My Turn

My turn . . .

We got started on October 11^th, sort of. Neal was so excited to get going that – and so not wanting to start out on a Friday (some sailing superstition about voyages never beginning on a Friday) – separately we both came up with the idea to just get going whatever. So I went shopping and he took the boat to our friends’ dock on the Magothy, which meant we were officially underway, for a whopping two hours, but we were underway.

I finished yet one more trip to Bed, Bath & Beyond (if you don’t own stock in that company you really missed a nice dividend this month), did the fresh grocery supply run, and headed back to Takoma to meet up with our friends, George and Ellen, who kindly agreed to bring me back to the boat and then both cars back home. By the time we finally got back to the boat (a Corridor Fine Wine stop being absolutely necessary), unloaded the supplies, and headed out to dinner, the only place left open was a friendly Friendly’s. Whatever . . . we ate, saw G & E off, and fell into the bunk in an exhausted stupor.

Early Friday morning we took off on a cold, wild ride down to the Solomons. I’m sure Neal wrote of the wind and how fast we went down the Bay. I was – when able to actually stay awake – focused on the amazing quality of the water. If you’ve spent much time on the Bay in the summer, you know how green the water is: deep, dark green. But in the crisp fall morning on the run down I was dazzled by the multitude of colors – blues, greens, turquoise – so captivating.

About staying awake, one of the first signs of mal-de-mer is sleepiness and boy was I sleepy all day, just kept nodding off when not fascinated by the water. The ride was much like a rollercoaster, and I was not yet in tune to my inner ear as much as I would have liked. Didn’t get sick, but didn’t feel top notch most of the day. Fortunately, that has all passed.

Back to the water: it kept changing all day and by the time we were pulling into the Solomons late in the day, with the sun low in the sky, it was looking like liquid mica – fool’s gold. We saw an eagle lazily looking for dinner and many, many snow geese. We also saw one of the Navy’s weird looking take off like a helicopter, fly like a regular plane planes, which they call an Osprey. Why, oh why, would they name something as ugly and ungainly looking as that plane after such a beautiful and graceful creature? It should be called the cormorant, a bird with no flight grace whatsoever, but fun to watch dive (a grouping of which is called a gulp*).

Day two was much like the first, sleepingly dazzled by the water and the birds, the wonderful birds, especially the squadrons of pelicans (squadron, perhaps because of the tight formations in which they fly), which, as Neal already said, are not, according to the Audubon Society, supposed to habitat that far north. Now, they are funny looking, but so elegant in flight and hunt! Sailing into the morning sun on the water was like sailing into an incredibly large chrysanthemum fireworks explosion – so bright and with trailing streams of light coming towards us on the waves. I am really getting sappy here but, boy was it beautiful.

We spent two nights in quiet anchorages and arrived on the fourth day at Hampton, VA. Passing through Norfolk we saw lots more pelicans and lots of Navy ships – kinda cool in a old war movie kind of way. Best part of the stay - $1.00 showers. Yes, we can shower in hot water on the boat, but it uses a lot of our little water stores and is best saved for emergencies whenever a land shower is just not available. Like today.

In Hampton, we took it into our heads to hike to a West Marine. It was a long, long hike. I’m sure Neal already wrote about that. I was in serious BB&B withdrawal but with not a store in sight, had to salve my need with a Chez Target. I’m telling you, you should own stock – I have a serious addiction!

We stayed two nights in Hampton (yea! Extra shower) and then headed out for the Dismal Swamp. On the way down, I called into a SAG Council meeting that I’m sure folks were wondering what in the world was going on as we surfed over wake after wake from VLB (very large boats) passing us by. It was very much like being on yet another rollercoaster at some points and, as I was up on the bow of the ship to be as far from the engine as possible so I might actually be able to hear the conference call, the occasional “wheeeeeee” that punctuated the conversation must have sounded just a little strange.

I’ve not read what Neal’s written so if this is repetitious, I apologize. I’m not sure what I was expecting but boy was it cool. Narrow, and fortunately not very buggy, except for the Visitors Center on the VA/NC border where we spent a night and are still fighting the little, tiny bugs that invaded the boat along with something else that really liked Terri meat. Everyone is safe when I’m there for bug food.

Again about the water. The water in most of NC is this dark, dark brown color – it looks the way an Americano at Starbucks looks – slightly watered down espresso. Can you tell I’m easily impressed by new things? Did Neal already mention that the water is colored that way by the tannin from the Cypress trees? Allegedly, the water won’t harm you as evil bacteria can’t live in it, but I wouldn’t want to swim in it or drink it. Beautiful, nonetheless.

Of course, now I’m losing track of time, I don’t remember when or where I found a Curves and got in a workout and I don’t remember how long it took us to get to Elizabeth City and I don’t remember most of the time what day of the week it is anymore. Sigh, my problems are so great :-).

Our time in Elizabeth City was fun and marked by a wonderful homecoming parade for the local university, Elizabeth City State University. The school is an HBC and the marching band was just superb, as were the many high school bands and other marching groups in the line. I mean they really take their homecoming seriously. There were floats for, I think, all of the educational departments with, seemingly, all of the faculty riding on them. It is so wonderful to be a part of such a proud moment in this little town.

We met some new friends and learned of a gathering of southbound cruisers would meet in New Bern, NC. Stopping first in Bellhaven and then in Oriental, we are now hanging out in New Bern with a great bunch of people, sitting in on seminars, and getting a lot of new information about our future destinations. What a bunch of really neat little towns, anyone of which would make a lovely retirement settlement – that being what they mostly are anyway.

In the harbor, a covert of coots is milling about.

Downside, it’s been more than a day or so since my last shower, we’re at anchor and low on water, and though we planned to leave today to go back to Oriental to pick up a package, it’s pouring down rain and we are stuck here till, probably Sunday. Oh, well. Neal is gallantly humping the 5 gallon water container to and from the dock to the boat so I can have a shower today. He’s so good to me.

*Grouping names of birds taken from Names for groups of animals@Everything2.com

Saturday, 20 October

We pulled up stakes and left Hampton behind on Tuesday and motored past the naval might of this nation, at least that part which was in port at the time. Norfolk is loaded with the US navy. We cut a corner to get to a marina for fuel, got a little close to one of uncle sams boats and out came a couple of sailors in an inflatable to let us know that we were NOT to get any closer. ARMED TO THE TEETH I AM SURE THEY WERE. One false move and I’m sure they would have blown us out of the water. We got to the lock at the beginning of the Dismal swamp canal to late to be locked through so we anchored in front of it to wait for the morning lock through and by nightfall there were about eight boats waiting with us (N36 44.8670 W076 20.2819). When the morning lock through came we had 14 boats in all being raised about 10 feet to the level of the canal. The canal it self is beautiful. About 40-50 feet wide and about 8-9 feet deep, it runs pretty straight for about 25 miles.

An interesting historical fact relates to the slave labor digging the canal as I mentioned before. During the digging the slaves learned the Dismal Swamp like the back of their hands and later this knowledge was put to use as a stop on the underground railway for run away slaves. Talk about your unintended consequences.

We stayed overnight in the canal, docked at the visitors center (N36 29.9640 W076 21.1510) then took off in the AM to catch the 9:00 am lock out and move on to Elizabeth City, NC. We locked out with only one other boat, but sat in the lock for at least 30 minute all the time with the engine running. The lockmaster was a displaced Chicagoan and very talkative. Along with us in the lock, beside the boat was a carpet of duck weed a sort of miniature lily pad plant about the size of a typed o. Well the cooling water intake sucked tons of duckweed up and just as we left the lock the flow of engine cooling water stopped. We stopped the engine and drifted while I cleaned out the raw water filter, which was stuffed with a baseball size glob of duckweed. We later learned in Elizabeth City that many boats had a similar problem with more dire consequences, burned out exhaust systems, burned out pump impellors etc. We were lucky.

On the Elizabeth City (N36 17.9999 W076 13.0469). When we got there we learned of the passing of an icon, a man called Fred Fearing. You see about 25 years ago he and a pal were coming out of church one Sunday and saw all the southbound cruising boat docked at the city docks so he and his buddy decide to greet all the ladies aboard with a rose. They repeated this every day during the southbound cruising season and soon added a reception of wine and cheese. So he has been doing this for the last 25 years until now. We stayed in EC for two days doing “chores, VIZ. groceries, laundry etc, then headed out across Albemarle Sound for the Alligator river, some 50 miles away. Well let me tell you that this is probably one of the most isolated places on the east coast (N35 40.5809 W076 04.3709). Nothing but bears, wolves and a few anchored out cruisers. The cell phones showed NO bars, nada, none. No shore lights, no loom of “city lights”, it is DARK, but it is beautiful. The sunset was spectacular as you should see if I figure out how to add pictures to this log.

On the AM it was on to the lovely, but dead town of Belhaven (N35 31.8770 W076 37.3). Lots of vacant storefronts, but many beautiful houses. There is a new condominium going up on the waterfront units selling for 200 thou, with a dock included.

24 October 2007

We are in Oriental NC after a hard slog to windward against a 20 knt wind. Go here wet and tired.