Friday, October 31, 2014
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Monday, October 27, 2014
Pix
Alligator marina - no man's land - but the only one around!!
Cruisin' down the Alligator River - yes, it has gators!
End of the day at Dowry Creek - time for HH!!!
Crossing the Pamlico River. 6 sailboats in front and 6 behind. They had great wind!!!
Barge coming our way!!
Who knew there were giraffe in NC. NOW THAT IS A LAWN DECORATION!?!
Oops!!!
Sunday, October 19, 2014
4 days on the water
Four full days ont he water and a short break this afternoon. We left our marina just north of Elizabeth City, NC on Thur after waiting out the weather for 2 days. It was the day to cross the Abermarle Sound, the wind was still up around 10 or so, but we decided to poke our nose out there and would turn around if it was too much. It is a 2 hr ride down the river to the Sound and the last hour or so it is nothing but crab pots. We had left at 8, so the sun was right on our nose and those pots were all but impossible to see! It took the two of us straining our eye balls for probably 1.5 hours min.The reflectio of the sun and the wave actions can really play tricks on your eyes. You honestly start to see things that aren't there - I thought I saw Brad Pitt's head rolling around out there a couple of times! It did make the time fly by!! By then we were in the sound and it was blowing pretty good but just off our nose so not too rocky and we decided to go for it. It was a long ride but we made it and stopped at a marina just at the other side for the night. We were now in now man's land, but the marina had all the services and we were pooped after a stresssful day. Walk the dogs. fix dinner, take a shower and hit the rack. Up and leaving at daylight the next day -another long one to a marina near Belhaven, NC. We had a couple hours to get down the Alligator river, then thru the Alligator-Pungo canal for 22 mi. This area is full of stumps along side the channel as well as debris/logs floating. Again, it takes two sets of eyes on the water constantly. It was a pretty ride and we were in line with 6 sailboats. At one point, ahead of us, one of the snagged on a stump and had to be towed into Belhaven. It appeared he had been towards the side of the channel - big mistake! Boaters are always very helpful and he had several stop to help him by the time we got there. The marina we stayed was very nice - we had stayed there last spring. They always have a HH in the club house so we met the few that had spent the night there (we are a little ahead of the snow bird rush which is a good thing!) We met a very nice fellow who had done the Loop a year ago ( a Gold Looper) who was so nice, offered any info he could and give us his card telling us to call him anytime for help/info. That's the way boaters are. Another couple, both who are 75 and have been boating for 40 yrs!!! Maybe that could be Alan and I in another 10 yrears?? I know - scary thought!!! They were heading back to Ft Lauderdale. Up again the next am at daylight and planned to head to Oriental, but decided to push on to Morehead City and the wind appeared to be cooperating. We had to cross the Pamlico River in the am and it can be a doozy, but there again it seemed manageable. Our comforft zone is definitely widening. Again, we were in a group of 6 sailboats ahead of us, and 6 behind. They werel loving all the wind!! After we crosed the river we were in a small river and protected. For once we didn't have to worry about pots or floating debris!! I studied my Spanish and Alan quizzed me. When it is smooth boating he hass the boat on auto pilot and he does knee bends and push ups. I should be doing the same, but am thinking about it!! Ted eats and sleeps, Sam moves around a little and tries to steal Ted's bed. If we wants it bad enought he will just ssit on Ted until Ted moves!! Tpical big brother!! Don - did Alan ever sit on you??? Very windy coming into Morehead City, and the water is starting to shallow up but Alan is getting very good at maneuvering the boat. We were tired so decided to eat out. It was walking distance to a very nice restaurant and no dishes to do on the boat. After studying the weather, which said is was going to continue to be very windy the next day (today) we went to bed not knowing for sure what we were going to do. In the am it looked like the land would protecti us from the direction of the wind so we casted off. We were hoping to be able to move today as it is Sun and the day we would be going thru Camp LeJuene. There are no live fire exercises on Sun which can delay a transit by up to 2 hrs. It was very quiet today!! Pulled into a marina at Sneads Ferry, NC around 3 - our shortest day for awhile. Some time for a nap!! Winds look good tomorrow so planning to head for Southport, NCTR - more to come!!
Wednesday, October 15, 2014
pix
sunrise in Hampton VA
locking thru the swamp
original home of the Swamp Commander - for real!
Sam's nemesis - it is a daily show down - Sam wins
oyster boats as we were leaving Dville - there were probably 60 or so - they are allowed 4 doz per person on the boat. The season has started!!
Greetings from near Elizabeth City, NC
It is raining hard here, so good time for a blog! We left Hampton on Monday as the wind was better - and headed for the Dismal. We decided on that route as the wind was supposed to pick up again, which it did, and we were really glad to be in some protection. The port of Norfolk was very quiet, thank goodnes, and we were able to make the first lock opening at 11:30. We locked thru with another trawler and 5 sailboats.
The swamp was beautiful, as usual, and an easy ride tho we did "bump" something 5 times. The first one was a "what the hell was that?" one, 2 more were "yeah, there was something" and 2 more were "did you feel that?". We did not feel any new vibration or anything to indicate that damage was done. Two of the sailboats dropped out to spend the night at the Visitor Center dock (which we did last spring) and the rest of us continued on. We were all hell bent on making the 3 pm opening of the second lock - and we made it!!
We planned to stop at a marina about a mile before Elizabeth City and daylight was running out. We knew from last year that if the wind was from the south (which it was) you could really get beat up at the dock in Eliz City, so we chose this marina which is very protected. We arrive at 5:45 to a welcoming crowd of 5 men to help us in. The dockmaster and 4 residents just being helpful! For once we are the "big fish" in the marina, which isn't saying too much considering the marina, BUT they have clean showers, laundry, courtesy car (which we are taking today into Eliz City), a well stocked convenience store and a GREAT, inexpensive restaurant. The people could not be nicer and the WIFI is one of the two best we have had on all of our travel, so far. Interesting how the more "rustic" the marina the better the service and WIFI. We are quickly learning the ropes!! So - yesterday and today waiting out the weather which is pretty craptastic. Wind just won't let up. Now we are looking at leaving here (to cross the Albermarle) possibly tomorrow or Fri -otherwise it will have to be the beginning of the week. We also have to look past that as there is a marina just after you cross, but it is in the middle of NOWHERE!! No way do we want to be stuck there for more than a night, two at the most. This is really a delicate dance and Mother Nature is the correographer. The trip from Hampton was an 11 hour day, so we really zoned out yesterday. Today is boat clean up day and running a few errands. All is well and looking at the weather ahead, we should be able to make Jekyll about the time to start heading north again! Remember, a schedule is your biggest enemy on a boat!
Sunday, October 12, 2014
more pix
my boys in the dinghy
Panacea at anchor = happy girl!!!
Sammy needs to sit with Mom - rocking a little too much!!
first evening at Hampton
Trawler Ted and Salty Sam - best crew there is!!
On our way!!
Here we go --left Dville on the 9th and now in Hampton, VA which is just across the bay from Norfolk Harbor and the naval facility. We are hoping to leave today for a short jaunt to where we will anchor out and be in line for the lock thru The Dismal on Mon am. The weather has really been finicky - today they are saying NE winds at 10-15. A bit more than we like to work with, but it will be at our backs which makes it much easier. We shall see. We decided to take the Dismal again as the winds are kicking up all week and that is a protected route. The route we were looking at has a large, open sound to cross and we decided that didn't sound like a lot of fun. Plus, right after that you cross the Albermarle Sound which is huge and you HAVE to have decent weather. One could be holed up for awhile and we didn't want to be holed up there. So - we will do the Dismal and found a nice, protected marina there, close to the Albermarle, that if we have to we can just wait out the winds. The highlights of the last two weeeks in Dville included a weekend of anchoring out - shaking out Panacea - and it was delightful!! We went about 20 mi up the river into another small river. Had the anchorage to ourselves and the weather was great!! Sam and Ted had their first dinghy ride! We decided to act like this was something they had been doing forever - very low key. Alan started the dinghy and brought it along side the boat. I lifted Sam by the handles on his life jacket and lifted him down to Alan who caught him under his belly. Of course, Ted was not a problem. I sat in the bow seat with Ted (who went to sleep) and my arm around Sam. He did great! His only real problem was he simply could not figure out why the motor was making so much noise! They actually had 3 rides and loved every minute of that. So - that bridge crossed! We had been sweating it for almost 2 yrs! Our marina hosted an Oktober fest which was great fun. Many Germans, Brits and an Italian couple - such great people and everyone had their mariner stories to tell. Our ride down the Chesapeake to Hampton went well - it was pretty choppy at first as the wind was against the current as well as trying to get out of our river channel into the bay. It finally settled down and all was well. Yesterday we went to the Air and Space museum here - awesome! They have the Challenger module, a full size Boeing 707, several full size military/bomber planes and much, much more. We had heard about it but did not make it there last spring when we were thru. Had dinner with another couple from the marina who are heading to Fl where they live in the winter. They have done the Loop so it was great conversation!! Those "veterans" are always so anxious to share their knowledge and that is a wonderful thing - we need all we can get!! Well, let's hope we get out of here today. We will have the SPOT on. I won't make another posting until we get to our marina in NC on Mon aft. Right now, it looks like we will have to ride out some weather there. Later.......
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