Pungo, Pamlico, and Forest Gump

It has been about a week and a half since I had a chance to post news but internet access has been a little more problematic lately. The system at Tidewater Marina had hiccupped and technicians were there for the days when I was trying to get it up and running and my wanderings seem to have taken us to places where access is not a given.
Terry did show up as advertised in Portsmouth and we ended up staying there for about 3 days. The winds had picked up which was great for the schooners that raced down from Annapolis but they also prevented me and others from going on our merry way.
It was really interesting to see the fleet of schooners - about 45 of them all tied up at various points around the Portsmouth harbour. This annual event is a fundraiser for an environmental group and provides an opportunity for their crews to get some overnight sailing experience and to have great parties at each end of the trip.
Terry and I also used to time to make a visit to the Virginia Wine fest which is held across the harbour at Norfolk. The city public transportation provides a ferry across - $1.50 each way. We tasted a large variety of wines and then picked up 6 bottles of what we enjoyed the most. Needless to say, some of it is already gone!.
We left Portsmouth on Monday and decided that we would take the Dismal Swamp route towards Arbemarle Sound - the next large body of water to be crossed. It was a good choice as the Army Corps of Engineers had that day decided to revert to lock opening 4 times per day and we made transit. We otherwise would have had to have waited about 4 hours.
The Dismal Swamp route was peaceful and neither dismal, nor overly swampy. It was like a 20 mile-long straight canal through the backwoods. One of the things that continues to impress me is that there is very little development along the waterways. It seems that a green belt has been deliberately left there.
Our first stop along the way was at the North Carolina Visitor Centre which provides a free dock. We were the first to arrive of about a dozen boats. There is room for 4 boats to tie alongside so we ended up building a raft that was at least 3 deep. Resolute was on the inside connecting many other boats to shore. It was a great stop; lots of comeradery among the boaters. We left early the next morning for the relatively short run to Elizabeth City which prides itself as a transient-boater friendly community. Indeed it was. Among the other boats there was La Buena Vida. We joined Marlene and Heiner and 3 others for dinner and good conversation at one of local restaurants.
Albemarle Sound has a reputation for being rather nasty in strong winds so we took advantage of the predicted lighter winds and left around 8 on Wednesday morning hoping to reach the Alligator River Marina about 50 miles away. The Sound was well-behaved for the first 6 hours - we were able to put up sails and make fairly good time. There was a parade of boats- mostly sail, doing the same thing. Towards the end of the trip, the winds had picked up and the water was quite choppy making our turn into the Alligator River, so we had a couple of hours of light "bashing about" before we reached the protected waters in the marina. Beyond this location, our options for docking were limited so we decided to put in another long day and aim for Belhaven, from where Terry would leave the boat and return to work in Toronto. It was therefore, another long day and this time, we left around 7:30 with a couple of other sailboats. One, NA, a C & C 29 was being skippered solo, by John. We had dinner at the marina diner the night before along with the skipper of the other boat, Malina, that left at the same time. We reached Belhaven around 4 pm and docked there, one day ahead of our schedule. We had a couple of days, then to relax here and it was just as well as the winds had really picked up again. It was reassuring to be tied to the ground with a whole bunch of ropes. It also gave us the time to discover what the local area had to offer. One of the "gems" was a restaurant attached to a wine and book store called Wine and Words. Their theme for October was French cuisine and Terry and I had an excellent meal there. We highly recommend this eatery. Terry was due back in Toronto to work on Monday, so Friday, we picked up in Washington N.C. a rental car that I would use to drive her to Norfolk for her flight back on Sunday. The trip had a early start, and part of it was along the Dismal Swamp canal, where we saw large farms just a short distance removed form the waterway. It also gave us a chance to see the countryside - many farms, some large forested areas, and of course, much of what related to water-based activities.
Once I returned to the boat, a few related jobs had to be done - change oil and filters, and impeller, top up the water and fuel tanks and get ready for the next leg - this time solo again. Because of a forecast of increasing winds later the next day, I elected to leave early and try to get through Pamlico Sound before the wind picked up again. I was almost successful - it didn't pick up until I made a turn right into the strengthening wind in the Neuse River so Caja and I had to put up with about 3 hours of bouncing around. By 4:30 pm we were tied up at the Oriental N.C. Marina - happy to be so as a very dark-looking bank of clouds that accompanied a cold front moved over us just as I was finished tying up. A cold beer, a good dinner at the marina restaurant and a full night's sleep cured whatever ailed me. I turned down an offer of dinner on a boat from Montreal crewed by a really nice French-speaking couple, Robert and Brigitte, and opted to go for the rain-check tomorrow. I decided to stay at this marina for another 2 days since the winds are 20-25 knots and the temperature down in the low 50's during the day. Last night it dropped to the low 30's and tonight, some are saying that we might be flirting with the freezing mark. Thank heavens for electric micro furnaces. Mine was on all of last night and I am sure tonight will be similar.
Next stop is Beaufort/Moorehead City N.C., although the staff here at the marina are telling me that they have a really fun time here on Hallowe'en - I may have to think about that.
In terms of the title to this entry, the Pungo and the Pamlico are rivers in the region; the reference to Forest Gump is based on my spotting my first shrimp fleets; some in one of the rivers, and many others going about their business on Pamlico Sound. The harbour where I write this is a working one; there are many shrimp boats tied up here.
I was not successful last time around getting any pictures to upload so I will try again from here and comment later on what they represent.

Adieu for now

Mike

The millenium man and dog

This note come to you from Portsmouth Virginia. On Wednesday, the odometer on the chart plotter turned over 1000 nautical miles. It is hard to believe that we have covered that much ground. So far, any of the difficulties we have encountered have been minor. When the weather was rough, we stayed put (except for our run up Delaware Bay - I was foolish, but no harm was done and some confidence was gained).
The trip Wednesday was pretty long - about 37 nautical miles from Broad Creek near Deltaville to Salt Ponds which is a small bay about 5 miles north of Norfolk. We left earlier than we usually leave - about 7:45 and motorsailed the whole way. The weather has been hot again and relatively windless. Through the day, a parade of sailboats travelled south, with a smaller number going north. Most of them are faster than we are; on the one hand it is frustrating to be constantly passed by other boats but by the end of the day, we have made progress and are moving steadily towards THE SOUTH. It is remarkable how easy navigation is across some large distances with the chartplotter. For a few days I was lazy and did not keep track of our position on the paper charts but I have since become a bit more careful in that regard. Chartplotters do fail. On many of the recent days it has been a bit hazy so one is often out of sight of land.
The stop at Salt Ponds was pleasant. The very large marina is attached to a resort so all of the facilities were top notch. I was, however, a bit unsettled when we arrived - the entrance channel was reputed to carry 6 feet at low tide. We arrived at low tide and I watched the depth sounder as it dropped from 5 to 4 to 3 to 2 to .7 feet beneath the keel. At that point the sounder stopped reporting depths. I took my eyes off it and pretended that I wasn't really worried. We made it in and tied up at their floating docks. Plans were made to leave today on the rising and higher tide.
That we did. The run for the 15 n.m. to Portsmouth went well; we avoided being run down by the Russian tanker by doing a 360 degree turn and letting him by. Actually, the pilot had called to advise me that he had to come in my direction. That made my decision easy. We are at the Tidewater marina, another very large facility with good amenities. I will be here for several days; Terry is scheduled to come in on Saturday for a stay of a week or so. I should have time to get the boat cleaned up and some laundry done before she arrives. It will be nice to have a few down days before we head off down the ICW.
I ran into a a sailor who lives aboard his boat here in the marina and he and his friend gave me the lowdown on this area and on what lies ahead.
People continue to be very friendly and open. I think that Caja breaks the ice for a lot of folks.
I should also have time to upload a few photos tomorrow. See you then.

Mike

Up the Potomac and not a wave in sight

It has been about 5 days since I last had a chance to post a message he and in that time we have covered quite a bit of ground. We left Saint Michael's on a beautiful day with a good NE wind about 10 knots. We had to motor for about an hour to get out of the river but after that, we had an excellent sail for about 5 hours crossing the Bay and stopping at a fabulous Marina in Herrington Harbour. Their grounds were manicured and covered with beautiful plantings and for the first time, the plants were what I would expect in the south - palm-type plantings. There was a huge pool (they are all closed at this time of the year), exercise rooms, tennis courts, etc. Tiki bar and wonderful restaurant where I kept up my tradition by having crab cakes. I could have stayed much longer but I am pressing to get to Norfolk before unpleasant weather arrives later in the week.
Our next stop was at the boating centre of Solomon's Island where I had my first experience docking among pilings and a very short fixed dock. With some help from the gas attendant we made it in unscathed. This marina had seen better days but it provided a secure spot for the night. I was able to do without the engine for about half of today's trip; the rest of the time, the wind faded and to keep up speed, the "iron Genny" was enlisted. Caja and I continue to remain healthy. We are still able to get up at 6:30 each morning and get in our 30 minute walk.
The next day was another hot and relatively windless one. We motorsailed the whole way and stopped at Point Lookout Marina which again featured pilings and fixed docks. It was easier to get in this time since there was absolutely no wind and we drifted right to where we had to be. They did have a restaurant on-site and I enjoyed another seafood dinner and watched a gorgeous sunset. The only problem with this place was that it was about 13.5 miles off the beaten path; up the Potomac River towards Washington D.C. Two and a half hours that will have to be made up tomorrow morning. Oh well, c'est-la-vie. This is a huge river.GRAHAM....THE PELICANS HAVE ARRIVED; THERE WERE DOZENS AND DOZENS OF THEM. I TOOK A FEW PHOTOS - I WILL TRY TO POST ONE FOR YOU AND MEL.
On Monday, Thanksgiving in Canada, we did not pause to celebrate but got going early again and enjoyed another beautifully warm but windless day getting down to Ingram Bay Marina. This spot was inside a short creek off Ingram Bay but only a short distance off the direct route south. The marina is relatively small but the location is perfect. When Caja and I did our walks we started to notice a difference in the vegetation. There are many large fir trees. There are still loads of flowers blooming and we see exotic-looking grasses with puffy heads on them. I will again try to upload photos of some of these.
Today, Tuesday the 14th was a short day for us. Because we were close to the direct route and our next stop was only about 25 n.m. away, we arrived at another really nice marina - Regatta Point Yacht Club shortly after 2 p.m. They had a courtesy car to use so I grabbed it and made a run to West Marine and to the local food store which were each about 3 miles away. Yes, there has been a casualty on Resolute. The snap shackle that connects the main sheet to the traveller lost its pin. You might need a translation. See a sailor.
This place, however, has Wi-Fi and that it why you will hear from me today. The last place I stopped was so much out of the way that my cell phone would not connect. It seems that we are getting back into civilization although, not having cell service is really not that much of a handicap; at least it shouldn't be.
Caja becons; it's time to grab a beer and get started on dinner. I have a really long day planned for tomorrow- about 35 nautical miles - depending on tidal currents about 8 hours.
ttyl

Mike

News from Saint Michael's (the village, not me)

Caja and I are sitting in the cockpit on a warm Thursday morning, looking out over mostly empty slip in the harbour at the resort town of Saint Michael's. It reminds me a bit of Niagara-on-the-Lake - lots of little shops and boutiques and loads of B & B's. My main reason for coming here is to go and visit the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum. Any book I have come across on the Chesapeake strongly recommends that one stop here and pay a visit to that establishment. That is my plan for this afternoon. I have already checked the weather for tomorrow and made reservations at a marina in Herrington Harbour on the other side of the bay.
So far, I have been sticking to the east side of the bay, avoiding the large cities of Baltimore and Annapolis, the latter of which is this weekend hosting their huge boat show. I know that it would be nice to attend but without reservations a year ahead of time, I think it would be difficult to find somewhere to "park".
There seems to be some difference between the east and the west sides of the bay. The east side, where we have been, is not overly developed. The towns and villages are small; many of the residents earn their living fishing the bay and servicing the boaters. All along the trip so far, "auto" has done pretty much all of the steering; an eye needs to be kept for floats marking the location of crab pots. They seem to be everywhere. Our first day down the bay was with a light breeze blowing behind us. The genoa was launched and we cruised, still with the engine running right downwind to the marina at Worton Creek. The only uncomfortable time on the trip was the first few miles out the C & D canal where there was some barge traffic. In the canal, the wakes from the vessels disturb the water for some time as the wake bounces back into the canal from the shores. I thought that Caja might be able to last in the cockpit area but after the first barge went by, he had to go down and curl up below. The marina was about a mile up a creek in a very nicely protected part of the creek. There were high banks along the sides so any wind would be deflected. The people there were very helpful and informative about where to visit while heading south.
Our next stop was at Rock Hall, where we found a very nice marina with floating docks, great washrooms, nearby facilities and helpful staff. We ended up staying there for 2 days and there, in the Waterman's restaurant right on the pier, I had my first go at a plate of the local crabs. It is messy eating but they were very tasty. As I finished my feast on the deck, I was treated to a gorgeous sunset (photo attached). We were sorry to leave but we had to press on and yesterday, we did the run to Saint Michael's. The wind was right on the nose, so we again were on the motor and reached SM's after taking the shortcut through Kent Island Narrows. While the chart shows a depth of only 3 feet in the channel leading into the narrows, the staff at Rock Hall Marina advised that the channel had been dredged 2 years ago. The shallowest I recorded was 7.5 feet.
A brief note about the attached photos: The 1st is of a home on the shores of Chesapeake Bay close to the point where the C & D canal enters the bay. The second is of a tall ship that was anchored just outside the harbour at Rock Hall. The 3rd is my sunset shot and the 4th - the remains after my crab dinner; and the last is of Resolute tied up in slip #34 in front of the restaurant at Saint Michael's Harbour. I have many more photos. You'll have to see my slide show after I return.

Too da loo for now.

Mike

The Chesapeake lies ahead

I am sitting on the boat in a marina in Chesapeake City which is on the Chesapeake and Delaware Canal. I have to wait for an hour or so before leaving - right now there is a strong current against me. One of the things that I have learned is that sailboat travellers are very much dependent on the state of the tide. And, with the days growing shorter, that leaves less and less time to get from one spot to the next.
I came up Delaware Bay day before yesterday. The forecast from the night before was for 10 knot winds from the south-east - that would have been ideal, so I and others made plans for the trip up the bay. By the morning, the forecast had changed - the winds were now to be 10 to 15 knots with gusts to 20 ..just about my limit. But we figured that if they blew from behind, it would be tolerable. They did start out that way, but by about 3 hours into the trip, they had increased. Another large boat with wind instruments reported gusts to 30 knots. I had 2 reefs in the main and the genoa rolled up about half way. That worked OK until the wind shifted around and came from ahead. That really kicked up the water. I was in my raingear - we were taking a fair bit of spray. But, 9 hours later, I was safely at the start of the C & D canal and ready for my lunch and an easier 2 hours up to Chesapeake City. I rewarded myself by staying here for another day and getting a chance of look around the area. It is beautiful. It is another one of those very well preserved old towns on the water. I will add a few photos the next time that I have a stop with Wi-fi.
Well, I see other sailboats starting to get out there into the canal, so I will get myself organized to do the same.
The dog continues to do well. The boat is also still hanging in and with regular rest and good food, so am I.
The photos that I uploaded here are of a couple of homes in Chesapeake City.
I want to add a comment about the people who I have met while on this trip. With no exception they have all been very friendly and welcoming. An example from Chesapeake City: I was looking for somewhere to buy some food and there seemed to be nowhere in the village, so I went for a walk along a road that led out of town. I noticed a group of 3 young men who were working in the front yard of one of the houses, so I went up to them and asked about a food store. They told me there was none closeby but there was a small convenience store a mile or so up the road. I thanked them and started to walk on. One of the guys, Chris, told me to hand on - he would give me ride over, as long as I didn't mind riding on a scooter. So, off we went. He took me there, gave me as much time as I needed to shop, and then took me right back to the marina. It turned out that he was a high school teacher at the local school.

Cape May is lovely

It seems like just yesterday that we were weathered in at Waretown N.J. at a great little marina that protected us pretty well while the wind blew at 30 knots with gusts to 40. Our stay at Spencer's Marina lasted a full week, and ended after receiving advice from the locals about when would be the best time to take off for Atlantic City. When we arrived at Waretown, the weather forecasters were predicting strong winds and heavy rain for the balance of the week. Graham realized that there would be no more sailing for him on this trip, so he caught an early flight back to the "big smoke", on Wednesday. He still had the balance of the week off and would use that time to do some work on the siding on his home. Caja will really miss Graham - he is far more liberal with treats than I am!
My original plan was to do the Atlantic City trip in 2 days but the locals advised to push a bit and do it in 1. The weather was ideal on Monday September 29th, so off we went. We travelled through the balance of Barnegat Bay and then went on to Manahawkin Bay along some quite narrow channels. At some times, the channel ran right alongside the large and beautiful summer homes that seemed to cover every available piece of shoreline, particularly along the eastern shore of Little Egg Harbour. This part of the trip went pretty quickly since we had a bit of an assist from the tide.
Things changed drastically, though, we we reached Little Egg Inlet. There we had to make a sharp turn "upriver" and came face-to-face with the strongest tidal currents to date. They were at least 3 knots, and it took full throttle from Resolute to gain the channel that apparently constantly changes with the strong currents in the inlet. The Coast Guard were busy in one of their boats rearranging the buoys that marked the channel. The struggle against the current continued for about an hour until we made another turn, this time towards the towers marking the casinos in Atlantic City. The last portion of our journey took us through marshland for about 3 hours as we followed a fairly narrow channel that moved back and forth across the marshes.
We had a slip booked at the Farley State Marina which is connected to and operated by the Trump Marina Hotel, a large complex in a very protected basin just off the Absecon Inlet that leads out to the Atlantic.
From Atlantic City, our original plan was to take 2 days and go "inside" in a protected waterway that held a large number of bridges for us to go through, a few fixed bridges with a height of 35 feet (I guessed that Resolute's mast measured 34'5"), and a waterway that took many twists and turns and was reputed to be shallower in some spots than the advertised 4 feet (Resolute draws about 4 feet). So, I decided that since the forecast for Tuesday was for ideal conditions, we would go outside and do it in 1 day. There was virtually no wind except for a bit that arose later in the day. We again did no sailing and ran the engine the whole way. So did each of the other 7 sailboats that left A.C. at about the same time - 8 a.m. that day. The run to Cape May was uneventful, except that while we were leaving the marina at A.C., we spotted our first marine life. Two porpoises surfaced right beside the boat. I seem to remember that this is a good omen. It was. I had earlier reserved a slip at Utsch's Marina and the very helpful staff provided great directions and a helping hand to tie up at our slip. Once Caja was taken care of, I treated myself to a nice dinner at the Lobster House where my eyes were larger than my stomach. The 2 consecutive relatively long days had taken their toll on me and I quite frankly felt that I neeed a bit of a break. I decided to stay one more day at Utsch's and do a few of the boat jobs that seem to have no trouble appearing on my list. Among the items were another try at getting in touch with U.S. Customs. Boats travelling on cruising permits - which I obtained in Oswego, N.Y., are required to report to U.S. Customs regularly. I have tried to do so recently but it has been frustratingly hard to do so. Today, after being redirected 6 times, I finally found someone who took my information. It feels good to be "legal" again.
Cape May is beautiful. It is clearly an area with a focus on the sea. It has large beaches on the Atlantic, a huge fleet of fishing vessles located in the many, many, marinas spread throughout the Harbour area. It is a town with a long history that seems to be well remembered and protected. Many of the houses in the town date back to the 1800's. I did take a walk down through the older part of town on my way to get a haircut and pick up a few provisions but I forgot my camera. If I stay another day, I will remember to take a few photos to post here.
Brief comments relating to the photos. The 1st is of a home in Waretown N.J. The interesting feature about it is that it is built up on pilings about 10 feet above ground level. Several other homes in the community were similarly built. My guess is that it allowed for storm surges to go beneath the house. The 2nd is of one of the hotels in Atlantic City. Many of them were lit up at night. The 3rd is of a bird that landed on Resolute when we were about 3 miles offshore doing the run from A.C. to Cape May. It stayed long enough for me to take a number of pictures of it. I haver no idea what kind of a bird it was. The 4th and 5th are of some of the homes in Cape May. The 5th photo is of a house that is octagonal in shape.
There is a possibility that I may leave tomorrow, weather permitting. My original plan was to do the Delaware Bay in 2 days but the locals at the gas bar here convinced me otherwise. Another Canadian boat, the Chimo 11, is here and they are planning to do it tomorrow, starting at between 3 and 4 a.m. If one leaves shortly after the low tide, one gets to ride the flood all of the way up the bay and the 60 mile trip can be done is less than the normal 12 hours (at 5 knots). The only problem is that one has to get up with the low tide. It would be reassuring to have company for the trip, although, never having sailed at night, I am a little apprehensive about leaving quite that early. I may try to convince them to leave a little closer to sunrise - say 5 or 6 a.m.
We will see how that plays out. The most recent weather forecast that I looked at called for 10 to 15 knot winds, pretty much on the nose, with gusts to 20 knots. It is little fun going against the wind in a sailboat, so I am right now leaning towards waiting another day. It will give me a chance to see a bit more of Cape May.
Well, Caja is looking at me with that "look". He needs to be watered. Talk to you later.

Mike