Troubles in Paradise

Mile Hammock

About 20 minutes down the ICW

       When Pete took Bailey in to shore, the parking lot was starting to fill up again, but the cars belong to soldiers who are training here at Camp Lejeune. As we upped anchor, we enjoyed the sunrise.  SV RESOLUTION, SV STILL CRAZY, and SV SEA BIRD, who we met at River Dunes, also headed out.  We were not the only ones heading out.  Two miles down the ICW, a commercial fisherman’s red boat was beautifully lit in the morning light as it turned to starboard in front of us. I was too late in trying to capture that image, but managed to capture two beautiful sunrise shots!

We are in the lead

    PEKABU was the lead boat for most of the morning.  I was hailed by SEABIRD suggesting that we might make the noon opening of the Figure Eight Bridge.  He could travel faster than we could, so he took the lead and we all “put the hammer down.”  It has been a while since we ran full throttle and we did it for an hour.  Thankfully, there was no change in the engine temperature. As it turns out, the current changes slowed us down in parts and we missed the opening by 8 minutes. 

The infamous PINK island home who's boat must have gotten away

     Our hopes remained high as the Wrightsville Bridge only opens on the hour and we should be able to make the 1 PM opening.  Nothing is ever a sure bet.  The bridge tender warned us that there has been severe shoaling near R 122 due to Matthew.  STILL CRAZY traveled very cautiously, kind of followed the directions of the bridgetender and made it safely through. RESOLUTION followed with no problems, But SEABIRD followed the directions as given and ran aground. We tried to avoid him and we, too, ran aground, but we were off quickly.  It took him longer and we stayed with him until he was free.  As we were waiting, we were passed as the Corps of Engineer’s small boat as they surveyed the area’s depth for proper placement of the new buoys.  Oh, to have them be a day earlier!  Of course, this all took time and we missed the 1 PM Wrightsville Bridge opening.  As a result, we essentially drifted with the current so we would approach the bridge just prior to the 2 PM opening.

Dolphin Pod south of Wrightsville Beach

Another friend

     Pete turned to helm over to me around 8:30 and that where I was for most of the day. Pete's work load today was very intense due to time constraints of the projects.  He could only take the helm when we had to navigate the trouble spots. 

     Our initial plan was to go to Carolina Beach State Park Marina, which would get us thought Snow’s Cut and on to the Cape Fear River for the ebb tide in the morning.  When we called earlier in the morning, they said that they didn’t take reservations, but to call just before we got to Snow’s Cut to see if they had dockage. RESOLUTION also called for reservations and was asked the draft of the boats.  As it turns out, anyone who draws more than 5 feet needs to enter and exit mid tide or higher. We draw 5.5 feet, so that wouldn’t due.  Instead, all 4 boats headed to the Carolina Beach Mooring Field. I guess we are used to Annapolis’s Mooring Field because Pete and I were surprised that there were only 10 moorings, but all 4 boats were successful in grabbing a mooring ball for the night.  Pete called the number indicated, but no one answered.  When he took the dog in for a walk, he checked, but there was no drop box.  The harbormaster came around at sunset.

    Unfortunately, as the day progressed so did a headache.  I took advantage once we were secured and laid down.  Within moments, I was sound asleep.  I had no idea Pete put down the dinghy and left with Bailey.  She really enjoyed this walk with Pete.  The ocean was only two blocks away and they played and walked on the beach for about an hour.  I was still out cold when they returned.

     Greg called before dinner and we visited for a while.  He is waiting to see where he will be assigned come next summer.  He has he three top choices in the New Jersey area.  Hopefully, it will all work out. He is heading to NJ to be with Jenn this weekend and finalize the plans for the wedding. There was a slight hiccup with the conference room reservation for the following morning, but the hotel is sweetening the pot by adding some freebies.  It is hard to believe we are approaching the 60 days until the wedding!

Last of the days's sunlight on the Carolina Beach Mooring Field

     All this fresh aid and beautiful scenery sure take a lot out of us.  We are calling it a day by 9 PM.

~ ~ ~ /) ~ ~  K & P

Talk About Lucky…!

Trolling for shrimp

Hop, Skip and Jump Takeoff

     Last year we tried to pass this area in Morehead City around 3:30 in the afternoon while trying to make Swansboro by dusk. We encountered the strongest flood tide ever: about 3.5 mph against us!  Today, we cast off lines by 7 this morning and took advantage of the currents.  We had the last of the ebb as we left the marina and left doing 8.1. Slack occurred while we crossed the inlet, where we slowed to 3.2 mph last year. Today, we maintained 7.5.  That increased to 7.9 as we headed south through Bogue Sound.  We managed to maintain the high 7’s for hours.  I did slow to 6.5 in Swansboro after the inlet with the change in current, but it only affected us for about 10 minutes, then we increased up to 7.2.

Matthew was not kind

     We had no problems traveling from mark to mark, heading about 50 foot off the reds or greens. Swansboro, I did stay to the east of the channel at Red 48, which was reported to reportedly gets skinny.

Happy puppy getting some lovin'

     Initially, we planned to stop early in Swansboro for the night.  Pete’s work schedule for today is very busy.  However, since we were making great time, we opted to continue to Mile Hammock Bay,

Camp Lejeune and anchor before the conference calls were scheduled.

Welcome to Camp Lejeune

Approaching the notorious Brown’s Inlet in Camp Lejeune, Pete took the helm due to its tricky shoaling.  Bob Sheerer, from Active Captain, came through a short while ago, and with his usual thoroughness, charted the depth and made recommendations for navigating through this area. Once safely though Pete radioed back the details to SV STILL CRAZY, who we met at River Dunes.

     While waiting for the 12:30 opening of the Onslow Beach Swing Bridge, we enjoyed out lunch.

     Pete was on the phone so I opted to slow down outside of the anchorage so he could finish.  Smart move, as it allowed me to watch a dolphin surface periodically as she made her way north.  No time for a photo, just wonderful to observe!

Today's travel buddies

      Anchor was down by 1:30 and the biting flies arrived at 1:40. Ever since Bailey was bitten by a wasp 3 year ago (a vet ER visit at midnight due to the swelling around her mouth and lips!), anything that flies and makes sound makes her agitated and she doesn’t know what to do.  Often, she tries to hide, but they manage to still find her.  We finally realized that we could send her down below and put the screen up to keep the files away.

Traffic overhead

     I was surprised to see how many vehicles are parked on the dock here at the anchorage. Then again there were a lot of fishermen in small boats all around the area.  There were also helicopters landing, and we could hear the tanks and heavy trucks traveling the roads beyond the tree line   This is the most land action we’ve seen here, but it didn’t stop there.  As darkness descended, a small group went swimming from a black Zodiac (SEALs training?), the Osprey returned to slowly sink behind the tree line again.  That was joined by the helicopter a few moments later.  They both hovered in that area for about an hour before everyone left and quiet returned.  

     Pete and Bailey are heading to shore for one last outing, then we will call it a night.

Sunset tonight

~ ~ ~ /) ~ ~  K & P

A Very Quick Ride

    We only have a 34-mile trek today.  Pete has a very busy work-filled afternoon.  We figured that if we left by 7:30 this morning, we would be able to be in Morehead City, NC, by 1:30 or 2pm, in time for Pete’s conference calls. Weather today will be clear, with temps going up to the mid-sixties and winds decreasing from 11 to 8.

Birds savaging fish that the tug's wake brings to the surface

     I was at the helm as we entered Adam’s Creek from the Neuse River.  By 9:30 in the morning, the sun is at the perfect glaring angle to glare off the water as we initially headed east for the approach.  Courtesy of Matthew, the red aid at the narrow opening has been replaced by a temporary marker. In the glare, I could not make out the shape or color, nor could I find another marker until I was within about 50 yards.  The piling with the green marker was blended into the tall trees on land.  Thankfully, the magenta line on GPS was still correct and I had not problems.

    A little further down the creek, while Pete was at the helm, we needed to search for the Red 10.  Something must have hit it. Right now, it is at a 50-degree angle with only about a quarter of the marker showing above the water; a total of 24 inches visible!

Red 10 Down!

Having a bad day

     We did see a few north bound vessels: 2 power boats, 2 sail boats and tug with a barge.  South bound was busier with sport fish, trawlers, and sail, and that was just what I could see or those that passed us.

Lime Green? ...but they pulled it off wtih accents!

Pete isn't crazy about this color

Couldn't capture the brief 10.0 m/h

   Between the 11 mph winds from the NE and the Southbound tide that accompanied us for the entire 13 miles of the canal, we tied up at the Morehead City Yacht Basin at 12:15!  For most of our travels, we were doing 7.8 mph. As we approached the high-rise bridge near Bock’s Marina, we actually hit 10 mph!  Needless to say, we arrived about 75 minutes ahead of schedule based on our average 6.5 mph speed!

     Pete’s afternoon was extremely busy.  Thankfully, I had time to process the current photos as well as get the blog up to date. Another, very productive day!

                                                                                        ~ ~ ~ /) ~~  K & P

Busier than Expected

The Chaple at River Dunes

     Pete knew that his work day would be busy so I planned to stay out of his way.

     I was able to vacuum while Pete walked the dog.  When they returned, I washed around Bailey’s ears.  She has had the ointment applied 2x daily and her “hat” is worn 24/7 for the past 2 weeks (and at least another 2 weeks to go!)  Then I gathered the laundry and my shower bag and hair dye and highlight kit and off I went.  I managed to time everything within 2 hours, alternating between the machines and the bath house, and I spoke with 2 other ladies discussing our travel plans! I was back just in time for lunch. Laundry was put away and I grabbed my list and canvas bags. It was time to sign out the courtesy car. Unfortunately, this was the same time most the 30 boats with reservations for tonight, also arrived. I finally found the dock master on the fuel dock, and was given permission to take the car when it returned and fill out the paperwork later. 2 PM was the only available time slot and somehow, it was only for an hour instead of the 90 mins, and it the prior users were 15 minutes late returning.  GPS said it would take 13 minutes each way. Even speed shopping in 25 minutes in a store layout I didn’t know, I returned 10 minutes after 3. Putting away groceries on board also requires reorganizing due to space. Now it was after 4 and I still needed to complete the paperwork and sign us up for the Cruiser’s Dinner.  Remember all those newly docked boats?  Well, they also need to register for their stay.  When I arrived at the desk, there were 4people in front of me.  Since most were from the Sail To The Sun Rally, there were lots of questions. I made it back to the boat with a half hour to spare before we needed to leave for dinner.

River Dunes Harbor Club & Marina

      When we arrived, we were surprised that there were only a few people there.  We spoke with a property owner, Lynne, while she waited for her guest. Then we enjoyed a great chili with the fixings, corn muffins, salad and cake.

     Once back, I tried to post to the blog, but I don’t know if it was an internet speed problem or just a Blogspot problem. I must have tried to load entries 8-10 times with only one success.  Hopefully, I will be able to be successful tomorrow in Morehead City.

     So much for a relaxing day!

~ ~ ~ /) ~~  K & P

Heading to Our Favorite Marina

     The winds gods were kind today. With 12-15 from the north, we were able to let out our main and add an extra half mile to our speed.  For most of the day we were averaging 7.8 mph between the current and the wind.

      We know that we are in Hubucken, NC, when we see the US Coast Guard Station, the pier that houses the fishing boats, and a number of small buildings supporting the water men.  Right now the USCG station is undergoing some major renovations.

The USCG Station, Hubbucken

Great artwork

A work shack and small boat

   

USCG and cruisier during a boarding and instpection

     The Coast Guard Station in Hubucken is undergoing some major renovations that we not begun this time last year.  It doesn’t stop them for using this area for practicing their vessel boarding and inspections.  We followed very slowly as the SV WALKABOUT was boarded as the boat kept pace next to her. 

The local hangout

     We dropped sail just outside the approach to Broad Creek, heading up to River Dunes.  We fueled up before heading to our slip.  Not only are we in the same slip as last year, but our neighboring boat from last year, SV REDEMPTION, is also in the same spot.  This is also the weekend for the River Dunes Property Owners Party.  Talk about deja vous!

Approaching River Dunes from Broad Creek

     We spoke with various people on the dock including Bob and Sandy from SV NIGHT WIND. Apparently, everyone liked the power washer Pete was using to clean all that salt off PEKABU.  He is a great resource on inlets up and down the East Coast. He gave us his card and said we could contact him with questions as we consider our options getting to Florida.

Such a great entrance to a great place!

     We were able to take advantage of the 2 for 1 stay, so I signed up for the courtesy car just to do some fresh food provisioning tomorrow. It turns out that the Walmart Express that was closed last year is now a Piggley Wiggley 

     I processed a bunch of photos before preparing dinner. Narrative for the blog almost up to date. I hope to get things posted tomorrow. Since it was Owners Weekend there was no Cruisers Dinner offered tonight. 

    Pete spend time trying to get the Dish Satellite TV to work again.  He will have to contact KVH for more assistance and, of course, they are closed on weekends.

     ~ ~ ~ /) ~ ~     K & P

Big Change From Yesterday

Momentary glimps of the rising sun

     Around 10 last night, the wind suddenly picked up to about 15 -20. Within moments, the rain started to fall.  The rains only lasted an hour, but the winds stayed with us, decreasing slightly during the night.

     We woke at 6 with every intention of taking Bailey to shore around 6:15 Nautical Dawn.  Unfortunately, with the storm clouds working their way east, they also blocked the light. Thus, it was closer to 7:15 when we weighed anchor.  We were the first to leave our area, but at the top of the canal, all but 3 boats had already departed.

     Following Active Captain’s report, we had no problems around the new shallows at the top of the canal.  As we traveled the clouds broke, but the winds increased back to about 20, but was blocked by trees for parts of the journey.  The most disturbing part of our travels came about 5 miles down the canal. It was a strong smell of raw sewerage stayed with us for a mile or two. 

    Since we were in a part of the world that has practically no cell phone service, we had to use text to wish Chris a Happy Birthday. Thankfully, my Samsung phone gets some service while Pete’s IPhone can’t. It drove Pete crazy. He was periodically checking the phone to see if there was service and if there was when did it raise above 1x. 

     When we passed though the Alligator Pongo Canal 6 years ago, we were  surprised to find a 10 foot tall pile of trees piled against the shore.  Pete referred to it as the Beaver Dam.  Mother Nature has been busy reclaiming it as her own.  

In 2010 Pete nicknamed this  "The Giant Beaver Dam"

In 2016 Mother Nature is reclaiming and recycling

      We were surprised to hear the Coast Guard announce the closure of the Alligator Pongo Bridge due to high winds.  We thought they only closed it when winds topped 30 mph.  Either they closed it due to lesser winds, or it was windier than we thought.

Aproaching Belhaven, NC

Time to walk the Bailey

    With the favorable current in the AP Canal, we made Belhaven by 1:30.  We discussed the possibility of heading straight to River Dunes, but it is another 35 miles, which translates to 5 hours AND heading into a strong wind.  That would bring us in after dark. Instead, we read and relaxed and will head out early tomorrow.

~ ~ ~ /) ~~  K & P

A Picture Perfect Day!

Dawn's light and fog

Midway Marina in the early morning mist                     

     Since we only have 7 hours, we opted to leave at around 8, but left the dock a 7:40. Most boats had already departed. Heading south we encountered the fog. Thankfully, it was only thick in a small area and dissipated quickly, but not before we enjoyed some of its beauty.

Silhouetted pines mixed with fog

    Last night and this morning we were reminded that the real purpose of the ICW is commerce.  We were passed by a north bound tug pushing two large barges. I would be real nervous passing or being passed by one of these barges in some of the closer quarters of the ICW canals.

Traffic on the water way

    The crossing of the Albemarle Sound was totally uneventful. The water was almost like glass.  To the east, the water reflected the silver and gray from the clouds mixed with small bit of blue sky. While to the west, where the skies were clearing, the water varied from blue to turquoise with white from the clouds.  The shifting colors were awesome as well as mesmerizing!

Awesome reflections

    By the time we approached to top of the Alligator Pongo Canal, there were about 12 boats already anchored.  This wasn’t a problem for us as we needed to continue further on so we could be closer to the hidden canal leading to a local public boat ramp.  We passed only 1 other boat anchored in this area as we went further up to drop the anchor.

This is only 1/2 way into the serpentine canal

The water is really brown
but reflects the blue sky!

   

It really is a State Facility

     Pete took Bailey and I down the old canal.  He and Dan use this last fall for taking the dogs ashore.  They both agreed that it was an experience.  Even with the higher water and a number of trees blown over, it is still a beautiful ride.  When we got to the end, the dock was partially submerged.  Pete angled the dinghy onto a grassy area, but there was still water. Bailey jumped and splashed her way to dry land.  Pete and she walked and played a bit.  Then she ran full tilt and jumped into the dinghy spreading stinky, black mud all over! 
     When they returned, we enjoyed some of the great pork tenderloin Mario prepared for the CCYC Oktoberfest.  Since a few people didn’t show, there were leftovers that were shared. I froze 3 servings for those nights when we just want a quick but delicious meal.  Thanks, Mario!

Neighbors for the night

   
  The sunset was hidden by a cloud bank, bringing in the cold front while the breezes also died. Unfortunately, as the sun hid the mosquitoes appeared and chased us down below.  Around 9:30, the winds suddenly picked up to about 20 and within moments the rain appeared. The rains only lasted about an hour, but the winds stayed slightly overnight.

The sun as it dipped behind the cloud bank

                                          ~ ~ ~ /) ~ ~    K & P