A beautiful morning and we were underway at 6:45. Our destination for today is the Delaware City Marina on the East side of the C & D Canal which connects the Chesapeake Bay with the Delaware Bay. Being
Memorial Day and the temp in the 90's the waterways were loaded with boats. On a day like this there is no such thing as a slow pass. The water was the calmest we have seen it on the bay until the big fast boats flew by, must have passed so close in such a big bay to see where this slow moving boat was from. I am sure it was not to see this slow boat bob back and forth. Some passed so close we did not have time or room to turn into the waves. There was a lot of debris in the water even some big pieces of wood, great day we did not hit anything. We reached the C & D Canal around noon. The canal is wide and deep from bank to bank. We did not see any barge traffic while on the canal. Once we left the canal and headed North against the tide we lost 2MPH, tide and current are big on the Delaware River and Bay. We pulled into Delaware City Marina after 71.4 miles at 2:45 and are now in our 16th state. We have one more state to go thru till we are in our home state of New York. We are holding out this morning 31st for slack and ebb tide before heading South to cape May. High tide is at 11:08am but it is a 58 mile run to Cape May so probably 6 to 7 hours. We will probably get the underway fever and get underway 9:30 or 10 and fight the tide for awhile.
Lin & Rich
Delaware City Marina
Delaware City, Delaware
Tuesday, May 31, 2011
Sunday, May 29, 2011
May 28th & 29th Days 317 & 318
May 28th
Got up had a great family breakfast with two of our grandchildren ,wishing the other two were here.
Headed out to the Baltimore civil war museum which was free and nice. Headed to the aquarium which was really nice and had a lot to see. We spent over a half day there and put a lot of miles on the flip flops. We hit a few shops on the way back to the boat. We made dinner on the boat hung out and had a great visit. It was in the 90's today which kinda zapped a lot of energy out of us old people but not the young boys. We were settled in long before they got tired, one nice thing about being grandparents. A great day with family, which makes us glad' after our year long trip away from the ones we miss the most, that we our close to our home port. We will miss the adventure of every day, not sure what is coming next but will be nice to be in our home port for the summer.
May 29th
Great night. This morning up by the office we saw a snake which could have been either a water moccasin or copper head. Everyone was taking pictures, had the snake made the slightest movement everyone would have scattered. We walked back up to the mall looked around and bought nothing as usual. Back at the boat we packed our daughter and her family up and watched them leave and head back to their Pennsylvania home. Cody has an 8pm baseball game and Dominic had to go to work at 4pm. Lin and I caught up on laundry and got the boat ready to get underway early tomorrow. We were glad when they called and said they were home safe. Always nice to know your children are home and safe. Tomorrow we hope to leave early and make Delaware City about 70 miles closer to our home port.
Lin & Rich
Inner Harbor East Marina
Baltimore, Maryland
Got up had a great family breakfast with two of our grandchildren ,wishing the other two were here.
Headed out to the Baltimore civil war museum which was free and nice. Headed to the aquarium which was really nice and had a lot to see. We spent over a half day there and put a lot of miles on the flip flops. We hit a few shops on the way back to the boat. We made dinner on the boat hung out and had a great visit. It was in the 90's today which kinda zapped a lot of energy out of us old people but not the young boys. We were settled in long before they got tired, one nice thing about being grandparents. A great day with family, which makes us glad' after our year long trip away from the ones we miss the most, that we our close to our home port. We will miss the adventure of every day, not sure what is coming next but will be nice to be in our home port for the summer.
May 29th
Great night. This morning up by the office we saw a snake which could have been either a water moccasin or copper head. Everyone was taking pictures, had the snake made the slightest movement everyone would have scattered. We walked back up to the mall looked around and bought nothing as usual. Back at the boat we packed our daughter and her family up and watched them leave and head back to their Pennsylvania home. Cody has an 8pm baseball game and Dominic had to go to work at 4pm. Lin and I caught up on laundry and got the boat ready to get underway early tomorrow. We were glad when they called and said they were home safe. Always nice to know your children are home and safe. Tomorrow we hope to leave early and make Delaware City about 70 miles closer to our home port.
Lin & Rich
Inner Harbor East Marina
Baltimore, Maryland
Saturday, May 28, 2011
May 26th & 27th Days 315 & 316
May 26th
Up early and Lin did a load of laundry and I just hung out and watched her work. This morning as we sat on the back deck having coffee we looked out our back window and there was Seamoore and Dream Catcher entering the harbor. They took a dockage at the Inner Harbor Marina around the harbor from us. We headed out to Fells Point which is the old shipping part of Baltimore. The streets were the old cobble stone and some of buildings had the old names painted on them. As we were walking around the area here comes a tour trolley and there is Carlton & Becky looking out the window. We got thier attention as they went by. After Fells Point we walked up into Little Italy which was mostly houses and a lot of resturaunts. We went back to the boat for lunch and a little rest put alot of miles on the old feet in the morning. We walked over towards the Inner Harbor Marina to catch up with Seamoore and Dream Catcher. We ran into Carlton on the harbor walkway and headed to thier boat for cocktail hour. When Brenda and Jim came back from the aquarium they joined us for cocktails. We decided to eat at the Rusty Scubber at the marina. After dinner Lin & I said our good byes again and took the curtusey van back to our marina. This might be the last time we see these friends as they are making waves and heading to Canada with the hopes of being there in early June.
May 27th
Again we did laundry and got the boat ready for our daughter Tracey and her famiy's visit for the weekend.
We put the bikes up in the fly bridge and got the front berth ready for company. They arrived at the marina around 4pm and it was great to see them. We got the truck unpacked and the boat loaded with thier gear. We visited for awhile then walked up to town to show them around. The boys had ice cream as it was very hot. It started to get dark on our walk back to the boat and as we went down the dock it started to rain. Just got on the boat as it really started to thunder and rain. We made up some pizzas for dinner and then settled in for the night.
Lin & Rich
Inner Harbor East Marina
Baltimore Maryland
Up early and Lin did a load of laundry and I just hung out and watched her work. This morning as we sat on the back deck having coffee we looked out our back window and there was Seamoore and Dream Catcher entering the harbor. They took a dockage at the Inner Harbor Marina around the harbor from us. We headed out to Fells Point which is the old shipping part of Baltimore. The streets were the old cobble stone and some of buildings had the old names painted on them. As we were walking around the area here comes a tour trolley and there is Carlton & Becky looking out the window. We got thier attention as they went by. After Fells Point we walked up into Little Italy which was mostly houses and a lot of resturaunts. We went back to the boat for lunch and a little rest put alot of miles on the old feet in the morning. We walked over towards the Inner Harbor Marina to catch up with Seamoore and Dream Catcher. We ran into Carlton on the harbor walkway and headed to thier boat for cocktail hour. When Brenda and Jim came back from the aquarium they joined us for cocktails. We decided to eat at the Rusty Scubber at the marina. After dinner Lin & I said our good byes again and took the curtusey van back to our marina. This might be the last time we see these friends as they are making waves and heading to Canada with the hopes of being there in early June.
May 27th
Again we did laundry and got the boat ready for our daughter Tracey and her famiy's visit for the weekend.
We put the bikes up in the fly bridge and got the front berth ready for company. They arrived at the marina around 4pm and it was great to see them. We got the truck unpacked and the boat loaded with thier gear. We visited for awhile then walked up to town to show them around. The boys had ice cream as it was very hot. It started to get dark on our walk back to the boat and as we went down the dock it started to rain. Just got on the boat as it really started to thunder and rain. We made up some pizzas for dinner and then settled in for the night.
Lin & Rich
Inner Harbor East Marina
Baltimore Maryland
Wednesday, May 25, 2011
May 23rd, 24th & 25th Days 312, 313, & 314
May 23rd,
Hung out in Annapolis one more day, weather was not bad and we went to the mall and got the boat ready to get underway tomorrow. Our friends Carlton & Becky on Seamore and Jim & Brenda on Dream Catcher arrived in Annapolis today. We took the water taxi over and met them at a local watering hole. It was great to see them again. We hit a couple pubs then stopped for dinner. It was GREAT to see them again.
May 24th
Beautiful day as we headed out a 8am with our bow pointed North toward Baltimore. Once out of the harbor the wind picked up from the South which gave us a rocky ride for awhile. As we headed farther North the wind and waves let up. Nice ride only lasted a short time before it started to rain, down came the windows and we had a blurred view of the waterway. Lucky for us it was only 32.1 miles run to Baltimore.
Heading into the harbor we had a freighter call us to tell us he wanted to pass us on our starboard side, he went by us and then we had to wait for him as he took a harbor pilot onboard. The Baltimore harbor is nice and we took a dock at Inner Harbor East Marina. The monthly rate was cheaper for us as we are staying till at least Monday. With the monthly rate we can stay here till June 15th if need be. We walked over in town and checked out a few places.
May 25th
Up and at um Lin did laundry, cleaned the inside and heads and I washed the boat, really needed it. We moved the boat in the slip so our stern is at the dock. We bowed in yesterday due to high winds and a small dock area. After all our work was done we showered and headed a FEW miles to the Industrial Museum on the other side of the bay. It was a very interesting museum of all the industry of Baltimore. It was nice to see how many things started out here in Baltimore. I also learned that Bendix the brake company I worked for also made radios for cars and planes. It was a long walk back so we decided to stop at Dick's Last Resort for a refreshing beverage. Tonight we might walk down to Fell's Point. Tomorrow Seamore and Dream Catcher who are anchored out tonight will be in port. We will get together with them probably for the last time. They are staying one night then heading to the C & D Canal then head to Cape May. We are staying here till Monday or Tuesday. They are making tracks for Canada and we may not catch up with them again.
Lin & Rich
Inner Harbor East Marina
Baltimore, Maryland
Hung out in Annapolis one more day, weather was not bad and we went to the mall and got the boat ready to get underway tomorrow. Our friends Carlton & Becky on Seamore and Jim & Brenda on Dream Catcher arrived in Annapolis today. We took the water taxi over and met them at a local watering hole. It was great to see them again. We hit a couple pubs then stopped for dinner. It was GREAT to see them again.
May 24th
Beautiful day as we headed out a 8am with our bow pointed North toward Baltimore. Once out of the harbor the wind picked up from the South which gave us a rocky ride for awhile. As we headed farther North the wind and waves let up. Nice ride only lasted a short time before it started to rain, down came the windows and we had a blurred view of the waterway. Lucky for us it was only 32.1 miles run to Baltimore.
Heading into the harbor we had a freighter call us to tell us he wanted to pass us on our starboard side, he went by us and then we had to wait for him as he took a harbor pilot onboard. The Baltimore harbor is nice and we took a dock at Inner Harbor East Marina. The monthly rate was cheaper for us as we are staying till at least Monday. With the monthly rate we can stay here till June 15th if need be. We walked over in town and checked out a few places.
May 25th
Up and at um Lin did laundry, cleaned the inside and heads and I washed the boat, really needed it. We moved the boat in the slip so our stern is at the dock. We bowed in yesterday due to high winds and a small dock area. After all our work was done we showered and headed a FEW miles to the Industrial Museum on the other side of the bay. It was a very interesting museum of all the industry of Baltimore. It was nice to see how many things started out here in Baltimore. I also learned that Bendix the brake company I worked for also made radios for cars and planes. It was a long walk back so we decided to stop at Dick's Last Resort for a refreshing beverage. Tonight we might walk down to Fell's Point. Tomorrow Seamore and Dream Catcher who are anchored out tonight will be in port. We will get together with them probably for the last time. They are staying one night then heading to the C & D Canal then head to Cape May. We are staying here till Monday or Tuesday. They are making tracks for Canada and we may not catch up with them again.
Lin & Rich
Inner Harbor East Marina
Baltimore, Maryland
Sunday, May 22, 2011
May 21st & 22nd Days 310 & 311
May 21st
Up and at them we left the marina at 7am with our bow pointed towards Annapolis Maryland. The bay was rough and the wind was out of the North so we had a not so bad of a ride as we took the waves head on.
After dodging grab pot markers we now had to maneuver around fishing vessels dragging fishing line behind them. Not much to see as you traveling the Bay. We did see some big freighters on our way. As we entered the harbor there were eight freighters anchored waiting to get loaded in Baltimore some 26 miles to the North.
We got settled in the marina and Jim & Sharon from our home marina stopped for a visit. They purchased a boat down this way and were here loading things on for the trip home.
May 22nd
Used the courtesy car and went into town for some oil, medicine, and groceries. Back at the marina we called the water taxi for a ride over to the city dock in Annapolis. We got there at 12:30 and headed directly to the Academy. What a great place with beautiful grounds. There are two museums there which are very nice and informative. This week is Commission week(graduation) The grounds were full of midshipmen and their families. The Chapel on campus is something to not miss if you get down this way. We roamed the campus and buildings until after 5pm. Walked around the town and had dinner at Chick & Ruth's a well known eatery in the area. At 7pm we caught the water taxi back to the Marina. It was a great day and we are looking forward to tomorrow. We were going to leave Tuesday but may stay till Wednesday to see the Blue Angles practice on Tuesday afternoon. I have seen them before and Lin is not sure if she has. It was years ago when I saw them. Decisions decisions after here we are headed to Baltimore.
Lin & Rich
Annapolis Landing Marina
Annapolis, Maryland
Up and at them we left the marina at 7am with our bow pointed towards Annapolis Maryland. The bay was rough and the wind was out of the North so we had a not so bad of a ride as we took the waves head on.
After dodging grab pot markers we now had to maneuver around fishing vessels dragging fishing line behind them. Not much to see as you traveling the Bay. We did see some big freighters on our way. As we entered the harbor there were eight freighters anchored waiting to get loaded in Baltimore some 26 miles to the North.
We got settled in the marina and Jim & Sharon from our home marina stopped for a visit. They purchased a boat down this way and were here loading things on for the trip home.
May 22nd
Used the courtesy car and went into town for some oil, medicine, and groceries. Back at the marina we called the water taxi for a ride over to the city dock in Annapolis. We got there at 12:30 and headed directly to the Academy. What a great place with beautiful grounds. There are two museums there which are very nice and informative. This week is Commission week(graduation) The grounds were full of midshipmen and their families. The Chapel on campus is something to not miss if you get down this way. We roamed the campus and buildings until after 5pm. Walked around the town and had dinner at Chick & Ruth's a well known eatery in the area. At 7pm we caught the water taxi back to the Marina. It was a great day and we are looking forward to tomorrow. We were going to leave Tuesday but may stay till Wednesday to see the Blue Angles practice on Tuesday afternoon. I have seen them before and Lin is not sure if she has. It was years ago when I saw them. Decisions decisions after here we are headed to Baltimore.
Lin & Rich
Annapolis Landing Marina
Annapolis, Maryland
Friday, May 20, 2011
May 20th Day 309
Today was an in port day and not even due to the weather. We took our bikes over to the museum today and what a nice place. We got there around noon and did not leave till after 4pm. It was very interesting and had things from the history of the Chesapeake boat building days to the fossils found in the Calvert Cliffs. They had the original light house from Drum Point which is one of the few surviving screwpile lights left on the bay. It was a neat light house with room for the keepers family to live with him. There was a lady who was born in the light house while her grandfather was the keeper and her parents lived there while they built their house. When she passed away in her 80's she left $45,000 to help keep the light house for tourist to visit. It was real interesting with two floors for living and then stairs to the actual light. From the top we could see our boat across the river. Bikes are put back in their travel bags and we are ready to head to Annapolis in the morning. It is about a 46 mile run and the weather looks pretty good for the trip.
Lin & Rich
Calvert Marina
Solomns Island, Maryland
Lin & Rich
Calvert Marina
Solomns Island, Maryland
May 19th Day 308
We were up early and ready to put some water and miles under our keel after a 4 day stay in Crisfield Maryland. We were underway before 7am on what seemed to be a nice day. Once the sun broke thru the clouds we knew we were in for a nice day. As we cleared the harbor we were glad to see a calm Tangier Sound. The crab pot buoys were easy to see on the calm water. We worked our way thru the islands and out of the Tangier Sound and out into the Chesapeake Bay on a sunny CALM water day. What a great feeling it was to have a calm ride after the three days we got tossed around getting to Crisfield. Once out in the bay we set our course North West to the Solomon Islands. The trip was 46.3 miles and took us 5hours 10 minutes till were were secure at the dock. On the way across the bay we entered the Naval Bombing area and saw the target ship anchored off our starboard side in the distance, Hope if they shoot they are good shots. Thoughts went back to the time we went by Marine base as they did live fire and we heard the lone fisherman call the coast guard to report shells hitting near his boat which was in restricted waters. All the boats said to stay clear of the targets, monitor the radio, and stay alert, we were alert. There is a Naval air station at the mouth of the Patuxent River which we passed. We did see the jets flying overhead doing air to ground maneuvers. Once in the marina we put the bikes together for the 3 mile ride around the end of the Back River to the small town. There was a few shops and a West Marine. When in town we could look across the river and see our boat only 100 of yards away as we thought about the 3 mile ride back on highway sidewalks and back roads. Once back it was cocktail hour and dinner prep. Our next stop is Annapolis which wants $3.00 for reservation or $2.00 on a first come basis. We will be heading there on a Saturday which may be crowded as it is supposed to be a nice weekend, decisions decisions.
Lin & Rich
Calvert Marina
Back River, Solomons, Maryland
Lin & Rich
Calvert Marina
Back River, Solomons, Maryland
Wednesday, May 18, 2011
May 18th Day 307
Another bad day we were ready to leave this morning for the Solomons when the sky let loose.
The winds were downs to 10 to 15 but we decided not to venture out due to the many crab pods out there and the visibility to see the pods. We are still ahead of schedule so another safe day here is better than going in the COLD water to unwind a crab line. We also found out that stay two days and the 3rd day all you pay for is electric, so for us it was a $10.00 stay. Later this afternoon the weather cleared so tomorrow looks like a better day to travel. Winds are suppose to be only 5knots which will be nice. The sky are clear, forecast good and will will put some water under the keel unless we get snow.
Lin & Rich
Somers Cove Marina
Crisfield, Maryland
The winds were downs to 10 to 15 but we decided not to venture out due to the many crab pods out there and the visibility to see the pods. We are still ahead of schedule so another safe day here is better than going in the COLD water to unwind a crab line. We also found out that stay two days and the 3rd day all you pay for is electric, so for us it was a $10.00 stay. Later this afternoon the weather cleared so tomorrow looks like a better day to travel. Winds are suppose to be only 5knots which will be nice. The sky are clear, forecast good and will will put some water under the keel unless we get snow.
Lin & Rich
Somers Cove Marina
Crisfield, Maryland
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
May 17th Day 306
Another day in Crisfield. We had thunder storms late last night and early this morning. The wind was 10 to 20 with gusts to 35 so we decided to stay till the weather lets up. We could make it across but did not want to put up with the rough ride. Last night the owner of Linton's a seafood crab shack came and picked us up for dinner. You ordered your food then went out onto a covered deck and when the food was ready they brought it out. There were picnic tables covered with brown paper and the people with hard shell crabs put them on the table and pounded them with a hammer. Lin got a big piece of flounder and I got a dozen oysters and a soft crab sandwich both dinners were great. After we decided not to move today we talked to the office to see if there was shopping near by as we had been in all of the towns 4 stores. There was a mall and we called the cab company to see what the ride would be to our surprise it was $50.00 round trip and they would wait if you did not take long. We said we wanted to look around and the reply was it would be another $50.00 to come back. When we told the marina about the price and asked if there was a car rental around one women who works in the office offered us her car. We jumped at the offer and told her we would be back by 4pm. It was a nice 45 minute ride thru the country to the mall. It was nice to get out of the wind and do some store looking. We are cooking dinner on the boat and hoping tomorrow's weather will be more forgiving so we can cross the bay. Our trip to the Solomons will be 50 miles in a North West direction with the winds out of the South.
Lin & Rich
Somers Cove Marina
Crisfield, Maryland
Lin & Rich
Somers Cove Marina
Crisfield, Maryland
Monday, May 16, 2011
May 16th Day Day 305
We hung out here in Crisfield because bad weather was predicted WRONG it was a beautiful day and we would have had a great crossing day. We guess Mother Nature did not want us to ride the Bay on a nice day and knowing we planned on not leaving she calmed down the weather. Well we made plans to cross to the Solomons tomorrow and we just looked at underground weather and tomorrow is 90% chance of thunderstorms and winds 10 to 15 knots. We told Calvert Marina in the Solomons we may not make it there tomorrow maybe Mother Nature will change in the morning. We saw everything there is to see here in Crisfield the Crab Capital of the World. We could not find a place to buy hard or soft shell crabs they all moved out of town. Everything is shipped out. We are having a restaurant pick us up at 5:30 to go to dinner where they do have crab plus flounder for Linda. It was so nice today I washed the boat and Lin did laundry and cleaned the inside. If we stay here due to weather tomorrow we will have to figure out something to do, maybe count the sea gulls that fly by. Guess we could always play cards or read ,ran out of movies to watch and we can't pick up TV. It looks like weather will be bad till the end of the week but we will manage and survive.
Lin & Rich
Somers Cove Marina
Crisfield, Maryland
Lin & Rich
Somers Cove Marina
Crisfield, Maryland
Sunday, May 15, 2011
May 14th & 15th Days 303 & 304
May 14th
We decided to stay at Onancock one more day and see the other half of town we did not see yesterday.
We went to the shops we missed yesterday and saw the rest of the town. We had a real nice breakfast / lunch at a small local cafe. Guess we are ahead of the summer tourist crowd. Marinas are sure empty and the towns are also short of people. We got some rain last night and a little today but no big weather yet.
May 15th
We decided to leave Onancock this morning and head 27.6 miles North to a small town called Crisfield. At 11:30 we crossed into our 15th state Maryland. We have spent three days on the water in the Chesapeake and none have been very delightful. Again today we were tossed around and in between tossing we had to dodge crab pots real fun. We arrived at Somers Cove Marina at 12:15 it is a 500+ marina with less than 100 boats in it. We took on fuel at $3.79 plus 6% state tax. We walked up into town and there are some stores but most were closed on Sunday. Wow we will have something to do tomorrow. We are doing spaghetti and sausage for dinner, maybe tomorrow we will go to dinner and I will try some crab since this is supposed to be the crab capital of the world. The weather is supposed to get better by weeks end but we hope it does sooner so we can see if the bay calms down.
Lin & Rich
Somers Cove Marina
Crisfield, Maryland
We decided to stay at Onancock one more day and see the other half of town we did not see yesterday.
We went to the shops we missed yesterday and saw the rest of the town. We had a real nice breakfast / lunch at a small local cafe. Guess we are ahead of the summer tourist crowd. Marinas are sure empty and the towns are also short of people. We got some rain last night and a little today but no big weather yet.
May 15th
We decided to leave Onancock this morning and head 27.6 miles North to a small town called Crisfield. At 11:30 we crossed into our 15th state Maryland. We have spent three days on the water in the Chesapeake and none have been very delightful. Again today we were tossed around and in between tossing we had to dodge crab pots real fun. We arrived at Somers Cove Marina at 12:15 it is a 500+ marina with less than 100 boats in it. We took on fuel at $3.79 plus 6% state tax. We walked up into town and there are some stores but most were closed on Sunday. Wow we will have something to do tomorrow. We are doing spaghetti and sausage for dinner, maybe tomorrow we will go to dinner and I will try some crab since this is supposed to be the crab capital of the world. The weather is supposed to get better by weeks end but we hope it does sooner so we can see if the bay calms down.
Lin & Rich
Somers Cove Marina
Crisfield, Maryland
Friday, May 13, 2011
May 12th & 13th Days 301 & 302
May 12th
Went into town to the grocery store, West Marine, and the liquor store. This town got hit by a tornado when they came thru a week or so ago. No one got hurt but you could see where it came through. There was a Baptist Church in town that the tornado went thru the middle of it. The front and back walls where still standing and the middle of the church was gone. We did some looking and planning and decided to head across the bay to a town called Onancock it is up the creek about 4 miles. The weather is supposed to be bad for a few days so we came here as it offers more to do and better protection.
May 13th
We were up and away from the dock at 7:30 am. The trip over was a little rough as the wind and tide were hitting us on the starboard beam with some good rollers. We were glad the trip was only 34.5 miles which only took us 4 hours with the last 45 minutes in protected calm waters. The 4 mile trip up the winding creek with shallow water on both sides of the channel ended at the city dock with the dock master waiting for us. No radio just knew we were coming and watched for us. Docks are nothing special but seem ok. We walked up in town which had some real nice houses and a few shops. We only looked in half the shops so we would have something to do tomorrow. There is a bakery in town which everyone says it is a must stop. They bake early and when everything is sold they close The tide has been high here and the water is in the parking lot and at the top of the dock. There are polls here so the boat won't go over the dock. I will check the lines again before we call it a night. The parking lot next to the restaurant filled with water I would have loved to see the people try to get to the cars after dinner. Not sure how long we will be here guess it depends on Mother Nature.
Lin & Rich
Onancock Warf
Onancock, Virginia
Went into town to the grocery store, West Marine, and the liquor store. This town got hit by a tornado when they came thru a week or so ago. No one got hurt but you could see where it came through. There was a Baptist Church in town that the tornado went thru the middle of it. The front and back walls where still standing and the middle of the church was gone. We did some looking and planning and decided to head across the bay to a town called Onancock it is up the creek about 4 miles. The weather is supposed to be bad for a few days so we came here as it offers more to do and better protection.
May 13th
We were up and away from the dock at 7:30 am. The trip over was a little rough as the wind and tide were hitting us on the starboard beam with some good rollers. We were glad the trip was only 34.5 miles which only took us 4 hours with the last 45 minutes in protected calm waters. The 4 mile trip up the winding creek with shallow water on both sides of the channel ended at the city dock with the dock master waiting for us. No radio just knew we were coming and watched for us. Docks are nothing special but seem ok. We walked up in town which had some real nice houses and a few shops. We only looked in half the shops so we would have something to do tomorrow. There is a bakery in town which everyone says it is a must stop. They bake early and when everything is sold they close The tide has been high here and the water is in the parking lot and at the top of the dock. There are polls here so the boat won't go over the dock. I will check the lines again before we call it a night. The parking lot next to the restaurant filled with water I would have loved to see the people try to get to the cars after dinner. Not sure how long we will be here guess it depends on Mother Nature.
Lin & Rich
Onancock Warf
Onancock, Virginia
Wednesday, May 11, 2011
May 9th, 10th, & 11th Days 298, 299 & 300
May 9th
Just a little more info on Mother's Day. Hooters, which we look at out the back of our boat, was giving 10 free wings to all Mothers so he guys figured we would treat the women of our lives to dinner at Hooters.
Food was great.
The 9th we hung out ,did some bike riding, got a new phone which I think is worse than the first one. Took Becky's tire to a bike shop to get fixed. Cleaned boats, went to the grocery store, the marina hires a taxi to take you there so all the guys went while the women did their thing. Boats for the rendezvous are starting to fill the marina and Lin and I are preparing to leave soon. At cocktail hour we decided to go to Joe's Crab Shack for dinner. We had some many o'rdevours at cocktail hour no one was really hungry so most of us got soup and a salad. Another great day with great friends.
May 10th
Washed the boat and did all my engine checks for departure tomorrow morning. It will be a tough day for us. We tried, all of us to get a pumpout but after many tries we gave up as the pump was not working. We should be able to make the next marina before we REALLY need a pumpout. We hope they get it fixed before all the loopers get there for the rendezvous. Again the guys mounted the trustee bikes and headed out 2 miles to the store for the first mates and needed supplies. This will be our last night with the looper train friends "until we meet again" (sounds like Roy Rogers). Cocktails were great and our friend Becky with chef Linda(Jerimiah) prepared us a get out of here dinner only kidding. They fixed a great linguine and clam sauce and linguine and broccoli for Lin ,dinner for us. Everything was just perfect. We all finally went back to our boats at 10pm.
Great day Great friends.
May 11th
We were up and ready to get underway problem was we were not ready to leave our friends. They had other ideas, they were there to cut our lines and send us on our way. For us it was a real tough time as we pulled away from the dock leaving behind true friends which brought back memories of leaving our home port last July as friends were there to bid us good bye. Nice part is we will see all of them again, new as they pass thru Waterford either headed to the Erie or Champlain Canal and old as we complete the loop at our home port at Lock One Marina. After a hard departure we headed out the Elizabeth River for the Chesapeake Bay. As we passed the Naval yard we got a glimpse of the new HW Bush aircraft carrier which is supposed to set to sea today. At first the bay was rough and rolled us a little but not as bad as the Sound or Lake Michigan. We set our course and headed to Deltaville and after 59.6 miles and 7 hours we were tied to the dock at Doziers's Regatta Point Yachting Center. Great marina with nice staff. The town is 3 miles long and we got to use the marina's Buick(boat) station wagon to tour the town. Tomorrow will be to plan where we head for the rest of the Chesapeake day.
Lin & Rich
Missing friends
Dozier's Regatta Point Yachting Center
Deltaville, Virgina
Just a little more info on Mother's Day. Hooters, which we look at out the back of our boat, was giving 10 free wings to all Mothers so he guys figured we would treat the women of our lives to dinner at Hooters.
Food was great.
The 9th we hung out ,did some bike riding, got a new phone which I think is worse than the first one. Took Becky's tire to a bike shop to get fixed. Cleaned boats, went to the grocery store, the marina hires a taxi to take you there so all the guys went while the women did their thing. Boats for the rendezvous are starting to fill the marina and Lin and I are preparing to leave soon. At cocktail hour we decided to go to Joe's Crab Shack for dinner. We had some many o'rdevours at cocktail hour no one was really hungry so most of us got soup and a salad. Another great day with great friends.
May 10th
Washed the boat and did all my engine checks for departure tomorrow morning. It will be a tough day for us. We tried, all of us to get a pumpout but after many tries we gave up as the pump was not working. We should be able to make the next marina before we REALLY need a pumpout. We hope they get it fixed before all the loopers get there for the rendezvous. Again the guys mounted the trustee bikes and headed out 2 miles to the store for the first mates and needed supplies. This will be our last night with the looper train friends "until we meet again" (sounds like Roy Rogers). Cocktails were great and our friend Becky with chef Linda(Jerimiah) prepared us a get out of here dinner only kidding. They fixed a great linguine and clam sauce and linguine and broccoli for Lin ,dinner for us. Everything was just perfect. We all finally went back to our boats at 10pm.
Great day Great friends.
May 11th
We were up and ready to get underway problem was we were not ready to leave our friends. They had other ideas, they were there to cut our lines and send us on our way. For us it was a real tough time as we pulled away from the dock leaving behind true friends which brought back memories of leaving our home port last July as friends were there to bid us good bye. Nice part is we will see all of them again, new as they pass thru Waterford either headed to the Erie or Champlain Canal and old as we complete the loop at our home port at Lock One Marina. After a hard departure we headed out the Elizabeth River for the Chesapeake Bay. As we passed the Naval yard we got a glimpse of the new HW Bush aircraft carrier which is supposed to set to sea today. At first the bay was rough and rolled us a little but not as bad as the Sound or Lake Michigan. We set our course and headed to Deltaville and after 59.6 miles and 7 hours we were tied to the dock at Doziers's Regatta Point Yachting Center. Great marina with nice staff. The town is 3 miles long and we got to use the marina's Buick(boat) station wagon to tour the town. Tomorrow will be to plan where we head for the rest of the Chesapeake day.
Lin & Rich
Missing friends
Dozier's Regatta Point Yachting Center
Deltaville, Virgina
Sunday, May 8, 2011
May 7th & 8th Days 296 & 297
May 7th
We had a peaceful night at the Coinjock Marina. They had a great restaurant where we had lunch yesterday. We were up at 6am to get ready to be underway by 7am. We had another open water crossing but it was calm and more protected but out of the Virgina cut the water was shallow. At 9:13am we crossed out of North Carolina into Virginia our 14th state. We saw eagles, and osprey all nesting. We also came to one area that had a lot of turtles sunning on logs. We had to wait for 5 bridge openings and we went thru one lock which raised us a big 12" wow. We arrived at Waterside Marina in downtown Norfolk at 3pm. Real nice marina with a great dock crew. Dream Catcher stopped at the free town wall just past the Great Steel Bridge. We got things organized on the boats had cocktail hour and went out to a great dinner. Traveling thru the harbor at Norfolk we saw many Navy ships being repaired. There were several APL's in the harbor which brought back memories of when I was on the Swift Boats in Vietnam. We lived on an APL when we were in port at DaNang. We plan on staying here a few days to rest up and enjoy the city.
May 8th
Happy Mothers to all you mothers.
We will relax today and do the tourist and dinner thing. It is lite rain this morning but gives me time to make
Linda some bacon and Pancakes for breakfast.
Lin & Rich
Waterside Marina
Norfolk, Virginia
We had a peaceful night at the Coinjock Marina. They had a great restaurant where we had lunch yesterday. We were up at 6am to get ready to be underway by 7am. We had another open water crossing but it was calm and more protected but out of the Virgina cut the water was shallow. At 9:13am we crossed out of North Carolina into Virginia our 14th state. We saw eagles, and osprey all nesting. We also came to one area that had a lot of turtles sunning on logs. We had to wait for 5 bridge openings and we went thru one lock which raised us a big 12" wow. We arrived at Waterside Marina in downtown Norfolk at 3pm. Real nice marina with a great dock crew. Dream Catcher stopped at the free town wall just past the Great Steel Bridge. We got things organized on the boats had cocktail hour and went out to a great dinner. Traveling thru the harbor at Norfolk we saw many Navy ships being repaired. There were several APL's in the harbor which brought back memories of when I was on the Swift Boats in Vietnam. We lived on an APL when we were in port at DaNang. We plan on staying here a few days to rest up and enjoy the city.
May 8th
Happy Mothers to all you mothers.
We will relax today and do the tourist and dinner thing. It is lite rain this morning but gives me time to make
Linda some bacon and Pancakes for breakfast.
Lin & Rich
Waterside Marina
Norfolk, Virginia
Friday, May 6, 2011
May 5th, 6th Days 294, 295
May 5th
Today we traveled from Belhaven to Alligator River Marina. We left at 7am to do our 54.6 mile run.
It was pretty uneventful and a little boring ride. We did see a lot of birds and trees. The alligator marina was nice and there was about 10 looper boats there all headed to Norfolk. We had a cocktail party (looper party) at the club house . Then the 5 looper train boats went back to Jerimiah for tacos and margaritas for Cingo de mayo (sp) not sure if anyone had any idea what was going on after all that. But it was aGREAT TIME had by all attendees.
May 6th
We are trying to decide between Dismal Swamp and Virgina Cut. Lin & I were leaning towards Virgina Cut due to our gut feeling. Got up this morning and Charlton could hardy move due to a pulled back from yesterday. Group decision get to Norfolk as soon as possible, Coinjock was our decision and the Virgina Cut. We headed out at 7am and when we got out in the Albemarle Sound. Ole Mother Nature was just reminding us she was still out there. It was about a 25 mile crossing and we had 2 to 4 foot rollers which we had to take on the beam. We got tossed around pretty good and things got moved around. Not only battling the waves we had to miss all the crab pots, it is soft shell crab season. We were never so glad to reach a narrow cut. We are at Coinjock Marina on the North River. Hopefully the wind and weather will be better tomorrow for a 50 mile run to Norfolk which includes 15 mile of open water before the next cut. We also have 5 bridges which we need opened and one lock.Once in Norfolk we will then explore the Chesapeake.
Lin & Rich
Coinjock Marina
Coinjock NC
Today we traveled from Belhaven to Alligator River Marina. We left at 7am to do our 54.6 mile run.
It was pretty uneventful and a little boring ride. We did see a lot of birds and trees. The alligator marina was nice and there was about 10 looper boats there all headed to Norfolk. We had a cocktail party (looper party) at the club house . Then the 5 looper train boats went back to Jerimiah for tacos and margaritas for Cingo de mayo (sp) not sure if anyone had any idea what was going on after all that. But it was aGREAT TIME had by all attendees.
May 6th
We are trying to decide between Dismal Swamp and Virgina Cut. Lin & I were leaning towards Virgina Cut due to our gut feeling. Got up this morning and Charlton could hardy move due to a pulled back from yesterday. Group decision get to Norfolk as soon as possible, Coinjock was our decision and the Virgina Cut. We headed out at 7am and when we got out in the Albemarle Sound. Ole Mother Nature was just reminding us she was still out there. It was about a 25 mile crossing and we had 2 to 4 foot rollers which we had to take on the beam. We got tossed around pretty good and things got moved around. Not only battling the waves we had to miss all the crab pots, it is soft shell crab season. We were never so glad to reach a narrow cut. We are at Coinjock Marina on the North River. Hopefully the wind and weather will be better tomorrow for a 50 mile run to Norfolk which includes 15 mile of open water before the next cut. We also have 5 bridges which we need opened and one lock.Once in Norfolk we will then explore the Chesapeake.
Lin & Rich
Coinjock Marina
Coinjock NC
Wednesday, May 4, 2011
May 2nd, 3rd & 4th Days 291, 292, & 293
May 2nd
We left Beaufort and set our sights on Oriental North Carolina.We left at 8:15 as we only had 24.4 miles to travel. Ride was nice and we reached Oriental Marina around noon. Nice marina but not much of a town. We biked (men) to a West Marine while the girls did the shop thing. Seamoore had some leaky Taylor fenders so we checked to make sure they had the fenders and the return policy was still in effect. They did have the fenders so we biked back to the marina tied the fenders to the bikes and headed to get new ones. Must have raised some eyes as we peddled up the highway with the fenders tied on. Everything worked out fine and we made it back with the new fenders.
May 3rd
We left Oriental at 7am as we had a 48.6 mile run with 20 miles of open water on the Pamlico Sound. The sound was pretty calm but it was nice to tuck back into the ICW cut and get to see something besides open water. We are at the Belhaven Waterway Marina. As we entered the harbor and marina the wind picked up to add a little excitement to a long day. The were some touchy moments as we all docked but all turned out well. We are now traveling with 5 boats one is a PDQ which goes fast and is in before the rest of us are even close to port. All 10 of us went to a small restaurant here which had a child's menu(guppy) and a senior menu(old sharks). We all ordered off the old timers menu and were very pleased with the selections and size.
They have a nice gazebo here where we had our cocktails and planning session before dinner.
May 4th
We are laid up here today due to a weather front in the area. Real choppy and bouncy in the marina so it makes for a rough night and day. The wind and waves come right down the shoot. I will probably change all my fuel filters today just because I have the time. Would rather change them before I have no choice or they clog while underway. The marina said they would run us to the grocery and liquor store if we needed to go.
We are not sure if we will do the Dismal Swamp route or the Virgina Cut route to Norfolk. Decisions for another docktail party.
Lin & Rich
Belhaven Waterway Marina
Belhaven, North Carolina
We left Beaufort and set our sights on Oriental North Carolina.We left at 8:15 as we only had 24.4 miles to travel. Ride was nice and we reached Oriental Marina around noon. Nice marina but not much of a town. We biked (men) to a West Marine while the girls did the shop thing. Seamoore had some leaky Taylor fenders so we checked to make sure they had the fenders and the return policy was still in effect. They did have the fenders so we biked back to the marina tied the fenders to the bikes and headed to get new ones. Must have raised some eyes as we peddled up the highway with the fenders tied on. Everything worked out fine and we made it back with the new fenders.
May 3rd
We left Oriental at 7am as we had a 48.6 mile run with 20 miles of open water on the Pamlico Sound. The sound was pretty calm but it was nice to tuck back into the ICW cut and get to see something besides open water. We are at the Belhaven Waterway Marina. As we entered the harbor and marina the wind picked up to add a little excitement to a long day. The were some touchy moments as we all docked but all turned out well. We are now traveling with 5 boats one is a PDQ which goes fast and is in before the rest of us are even close to port. All 10 of us went to a small restaurant here which had a child's menu(guppy) and a senior menu(old sharks). We all ordered off the old timers menu and were very pleased with the selections and size.
They have a nice gazebo here where we had our cocktails and planning session before dinner.
May 4th
We are laid up here today due to a weather front in the area. Real choppy and bouncy in the marina so it makes for a rough night and day. The wind and waves come right down the shoot. I will probably change all my fuel filters today just because I have the time. Would rather change them before I have no choice or they clog while underway. The marina said they would run us to the grocery and liquor store if we needed to go.
We are not sure if we will do the Dismal Swamp route or the Virgina Cut route to Norfolk. Decisions for another docktail party.
Lin & Rich
Belhaven Waterway Marina
Belhaven, North Carolina
Sunday, May 1, 2011
April 29th, 30th, & May 1st Days 288, 289, & 290
April 29th
We left Carolina State Park at 7am on our trek to Casper Marina in Swansboro. It was a long day so Dream Catcher started the trek and we took over after 17miles. We had lowered Jeremiah's mast so he could get under the 20' bridges without waiting for the openings on the hour. Things were going great until we came to a swing bridge and a working tug was headed our way. The bridge swung for him so I waited till he cleared the bridge for us to move on. Well the tug was forcing us into shallow water I radioed him to inform him we were in shallow water to no avail. He did not answer and by the time he passed Seamoore was aground. Jeremiah threw him a line and worked him off the grounding. Luckily most of the bottom is soft. Seems to be no damage done. We proceeded on and when we got to Camp LeJeune they were doing live fire and we had to wait an hour to pass by. We were not discouraged as these young Marines are training to defend us and the entire USA. While we were waiting we heard a fishing boat on the Atlantic in a restricted area call the Coast Guard to report there were shells landing near him. Navy and Coast Guard response get out of the area. We all wondered how he would get the stains out of his boat seats. After 10 hours and 67.9 miles we reached Casper Marina. During this leg of our adventure we went over the 5,000 mile mark.
April 30th
The end of another month which makes us out 9 1/2 months. We left Casper with Beaufort North Carolina in our sights. We were underway at 8am and on the way back to the intercoastal Dream Catcher cut a little short and went soft aground. When he told the looper train he was aground tow boat was on the airways say he would be there in minutes. Well he was and off they came. Dream Catcher ran her up a few times and feels there was no damage. When we reached Beaufort we went up the Taylor Creek past the marina to fuel up. The fuel was $3.26 per gallon including tax. I only could take 75 gallons, we were hoping we could take more at the price. The marina is nice and we decided to stay two days. Had a great burger last night and as usual I ate more than I should have. Will have to go on a big diet when I get back.
May 1st
Went to a Church service on the banks of the Creek this morning it was really nice. After Church we went to breakfast and I had the buffet. Again I ate too much but it was sure good. We went to the Maritime Museum this afternoon and the men went to the grocery store to get food for a group cook out tonight.
Plans our we will head to Oriental tomorrow a 24 mile run. We have some big sounds to cross soon so we are starting to play the weather again. Carrot Island across from us has wild horses on it and we have seen them often. Lin and I will sure miss the friends on the looper train when we part in Norfolk but will be looking for them when they reach Waterford. Well I better get this out as cocktail hour is only 10 minutes away.
Lin & Rich
Beaufort Docks
Beaufort, North Carolina
We left Carolina State Park at 7am on our trek to Casper Marina in Swansboro. It was a long day so Dream Catcher started the trek and we took over after 17miles. We had lowered Jeremiah's mast so he could get under the 20' bridges without waiting for the openings on the hour. Things were going great until we came to a swing bridge and a working tug was headed our way. The bridge swung for him so I waited till he cleared the bridge for us to move on. Well the tug was forcing us into shallow water I radioed him to inform him we were in shallow water to no avail. He did not answer and by the time he passed Seamoore was aground. Jeremiah threw him a line and worked him off the grounding. Luckily most of the bottom is soft. Seems to be no damage done. We proceeded on and when we got to Camp LeJeune they were doing live fire and we had to wait an hour to pass by. We were not discouraged as these young Marines are training to defend us and the entire USA. While we were waiting we heard a fishing boat on the Atlantic in a restricted area call the Coast Guard to report there were shells landing near him. Navy and Coast Guard response get out of the area. We all wondered how he would get the stains out of his boat seats. After 10 hours and 67.9 miles we reached Casper Marina. During this leg of our adventure we went over the 5,000 mile mark.
April 30th
The end of another month which makes us out 9 1/2 months. We left Casper with Beaufort North Carolina in our sights. We were underway at 8am and on the way back to the intercoastal Dream Catcher cut a little short and went soft aground. When he told the looper train he was aground tow boat was on the airways say he would be there in minutes. Well he was and off they came. Dream Catcher ran her up a few times and feels there was no damage. When we reached Beaufort we went up the Taylor Creek past the marina to fuel up. The fuel was $3.26 per gallon including tax. I only could take 75 gallons, we were hoping we could take more at the price. The marina is nice and we decided to stay two days. Had a great burger last night and as usual I ate more than I should have. Will have to go on a big diet when I get back.
May 1st
Went to a Church service on the banks of the Creek this morning it was really nice. After Church we went to breakfast and I had the buffet. Again I ate too much but it was sure good. We went to the Maritime Museum this afternoon and the men went to the grocery store to get food for a group cook out tonight.
Plans our we will head to Oriental tomorrow a 24 mile run. We have some big sounds to cross soon so we are starting to play the weather again. Carrot Island across from us has wild horses on it and we have seen them often. Lin and I will sure miss the friends on the looper train when we part in Norfolk but will be looking for them when they reach Waterford. Well I better get this out as cocktail hour is only 10 minutes away.
Lin & Rich
Beaufort Docks
Beaufort, North Carolina
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)