The Great Adventure South
Ahoy Civilized Landlubbers - We have been freezing our coconuts off!!!
We are still determined to keep going always seeking the warmer
weather that should be out there somewhere. Let's see the saga south
continues from Norfolk where we spent 3 days due to visit schedule
with friends and storm "Noel". We departed Norfolk on Nov. 4th at 7
am Sunny - Wind 5 knots - Seas calm for a change. Motored thru 8
bridges and 1 lock at Great Bridge. The Dismal Swamp route was closed
due to lack of water. I found that I had Don Knots (spelling?) on
board. Tom's new name. Remember Don? Tom was a nervous wreck. He never
did like going thru Kent Narrows so this was even worse. Worry Worry!!
We had to wait for the bridge after the lock at Great Bridge so we
tied up to some trees. Never did that before. Passed the time meeting
other cruisers bunched up there. We anchored out that night in
Blackwater Creek at Mile 30 Pungo Ferry. Very cold night.
11/05 Woke up to fog (pea soup). Departed at 7:30 am as soon as we
could see. Mortored down Currituck Sound in calm winds with sunny
skies. We were the last boat in a long line heading south. HELLO NORTH
CAROLINA!! Wind picked up when we entered North River 18 knots
decided to sail. Not a good idea on my part. Sail was flogging, the
sheet hit the little solar light and knocked it overboard at the same
time (we still have the motor on) the sheet also damaged the window in
the dodger. I tried to pick up the floating light but ofcourse that
was impossible. What a mess...You wouldn't want to hear the sailing
language during this process. We did make good 31.2 sm. We anchored
out in Broad Creek just north of Ablemarle Sound. We had to find the
entrance to this creek by heading for the shore and then following
along until the creek entrance opened up to our eye sight. After
gunkholing on the Chesapeake for so many years this is not a big deal
for us. However, there were 6 boats that stayed outside the entrance
that night. I think they were Canadian boats. Probably not used to
gunkholing in strange creeks. It was a beautiful evening with so many
stars that you could see the Milkyway in all of its splendor. I also
saw my first Kingfisher bird. He sat on a dead tree branch and watched
for fish then would dive head first down into the water, stab the fish
and fly back up to the tree. In the late evening the wind again began
to howl thru the rigging. Picked up to 20 knots. Earlier in the
eveing we noticed a small sailboat anchor in the creek entrance but
outside so we call him on the VHF and told him to come on in the
creek. That there was plenty of water. He declined but was grateful
for the advise.
11/06 - Laying over in Broad Creek. Wind is howling - Small craft
warnings. The guy in the little sailboat decided to come in the creek
because it was so rough out side. He rowed over to say hello. He is
(what else) Canadian. Named Andre on a Bayfield 24. I was making
chicken soup so I gave him some. He said he couldn't take to much of
the soup because he did not have refrigeration on board. He was all by
himself and try to go to the Bahamas eventually. He had a lot of
family that he wanted to join him to help sail the boat but he didn't
think many would want to spend a lot of time on a 24 ft boat. Probably
right. We're 36 feet but looking at the other boats going south we
feel small. This was my day to cook up the stuff that might spoil and
see if my oven would really do the job. I made a pork tenderloin but
had to set the temp at 500 just to get to 350 but it worked and the
pork was great for dinner and sandwiches for lunch. Very cold night
down in the 40's. Used our kerosene lamterm and the alcohol heat pail
to keep the cabin warm. Tom's job is to get up in the morning, in the
cold and make the coffee and warm up the cabin. I can then arise and
complain about the cold. We all have our burdens to bare.
11/07 - We depart Broad Creek - Finally on our way again. Motored to
the Alligator River. Didn't see no gators there. Made 42 miles in calm
winds and anchored in a wide spot off of Bear Point with 3 other
boats. Depths were not as charted; more water. One boat from Portland,
OR and Andre showed up just at sunset. Clear night but again so darn
cold.
11/08 - Departed Bear Point for Goose Creek at 7 am Burrrrr!!! Made
49.9 miles this day. Anchored in Eastham Creek. This creek had some
shrimp boats up creek from us so I thought we might be rolled in the
night but never felt a thing. Very quiet night. Clear and cold (what's
new). We checked the oil (big project) and hand pumped some water out
of the engine compartment. Think maybe we need to tighten the stuffing
box sometime or other. We are watching it. Magic only need 1/2 quart
of oil. Not much for having run the engine so much. Well I have to
tell you about the strange lights we saw this night. Tom called me up
to the cockpit. It was pitch black outside. Not much if any ambient
light. The stars were everywhere but he said he saw something very
strange and wondered what I thought it was. Well...All of asudden
there appeared 4 flashing lights blinking on for off in sequence and
marching right toward us. The lights reflected in the water. I thought
at first that it might be helicopters with their flood lights on but
there was not a sound to be heard. Those lights appeared and
disappeared 4 times in a line. I was spooked. Tom said let's go below
because there is nothing we can do about it if we are beamed up to who
knows where. The next morning we look all around and did not see
anything that could have caused the lights. Maybe we saw a UFO!!! How
about that kiddos!! Other than the spooky part this was a great
anchorage. When we call the Jeff's that night we found out there had
been a big power failure in Severna Park down to College Parkway
almost to Arnold. Don't know the reason. (Maybe UFO's).
11/09 - Departed for Oriental, NC. Made 30.5 miles. Another cold day
with winds 15 - 20. Why can't we have all this wind when the temp is
75? We wanted to get to Beauford, NC but to far for the weather. I
wanted to see Oriental anyway so I was glad to stop and have a marina
stay. When we do that I can plug in my little electric heater and we
are cosy warm. The marina's and harbor was full of boats on their way
south so we were glad to tie up to the outside of the dock at the
Oriental Harbor Center & Marina. Very well kept place with free
washers and dryers (they just charge you $10 extra on your bill). We
made a great friend who offered to take us grocery shopping and even
helped bring the bags back to the boat. We couldn't thank him enough.
He gave us his business card and told us to call him when we were on
our way back from Florida. I also did the laundry. This was to much in
one day and I couldn't do the e-mail thing as a result. We are now
stocked up and ready to go again.
11/10 - Departed for 50 mile trek. Trying to push south faster. Did ok
in the ICW dredged channels until we got to the Moorhead City area.
Then the wind picked up and was blowing 30 knots on the beam with a 3
knot current against us. This is not recreational boating!!! We turned
around and headed for Beaufort harbor. Well, I was following the red
buoys and they lead right out to the Cape Fear inlet and the big "O".
I had to follow some of them just to get around Radio Island and in
the channel for Beaufort. Incredible current it felt like you were
standing still but we made it into the harbor. I really did not think
that we could get a slip. All the south heading boats are so bunched
up due to the weather and then you also have the guys that have been
out in the ocean and have come in the inlet to get out of the bad
weather. Yea, we got a slip at the most expensive marina yet
(ofcourse). Tom docked the boat in a 18 knot crosswind. GREAT JOB!!
This marina has no permanent resident slip holders it's all transient.
Boats from all over and we are right next to a boat from Solomon's
Island. Small world. Wind howling in rigging. Took my winter coat and
went sightseeing in Beaufort. Had clam chowdar for lunch yum, yum.
Whoopee the marina has WiFi so here I am at 10:30 pm finishing this
e-mail. We are hoping to leave here tomorrow for Camp LeJune and (a
few good men) the Marines. Of course weather permitting. I'm blowing
the budget with all these marinas.
Till the next WiFi connection - The Salty (and cold) Ones