River Dunes ~ Day 3

     Bailey had no problems last night, but I had cramps in my feet and legs periodically through the night.  I finally figured out that walking the treadmill, I sometimes shorten my gate as I am slightly forward on the belt.  I think that might be the problem.

The ladies' locker room
off of the exercise room

     After breakfast, I did some chores while Pete worked.  I then headed over to exercise.  I figured that I might as well take advantage while I can.  After lunch, I read, visited with some new neighbors.  SV NIGHTWIND is in the dock opposite to us.   As we talked, we realized that we had met her 2 years ago. It was nice catching up.

    While Pete went up to pick up his package, he talked with Scott and Connie, MV EASY LIVIN’.  We met them in Solomons 2 years ago. They too will be heading to Morehead City Marina.  We will share Hors d'oeuvres tomorrow evening.  We look forward to it.

   We headed over to dinner with Lisa and Joe’s.  SV SEAFORTH might be a 1986 boat , but she was very gently used in the cooler climes of Maine. Jim has been very busy with work, then after work he is trying to get things done on board.  Much has been done already, but his current project, the head, is giving him problems as it is not a simple drop-in and install. Once it is functional, they will continue their journey south.   We are truly amazed by these two.  What a leap of faith!  They are resourceful, adaptable, and open to learn from others. In spite of all the craziness and new challenges, they are still smiling and talking to each other!  We look forward to keeping in touch and continuing their story!

~ ~ ~ /) ~ ~      K & P

River Dunes ~ Day 2

Super exercise facility

Cool water fountain

     Pete had a very busy work day. While he worked I headed up, used the treadmill in the exercise facility and got in my 3 miles.   The room is very well thought out and stocked.  They also have bathrooms with lockers and showers.

The pool area and the Harbor Club

     Last time we emptied the holding tank, it didn’t empty properly.  As a result, we need to take the boat over for a pump out today.  We had to wait until another boat left the fuel dock.  Just after lunch, Pete went to check the antifreeze levels on the engine, that's when they called us to the fuel dock.  Since we were staying 2 more days, they assigned us another slip.  This one at the beginning of the dock instead of the T-head we had been at.  Rich reminded us that tonight was pizza night for the cruisers, so guess where we ate dinner?!

Local color!

Fall!

     As we arrived,there was a younger couple in front of us at the buffet table.  As we started talking, we invited them to join us at our table.  We spent a delightful time hearing their adventures.  Lisa and Joe had a dream of being long-term cruisers, but never boated.  They sold their house in June.  In September, they purchased SV SEAFORTH, a Morris Ocean Yacht 46 from Hinckley Boat Yard, Maine. Once in possession, they had 3 weeks to prep her and be trained by a captain. He accompanied them for part of the journey south from Maine.   Our conversations continued well past the other dinners, so we invited them on board to continue our discussions.  They had lots of questions about cruising and we had a number of good resources to share. I offered dessert I made for Pete’s Birthday, but they declines as they were too full from dinner.  Before they left, Lisa invited us to join them for dinner tomorrow.  It was a delightful evening.

~ ~ ~ /) ~ ~      K & P

Belhaven to River Dunes, NC

Today:      39 miles.     6.0 hours            ICW St M “174”

Total:     348 miles    59.5 hours

 
      We were up and away from the dock at 6:50 this morning.  We surprised Ken on MV DAYBREAK, by leaving before him.  In fact, we were the first to leave Belhaven, but led a string of 7 boats heading south.  As usual, they all passed us by the time we were entering Goose Creek, south of the Pamlico Sound. As the winds steadied around 10-15 out of the WSW, the waves never had a chance to build beyond a foot or so. 

Chillin' while Fishin'

Fishing fleet at Hobucken, NC

     Traveling into Back Creek for the approach to River Dunes, Pete was able to use the sonar maps for a better route than the marked channel.  The difference in depth varied almost 2 feet.

     Scott met us at the gas dock.  He is now the Harbor master, while Richard has taken over the GM for the entire property.  They did well with the Hurricane Florence.  The water rose about 6 feet, but the dock pilings were set with water in mind.  They are 2 foot higher than the land around the harbor.  As a result, the water will spread rather than rise rapidly. Many boats have spent the season here due to damaged docks.  With so many slips occupied, they will be expanding and placing new docks on the western shore of the harbor.   They did take a lightning strike, but the Wi-Fi should be the same. (Unfortunately, it is still very poor!)  Verizon will be putting in a new tower, so phone service should be improving.  I guess it helps that there is a new owner for the development.  Eleven new home will be built within the next few months.  We will see. . . .

     I was able to visit with Linda and Nile aboard SV MANANA, a Catalina 36 from Vermont making their way to the Bahamas.  They are meeting friends for dinner tonight and will head out in the morning.

We saw this Catalina Morgan 440
before she sold at Windmill Harbor

     It was once again time to make another batch of chicken and rice for Bailey.  We are now giving her half chicken and rice, half Blue Buffalo dry dog food

    I borrowed the car, which is still the same van with 164,000 miles, and at least 9 years of service. I guess I should not say borrowed as there is now a fee of $21.50 for it’s use.  The closest grocery store is 8 miles away so that leaves little choice.  I was able to get most everything on my list and be back in about 90 minutes.  I would have been back sooner, but I was behind another van for most of the way.  He had 12-foot lumber boards, hanging out the back, so he needed to go slow.  Add to that, a truck pulling a large trailer dumped part of his load onto the 2-lane road. While he went to reload the trailer, he left his driver’s door open so cars in both directions had to pass very carefully.  I made it back before the 4 pm next rental.

Other views of River Dunes 

     While I was gone, Pete scrubbed the boat.  We still had a lot of salt caked on the boat even through he had rinsed it at the Alligator River Marina.  He also found out that he needs work mailed to us, so we will be staying until Thursday.

     Once back, foods were put away and I made honey mustard chicken with the Boar’s Head Honey Mustard.  Recently at the Safeway, they were giving out samples.  It is one of the best mustards I have tasted; flavorful, with a slight kick.  I will have to keep more on hand.  It is definitely the “go to” mustard for our lunches.

    We chilled after dinner, watched some TV and called it a night.

~ ~ ~ /) ~ ~      K & P

Alligator Bridge Marina to Belhaven, NC

Today:      53 miles.     8.5 hours            ICW St M “135.7”

Total:     309 miles    53.5 hours

    

     Bailey once again woke us around 1 needing to head on land.  It was a while before Pete was able to get back to sleep.

     We woke before the alarm went off at 6:15 this morning.  The temperatures were in the mid 50’s and the winds were calm.  We were away from the dock by 6:40 and at passing through the Alligator River Bridge before 7 am.  Winds began to build up though the mid-teens from the west. Throughout the A & P Canal, the winds were on our nose, but the current continued to help us keep traveling at 7 mph. Once on the Pongo River, the wind continued, but the waves did not build. 

   I spoke with Debbie from SIMPLICITY.  They are still in Hampton, but will continue on Tuesday once the weather clears. That means it will be a while before they catch up with us.

    We were able to tie up to Belhaven Town Dock.  Shortly after, MV DAYBREAK docked behind us.  Kenny verified our Newark, DE home port.  He is from Covered Bridge also in Newark.  We had met 2 years ago in Mile Hammock Cove.  After discussing our travel plans, it looks like we might be able to meet up in the Keys later this winter.

     With the interrupted sleep and fresh air poisoning, and lack of good Wi-Fi. we called it an early night.  Hopefully, we will have good Wi-Fi in the near future, so I can post more.

~ ~ ~ /) ~ ~      K & P

Coinjock to Alligator River Marina, NC

Today:      38 miles.     6.0 hours            ICW St M “84.2”

Total:     266 miles    45.0 hours

     As predicted, it rained heavily last night.

     At 7 am we heard the footsteps as Preston and Janette headed to the bath house. However, at 7:15 we heard loud, rapid footsteps. Pete went up to investigate.  Will rushed aboard to help Jay, on SV BRIDGES. As Jay was preparing to leave, a line let loose too soon, and BRIDGES T-boned across the bow of the boat we were rafted to.  No one was hurt, but one of SV BRIDGES’ stay was damaged.

     We departed 7:55. The current strong, but Pete made it look easy to leave the dock; no excitement. The temperature was in the fifties, but with all the humidity and wind, it was very raw. The skies were heavy with clouds for most of the day. Since Will was about 30 minutes ahead of us, he reported back that the winds on Albemarle Sound were WSW 30 knots with waves 3-8 feet. At times we were only doing 3.4 mph into the waves. Even large power boats had problems. Since Bailey was stressing, we had to give her Benadryl. Thankfully, it helped after about 30 minutes.

Alligator River Marina

     We actually saw some sun as we were approaching the Alligator River Marina around 3. We followed Bob 423’s tracks into the marina.  We were surprised to find a crab float in the middle of the entrance. 

The gas station is on the left!

     After being given our slip assignment, we rigged for port-side tie.  With the half finger piers, we couldn’t back into the slip due to winds. I had to reset the lines, so we could bow in.  We were concerned, but was still able to get Bailey off on the partial pier.

      While we were traveling, I noticed that the lines that are supposed to wrap around the jib had loosened. I tried to tighten them while underway, without much success.  Once we were secured, Pete went to settled the bill while I tightened all the lines.  When wet, the new lines stretch.  We never realized that when John commissioned our boat, he used lines meant for racing instead of cruising.  We are surprised at the difference between the two lines.  Had we known, we would have definitely spent the extra money on the racing lines.

     After Pete settled the bill, he stopped to talk to the couple who sailed from Hawaii. They went through the Panama Canal and up into the Chesapeake and are now making their way back to Florida for the winter.  They were the ones who snagged the crab trap and dragged it across the Sound only to have it drop off right in the fairway.  They took their dinghy to retrieve it.
    We had ready posts by a number of people that this is a gas station with a marina attached.  It is so true!

The storm has passed and this is the beauty left behind!

      With the day so raw, chili was perfect for dinner with new Honey Butter Grands. Ummmm! After dinner, Pete updated the apps on his phone as well as the Aqua Maps for Navionics.  I was able to about 8 days for the blog.  I finally quit around Midnight as we have an early start in the morning.I was hoping to finish the blog entries as the Wi-Fi here is one of the best we have encountered.

~ ~ ~ /) ~ ~      K & P

Coinjock ~ Day 2

    After breakfast, TJ, the dock hand, knocked on the hull.  We had to move the boat down to the end of the dock to make space for boats arriving later today. Originally, they were going to raft us, but because of Bailey, we asked not to be the outside of the raft. We would gladly have someone raft to us. 
    We met Will, who owns SV SEREINE, the boat we were going to raft up to, but is now docked ahead of us.  After discussions on numerous topics for a newbie, we asked if he would like to join us for dinner tonight. Will had Jay, SV BRIDGES  rafted to him, while we had Janette and Preston in 25’ Grady White rafted to us. They made the trip down from Galesville, MD (just south of Annapolis) TODAY!!!  They are heading to the Abacos. I guess having 300 Hp between the two engines will make it a quick ride!

     We continue to monitor the winds tomorrow and Sunday. We will make a decision in the morning whether it is worth traveling.  Currently, Passage weather shows winds 35-40 not far off shore, but the wind predicted for Albemarle Sound is for 15-20  with waves 1-2 feet.

     I spent most of the afternoon, updating the blog.  Once photos are processed, I will post everything.  Hopefully, the internet will be working.  We are just 10 feet from the WiFi, but there is none to connect to.

     Pete was busy all day with work.  His conference call lasted much longer than he planned, but we were still able to make our 6 o’clock dinner with Will. 

    When we walked the boardwalk to the restaurant, it was amazing to see all the big yachts.   There were even 45-50’ boats rafted to other large yachts.  Yet, there were only 4 boats across the way at Midway Marina!  That marina is ripe for a deal!  It would be great is someone sank some money into it.  It is the right distance for boats to dock overnight, before continuing their journey.

     This is the second time we have eaten at the Restaurant, and once again I was disappointed.  The company was wonderful, but the food is either under or over cooked, no flavor or too salty.  To add insult to injury, we were seated at a table where the roof leaked.  I started to feel drops on my head and shoulder.  When I looked down, my white jacket was stained from the drips.  The waitress brought me seltzer, so I could clean it. Thankfully, it worked.

    Will has spent 30 years sailing the Maine coast.  He was supposed to have an additional crew member him on the trip, but plans changed 2 weeks before departure.  He has had quite an adventure, 2 major gales, the loss of his dinghy and engine, a small on board fire, equipment that suddenly stopped functioning.  Will is remarkable and weathered them all well.  He has patience to fins the root of the problem and find a fix.  Unfortunately, no one has reported finding the dinghy with an engine on the Delaware Bay.  We discussed strategies, our experiences, marinas, and of course exchanged information.  We hope our paths will cross again.

     The rains from Willa had arrived as we ate dinner and continued well into the night.  Pete and Bailey tried waiting for a break in the rain, but finally had to venture out in it. 

      Before bed, we once again checked the weather for tomorrow, and we think it will be a go.

~ ~ ~ /) ~ ~      K & P

Tidewater Marina to Coinjock, NC

Today:      48 miles.     9.8 hours            ICW St M “50”

Total:     228 miles    39.6 hours

     Remember what they say about “the best laid plans. . . .”   Well . . . Bailey started pacing the cabin round 1:30 am. By 2:15, Pete took her to shore. It’s a long walk and he actually trotted to keep Bailey from making a deposit on the dock!  He was back by about 2:45 and cold.  He did a lot of mental calculations and by 3:45 was climbing back into bed.  He said to reset the alarm for 7 instead of 4. We both needed sleep, and we could still make Coinjock by 5"ish" if we wait for the 9:30 opening of the Glimerton Bridge.
     We were underway by 8 am.  We and 2 other sailing catamarans were at the Glimerton Bridge by 9, so she opened it for us.  The smaller catamaran took his time entering the bridge and, as a result, we, and the larger cat behind us, missed the 10 am south bound operation of the lock.  We had to wait until 11 and make sure we stayed to the western side as the northbound barge needed to clear the lock. All 9 boats waiting made this opening.

Tug & barge
exiting Great Bridge Lock

Waiting in the lock

     

   Once we cleared Great Lock Bridge, most of the larger boats passed us.  Since we hadn’t heard from Coinjock, I called.  Somehow, he misunderstood us and had us down for Friday night.  Thankfully, he was able to take us for tonight and Friday as well so I was able to cancel our Midway Marina reservations.

Heather's Funco Dolls
 & Halloween

    Spoke with Heather. Tonight, they were having their Halloween for family members.  She and her fellow associate decorated their area with most of her Funco dolls. Everyone has been enjoying them.  Some fellow employees brought in their teenagers after hours to see the decorations, as it would be uncool to Trick or Treat!
     After comfort food of Mac, Franks & Cheese, I watched Big Bang and Young Sheldon while Pete was out cold.  Bailey was walked.  Here, she only has 12 feet to go from the boat to the grass.  So much better then early this morning!

     Exhausted, we were in bed by 9:30 and probably asleep by 9:40!

~ ~ ~  /) ~ ~  K & P

Norfolk ~ Day 2

     The winds continued to build, but we got up at 7.  Once back from walking the dog, we decided to stay the extra day. Pete had a lot of work and 2 conference calls, we needed to assemble and restock the freezer.

One of the most unique Trawlers
we have seen. I'd love to tour
its interior!

     We check the weather for winds associated with the tropical storm Willa and how they will be affecting the area later this week, then called Coinjock Marina for reservations for Thursday and Friday as we will also need fuel.  The dockmaster said he would have to confirm depending on how many boats departed, so we also covered out bases by making a reservation at Midway Marina just in case.

     Once the conference calls were completed, Pete was able to bleed the washdown pump and get it working again.  I topped off the water, hung our name sign from the aft of the Bimini, then began dinner. After listening to a number of dock mates, who traveled down the Bay today, we are glad we stayed put. Winds were around 25 mph with waves were 5-8 feet. Definitely a good decision!

     After dinner, we discussed out options and decided to wake at 4 am so that Bailey could be walked.  Here at Tidewater we are on the outer area of the marina.  That means almost a ¼ mile walk to land. We have to allow for there, playtime and back. Then we needed to consider that the Glimerton Bridge does not open between 6:30 and 9:30 am. If we want to have an early arrival at Coinjock, we really should be at the Glimerton Bridge before it closes.  That will give us time to make the 1^st opening of the Lock at 7 am.

The Full Moon Rises

European Cruise ship departing for NYC

   We made it an early night knowing that 4 am isn’t that far away!

~ ~ ~ /) ~ ~      K & P

Antipoison Creek to Tidewater Marina, Norfolk, VA

Today:       63  miles.   10.1 hours             ICW St M “0”

Total:      180  miles    29.9 hours

     The alarm went off at 6.  The temperature was a balmy 44 degrees.  Pete had just enough nautical light to take Bailey to shore.

     Dinghy was raised and the anchor pulled. However, our new chain and anchor were not cleaned as the wash down new nozzle had a coating still on it, but more importantly, the pump is not working properly. We did manage to be underway by 7 am. 

First Light, First Flight

     We were passed by a small work boat.  It turns out they were heading out to check on the fish traps we passed as we were coming in to anchor.  This is the first time we have ever seen anyone work with fish traps.

Work Begins before Sunrise!

    The winds out of the SSW built as did the waves and the incoming current as we passed the Rappahannock River. Pete tried to raise the main sail to increase speed, but it somehow became jammed.  We will have to wait for a calm day to unjam it.  As a result, we were passed by a number of boats as we could only due 5.8-6.0 mph. One trawler had apparently sent their way points and didn’t thinks it was necessary to deviate course even though it meant passing us on our starboard by only 20 feet!

     Around 10, Pete received confirmation that our new freezer was delivered to Tidewater.  We should be able to head out tomorrow instead of waiting for the delivery.

     We continued our journey south, but the current held us to 6 mph for most of the day.  That slowed us enough so our planned 9-hour travel day, evolved to 10 and we tied up to Tidewater at 5:02 pm—2 minutes after they closed! The freezer needs to wait until tomorrow.  Hence, we need to reevaluate our plans for tomorrow.

~ ~ ~ /) ~ ~      K & P

Spring Cove Marina, Solomons, Md to Antipoison Creek, VA

Today:       57 miles      9.1 hours

Total:      117 miles    20.7 hours

     The alarm was set for 6:30 am, but we awoke when the phone rang at 5:10. Greg was on his way to work and made the “butt call.”  Pete’s calling his name and whistling didn’t get his attention, so we finally hung up and thankfully, caught some more zzzz’s.

     The temperature was 33 degrees when we work, but quickly began to climb along with the sun. The winds were light out of the SSW at 5-7.  Before we left, we texted birthday wishes to Chris.

     We were one of 5 boats exiting the Pawtuxet River.  Pete checked AIS and found there were quite a few boats heading south throughout the Chesapeake; and they were only the ones with AIS!

Tonight's Sunset

     We were able to drop anchor around 4:15. Bailey really enjoys this beach.  Plenty of space to run around, new sticks to find and chew.  We love it, too, for its beauty a long with the easy dinghy access to the beach.  We, a power boat and a large sail boat all came in around the same time.  We were the only boats here tonight.

     After a great dinner of sausage and peppers, we watched some TV, Pete took Bailey in for a final walk, then we headed to bed. We have another long trip tomorrow.

~ ~ ~ /) ~ ~      K & P

Solomons ~ Day 3

     This morning, Pete decided to check the freezer.  Unfortunately, all that cycling meant that the freezer is dying.  Stuff on the top of the freezer was getting soft.  We quickly started the built-in freezer that we have been using as dry storage for food since it draws a lot of amps.  I was able to transfer all the things from the portable freezer to the onboard with no problems and plenty of room.  I made sure I covered the frozen goods with aluminum foil and towels to contain the cold.  Pete was able to order from Amazon the same 48-quart Engle fridge/freezer for the same price as we purchased it 8 years ago at the boat show and have it delivered to Tidewater Marina in Norfolk on Wednesday.  Pete also make reservations for Tuesday and Wednesday at Tidewater and let them know about the delivery.

    Betty and John are beginning to decommission the boat, so John drove me to Harris Teeter for the last-minute items I we needed.   I did check, but there are no convenient spots to buy a Mega Millions Lottery ticket locally, so we are bypassing our chance at the 1.6 BILLION-dollar draw on Tuesday night.

     With their car full and a lot of the prep work for putting ANDIAMO to be for the winter done, we said our good-byes to John and Betty with the hopes of seeing them in Florida sometime during December.

     Since they were defrosted, we ate the pizza for lunch and cooked the bacon to use on our Turkey Panini sandwiches for dinner. Now we only need to set the alarm for 6:30 so we can leave in the morning.

     G’Night all!

~ ~ ~ /) ~ ~      K & P

Solomons ~ Day 2

     We awoke at 7:30 to be ready for the fuel dock to open at 8 so we could fill up.  Due to the cold, we were buttoned up.  As a result, the dock hand waited until 9 to knock on the hull.  We have always though that we had a 40-gallon fuel tank, however, we were only able to add 34.2 gallons of diesel, which might explain our confusion with our fuel gauge.

     Once fueled up, we motored over the T-head on the dock with ANDIAMO.  This makes it much easier to get together with them.  We are staying in here through Monday.  The winds are supposed to kick up to about 30 mph here on shore, with winds on the Bay topping 45 tomorrow.  I doubt anyone will be traveling tomorrow.      

Birds & Words!

     While putting on my makeup, I took note of mechanical cycling sounds. The freezer was cycling every 5-7 seconds.  Pete asked me a question about it and as I went to answer, I fell onto my glasses, bending the frames enough to pop out both lenses.  Betty was able to drive me over to Pearl Vision, where a wonderful tech spent about 20 minutes and put my glasses back together.  They are not as sturdy as they were, but with care I should be ok. Once repaired, we headed back to the boat.  Though the corrections are minimal, I have become dependent on the corrections and having my eyes constantly try to focus without them lead to a whopper of a headache.  I took some meds and laid down for about 90 minutes. Thankfully, it worked.

Glass flowers outside The Island Hideaway

     We were able to join Betty and John to tour the Annmarie Sculpture Garden & Arts Center.  The main building was being set up for a wedding, but we were still able to walk around and see the 40 different modern sculptures on the grounds.

     Once back we changed to head out to dinner at The Island Hideaway.  They took over for our favorite restaurant, Don Giovonni’s by the Sea. We enjoyed the Crab Dip and Seafood Lasagna, but both were rich with butter and cream. Pete’s lack of a gall blatter left him a bit uncomfortable later that night.              

~ ~ ~ /) ~ ~      K & P

Kent Island to Spring Cove Marina, Solomons, Md

Today:    60 miles.   12  hours

Sun begins to rise on our departure

     The alarm went off at 6 am.  Bailey was walked and fed, lines cast off and we were underway by 7:13 am.  Yes, thank heavens, the water levels are a bit higher than yesterday, and we headed out with no problems.

Waterman, Chester River and Sunrise

     The ride from Love Point south to the bridge was great! We had the current with us, but no wind and cruised at 9 mph!  Once below the bridge we continued, only slower at 7.5 mph.  The breeze came up from the SW at 15-18, which was unfortunately on our nose.  We cut over to the western shore to decrease the wave action that was a bit unsettling for Bailey, but still continued to make good time.

Water colored Sunrise

    Bailey underwent a lot of testing this summer. Her vasculitis is not only affecting the ears, but also her small intestines. She is currently eating a lot of chicken and rice.  I have to make up a batch every 3 days so today’s batch was made while under way.

We be sailing!

    We were about a mile from the Cove Point LG docks when the engine sputtered.  For the past 2 years Pete has been documenting our fuel gage with the amounts left in the tank since the gage is questionable.  Prior to leaving, he was sure we had enough fuel for about 12 hours of cruising.  We should have had at least 3 more hours left, but instead we had to hoist sails and tack our way to the Pawtuxet River. We called the marina, explaining our situation and requested dockage at the fuel dock overnight which was granted.

     Pete held a tight course that allowed us to glide by the Red Marker just feet from Drum Point.  There was a family enjoying the sunset. The 3 girls decided to take a selfie with us in the background.  They even complimented us on our “beautiful boat.”  As we entered the harbor, the sun was setting and the winds lightening.  It took us about 25 minutes to sail up to the fuel dock at Spring Cove.  We had been keeping Betty and John posted on our progress and they were waiting with flashlights to catch our lines as darkness had descended.  We were secure to the dock by 7:15 pm. So much for our planned 9-hour cruise.

Sailing close to Drum Point 

Sunset over Solomons

     Once secure, we headed over to ANDIAMO and enjoyed their wonderful friendship, scrumptious cooking and a lot of catching up.      Once back Bailey was walked and it was time to head to bed.  Fresh air poisoning!

~ ~ ~ /) ~ ~      K & P