October 17, 2011 Monday Portsmouth to Elizabeth City NC

The Dismal Swamp is an interesting route to the Abermerle Sound. As I said yesterday, the leaves are beginning to change colors. There are few reds mostly yellows I guess because there are fewer maple trees in this region. The Dismal Swamp is but three miles longer than the Virginia Cut and both meet in the lower Abermerle Sound.

The first lock was an eye-opener since there were 15 boats ready and waiting to be locked through to the Dismal Swamp. This part of the journey was developed in the early 1800's to ship goods north-south. The canal was obviously hand dug and is very narrow with only room for a pass if both boats move to the outside edges of the canal. This is when a stump is usually waiting to take a bite out of your hull!

We were fortunate to arrive before dark in Elizabeth City, NC and to have our choice of two free slips to tie up. There were three men waving and pointing to the empty slips and all gave us a helping hand with our lines to safely get us tied up. We missed the free wine and cheese at 5:30 pm which is a daily happening here. There are 14 free slips and the city is very boater friendly. There is a free loaner car as well to shop and restock.

It was an extended day as we motor-sailed 75 miles! That's pretty unusual unless we are out on the ocean. I'm getting better at keeping up the blog and I will continue to post more pics!

October 16 Sunday Deltaville, VA to Portsmouth,VA

We made it to Ocean Marine in Portsmouth, VA in time to get diesel and an all important pump out of the holding tank. We've learned to remember four things when the opportunity presents itself. First, get diesel, second, fill the water tanks, next, collect the garbage and most of all, get pumped out! Don't forget the laundry. I guess that makes five things to remember. See, it's hard to remember the things I need to remember!

We left Portsmouth at daybreak and what a team. We backed out of the slip and headed out into the harbor without incident. As we headed down the Elizabeth River which separates Portsmouth from Norfolk we encountered numerous barges and recreational boaters headed south. It's extremely difficult to know whether a barge is coming toward you or traveling in the same direction. Obviously, when you get close enough it is easy to know, but at dawn and with the busy harbor I like to know as early as possible in order to make a good decision and change course if need be.

We chose the Dismal Swamp route to the Abermerle Sound while our buddy boat chose the Virginia Cut since they draft 6 feet and they wanted to avoid the occasional bump that may occur in the shallower canal. I like the Dismal Swamp because the leaves are changing colors and it tends to be more scenic and diverse.

We needed to raft up with other boats in the first lock since there were fifteen boats waiting to get through. It's a great way to meet other boaters even though some you will never see again, however, often we meet some of them further along.

We traveled over 75 miles today and Bonnie graciously treated us to a seafood dinner at a restaurant across the street from the free city docks in Elizabeth City, NC.

Captain Sid

October 16, 2011 Sunday

Arrrrrgh!  It's been a week since I last posted!  Sorry about that.  We are well and traveling most days.  We have had some pretty heavy weather and we had to leave the Chesapeake Bay due to high winds on our nose and waves 2-4 feet!  Not fun.  The Annapolis Boat Show was a great way to see new things that make life easier on a boat as "live aboards."  Of course, most items were expensive but we did purchase some that will help us in our travels.

We had lunch with Anne and Bill O'Connor, formerly from Averill Park.  We did a walking tour of the Naval Academy and shared some funny stories.

October 11 Tuesday we motor-sailed to Solomons Island.  Yes, it's spelled correctly.  As you read this it seems like it should be spelled with an apostrophe. I filled up with diesel then anchored in Back Creek near a Holiday Inn with a dinghy dock.  This allowed me to walk to West Marine and purchased spare parts for the water pump that decided to lose its ability to have pressure!  We had dinner at Catamaran's Pub on the river.  It was a distant dinghy ride to get there but the food and three pints of beer came to $11.07 for the two of us!  No joke!  It was Happy Hour and we had their specials. 

October 12 Wednesday we left Solomons Island, MD and sailed to Mill Creek MD near Smith's Point.  There was so much fog at 7:00AM we called Pat and Walt and decided to wait until 8:00AM.  We left with running lights on, rain falling and flat water.  The forecast was for waves 1-2 feet but by lunch time they were 4 feet.  Both of us were not having fun since the wind and the tide current was against us. We bumped along until 5:00PM and pulled into Mill Creek.  This was the most special anchorage next to Liberty Park.  Mill Creek has good holding and is located on a wide part of the stream with some neat houses on shore.

October 14 Friday we left Mill Creek in flat water but by the time we entered the Chesapeake the wind was whistling and the waves were already at 2-3 feet.  The 15 to 25 kt winds were again right on our nose so we left our sails bundled.  We left the Bay and anchored in a river near Deltaville, VA and ate lunch and tried to decide what we wanted to do.  The choice was easy and we went into Deltaville to a marina for a shower and laundry.  Lorrie and Len arrived shortly after us and we spent Friday and Saturday with them. 

October 16 Sunday we waved goodbye to Lorrie and Len and headed to Portsmouth, VA.  We arrived here at about 6:20PM, ate dinner and settled in.

October 10, 2011 Annapolis Boat Show

The Annapolis Boat Show is billed as the "United States Boat Show!"  While I've never been to a boat show this is truly impressive!  Before leaving Coeymans I purchased, at a very reasonable cost, a set of headphones so Bonnie and I could communicate in a civil manner during anchoring maneuvers!  It' not just us that have difficulty hearing each others concerns while 40 feet away with our backs turned, it's everyone else trying to anchor as well.  The point of the story is that one headphone did not work properly the first time we anchored so I took them back to the booth at the Boat Show of the company that sold them to me and they apologized and swapped them out for brand new ones.  That's service!  I can recount other stories similar to this one from others we talked to.

I visited the Boat US booth and asked for an insurance quote so that Fiu could go to the Bahamas this winter.  My current policy restricts us to 100nm offshore.  That means we would only be able to see parts of the first few islands.  The quote is comparable to my current premium but I can sail anywhere from Maine to Brownsville, Texas. That includes the Bahamas down to the Turks and Caicos.
There were booths selling just about everything nautical as well as food.  Some of the luxury sailboats are outrageous not only in cost but in design too.

In order to get from Fiu to the boat show this is what we encountered.  The dinghy docks on Back Creek where we anchored the past two nights are not in good shape and require someone to pay some attention to them.  However, while it may sound like whining I enjoy the challenges of traveling by boat and in this case by dinghy.

We intend to sail down the Chesapeake Bay to Solomons Island.  We are told there is lots to do there.  It's getting late and I must close.


Capt Sid

Heavy Schedule October 9, 2011

We have been sailing pretty long days and it's nearly impossible to contribute to the blog each day.  Sorry about that!  Arrrrrgh!!!!!    Here is a current update of our travels.

October 2 Sunday            Coeyman's Landing Marina to Newburgh, NY

October 3 Monday           Newburgh to Nyack, NY

October 4 Tuesday           Nyack to Liberty Park, New Jersey

October 5 Wednesday      Liberty Park to Atlantic City, NJ

October 6 Thursday         Atlantic City to Cape May, NJ

October 7 Friday             Cape May to Chesapeake City, MD

October 8 Saturday         Chesapeake City to Annapolis, MD

October 8-10 Saturday    Annapolis,MD
     thru Monday

Add caption

October 11 Tuesday         Plans to head down the Chesapeake Bay toward Portsmith/Norfork, VA

Capt Sid

October 4, 2011

 We are in NYC with the following sites visible from our anchorage:  The Verrazano Bridge, Liberty Park, The Statue of Liberty well-lighted and The Battery and the rest of the southern tip of Manhattan.

We are leaving early tomorrow AM for our ocean sail down the coast of New Jersey.  We expect to get to Atlantic City to anchor at dusk.

I have pics and stories to tell. Lights out!

Capt Sid

Luffing of the Sails

We are laughing and luffing! We are laughing because we have had a busy week visiting with friends and neighbors and telling humorous stories. Some are about our previous trip to the Keys while others are just about daily happenings. We are luffing! Luffing in sailing terms refers to the mainsail flapping back and forth while your bow is likely pointed into the wind thereby not allowing the sail to catch the wind and move the boat. We are luffing this week in terms of getting prepared to leave this Sunday. Since Fiu is loaded with lots of food (Bonnie's good judgment and her thoughtful healthy choices) the nav system has been checked out, engine work completed, the sole cleaned and the head smelling fresh and clean as well, there seems to be little to do but wait. The anticipation is beginning to turn into reality. We will be home for only two more nights before we embark on another wonderful and educational adventure!

There will few chances to golf on this trip (one of my favorite past-times). While sailing there are enough things happening to keep one busy, you know like dodging sport fishing boats (always in a hurry), anchoring dragging (usually occurs while eating supper or worse yet while preparing supper) and of course the routine use of time to study charts and safely plan your next leg of the journey! Well, I went golfing yesterday probably for the last time until next May. Maybe that's a good thing since my "A" game was left at home for the day!

There are so many details to manage when you leave a friendly and known environment for an adventure away from home. Important things like "getting the mail", returning to the store for that one "forgotten" item, and gee, I thought I wore that shirt yesterday. All of these cause anxiety, but it's probably better to laugh a little while luffing!

Capt Sid