tide, water level depends on the wind direction and strength. It went down several feet but came back in time for us to leave two days later.
We then went to the Alligator River to anchor in a southern spot we've used before. Did not hook a tree on the bottom and our trip the next day up the Alligator and across Albemarle Sound was pretty easy. Nice.
We anchored at a new spot to us because of the distance and time of our legs here which all had to do with our timing to get to Annapolis and the weather we'd encounter. The spot was on the north side of Buck Island between Shiloh and Coinjock, NC. Fairly close to the ICW so we got some day wakes. There were no trees nearby for protection but the weather was not windy and we were fine.
From there we went to the free dock at Great Bridge. En route the Centerville Turnpike was nice enough to delay their opening for our arrival and the RR bridge that screwed us a couple of years ago opened just as we were approaching it after a slow train went over it.
We stayed two nights at Great Bridge (don't tell anyone, you're only allowed one) and then had an easy passage up to Hampton, VA. We had another coupon for a free night there at the City Pier and did our laundry.
Then it was back to the Chesapeake Bay. When we get here it seems like we're almost home. We're not, it's several hundred miles away, but the Bay is very similar to Long Island Sound so we start thinking of home. The passage from Hampton was better than we guessed it would be. The seas at the start were behind us and eased as we went north and the day went on. We stopped in Reedville, up Cockrell Creek, for a passing, short-lived storm. Then it was on to Solomons Island in near flat conditions.
The passage from Solomons was in forecast Small Craft Advisories. Turned out it was absolutely flat calm for four of the six hour trip and less than a foot seas after that. We'll pay for that.
So here we are in Eastport/Annapolis. In Back Creek. We anchored for two nights then went to a municipal mooring for three nights as the weather turned very breezy, gale force in fact. A downpour after midnight on Sunday, Monday morning, was the hardest ever experienced on the boat. And we've been in tropical downpours. Felt like the blast of a firehose for quite some time. After that it was back to anchoring for a couple more nights. Moorings cost $30 per night. We're too poor for that.
Our trip home is going to be tough to start with. Another gale is forecast so we plan to head up the Bay to Worton Creek to hide out and be ready to stage for our trip down the Delaware Bay and off shore to New York and Long Island Sound.
We'll see how it goes.
Tuesday, April 16, 2019
Tuesday, March 19, 2019
Wrightsville Beach work break
We are in Wrightsville Beach, NC again for Carol's work schedule. Be here about 2 1/2 weeks because we got here a little early as usual. Have to have a safety/weather buffer.
This year we had a few adventures getting here. Boy, I hate those!
When we left Marathon we had a very good offshore passage to Fort Pierce. Very quick and fairly smooth. More than 200 miles in about 26 hours. The Gulf Stream can be your friend. We visited with the Guays, shopped and also drove to see Sue and Al on Gelato who were in Velcro Beach... Vero Beach to non-boaters.
After three or four days, we left. Then the fun started. Sigh. After we went through the bascule bridge we noticed the cabin starting to fill with smoke. This is not a good sign. It turned out the port side alternator was burning up. No flames yet but only because we shut down the engine quickly. Then came hours of phone calls to diagnose the problem and to find a replacement. We guess that water spray or mist from an earlier raw water pump leak coated the outside of the alternator and some water must have gotten in to the wiring inside. Or the salt. We were lucky to find a Yanmar dealer in Cocoa, FL. who could have a new one on hand the next day, and maybe install it.So we parked there for two nights and because we could not get into the marina near there we just took the part and went on our way to install it at a later date. By disconnecting the wiring we could run the port engine without the chance of fire. Our alternator on the starboard side would continue to charge the batteries just fine. Al on Gelato, Jeff from Bay Shore Marine in Annapolis, and the Yanmar guy in Cocoa were all very helpful with info and advice.
So we moved on. But not after watching a night time launch at Cape Canaveral from our nearby anchorage. Very cool. Unfortunately our adventures were not over.
After getting past Matanzas on our way to St. Augustine the bascule bridge at Crescent Beach failed as it was opening for us. It made a loud clunk we could hear from the boat as it opened and it was stuck, unable to pass cars either. After a while we realized it would not be opening soon so we went back to Marineland Marina a few miles behind us. It took a day and a half for repairs to be completed. We went on a couple of hikes and had dinner with our St Augustine friends, Bob and Jane.
So two days later we were back on our way. We were the third opening of the morning and we were still worried about the bridge not working for us. But, we made it through. The next bascule bridge is at St Augustine and as we waited for its opening schedule the bridge tender told us the Crescent Beach Bridge failed to close properly behind us and was out of order again. Kinda funny but still a close call for us.
From there it was a passage to the free dock on Sisters Creek near Jacksonville, FL. On the way we bumped a crab pot float but it didn't seem to be a problem. At the time. The next morning when we started the starboard engine we could not engage the transmission without the engine stopping. Arrrrr. We had caught a pot warp the day before and now it was wrapped around the propeller so we could not move. We had to wait for the current to ease before I went into the cold, dark water to cut away the lines. I have a wetsuit for cold water but I didn't put on the air tanks, just held my breath. It took an hour. It was very hard to see underwater in the early morning light and hard to cut away the line. I actually wasn't too cold because of my suit and the exercise but it was not exactly fun. So we got underway about two hours late which wasn't a problem because our next anchorage (Cumberland Island, GA.) wasn't too far away. The passage there was a problem because we had gone aground on that route two years in a row. I consulted the TowBoat/US operator, my guidebooks and online sources to decide on the proper way through the area. Although not all the sources agreed with each other we got through and were in Georgia that night.
From there we had fairly short days underway to time the tides through Georgia. The ICW there is pretty shallow but the tides are six to eight feet so there is water enough to get through, just not all the time. We plowed some mud up in Jeckyll Creek but made it through. Other passes were timed fairly well to have enough water, including Hell Gate in GA. and McClellenville in SC.
When we reached Winyah Bay south of Georgetown, SC we were boarded by the Coast Guard for a safety check. We passed inspection just fine and I was able to resist telling them what they forgot to ask about. I'm learning. Slowly.
Our next stop was Osprey Marina near Socastee, SC in the southern Myrtle Beach area. We stayed two nights, fueled up, did laundry and had dinner with Carol's former co-worker, Laverne, and her husband. Leaving there, it was very difficult getting under some fixed bridges due to flooding. We made it but it was close. Just squeaked by. Another night at a marina near Southport, NC and then here we are in Wrightsville. I installed the new alternator successfully but ended up up with severe back spasms due to bending, lifting and trying to crank wrenches in poor posture positions. Tough getting old but at least, for the time being, I am actually doing that. Getting older.
Next are oil changes and stocking up on food, etc. for the next push north.
This year we had a few adventures getting here. Boy, I hate those!
When we left Marathon we had a very good offshore passage to Fort Pierce. Very quick and fairly smooth. More than 200 miles in about 26 hours. The Gulf Stream can be your friend. We visited with the Guays, shopped and also drove to see Sue and Al on Gelato who were in Velcro Beach... Vero Beach to non-boaters.
After three or four days, we left. Then the fun started. Sigh. After we went through the bascule bridge we noticed the cabin starting to fill with smoke. This is not a good sign. It turned out the port side alternator was burning up. No flames yet but only because we shut down the engine quickly. Then came hours of phone calls to diagnose the problem and to find a replacement. We guess that water spray or mist from an earlier raw water pump leak coated the outside of the alternator and some water must have gotten in to the wiring inside. Or the salt. We were lucky to find a Yanmar dealer in Cocoa, FL. who could have a new one on hand the next day, and maybe install it.So we parked there for two nights and because we could not get into the marina near there we just took the part and went on our way to install it at a later date. By disconnecting the wiring we could run the port engine without the chance of fire. Our alternator on the starboard side would continue to charge the batteries just fine. Al on Gelato, Jeff from Bay Shore Marine in Annapolis, and the Yanmar guy in Cocoa were all very helpful with info and advice.
So we moved on. But not after watching a night time launch at Cape Canaveral from our nearby anchorage. Very cool. Unfortunately our adventures were not over.
After getting past Matanzas on our way to St. Augustine the bascule bridge at Crescent Beach failed as it was opening for us. It made a loud clunk we could hear from the boat as it opened and it was stuck, unable to pass cars either. After a while we realized it would not be opening soon so we went back to Marineland Marina a few miles behind us. It took a day and a half for repairs to be completed. We went on a couple of hikes and had dinner with our St Augustine friends, Bob and Jane.
So two days later we were back on our way. We were the third opening of the morning and we were still worried about the bridge not working for us. But, we made it through. The next bascule bridge is at St Augustine and as we waited for its opening schedule the bridge tender told us the Crescent Beach Bridge failed to close properly behind us and was out of order again. Kinda funny but still a close call for us.
From there it was a passage to the free dock on Sisters Creek near Jacksonville, FL. On the way we bumped a crab pot float but it didn't seem to be a problem. At the time. The next morning when we started the starboard engine we could not engage the transmission without the engine stopping. Arrrrr. We had caught a pot warp the day before and now it was wrapped around the propeller so we could not move. We had to wait for the current to ease before I went into the cold, dark water to cut away the lines. I have a wetsuit for cold water but I didn't put on the air tanks, just held my breath. It took an hour. It was very hard to see underwater in the early morning light and hard to cut away the line. I actually wasn't too cold because of my suit and the exercise but it was not exactly fun. So we got underway about two hours late which wasn't a problem because our next anchorage (Cumberland Island, GA.) wasn't too far away. The passage there was a problem because we had gone aground on that route two years in a row. I consulted the TowBoat/US operator, my guidebooks and online sources to decide on the proper way through the area. Although not all the sources agreed with each other we got through and were in Georgia that night.
From there we had fairly short days underway to time the tides through Georgia. The ICW there is pretty shallow but the tides are six to eight feet so there is water enough to get through, just not all the time. We plowed some mud up in Jeckyll Creek but made it through. Other passes were timed fairly well to have enough water, including Hell Gate in GA. and McClellenville in SC.
When we reached Winyah Bay south of Georgetown, SC we were boarded by the Coast Guard for a safety check. We passed inspection just fine and I was able to resist telling them what they forgot to ask about. I'm learning. Slowly.
Our next stop was Osprey Marina near Socastee, SC in the southern Myrtle Beach area. We stayed two nights, fueled up, did laundry and had dinner with Carol's former co-worker, Laverne, and her husband. Leaving there, it was very difficult getting under some fixed bridges due to flooding. We made it but it was close. Just squeaked by. Another night at a marina near Southport, NC and then here we are in Wrightsville. I installed the new alternator successfully but ended up up with severe back spasms due to bending, lifting and trying to crank wrenches in poor posture positions. Tough getting old but at least, for the time being, I am actually doing that. Getting older.
Next are oil changes and stocking up on food, etc. for the next push north.
Friday, February 15, 2019
Leaving Marathon 2019
We are leaving the Marathon vortex.
The vortex is the tendency of boaters to come to Marathon and never leave. We are leaving to head back to our summer home in Mystic, CT. Again. Starting our 9th return trip. People say it's still winter up there and we tell them it takes us until May to get there and, although they're confused, they can accept that weather.
We did a lot this winter season although winter is to a different standard than we used to know. While most of the country had a difficult winter, ours was warmer than usual. A lot of 80 degrees. A lot of 'highest temp. in the country' days and only a few cool periods or rough northers. Not hard to take.
I was involved in raising money for the local Kid's Bike Fund with auctioneer Mike Barber again. A new record amount was raised and a new high in the number of bikes purchased and given to the area children was achieved. Strange to think it all started with the idea of donating a couple of Waterway Guide cruising guides a few years ago to getting cruisers to donate more than a hundred items to be auctioned at a live auction.
I also started volunteering to be a tour guide/trolley driver at Crane Point Hammock Nature Center in December. Once a week I would take two tours around the property for about 90 minutes each. I would tell them about the history and ecology of the hammock and the people who owned the property in the past. I got to talk to a number of tourists from the northern parts of the U.S. as they tried to escape their winter weather. Education and entertainment were my twin goals and I had fun doing it. Got a fair amount of tips, too. Those were turned over to the Foundation.
Mike, Heather and Cobbe visited us for a week at Christmas after we had flown to NYC for his first birthday at the beginning of December. Interesting development period for him. Just started to walk, then standing up on his own without pulling himself up, then running around like crazy.
We flew home to Connecticut for a doctor visit in January and was I given another three months to live. Hope to keep those piling up. We also took that visit as an opportunity to visit with Cobbe, Heather and Mike, seeing them for a third time this winter, before coming back to Marathon. We were two miles from home (in Marathon) on the airport shuttle when we were rear-ended by a huge dump truck, the construction semi type. The shuttle van was stopped for traffic for a while before we were struck. The van was tossed at least 50 feet, with the brakes on. We could smell the burned brakes as we gathered our wits after the impact. Carol thought we were
on fire. The truck driver came out of his vehicle with his cell phone earbuds still in. Distracted driving. We were a bit sore for a few days and Carol had a bump on the back of her head but we were lucky, given the size of the truck. We were sitting next to the window that did not shatter. Other passengers were not so lucky but they also had no significant injuries. We settled with the insurance company a week or so later and got a few bucks.
I volunteered again to be a beer puller for the Celtic Fest at the park for two days. Somehow I became an expert on ciders and other beers when, in fact, I know nothing about beer and little about hard ciders. Looking and sounding authoritative goes a long way it seems. Being able to BS on ones feet is also a required skill. Helped at Crane Point as well.
So now we're leaving Marathon tomorrow (2-16-19) in what looks to be a nice weather window. Hope it holds. Planning to go offshore all the way to Fort Pierce in one overnight shot. Plan to visit Gelato in Velcro Beach, too.
We'll see what the future holds for us. Short and long term.
The vortex is the tendency of boaters to come to Marathon and never leave. We are leaving to head back to our summer home in Mystic, CT. Again. Starting our 9th return trip. People say it's still winter up there and we tell them it takes us until May to get there and, although they're confused, they can accept that weather.
We did a lot this winter season although winter is to a different standard than we used to know. While most of the country had a difficult winter, ours was warmer than usual. A lot of 80 degrees. A lot of 'highest temp. in the country' days and only a few cool periods or rough northers. Not hard to take.
I was involved in raising money for the local Kid's Bike Fund with auctioneer Mike Barber again. A new record amount was raised and a new high in the number of bikes purchased and given to the area children was achieved. Strange to think it all started with the idea of donating a couple of Waterway Guide cruising guides a few years ago to getting cruisers to donate more than a hundred items to be auctioned at a live auction.
I also started volunteering to be a tour guide/trolley driver at Crane Point Hammock Nature Center in December. Once a week I would take two tours around the property for about 90 minutes each. I would tell them about the history and ecology of the hammock and the people who owned the property in the past. I got to talk to a number of tourists from the northern parts of the U.S. as they tried to escape their winter weather. Education and entertainment were my twin goals and I had fun doing it. Got a fair amount of tips, too. Those were turned over to the Foundation.
Mike, Heather and Cobbe visited us for a week at Christmas after we had flown to NYC for his first birthday at the beginning of December. Interesting development period for him. Just started to walk, then standing up on his own without pulling himself up, then running around like crazy.
We flew home to Connecticut for a doctor visit in January and was I given another three months to live. Hope to keep those piling up. We also took that visit as an opportunity to visit with Cobbe, Heather and Mike, seeing them for a third time this winter, before coming back to Marathon. We were two miles from home (in Marathon) on the airport shuttle when we were rear-ended by a huge dump truck, the construction semi type. The shuttle van was stopped for traffic for a while before we were struck. The van was tossed at least 50 feet, with the brakes on. We could smell the burned brakes as we gathered our wits after the impact. Carol thought we were
I volunteered again to be a beer puller for the Celtic Fest at the park for two days. Somehow I became an expert on ciders and other beers when, in fact, I know nothing about beer and little about hard ciders. Looking and sounding authoritative goes a long way it seems. Being able to BS on ones feet is also a required skill. Helped at Crane Point as well.
So now we're leaving Marathon tomorrow (2-16-19) in what looks to be a nice weather window. Hope it holds. Planning to go offshore all the way to Fort Pierce in one overnight shot. Plan to visit Gelato in Velcro Beach, too.
We'll see what the future holds for us. Short and long term.
Thursday, November 15, 2018
Home in Marathon
We are back home in Marathon in the Florida Keys. My last posting hinted that we may not be headed this way but we did, and here we are.
This trip south was unusual in a couple of aspects. One, we started later than usual from Annapolis and two, we came almost direct. We did not stop for a two week work break along the way and never stopped anywhere for more than two days.
My medical issues, while serious, do not warrant treatment at this time so we were given clearance to head to Marathon again if we promised to fly home in January for a follow-up exam and bloodwork. The flight home will make it an expensive doctor visit which are expensive enough on their own.
We left Annapolis with two days left on our mooring rental and you know how much I hate wasting money but the weather was changing and if we didn't leave right away we would be stuck there quite a bit longer. We went down to the Solomons and got stuck there for a couple of days because of the weather. But because we were 40-something miles further south we we better poised to move on when the weather improved. When we were anchoring an exhaust elbow on our starboard engine let go spraying water everywhere in the engine compartment and threatening to sink us. Fortunately when the engine was shut down the flooding stopped. We were able to buy a part at Zahnisers and since we were stuck due to weather I managed to install it with a bit of pain and a little blood. Okay, a lot of pain. From the Solomons area we went to Jackson Creek in Deltaville and from there out of the Chesapeake into Hampton Roads. The two passages were a little rough but not too bad.
We spent a night alone (surprisingly) at the free dock at Portsmouth, VA. There is a sign outside the basin that says no overnight tie-ups and perhaps some people think it applies to the dock inside the basin. It doesn't. Does make it less crowded, however.
.
From Portsmouth it was a short day to Great Bridge and the free docks there. We had to pick up a Yanmar part I ordered as a back-up, get fuel and go out to dinner. Then we went down the Virginia Cut to Broad Creek, our staging area to cross Albemarle Sound. The Sound was pretty benign as was the Alligator river. We had some rain which only got bad as we were anchoring at Belhaven, NC. The Pungo, Pamlico and Neuse areas were tolerable if a little breezy. The Neuse was the worst, of course, but bad only in a couple of spots and for a short period of time. To give the Neuse a chance to settle down a bit, we stopped early at R E Mayo in Hobucken for dockage. Paid dockage. You might know that's pretty unusual until I tell you it was only 40 cents per foot for the night.We spent less than 18 dollars for dockage but more than $60 on seafood. The seafood went down real easy.
After the Neuse we went to our usual spot in Cedar Creek off Adams Creek. Gelato caught up with us there and we had a visit with them aboard. Mile Hammock, our next spot, was crowded but we found room. After that is was Wrightsville Beach. We usually spend a couple of weeks here for Carol to go off to work but this year we only spent couple of days. Enough time to get groceries and go to King Neptune for dinner. We also learned that the new owner of Perfectly Normal will not be able to recover it after it went ashore during Hurricane Florence. Since he bought the boat he made one poor decision after another. He damaged sails, parts of the engine, the anchor roller and more. He also let the insurance lapse. Dumb. He'd better make the payments he owes us or there will be issues.
Because more bad weather was coming we ran from Wrightsville all the way to Sunrise, NC, near the SC border. It was $1.75 per foot but included free laundry and nice heads. Then we went to Cow House Creek which we've passed by the last few years followed by Minim Creek which we also have been skipping.
We barely made it past the shallows by McClellanville and went down to Charleston. We went to a marina just past the Ben Sawyer bridge. This let us stage to go out into the ocean to do an overnight passage to Florida. This offshore venture was just a little short of awful but we kept telling ourselves to suffer through it because the reward was nice weather at St Augustine, FL.
From St Augustine we went on the ICW to New Smyrna, Eau Gallie and Fort Pierce. No incidents except for the threat of rain and storms which mostly missed us except at night. We also had a dolphin play around in our side wave, looking at us and rolling over with some up-side-down swimming displays. Still not jaded by this.
We only spent a few days at Fort Pierce with Mike and Carol. Time enough to visit, re-stock and have lunch together. We got to the Saturday market for breakfast and my favorite breads. Or is Great Harvest my favorite bakery? Can't remember.
The weather again was threatening and someone decided we would not go outside in the ocean to Marathon. Instead inside to Palm Beach and Lake Sylvia in Ft Lauderdale. This is an awful passage only because of all the bridges we have to have opened for us. And the traffic. And the wakes. Fortunately the Orange Asshole was not in town so the bridge restrictions were not worsened. He was in Europe embarrassing the US.
From Ft. Lauderdale we have no choice but to go outside in the ocean. It was a bit rough but not terrible. We also encountered the US Navy and some of their operations. We were forced to stay within one half mile from shore and still had a semi-close encounter with a submarine. When we got to Miami we decided we would push it and travel farther and longer than normal because of weather a couple of days ahead of us. We anchored off Key Largo just before dark after a 10 hour passage. The next day we had a long passage both inside and outside all the way to Marathon. Two long days instead of three normal days got us here ahead of the cold front and its associated wind and seas.
So here we are, home in Marathon. Just starting to get settled in, seeing what's new, what's old, deciding what we'll be involved in and just enjoying the tropical weather. Hot, humid, thunderstorms, sunny and rainy. All in the same day.
This trip south was unusual in a couple of aspects. One, we started later than usual from Annapolis and two, we came almost direct. We did not stop for a two week work break along the way and never stopped anywhere for more than two days.
My medical issues, while serious, do not warrant treatment at this time so we were given clearance to head to Marathon again if we promised to fly home in January for a follow-up exam and bloodwork. The flight home will make it an expensive doctor visit which are expensive enough on their own.
We left Annapolis with two days left on our mooring rental and you know how much I hate wasting money but the weather was changing and if we didn't leave right away we would be stuck there quite a bit longer. We went down to the Solomons and got stuck there for a couple of days because of the weather. But because we were 40-something miles further south we we better poised to move on when the weather improved. When we were anchoring an exhaust elbow on our starboard engine let go spraying water everywhere in the engine compartment and threatening to sink us. Fortunately when the engine was shut down the flooding stopped. We were able to buy a part at Zahnisers and since we were stuck due to weather I managed to install it with a bit of pain and a little blood. Okay, a lot of pain. From the Solomons area we went to Jackson Creek in Deltaville and from there out of the Chesapeake into Hampton Roads. The two passages were a little rough but not too bad.
We spent a night alone (surprisingly) at the free dock at Portsmouth, VA. There is a sign outside the basin that says no overnight tie-ups and perhaps some people think it applies to the dock inside the basin. It doesn't. Does make it less crowded, however.
.
From Portsmouth it was a short day to Great Bridge and the free docks there. We had to pick up a Yanmar part I ordered as a back-up, get fuel and go out to dinner. Then we went down the Virginia Cut to Broad Creek, our staging area to cross Albemarle Sound. The Sound was pretty benign as was the Alligator river. We had some rain which only got bad as we were anchoring at Belhaven, NC. The Pungo, Pamlico and Neuse areas were tolerable if a little breezy. The Neuse was the worst, of course, but bad only in a couple of spots and for a short period of time. To give the Neuse a chance to settle down a bit, we stopped early at R E Mayo in Hobucken for dockage. Paid dockage. You might know that's pretty unusual until I tell you it was only 40 cents per foot for the night.We spent less than 18 dollars for dockage but more than $60 on seafood. The seafood went down real easy.
After the Neuse we went to our usual spot in Cedar Creek off Adams Creek. Gelato caught up with us there and we had a visit with them aboard. Mile Hammock, our next spot, was crowded but we found room. After that is was Wrightsville Beach. We usually spend a couple of weeks here for Carol to go off to work but this year we only spent couple of days. Enough time to get groceries and go to King Neptune for dinner. We also learned that the new owner of Perfectly Normal will not be able to recover it after it went ashore during Hurricane Florence. Since he bought the boat he made one poor decision after another. He damaged sails, parts of the engine, the anchor roller and more. He also let the insurance lapse. Dumb. He'd better make the payments he owes us or there will be issues.
Because more bad weather was coming we ran from Wrightsville all the way to Sunrise, NC, near the SC border. It was $1.75 per foot but included free laundry and nice heads. Then we went to Cow House Creek which we've passed by the last few years followed by Minim Creek which we also have been skipping.
We barely made it past the shallows by McClellanville and went down to Charleston. We went to a marina just past the Ben Sawyer bridge. This let us stage to go out into the ocean to do an overnight passage to Florida. This offshore venture was just a little short of awful but we kept telling ourselves to suffer through it because the reward was nice weather at St Augustine, FL.
From St Augustine we went on the ICW to New Smyrna, Eau Gallie and Fort Pierce. No incidents except for the threat of rain and storms which mostly missed us except at night. We also had a dolphin play around in our side wave, looking at us and rolling over with some up-side-down swimming displays. Still not jaded by this.
We only spent a few days at Fort Pierce with Mike and Carol. Time enough to visit, re-stock and have lunch together. We got to the Saturday market for breakfast and my favorite breads. Or is Great Harvest my favorite bakery? Can't remember.
The weather again was threatening and someone decided we would not go outside in the ocean to Marathon. Instead inside to Palm Beach and Lake Sylvia in Ft Lauderdale. This is an awful passage only because of all the bridges we have to have opened for us. And the traffic. And the wakes. Fortunately the Orange Asshole was not in town so the bridge restrictions were not worsened. He was in Europe embarrassing the US.
From Ft. Lauderdale we have no choice but to go outside in the ocean. It was a bit rough but not terrible. We also encountered the US Navy and some of their operations. We were forced to stay within one half mile from shore and still had a semi-close encounter with a submarine. When we got to Miami we decided we would push it and travel farther and longer than normal because of weather a couple of days ahead of us. We anchored off Key Largo just before dark after a 10 hour passage. The next day we had a long passage both inside and outside all the way to Marathon. Two long days instead of three normal days got us here ahead of the cold front and its associated wind and seas.
So here we are, home in Marathon. Just starting to get settled in, seeing what's new, what's old, deciding what we'll be involved in and just enjoying the tropical weather. Hot, humid, thunderstorms, sunny and rainy. All in the same day.
Tuesday, October 9, 2018
2018 Southbound (maybe)
I'm writing this from Annapolis, our normal southbound extended stop. But, it's been 'interesting'.
We left Mystic after a 'rush-job' needle biopsy on a neck/shoulder lymph node. I had an ultrasound first and with great difficulty it found a 'hot-spot'. My surgeon wanted a follow-up biopsy to be sure to eliminate possibilities. I had a small lump that appeared and disappeared over two years and everyone said it could not be serious. I had the biopsy and we left the next day.
We stopped at Port Jefferson as usual after a nice day with a light breeze on the stern. Seas were calm but increased very slightly towards the end of the day. We had good current about half the way to PJ. The next day was even calmer as we went to Port Washington. Sometimes we continue our trip through the City from PJ but the timing of the currents through Hells Gate were not good. Stopping in Port Washington gave us the chance to see Cobbe and Heather and Mike one last time before their Christmas visit in December. We stayed two nights and almost got ourselves another cat.We went to North Shore Animal League and I really like an all gray one year old cat. He liked me too. Another couple was looking at him but he was indifferent to them. Must be my charm. Anyway, Carol said no, the timing wasn't going to work. Sigh. Oh, well.
We went through NYC the next day and had the current with us the whole way as planned. At one point in the East River, just south of the UN Building, a seaplane landed alongside us. Not too close but close enough to startle Carol.
We then went to Atlantic Highlands, NJ inside Sandy Hook. We hadn't been there in several years as we've been going directly offshore after going through the City. This time we had to wait out weather and seas. Good thing.
At 0630 our first morning there my oncology surgeon called me. He wanted me to return to have the suspect lymph nodes removed. He believed I had a MALT lymphoma but wanted to be sure. In any case it wasn't going to be serious. From our point of view a 0630 called from an oncologist was serious enough. All this meant we had to scramble to find a pre-op physical and a way to get back home. We were lucky Carol found an APRN to do the physical the next day in Atlantic Highlands and we planned to head to Annapolis as is normal but this time to rent a car to go home from there.
We headed offshore a few days later than normal mostly because of the weather and seas. The window was small and the conditions were not great but not terrible. Not too much sleep overnight but we got a little. We went up Delaware Bay after rounding Cape May in late morning. That was a little exciting near Prissywicks shoal as the channel seems to be a bit further west than it used to be. Just a little. Delaware Bay is a long trip and we usually try to start it first thing in the morning but it was late morning this year and we didn't have good current until later in the day. The C & D Canal also had a counter-current so that wasn't too quick either. We exited the Canal in the dark and headed to the anchorage in the Bohemia River. Leaving the canal is a visual challenge with confusing lights but as we got a little bit away the channel and the lights simplified. Anchoring in the Bohemia was straightforward. No problems.
The next day was a bit rough but we went to Bodkin Creek anyway. Pleasure Cove Marina is on this creek but we were not going there again this year. Just one night and then we headed to Annapolis.
We went to Back Creek which is in the Eastport section of Annapolis. We were going to have scheduled engine service at a work dock in a week or so but first we took a city-owned pay mooring so we could safely leave the boat and go home by car.
We stayed on the mooring for a week so I could recover after the lymph node surgery. Then I went to the Bayshore Marine work dock for 2000 hour servicing. They let me go there a couple of days early and when they were done I went to anchor right next to where were moored earlier. We sit there now as I write this.
Gelato with Al and Sue showed up the day I left the dock as they were delayed several days by weather systems while in Atlantic Highlands. We've visited, had breakfast and dinners together and went to the Sailboat Show this past weekend. Now I'm waiting as Carol heads off to work again. After that it will be a PET Scan and bone marrow biopsy back home to find out how serious this formerly not serious Mantle (not MALT) non-Hodgkins Lymphoma really is. Turns out it might not be as minor an issue it was forecast to be. If I need major treatment we may have to turn around and go home to winter in Connecticut instead of Marathon. Not looking forward to that.
Everything is up in the air but because of Hurricane Michael (yes, I'm serious, Hurricane Michael), we would have been delayed a little anyway. The ICW is still flooded and technically closed but it has been improving. The rain from this new storm may slow things down for everyone else, too. We'll see.
We left Mystic after a 'rush-job' needle biopsy on a neck/shoulder lymph node. I had an ultrasound first and with great difficulty it found a 'hot-spot'. My surgeon wanted a follow-up biopsy to be sure to eliminate possibilities. I had a small lump that appeared and disappeared over two years and everyone said it could not be serious. I had the biopsy and we left the next day.
We stopped at Port Jefferson as usual after a nice day with a light breeze on the stern. Seas were calm but increased very slightly towards the end of the day. We had good current about half the way to PJ. The next day was even calmer as we went to Port Washington. Sometimes we continue our trip through the City from PJ but the timing of the currents through Hells Gate were not good. Stopping in Port Washington gave us the chance to see Cobbe and Heather and Mike one last time before their Christmas visit in December. We stayed two nights and almost got ourselves another cat.We went to North Shore Animal League and I really like an all gray one year old cat. He liked me too. Another couple was looking at him but he was indifferent to them. Must be my charm. Anyway, Carol said no, the timing wasn't going to work. Sigh. Oh, well.
We went through NYC the next day and had the current with us the whole way as planned. At one point in the East River, just south of the UN Building, a seaplane landed alongside us. Not too close but close enough to startle Carol.
We then went to Atlantic Highlands, NJ inside Sandy Hook. We hadn't been there in several years as we've been going directly offshore after going through the City. This time we had to wait out weather and seas. Good thing.
At 0630 our first morning there my oncology surgeon called me. He wanted me to return to have the suspect lymph nodes removed. He believed I had a MALT lymphoma but wanted to be sure. In any case it wasn't going to be serious. From our point of view a 0630 called from an oncologist was serious enough. All this meant we had to scramble to find a pre-op physical and a way to get back home. We were lucky Carol found an APRN to do the physical the next day in Atlantic Highlands and we planned to head to Annapolis as is normal but this time to rent a car to go home from there.
We headed offshore a few days later than normal mostly because of the weather and seas. The window was small and the conditions were not great but not terrible. Not too much sleep overnight but we got a little. We went up Delaware Bay after rounding Cape May in late morning. That was a little exciting near Prissywicks shoal as the channel seems to be a bit further west than it used to be. Just a little. Delaware Bay is a long trip and we usually try to start it first thing in the morning but it was late morning this year and we didn't have good current until later in the day. The C & D Canal also had a counter-current so that wasn't too quick either. We exited the Canal in the dark and headed to the anchorage in the Bohemia River. Leaving the canal is a visual challenge with confusing lights but as we got a little bit away the channel and the lights simplified. Anchoring in the Bohemia was straightforward. No problems.
The next day was a bit rough but we went to Bodkin Creek anyway. Pleasure Cove Marina is on this creek but we were not going there again this year. Just one night and then we headed to Annapolis.
We went to Back Creek which is in the Eastport section of Annapolis. We were going to have scheduled engine service at a work dock in a week or so but first we took a city-owned pay mooring so we could safely leave the boat and go home by car.
We stayed on the mooring for a week so I could recover after the lymph node surgery. Then I went to the Bayshore Marine work dock for 2000 hour servicing. They let me go there a couple of days early and when they were done I went to anchor right next to where were moored earlier. We sit there now as I write this.
Gelato with Al and Sue showed up the day I left the dock as they were delayed several days by weather systems while in Atlantic Highlands. We've visited, had breakfast and dinners together and went to the Sailboat Show this past weekend. Now I'm waiting as Carol heads off to work again. After that it will be a PET Scan and bone marrow biopsy back home to find out how serious this formerly not serious Mantle (not MALT) non-Hodgkins Lymphoma really is. Turns out it might not be as minor an issue it was forecast to be. If I need major treatment we may have to turn around and go home to winter in Connecticut instead of Marathon. Not looking forward to that.
Everything is up in the air but because of Hurricane Michael (yes, I'm serious, Hurricane Michael), we would have been delayed a little anyway. The ICW is still flooded and technically closed but it has been improving. The rain from this new storm may slow things down for everyone else, too. We'll see.
Tuesday, September 11, 2018
Summer 2018
As I write this it is only a few days before we plan to depart on our southern cruise again. However, a hurricane, like last year, is affecting our plans. Last year Irma was on our minds when it hit our winter home port of Marathon, Fl in the Keys. This year Florence is scheduled to hit North Carolina very badly just before our departure from Mystic. This could affect the ICW in a very negative way before we get there but if it goes inland, as it is currently forecast to do, the seas should subside off New Jersey before we get there. But it will be close.
Our former boat, Perfectly Normal, is in the direct path of Florence and could be lost. The current owner still owes many payments to us, nevertheless.
This summer was mostly a lot of fun, with new adventures, because of our grandson, Cobbe. He was on the boat in May and July and went on a two week cruise with us at the end of July and the beginning of August. Each time he was on the boat there were dramatic changes as he developed rapidly as kids his age tend to do. A week or so ago he turned nine months old while on another cruise to Block Island with us. By the time we see him in person again he'll be a bit more than one year old and walking. Almost there now.
In May he wasn't crawling, by August he was a speed demon. He seems to love the boat. There are always new sights, a breeze in the face, water to splash around in and, of course, grandma and grandpa to give him plenty of attention. On his vacation cruise (he needed a vacation?) he visited the animal farm on Block Island, splashed in the pond and ocean and played in the sand. In the Cape (Cod) and Islands area he chased hermit crabs, saw seals, rode on a carousel and had other adventures such as long passages in big seas and/or fog. His favorite thing may have been steering Improbability or the dinghy outboard. He always wanted to take the helm. He is very much a boy.
It has been more than 35 years since a baby cruised with us so it is all a mix of old memories and new adventures. It'll keep us young, Maybe. We hope.
Our former boat, Perfectly Normal, is in the direct path of Florence and could be lost. The current owner still owes many payments to us, nevertheless.
This summer was mostly a lot of fun, with new adventures, because of our grandson, Cobbe. He was on the boat in May and July and went on a two week cruise with us at the end of July and the beginning of August. Each time he was on the boat there were dramatic changes as he developed rapidly as kids his age tend to do. A week or so ago he turned nine months old while on another cruise to Block Island with us. By the time we see him in person again he'll be a bit more than one year old and walking. Almost there now.
In May he wasn't crawling, by August he was a speed demon. He seems to love the boat. There are always new sights, a breeze in the face, water to splash around in and, of course, grandma and grandpa to give him plenty of attention. On his vacation cruise (he needed a vacation?) he visited the animal farm on Block Island, splashed in the pond and ocean and played in the sand. In the Cape (Cod) and Islands area he chased hermit crabs, saw seals, rode on a carousel and had other adventures such as long passages in big seas and/or fog. His favorite thing may have been steering Improbability or the dinghy outboard. He always wanted to take the helm. He is very much a boy.
It has been more than 35 years since a baby cruised with us so it is all a mix of old memories and new adventures. It'll keep us young, Maybe. We hope.
Thursday, May 10, 2018
Home Again
We are once again back home in Mystic on our mooring.
We left Annapolis when Carol got back from a work trip and went all the way up to the Bohemia River again. It was a mostly calm day with favorable current at times so we made decent time to the northern Chesapeake. Good thing. We anchored as the breeze was picking up and the sky was getting darker. Darker, but not from the sun setting. Weather had been off to the west and north of us during the afternoon but it was sliding in our direction. About dinner time it slid right over us. A very strong gust front hit us with a brief downpour. As we were having dinner I noticed we had dragged when the front went through and although it had stopped we were closer to shore than I would like and the wind shift had us worried about the lee shore. We re-anchored closer to the northern shore of the river with a little less exposure to the NW wind. A little. At least there was less fetch so the waves were smaller. We felt secure for the night and there were no further adventures.
The next day we were set up to catch the current through the C & D Canal and that was a quick passage. The trip down Delaware Bay was not terrible, at the beginning at least, as the wind and seas were behind us. the waves started out as 1-2 ft. but later increased to the occasional four or so. The last part of the passage from the shipping channel to the Cape May Canal exit area was no fun at all and then the passage around Cape May itself via the Cape May channel was even less fun. Really bad. Really, really bad.
We survived the 90 minutes or so of this great fun and went into Cape May Harbor. There were no boats anchored there (I wonder why?) so we had time to cruise around and choose a good spot. We didn't. We chose a lousy spot. We dragged our anchor, again during dinner, and had to find a better spot. We did. Just a few feet from the old spot but this time the anchor held fine. We spent the next day here, too. It was too rough in the harbor to put the dinghy in the water to go get fuel to top off our tanks. Not matter as we had plenty to get the rest of the way home but I always like to have full diesel tanks.
The next day we got underway to go to Atlantic City. It was only a five hour trip so we stopped to have an early dinner before getting underway again to head up the New Jersey coast overnight. This stop was to time the overnight passage to arrive in the New York City area when the currents would change to our favor. It didn't work out.
We got to the Sandy Hook area much too soon. With the seas and breeze behind us most all the way our SOG was too high. Too fast. It was still dark and too early for the current. We went around Sandy Hook using our GPS as all the lighted buoys for the many channels are very confusing. We 'borrowed' a mooring at Atlantic Highlands but only stayed there about 45 minutes as the trip around the Hook used up all our extra time.
The passage through the Narrows, up the Bay and the East River was mostly uneventful except for the very heavy traffic. Many barges and all the ferries kept us on our toes. Hells Gate was reasonably easy and our speed throughout the City was very high. Average was over 10 kts with highs over 12. Fast.
With this speed we did not stop at Port Washington and went all the way to Port Jefferson to 'borrow' a mooring there.
The next day was mostly flat calm except for a bit of breeze as we got to New London. We went against the current so our passage was not too quick but we were home on our mooring by about 1500. The end of our eighth eight month cruise.
A few days after getting home we rented a car to go to Astoria, Queens to retrieve our car and to see Cobbe. Oh, and our daughter, too.
Now it's work on the Pearson, catch up on bills and other obligations and get the boat ready for another trip south in September.
We left Annapolis when Carol got back from a work trip and went all the way up to the Bohemia River again. It was a mostly calm day with favorable current at times so we made decent time to the northern Chesapeake. Good thing. We anchored as the breeze was picking up and the sky was getting darker. Darker, but not from the sun setting. Weather had been off to the west and north of us during the afternoon but it was sliding in our direction. About dinner time it slid right over us. A very strong gust front hit us with a brief downpour. As we were having dinner I noticed we had dragged when the front went through and although it had stopped we were closer to shore than I would like and the wind shift had us worried about the lee shore. We re-anchored closer to the northern shore of the river with a little less exposure to the NW wind. A little. At least there was less fetch so the waves were smaller. We felt secure for the night and there were no further adventures.
The next day we were set up to catch the current through the C & D Canal and that was a quick passage. The trip down Delaware Bay was not terrible, at the beginning at least, as the wind and seas were behind us. the waves started out as 1-2 ft. but later increased to the occasional four or so. The last part of the passage from the shipping channel to the Cape May Canal exit area was no fun at all and then the passage around Cape May itself via the Cape May channel was even less fun. Really bad. Really, really bad.
We survived the 90 minutes or so of this great fun and went into Cape May Harbor. There were no boats anchored there (I wonder why?) so we had time to cruise around and choose a good spot. We didn't. We chose a lousy spot. We dragged our anchor, again during dinner, and had to find a better spot. We did. Just a few feet from the old spot but this time the anchor held fine. We spent the next day here, too. It was too rough in the harbor to put the dinghy in the water to go get fuel to top off our tanks. Not matter as we had plenty to get the rest of the way home but I always like to have full diesel tanks.
The next day we got underway to go to Atlantic City. It was only a five hour trip so we stopped to have an early dinner before getting underway again to head up the New Jersey coast overnight. This stop was to time the overnight passage to arrive in the New York City area when the currents would change to our favor. It didn't work out.
We got to the Sandy Hook area much too soon. With the seas and breeze behind us most all the way our SOG was too high. Too fast. It was still dark and too early for the current. We went around Sandy Hook using our GPS as all the lighted buoys for the many channels are very confusing. We 'borrowed' a mooring at Atlantic Highlands but only stayed there about 45 minutes as the trip around the Hook used up all our extra time.
The passage through the Narrows, up the Bay and the East River was mostly uneventful except for the very heavy traffic. Many barges and all the ferries kept us on our toes. Hells Gate was reasonably easy and our speed throughout the City was very high. Average was over 10 kts with highs over 12. Fast.
With this speed we did not stop at Port Washington and went all the way to Port Jefferson to 'borrow' a mooring there.
The next day was mostly flat calm except for a bit of breeze as we got to New London. We went against the current so our passage was not too quick but we were home on our mooring by about 1500. The end of our eighth eight month cruise.
A few days after getting home we rented a car to go to Astoria, Queens to retrieve our car and to see Cobbe. Oh, and our daughter, too.
Now it's work on the Pearson, catch up on bills and other obligations and get the boat ready for another trip south in September.
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