When we last wrote, we were anchored up the Sassafras River on a rainy, misty day. We spent another night at that anchorage and considered going further up stream to Georgetown if the weather improved. It didn't, and instead, we headed back to the Chesapeake to go south. After a discussion we headed for the Chester River on the eastern shore, just north of the Bay Bridge. We had nice downwind sail although the skies remained overcast with an occasional sprinkles that dampened things.
From looking at the chart, it would be easy to spend a week cruising on the Chester - lots of creeks to explore with interesting anchorages. We picked the Corsica River to try for the night. At sunset, (had the sun been visible), we dropped anchor at the mouth of Emory Creek about a mile up the Corsica, launched the dinghy, and took a quick dinghy ride up the creek. It was a very pleasant place to spend the night.
Emory Creek on the Corsica River
In the morning we debated continuing up the Chester River to Chestertown, or exploring the Corsica River - the chart showed it was navigable for about 2 miles - then taking the dinghy the last mile to the Centerville town dock. We chose the latter and slowly worked our way upstream until we reached Fort Point where the chart ended, and anchored in about 6 feet of water. Behind the boat, we spotted a large nest in a dead tree and we watched as a bald eagle landed on a branch above it. A second eagle flew in and landed nearby. We've read that the eagle population is on the increase in the Chesapeake area in recent years. We don't remember seeing any in the Chesapeake last year.
Eagle and Nest
We got directions from a mailman to the grocery store that had recently moved further from town and picked up a few provisions. The return walk to the dock and the dinghy ride got us back to boat with enough time to explore another creek off the Chester River before dark. So off we sailed to Grays Inn Creek picking an anchorage with 10 feet of water.
Off the Grays Inn Creek Anchorage
Taking the dinghy, we continued up the creek for about 2 miles until it shoaled too much to continue with the outboard motor. The first mile or so had some houses on along the sides, but the last section of the creek was undeveloped, with farm fields or marshes bordering it. Since it was getting dark, and the tide was falling, we turned around and headed back to the boat after paddling around a couple of more turns in the creek. There were a lot of birds and the reflections in the water were beautiful, but once again, we hadn't grabbed the camera when we left the boat.
Migrating Water Fowl the Next Morning
We considered skipping Annapolis and going through Kent Narrows as a short cut to St. Michaels. The depths on the chart show a long 6 foot channel to the bascule bridge and then a few shoals to be dodged before getting to deeper water, but Isabel came through last fall and we don't know if the charts are correct. Instead we headed north to go around the shoals off Kent Island and toward Annapolis. We'll have plenty of chances to sail in skinny water in the keys.
Annapolis, MD 10/22/2004
We arrived in Annapolis Friday and picked up a mooring just off the city docks. After a dinghy ride into town we took a walk over to the Eastport side of the harbor to look at some sailboats that were flying banners like those seen at boat shows, and learned there would be demos for interested buyers on Saturday. Since they were Tartans we might go take a look even though we aren't in the market - it's always interesting to see the newest ideas and compare them to what we have.
When we walked back to Annapolis and up the main street we noticed the police barricading the street and people collecting along the curb. It was the high school homecoming weekend and a parade was about to start. There were the usual fire trucks, a marching band, majorettes, local politicians, floats, and homing coming dignitaries all riding in Corvettes of various vintages. The football team was tossing toy footballs and candy to the crowd as they went by on a float. Nothing like getting some local color! We were also treated to a short fireworks show at the Naval Academy after dinner.
High Tide at the Annapolis Waterfront
The Chapel at the Naval Academy
Naval Academy Racing Fleets
St. Michaels 10/24/2004
We arrived at St. Michaels on Sunday afternoon with enough time for a walk through the town. The VHF weather has been warning about abnormally high tides and, as we tied up at the dinghy float, the water was about 4 inches above the dock face and sidewalks. A worker from the Maritime Museum kindly placed two planks from the float to shore which we carefully negotiated to dry land. There was to be a benefit auction for the fire and rescue squads and many people were wandering about. We bought some Tee shirts and a few provisions, had a crab cake dinner, by which time the tide had fallen enough to get back to our dinghy with dry feet.
A
three masted schooner was anchored outside the harbor at St. Michaels
and had been ferrying passengers ashore in a dinghy as we approached
the harbor. When we got back onboard after our tour through town
it was dark. The
schooner was still at anchor and had all the rigging lit up. We
tried to get some photos, but it is hard to not move, especially on a
boat, when the exposure time is a couple of seconds without
a tripod.
Large Sailing Vessel Anchored off St. Michaels
We departed St. Michaels the next morning, still undecided as to our destination for the night. We'd been up the Choptank River to Oxford and spent several days in the area last year. We wanted to try some place we hadn't seen and headed toward the Little Choptank River which sounded interesting. We worked our way up Hudson Creek, one of the first creeks, hoping to find a nice spot without going so far up the river (we have to go back out again the next day). Most of the houses on the creek were modest, weekend retreats or local watermen's homes, except for one on a point that dominated the entire creek. After anchoring, we launched the dinghy to explore the coves around us and to make sure we wouldn't accidentally swing into shallow water.
Abnormally High Tide- The Dock is Under Water
Because of the persistent NE winds since we left Sandy Hook, the tides, which were already high due to the new moon, have been unable to empty out of the major bays (Raritan, Delaware and Chesapeake) as they normally would. Once again houses relatively close to the water had water well into the yard and docks under water at high tide. We also realize how lucky we were to have taken the weather window when we did our offshore run. The same NE winds that are causing the high tides here are a Nor'easter along the coast and gale warnings have been issued daily since we reached the Chesapeake. The gusty west winds we experienced (small craft advisories) were nothing compared to the ocean waves that have been occurring since then. I suspect some of the boats that didn't leave when we did had to wait a week or longer to head south.
Solomons Island, MD 10/26/2004
Fall Colors at Solomons Back Creek
In the morning we headed back across the Chesapeake for Solomons
Island, a convenient stop over just off the mouth of the Patuxent
River,
where we planned on picking up provisions. We ran our
errands, took a dingy ride on the upper reaches the creek to check it
out, and then went back ashore for a walk. There is a very nice
boardwalk along the Patuxent River where we watched the sun set.
We also walked around the tip of the island where the Chesapeake
Biological Laboratories are located and took a picture of the full
moon. We decided
to have dinner at the Naughty Gull restaurant
located at the marina across from the boat before heading back for the
night.
Sunset over the Patuxent River
Moon Rise over the Solomons Entrance
This fall we explored a bit of the lower Potomac. I had hoped to get to St. Mary's City, a small town up the St. Mary's River on the north side of the Potomac. From the guide book, it sounded like it would be an interesting place to explore, and that's where we were headed there until Leonard realized it would be one of those long days which would net 5 miles of actual distance over land. Back to the guide book to make another choice.
The Glebe Creek on the south side of the Potomac looked interesting. Rather than launch the dinghy, I convinced Leonard to take Antares further up the creek than he had planned. Slowly poking our way among the multiple white stakes along the creek sides, we finally ended up in a nice little cove with a large power boat from RI. As we were circling figuring out if the stakes indicated shoals and where it would be safe to anchor, the owner motored over in his dinghy and told us his family had had a summer home on the creek when he was a boy and there was good depths all around us, the stakes were oyster bed markers. We picked a spot between stakes and settled in the night. We watched the moon rise and tried to get some pictures of the lunar eclipse. There was no television coverage so we didn't get to see the final World Series game.
Glebe Creek Anchorage in the Morning
Close-up of Eagle in above picture
Thursday morning, after photographing the "eagle de jour" in a tree behind the boat, we headed out of the Potomac, set sail, and headed for an anchorage in Fleets Bay, further south on the western shore. It was a warmer, sunnier day than forecast. We have been able to do more sailing on this trip which has been great. The NE winds have made for downwind sailing most days, so we even get to sail directly toward our intended harbor since we're headed south. In the afternoon, when the 2 o'clock flats hit, we turned on the iron jib, and with plenty of power and hot water, took showers. This so called "wasted" space has probably seen as much use as any on board - from the intended use as a shower, to great storage for wet gear, a place to stow wine, beer and drinking water, and even the dinghy when we are off shore if the weather may be rough or when we leave the boat to go home.
Interesting Sailing Ship
As we approached Fleets Bay we noticed a tug and tow heading the the same direction. He stopped outside the channel entrance, reeled in the tow line and tied up along side of the barge. When Leonard contacted him on the VHF radio regarding his intentions, he requested we not try to go ahead of him because he needed the whole channel, and he proceeded up Indian Creek, one of four creeks in Fleets Bay. So we followed him.
We turned off into Pittman's Creek, just before the wharf where the barge was headed and found a delightful, secluded, little cove with good water almost to the edges. It was not unlike being in Barn Rock or Partridge harbors at home, and having it all to yourself. We decided not to hassle with launching the dinghy, motor and all its parts to go exploring, so we sat back, enjoyed the place and our books. But before dark, our curiosity got the best of us and we opted to launch the dinghy and use paddles instead of the outboard since it was calm. It was an interesting little creek, undeveloped on one side, and in the process of what looked like some major development on the other. I'm glad we had the chance to see it before it was totally built up.
Pittmans Cove Anchorage
Mobjack, VA 10/29/2004
Today was the first day since we reached the Chesapeake that the wind wasn't out of the NE. The forecast was for mostly cloudy with light southerly winds so we did some windward sailing since we don't have a schedule carved in stone. We were heading for Mobjack Bay having picked the Northwest branch of the Severn River as our anchorage for the night. The sailing was great with apparent winds in the 12 - 15 knot range and we watched the other cruisers motor past us on a more direct route, but hey, we're a sail boat, and tacking is part of the package. Besides, there will be days when we have to motor in the ICW where it can really be tricky to sail and still stay in the channels. It would have been a great day if they hadn't changed the forecast to include rain along with the clouds. I got the task of working on an e-mail update inside while Leonard huddled under the dodger in his rain gear.
It had stopped raining by the time we got to the Severn River. Having arrived before dark, we poked around until we found a place we liked, not in some one's front yard, off Free School Creek. There is a multi-hull anchored in the next pocket of deep water. We haven't seen many other cruisers in the anchorages we've chosen, although we see a lot of boats heading south during the days. In the morning we'll decide where we head next. Given our rate of travel, we could be in the Norfolk area in a day. We would like to explore more of the eastern shore too, but from the charts there is not much deep water over there, and the anchorages are few and far between. Most likely we'd have to make use of marinas and there aren't many of those either.
In the morning we decided to do another side trip before heading in to the Hampton area. So we proceeded up the Poquoson River which is about 15 miles north of Hampton, VA, taking the Chisman Creek branch past a marina and anchoring in 9 feet with bow and stern anchors to keep us from swinging into shore if the wind died overnight. Two other boats decided we had chosen a good location and anchored down stream from us.
Sunset at Chisman Creek - Note upside down "No Wake" Sign
Hampton, VA 10/31/2004
On Halloween, once we had cleared the river channel, we set sail and headed for Hampton. We contacted the Hampton Yacht Club to see if they would have dock space for us again this year and they did. They had updated their facilities to all floating docks in the aftermath of Isabel last year, which makes docking easier especially when currents are running. I'm not overly fond of "hugging" pilings while trying to get a line around them.
After checking in at the yacht club, we walked into town and toured the Air and Space Museum. Last year they had been installing a new exhibit and most of the museum had been closed. It was interesting, Leonard had fun trying to "fly" the various planes, but said the controls on his computer flight simulator are much more responsive. We also went on a bombing run on a WW II B17 mockup which felt strange - you are standing inside the plane with the floor and the view forward moving to simulate the motion of the plane. They also had a good IMAX on the forces of nature that we enjoyed.
The next day we walked over to the marina where the Caribbean 1500 boats were assembling. They were due to start on Nov. 5 and 6, and a few of the boats were already on the docks. Antares would definitely be on the small side, if in fact they would include us at all. (On 11/7/2004 when checking the web site to see how the race/rally was proceeding, we learned the start had been delayed due to weather conditions.)
LCYC Burgee at Hampton Yacht Club
The Cruise Ship as Viewed from the Portsmouth Anchorage
As Seen in Dry Dock - Compare it to the Size of the Men Standing
Leonard got us up and underway early in the morning in order to catch
the 7:30 opening at the first bridge. Passing by the cruise ship
we saw it was actually
in
dry dock and loomed over everything. Arriving at the bridge we
found the bridge schedule had changed and we had an hour
wait. We
weren't the only ones with outdated cruising guides as 2 other sail
boats
and 3 power boats were already doing a slow circle or trying to find a
place out of the wind to hang out while waiting. By the time 8:30
rolled around we had 13 pleasure boats and a small tug waiting for the
bridge opening and another tug and barge heading north through the
fleet. We all proceeded south through the series of bridges and
when we
reached the turnoff for the Dismal Swamp Route, several boats headed
west while the rest of us continued toward the Great Bridge Lock and
bridge in drizzly, windy conditions.
The Parade of Boats Heading South
There already was a tug and barge on the lock wall when we arrived, and being slower than the power boats, by the time the 3 of us sailboats arrived, the lock master told us it was full and we'd have to wait until the next opening. We'd thought if we kept pace with the tug heading south we'd be able to squeak through the lock and bridge with him, as restrictions don't apply to commercial traffic, but he turned off just before the lock. As the 3 of us were milling around frustrated at the delay, the lock master said she had room for one more boat. We tried to let the boat who'd gotten there first go in, but she said she "wanted the little red one" so in we went. (We were all about the same size the others being 36 and 37 feet.) The real hang-up for the others wouldn't be the lock, but the bridge just past it which only opens hourly. Once we were in, it looked like all of us could have fit.
Once clear of the lock and bridge we motored down to Currituck Sound. By the time we reached more open water the drizzle had stopped and the wind had gone to the WNW allowing us to sail. This year it appears the Coast Guard has cleared the osprey nests off the markers. They may obscure the marks, but they are interesting to watch and now all we see are cormorants. We arrived at Coinjock and were tied up at the marina by mid afternoon making it easy to get the laundry done with time enough for a short walk. Actually we had a walk just to get to the main part of the marina since we hadn't made reservations and got put out on the furthest dock!
Coinjock, NC 11/4/2004
We thought about waiting a day for the weather to clear since rain was in the forecast along with wind, but then we'd risk the chance of the Alligator Bridge possibly not opening the next day which had even higher winds forecast. No fog this year. Many of the sports fishermen and big power boats had already departed which meant we'd have less rolling in their wakes. Once we reached the North River we put up the sails and shut down the engine. There were a few sprinkles, but the wind co-operated nicely giving us a good sail across the Albemarle Sound to the Alligator River Bridge.
Reaching the bridge shortly after noon, we were part of a loose group of sail boats and a few slower trawlers, most of which turned off to go to the marina just before the bridge. With the forecast for possible severe thundershowers and strong gusty winds overnight, many boats were stopping early as this is the only marina on this stretch of the ICW. In the past we have anchored further south in similar conditions and wanted to get through the bridge. When we contacted the bridge tender she requested we wait for the sailboat behind us. We had heard him on the radio trying to get depth information for the marina. After we talked with him, they decided to join us off Bear Point for the night since they had a 6 foot draft and weren't sure they'd clear the marina channel. We proceeded south and anchored in the spot Leonard likes off Bear Point.
Overnight it rained hard, and the wind switched and blew hard, but there were no problems. There were 6 sailboats in the 3 anchorages available on that short stretch of the river. The Alligator Pungo Canal is a long haul - about 25 miles - and not something we'd like to do after dark as there aren't many markers, but are lots of snags. All of us continued on south in the morning. The wind was out of the north, but the canal is lined with trees that block the wind, so we didn't set sail until we entered the Pungo River. We talked to the folks on "Tatiana", the boat that had anchored by us who said they were headed to Belhaven for the night and would be at the marina. After we anchored and launched the dinghy, we headed in to town and walked down to the marina to say hello to them. The boat tied up next to them had some interesting folks too, retired sailors, now living aboard a trawler headed south after having spent the last two summers poking around Labrador and Newfoundland.
Belhaven Anchorage Sunset
We also spent Saturday at Belhaven walking to the store and watching some of a peewee touch football game. We discussed a side trip up the Neuse river to New Bern, but there are no anchorages in town, and the town dock doesn't allow overnight tie ups. Instead, we decided to go out to Ocracoke on the outer banks and spend a few days anchored in Silver Lake, the town harbor.
Ocracoke, NC 11/7/2004
With the winds out of the NW, it was a great sail to the outer banks. We dodged the outbound ferry as we entered the channel into Ocracoke. The only way onto the island is by boat or plane. We spent a few days anchored in a secure, landlocked harbor. It was obviously post season, the only other boat at anchor was battened down for the winter and one boat was tied up at the park dock, so we nearly had the place to ourselves.
Silver Lake Anchorage at Ocracoke
The wind blew enough to keep the batteries charged (N at 15 - 25) and it was an easy dinghy ride to shore. We explored the town on foot and walked on the beach. We took the wrong turn from town and had a 3 mile hike along the marsh to the beach. Once on the beach it was very hard walking back into the wind. The only people on the beach were a few surf fishermen who weren't catching much although it looked like the pelicans and dolphins were having better luck a bit further offshore.
Interesting Ocracoke Garage
Surf Fisherman on a Windy Day
On Tuesday we rented bikes and rode out to the nature trail that's further north on the island. The north wind made the trip out hard work on the one speed rental bikes. The trail was interesting but we didn't see much wildlife. The downwind ride back was easier.
A view of the Bay from the Nature Trail
Cormorants on a Sand Bank.
On Wednesday morning, we raised anchor and headed back out the dredged channel. The wind had dropped back a bit and the sound wasn't awash with whitecaps as it had been since our arrival. The most common bird we've seen is the cormorant, and as we passed a small island made by the sand for dredged from the channel, it was covered by them. After reaching the bay, we had a nice sail south and west, stopping for the night up the South River across from Oriental, NC. After a quiet night, we made our way to Beaufort and anchored in Town Creek. We seem to be the only cruising boat anchored past the marina, a few boats are anchored in the area west, but the boats by us look like they are permanently anchored and only a couple are occupied. With the weather forecast for rain ahead of a cold front with winds shifting to the north, we will stay anchored until the front passes.
Beaufort, NC 11/13/2004
There was a bit of excitement in town yesterday. We had a package to mail and as we walked toward the post office, we were turned back by a policeman and yellow tape blocking the street. We learned someone had called in a bomb threat to the bank next to the post office. A suspicious package was found (the cop said it looked like a bomb to him) and the Army bomb disposal team was called in to detonate the package. It took some time, but eventually things returned to normal and post office re-opened. After buying some used books, we managed to get back to the boat just before the showers started.
Leonard and Lynnea RosnerLarge Sailing Vessel Anchored off St. Michaels
We departed St. Michaels the next morning, still undecided as to our destination for the night. We'd been up the Choptank River to Oxford and spent several days in the area last year. We wanted to try some place we hadn't seen and headed toward the Little Choptank River which sounded interesting. We worked our way up Hudson Creek, one of the first creeks, hoping to find a nice spot without going so far up the river (we have to go back out again the next day). Most of the houses on the creek were modest, weekend retreats or local watermen's homes, except for one on a point that dominated the entire creek. After anchoring, we launched the dinghy to explore the coves around us and to make sure we wouldn't accidentally swing into shallow water.
Abnormally High Tide- The Dock is Under Water
Because of the persistent NE winds since we left Sandy Hook, the tides, which were already high due to the new moon, have been unable to empty out of the major bays (Raritan, Delaware and Chesapeake) as they normally would. Once again houses relatively close to the water had water well into the yard and docks under water at high tide. We also realize how lucky we were to have taken the weather window when we did our offshore run. The same NE winds that are causing the high tides here are a Nor'easter along the coast and gale warnings have been issued daily since we reached the Chesapeake. The gusty west winds we experienced (small craft advisories) were nothing compared to the ocean waves that have been occurring since then. I suspect some of the boats that didn't leave when we did had to wait a week or longer to head south.
Solomons Island, MD 10/26/2004
Fall Colors at Solomons Back Creek
Sunset over the Patuxent River
Moon Rise over the Solomons Entrance
This fall we explored a bit of the lower Potomac. I had hoped to get to St. Mary's City, a small town up the St. Mary's River on the north side of the Potomac. From the guide book, it sounded like it would be an interesting place to explore, and that's where we were headed there until Leonard realized it would be one of those long days which would net 5 miles of actual distance over land. Back to the guide book to make another choice.
The Glebe Creek on the south side of the Potomac looked interesting. Rather than launch the dinghy, I convinced Leonard to take Antares further up the creek than he had planned. Slowly poking our way among the multiple white stakes along the creek sides, we finally ended up in a nice little cove with a large power boat from RI. As we were circling figuring out if the stakes indicated shoals and where it would be safe to anchor, the owner motored over in his dinghy and told us his family had had a summer home on the creek when he was a boy and there was good depths all around us, the stakes were oyster bed markers. We picked a spot between stakes and settled in the night. We watched the moon rise and tried to get some pictures of the lunar eclipse. There was no television coverage so we didn't get to see the final World Series game.
Glebe Creek Anchorage in the Morning
Close-up of Eagle in above picture
Thursday morning, after photographing the "eagle de jour" in a tree behind the boat, we headed out of the Potomac, set sail, and headed for an anchorage in Fleets Bay, further south on the western shore. It was a warmer, sunnier day than forecast. We have been able to do more sailing on this trip which has been great. The NE winds have made for downwind sailing most days, so we even get to sail directly toward our intended harbor since we're headed south. In the afternoon, when the 2 o'clock flats hit, we turned on the iron jib, and with plenty of power and hot water, took showers. This so called "wasted" space has probably seen as much use as any on board - from the intended use as a shower, to great storage for wet gear, a place to stow wine, beer and drinking water, and even the dinghy when we are off shore if the weather may be rough or when we leave the boat to go home.
Interesting Sailing Ship
As we approached Fleets Bay we noticed a tug and tow heading the the same direction. He stopped outside the channel entrance, reeled in the tow line and tied up along side of the barge. When Leonard contacted him on the VHF radio regarding his intentions, he requested we not try to go ahead of him because he needed the whole channel, and he proceeded up Indian Creek, one of four creeks in Fleets Bay. So we followed him.
We turned off into Pittman's Creek, just before the wharf where the barge was headed and found a delightful, secluded, little cove with good water almost to the edges. It was not unlike being in Barn Rock or Partridge harbors at home, and having it all to yourself. We decided not to hassle with launching the dinghy, motor and all its parts to go exploring, so we sat back, enjoyed the place and our books. But before dark, our curiosity got the best of us and we opted to launch the dinghy and use paddles instead of the outboard since it was calm. It was an interesting little creek, undeveloped on one side, and in the process of what looked like some major development on the other. I'm glad we had the chance to see it before it was totally built up.
Pittmans Cove Anchorage
Today was the first day since we reached the Chesapeake that the wind wasn't out of the NE. The forecast was for mostly cloudy with light southerly winds so we did some windward sailing since we don't have a schedule carved in stone. We were heading for Mobjack Bay having picked the Northwest branch of the Severn River as our anchorage for the night. The sailing was great with apparent winds in the 12 - 15 knot range and we watched the other cruisers motor past us on a more direct route, but hey, we're a sail boat, and tacking is part of the package. Besides, there will be days when we have to motor in the ICW where it can really be tricky to sail and still stay in the channels. It would have been a great day if they hadn't changed the forecast to include rain along with the clouds. I got the task of working on an e-mail update inside while Leonard huddled under the dodger in his rain gear.
It had stopped raining by the time we got to the Severn River. Having arrived before dark, we poked around until we found a place we liked, not in some one's front yard, off Free School Creek. There is a multi-hull anchored in the next pocket of deep water. We haven't seen many other cruisers in the anchorages we've chosen, although we see a lot of boats heading south during the days. In the morning we'll decide where we head next. Given our rate of travel, we could be in the Norfolk area in a day. We would like to explore more of the eastern shore too, but from the charts there is not much deep water over there, and the anchorages are few and far between. Most likely we'd have to make use of marinas and there aren't many of those either.
In the morning we decided to do another side trip before heading in to the Hampton area. So we proceeded up the Poquoson River which is about 15 miles north of Hampton, VA, taking the Chisman Creek branch past a marina and anchoring in 9 feet with bow and stern anchors to keep us from swinging into shore if the wind died overnight. Two other boats decided we had chosen a good location and anchored down stream from us.
Sunset at Chisman Creek - Note upside down "No Wake" Sign
Hampton, VA 10/31/2004
On Halloween, once we had cleared the river channel, we set sail and headed for Hampton. We contacted the Hampton Yacht Club to see if they would have dock space for us again this year and they did. They had updated their facilities to all floating docks in the aftermath of Isabel last year, which makes docking easier especially when currents are running. I'm not overly fond of "hugging" pilings while trying to get a line around them.
After checking in at the yacht club, we walked into town and toured the Air and Space Museum. Last year they had been installing a new exhibit and most of the museum had been closed. It was interesting, Leonard had fun trying to "fly" the various planes, but said the controls on his computer flight simulator are much more responsive. We also went on a bombing run on a WW II B17 mockup which felt strange - you are standing inside the plane with the floor and the view forward moving to simulate the motion of the plane. They also had a good IMAX on the forces of nature that we enjoyed.
The next day we walked over to the marina where the Caribbean 1500 boats were assembling. They were due to start on Nov. 5 and 6, and a few of the boats were already on the docks. Antares would definitely be on the small side, if in fact they would include us at all. (On 11/7/2004 when checking the web site to see how the race/rally was proceeding, we learned the start had been delayed due to weather conditions.)
LCYC Burgee at Hampton Yacht Club
On Election Day, after checking to see
if we could swap club burgees
(we didn't, they already had one of ours) we departed, sailing down to
Hospital
Point in the Norfolk Portsmouth area to anchor for the night. We
saw
Navy Vessel "55" in dry-dock - that was the one we saw headed out to
sea
last spring. The harbor always has a lot of action - ferries
traveling between shores, tugs and barges, military
patrol boats and other cruisers. One very big sailboat came into
the
anchorage and dropped a hook along with us smaller folk. It also
looked
like a cruise ship was tied up alongside the wharf in Portsmouth which
looked out of place. I never thought of that area as being a
cruise
ship destination.
The Cruise Ship as Viewed from the Portsmouth Anchorage
As Seen in Dry Dock - Compare it to the Size of the Men Standing
The Parade of Boats Heading South
There already was a tug and barge on the lock wall when we arrived, and being slower than the power boats, by the time the 3 of us sailboats arrived, the lock master told us it was full and we'd have to wait until the next opening. We'd thought if we kept pace with the tug heading south we'd be able to squeak through the lock and bridge with him, as restrictions don't apply to commercial traffic, but he turned off just before the lock. As the 3 of us were milling around frustrated at the delay, the lock master said she had room for one more boat. We tried to let the boat who'd gotten there first go in, but she said she "wanted the little red one" so in we went. (We were all about the same size the others being 36 and 37 feet.) The real hang-up for the others wouldn't be the lock, but the bridge just past it which only opens hourly. Once we were in, it looked like all of us could have fit.
Once clear of the lock and bridge we motored down to Currituck Sound. By the time we reached more open water the drizzle had stopped and the wind had gone to the WNW allowing us to sail. This year it appears the Coast Guard has cleared the osprey nests off the markers. They may obscure the marks, but they are interesting to watch and now all we see are cormorants. We arrived at Coinjock and were tied up at the marina by mid afternoon making it easy to get the laundry done with time enough for a short walk. Actually we had a walk just to get to the main part of the marina since we hadn't made reservations and got put out on the furthest dock!
Coinjock, NC 11/4/2004
We thought about waiting a day for the weather to clear since rain was in the forecast along with wind, but then we'd risk the chance of the Alligator Bridge possibly not opening the next day which had even higher winds forecast. No fog this year. Many of the sports fishermen and big power boats had already departed which meant we'd have less rolling in their wakes. Once we reached the North River we put up the sails and shut down the engine. There were a few sprinkles, but the wind co-operated nicely giving us a good sail across the Albemarle Sound to the Alligator River Bridge.
Reaching the bridge shortly after noon, we were part of a loose group of sail boats and a few slower trawlers, most of which turned off to go to the marina just before the bridge. With the forecast for possible severe thundershowers and strong gusty winds overnight, many boats were stopping early as this is the only marina on this stretch of the ICW. In the past we have anchored further south in similar conditions and wanted to get through the bridge. When we contacted the bridge tender she requested we wait for the sailboat behind us. We had heard him on the radio trying to get depth information for the marina. After we talked with him, they decided to join us off Bear Point for the night since they had a 6 foot draft and weren't sure they'd clear the marina channel. We proceeded south and anchored in the spot Leonard likes off Bear Point.
Overnight it rained hard, and the wind switched and blew hard, but there were no problems. There were 6 sailboats in the 3 anchorages available on that short stretch of the river. The Alligator Pungo Canal is a long haul - about 25 miles - and not something we'd like to do after dark as there aren't many markers, but are lots of snags. All of us continued on south in the morning. The wind was out of the north, but the canal is lined with trees that block the wind, so we didn't set sail until we entered the Pungo River. We talked to the folks on "Tatiana", the boat that had anchored by us who said they were headed to Belhaven for the night and would be at the marina. After we anchored and launched the dinghy, we headed in to town and walked down to the marina to say hello to them. The boat tied up next to them had some interesting folks too, retired sailors, now living aboard a trawler headed south after having spent the last two summers poking around Labrador and Newfoundland.
Belhaven Anchorage Sunset
We also spent Saturday at Belhaven walking to the store and watching some of a peewee touch football game. We discussed a side trip up the Neuse river to New Bern, but there are no anchorages in town, and the town dock doesn't allow overnight tie ups. Instead, we decided to go out to Ocracoke on the outer banks and spend a few days anchored in Silver Lake, the town harbor.
Ocracoke, NC 11/7/2004
With the winds out of the NW, it was a great sail to the outer banks. We dodged the outbound ferry as we entered the channel into Ocracoke. The only way onto the island is by boat or plane. We spent a few days anchored in a secure, landlocked harbor. It was obviously post season, the only other boat at anchor was battened down for the winter and one boat was tied up at the park dock, so we nearly had the place to ourselves.
Silver Lake Anchorage at Ocracoke
The wind blew enough to keep the batteries charged (N at 15 - 25) and it was an easy dinghy ride to shore. We explored the town on foot and walked on the beach. We took the wrong turn from town and had a 3 mile hike along the marsh to the beach. Once on the beach it was very hard walking back into the wind. The only people on the beach were a few surf fishermen who weren't catching much although it looked like the pelicans and dolphins were having better luck a bit further offshore.
Interesting Ocracoke Garage
Surf Fisherman on a Windy Day
On Tuesday we rented bikes and rode out to the nature trail that's further north on the island. The north wind made the trip out hard work on the one speed rental bikes. The trail was interesting but we didn't see much wildlife. The downwind ride back was easier.
A view of the Bay from the Nature Trail
Cormorants on a Sand Bank.
On Wednesday morning, we raised anchor and headed back out the dredged channel. The wind had dropped back a bit and the sound wasn't awash with whitecaps as it had been since our arrival. The most common bird we've seen is the cormorant, and as we passed a small island made by the sand for dredged from the channel, it was covered by them. After reaching the bay, we had a nice sail south and west, stopping for the night up the South River across from Oriental, NC. After a quiet night, we made our way to Beaufort and anchored in Town Creek. We seem to be the only cruising boat anchored past the marina, a few boats are anchored in the area west, but the boats by us look like they are permanently anchored and only a couple are occupied. With the weather forecast for rain ahead of a cold front with winds shifting to the north, we will stay anchored until the front passes.
Beaufort, NC 11/13/2004
There was a bit of excitement in town yesterday. We had a package to mail and as we walked toward the post office, we were turned back by a policeman and yellow tape blocking the street. We learned someone had called in a bomb threat to the bank next to the post office. A suspicious package was found (the cop said it looked like a bomb to him) and the Army bomb disposal team was called in to detonate the package. It took some time, but eventually things returned to normal and post office re-opened. After buying some used books, we managed to get back to the boat just before the showers started.
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