Tuesday 10/31/2017 Southport to Little River Inlet

Happy Halloween!!  I'll be wearing my sailor suit tonight.  That's grubby jeans and a T-shirt.

I had a good night sleep last night and today was a good day. I left Southport at 9am (as planned).  I passed three inlets - Lockwoods Folly, Shallotte, and Tubbs.  Lockwoods Folly was uneventful but at Shallotte, a J-105 I was following ran aground right in the middle of the well marked inlet. It was odd because he draws 5.5' and when I passed him (within 20' of his port side), I never read under 7 feet.  Fortunately for him, the tide was rising and he was off after about 30 minutes.  As I approached Little River Inlet, the tide was rising and it made for slow going (against a 2 knot current).  Getting into the anchorage across from the inlet was tricky but I stayed off the bottom.  I was anchored at about 3pm and took a quick shower since the outside temp is 70 and I still  have bright sunshine.  It WAS a beautiful day.  There is a fair amount of current in the anchorage and I only have one anchor rigged so I may need to reset after the tide changes direction (shortly).  Also, the wind is supposed to shift to the E and then NE overnight so I'll have to take that into consideration also.  I'm anchored near some crab pots so I do want to keep my distance from them.

Monday 10/30/2017 Carolina Beach State Park Marina to Southport NC

We were up at 5:30 and Phil got a cab to the nearby bus station at around 7am.  It is a bright sunny day but chilly (and still breezy) as foretasted.  Phil caught a cab at 7 to get to the Food Lion Bus stop 2 miles away.  We tried Uber but there were no Uber drivers in the area.  The cab was a backup. His plan was to take a Wave bus to Wilmington and an Amtrak Shuttle to the Amtrak station.  It's now Tuesday morning and he should be getting home about now since he was going to have to spend the night in the Philly train station, waiting for a 5am this morning train to Harrisburg.

So, I had timed my departure from Carolina Beach SP Marina for 10am - to coincide with an ebbing current down the Cape Fear river and a slack current at the entrance to Southport.  Unfortunately, the wind was still blowing from the west at 15.  But once I started preparing the dock lines for my departure, it was hard to reverse my progress (and stay another night).  That's probably what I should have done since I liked the marina and the rates were very reasonable. 

Getting out of the slip was a little tricky since I was solo and the wind was from abeam.  But I managed with only slightly touching the rub rail against the port piling on my way out.  However, once I was clear, I looked out the narrow entrance into the River and noticed a large barge coming up the channel into Snows Cut.  I had no choice but to wait for him to pass.  I had a little trouble standing off all the docks but finally managed to exit the marina basin after about 10 minutes.  I knew the tide was low but I didn't know it was unusually low (due to recent west winds).  Just after I got into the channel that leads into and out of the marina, I mistakenly turned to the main channel too soon and ran aground.  Arrrrg!!  I guess because of the wind and waves, I was able to back off and get back into the marina channel.  But just after a sigh of relief, as I was exiting the channel, I bumped on the bottom again.  This time, I just kept going.  I was lucky to be exiting at a time when a 45' ketch was just coming by out of Snows Cut so I followed him down the channel and into the Cape Fear River.  It was a real relief after my bumpy start. 

The current in the river was about 1.5 knots and the wind was from the WNW so my leader and I both set our jibs and sailed down the river at about 5 to 6 knots.  I arrived at Southport about 12:15.  The sailboat in front of me stayed to the east, headed offshore out the Cape Fear Inlet.  I started into the ICW on the right.  My plan was to check out the two basins in Southport.  The first is very small.  It has a few restaurants but no marinas.  There is a free city dock but it is still in major disrepair from Hurricane Mathew over a year ago. But the basin was empty and looked like a great place to anchor for the night - so I went in and grabbed the center spot.  It is a busy place with lots of commercial fisherman coming and going all afternoon.  Still, it was relaxing and I got caught up on a few things.  The temperature in the boat got up to 70 but overnight, it got down to just over 50.  

Sunday 10/30/2017 - Carolina Beach State Park Layover

Sunday was somewhat uneventful and somber about Phil leaving.  But by mid day, we had both accepted it worked on his travel plans etc.  I began planning the next week and a half to the south end of Myrtle Beach where Joan will be visiting.  The forecast is for wind and cold all night into Monday morning.  To plan my strip down the 10 miles of the Cape Fear River, I'll need to leave the marina at 10am Monday.  I'll have the current with me going south.  That will put me at the exit of the River (and entrance to Southport) at slack current.  The wind is from the west shifting to NW so I'm hoping that won't be a problem.  I came up the Cape Fear River 3.5 years ago on the Pintita against a 2.5 knot current and it was pretty nasty.  I don't want to have a repeat of that.  The one thing that may keep me here for another night is the temperature.  The forecast low is 41 degrees (50 at 10am).  That with a forecasted 15 knot headwind will make for some uncomfortable motoring. 

Saturday 10/28/2017 Carolina Beach State Park Marina Layover

It's now Monday 10/30.  Saturday night, a predicted front came through with LOTS of heavy rain and wind.  It started about midnight.  We had thunderstorms and downpours until about 7am and then just rain on and off until about 2pm.  It made for a pretty miserable night and day.  When it did clear up, the wind shifted from the SW to the west and blew 20 to 30 all afternoon and evening.  During the night it died down to around 15.  During the night, I got up to investigate a strange knocking on the hull.  It was hard to tell where it was coming from and whether the source was inside or outside the boat.  I finally went outside (at 2am) to find a floating tree branch lodged inside our floating dock near the stern.  It was knocking into the hull every few seconds.  I retrieved it with the boat hook and went back to bed.

I've given some thought on whether (and how) to explain Phil's early departure this (Monday) morning.  Saturday morning he told me he was planning on going home early.  My first reaction was shock and disappointment.  My first assumption was that I had failed as a captain and host.  But, like most things, I have concluded it was a combination of things that led to his decision. I believe he and I simply have different expectations from cruising and the trip was simply not meeting his expectations.  Two years ago, he and I both sailed our own boats (solo) to Tangier Island.  It was a pretty rustic and undeveloped place.  He didn't care for it and I loved it.  Perhaps that should have been more of a sign to me.  I know there were other issues (space, personalities, etc.) but I believe they were more minor.  He was very apologetic for leaving early but I told him I was just glad to have his company and help for the 3 weeks we were together.  So, the remainder of my trip to the Bahamas will be solo.  

Friday 10/27/2017 - Wrightsville Beach to Carolina Beach State Park Marina

It was a great night last night with almost no wind at the anchorage.  However, we were up fairly early since our plan was to find a place to overnight for the next two nights.  Weather is on the way and we still have plenty of time to kill.  We were planning on anchoring or taking a mooring off Carolina Beach but the water there is deep and we had not made a reservation for a mooring.  The reviews for the State Park Marina were great and Al and Lois had stayed there so I called them.  They had two slips left so I reserved one and we were on our way.  The ICW in this area is more typical of what I remember - with inlets every few miles, current changing all the time, shoaling hazards, etc.  But it was a nice motor down the Waterway.  We got to the State Park just after 11am. What a beautiful marina in a beautiful setting.  It is small but the floating docks are in great shape.  The marina office and facilities are really nice too.  Thanks to Al Capron for the great tip.

Phil and I were running a little low on a few grocery items so we hiked the mile and a half to the local Food Lion.  We disagreed about the route to take on the way back so we split up.  I took the road and he took the hiking trail.  For the first time in 50+ years, I stuck my thumb out on the road back to the marina and got picked up by a really nice young couple who were taking their dog to the park for a walk.  I sat in the back of their pickup truck.  When we passed Phil, I yelled to him and waved and they stopped for him as well.  I think Phil got a charge out of the ride. I was just happy to not have to lug our groceries all the way back to the boat.

True Blue in her slip at Carolina Beach State Park Marina

Thursday 10/26/2017 - Wrightsville Beach Layover

It was a very uneventful day - so not much to write about.  We spent the day relaxing, did some boat work, did some reading and chatting.  Another reason for "hanging out" here was that it was a breezy and cool but very nice and sunny day.  Also, I had a number of calls to make about my mail, bills, etc.  I was a little indifferent about whether to go or stay since we still have a week and a half to travel just 90 miles.  But when Phil reminded me of the potential for current on the ICW and I checked, I realized we would be motoring against the current. So that made the decision to stay a little easier.  

Wednesday 10/25/2017 - Beaufort to Wrightsville Beach

So, at 3:30am, we pulled up the anchor and headed out.  We had lots of current behind us so it was a fast motor from Morehead City to the Inlet.  Everything was good until we got to the inlet (in pitch dark).  It took us about 45 minutes to get out of the inlet and for the first 10 minutes the conditions kept getting worse and worse.  We began encountering very large waves.  The boat seemed more like a cork than a sailing vessel.  Of course, we had no sails up.  I admit it was pretty frightening!  We were both thinking "can it get worse?".  With a possible answer of "yes", it made it hard to imagine going on.  The other option was to turn around and head back into a 1.5 knot ebbing current.  So, we kept going.  After about 20 minute, there were periods of less pounding and better progress and after 30 minutes we were past the roughest parts. 

We turned to head SW at about 4:30am.  We motored until about 7:30 but raised the (reefed) mainsail at about 5am.  The sail gave another half knot of speed and added to our stability a little.  The wind was about 10 to 15 from the west so we were headed into the wind and fairly large waves.  The large (3') ocean swells were coming in from the East and opposing the wind waves which made for some fairly choppy conditions.   It was a welcome sight when it began to get light at about 6:30am. 

It was cloudy and sprinkled a little in the early morning but by 10am, the sun was out with an almost cloudless sky.  We sailed on a close (starboard) reach with both the main and jib reefed.  From 10am till about 2pm, the wind died and at about 2pm, we took the sails down and motored until about 4pm.  At 4, it picked back up from the West so we raised the main and motor sailed to the entrance of the Masonboro inlet.  After the trouble we had leaving Beaufort, I radioed Boat US in Wrighsville Beach for advice on entering the Masonboro Inlet.  They said the conditions would make it very easy.  And it was.  Entering was VERY easy.  We motored in and turned to the north to anchor about 1/4 mile south of the bridge, just east of the entrance to Motts Channel.  We got in about 6pm and had just enough sun left to take a couple quick (but chilli) showers. 

I felt a pretty big sense of accomplishment since "going outside" was one of my major goals for the trip.  It was a long day with a really nice ending, safe inside the Wrightsville Beach anchorage.

Tuesday 10/24/2017 - Beaufort to Morehead City

The forecast for last night was for stormy weather and the forecast was accurate. An expected south wind preceded the front that made it rough even at Beaufort Docks.  The rain went from nothing to a downpour in less than 5 seconds but fortunately, both Phil and I were prepared so we didn't get much water in the boat.  It rained off and on most of the evening and night.  The worst of the storm came through between 2 and 4am with a good amount of lighting and wind.  By about 8am the rain had stopped and by 9, the sun was starting to come through the clouds.

During the day, I did boat work and Phil walked around town.  This was his first trip to Beaufort.  At about 3pm, we walked to the Cape Lookout National Parks Information Center.  We checked out the boat tours.  They have several tours to the nearby islands where you can see wild horses and lots of sand dunes.  We decided on a boat only tour that went about 2 miles up the channel in front of the Beaufort Docks.  I was slightly embarrassed riding in a boat with a huge "Water Bug" name on the side but I got over it quickly once aboard. It's capacity was 16 but we had just Phil and me and two other elderly ladies from New Bern.  The boat was skippered by Captain Peggy who did a nice job of telling us about the islands, some history of the area, etc.

Our plan was to leave Beaufort at around 5pm, leave the Beaufort Inlet and sail all night to the Masonboro Inlet 65 miles to the south.  The wind was around 15 knots from the SW most of the day (and SW would be our heading).  That didn't sound good.  But the wind was forecast to drop in strength during the day and then shift to the West then NW overnight.  I figured we could beat into the wind until midnight and then be on a reach until morning.  The wind dropped in the afternoon so we set off at 5pm (with a breeze that had picked back up at around 4:30pm).  When we got out to near the exit of the inlet and could see waves breaking near the entrance we decided to join two other large sailboats that were anchored on the south side of the channel on the south side of Radio Island.  Soon after we anchored, one of the boats left to head out.  We waited 1 to 2 hours and decided to wait until the wind (then SW about 15) dropped off more.

So, our new plan was to motor into Morehead City and see if the wind dropped and shifted to the W/NW during the night. We set our alarm for 3am.  For some unknown reason, our anchorage just SE of the Sanitary Restaurant was somewhat rough so we didn't get a lot of sleep.  But, during the night, the wind did drop and shift to the West.  

Monday 10/23/2017 - Layover in Beaufort

We had talked about taking the boat out to Cape Lookout but I was a little uncomfortable not attending to the boats shaft seal.  I called a marine store in Beaufort and they recommended I call Ace Marine in Morehead City.   Not only did they have packing, they had the size I needed AND had the exact type that had last been installed.  I drove there (the same Buick Roadmaster wagon) and got what I need for just $5.50.  I stopped at Pigley Wiggly on the way back to the boat for some groceries.   By10am, I had the new packing in place and I'm confident that the repair will stop the leaking. 

After lunch on the boat, we went to the ship building section of the Maritime Museum then walked down to see the Cape Lookout Visitors Center.  On the way, we asked about the local boat tours.  At just after 3pm, we got on a small 16 person boat and had Captain Peggy give us a nice boat ride and discussion of the area. 

We got back to the boat at around 5 and shortly after, a fairly severe rain/wind storm blew through.  It started very suddenly  but, fortunately, we were on the boat and were able to duck below without getting too wet.  

A real GEM!  It got the job done and was FREE!

Sunday 10/22/2017 - Oriental to Beaufort NC

I think we were the first ones out of the harbor at just before 7am.  It is about 4 miles across the Neuse River to the entrance of Adams Creek.  We motored for about a mile then sailed (broad reached at 3 to 4.5 knots) until we were into Adams Creek.  Then we motored the remaining 15, or so, miles to Beaufort.

I began checking the bilge again and realized that the shaft packing gland was leaking about 4 cups an hour.  To me, that's a lot of water.  To me,  one drop a minute is too much.  I would sponge the water into a bucket to limit the amount of water in the entire (very shallow) bilge.  It really wasn't a big deal since it isn't something that could fail catastrophically.  It also wasn't a volume that the automatic bilge pump couldn't easily keep up with. 

We came into Morehead City about noon, went around Radio Island, and into Beaufort at the perfect time - the current was at slack which means it was exactly between ebb (going out) and flood (coming in).  So there was no current.  Docking is much easier with zero current. 

I had called Beaufort Docks earlier and made a slip reservation.  I called them on channel 16 and they sent two dock hands out right out.  They were very helpful since I was not even prepared with my dock lines.  We got tied up, went to the office to check in.  After getting settled, we went to the Maritime Museum for a couple hours and then went to a nice restaurant nearby for dinner. 

It was a long but nice day.

Saturday 10/21/2017 - Oriental NC Layover

I realized when I talked to Joan on the phone last night that we had almost 3 weeks to get to Myrtle Beach and not 2.  Given we have been gone two weeks and are almost 2/3 of the way there means we have time to "kill".  After spending most of the day in Oriental yesterday - and loving it - we decided to stay another day.  After all, the docks are free, there is a great coffee shop right across the street and, right now they are playing live music at the marina right next door (the volume is perfect although the music is a little twangy for my taste).

After getting coffee at the Bean at 6:45 am this morning, I ran into a really nice guy that I had met at the Dismal Swamp Visitors Center 5 years ago.  He has upgraded to a trawler and goes from New Hampshire to Florida every year.  He always stops at Oriental for a month.

At around 9am, we went for a walk to the top of the bridge that crosses Greens Creek to the South side of town. Some great views!

After we returned from the walk, we stopped a half block from the boat at the provision store around 11am. They have free bikes for visiting sailors so we checked out a couple and rode around town for 3 hours.  That included lunch at the Silos restaurant north of town and a quick stop at the West Marine store. 

There are many beautiful homes in Oriental and I took photos and videos of lots of them.  I'll try and get some posted on You Tube soon.

We spent the rest of the day doing light boat work and relaxing.   I'm starting to feel like I'm on  vacation!

Harbor entrance and tour

Oriental from the bridge over Greens Creek.  Neuse River is on the right.

Friday 10/202017 - Goose Creek to Oriental

What a great day!  We were up at around 6am and on our way at 7.  We motored for about 5 miles through two cuts that empty into the Bay River (a tributary of the Neuse River).  We sailed the last 2 or 3 miles to the Neuse then sailed up the Neuse for about 3 miles until the wind shifted to where it was on our nose. With winds of only 4 to 8 knots, the sailing wasn't fast so turning the motor back on and dropping the sails was almost a welcome change.  We pulled into Oriental at about noon.  It's good that we did because we had our pick of the free docks.  We went to the first (long) dock on the South side of the harbor.  It's a very nice dock and big enough for two boats on each side.   It has a free pump out and very nice public bathrooms.  There are no showers but for $5, we were able to use the showers at the Oriental Marina right next door. 

We had a great lunch at the restaurant on the grounds of the marina and were able to keep an eye on True Blue while we ate lunch.  We met a local outside the restaurant who works as a sail maker at the local Doyle loft.  He gave us some good tips on things to see and do in town.  We went for a walk with the Red Rooster as our destination but it turned out being too far to walk to.   We returned to the boat and hung out for a while, used the pump out, and chatted with our neighbors on the trawler next to us (who live in Ft. Pierce FL).  I told them I was planning on leaving the boat at Vero Beach City Marina over the holidays and they recommended I consider Causeway Cove Marina in Ft. Pierce.  It is a new marina that has moorings and is not yet in any of the chart books.

We went for a late walk down the waterfront and saw a number of beautiful homes - some on the back side of the water and some on the front side.  On our way back, we stopped to talk to one of the local home owners who was outside watering her flowers.  Her family has lived in Oriental for several hundred years.  She lived and worked in Fairfax VA for many years but came back and moved into the home her parents left when they died several years ago.  She is very active in town events and a real promoter of Oriental. 

We returned to the boat as the sun was going down and then made the short walk to the Bean for ice cream.  I'm getting pretty concerned that Phil may gain several pounds on the trip - I know he'll blame every pound on me.

Tomorrow it's on to Beaufort and from a look at the weather, it looks like we will be going offshore from there to Masonboro.

Goose Creek shortly after "First Light"

True Blue

                                                                       
   The Bean at the end of the harbor                                                          

Thursday  10/19/2017 - Pungo River to Goose River

Today was a somewhat relaxing day.  We only travelled about 30 miles.  We were up at 5:30am but didn't leave the anchorage until around 7:30am.  We ate oatmeal for breakfast for the first time on the trip.  We have been out of milk for 3 days now and are using a milk substitute.  We decided to motor sail to Bellhaven - a small town in the northwest corner of the Pungo River.  It is a nice little town but it seems to be barely surviving.  We had some trouble figuring out the marinas and town docks.  We decided to go to the Bellhaven Marina for fuel, a pump out and water.  When we finally reached them on the radio we were told we needed to go to the new River Farm Marina just inside the breakwater.  We weren't sure why but it worked out fine.  We got fuel and water and were on our way to find the pump out.  We were told by Henry at  River Farm Marina that we could go to Wynn's Gut town dock for 4 hours or less at no cost.  Apparently the only pump out in town is there and the town government maintains the pump out.  You get tokens at various places in town to get tokens for the pump out.  It was slow but worked.  We walked into town and were met almost immediately by Margerie.  She welcomed us and asked if we needed any directions or help.  We were primarily looking for milk and a token and instructions for the pump out.  She offered to drive us to the Food Lion about a mile down the road.  While talking to her on the street corner, her husband Don came out of the building next to where we were standing.  They were both VERY nice.  We went into the hardware store next door and got a token for $5.  When we went back the boat, Don had been there and found that the pump out was about 200 feet back out along the docks and the hose was in a dock box.   Don helped us move the boat and get the pump out working. 

We left the boat tied up at the pump out and went back into town for lunch.  Don and Margie had recommended the Fish Hook Restaurant so that is where we went.  It was great!   For $8, we got the brunch buffet.  Our stomachs ached the rest of the day from over eating.  It was a busy place. 

After eating, we returned to the boat and left.  We motored and sailed off the 10 miles out of the Pungo and the 5 miles across the Pamlico.  We pulled into Goose Creek fairly early (around 5pm), had some cocktails and chips, took showers , and that was it for the night.  It was a very nice and warm day.  The winds were S at 5 to 8.  It was a really nice day.

Wednesday 10/18/2017 - North River to Pungo River

Yes, in one long day, we crossed the Albemarle Sound, went down the length of the Alligator River, and motored through the Albemarle - Pungo Canal to just inside the Pungo River.  What made it possible was 1.  Getting up at 5:30am and being underway just before 7, 2.  A 15 knot NNE wind that let us cross the Albemarle sound in just 2.5 hours, 3.  A perfectly timed opening of the Alligator River Swing Bridge.  Our plan had been to anchor just before the north entrance of the A-P Canal opening but since it was only 2:30pm, we decided to go on.  This meant getting to an anchorage at around 6:30 but I like the anchorages at the West end better, so we went ahead.  As it turned out, we anchored just as the sun was setting, about 6:45pm.  Of course, anchoring late meant showering in near darkness.  Fortunately, the wind had dropped to about 5 knots so the 60 degree temperature made it bearable. 

The sail across the Albemarle was in near perfect conditions.  We started out sailing wing on wing and then jibed over for a better angle into the cut into the Alligator River.  The waves were fairly rolly and confused but it was only 1 to 2 feet in height so it was better than days we had had on the Chesapeake.  The pass through the cut was fairly easy even through the chop was coming straight through.  We never saw under 8 or 9 feet of water.  Just after we passed through the cut (about 2 miles above the Alligator River Swing Bridge), we were passed by a very large (80 to 100') power boat that nicely asked for an opening.  When he called for an opening, the bridge tender told him he would have to be patient and wait for the troller that had already been waiting for 10 or 15 minutes, us, and the 50' sailboat coming up behind us.  I had the mainsail up and had planned to take it down to go through the bridge but given the timing, I asked the bridge tender (on channel 13) if they require sails to be down and he responded that it was my choice.  So I left it up (it has had a single reef since we left Middle River). 

The sail down the Alligator was very nice.  We were on a port tack very broad reach most of the way except for about 20 minutes that we were wing on wing and another 30 minute period when the wind died to around 5 knots and we motored.  In the Southern half of the River, we observed military F18s flying very low from West to East.   There must have been a total of about 14 or 16 planes and they always came in twos.  Three or 4 minutes later, another pair would fly by. Just after passing us, they would start a steep climb before going out of sight.  They seemed to be going full speed but it may have only appeared that way since they were so close to us.  As we reached the bottom of the Alligator, they all came back from East to West and we soon got tired (an annoyed) of the thundering noise.  It only lasted 15 or 20 minutes though. 

The Eastern section of the A-P Canal is a little unattractive with lots of stumps lining the shore.  But, to me, the Western half is very pretty.  It has almost no stumps lining the shores.  It is lined with tall evergreens on the South side and with deciduous trees on the North side.  Many areas of the shoreline are lined with tall grasses that sway in the breezes.  There are two 65' bridges that are easy to navigate and there are several open areas where there are no trees for a mile or so where the shores are lined by marshes with pretty grasses.

Crossing the Albemarle Sound

Alligator - Pungo River Canal

Tuesday 10/17/2017 - Lay over in North River

My dearest friend, whose name I swore to keep a secret, suggested that I change my writing style (if I can call it that) to something that non sailors might more easily understand.  I promised I'd try so here goes!

Our hope was to cross the infamous Albemarle Sound today.  The forecast was for North 15 to 20 subsiding to 10 to 15 after 11am. Unfortunately, it has blown 20 to 25+ all day so here we sit.  As the wind strength would cycle, it would go from being quiet inside to having to listen to a howling noise and having the boat list to 10 degrees - just from wind pressure on the mast and rigging.  On the bright side, it was a nice sunny day with low humidity.  We took advantage of this to do some inside boat cleaning, engine checks, hanging wet clothes etc. out to dry etc.  We also had a nice lunch (salad with grilled chicken, cheese, etc.).  You might think showering outside in 20 knot winds and 60 degree temperatures might be uncomfortable but full sun and a dodger really helps.  Also, not having showered yesterday was a big encouragement.

Hopefully the conditions tomorrow will be what is forecasted - around 10 to 15.  Our plan is to make the 20 miles across the Albemarle and the 25 miles down the Alligator River.  The wind should be behind us and the temperatures a little warmer - with bright sunshine!  I think it will be spaghetti for dinner tonight.  Tomorrow morning we won't be sleeping in till 6:30 like we did this morning.

Monday 10/16/2017

We were up at 5:45 for the 7am bridge opening.  Between the boats leaving from where we were docked and the ones coming through the 7am lock opening, we had a cluster of about 10 boats - ranging in size from my 31 to a 75 to 80' power boat.  We all rushed south, only to realize that the Centerville Swing bridge did not open until 8:30.  The owner of a Pearson 34 was the first to the bridge and tied up along a seawall just before the bridge.  When we came up, he invited us to raft along side to wait for the opening.   We had an interesting talk after establishing that we were both Navy Nucs.  We hoped to make it to a creek near where the North River dumps into the Albamarle Sound. 

About 1/2 mile before the North Landing swing bridge, with the boats all backed up again, I ran aground close to the center of the channel and almost in line with where other deeper draft boats had been .  I hit a tree stump and was able to back off.  However, I was able to spin off in forward and finally got off by heading back north.  Of course, I hit a second time even harder but that time didn't get stuck.   The rest of the day was uneventful except for the NNE winds at 15 to 20 and the rain that came at about 3pm.  The good news was that we had current with us mot of day and were still able to get into our anchorage by 4pm.  It stopped raining just long enough to let us get the anchor down.  Once inside, it started pouring again.  

Sunday 10/15/2017 - Portsmouth to Great Bridge VA

After filling the water tanks and bottles, disposing of trash and, in general, getting the boat ready to move on, we walked into town.  I liked the town but it was "dead" on a Sunday morning.  The first restaurant opened at 10 and we were ready go in.  We had a nice breakfast off their brunch menu. The people in the town were very friendly. I had wanted to go to the Maritime Museum but it was closed for renovations.  There was a very attactrive nautical antique shop but it was closed for the day.  On the way back to the boat, we stopped along the docks to admire some of the schooners that were there.   It turned out that the Great Schnooner Race had just finished at 1am that morning when the schooner Virgina crossed the finish line near Portsmouth.  The race (starting at the Bay Bridge off Annapolis) had started at 1:30pm the afternoon before.  So what took us 6 days took the schooners (at least the winner Virginia) just under 12 hours.  We saw Brilliance (almost identical to the Woodwinds) come in and Virginia and the Pride of Baltimore were already docked.  So, at around 1pm, we were out of things to do and decided to head out.  We set out to make it to the Great Bridge Lock before 4pm but when we got to the Glimmerton lift bridge, we found around 15 large sail and power boats anchored out waiting for the bridge to open.  Those closest to the bridge may have been there all day.  The problem with anchoring was that the Elizebeth River is fairly deep in that area.  About 45 minutes after we anchored, they announced over the VHF that they would be opening shortly and the mad rush began to pull up anchors and get through the bridge before they had some excuse to close it again.  So, the procession began - the 15 or so in front of us and the 10 or so behind.   Fortunately, most cruisers kept their places in line and didn't try moving to the front of the line.  Before getting to Great Bridge, there was one other bridge delay and then there was a 40 minute delay for the lock to open.  We entered and stayed to starboard which has rubber bumpers.  The lock only raises the water 2 or 3 feet. After leaving the lock to tied up to the free dock between the lock and the Breat Bridge Bridge.  We did a little socializing with other cruisers and then walked into town for dinner at Panera and a trip to the grocery store.  We got back to the boat around 9pm and showered off the back of the boat.  It was a long day and I didn't get to bed till after midnight.

Saturday 10/14/2017 - Deltaville to Portsmouth

We were up very early and planned to be off the hook at 6:30am but got a little delayed.  There were two boats out ahead of us - a large trawler and a large cat.  Our plan/hope was to get to the Salt Pond about 5 miles north of Hampton and right off the Bay.  The winds were from the NNE at about 15.  That would have been fine except for the 50 miles of fetch that made for 3 to 4' swells.  Also, it was from directly behind us so we had to jibe back and forth to keep the sails from flogging from all the yawing and rolling.  What was nice was the current was ebbing the entire time and we made it to Hampton by around 2pm.  So we kept going.  Another plus was that just before we entered Hampton Roads, the current shifted to a flood and we had over a knot of current pushing us into the River.  We checked for marinas and called Ocean Yacht Marina.  They had space but closed at 5.  We were there by 4.  We checked in, ate a snack, showered, and did laundry until about 10pm.

Friday 10/13/2017 - Reedville to Deltaville

Up at 5:30am and anchor up at 6:30.  Left the upper part of Mill Creek and motored the 3 nm out to the entrance of the Great Wicomico.  The last two miles got very rough with the wind NE at about 17.  Got out through the channel under motor alone and headed down to Windmill Pt.  at the north side of the Rappahannock River entrance.  The swells were huge (4 to 5') but with the genoa alone up, we were OK.  I had considered going into Dymer cr. if it was too rough outside but we decided to make it into Fishing Cr. south of Deltaville.  We rounded Stingray Pt. at about 11 and came into Fishing Bay just after noon.  We anchored in 18' of water.  Originally we had planned to make it to Mobjack Bay tonight but it was way too rough and it got worse in the afternoon.  We ate lunch and as we were eating it started raining again.  At least we had sailed for 5 hours with NO rain and were fairly dry.  Phil took a nap below and I am no trying to catch up on my blogging.  

Thursday 10/12/2017 - Layover in Reedville

With a forecast for NE 15 to 25 and gusts to 30 - and rain on and off, we decided to stay put.  At about 9am we pulled the anchor and motored about another 1/2 mile up the creek - for more protection.  It was a little better.   The 50' sloop we had seen near the entrance moved then too and was also laying over.  We had little rain and hung lots of clothes, towels, and rags etc. on the lifelines to dry.  We also fixed the shaft packing leak.  Had a nice lunch and dinner and a somewhat relaxing day.  

Wednesday 10/11/2017  Solomons to Reedville

Up at 5:45 and began motoring out of Solomons around 7am.  There were a couple other larger boats departing behind us.   The wind was ESE around 15 so it was coming into the Patuxant river.  We motored to the south side of the entrance and raised the main.  Then we motored out into the Bay.  We crossed paths several times with a 50 foot sloop and a 45' cat.  It got very rough when rounding the south point but we kept going.  The cat turned back into the Patuxent.  We headed south for Point no Point and, with some current got there around 11am.  Then onto Pt. Lookout but we were far offshore and never really saw the light house etc.  When we were off Pt. Lookout (about 3 miles), we got a radio call from another boat wishing us well.  I thanked them. Several other larger boats had come up from behind us but all but one turned into the Patomac for shelter.  We rounded Smith Pt. light at about 4pm and sailed another 7 miles SSW to the entrance of the Great Wicomico (at Reedville).  We motored up into Mill Cr. and saw the one 50 foot sloop that had passed us earlier.  We went pretty far up the creek for protection from the NNE 15 to 20 knot winds.  It was a VERY rough day with the wind on a port close reach.  The seas were about 3' most of the time.  When we got into the creek, Phil noticed water in the bilge.  The next day, we cleaned that up and found that the shaft packing was the source and I tightened the packing.

Tuesday 10/10/2017 - Dunn Cove to Solomons

Left Dunn Cove off Harris Cr. (Choptank R.) at about 7am. 

Arrived at Solomons around noon.  Pulled into the Calvert Marine gas dock but the attendant had gone to lunch.  Called them and was told he would be back at 12:30. That was fine since they had fresh water so we filled up all our jugs and topped off both tank.  Got 5 gallons of fuel.  Then went over to the free city pump out and emptied the holding tank.  Then it was over to Spring Cove Marina where we hoped to get help fixing a stripped screw on the auto helm.  We got a lot done in a fairly short time and then motored up Mill Cr. to anchor.  We dropped the hook around 6pm, went for a swim/shower, and then ate some of Joan's quiche.  It was a pretty nice day, evening, and overnight.

30.7 nm

7 hrs. 27 min

4.1 kt. avg speed

Monday 10/9/2017 Layover in Dunn Cove

With the remnants of Tropical Storm Nate having passed thorough overnight, the forecast was for South winds at 20 to 30 knots.  It was an easy decision to stay put.  

Sunday 10/8/2017 Bowleys to Dunn Cove

Since I'm not writing this until 10/16, it will be brief.  We started out trip from home when Joan picked me up at 5:30am.  We loaded the car and picked Phil up shortly before 6. We made good time getting down to the boat and all had our chores designed to get away from the dock as quickly as possible.  We were away by 8:30am.  We broad reached down the Bay and arrived at the entrance to of Knapp Narrows.   We got into Dunn Cove around 6pm.