Puffin’s Selected Blogs
Part 11
A collection of our favorite thoughts and observations over the three years Puffin cruised from Maine to Florida and the Bahamas, returning to Maryland each Spring.
Another spectacular sunrise. One of many magnificent sunrises and sunsets on the water.
Normally this would be a treat and an opportunity to take some pictures. However, this particular portion of the waterway gets both narrow and shallow. We had watched our depth sounder slowly work down to 7-1/2 ft for the last mile or so since it was virtually dead low tide with a tidal prediction of 9 inches below mean low. Both wind and a slight current were pushing Puffin ahead. It seemed like every time I framed a picture the depth alarm would sound (that means 6 ft and dropping).
But it was still fun to watch nearly a dozen of the spiffiest shrimpboats I've seen pass by, each boat overloaded with enough extra revelers to make several of the boats list as they passed in front of us.
This evening Puffin is anchored off Butler Island in the Waccamaw (one of my favorite names) River. The sun is down and a blessedly cool breeze has come up. And the SuperMoon is shining brightly above.It's Saturday, October 20 and we are back and finally in cruising mode. For several days and continuing right up through early this morning, the weather forecasts have continually changed and we kept delaying the start of our trip south from Solomons Island, Maryland. I even went back to bed this morning after rising at 5 am, resigned to another delay. But at 9 am, the forecast changed once again, and off we went. It turned out to be a perfect day, with light winds out of the north, mild seas, and a favorable current most of the way.
In company with Morning Star, and for a while Sequel, we motored down the Chesapeake Bay, enjoying the easy ride and the sight of many sailboats also moving south, some with their pretty spinnakers flying. I spotted one pelican flying by, and was reminded that this is the leg of the trip that the pelicans start appearing in the bay for us. We pulled into Cockrell Creek off the Great Wicomico River, passed by the stinky menhaden plants into clean air, and anchored in scenic Reedville. A short walk into town to view the beautifully manicured yards, flowering bushes and well maintained old mansions and smaller homes allowed us to confirm how late the ice cream store was open, and to discover that the local restaurant, Crazy Crabs, was offering a new "delicacy" on its appetizer list, "Sugar Toads." Well, that settled our plans for the evening.
Sugar Toads turned out to be nicely sautéed, local blowfish and were enjoyed by all. Though we have stayed in Reedville before, our introduction to this restaurant and its unique appetizer moved me to qualify this stop as a new adventure, if not a new location. Tomorrow, off to Hampton, VA, another first for us, and if the weather holds it will be another gorgeous day. Bob - May 5, 2012
Gotta Move
Well another little mystery was solved this morning. Yesterday Puffin slipped into a large bight on the southeast side of Sanibel Island, adjacent to the J.N. "Ding" Darling nature preserve - 4,000 acres of coastal wildlife preserve and mangrove edged canals.
After anchoring yesterday, we lowered the dinghy and set off for the shallow canals for a closer look. It was a bit of a race with the tide dropping and many areas among the mangrove islands would have little water at low tide according to our charts.
We squeezed into the shallow water of the mangrove islands, occasionally paddling but the few birds we saw were quite skittish. Even with telephoto lens we couldn't get pictures. Clearly the birds in this isolated area are not habituated to boats and people as they are along the ICW - in fact we had read that the preserve closes on Fridays to give the wildlife some respite from humans. We also pondered the seeming lack of birds, since we hadn't seen that many, given the several thousand acres of uninhabited preserve.
The tide continued falling and the dinghy outboard now touched bottom in several places so we returned to Puffin, itself anchored in 6 feet at low water.
This morning we arose to a cacophony of bird chatter and looked outside. A narrow sand bar formed an arc perhaps 1-1/2 miles long but only 15-20 feet wide. It ringed the bight right at the edge of the mangroves and now lay briefly exposed at low tide, offering its bounty to an unending assortment of birds of many different species. Through the binoculars, we soon saw hundreds of birds, maybe thousands - varieties of herons like the blue, tri-colored and the great blues. There were white ibises, snowy and great white egrets, brown pelicans and sand pipers. Behind the sand spit I even saw a pair of white pelicans swimming gracefully, perhaps the only birds not feeding feverishly, probably because they were less directly dependent on the exposed sand bar. So here were all the birds we didn't see yesterday - hidden, unseen, in the mangroves waiting for the tides to offer this banquet on a sandbar.
The birds feeding on the bar were pecking away with an intensity that we haven't seen elsewhere. These birds understood this sandbar would disappear in an hour or so and wouldn't reappear until tomorrow. It made me think of the mess hall at boot camp fifty years ago where hungry lads with limited time, buried their heads in their mess trays, quickly inhaled what was there and left to make room for the next shift.
It was a fascinating spectacle and I was late for my own breakfast just watching this vast feeding panorama that stretched across the bight. Mar 9, 2012
Sanibel to Sarasota and Back to Ft. Myers
After leaving the Ding Darling Refuge in Sanibel, we spent two weeks exploring the rest of Pine Island Sound on the west coast of Florida. We stopped to anchor behind lovely, well manicured private island Useppa and dinghied from there over to nearby Cabbage Cay, which has an informative nature trail, a resident gopher tortoise, and a resident otter. The east side of Useppa provides a quiet, pretty resting spot with good holding. While here we spotted Escapade, a boat that had gone through one of the locks with us on the Okeechobee, and we joined owners Ken and Linda for drinks and snacks. At our next stop in Venice, we were treated to a very entertaining, live performance by singer/piano player Ken McBride when we stopped for dinner at T.J. Carney's. Venice is an attractive town with lots of outdoor cafes and, naturally, Italian restaurants. Across from our marina, the Crow's Nest, it was heartening to see so many people at the public park fishing, picnicking, and watching the gorgeous sunset out on the breakwater.
Sarasota became our final northern point on this journey. This is a wonderful city with so much to do that we know we'll be back. We loved the Selby Botanical Gardens and the Mote Aquarium, the outdoor cafes, the sunsets, and the live music every night at our marina, Marina Jack. While here we were able to visit with friends Nick and Sherri from Sweet Time, whom we see at Krogen gatherings, and friends Doc and Linda, whom we spent numerous weekends boating on Lake Champlain. And Doug and Michelle arrived on their boat Changer in time to join us on the aquarium trip and have dinner.
On the return journey, we crawled into Punta Blanco, a tiny anchorage near Cayo Costa that was very peaceful, though shallow enough to make us set an anchor alarm. Then it was back to Fort Myers where we reconnected with Ken and Linda, and Doug and Michelle.
Changer accompanied us on our eastward trek back to the east coast of Florida, and we had several enjoyable dinners, recounting the day's events and gator sightings., of which there were many. Unexpected guests joined us in the Franklin lock - a few manatees that fortunately knew well enough not to get too close to us. At the final lock, St. Lucie, we learned that it (and the Franklin lock) were now on restricted openings due to the drop in the lake level, so we spent some time at anchor while we waited for the lock to reopen again. Then a day in Stuart to replenish the larder, and we are on our way north.
We made good friends on this trip, had a great time, enjoyed the incredible warm weather, and know that Pine Island Sound and the west coast of Florida beckon us to return so that we can visit all the places we missed on this first trip. Nancy - March 30, 2012
Stuart to Charleston on the Fast Track
We wanted to make good time getting from Stuart Fl to Charleston, but weren’t sure that day trips out on the Atlantic would save us time. And the lock on the Cape Canaveral Canal was closed for the first time or we would have considered it. That threw off our schedule for other possible forays outside. We didn’t have the patience to sit and wait in order to position ourselves for another outside jaunt. We decided to just keep on moving every day as long as we could – up early with first light and anchor late, before dark. It became remarkably easy to fall into the routine. We had plenty of food aboard, ate and slept well, found plenty of comfortable anchorages, and were helped by good weather (two thunderstorms were brief and our Krogen handled them well - banner picture is T-storm in Fishing Creek ).
We first dropped anchor just off the ICW south of Melbourne Bridge in Florida, and something similar the next day at Daytona. Pine Island was a very attractive, quiet place to stop, and we even were able to anchor right in St. Simons Sound and enjoy the sunset. Next was the Herb River and then Fishing Creek, both a bit deeper than charted, but good holding. And then there we were, in Charleston.
So, how did we do? Well, we finished the trip in 6 ½ days much to our surprise. On the way down in the fall, it took us 9 travel days to get south. But then, we do have more daylight hours now. That helped a lot.
The only temptation along the way was having to pass right by friends in Krogens either tied up at a dock or anchored somewhere along the way at normal cocktail hour time, and not stopping to chat for the evening.
We’ll continue the blog after a break to attend a family reunion. Nancy - April 7, 2012
Underway at Last
Heading north today gave us our first taste of really stifling heat after a beautiful month in Charleston, South Carolina. We piloted from the flybridge to catch the occasional breeze and found ourselves in direct confrontation with legions of monster flies that bit painfully. They filled the cabin until we shut all the unscreened openings. These flies were so big I saw two of 'em trying to make off with the dinghy that fortunately was tied to the deck.
At McClellanville, we saw several small boats gathered at the mouth of the harbor when a blue light flashed on one of the boats. The police boat hailed us and asked if we would stay put for a few moments as they were having a blessing of the fleet and the shrimpboats would be shortly be crossing the ICW in front of us.
Normally this would be a treat and an opportunity to take some pictures. However, this particular portion of the waterway gets both narrow and shallow. We had watched our depth sounder slowly work down to 7-1/2 ft for the last mile or so since it was virtually dead low tide with a tidal prediction of 9 inches below mean low. Both wind and a slight current were pushing Puffin ahead. It seemed like every time I framed a picture the depth alarm would sound (that means 6 ft and dropping).
But it was still fun to watch nearly a dozen of the spiffiest shrimpboats I've seen pass by, each boat overloaded with enough extra revelers to make several of the boats list as they passed in front of us.
This evening Puffin is anchored off Butler Island in the Waccamaw (one of my favorite names) River. The sun is down and a blessedly cool breeze has come up. And the SuperMoon is shining brightly above. Bob - May 5, 2012
Charleston Addenda
If you read our previous blog, you already know that we left Charleston four days ago, and you’ve read about the highlight of our passing through McClennanville on our first day out, watching the freshly painted shrimp boats with multi-colored flags flying past out to the ocean after being blessed. (Cruisers take note of the very shallow depths at low tide from Awendaw Creek to McClennanville!) Here are a few more details of our recent travels.
Our last week in Charleston was spent primarily waxing the hull and polishing the stainless fittings, with a few other maintenance jobs thrown in for variety, and we just barely finished those jobs. Not our usual activity in this city with so many interesting sights, but we did take a few quick breaks from our work routine. Walking the MegaDock to oogle beautiful boats is always a treat and this time we were not disappointed; there were several gaily painted 40’ ocean racing sailboats tied up, mostly from foreign ports, prepping for the second annual Atlantic Cup which will run from Charleston to Newport and New York.
And we bicycled through the French Quarter one afternoon to enjoy the cool shade from overhanging trees on the narrow streets on an otherwise very hot day. On our last night in Charleston, we were treated to the most beautiful fireworks display we’d ever seen, and the boat was a perfect viewing spot. I have no idea what the occasion was, other than celebrating a Friday and the end of a workweek!
Once back out on the Intracoastal Waterway, we began to see dolphins and a variety of birds every day, and have seen three bald eagles so far. On our first night out we stopped behind Butler Island in SC, a very pretty setting and the locale of a second nightly explosion. This time it was thunder and lightning, right overhead, with buckets of water pouring down and 30 something - knot wind gusts. The following day ended with a quick stop at Cricket Cove Marina – great diesel prices and delicious food at Snooky’s restaurant on-site.
Our trip up the Cape Fear River in NC was slow, with 3.5 knots of current working against us. Fortunately the 25-knot winds were in the same direction as the current so we moved smoothly, if slowly. Our stopover in Carolina Beach was peaceful – we had the anchorage area to ourselves. In fact we see very few cruising boats as we continue our journey north.
Today we followed tug Evelyn Doris with its huge load to take advantage of the priority given to commercial traffic at the several bridge openings facing us. The tug made for such a nice picture that I photographed it, and I guess boating writer Tom Neale agrees, because he passed by on his sailboat "Chez Nous" and also took a picture of it. But only his will make its way to a magazine!
We have reached Mile Hammock Bay in time to watch the marines from nearby Camp Lejeune performing maneuvers in their small boats. What must they think, trying to be serious as they practice their new skills, while we sit leisurely on the back deck snacking and toasting another successful day on the ICW. We wonder if the peacefulness will be disrupted by night maneuvers of the Marines ….. We were the absolute first of seven boats to anchor here tonight – quite a switch from the usual 30 or so that crowd in here. Lucky us.
Note on the banner picture: Maybe someone can explain the significance of the plastic palm tree and parking meter, perched in the water just north of the Surf City bridge. Or maybe it's simply existential - it just is. Nancy - May 8, 2012
Drama on the Alligator-Pungo Canal
A heart-stopping moment thrust itself upon Puffin this morning in the Alligator-Pungo Canal.
We were preparing to pass an oncoming tug and barge and had worked our way over to the side of the canal in good time. Shortly before we were to pass port side to, I disengaged the autopilot as I like to do in a passing situation. This time the steering felt funny as I tried to edge Puffin a little closer to the embankment. It seemed to steer easily only to port; not good, since that would put us to close to the barge. I quickly re-engaged the autopilot to stay away from the oncoming barge, now only 300-400 feet away, but at least safely to Puffin's port.) However, within seconds, Puffin came to an abrupt stop, not slip-slidin' to a gradual stop as she has done on a previous occasion or two with mud and sand.
We realize Puffin is now clearly hard aground on one of the many submerged stumps that line both sides of this canal. This is a new experience. I try reverse - nothing. Engaging the bow thruster does nothing. I mean there is no movement at all. Puffin is sitting like she's in a cradle on the hard. As the barge and tug slide by to port (*), I wonder if Puffin can shake free using the tug's wake, but I don't see much wake astern.
As the tug itself passed us, Puffin suddenly, within seconds, listed to port by several inches. An out-of-body feeling slips through my brain. What just happened and why? I'm beginning to think we'll need a crane to get poor Puffin afloat again.
While ruminating on this new condition I notice what almost looks like a standing wave perhaps a foot or so high trailing astern each side of the tug. (It looks a little strange - it is just a single waveform.) As it bears down on us, I prepare to try to move the boat again. Before I move the controls, Puffin suddenly floats level again and I notice the bow move slightly. I actuate the thruster and the bow moves slightly to port. That's all I need to put Puffin in forward gear and apply power. We wiggle forward inching toward the center of the canal and now Puffin is free.
As my heart slowly returned to idle, I reflected on this new and unsettling experience and realized that this barge and tug with its many-thousand hp engine is probably over 200 feet long, 50 feet wide and draws eight feet. It is moving smartly in a canal that is perhaps 300 feet wide or less and 12 feet deep. With its wide blunt bow, it is forcing water ahead of it and to the sides. Behind the bow it is actually lowering the water level it a few inches, with its huge displacement and that's why Puffin briefly listed while aground as the tug passed by. The stern wave behind it that finally freed us was water rushing from behind the tug to fill the void.
With regard to why the steering seemed jammed earlier I can only speculate that a small stick may have been jammed in the rudder opening, momentarily.
A more rewarding moment in the Alligator-Pungo Canal occurred about 20 minutes later when Nancy spotted two deer swimming across the canal with just their heads and big ears poking out of the water. What a treat! All's well that ends well. Bob - May 11, 2012
(*) Note to land-bound friends: Virtually all barges on the ICW are pushed from behind by tugs that are tightly secured to them and essentially act like one very large boat. Bob - May 11, 2020
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Hampton River
Okay, this will sound like bragging, but we did in fact have another beautiful day on the Chesapeake Bay after leaving Reedville VA/Cockrell Creek. A mild wind was behind us, the current was in our favor, and though the waves built at times to 4 feet, they were going in our direction and thus provided an easy up and down motion under our keel. The skies were sunny and clear, and we had a sauna effect in our pilothouse. What more could you ask for? Well, our friends on Morning Star answered that question by introducing us to the Hampton River- a very nice place to anchor or dock, a very short distance north of Norfolk/Plymouth.
The hard questions are, what to do first. Check out the ice cream location? The bakery? The Virginia Air and Space Museum? All within walking distance. Or the Mariner’s Museum in nearby Newport News? We may have to stay awhile. And yes, good dinghy access to shore. Nancy - October 21, 2012
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Randy and Cindy Picklemann’s Morning Star
On the Road Again
It's Saturday, October 20 and we are back and finally in cruising mode. For several days and continuing right up through early this morning, the weather forecasts have continually changed and we kept delaying the start of our trip south from Solomons Island, Maryland. I even went back to bed this morning after rising at 5 am, resigned to another delay. But at 9 am, the forecast changed once again, and off we went. It turned out to be a perfect day, with light winds out of the north, mild seas, and a favorable current most of the way.
In company with Morning Star, and for a while Sequel, we motored down the Chesapeake Bay, enjoying the easy ride and the sight of many sailboats also moving south, some with their pretty spinnakers flying. I spotted one pelican flying by, and was reminded that this is the leg of the trip that the pelicans start appearing in the bay for us. We pulled into Cockrell Creek off the Great Wicomico River, passed by the stinky menhaden plants into clean air, and anchored in scenic Reedville. A short walk into town to view the beautifully manicured yards, flowering bushes and well maintained old mansions and smaller homes allowed us to confirm how late the ice cream store was open, and to discover that the local restaurant, Crazy Crabs, was offering a new "delicacy" on its appetizer list, "Sugar Toads." Well, that settled our plans for the evening.
Sugar Toads turned out to be nicely sautéed, local blowfish and were enjoyed by all. Though we have stayed in Reedville before, our introduction to this restaurant and its unique appetizer moved me to qualify this stop as a new adventure, if not a new location. Tomorrow, off to Hampton, VA, another first for us, and if the weather holds it will be another gorgeous day. Nancy - Oct 12, 2012
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Stuart to Charleston on the Fast Track
Thunder-storm in Fishing Creek
Jes’ stylin’
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Blessing of the shrimpboat fleet - (note the signal flags flying)
Summer Hiatus
Our friends have reminded us that our blog shows us lingering in the Alligator-Pungo Canal back in mid-May, despite the fact that we are comfortably ensconced at home in Vermont. An update is in order.
The day after our close encounter with the barge, was busy on the waterway, filled with skiers of every sort, some experienced enough to do somersaults. The Coast Guard stopped us in Currituck Sound for a safety inspection in an area so narrow that we couldn’t actually pull over. Instead they tied up to our boat, and Bob continued underway at the wheel while I did the show and tell. They were very polite and we received no citations. We ended the day at Waterside Marina in Norfolk, VA and were lucky to find a slip. There was a wine festival going on next door, an arts festival just a ferry ride away in Portsmouth, and a gathering on the dock of Great Loopers. Lots of activity and we did our best to fit it all in, as well as catch up with friends Mary and Mark last seen in Florida and window shop in the d’arte arcade of galleries en route to the MacArthur Mall to make the obligatory stop at the Apple store whether we needed anything or not.
Our trip north up the Chesapeake Bay against the current was broken by a pleasant stop to meet up with Forever 39 at their favorite anchorage, which they begged us not to mention by name. So this lovely spot shall remain nameless, but we attest that it a lovely protected place, so nice that we stayed for several days to do boat chores.
The next day we tried to continue north but the seas were too rough, so we went to Reedville on the Great Wicomico River. Yes, the fish plant was running but we managed to anchor upwind of it. Bob had a chance to determine he is still happy with the soft shell crab sandwiches at the Cockrell Creek Crab Restaurant there. The wind seemed to die down in the afternoon so we headed out, winced as the 3-ft waves threw salt all over our previously clean boat, and stopped for the night in a quiet spot off Smith Creek in the Potomac River.
We left very early, hoping for an easy ride, but we bounced a lot against an ebb tide, 4-ft waves and north winds gusting to 25 knots. We arrived safely in Solomons, to rest briefly and continue a flurry of boat chores and cleaning before leaving the boat there for the summer. Nancy - July 5, 2012
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Naval Shipyards at Norfolk
A Worrisome Forecast
Chris Parker, the noted weather guru, is advising that Hurricane Sandy may hit the east coast hard. This news prompted us to move from our anchorage down to historic Portsmouth and tie up at a protected marina, Ocean Marine Center, right at Mile Marker Zero on the Intracoastal Waterway. If the threat bears out, we will have the boat hauled and seek safety on land.
We’ll continue to monitor the weather reports, but meanwhile we continue to enjoy beautiful, sunny weather. You can see what the day looks like in the pictures of the Portsmouth and Norfolk waterfront sights.
Took a walk through town and lunched on the outdoor patio at Griff’s. Spent a few moments chatting with Tapestry, another Krogen that was here at the marina for fueling. Today we cleaned the boat of all that salt spray. Tomorrow we will do phase 1 of our hurricane preparedness plan. Nancy - October 25, 2012,
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A Lazy Day
We are taking another lazy day here in the Hampton River. Yes, we are surrounded by bridges and condos, but we still think this is a nice place to lay over. We don’t feel hemmed in, the sunsets are nice and there is no passing boat traffic to create wakes. Today we walked to the nearby Virginia Air and Space Museum, and in fact spent several hours there and did not see it all.
Hampton River, just north of Norfolk
The displays were interesting and varied, and we would highly recommend a visit there. If you happen to watch their IMAX 3-D show on Air Racers, hold onto your seats. You will definitely appreciate what it must have been like to be a WWII ace. They also offer other 3-D shows that we would like to see on our next visit.
After all that enlightenment, we had to treat ourselves to ICE CREAM FOR LUNCH at the nearby Old Fashioned Ice Cream Parlor. We admit, we have been bad. We’ll nibble on lettuce tomorrow. Nancy - October 23, 2012
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Preparing for Hurricane Sandy
I should assure our blog followers that we feel very safe here at Ocean Marine Yacht Center in Portsmouth VA. So far any impact of increasing winds has been softened here by other boats and tall buildings. There will be another two days before Hurricane/Storm Sandy passes us by, so we’ll see if that assessment holds up. We don’t anticipate getting the full brunt of the storm here.
What have we done to prepare for the storm? Stripped or tied down canvas, stored any loose items, double tied the anchors and the dinghy, secured 8 lines to the pilings and cleats, checked and adjusted our life vests, prepared a get-a-way bag including important boat papers in case we need to move ourselves to shore. Then to fill up our time, we walk around to see what preparations other boaters are making, walk to the ferry dock to see how high the water is lapping over the landing, review weather report updates, check online to see where other boating friends are and how they are faring. And lastly, attend nightly parties aboard neighboring boats. You’ll know the storm is bad if we have to abandon this tradition!
This hasn’t been a bad place to wait out the storm. There is a weekly farmers market on Saturday mornings and a movie theater and stores within walking distance. All the bells, whistles, and toots from the naval vessels under repair on the opposite side of the Elisabeth River, and the nearby train, keep us entertained and wondering just what is getting done. Lots of tugboats, barges, cruise ships and navel vessels have been moving down the river, all in sight from our boat. The biggest treat was watching the USS Abraham Lincoln #72 aircraft carrier move down the river two nights ago. It was all lit up, with two side bays wide open and about 50 sailors standing at the edge and waving and hollering to the boats in the marina. The large #72 was ablaze with red, white and blue bulbs. At over 1,000 ft, it was an impressive sight going along this narrow river. Nancy - October 29, 2012
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Hurricane Sandy
Flooded docks from hurricane Sandy, Norfolk, Va.
Hurricane Sandy was kind to us and didn’t accelerate beyond Category 1. Both we and Puffin fared well in Portsmouth, Va. at Ocean Marine Yacht Center. The tall buildings and boats and huge naval ships nearby, moderated the wind, so that we experienced only 25 knots. And despite there being a full moon, during high tide the water fortunately did not creep over the pilings. The docks themselves are very secure here, with extra tall pilings protruding through the finger piers.
We stayed a few extra days to take care of some business, and provisioned the boat with the help of a local taxi that waited for us outside while we shopped for groceries. What a nice service. Our delay in Portsmouth gave us time to see the movie Argo at the Commodore Theater, a comfortable club-like setting with soft chairs and tables and light dinner fare. The movie was great and the building’s architecture is definitely worth seeing. We also got to see the carrier, USS Abraham Lincoln in full daylight, this time heading back north out of the Elizabeth River.
Hurricane Sandy was kind to us and didn’t accelerate beyond Category 1. Both we and Puffin fared well in Portsmouth, Va. at Ocean Marine Yacht Center. The tall buildings and boats and naval ships nearby moderated the wind, so that we experienced only 25 knots. And despite there being a full moon, during high tide the water did not creep over the pilings. The docks themselves are very secure here, with extra tall pilings protruding through the finger piers.
We stayed a few extra days to take care of some business, and provisioned the boat with the help of a local taxi that waited for us outside while we shopped for groceries. What a nice service. Our delay in Portsmouth gave us time to see the movie Argo at the Commodore Theater, a comfortable club-like setting with soft chairs and tables and light dinner fare. The movie was great and the building’s architecture is definitely worth seeing. We also got to see the carrier, USS Abraham Lincoln in full daylight, this time heading back north out of the Elizabeth River.
The plan was to leave on Friday and start moving south, and in fact we did leave, only to find after 3 miles that the Old Virginia Bridge was stuck shut and was waiting for a repairman. After an hour of waiting, and dealing with up to 40 boats circling and waiting, we decided we could use our time better. We fueled up the boat and went to a dock in Norfolk for the night. At this point I think we were actually losing ground and moving backwards distance-wise. But we enjoyed the day, walking through the Selden Arcade with its many art galleries and ending up at the MacArthur Mall., just in time for the Apple store’s new release of the iPad mini. Bob restrained himself and did not buy one, not that we needed one but since when is that a criterion for him?
Finally on Saturday we threw off our lines, and encountered one delay after the other at the bridges, which didn’t seem to be keeping to their posted schedules. After 4-1/2 hours we had only progressed 20 miles, slow as molasses. Later we encountered a large barge (actually one barge in front of the other, then pushed by a tug) that seemed to loom out of nowhere as we turned around a sharp bend in the canal. Always a breath-holding moment to face one of these behemoths when there isn’t much room in the canal. One more barge to pass, this time on a nice straightaway, and we could finally relax for the rest of the afternoon. Just before sunset we anchored out outside Broad Creek in the North River, at Mile Mark 61, in North Carolina - the first of many stops to come before we reach Charleston. As is often the case on the ICW, you get the feeling of being terribly exposed here, mostly surrounded by marsh grass, but the wind is mild and we’ll have good protection from the expected northwest winds. And, no surprise, there is another Krogen anchored nearby, Seamantha. Perhaps company for awhile as we continue our journey tomorrow, though I suspect they travel at a faster pace. Nancy - 03 November 2012
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Aircraft carrier moving up the Elizabeth River, Norfolk, for extra protection from the forecast Hurricane
Shrimping on the Intracoastal
Morehead City
On Sunday we left pretty Slade Creek and later passed a large fleet of well- maintained shrimp boats tied up just past the Hoboken Coast Guard, and watched the coasties playing flag football for a few minutes - you need to slow down in this area so I had time to oogle.
It was choppy for awhile until we turned a corner and put the wind behind us. We thought we might get hit with the predicted nor'easter, so headed for another safe haven in Broad Creek off the Neuse River. The River Dunes Marina is a very protected, clean facility with many amenities. Though in the middle of nowhere, the courtesy car will get you to the small town of Oriental for food and hardware/marine stores, and there is wifi and Verizon cell phone service (not ATT though). The restaurant, usually closed during the week, will open up during stormy periods and serve a fixed price meal. The large lounge with fireplace is cozy on damp, cold days such as we had. We stayed here to get caught up on laundry and boat chores. Finally on Friday the sun and good weather beckoned and off we headed.
If we hadn't been so lazy, we would have left at sunrise, 6 am, and made it to the next intended destination. Back to reality. We rose late and decided to make an early day of it and pulled in at Morehead City Yacht Basin, another well maintained facility. Lunch at Floyd's was a real treat, and Bob will be talking about their corn muffins (served only at lunchtime) far into the future. It was a beautiful sunny day and we walked off some calories by walking along the waterfront - both commercial and pleasure crafts abound. The pelicans, herons, and dolphins along the way let us know we are entering new territory.
If you hear of cold temperatures down here and worry that we are suffering, don't. although it was 53 degrees outside, the sun coming through the pilothouse windows brought the inside temperature to a balmy 78 degrees. Nancy - November 9, 2012
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Mile Hammock Bay
Saturday was a beautiful day for traveling, sunny and little wind. We saw lots of pelicans, and people fishing from shore or small boats. Even the bridge tender at Onslow Bridge was happy, and held the bridge for us for the couple of extra minutes we needed to get there.
Bogue’s Inlet and Brown’s Inlet were as usual shoaling and required much attention to the daymarks, but after that stretch we had a peaceful trip to Mile Hammock Bay in North Carolina. Due to the weekend (and Marine Corps birthday), there were no military marine maneuvers or planes overhead. We rather missed it. It was a short day for us, 5 ½ hours underway, because we were positioning ourselves for a long haul the next day. We hope to make Charleston in two days, with a little luck. Nancy - November 10, 2012
Puffin’s Selected Blogs
Part 11
A collection of our favorite thoughts and observations over the three years
Puffin cruised from Maine to Florida and the Bahamas, returning to Maryland each Spring.
Entertainment at the Wilkerson Bridge
We celebrated daylight savings time by letting it trick us into a very long cruising day, about 80 statute miles in 10 ½ hours. We had an easy day and despite increasing winds in the afternoon, we moved along without feeling the effects, had no problems crossing Albemarle Sound, and avoided problems at the incorrectly charted intersection of the Sound and the Alligator River by following the guidelines in Active Captain.
We spied an otter swimming in the Alligator River, which surely must be proof that no real alligators reside there. Where did they all go?
Chief entertainment for the day was listening to the one-hour saga of a too-tall sailboat planning to pass under the 64’ Wilkerson Bridge. One boat made it through and passed back information to its buddy boat, which decided it would not fit. So Too Tall sent a crew member aloft to remove its wind instruments, and carefully proceeded while the first boat coached it through with continuous readouts from its binoculars, and a third boat warned oncoming boats to slow down and stop so as not to disrupt this careful plan. It made it through with inches to spare, and we all silently cheered.
We passed a boat from Vermont, Grace from Orwell, and chatted on the radio for a bit. Vermont is such a small state that we always feel a thrill when we see another Vermonter traveling the ICW.
Our final landing spot was Slade Creek in the Pungo River. It’s a quiet, beautiful place with trees and marsh grasses and few homes, and we made it with just minutes to spare before darkness settled in. Nancy - November 4, 2012 (Slade Creek, Pungo River)
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Morehead City
On Sunday we left pretty Slade Creek and later passed a large fleet of well- maintained shrimp boats tied up just past the Hoboken Coast Guard, and watched the coasties playing flag football for a few minutes - you need to slow down in this area so I had time to oogle.
It was choppy for awhile until we turned a corner and put the wind behind us. We thought we might get hit with the predicted nor'easter, so headed for another safe haven in Broad Creek off the Neuse River. The River Dunes Marina is a very protected, clean facility with many amenities. Though in the middle of nowhere, the courtesy car will get you to the small town of Oriental for food and hardware/marine stores, and there is wifi and Verizon cell phone service (not ATT though). The restaurant, usually closed during the week, will open up during stormy periods and serve a fixed price meal. The large lounge with fireplace is cozy on damp, cold days such as we had. We stayed here to get caught up on laundry and boat chores. Finally on Friday the sun and good weather beckoned and off we headed.
If we hadn't been so lazy, we would have left at sunrise, 6 am, and made it to the next intended destination. Back to reality. We arose late and decided to make an early day of it and pulled in at Morehead City Yacht Basin, another well maintained facility.
Beached for bottom paint, waterman style
Lunch at Floyd's was a real treat, and Bob will be talking about their corn muffins (served only at lunchtime) far into the future. It was a beautiful sunny day and we walked off some calories by walking along the waterfront - both commercial and pleasure crafts abound. The pelicans, herons, and dolphins along the way let us know we are entering new territory.
If you hear of cold temperatures down here and worry that we are suffering, don't. although it was 53 degrees outside, the sun coming through the pilothouse windows brought the inside temperature to a balmy 78 degrees. Nancy - November 9, 2012
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