Coinjock to the head of the Alligator Pungo Canal, NC (Mile 80 ICW)

The breezes that were absent yesterday, returned today. I have learned that using Accuweather or Weather Bug on my phone might not be as reliable as NOAA Weather for marine travels.  The difference in forecasted winds has been substantially inaccurate. . . . As we left the A & C Canal onto the North River, the winds began to build.  By the time we were on the Albemarle Sound, the winds were from the SW 20-25 as predicted by NOAA.  We actually took a number of waves over the cabin.  I had to bail out the bathroom as we had left the hatch open about ½ inch and I had about a ½ gallon of water that thankfully collected in the lowest area.  We were really heeled due to the sails. A few things rearranged themselves, but thankfully, nothing's broken.  As the day progressed the winds slowly lessened to the 8 MPH predicted by Accuweather for Coinjock. Lessen well learned!

            As we approached the Alligator River shortly after noon, the winds appeared to have dropped to 15 MPH. The channel is very tricky and our GPS was completely incorrect even to the day markers.  When we radioed Brunelle to verify the channel, we received guidance from Surprise. It truly was a surprise!  Ed and Connie Dooley are also members of CCYC and will be joining our group later. Since they had such a significant lead, they were continuing on. Hopefully, we will meet up with them later this week.

Around 3:30 PM, we were the first boats to drop anchor just outside the Alligator River-Pungo River Canal (mile 102 on the Intracoastal Waterway). Lines needed to be put away, windows de-salted, clean-up rags hung to dry, etc.   Dinner was eaten in our “porch” as the sun was setting. There are now about 15 boats anchored in area. I was getting some great pictures until the battalion of mosquitoes invaded. One minute everything was fine; then suddenly there were at least 30 mosquitoes on me. I have some really nice sunset photos, but I could not wait any longer for “the picture.”  It is 3 hours later and I am still feeling “buggy!”

Sunset at the head of the Alligator Pungo Canal
just before the mosquitos invasion.

51/298 Total miles                              ~  ~ (\_~ ~ ~     Kathy and Pete 

MILE MARKER “0” OF THE INTRACOSTAL Elizabeth River, Norfolk to Coinjock, NC (Mile 50 ICW)

Traffic at our 1st bridge on the ICW

     Just outside of Tidewater Marina we began our trip on the Intracoastal Waterway, Mile Marker “0.”  Initially, the Intracoastal Waterway is all industrial.  The exodus of pleasure craft mixes with tugs, barges and a ship being maneuvered up river. As we traveled further south, the more the pleasure craft we see, especially as we approach the bridges . . .proof that with all this beautiful water there can also be traffic. Once we passed the split for the Dismal Swamp, traffic thinned considerably. The scenery has also changed.  We traveled a very narrow waterway that is primarily tree-lined with water the color of dark tea. Some of the trees are hinting of a color change, but others are pines. There are lots of tree stumps sticking out into the water, making me wonder just how close some of those are we can’t see below the water are how close to the boat ???

     We were reminded that it is hunting season, by the hunter’s orange caps, the coon dogs along the banks, all the camouflage boats, engines, and gear, and a couple of shots we heard fired. John reported seeing a deer in a hunter’s boat.



The lock at Great Bridge closing.

      With the Virginia Cut, we had 12 bridges and 1 lock. We missed one bridge opening and we were unable to fit into the lock due to so many boats seeking passage, so we lost an additional hour waiting for the next one. These delays combined with a late departure made for a very long day.   Once in the Albemarle and Chesapeake Canal there are no anchorages or marinas until Coinjack, N.C.  We did try to explore 2 suggested areas for anchoring around mile 29, but they were not deep enough so we continued on to Coinjack.   

Seville waiting at the lock.

 

Brunelle and Andiamo
leaving the lock.



Thankfully, Midway Marina was able to make room and accommodate us for the night.  We were able to tie up right at dusk and again have a beautiful sunset. We gathered aboard Pekabu III to celebrate Pete’s birthday and share the wonderful Pumpkin Cake Maureen had baked. We also had a “conference” call with more of the CCYC gang, who were currently at dinner in the Annapolis area. They, too, added their rendition of “Happy Birthday.” Somehow, there never seems to be a lack of discussion and laughter with our group. Of course, we strategized for tomorrow’s adventure. We will once again greet the sun at 7:30 AM so that we    can make it to the base of the Alligator River.   

Sunset at Midway Marina, Coinjack

58.7/288.5 Total Statute miles            ~  ~ (\_~ ~ ~     Kathy and Pete 

   





Fishing Bay, to Tidewater Marina, Portsmouth, VA

      The front came in around 1:30 AM with winds of 18-22 mph and higher gusts. Pete was concerned and was up checking a lot during the night. No one in the anchorage dragged!  We were underway by 7 AM as the winds continued. Pete checked periodically for Deltaville weather and found that gusts were clocked at up to 39 mph.  The winds created a very long, tiring day. The seas were 4-6 feet and the waves were “confused”, meaning that came at times from varying directions. When they were steady from our stern, I was thrilled that I was able to “surf” the waves with our 35 foot for about 12 minutes--A new record for me! Pekabu III even managed to pick up a hitch hiker. A small bird landed on our traveler and stayed for about 10 minutes.  It probably needed to just to rest from the winds while trying to cross the bay.  When it flew off to the west, it stayed closed to the water in the troughs protected from the majority of the winds.

Part of today's returning Naval fleet.

As we approached Norfolk, the Navy, Coast Guard and Virginia Pilots were very busy bringing into port an entire Naval Battle Group. We saw a smaller aircraft carrier make her journey into port.  We were also surprised to see the 2 Hawaiian high-speed ferries we had seen in Honolulu last March, now residing in Norfolk.

We were the last of our fleet to arrive at Tidewater Marina in Portsmouth, just across from Norfolk on the Elizabeth River at 3 PM. As we were directed into our dock, we were surprised and delighted to be greeted by friends also making the trip south from our marina, Bob Casey and Irene Ramos from Sojourner. After doing clean up and other chores, all 10 of us walked over to the Blue Water Seafood Grill for a great dinner.  On our return trip we found that in old town Portsmouth, they were conducting walking ghost tours.  If we only had more time. . . .

Our Bahama Bound Fleet ~
Pekabu, Andiamo and Brunelle

We are all so tired, cast off will be at 8 AM tomorrow. The Dismal Swamp is beautiful and an experience.  However, it has many bridges and is so narrow that traffic is slow that we will probably take 2 days to complete it. Hence, we all agreed to take the Virginia Cut instead.  There is only 4 miles difference, but we can make better time. John and Betty have a family event they need to return to the Maryland area for next weekend, so we must keep moving.

I am too tired to do the posting to the blog tonight so I will catch you later.

74.8/229.8 Total Statute miles            ~  ~ (\_~ ~ ~     Kathy and Pete 

Solomons, MD to Fishing Bay, Deltaville, VA

The sunrise that greeted us as we were leaving the Pawtuxet River.

      It has been quite a memorable day.  The storms that had been predicted were minor, but we did have some thunder and rain throughout last night.  We were up before first light.  Our flotilla left the docks at 7 AM, just as the skies were beginning to lighten. As we left the mouth of the Pawtuxet River into the Chesapeake Bay, the clouds were awash with color and the radio was filled with Coast Guard chatter from all over, including Cape May, N.J., Hampton Roads, V.A., Southern New England, as well as our usual, Sector Baltimore! We also had the Navy “requesting” all boats shift their courses east about 3 miles to clear the bombing target range out in the Chesapeake. 

Andiamo, Brunelle, the Coast Guard

and only part of the submarine ...

it was huge!

Andiamo and the Naval Cruiser

much closer then either really wanted.

        As the morning progressed we were able to add sails to our motoring and increase our speed to better than 7 miles an hour. There was always at least 4 or 5 other boat besides our flotilla that could be seen also heading south. As we approached the Potomac River, the north bound traffic became very interesting.  The US Coast Guard Sea Horse “requested” Andiamo to head to starboard and create a safety zone of 500 yards for the ballistic missile submarine she was escorting.  If Andiamo did not move, USCG Sea Horse stated that they were authorized to use deadly force.  John and Betty moved to the right very quickly.  They almost had to move again when the Naval Aegis Class Cruiser was also heading up the bay a few minutes later.  This weekend must be homecoming weekend for the Midshipmen at the Naval Academy. To round off our military encounters today, we were buzzed by TWO F-16s doing a 300-foot, off-the-water (meaning over our boats!), high speed turn, about 5 minutes apart. It was very cool, but the whole boat vibrated.

Once things started to calm down, I wanted to familiarize myself with the radar since it was fairly hazy.  This is when we discovered that we had a problem with the electronics.  We believe that one of the lightning hits last night might have caused a problem with a number of our group.  Thankfully, rebooting the systems seems to have worked.

Dan & Martha visiting
Maureen & Glen.

           It has been 9.5 hours and 86.3 miles and we are now in Fishing Bay, Deltaville, Virginia, which is just south of the Potomac River.  68.7 starting miles from our marina to Solomons + 86.3 miles today = 155 total miles of our journey ~~~  Look for: 86.3/155 Total miles, which will now be a notation that will show our entries on the days we travel.

          We are at anchor for the night in Fishing Bay, Deltaville, VA. As we enjoy the beautiful sunset, we prepare for another long day tomorrow. 

Sunset at Fishing Bay.

                     86.3/155 Total Statute miles 
                                                                      
                           ~  ~ (\_~ ~ ~     Kathy and Pete 







The Planning and Final Prep

Dan & Glen just concluded the briefing
as Martha continues to assist
Maureen in the cockpit.

It was really hard to get up for what Dan called, “an 08:10 Coffee Meeting,” especially when it was a dismal, gray, and the intermittent rain hitting the boat just invites a slower pace. As we gathered on Brunelle, we were greeted by the scent of Martha’s fresh baked cinnamon cake to accompany our planning discussion. The predicted winds were not a problem for most of the trip today, but the rains and the crossing of the Potomac with the possible storms would have been an issue. Today was the day for everyone to handle many of those important little things like setting up all the individual hand held walkie/talkies we each have, stowing and securing items that haven’t found homes yet, fitting some of the new gear, helping the others get their blogs going, even dealing with issues at home. 

         We have been fortunate to be able to stay at Solomon’s Landing Marina courtesy of the Zonderman’s, who live here. They joined us for dinner aboard Andiamo, where we shared a great dinner. We have been here much longer than we expected and look forward to heading out tomorrow.
~ ~ (\_~ ~ ~ Kathy and Pete 

The Boats, The Boats, They're Coming!

Today was a day of great anticipation…we were expecting the arrival of the two other boats, Brunelle and Andiamo, and we should be all set once the depth finder head unit is installed! John and Betty McElderry of Andiamo left the South River at six this morning.  Dan and Martha were able to repair their electrical problem during the stay over in Hudson Creek. As it turns out both boats passed us at our dock shortly before the mechanic completed his repair shortly after 1 PM.  

Fall's changing the color palette.

While waiting for the arrival of part, Pete and I discussed our options for heading to Norfolk: travel times and best anchorages to discuss with the group.  Since we left all the highlighters at home, Pete tried to resurrect an old red pen.  In the process of shaking it, it exploded all over the cabin and Pete.  We were able to get most of it out and off of most of the surfaces and off of Pete, though we are still finding some spots.  Some of the cushions and rugs will have permanent red polka dots.

Mute Swan

         As we moved Pekabu III over to join the other 3 boats, the changing leaves remind us that it is really fall, but the swans are still visiting. Today, it is humid and in the low 80’s and they are predicting thunderstorms for tonight and tomorrow.  We met over dinner to discuss our travel plans.  After checking various weather sources, we will meet in the morning, but it doesn’t look promising for tomorrow.  There are still things we need to coordinate as a group, so if we wait one more day, I am sure we will put it to good use. . .besides when we are together, we always have good time.          

~ ~ (\_~ ~ ~     Kathy and                      Pete                                                                                   

Solomons -- All Depths and Heights

We had to raise anchor at 7:30 and get ready to meet Alan, the mechanic, at 8 AM to check the depth finder.  After some investigation, it appears that it is the head unit and not the transducer for the depth finder, needs to be replaced.  We will spend the night here at the dock and UPS should have the unit here by 11 tomorrow morning. The good news is that they will not have to pull the boat and with the forecasted weather, it looks like we will probably not be traveling at all tomorrow. This is a very secure spot for a storm. 

The F-16 as seen
though the rigging



The starlings in the rigging

   We have spent the afternoon listening and watching the birds…both the feathered and metal kinds.  Since we are across the river from Patuxent Naval Air Station, we have been watching the naval air training all afternoon. As they say, the “birds have been flying about 100 foot off the deck” prior to landing or “doing touch and goes”. As to the starlings, they have been gathering in the sailboat rigging all over the marina.  They are very artistic in both sound and sight. I will let you complete the visual, since they do bombing runs, too!



      Around 4 this afternoon, we were greeted by Maureen and Glen Nemecek aboard Sevilla.  They had a great sail down from Annapolis and beat the rain.  We will see about getting together tomorrow as they are settled in further up the creek by the Zondermans.



                                                                          ~ ~ (\_~ ~ ~     Kathy and Pete

Chillin' in the Solomons

We actually slept late. It might be the last time we stay in bed past 6 AM for a long time. The weather was quite warm and we again crossed more items off the list.  (Thankfully, the list has not been added to!) We also took advantage of having a grocery store and West Marine close by and did some provisioning.  We came back to find a fleet of remote sailboats competing at the museum.   



The remote controlled schooners

We enjoyed the company of our friends, Lois and Dave Zonderman, who live here in Solomon’s. We had some great Chinese along with great conversation.

Once back at the boat, I took advantage while we were charging the batteries to continue the work on setting up the blog. Since we have been on board, I have been busy trying to get everything consolidated and organized.  Switching my email addresses and phones have jumbled and duplicated things. I wanted to make sure that the blog was secure so that also required a bit more research. 

            We heard from Dan & Martha Bliss of Brunelle.  They just anchored in Hudson Creek and should be meeting up with us tomorrow evening.  They are the first of the boats due to arrive.

As we secured for the night, the moon was ghosting though some thin clouds and silhouetting the sailboats at anchor. How I wish I could capture that on film instead of my memory banks. There is no good way to take a long exposure from a moving boat!                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              
                                                                          ~ ~ (\_~ ~ ~     Kathy and Pete

At Anchor in Solomons, MD

Calvert Maritime Museum
& Drum Point Light House

We stopped in at Zahniser’s Yachting Center first thing this morning to settle up for the mooring ball and to make an appointment with the mechanic to check the depth finder on Monday morning as it is not working. It is not something we can do without and we have checked all that we can from our end. Traveling the shallow Intracoastal Waterway without it would not be good. The weather was perfect for adressing some of those chores on Pete’s list. Quite a few items were checked off while we are wait for the other three boats to join us Monday evening.  

I love the view off our bow. Currently, it is  the view of Clavert Maritime Museum with the Drum Point Light House.  As I sweep around it is interesting to read the homeports of the various boats.   Among the boats we have seen 8 from Canada and one from France.  I have been most amazed by the couple in the 22 foot sloop from Canada making their way down to Florida!

Once the chores were done, it was a great day to kick back and enjoy our surroundings!                     

                                                          ~ ~ (\_~ ~ ~     Kathy and Pete







The Adventure Begins . . . .

It took longer than we thought, but we finally left the Castle Harbor Marina at 9 AM. 

The enlosure really works!


Well, the four weeks have flown since I retired. The enclosure is finally complete and the stern name banner is finished.  Many of the items on Pete’s pages and pages of notes have been checked off.  Systems checked and rechecked, extra parts stowed, and the limited provisioning is stowed for the current travels down the coast. We said our farewells to the kids and family; the dog is settled with Chris, Kel and Echo; took care of things with the house, mail, medical, and, oh yea…check off took care of the bad colds and bad stomach bugs for both of us before leaving, too! 

We can now be hailed from behind,
which is helpful on the ICW.

   Skies were clear, temps in the 50s, but the winds were brisk at 20-25 out of the WNW with higher gusts.  The enclosure was worth every minute spent (and every curse mumbled!) The sailing was terrific and we are now on a mooring ball in Solomons Island, Md. The full moon is illuminating the 9 other boats sharing the anchorage.  It is quiet and beautiful.  It is really happening!  So now the fun  begins.  .   .     
                                                                                                                                                                                                                ~ ~  (\_~ ~ ~     Kathy and Pete