Charleston, SC

Wayward Wind anchored in Charleston Harbor

Just a short one as I forgot to bring the electric cord to plug into the outlet here at the Charleston Tea Room, a cozy sunny spot downtown.  The rest of the trip went well.  Coincidentally Jeff, who is delivering a boat from Annapolis to Fort Lauderdale, jumped into Charleston to avoid a storm the day before yesterday just as we arrived.  Earlier in the day, he was 20 miles out in the Atlantic just north of Charleston when he said he heard my voice on the VHF radio as we motored down the waterway.  Funny!  After the storm calmed down, we dinghied over to his boat at the Charleston City Marina and, along with his crew member Mike, went to dinner last night at The Variety Store right next to the Marina.  I had local shrimp, sausage and grits.  I think there was a pound of butter in the grits.  YUM! 

The storm passed with no problems. It's a strange anchorage with some derelict boats and even a few sunken with just masts sticking out of the water. Doesn't give one a lot of confidence in the holding with the strong current that flips the boat 180 degrees every six or so hours, let alone with the 25-35 knot winds that blew through.

Turns out the white boat wasn't actually dragging anchor, but was somehow tied to the pinkish boat and was flipping with the current when I videoed it.  Anyway the video gives you a sense of the storm.  Wasn't actually a gale here, but outside the harbor, yes.

Project boat for sale with its own special mooring

The storm cleared up and now it is beautiful, so we're out and about walking through town.  Over the next few day, we'll take care of the rest of the boat maintenance .  After Jeff delivers the boat to Ft. Lauderdale, he'll fly back to Annapolis for a couple of days, then fly to Charleston to meet us.  We'll take care of the last of the boat maintenance, then take off for the Bahamas when the weather is right.  It finally seems as though it really might happen.

Hope everyone had a great Christmas.  Miss you all. 

Wrightsville Beach, NC

Just a quick note as internet connection is sketchy.  Decided to head south bound for Charleston where Jeff will meet us for the hop to the Bahamas.  Stayed last night at Mile Hammock Bay which is operated by the US Marines of Camp Lejeune.  As we anchored, two Ospreys were practicing maneuvers.  Ospreys are the hybrid plane/helicopter.  I waved as they passed and one dipped his wing hello.  Fortunately they ceased their practice landings soon after because they were LOUD.

Ospreys practicing maneuvers over the anchorage

Had a smooth motor to Wrightsville Beach today.  We'd stopped here on the way up, so it's familiar -- a low-key beach town.  In the mid-60s and partly sunny, so nice.  Continuing south tomorrow.  The only challenge is timing those darn 65-foot bridges with low tides.  The downside of low tide means the possibility of running aground in these shallow waters, nicknamed "The Ditch."  We carefully watch the depth sounder.  We draw 5 feet and saw 5.5 this morning, but so far, so good.  We'd like to do a run or two in the ocean, but the winds are from the southwest for the next few days, and we don't feel like waiting it out as we don't want to get stuck somewhere and have to wait out storms.  Best to get to Charleston and wait for the weather window to go to Marsh Harbor. 

Setting crab pots in the river

We miss our family so much.  Love to you all and Happy Holidays!

Beaufort, NC

(That's "Beaufort" that rhymes with "knowfrt" not "Beaufort" that rhymes with "youfrt" which is in SC.)
Finally I'm getting up to date.  We had an uneventful motor to Beaufort on Sunday, leaving Oriental in the afternoon so as to time the two 65-foot bridges at low tides.  We anchored in Beaufort just before sunset.  Hard to believe that we've already been here for five days.  The anchorage here is convenient to town and an easy row to the dinghy.  Spent a couple of afternoons looking for and mailing the kids' Christmas presents.  (When they see them, they'll probably wonder what took so long.) 

Visited the North Carolina Maritime Museum where we watched a video about that notorious pirate, Blackbeard, who terrorized the local waters and towns 300 years ago.  His flagship, Queen Anne's Revenge, went aground and sank off of the Beaufort inlet.  Researchers have found what they believe are the remains of the ship.  Originally hired by the British government as a "privateer" (outsourcing military jobs?) to rob French ships during Queen Ann's War, he turned to pirating for his own profit after the war.  One of his most notable tirades was the blockading of the the Charleston Harbor where he plundered ships in the harbor for gold, silver and slaves as well as medicine from the city.  Here is a link that tells more:  http://www.vleonica.com/blkbeard.htm  Fascinating history! 

Though not glitzy, Beaufort is mostly a tourist town.  It was hoppin' in the summer, but is oh-so quiet in the winter with only the Beaufort Docks and a few restaurants and shops open.  I'm wondering if the town will shut down completely after Christmas.  Greater Beaufort stretches north of town and right across the bridge is Moorhead City, both with many amenities.  We taxied to Moorhead City yesterday to West Marine to purchase some needed items.

Something that happened a week or so back while sailing was that our halyard for the jib (small forward sail) broke probably due to chafe, so we bought a replacement halyard.  The diesel filter is again showing some "gunk," so we bought some tank cleaner and will change filters.  While motoring in the Dismal Swamp, we bounced off a few unseen logs so the stuffing box along the drive shaft was dripping more than it should.  We adjusted that yesterday.  The day before yesterday, we turned on the generator and it immediately shut down.  Suspecting it was a blown fuse, we were determined to fix it ourselves.  Unfortunately the control box is in an inconvenient place.  If we open the refrigerator motor compartment located above the generator, we can roll out the motor on its sliding shelf making space above the generator.  Then we open the generator door below and put a towel on top of the generator.  I put my hands above my head and "dive" forward into the compartment and lay atop the generator to access the control box at the rear.  It took over an hour to find the culprit, a tiny 2-amp fuse in a green plastic holder, but we changed it, and it runs like a champ now. 

An Inconvenient Fuse

Our buddy, Jeff, is in the midst of a job repairing and delivering a boat and has a family visit at the holidays so won't be able to meet us until after Christmas.  At first a little disappointed in having to delay agian, we now realize that we have many tasks to keep us busy until then.  Also unlimited hot-water $4 showers are just a short dinghy ride away!   And though it's turned cold the last couple of days, earlier in the week it was a delightful 71 degrees.  Beaufort's location benefits from warm breezes coming off of the Gulf Stream that passes not far offshore.  Dave is itchin' to continue south, so we may travel to Charleston, SC, where Jeff can meet us to make the hop to the Bahamas.   We're weighing the options.  Meanwhile we're safe and sound in sunny Beaufort. 

Oriental, NC

As we were routing around the anchorage looking for a cozy spot, the depth sounder suddenly read 3.5 feet.  Just then a friendly voice from the nearby Sunrise came on the radio to tell us that there was a hump right where we were, so farther out we went, waving our thanks to the folks on Sunrise, and dropping the hook in a fine spot.  Soon afterwards the young couple and their bundled-up little girl rowed over in their dinghy saying they were the welcoming committee.  So sweet.  They told us that this weekend there were big doings in Oriental as it celebrates "The Spirit of Christmas" with a parade and hot food along the route, Christmas music and more.  Niiiice!

We continued settling in and saw a familiar schooner in full sail approaching the harbor -- our new friends on Ask For!   After dousing their sails, they motored by us and shouted, "What took you so long?"  The Canadians have a fun sense of humor AND they always laugh at our jokes, no matter how silly.

We watched the small town parade while munching on hot roasted chestnuts then ran into our Ask For friends.  They'd left her at the diesel dock during the parade then motored over to the town dock a hundred feet away.  Many people were still lined up on the street after the parade so turned to watch Ask For pull in.  One of the crew members, Paige was on the dock to catch the bow line, and Dave and another gentleman caught the stern line.  It was a bit of a squeeze so made for good entertainment which the onlookers seemed to enjoy.  In fact, one local gentleman said that this was better than the parade.  The townsfolk asked Tam many questions.  One man shook Tam's hand when he found out that Tam had built most of the boat himself.  It is quite a remarkable boat. 

Captain Tam surrounded by Lys, Mark and Paige (John not in photo)



Ask For's red spruce booms and masts



Paige climbs down the ladder after hanging the sleeping bags to air out

Ask For bow with sleeping bags

 That night we joined up with the Ask For crew for dinner at M & M's Cafe.  Judging by the crowd, it was popular with the locals.  I had Cajun catfish and Dave had crab-stuffed flounder.  Both were delicious.  It was wonderful to hear everyone's stories, especially the twenty-somethings, who are really just starting out on their larger journey.

After our savory meal, as we waddled to our boats, I asked Tam how he named his boat.  He said that a long time ago, a friend asked him if you could have any boat, what would it be like.  Tam described the features of the boat he'd like.  Soon after, a woman contacted him saying that her husband had passed away, but before he died, he'd built a skipjack hull, a favorite of Tam's.  At the time, Tam had a boat, and he knew it would cost a lot of money to finish building this boat, but something told him that this was meant to be.  He said that all along the way, even though he didn't know how he'd get it done or finance it, things continued to fall into place.  In a way, he says, he asked for this boat, and it came into his life.   Another influence was that Tam had read a book about a woman who wanted to have (and asked for) a baby for many years.  Finally she had the baby and named her "Ask For."  So Tam decided this would be a good name for his boat.

Seafood Marked Sign

The next morning we ran into them again at our favorite coffee cafe, The Bean, where we said our good-byes.  We headed south later that day, but they decided to do a little more provisioning in town and rest as they would go straight through Beaufort and head down the coast to Charleston where they were planning to cross the Gulf Stream to the Bahamas.  Fair winds, Ask For.  We hope to see you again.

Pamlico and Neuse Rivers, NC

On Saturday, we left the Slade Creek anchorage at 8:15 and right away were doing 5.5 knots in a N 15 knot wind.  Not bad.  The wind picked up as we crossed the wide Pamlico River so were sailing along nicely and had the wind behind us through the narrows.  As we approached the 65-foot Hobucken Bridge, our AIS alerted us that a vessel was also approaching the bridge coming in the other direction.  We looked ahead but could not see it as it hadn't turned the bend in the river.  We pulled up more data and found it was a tug pushing a barge, and since it was going faster than we were, we figured it would cross under the bridge slightly before us.  Still Dave tacked a bit to slow us down though the slight current was pushing us along.  The tug slowed down as it approached the bridge, too, but crossed under in time before we got there. 

As this was happening, however, we noticed a hefty trawler motoring up behind us and throwing a huge wake.  We hailed them on the radio, but no response.  Because our mast (plus antennas) clearance is about 64 feet and maybe six inches, a coincidental wake from a passing boat at the wrong time could jam our mast into the underside of the bridge.  (Having heard one horror story of this scenario that caused a lot of damage, we were on alert.)  We passed a huge sign that said "NO WAKE ZONE," so hopefully the trawler would slow down.  I took the helm and Dave, wearing his bright yellow foulies, stood up on the back of the stern seat and motioned for the boat to slow down.   It didn't much, still throwing a big wake right off of our stern.  I was focusing on missing the center lights that hang slightly below the bottom edges of the bridge on both sides so was going under at an angle.  Judging by the angry looks, the middle-aged couple in the trawler obviously did not understand our situation.  We didn't care.  Thankfully we passed under the bridge without touching.  But what I immediately realized is that I was traveling at a steeper angle to the shore than I'd intended and, in essence, had cut off the trawler from passing us.  Ooops.  Oh, well.  If I hadn't, they may have passed us right before the bridge and churned out a big wake causing us to bounce into the bridge undergirders.  They sped off in a huff.  We sailed off in a sigh of relief. 

The rest of the sail was fantastic, our best day yet. We went back into the Pamlico Sound and into Neuse River, which the guide book describes as some of "the meanest water on the ICW." With a combo of luck and planning, we timed it well, often hitting 8 knots. Chilly but a wonderful ride to one of our favorite towns -- Oreintal, North Carolina.

Dave says, "C'mon, Bahamas!" at the end.

Albemarle Sound to Pungo River

12/10/11

Fortunately the wind in Elizabeth City died down around 10:00 so we slept well and rose at 5:00 to cross the Albemarle Sound.  The winds were much less than the predicted 20 knots so we only sailed at 4 to 5 knots with a few bursts of 6 knots.  When it got down to 3.5 knots, we turned on the engine and motored for the last two hours though we did get in seven hours of sailing.  We wanted to get to the anchorage before dark, so pushed it a bit at six knots.  When we doused the sail, it first got caught in the small line that goes up the mast, so we had to raise and lower the sail a couple of times to set it free.  Then the sail did not come down all of the way, so I had to go a few steps up the mast to pull down the last bit by hand.  Both of these glitches were new and reminded us that it’s not a good idea to cut the timing so tightly on a sailboat.  



Rainbow in cloud (photo does not capture well)

The sun had set by the time we got to Deep Point on the Alligator River.  The anchor light atop the mast of another boat helped guide us to the anchorage.  We set the anchor and finished up in the cockpit by the mist-laced nearly full moon in a starkly beautiful setting weirdly punctuated by the deafening roar of low-flying fighter jets, which fortunately disappeared after the first hour.  Another sailboat pulled in after us.  One of the most peaceful nights we’ve had…

…unlike tonight where we are rolling in our anchorage at the entrance to Slade Creek on the Pungo River that protected us from the unpredicted south wind when we anchored but exposes us to the north wind that we’re experiencing now at 3:45 am.  I’ve set the anchor drag alarm on the handheld GPS, just in case.  I mark where we are with a waypoint; then it tracks our movement.  On a calm night you end up with a “smile” track as you gently pivot back and forth on the anchor.  On a night like tonight, you end up with sharp angled “fangs” as each gust stretches you out and you spring back as the gust subsides.  If we stray too far, the alarm alerts us.  It’s not gusting too strongly, but we set the anchor for a south wind and now it’s a north wind, so I’m hoping the anchor won’t pull up.  Anyway, getting up early gives me a chance to catch up on the blog. 

Want to add a photo of a friendly Canadian single-handler.  Didn't catch the name of his boat but chatted briefly as we motor-sailed by.  We see many cruisers escaping the Canadian winter for warmer climes. 

The Dismal Swamp to Elizabeth City

12/07/11

In The Dismal Swamp

We had an easy motor from Portsmouth to the Dismal Swamp.   We shared a good laugh when Dave said, “I’m so happy to be in the Dismal Swamp.”  Actually it isn’t what we’d imagined.  The trees looked right – stark, bare, and scraggly – but the ground beyond the canal was fairly dry. 

Inside Deep Creek Lock

Dave holding the stern line (Linda is at the bow line)

We entered the Deep Creek Lock where we rose eight feet to the water level of the canal.  The lock tender was a kind, older gentleman who said he'd worked at the lock for 17 years. 

 

Lock Tender and Lock House

He helped us loop our lines -- one at the bow and one at the stern -- around the yellow metal posts onshore.  One end of each line is tied to the boat and one is loose (the bitter end).  We snug fenders (cushions) between the boat and the wall of the lock.  As the water rushes in and rises, we pull on the bitter end to keep us against the wall.  It's a gas!

 

We learned at the Visitors Center that long ago virtually all of the hardwood trees were logged which drastically dried the soil.  We arrived early enough to go for a walk in the Dismal Swamp State Park.  It was nice to be out in nature again.  Saw many Black Bear droppings. 

Wayward Wind docked at The Dismal Swamp Visitors Center

Across from the park is another visitor center that is located at a highway rest stop that also has a 150 foot dock that is free to boaters.  After our walk in the park, a motor catamaran, then a 54-foot schooner with a young woman perched way up in the rigging reading a book pulled in.  The captain of the schooner, Tam, chatted with us.  He and his friend, John, who is an experienced sailor along with three young adults who are not experienced, sailed down from Nova Scotia and are headed for the Bahamas.  Tam bought the skipjack hull of his boat that was hand made by another gentleman, then completely built everything else himself.  It took him five years.  The masts are made from red spruce harvested not far from his home.  He stripped them and then dried them for three years.  The boat is Ask For, and I will have to ask for an explanation of why he named her so.  She’s a beauty. 

Ask For in the Dismal Swamp

This morning the three boats left to pass through the South Mills Lock at the 8:30 opening.  The catamaran sped off, and Ask For followed us.  We motored out of the Canal and into the Pasquotank River.  The twenty miles of river were the prettiest part of the trip.  Here is where we passed genuine swamp land. 

WW wedged in her slip at the Elizabeth City public dock

We got to Elizabeth City around noon so had time to explore.  The docking was a little tricky in the strong breeze.  Dave expertly slid WW into the narrow 14-foot wide slip especially given our beam of 13'6".  Fortunately there were three other boaters onshore to catch lines and help us get adjusted. 

Hey, TJ, we're close to Kitty Hawk

We had a lovely walk downtown in the warm afternoon.  Elizabeth City reminds me of downtown Napa in the early 60s with a department store, druggist, shoe store and so on.  (I half-expected to see Bob Hennessey and the Golden Goose - only old Napans will remember Schalow's Shoe Store on First St.).  Other than a few empty store fronts, it seems to be a viable town.  So glad to see this.  I visited the Albemarle Museum, a beautiful new building with a fine local history exhibit and two special exhibits – one of North Carolina pottery and another of a photojournalist from Charlotte – both interesting. 

Dave went for a longer walk through town and found a bakery that had hot freshly baked bread.  We met up and sat on a bench where we tore off warm doughy pieces and gobbled them down.  Tam strolled by so we shared our delicious discovery with him.  While we chatted, the perkiest police officer I’ve ever met stopped by to register our boats.  Officer Brooks, who seemed like your bubbly and bright aunt, shook our hands and welcomed us to Elizabeth City.  Tam wandered off to explore the town, and since the three of us had managed to eat half of a loaf, Dave and I headed to the bakery for more bread.  On our way, a woman walking her dog approached us and exclaimed, "Petaluma!  I used to live in Petaluma!"  Sue Geiger had seen my "Petaluma is for Lovers" shirt and stopped to chat.  She now lives in Elizabeth City and works for a nearby college.  Quite a coincidental meeting, thanks our sweet friend Ruby who had given me her P-town shirt.  Dave and I stopped by a mint green shop with a pink awning called The Cupcakery.  I asked for a pecan coconut cookie.  A fellow patron kindly said, “You must not be from around here.  It’s 'peCAN.'” (not peCAHN) 

We’d heard that there would be gale force winds south of us in the Albemarle Sound tonight.  It would mean strong winds in Elizabeth City.  Though the wind is gusting and the rain is blowing, we’re snug in our slip.  It’s supposed to pick up until midnight then subside.  Just might get some sleep tonight.      

Reedville to Deltaville to Norfolk

12/06/11

Fishing boat in Jackson Creek, Deltaville

Had a good sail from Reedville to Deltaville in 15-20 N wind.  A little choppy but swift.  Anchored up Jackson Creek where it was quite protected from the south wind that night.  Decided to wait a day for another north wind.  Sunny and warm enough to sit out in the cockpit for lunch and to air out the boat.  Cooked up some grub for the next few days:  brown rice, broccoli and carrots, tofu.  Did you know that leftover turkey gravy with curry powder and yogurt is not too bad?

The fresh water pressure pump was running more than it should, even when we weren’t using the faucet.  Also the bilge pump ran a couple of times unexpectedly.  (Is the bilge pump running ever expected?)  Turns out the hot water tank has a leak.  We rarely use the hot water tank heating elements as the motor heats the water when it runs.  Decided to only turn on the fresh water pump for a few seconds when we need water from the faucet until we can sort this out.  Not a problem. 

Wolf Trap Lighthouse

Sumo Wrestler Cranes

On Saturday, we sailed to Norfolk/Portsmouth.  Up early and caught a 15-20 NE wind with higher gusts all morning.  A bit choppy.  Great sail averaging 7.5 to 8.0 knots for a while.  Dave was pleased.  Around noon the wind died down to 5 knots so had to motor the last three hours.  Darn.  Filled water tank and emptied hold.  Anchored just off Hospital Point where we’d anchored in the spring. 

Port of Norfolk

The next morning we motored a quarter mile to the free Portsmouth city dock at the foot of High Street.  (Norfolk sits on the east side of the Elizabeth River and Portsmouth sits on the west side.)  Met Bob at Mile Marker Zero Marine Supply who kindly shuttled us to the laundromat and Lion King for groceries.  Thanked him with a bottle of Kendall-Jackson chardonnay – a taste of Sonoma County – which he appreciated.

Sunrise at the Portsmouth slip

Looking at Mile Marker Zero Marine Supply in glass building

Portsmouth is a city trying to reinvent itself, and given the recession, fairly successfully.  It is a blend of the funky and nice.  True, down-and-out types wander around, but the vibrancy of a place where people who care and are trying to make it better is visible.  The vintage homes in the Old Town are quite beautiful yet somewhat understated (which we like) compared to the opulent homes in other places.  Lots of little restaurants along High Street.  We liked The Coffee Shop that has the best chipotle breakfast wraps plus wi-fi.  Dave found the coffee gazebo across the street and communed with the locals yesterday morn.

 Now it’s off to the Dismal Swamp. 

Dismal Swamp, here we come!  Yippee!