Florida - Fernandina to North Ft Myers

As we approached Florida, we were winning our battle with the Gremlins 3-0.  Before we got home, it would be a tie.

We left St Mary's early in the morning hoping to make it as far as St Augustine in time to tour the area.

As we passed through the Fernandina Beach anchorage I remarked to Bev that we might catch up with our friends Gerry and Diane (I hope I get the spelling right) on Thyme Off.  I knew Gerry from my previous work life before retirement.  We also ran into them at Waterford (the junction of the Hudson and the Erie Canal) when heading North.  We knew they were headed South.  They had a month's head start on us but were taking lots of time to "smell the roses".  I just had a feeling that we might catch up with them soon, but could easily miss them if they were in an anchorage.

Not 2 miles later I spied a sailboat with the same unique dingy towing arrangement as that of Thyme Off.  I had seen this arrangement in advertisements but never before in real life.  The tail end of the dingy (outboard in place) is hoisted.  Bars keep it from impacting the transom and then the bow is left to float. The dingy looks very secure, very easy to hoist and very easy to launch.  Best of all, the outboard remains in place.

 Thyme Off:  Note dingy towing arrangement.

We called them on the radio, chatted a bit and then agreed to meet in St Augustine for Happy Hour. Of course, Happy Hour turned into dinner on board.

The evening was so delightful that we decided to spend the next morning in St Augustine.  That, in turn, turned in to the whole day.

"Cottages" along the ICW

Some docks had covered patios.

This one was exceptional for the junk cluttering it up.

No-one can call this establishment overly sterile and impersonal.

 

 Here is...you guessed it... The Butterfly passing us once again.

 

 

 Close encounter at anchor with a ketch.

There is a strong tidal current at St Augustine.  When the tide slackens, however, boats can wander all over the place depending on underwater profile, wind and wind resistance.

A ketch which anchored after us wandered in a manner which brought her quite close and, in fact, we touched a number of times.  None of the collisions were hard but our anchor chain did hook on one of their stantions.  Fortunately, we were on board and could remedy the situation before any damage occurred.  Otherwise, their stantion would likely have been ripped out of their deck! 

 

 Thyme Off coming to visit

Once we were clear of the ketch, Thyme Off came to visit us on the other side.  I noted that Gerry had left 2 bumpers in place.  As it turned out, these were perfectly placed as when our two boats touched, it was exactly where the bumpers would do the most good.  Wow!!  Talk about foresight!

 

 Gerry, Dianne, Beverley and myself out to lunch as usual

 

The boys heading out for a "guy shopping trip"

(boat consignment store, hardware store etc)

Meanwhile, the girls headed out to shop for clothes,gifts for grandchildren etc

 

King and Queen for the moment

Our stay at St Augustine was fun, but North Fort Myers awaited us.

Tuk guarding the boat from the flybridge.

We travelled from St Augustine to the Haulover Canal between the Mosquito Lagoon and the Indian River near Cape Canaveral in one day.

The passage at the Ponce de Leon Inlet that used to be tricky must have been dredged as they were "no problems".

The manatee "go slow" zones can be a real PITA if you are trying to make time.  In one short section near New Smyrna, however, we saw 5 of them including 3 in one group.

There are not too many recommended anchorages along this area.  We were tempted to anchor in the Mosquito Lagoon, but it would have been pretty bouncy.  SkipperBob suggests a small lagoon where there is a launch ramp just off to one side of the Haulover Canal.  It was so small  that we had to put out 2 anchors, but it was beautifully protected.  We hoped to see manatees in the lagoon but did not.  We could hear them breathing, however, in the dark.

The next morning, we were up early and on our way to Fort Pierce.  There were a couple of bridges that had to open for us and that were on a schedule.  Other boats were waiting, but they held the bridges while we made a WFO run to catch up.

 Dolphin surfing our wake about 3 feet from the boat.

This dolphin was at least 8 feet long!!

This whole area is full of dolphins.  Beverley was finally able to photograph some that were surfing our wake right beside the boat.  It was a pity that the water was not clearer.  Imagine the photos she might have been able to get if we were in the Bahamas.  Oh well, that will come soon.

 

 

 Another "cottage" on the Florida ICW

At Ft Pierce, we anchored just off the Riverside Marina in the late dusk.  We thought of Byrne and Sharon when we were there as we visited with them at that marina on our previous trip South on the Stray Cat.

 The Bascule Bridge at Stuart

The old mooring field at Stuart, just past this bridge, has been partially taken over by a marina.  It is no longer owned by the municipality but has become Sunset Bay Marina and Anchorage.  I am glad they have retained the bulk of the moorings as this made Stuart a very desirable place to reprovision.

We left Ft Pierce in the early morning light thinking that we might be able to make across Lake Okeechobee before nightfall. When we arrived at the St Lucie Lock near Stuart, we were advised that there would be a 2 hour delay as they had divers down to install manatee protection devices.  Fortunately the delay was not a long as that, but it was over an hour.

We could have stayed at the entrance to Lake Okeechobee.  It was pretty windy and it was forecast to get even winder over the next several days.  So we decided to go for it.

Originally, we thought of heading for an anchorage at the rim of the lake.  The lockmaster advised that if we used any part of the Rim Route, it was at our own risk.  This was hardly encouraging.

SkipperBob suggested a possible tie-up place.  If we were luck, we might able to arrive before the light totally failed (30 minutes after sunset).  So we went for it.  This was to prove to be a big mistake.

The Lake Okeechobee crossing was pretty rough.  The waves were close to being abeam and were short and steep.  We rolled a lot.  Steering was also tricky (a lot of work) when the waves were on our rear quarter.  By the time we got across the lake, it was no longer dusk.  It was dark.  Even with the chart magnified to 400%, and paying very close attention to the GPS, it was tough to stay within the 75 foot wide channel.  But we did it!!

This was to be the beginning of a big misadventure.  The gremlins finally caught us.

When we got to Clewiston, the channel hits a "T" intersection.  To starboard is the channel towards Moorehaven and the canal to Fort Meyers.  To the left, is the Rim Route.  Straight ahead was the lock into Clewiston where there are no anchorages and (according to the personal experience of friends) prop destroying hurricane debris.  According to SkipperBob, there should have been some "dolphins" or groups of stakes to tie up to.  We saw two dolphins and let the boat drift sideways into them. 

Unfortunately, they were a little too far apart.  The stern slipped through and went up against the shore.  Well, now we were stuck.  No problem suggested Bev, we'll just call Tow Boat.  In retrospect, this would have been a GOOD idea.  No way I thought, that would take hours.  They would probably have to take a boat out of the water at Stuart, tow it to Clewiston, launch it and then tow us.  From my sailing days, I knew there was an easier way.  We would launch the dingy, ferry an anchor out as far as we could and then kedge off.  We did so and guess what.  It worked - well just.  Our little anchor dragged a fair bit as we pulled ourselves away from shore, but we were afloat and could use the motor without risk that the prop would hit ground.

Bev tried to pull our little anchor (a 35 lb Bruce clone) up as I motored the boat ahead, but could not get it up to the surface.  We switched positions.  I got the anchor up to the surface, but it was bringing part of a tree with it.  We were reaching the far shore of the canal, so I asked Bev to put the boat in reverse.  She did so and, as I was struggling with the anchor, noticed that either there was a LOT of current here or we were really moving in reverse.  CRUNCH.  We just backed into one of the dolphins. 

The crunch was the fracture of our swim platform.  I tied the anchor near the water's surface and then took the helm and navigated away from the dolphin.  I still had to clear it of the tree, however, so I asked Bev to take the helm and to motor at idle speed down the channel towards Moorehaven.  I then rushed to the bow, dropped the anchor to the bottom and then raised it again.  The technique worked, freeing it from the tree.

In meantime, Bev was in distress.  She was giving the engine lots of throttle, but it was not going anywhere and we were drifting sideways into a lock.  The problem was that, in the dark, she had not put the transmission into gear.

By the time I got back to the helm, the wind had carried us into the lock and straight sideways.  I tried using the bow thruster to get us turned, but no dice.  The lock was 50' wide.  The R&B Haven is 43' long, but to that you have to add 2.5' for the swim platform and at least 2' for the bowsprit.  It does not leave a lot of room to maneuver.  We did escape, but not before bending one of the tubes in our bow pulpit.

Bev had noticed that our dingy was no longer in tow.  We could not afford to abandon it.  Neither could we continue, blind in the dark, down a channel which offered no anchorages.  Therefore, we anchored right in the middle of the channel and I had a look at how we might retrieve the dingy.  We could see it - perhaps 100' to 150' away.  It was not going anywhere until someone else discovered it.  There was a strong current, but going towards the dingy.  So I dawned my bathing suit, a life jacket and my swim fins.

I remember hoping that the Lake Okeechobee alligators were not nocturnal feeders.

With that, I jumped into the water and swam for it.  I climbed aboard the dingy, started the motor and headed back to the R & B Haven. 

This was one of this situations where couples could easily have gotten into the "blame game", yelling, screaming and generally making the situation worse.  As it was, we were both shook up, but we worked together, we supported each other and we got on with what we had to do.

 

 Crunched Swim Platform

Luckily, the impact was right between two of the "L" bracket supports.  This allowed the wood to fracture, absorbing the shock, instead of punching one of the brackets through the transom.

Gremlins 1, Rob and Bev 3

 

Clewiston Lock entrance in the early morning.

Taken from where we anchored.

The dolphins were just out of the picture to the left and the resting place of the dingy was just to the left of the sign.

Dolphins that we should have tied up.

These were perhaps 200 yards away but completely invisible in the dark.

In the morning, we were glad to hoist our anchor and to head for North Ft Meyers.

 

Early morning on the waterway approaching Moorehaven.

The weather lived up to predictions.  It was windy. 

Docking a single engine trawler in a strong tail wind can be a challenge.  This was particularly so at one lock where the lockmaster insisted that we dock on our port side.  We tried to explain that this would not allow us to use our reverse thrust to get stopped as it would pull us away from the lock wall.  Clearly he had little or no boating experience as he did not understand the concept of prop walk at all. 

Fortunately, Beverley's rope handling skills have improved immensely.  She was able to snare a docking line just before I had to put the engine in reverse, and was able to hold the stern of the boat in as I backed it down (albeit from a slow speed).

Beverley was rightfully concerned that in the strong wind, we might have difficulty backing into a dock spot, so she phoned ahead to the dockmaster.  He rounded up a few others to assist as necessary.  Bev knew that I had only backed the boat into a dock half a dozen times.

I was also very nervous as we navigated the channel into the marina.  The low tide was extreme.  At times there must have only been a couple of inches under our keel.  I really thought we might have to dredge our way in.

As it was, we did not touch and I was able to use the wind to our advantage.  I simply turned the boat sideways in the harbour just beyond our assigned dock.  I then used the bow thruster to keep us sideways while the wind brought us down the harbour.  Once we were lined up, I gave it a little shot in reverse and, voila, we were in.

 

Joe and Jamie

Once at the Marinatown Marina, were were glad to meet with old friends and to make new ones.  Joe and Jamie looked after our Jeep while we were gone and met us for dinner.  One of the waitresses at our favourite watering hole gave a great squeal of delight when she saw Bev.  Several others remembered Bev including the cook (or maybe her remembered her as Tim's Mom).  I am not sure anyone remembered me - except as Bev's sidekick - but that is just the way it is.

 

B & B Haven at Marinatown

Obviously a hardship

We had originally intended to arrive and then to leave as soon as possible.  We stretched 2 days into about a week.  During that period, we did several normal maintenance jobs such as changing oil and did a few more unexpected jobs such as replacing the mattress in the main stateroom and contracting Todd to rebuild our swim platform.  We also sampled the local restaurants and bars.  Such a hardship!!  It was tough, but it had to be done!

 

Dinette Cushions Reupholstered by Bev

Looks pretty professional doesn't it?

All good things pass, so it was our time to leave North Fort Meyers and to head back to the freezing ass cold (am I showing my biases here?). 

Our trip North was not as easy as might be expected.  We were just North of Punta Gorda when our Jeep started to mis-fire.  We limped back to a Jeep dealership.  An ignition part (a cam position sensor) had failed and they did not have any in stock. They could get the part overnight and repair it first thing in the morning, but it was obvious we were not going anywhere that day.  So we rented a car and returned to the R&B Haven.

Gremlins 2:  Rob and Bev 3

The next morning, we picked up the Jeep and headed North. The Jeep ran fine.

The morning after that, we came out of the hotel room, packed up, and went to leave.  The Jeep would not start!  We had it towed to another Jeep dealership.  Apparently, the part that had just been replaced had been improperly installed and as a result of rubbing on the camshaft, had failed.  They did not have it in stock, but could get one overnight and get us underway first thing in the morning.  Does this sound familiar?

There were no rental cars available.  Fortunately, we were able to book the same room we had just left.  So, we had to spend the day relaxing and...bonus...there was a store within walking distance that sold beer.

Gremlins 3:  Rob and Bev 3

The rest of  our trip North was pretty routine.

Overall, our trip South was a success.  We got there.  We had a few challenges, but nothing we could not overcome.  In the end, our battle with the gremlins was a tie.  More importantly, we did not let adversity come between us.  We worked together and, together, we are looking forward to returning to the sunny South.

georgia in retrospect

In retrospect, we had many fewer challenges navigating Georgia than we had expected. 

I believe this is because significant dredging must have taken place since our voyage North last spring.  While we did see a few shallow spots (and had a few close passes with tugs and barges in shallow areas), they were very brief and generally occurred where rivers or inlets crossed the ICW. We did see a number of dredges either in the process of dredging or being moved from one site to another.  My guess is that this was economic stimulation money in action. 

The other thing I might have mentioned, was our close encounter with a nuclear submarine while going down the Cumberland Sound, near the St Mary's River.  Well, it was not really that close an encounter.  The Coast Guard intercepted us, made us head back up the sound and then wait about 1/2 mile away for 45 minutes or so while the sub docked.  Maybe its a good thing we were not flying a Canadian flag or they might have escorted us about 50 miles away.  We were tempted to take photos, but did not know what the reaction might be.  There are restrictions against getting too close to Naval installations.  Are there restrictions against photographing as well?  We thought our best bet was to remain inconspicuous and innocuous as well.

Beaufort, NC to the Georgia/Florida Border

We got up early, before the sun rose, to make what we thought would be a fast getaway from Beaufort.  This was to be a day where we were chased by gremlins.  If bad luck strikes in groups of threes, then the gremlins tried to trap us trice, but trice we narrowly escaped misfortune.

To start, our getaway was not as fast as we thought it would be.  At Beaufort, in the Taylor Creek anchorage, most people use 2 anchors:  one up tide and one down tide with both rodes going to the bow of their boat.  That way, boats do not drift around too much during slack water and do not bang into each other.  Also, where some of the boats are on permanent moorings and on relatively short scope, this provides a means for boats to anchor between them.

Once one boat uses 2 anchors, pretty well everyone must follow suit.  Accordingly, we did so.  When we went to raise them, I tried to raise our smaller anchor (a 35 lb Bruce clone) first since the tide was such that it was not doing any work and was almost directly under our boat.  In order to make this light work, I used our anchor winch which has a 500 lb capacity.  When the anchor rope was vertical, the winch stalled, pulling the bow down.  By letting out a little more scope on our main anchor, I was able to pull in about another 6 inches of rope.  I tried letting it out and then pulling it in from a few different angles.  Nothing!!!  I checked the chart for an underwater cable.  Nothing!!!

The winds had been strong during the night and the tidal current probably approaches 3 knots so I was expecting the anchor to be well dug in but this was nuts.  You would not expect logs to be here as the current was too swift.  I wondered what we must have hooked.  A car???  I searched in vain for a piece of chain that we could drop down the anchor line so that we could maybe pull it out in reverse.  I tried a few more times to pull it out.  A little was gained but really, it was almost Nothing!!  At this point I also feared for our larger anchor.  So, I gathered some tools.  The last efforts had gained maybe a foot, allowing the chain to reach the surface.  If I had to abandon the anchor, at least I could save the rope without cutting it.  Before doing so, I decided to drink a coffee and to consider some alternatives.

Not thinking of any new approaches, I returned to the bow with my tools prepared to abandon our small Bruce anchor.  Just for the Hell of it, I tried the winch once again.  The bow did not seem quite so depressed, but my wishful imagination can easily get the better of me.  To my pleasant surprise, the anchor came up as easy as could be.  I guess it just took about 45 minutes to work its way out of the muck.

The main anchor also came up easily.

So, we were on our way after nearly an hour's delay.

Gremlins 0, R&B Haven 1

Before the gremlins took another shot at the R&B Haven, they took a practice run at the power boat above and on the left.

Navigation on the ICW near Beaufort and Moorehaven can be a bit tricky.  The channel might be 125 feet wide and the buoys are about a mile apart and sometimes more.  The unfortunate individual above made it just past one channel maker and then went aground.  He was more than a little distressed that his expensive Garmin chartplotter and Garmin charts showed him to be in deep water.  He was even more distressed that he had hit so hard that he was certain that he had lost both props and likely rudders and shafts.  I didn't think this was the appropriate time to suggest to him that perhaps he would have been better off with a cheaper navigational system that could run the free US Government charts.

Tow Boat US did get him off and, as it turned out, his props, his shafts and his rudders seemed all to be OK.  Perhaps his navigational system just needs a computer wiz like Bruce C to make sure that his chart datums are set up correctly.

So after taking a practice run at this individual, the gremlins decided to take a run at the R&B Haven.

I had taken a trip to the head and Beverley was steering.  We had just passed a marker and a boat wanted to pass us.  In order to give them more room, she pulled over.  BOOM ...KABOOM....BOOM....KABOOM.  Dishes flew everywhere.  Books flew off shelves.  I flew outside.  Beverley was very calm.  Did you hear a noise?  How come the boat keeps lurching?  We turned 90 degrees to get back in the channel and then everything was fine.

Good thing we have a prop behind a skeg and good thing we don't draw very much or we could also have been waiting for Tow Boat US if not for a new prop, and other running gear.

Gremlins 0:  R & B Haven 2

This day had one very pleasant aspect.  It was one of the first on the water since leaving Canada where I did not have to wear ski warm-up pants.  We weren't in shorts yet but this did represent a noticeable change for the better.

This is one stretch of water where there are few anchorages.  There are also a few bridges on schedules that we had to wait for.  Notwithstanding our late start, we were still trying for a very full day (85 statute miles).  That meant that we would be arriving at our anchorage at dusk.

The chart shows a possible anchorage just past Wrightsville with 7 or 8 feet of water.  In the dusk, we pussyfooted our way in .  Suddenly, the depth sounder indicated mere inches under our keel.  We managed to get stopped before hitting bottom.  We inched our way out to deeper water.  Because the light was fading fast, we had few options so we anchored beside the channel, hoping that during the night while we slept, a wind shift would neither push us into the channel nor onto a shoal.  We also hoped that any boat transiting the ICW at night would keep clear.

Fortunately, our luck held.

Gremlins 0:  R & B Haven 3.

We had promised ourselves that we would take a break in order to explore Charleston, SC.  Before we could do that, however, we had to get there.

Fake palm tree on a submerged island near Wrightsville.

What kind of community pays for something as tacky as this?

The next morning, we only had a short trip before we passed through Snows Cut and then down the Cape Fear River.  The Cape Fear River can live up to its name.  The day that we made the run, there was a strong wind, but it was directly on our tail.  It was one of those days where we were truly blessed because we even had a strong tidal current helping us and this not only made the passage swift, but undoubtedly made the waves much gentler than had the wind and tide been opposing.  After Cape Fear, the ICW becomes more ditch like but it is easy to navigate. 

House decoration "over the edge"

The scenery along this are is also very entertaining, alternating between beautifully kept houses and wilderness.  Some of the docks are amazing.  Some must be 500 yards long.  And most do not even have a boat.

During this section, one passes by Myrtle Beach, one of North America's golf Meccas. 

Finally, we made it to Charleston.  In the morning, we dingied in, paid our dingy tie-up fee ($5.00) and got ready to explore the city.

There was a kid that docked at the same time as us.  He had a lap top computer, a large skateboard and a large dog.  He wanted to get to a building where he could pirate and internet connection.  To get there, he threw the computer bag over his shoulder, stepped on his skateboard and encouraged his dog to make a run for it.  Judging by his speed, I would say the dog was in a hurry to get ashore.  Bev tried to take a picture, but by the time she could get the camera out, turned on and focused, the kid and his dog were down the docks and long gone.

I always kid that it takes Bev about 30 seconds and certainly less than 5 minutes to make new friends once we are ashore.  I left Bev on a bench while I walked back to our dingy in order to paste our "day pass" sticker to it.  This was not a long walk.  By the time I got back, Bev was chatting up some woman.  The two of them had already agreed that we would share transportation down town.  In fact, we had lunch with the lady and her husband, met late in the day to go food shopping with them and shared happy hour on their boat (a Gemini 34 Catamaran).

Lunch in Charleston with Gemini 34 owners

Note that we are finally in shorts.

Downtown Graveyard

Like Savannah, Charleston offers a delightful blend of the very old and some of the new.  They appear to have a strong sense of heritage and and obvious desire to preserve it.

 Old Customs House

Was there anything we were supposed to declare?

They have preserved a number of old buildings and institutions such as the market the old slave market.  It reminds you of how far attitudes have evolved from accepting slavery to having a black president.  More power to them and may we all continue our journeys towards increased tolerance and integration of other races, religions and ways of thinking.

Wanting to do something different, Beverley suggested that we visit the Charleston Aquarium. 

 

 Non-poisonous snake at the Aquarium

Not only is this snake non-poisonous, but it eats other snakes that are.  Cool!  May they live and prosper.

 

 Main Show at the Aquarium

Note the scuba diver at the bottom left.  There were a lot of fish in here including sharks.  The person on the lower right gave the main commentary, but the diver was hooked up so that she could hear him and could also speak.  The glass and fake coral is all cleaned and maintained by local volunteer divers.

 

 Moray Eel

This eel reminded Beverley of some that we had seen in the Bahamas.  It served as a good reminder of why we do not stick our hands into holes.

 

 

 American Alligator

What southern aquarium could do without an alligator?

Our day at Charleston was full, but it was time to move on.

The trip through the swamps of Georgia was monotonous but beautiful if you like swamps with lots of birds, dolphins and other wild life.

Abandoned Boat

Sometimes you would see the most amazing relics of hurricanes.  It makes you wonder why no-one even bothered to remove the sails.  Judging by the barnacles, this boat has been here for quite some time.

 

 Beverley at the Helm - giving me a needed break

 

 Me BBQing dinner, giving Beverley a well deserved  break.

On our previous trip South, we had been followed by Butterflies, making their own migration.  At just this point, one of Beverley's Granddaughters, Ella, was studying the migration paths of Butterflies while at school.  Beverley explained that she was sure she had seen the same butterfly pass us several days in a row.  Ella was skeptical.

Well this time, we had photographic proof.  The PDQ catamaran below, passed us the first time near Beaufort and thereafter passed us almost daily until we were into Florida.  This is a little like the tortoise and the hare (we have a Marine Trawler tortoise flag on our bow), except that it is not a hare.  It is a ... you guessed it!  It is named Butterfly.

I hope Ella believes us now!

Just before leaving Georgia, we fueled up at Brunswick.  This was our 3rd and final fill-up.  We took on 180 US gallons just before entering Lake Oneida (New York), 206 US gallons at Norfolk and US 170 gallons at Brunswick.  We started the trip with 90 US gallons in the tank and finished with US 150 gallons in North Fort Myers.  All fuel was purchased for roughly $2.55 US per gallon.  In total we burned 496 gallons.  This includes powering up the generator for roughly 2 hours per day.  I am not sure of our exact mileage but it was in the order of 2000.  I  believe that we averaged roughly 4 mpg (including the generator) or in the order of 4.4 mpg (excluding the generator), mostly cruising at 7 knots with some days at 8 knots, many days with an hour or two at 8 knots and total of 2 or 3 hours at 9.5 knots (WFO).

Sailors always think powerboats are going to big fuel hogs.  I guess that compared to sailboats, they are.  On the other hand, most people would only do half to a quarter of this distance in a season and it would be easy to blow half to a quarter of our fuel bill ($1265) on sail and equipment repairs.

This is not to say that either approach is right or better,  but to illustrate that with a single engined displacement trawler driven in a sensible manner, fuel consumption need not be the bugaboo some might make it seem.

Annapolis to Beaufort, North Carolina

After being held up in Annapolis by freezing-ass cold, wet and windy weather for 3 days, it finally let up.  It was time to make a break for sunshine and warmth.  It sounded like we had a 2 day weather window before it got really windy again.

So, we made a run for it. 

We were up before sunrise and under way as soon as we could see well enough to spot crab pot floats.

We were just joining the Chesapeake Bay when we spied a boat we thought we knew:  the Great Catsby with Rich and Carol on board.  We had first met these people when travelling South on the Stray Cat.  They seemed to pick up a lot of strays (people needing friendship, help or guidance), so it was appropriate that they befriended us and gave us a lot of very helpful tips.  They are truly wonderful people.

Bev called them on the radio.  They did not recognize our boat (they did not know we had moved from sail to a trawler).  They recognized Bev’s voice, however, but could not remember the name.  Just the night before, they had looked at pictures of the Stray Cat.  Talk about timely coincidence. 

Had our paths not intersected just as we left the harbour, we would likely not have met that day since they were taking a path to maximize wind and we were taking a path to minimize waves.  We were, however, headed for the same anchorage at Reedsville.

Another interesting lighthouse near Annapolis. 

It is amazing that you can almost  be out of sight of land but hugging the shore at the same time.  In spots (e.g. the mouth of the Rappahannock), the sand banks extend about 5 miles out from shore.

The Great Catsby

Rich and Carol - You will never meet nicer people

The day was pretty uneventful and the following morning, we both headed for Norfolk.  They suggested  that we anchor up the Lafayette River.  We did so and invited them to dinner.

The harbour at Norfolk is always busy.  In this case, we were following a tug.

The display of Naval weapons of war is truly amazing.  It is hard to know which ships might be mothballed and which are ready for action, but the sheer number was impressive.

Our path diverged from that of the Great Catsby in the morning.  They were taking the Coinjock route; we were taking the more scenic but slower Elizabeth City/Dismal Swamp route.

The lock to enter the Dismal Swamp Canal was incredibly full.  We were stacked 3 abreast.  There was room for 2 more boats, but that would have been it.  The speed limit in the Canal is 5 knots.  There is no point in going any faster as there are only 3 openings per day and the timing is set to exactly match the speed limit.

The canal is really beautiful.  The only problem is that after about an hour of seeing the same stuff it starts to get pretty boring.  After 2 hours, it is really boring.  After 3 hours it is insufferable.  After 4 hours, you are pretty well ready for anything to break up the monotony. 

We had hoped to make it from Norfolk to Elizabeth City in one day.  This was a bit ambitious.  We could have made it in the dusk.  There was one problem, however.  Elizabeth City offers free docks which is great.  Unfortunately, they were sure to be full if we arrived at the very end of the day.

Therefore, we opted to anchor very close by and to go there first thing in the morning.  This way we had our choice of docks to use while we grocery shopped, did laundry and picked up other things which we needed.  The town even offers a free wine party to visiting boats.  If figure that if they support boaters, then boaters should return the favour.

After staying one day, we left Elizabeth City early in the morning. We made it across the Albemarle Sound, up the Alligator River, through the Alligator – Pungo Canal and anchored at dusk in a little bay in the Pungo River about 5 miles further South than Belhaven.  It was your typical  90 statute mile day.   Our only delay was when we paused to pull a sailboat out of the mud in the Alligator – Pungo Canal.  Damn sailboats!  Sometimes they go aground right in the middle of the channel, blocking it off and making it difficult to get past.

Alligator Swing Bridge

 

The next day, we made it to Beaufort, North Carolina.  While the trip was pretty straightforward from a navigational perspective, it was pretty wet.  The day started out sunny and windy and got worse from there.  We only had a few actual showers, but the spray heading up the Neuse River was extremely heavy (like having buckets of water thrown at you) – even on the flybridge.  Tuk tried to hide by crawling into the cubby-hole housing the VHF radio on the flybridge.  There was enough water getting blown through the seal between the flybridge and the flybridge enclosure that eventually he got soaked.  Unfortunately, our flybridge stereo proved not to be as waterproof as it should have been and it never worked again.

Tiesha had a different approach, preferring to curl up on my floater coat at the tail end of the flybridge.  She stayed drier and warmer.

There is one Bascule Bridge under which one must pass in order to enter Beaufort.  There were also a number of fisherman.  One of these was anchored exactly in mid channel.   When the bridge opened, we had to go.  They did not move.  We had to stay in the channel.  So… we passed them at about 7 knots about 3 feet away.  Normally, I would feel really badly about waking someone like that, but, … well… these people really asked for it.

Wild Horse at Beaufort.