Dreamtime Sailing

Friday – 06 November

The day started out gray and gloomy but by mid day it was a gorgeous sunny day with a beautiful favourable wind that enabled us to unroll the genoa and motor sail for a bit.  By taking advantage of the wind we were able to go faster and reduce the engine RPMs thus reducing fuel consumption.

Fuel consumption is not that great of a concern as Bob was pleasantly surprised that after 4 days being on the move he was hard pressed to put even 15 gallons/57 liters of diesel in the tank.  As we watch the powerboats whiz by us, it is hard not to compare the fuel costs of those bigger engines and of our sailboat that also takes advantage of the wind.

A lot of the rivers in North Carolina are larger than we expected and we find ourselves farther from land than you would think.  But…. the rivers are also quite shallow so even though there appears to be a vast expanse of water, we are limited to where we are able to go and are restricted to at times a pretty narrow channel within.

The sights along the way varied from houses along the shore, to woods and even a working fish house which offers very economical dockage for transients.  Something to consider for our trip back up in the Spring, but the aroma of the fish house may definitely deter us.

Our destination was to be River Dunes Marina on Grace Harbor.  The approach is a man-made channel with an entrance that is almost hidden.  Thankfully there were channel markers guiding the way, but even with those we questioned if we were heading in the right direction.

The marina is nestled in the midst of an extensive housing community that is still being developed.  The marina plays hosts to boats of all size and type, including mini-mega yachts.

We originally planned to spend two nights here, enjoying a bit of resort living and R&R, taking advantage of the pool, spas, and steam showers.  But in looking at the forecast for high winds on Sunday, we opted for extending our stay and spending a 3rd day safely tied to the floating docks with full finger piers.

Saturday ended up being a delightfully beautiful and sunny day, and we took the opportunity to get a little exercise and borrowed a couple of the courtesy bicycles and cycle around the miles of space the community will grow into.

Upon our return, Bob opted for a nap, and Christina enjoyed a dip in the pool and a soak in the spa…..aaaah….. quite a treat.

We had reserved the courtesy car for the late afternoon and took it into the town of Oriental, NC up the road.  Did a small bit of provisioning and then enjoyed a light supper in a pub before racing back to the boat, trying to beat the rain as the sky was getting dark fast.  We did get back to the marina before the rain, but didn’t get everything onboard before the downpour….so a bit wet but with contented stomachs we hunkered down below for the evening.

As predicted, the winds picked up over night and the boat rocked and rolled while tied to the dock.  Sunday is being spent listening to the wind and enjoying a quiet day aboard.

We did venture out for one of our favorite things to do on a cool and dreary day….enjoying the hot tub/spa for a wonderful soak and jets to soothe the muscles.  We need one of these on the boat!

Tomorrow, weather permitting, we head to Beaufort, North Carolina.

Thursday – 05 November –

Knowing we would be having a longer day on the water today, we prepared for an early departure and left the breakwater of the marina at 0700.

We approached the Alligator River Bridge with the friendliest bridge tender so far.  When we told him we would see him in six months for our return, he told us they would “leave the lights on”.  This was our first swing bridge (so rather than going up it pivots around.)

With the sun out and the temperature warmer we both enjoyed shedding the fleece, taking off our shoes, and putting on short sleeved T-shirts.  We enjoyed meandering through the Alligator River Wildlife refuge on the Alligator River/Pongo River Canal.  We kept our eyes open for more bald eagles and bears, but didn’t see either.

But we did see a deer trying to swim across the waterway.  Neither of us even knew deer could swim!  A powerboat was trying to overtake us at the same time, and the deer thankfully realized it wasn’t safe to make the journey, so before crossing our bow, it turned around and paddled furiously back to shore and safely back up onto land.

We definitely enjoyed the changing landscape of the wetlands and woods.

Today was the first day that we really got to experience the “slow pass” maneuvers for overtaking boats.  Powerboats can go much faster than sailboats, but if they pass at high speed the sailboats they leave in their wake will be doing some major rocking and rolling.  Boating etiquette is that the overtaking vessel radio the boat to be overtaken and announce their intention to pass.  The boat being overtaken slows down, allowing the passing boat to pass, and the passing boat slows down to reduce the effect of the wake. It is amazing to see how much water the larger powerboats are pushing with their bows as they approach from behind and there were times we were just hoping they would slow down.  For the most part they all did, and the journey was quite enjoyable even with all the passing boats.

We opted for a quiet evening aboard in a quiet marina on Dowry Creek.  We were forced down below by the ravenous mosquitoes….who would have thought we would have to worry about mosquitoes in November?!?!?

Tomorrow we will continue our journey, hoping the weather forecasters are wrong and expect to arrive at River Dunes Marina for at least a two night stay….. we are very much looking forward to the steam showers we have heard about at this marina.

Wednesday – 04 November

We got an early start today leaving Elizabeth City before 7am.

A bit of trivia, the Coast Guard station here is the largest one in the country and we passed it as we were heading out.

We headed toward Alligator River.  With a good wind coming from the NorthEast It was a relatively short, uneventful and pleasant motor sail across the Albermale Sound, with the exception of having to be extremely vigilant watching out for the tons of crab pots throughout the journey.  We started contemplating not eating crab anymore because of the frustrations…but no, we’re not really ready to go there yet.

We had heard the Albermale Sound could be quite challenging in high winds and unpredictable current, but on this day none of that occurred.

We arrived at the unique but very nice Alligator River Marina which is basically a gas/petrol station, truck stop, and marina with a diner.  For what it is, the amenities are quite nice and we enjoyed a quiet afternoon and evening – sharing a crab cake sandwich and a shrimp burger with fries….yummy fried food!

This slower pace getting down the Waterway is something we are easily getting used to.

Tomorrow is scheduled to be a 7 or 8 hour trip to Dowry Creek, NC so it was early to bed and planning an early time to rise.

Monday, 2 November –

We woke up to rain, and it never stopped.  Our raft-mates all were early risers and and we were able to push off from the Visitor Center at 0715 to start making our way in what turned out to be a very curvy and at times narrow canal and river.

But first we would have to go through our second lock, the one that would drop us 8 feet to the next water level.  This second lock experience was pleasantly uneventful, and we are starting to feel more comfortable with the process.  With effective placement of fenders so the boat doesn’t have to touch the wall….. we used all 5 of our fenders and the wooden fender board Bob had crafted for the trip, we entered with no problem.  The water dropping under us was a bit more gentle than the filling the previous day.  When the lock was empty we pushed off the wall with the boat hooks as we started to move out.

As Bob steered along the canal and river Christina was on lookout (in the steady rain) for floating logs and other debris to avoid. Once we cleared a particularly curvy portion and the river opened up into a wide expanse of water, Bob told a deep breath of relief, and promptly hit 3 feet of water.  With our draft (the depth of the boat) being 5 feet this meant we had run aground.

Every cruising book talking about the going through the ICW say there are two types of sailors, those who have run aground and those that are not telling the truth.  

There was another sailboat following us, and they stayed around offering to assist us by towing us off the shallow portion, but thankfully we were able to get ourselves off without assistance by putting the boat in reverse and backing off – this took a bit of patience but eventually we were back in deeper water and on our way again.

Another draw bridge to request an opening from, and immediately to our right was the Elizabeth City Town Docks, where we decided to spend a couple free nights.  With the wind blowing us into the dock, Bob steered us backward into the slip.  The finger pier is even shorter than any we have encountered before, and once the boat was straight in the slip we saw that there was no way to step from the boat to the finger pier without superpowers.  Okay, time to adjust all the lines to inch the boat closer, while keeping the dinghy from scraping the wall  (The dinghy hangs from and sticks out from the stern) while making sure no other part of the boat is rubbing up against any pilings, etc.  After an hour or so making all these adjustments in the rain,  we were both soaked, even while wearing our foul weather gear.

With a prayer to the “dock gods”, and a leap of faith, we both were able to get on and off the boat without incident or more importantly without injury.

Elizabeth City is a small town with a lot of history.  Many businesses seem to be closed but with the recommendation of the Visitor Center we were able to find a restaurant that features Caribbean fare – (foreshadowing of meals in the future?), and we both enjoyed a more than generous serving of delicious roti (which lasted for a total of 3 meals each into the next few days.)

With everything so wet and with the upcoming weather forecasts for more rain we seriously were wondering if we would ever really feel dry again for a few months.

We planned to stay in Elizabeth City for another day, to do some boat chores, provision a bit, and enjoy the town’s hospitality.

On our off day, Christina took the opportunity to enjoy the local museum to learn more of the history of the area.  If you ever find yourself in Elizabeth City, we highly recommend a visit to this free museum – it was awesome.

There is a quirkiness to many of the locals of Elizabeth City, and one of them brings his pet monkey to the docks everyday.  We got to pet the monkey and a first for Christina was having a monkey climb up her body and explore her pockets (yes we mean pockets of clothing and purse).  He was a cutie…. we are now thinking about our next pet….but Bob will need some convincing.

Sunday, 1 November

Working backward from the time the Deep Creek Lock was scheduled to open, we determined what time would be best for departing the marina in Portsmouth without creating too much “wait” time.  We untied from the dock around 0815 making our way to the first bridge, Gilmerton Bridge.

We tried to take our time so we wouldn’t get through the bridge and to the lock too early and be forced  to mill around with many other boats waiting for the scheduled lock opening.

But, because so many boats were behind us at the bridge, the bridge tender waited until more boats arrived to the bridge which meant….. we were milling around the bridge with a few boats trying not to hit each other waiting for the bridge to open.  (oh well, the best laid plans…..)  But all went well with our first bridge opening and on we went.

A few miles down the Waterway we had the option of choosing Route 1 which carries a bit more commercial traffic or Route 2 through the Dismal Swamp which would be more scenic and quiet.  We chose Route 2 and made our way down the canal, leaving all evidence of industrial activity behind and enjoying the quiet serenity of the canal.

We were greeted by an American Bald Eagle sitting in a tree as we passed by.  Neither of us had seen a Bald Eagle for quite a long time, and enjoyed witnessing its splendor.

We approached the Deep Water Lock, again sooner than expected, and again milled around with the other boats.  We prepared our fenders and fender board for the wall, and waited.

The lock master opened the lock and all the boats proceeded in an orderly fashion.  As this lock is the low one, we had to hand our bow and stern lines up to the lock master high above us.  He secured them on bollards and we were instructed to hold our ends, and get ready to pull them in as we rise.

It was a process to get all 9 boats into the lock and secured.  But once done the lock master started the filling process, and more and more water started to flow under our keel, and the boat slowly lifted to be even with the land.  Once the lock was opened, the boats filed out in order and we pushed off the wall with our boat hooks, pulled our lines aboard, and headed down the canal.

We left the state of Virginia and entered North Carolina with a welcome sign posted.

We proceeded down the Dismal Swamp Canal and found the wall which is free of charge at the Dismal Swamp Visitor Center.  This dock is long enough for 3 or 4 boats to tie up alongside.  However, the normal practice is for boats to raft to each other and provide safe dockage for even more.  (Another first for us.)  As soon as we were secured to the dock on our port side, another sailboat pulled up alongside our starboard and used our cleats to tie up next to us.  Then another on their starboard side.  The same was true for the other two boats on the wall and by nightfall there were nine boats tied up with each other. 

The rain started falling and was not expected to stop for another day or two.  We settled in for the evening with a bowl of chili, and planned for the next day when we expected to arrive at Elizabeth City.

On Saturday, 31 October we made our way to Portsmouth, which was a very quick trip.  What could have been very busy traffic through the channel was very light this morning, and there were no dramas as we motored past the anchored Navy ships of all sorts and industrial operations.  (photos will be posted soon)

We were docked at Tide Water Marina, before we realized we were .3 miles past mile marker 0 marking the beginning of the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway (ICW) and indicating the official end of the Chesapeake Bay.

We spent the next couple of hours doing boat chores, cleaning the deck, exploring the town and reviewing the charts and planning our transit times for the next couple of days.

Sunday will be a day of firsts for us….

– first drawbridge we have to request to open

–  first lock we have to go through – for those that don’t know, locks are used to lift or lower boats to from one level to another and are found on most canals.  The lock itself is a section closed off by gates where we will enter and tie up against the wall (or another boat that is tied up against the wall).  The lock controls the water level by flooding the dock or lowering the water.  Once the water level in the lock corresponds with the water level of the other side of the gate the gate opens and we pass on through.

– first potential for rafting – which is when one boat ties up to the dock and another boat ties up to the boat and potentially a third (or more) continue to tie to the outside boat.  This is done when there are more boats than space at a long dock.  

We don’t expect to have electricity the next 3 nights, so don’t worry if there are not any blog updates for a few days.

 

Friday – 30 October 2015 – After enjoying 3 nights in Deltaville, VA waiting out a bit of weather, we were greeted with a beautiful sunrise as we left the marina early in the morning.

The waves were big and rolly for the Chesapeake Bay, and we were rocking and rolling quite a bit the first few hours.  Bob had anticipated the trip to Hampton, VA would take 8 hours, but with a favorable current we found ourselves arriving in less than 7.

Because the wind was coming from behind and shifting between aft starboard and port, we (and most of the sailboats on the same path) didn’t put out the sails and just motored the whole way.

The wind was brisk but the sun was out and warm (quite a lovely difference from the past couple of days on the water) and it all resulted in a lovely day on the water.

Norfolk, VA has a large US military presence and as we approached we found ourselves sharing the waters with a myriad of different military vessels, including a war ship and hovercraft (pictured).

We arrived at Hampton City Pier and had the most challenging docking experience yet.  The slip was perpendicular to the deceptively strong current of the river.  It was amazing to experience first hand and to watch others as they struggled pulling in later, how the current could literally push our heavy boat completely sideways!

But after some help from the dockhand and neighbors (really protecting their own boats  from us, but being gracious about saying they were wanting to help us), we were successfully tied up no worse for wear.

(We definitely weren’t the only ones the current challenged that day – When our neighbor pulled in next to us, Christina flew out of the cockpit and pushed their bow from the side of the boat so their anchor wouldn’t get caught up in our shrouds.  It should never be that close.)

We shared a most excellent dinner in town and Christina suggested we stay for an extra day or two to discover more good food on the menu. But the South is calling and we will keep on moving — next stop a short trip to Portsmouth, VA before starting the ICW.

Wednesday – 15 October – We are still in Deltaville, VA waiting out weather. The high winds are coming from the south (the direction we are heading) and it is raining pretty heavy. The wind finder app reports waves up to 6 feet – which is big for the Bay. So we are staying in Deltaville until the winds die down and shift back to be more favorable for the next leg. We may not take off again until Friday, heading to Hampton, VA.

As Bob was carefully navigating over a shallow bar in the middle of the Bay I saw what I thought was a fin.  Sure enough it was a dolphin.  Followed by another and then a pod made their presence known.

What could have been a totally dreary day of motoring to Deltaville, VA (where we are are now docked),  with overcast and rainy skies and little wind anywhere we wanted it, turned into a magical experience.  There were a few that kept coming back to swim alongside and at our bow.  (But with the weather we were kept in the cockpit.)

I hope that we never tire of seeing these magnificent creatures.

Note to self:  Dolphins are very hard to capture with the camera.  They are constantly moving and by the time you see them, and get your camera up, they are below the water again…. so after several attempts and only capturing the water where they had been, I put the camera down and just watched with glee.  Above is the best photo of the day.  I hope for better in the future.  

 

We’ve crossed the 38th Parallel….. and entered Virginia.

Before 0800 while the sun was still making its very brief debut for the day, we set out for another day on the Chesapeake Bay.

Once we left the protection of Solomons Island, we traversed a few more crab pot lines and turned South.  We decided to let out the Genoa and see how it went.  With winds estimated at 15 – 20 knots, we turned off the engine and SAILED, hand steering and averaging around 6 knots per hour.

With winds from the North/Northeast the wind and temperature was brisk, but still I thought I had over dressed for the day with thermal layer, turtleneck, fleece and foul weather jacket.  I would later learn I couldn’t have been more wrong.  I definitely got cold – darn that heater that should keep me warm in the cockpit!

We sailed for 4 hours until the wind decided to take a break, and we had a destination to get to. So we fired up the engine and motored for the last 2.5 hours of the 8 hour day culminating for 42.5 miles.

We opted to make the longer journey to Reedville, VA and this meant we crossed out of Latitude 38 and sailed into 37 — still heading South.  We left Maryland and entered Virginia.  No – there was no “Welcome to Virginia” sign to be seen on the water.

We arrived in Reedville and tied up to a dock/marina of a restaurant that was closed.  An unfortunate aspect of coming south as late as we are….”off season” hours for restaurants which translates to “closed Monday through Thursday”.  Oh well – instead we had a yummy nutritious meal aboard and are now hunkered down for the night.

A benefit of marina/dockside life is electricity which means we can fire up the reverse cycle air conditioner/heater to keep us warm overnight, since we have given up on the hydronic heater at this point.

Tomorrow’s destination is Deltaville, VA which should translate to a 5 hour journey with similar weather and wind forecast.