Banana Bay Destination Christmas

December 31, 2011


Sigh.  The happy holiday has passed---and a happy holiday it was.  For the sake of the record, I shall highlight each of the days since last we … what? Spoke? Wrote? Read?  Dunno but here goes…

Fred and I spent a day or two readying the boat for guests---even though no one but us would sleep here.   We cleaned and decorated, and finally, after 3-1/2 years, decided how to hang the four Hudson Valley prints we’ve never been happy with.  We are now happy, and Jen’s decal (from last Christmas), a Winnie-ther-Pooh quote, is perfectly placed above the Hudson.  To wit:

 Rivers know this.  
    There is no hurry. 

                          We shall get there someday.   

Does not that sum up the cruiser’s life?

Fred found a Charlie Brown tree (turns out it is a large fern, but hey…), we put up the Advent Calendar (on the 19^th, and according to Molly, who quoted Luke, Mary and Joseph ought to have arrived first, not last.  Oh well)

A red bow on the bow (isn’t English fun?) of the boat and we’re good to go.  Let the party begin!

Molly and JT arrived on Tuesday the 20^th in time to drive us to Castaways Restaurant for sushi—the eating and ordering thereof.  Next a.m., the three of us left Fred to do boat work while I observed as the Whritners swam with the dolphins at Theater of the Sea in Islemarada.  ‘Twas a fish and dolphin and sea lion and reptile and parrot filled day, and events were both enjoyed and recorded for posterity.

We arrived back at the marina to find that Kris, John, Tarryn and Devyn had taken residence in the motel room next door to Molly and JT. 

On Thursday, Molly and JT were off to Key West, while Kris and I finished up the shopping and ordering for Saturday’s dinner.   By 7 p.m. the 8 of us were all together for dinner nearby at Adrienne’s.  A good meal and entertaining, to boot!

Molly and I did a 2 mile walk on the 7 mile bridge Friday morning, and were rewarded with a glimpse of a manatee.  Where are those guys?  Signs everywhere in FL warn to be careful of them, but we almost never actually see ‘em.  JT, who’d stayed behind to fish, was disappointed to miss this one.

The McGrath clan spent the day in Key West, and the French’s, Chris, Jen, Matt, Casey and Becca arrived and took up a  position at the pool and hot tub.  At dusk we saluted the sunset on the Banana Bay Sunset Point, then had pizza at the picnic tables on the lawn.  Linda Lee arrived just in time for a slice!

Saturday, Christmas Eve, after a New York breakfast from Zabar’s (courtesy of Alan and family) we took the 14 of us to Sunset Grille, a restaurant near the 7 mile bridge.  Not only do they have the usual outdoor dining, but also an inground swimming pool and ping pong tables.   Needless to say this was a major hit with everyone!  Food was good, well priced, and served with aplomb by our new best friend, George.   What a great afternoon!

Back at the boat, everyone donned a Santa hat and at 5 p.m. we gathered at the Point to have a ‘Marathon moment’—doing something that made it a Keys Christmas.  We toasted the sunset, each other, and our tremendous good fortune at being able to share the moment, then returned to the boat for a buffet supper, long distance conversations with Ada and Geoff and their families, and the opening of gifts.  Grandpa Fred ended the evening with his reading of "A Visit From St. Nick".

Amazingly, we had 14 folks aboard YA for nearly 3 hours, and it worked.  A good time was had by all---much laughter and flashing of cameras!   Santa had been notified of the change of venue for the children, and they were off to bed by 8 p.m.  To sleep?  Another matter entirely!

Fred and I were up early Sunday, and the French’s arrived at 7:30—5 and 8 year olds do NOT sleep in on Christmas morning.  We played bananagrams until the others rolled out and came for coffee cake, (did I mention that the convection oven blew a gasket and refused to bake, so the traditional sour cream coffee cakes were baked in the bread machine instead.  Not bad.)   By noon it was time to bid Molly, JT and Linda a sad farewell as they headed back to New York.

Christmas Dinner was a pot luck affair with 20 or so of our marina-mates.  The weather was perfect, food was delicious (especially Chris’ grilled salmon and roasted asparagus with fennel) and there was plenty of room to move about as well as visit.  Perfect.

As I usually did as a kid, but haven’t done for years, Chris, Fred and I went to the movies on Christmas Day evening.  Saw Mission Impossible and thought it was pretty good. A trip down memory lane on a lot of levels.

Monday and Tuesday flew by.  Those who wished to, found time to shop, see a movie, swim, soak in the hot tub, visit Crane Point, get manicures and pedicures, as well as return to Sunset Grille for another relaxing, splash filled afternoon.  A special event there (just for us?) was the rescuing of a sea turtle who was carried off to the Turtle Hospital.  Becca says there were 21 resident turtles when they toured on Thursday, and “now they have 22”. 

Suddenly it was Wednesday, and after the 9 of us gathered for a farewell lunch at the Hurricane Grill, the cars drove away and silence descended.  Sigh.

Everyone is home safely, albeit with a few flight delays.  We’re relaxing, reading our new books and doing what it is that we do while preparing for 2012.

I'm borrowing my closing New Year's wish from daughter Jenny, who in turn adapted it from her yoga instructor's closing message at class.  Each of us has varied it to suit.  Thanks, Abby!


May all who read this awaken from forgetfulness, lose the path of pain, suffering, anxiety and regret, and step forward boldly on the path of healing, happiness, joy, laughter and just plain old fun!


Namaste.

St. Mary, GA to Banana Bay, FL

Ho ho ho!  Three weeks just slid by when I wasn’t looking, and here we are at the jolly holiday season.  Once again, I’m playing catch up.  So here are the highlights of the recent past.

At the southern end of Georgia we opted to go up the St. Mary River a ways, to the town by the same name.  What fun!  It was holiday time, and we hit the parade day.  Santa was in a horse drawn sleigh with Mrs. Claus and a local child.  At each of the 10 corners along the boulevard the procession stopped and a troupe of 6-12 year old dancers regaled the crowd with recital numbers.  The DPW then hit a button and lit trees along the next block’s boulevard.  What a hoot.  When the procession finally reached the reviewing stand (where a local talent had been entertaining) and the huge Christmas tree, Santa took the little girl by the hand and walked to the tree.  As he reached out to touch it, the lights of the tree came on!  MAGIC!  Who knew that Fred would be invited to press the magic button and bring the tree to life for Santa?

Was a very special evening. Next morning we bought shrimp fresh off the boat, and headed south.

This issue of the Blog covers the entire east coast of Florida—slightly more than 750 miles. Florida has nominally been divided into 4 sections, to wit: the northernmost First Coast (St. Augustine etc.) with it’s historical towns and forts, followed by the Space Coast, dominated by the Kennedy Space Center and including the towns of Cocoa, Melbourne and Titusville.  Interestingly, the technology industry rules here, but Kennedy’s 140,000 acres also harbor lots of wildlife (of which we’ve seen little).  Next is the Treasure Coast, so called because of shipwrecks that occurred here, (Ft. Pierce is the major port) and finally, the Gold Coast, described in Managing the Waterway (our cruising bible) as ‘wealthy, opulent, decadent, crowded and expensive’.  Palm Beach, Ft. Lauderdale and Miami are the cities here.

Florida is flat.  And mostly at sea level---the highest elevation in the Keys is 18 feet above sea level at Key West.  The coast is also peppered with islands, large and small.  Here is a quote from MTW--a description of the Islands of Florida:

If an island is covered with hardwoods, such as live oaks or pinelands in sawgrass, it’s called a hammock, or more precisely, a hummock. If the island is mangrove or pine, then it’s a key. If the island is covered with willow or bay trees, it’s a head.  An island of cypress is a dome.  Florida is so flat that a few inches of elevation make a huge difference.  Raise the soil a tiny bit above the waterline and a the island becomes a buttonwood hammock instead of a mangrove key…  And an island created by canals and covered with houses is called a development.

In the First Coast St. Augustine is always a favorite stop.  This time the wind was whipping and at docking time, we had to ‘stand by’ while a ‘situation’ was resolved.  Seems the big sailboat ahead of us got turned sideways in the slip.  So glad it wasn’t us!  We spent two days—had some boat work done by Darryl, shopped, and walked to the Lighthouse Theater to see the local production of “Duck Hunter Shoots Angel” written by Mitch Albom, (he who wrote “Tuesdays With Morrrie”).  It is a funny show with lots of valuable messages; was well done and a delightful evening.

Our main stop in the Space Coast was at Cocoa Village where we docked next door to CHRISTINA SEA, a Great Harbour 47.  Fun to visit with George and Christy! Andy Allen from CEE DEE (he lives in Cocoa Beach, across the Indian River) also stopped by, and we’d followed PELICAN down the coast, so we had a Mirage good time of it!

We languished in Cocoa Village for a couple of days while Fred recovered from an infected wound on his cheek (ask him why people set orange cones on docks…) He’s all better now and won’t walk into any more anchors anytime soon!

Our favorite Treasure Coast stop (especially in Dec.) is Ft. Pierce where the Christmas Light show at the park near the marina entertained us, as well as a whole lot of locals.  How great to see the little kids run and jump and dance with the music and synchronized light show!

We have a special stop in the Gold Coast.  My high school classmate, Marilyn, generously hosts YA at her beautiful (and again newly dredged and upgraded) dock in Ft. Lauderdale. Getting there is the trick.  Florida’s huge population requires many, many bridges over the Waterway, and while most of them have been upgraded to 65’above the water so even the high-masted sailboats can move freely, between Ft. Pierce and Ft. Lauderdale (roughly 100 miles) no less than 26 bridges required our serious attention.  Only 11 needed to be opened to accommodate our 19’ height.  Like ‘Location’ in Real Estate, with bridges, Timing is Everything. Fred has become masterful at using the GPS to adjust our speed for the correct arrival time, thereby reducing the amount of ‘hovering’ while awaiting the scheduled opening of the bridge.

South of Miami (not your-ami, it’s MYami), we found a great new stop at Boca Chita!  What a delightful little Key—first developed by Mr. Honeywell, yes, THE Honeywell, it now is managed by the National Park Services.  With our Golden Passport we paid a hefty $10 for one of the most pristine stops we’ve made.  Palm trees, ocean beaches, manicured walkways—who could ask for more?

Next day we got a spot at the non-marina in Blackwater Sound, where Sr. Frijoles Mexican Restaurant has been a favorite stop when we travel by car. And while there we did rent a car, and go to and from Ft. Lauderdale airport to spend a delicious day with son Geoff.  The Army sent him from his current posting in Seoul, Korea to Washington, DC for meetings, and bless his heart, he added 2 days of leave to fly to FL and spend a day with us. Nice.

One more day of travel (a day in the boat is an hour in the car, remember?) and the last 50 miles were covered.  We’re back in our favorite slip (#16, in case you wondered) at Banana Bay in Marathon, FL, the center of the Keys.  We’ll be here at least through January, and next week expect 4 of the 7 ‘children’ to arrive for Christmas!  Banana Bay has an attached motel, so we’ll have plenty of room for all 14 guests and are looking forward to a very special Holiday.

And may yours be special as well!  Remember to breathe, and share love and peace as you celebrate in your unique way!

November 29, 2011

Monday, Monday.   Something new we’ve discovered last week is that we have digital tv.  Don’t have to hook up the cable for coverage.  Who knew? Sunday and Monday we watched the Woody Allen documentary on PBS, and a fine, sharp picture we had. Mostly we use the tv for  dvd’s.  Perhaps now we’ll use it more.

From Barefoot Landing we made the ‘oft suggested but usually forgotten’ stop at the Osprey Marina.  They had great fuel prices (with $.10/gallon off for Boat US membership) so we added 100 gallons to our tank.  We’re averaging about 3 miles to the gallon.  Very good for a boat!

By 3:30 we were tied up at the Harborage Marina in Georgetown.  Had a great walk, and we love the grocery store and the gift shop next door.  Neat stuff.  Where else can you but Wasabi Flax Seed?

With the short days at this time of year we were again off and running before 8 on Tuesday.  Mornings also have low tides this week, and by the time we reached Isle of Palms, just north of Charleston, we were pooped. (But not too pooped to have happy hour with Jeanette and Larry from WYE NOT.) 

The new moon has pulled the water away and tides are not just low, they are low low—2-3 feet below normal low tide.  20-30 feet of mud on either side of the channel, and only a momentary lapse in attention required to put YA outside that channel.  If I seem to whine, it is because on Wednesday, we again left the marina on a falling tide—in the rain.  In just a short time, 5 feet of water had rushed out to sea, and once again we were picking our way along. We met a tugboat whose captain really wished he was pushing his barge.  He needed 7 feet of water for the tug; he was stuck in 4 feet.  Barge and tug will sit until the water returns.  We slogged on with our 1 foot under the keel, and bless Fred, he was able to keep us moving.  Slow, but moving. 

Plan A was to ride up the Ashapoo River to Mosquito Creek and the B&B Shrimpers marina.  (Gotta love these names!)  With little or no water we went to Plan B—Beaufort.  Unfortunately, dark and the strong currents (at one point the water was moving at 2.5 knots against us) had us rethink that plan as well.  3 miles above Beaufort, while it was still light, we discovered Marsh Harbor, and spoke with Peter, the owner, who invited us to tie up. It was a great long dock, easy dockage and lots of interesting boats and equipment to puruse.  Chris, former owner of the Marina, and now getting SECOND CHANCE ready to take him far, far away, offered us rides in his car to wherever we needed to go, and was generally good company.  Gotta love people!

Thursday morning, we covered the last 3 miles and tied up at the Beaufort Marina with plenty of time to clean up and get to St. Helena’s Church.  It was our third Thanksgiving there, and we had a great dinner, and then helped with clean up and re-setting the room.  Met 3 Marines from Parris Island who also were helpers.  Fun.

Friday was a beautiful day. We motored past Hilton Head (the hook came out to pull us in, but we resisted) and for a change went up the Savannah River.  Tied up at the Hyatt Dock, in the center of the historic part of beautiful Savannah.  What a hoot!  We had hotel privileges—including (but not limited to) the swimming pool, fitness center and room service, should we choose to avail ourselves. We spent the evening walking along the RiverWalk,  On Black Friday it was mobbed with people.  Live entertainment at every other place and a really fun atmosphere.  We looked in vain for dessert---ended up at the Hyatt for crème brulee and coffee.  We sat inside rather than have room service on the boat.

The rest of the night was interesting to say the least.  We learned that Savannah is, indeed, a major port.  Cargo ships went back and forth---with tugs and huge wakes and stirring up debris.  The dock literally moaned each time one of those city block long affairs passed.  We had extra lines and 4 fenders holding us as still as possible, and at that it was quite a ride.  An early morning swim (in the hotel pool) was relaxing and then we strolled the waterfront where we were given a traditional Gullah rose  Sadly, we once again missed lunch with cousin Kay Scardino, but we’ll keep trying.

Next stop was ‘Suburban Savannah on the water’—Thunderbolt Marina, where we re-met and visited with Canadians Heather and Ray, aboard NE’ER DO WELL.  We’d shared a table at Thanksgiving dinner… Nice couple and no doubt we’ll see more of them along the way.

Our week ended with a 2 day trek along the coastal islands of Georgia.  Georgia’s coastline is only100 miles long, and the Intracoastal Waterway twists and winds enough to add 38 miles to the trip.  We considered going off shore and just avoiding all the back and forth-ness, but high winds with higher waves predicted for the ocean changed our minds.  So back and forth we went, going generally south, but sometimes actually heading northwest as we meandered through the rivers and ‘cuts’ that connect the Sounds, or inlets to the Ocean.  It is fun to monitor our speed as we approach a Sound—either we’re being yanked along at 9 knots (warp speed for us) as the water rushes out to sea, or, without touching a speed lever, but by crossing the inlet, we’re reduced to 4.5 kn. as the water on the other side also heads out and we are now opposing. Tidal range in Georgia is about 8 feet, which means that a whole lot of water moves in and out every 6 hours!! We were happy to run from mid high to mid low tide each day, and thereby avoid the mud we’d encountered the week before.

And so the weeks pass, and the end of 2011 is drawing nigh.  Next week will begin the 12^th month of the 11^th year of the ‘new’ millennium.  Where, I ask you, has it gone?  We hope you, too. are collecting happy memories, and that your holiday season is the best ever!

November 22, 2011

From Oriental, we zipped across the Neuss early in the a.m. (8 o’clock) while the winds were calm.  We anchored in Adams Creek for awhile to get done the things we didn’t do yesterday (some interior cleaning) and around 11a.m. lifted Knute and headed for Morehead City.

Tom and Patsy Conrad, aboard their new Nordic Tug TRUE NORTH had saved us a place at the Town Docks, newly purchased by Denard, who has owned Portside Marina for some time.  The current is vewwy twicky there, but by 2 p.m. we were secured.  Spent the afternoon and evening with the Conrads, ending with a great dinner at the Ruddy Duck and a very brisk walk home!

That current tried to slap us around as we backed out of our slip at 7:15 Friday morning, but once again, Fred won!  After no boats in the water in the Chesapeake, we now are in a 7 boat parade. One of the boats confused us a bit when we heard “[garble] America” on the radio.  Turned out they were saying “Yacht America”, and indeed she was a lovely yacht.   All 7 of us hovered at the Onslow Bridge where the Marine on duty actually chatted and seemed to have a sense of humor.  (No offense to Marines, but we’ve had some less than happy experiences at Onslow.)   Tom, on TRUE NORTH allowed AMERICA, who was able to go fastest (and burn the most fuel) to move to the head of our little‘fleet’.  Next bridge is Surf City, and using the chart plotter, we were able to time the trip, arriving just in time for the opening.

Our home for this day is Harbor Village Marina, just past Surf City and about 10 miles north of Wrightsville Beach.  Fred’s cousin Jane and her husband Pete very kindly made the trek from their home near the W’ville bridge, and took us to dinner at Baja, and then to Harris Teeter for groceries.  Bless them.   What a great evening!

By noon on Saturday we were through the Figure 8 bridge, and at Wrightsville, where a flock of paddle board sweepers were having a ball!  We waited for the bridge to open although we believed there were 21 feet of air at the center of the bascule.   The bridge tender says 19 means 19 so we chose discretion and waited.

It was a gorgeous day, and lots of boaters were out enjoying it! The water was calm and the Cape Fear River held no fear for us. we passed by Southport, and stopped at St. James Marina.  What a delightful spot!  Very low dockage rates, clean, well marked floating docks, a nice store and restaurant, and for a special bonus, a fork lift taking boats out for winter storage and stacking them in the gi-normous shed.  We could have spent a few days relaxing here, but we have a Thanksgiving date in Beaufort!  We laughed as we left St. James---the retaining wall was so clean that the barnacles almost looked like copper-y art intentionally placed.

We passed through Lockwoods Folly easily; couldn’t raise our old friend Phil Robinson at his dock.  His Shrimp store may or may not have been open, (but dockage is still available) so we continued on and by noon were in South Carolina!  First stop, Myrtle Beach.  We didn’t shop at the outlet mall at Barefoot Landing, just took a long walk around it.  Delicious evening—the end of a delightful week.

On that note, I’ll depart, and see you all next week.  Have a happy Thanksgiving.  Heaven knows we have oh, so much to be thankful for—and we are!   

November 16, 2011

11-11-11.  Some numerologists say it doesn’t have much great significance, but I say it’s kinda fun.  For us, it’ll be a day in port, as the Bay is kicking up a celebration---not the kind we want to take part in.  There’ll be high winds, lotsa waves and probably some rain just to make it special.  The date kinda looks like corduroy, doesn’t it?

We’ve not had much rain since arriving back in Solomons.  Has it been chilly? You bet. Nighttime temps have been in the 40’s many times.  Our dandy new furnace sprung a leak in its muffler, and as the exhaust fumes were going into the engine room instead of outside, we shut it down until further notice.  Gook and new clamps are waiting in the wings to tighten things up and keep the air we breathe fresh, clean and warm.   Fred has it rigged so that when the engines are running, he can turn on the fans and blow heat into the boat without running any motors.  Silent, free heat (if you don’t count the installation costs…).

Tuesday was our last day in Solomons, and the weather was beautiful.  Crisp and clear.  Our trip south began with a long stop at the marina’s spiffy pump-out station.  I’m not sure if you are interested in the waste removal system on our boat, but it is an important topic for us, and this pump out machine is the best!  It is tied directly into the hotel sewage line, and self operated so we were able to run large amounts of water thru and really wash out the holding tank.  It seems we bought some TP that doesn’t dissolve, and the holding tank motor was letting us know regularly that a problem existed. So once again, the tp test was done with three brands.  Turns out that cheap works best—7-11’s house brand won the test by breaking right up in the test glasses.  Walgreen’s came in a close second.  West Marine’s new WM brand?  We won’t be using that any more.  The motor is now happy, and this is good.

By the time we finished the pump out, cleaned up and lingered on the dock over lunch, it was mid afternoon, so we spent Tuesday night anchored at the mouth of the Patuxent River in Mill Creek,  a run of about 3 whole miles. In the morning, it looked as if we would have yet another late start.  The fog was oh, so thick, and in no hurry to burn away.  Schools in the area had 2 hour delays, so we weren’t the only ones held up!  By 10:30 though, we were off, and after 6 hours tied up in Reedville. 

We had a good time watching, and maneuvering around, the fishing boats.  Reedville is one of the major centers for the processing of Menhaden---a member of the herring family that has a long history. Native Americans taught the Pilgrims to use menhaden as fertilizer for their corn crops, and today it continues to be used as fertilizer, bait and the manufacture of fish oil products, as well as providing food for wild and farmed fish. So heavily harvested is the fish that today the population is only about 10% of what it was in colonial times.  This week the Atlantic States fishing commission decided to impose limits, to phase in over the next year, in order to give the species a chance to build up its numbers.  The estimates say that reducing the catch by 25% will leave about 60,000 metric tons of fish in the water.  The boats we saw netting and scooping the fish out of the nets are big business!

It is too late in the season for the Crazy Crab Restaurant to be open every day, but we docked there and left our fee in the mailbox provided.  Walked downtown to Tommy’s restaurant for dinner.  Hallowe’en in Reedville was a very highly decorated event, and Tommy’s, as well as many houses along the street, still had goblins and ghouls on display.

The Bay was friendly early on Thursday, with a promise of winds and waves kicking up late in the day. We decided to investigate the Rappahannock River, and by noon had made the turn, leaving the large black cloud behind.

Remember the bridge that collapsed in Minneapolis?  An identical one (only this one is 110 ft. high) crosses the Rappahannock. After the Mpls. event, tests were done, and 80 stress points found to need reinforcement, we’re told.  I’d not want to be that guy doing the work.  We’re happy that the bridge held as we passed under it—twice.

Our destination was a resort hotel/marina called the Tides Inn.  It’s on the Northern Neck of VA, an area we’ve not explored before.  Only 40,000 folks live in the 4 counties of the Neck, and they reportedly love the ‘small town’ flavor.  The Tides is an old, used-to-be-family owned resort that has retained the family feel and offers lots of amenities--- including a ride to and from the grocery store, a bonfire on the deck every nite with complimentary s’mores, and then milk and cookies in the ‘View Room’ at bedtime.  We especially enjoyed meeting Craig as he delivered the newspaper to the boat every morning!

At this time of year, if you want to get anywhere, early starts are mandatory.  Daylight only lasts until 5 o’clock or so. Even being underway at 7 (who, US?) we weren’t able to make it to Portsmouth and the Commodore dinner/movie.  Enjoyed Hampton Marina, though, and had a nice long walk.  We did stop in Portsmouth the next day for fuel, and then headed for the Dismal Swamp.   The 1:30 p.m. lock was the earliest we could make, and once inside the Canal, couldn’t resist the Mexican Restaurant.  George, the Lockmaster joined us, and shared stories of his 18 year career at the Canal.  Robert, the usual lockmaster at Deep Creek (the northern end of the Swamp) was docked by the lock when we finished lunch.  Last time we were through, Robert said he was  planning to open a Dismal Swamp Tour Boat service.  He now has 4 boats and 3 captains and is a frequent speaker at meetings and events in the Norfolk area.  Good for him!

That thing about dark came into play as we motored along the Swamp.  Couldn’t do 17 miles to the Visitors’ Center, so we tied up opposite the Feeder Ditch.  Lake Drummond supplies the water for the Canal, which is maintained by the Army Corps of Engineers strictly for recreational boater use. One of the duties of the Lockmasters is to monitor the water level in the Canal. Dry weather last spring had forced a cutback to 2 lockings per day, instead of the usual four, but Hurricanes Irene and Lee took care of that problem very nicely, thank you.

If you have a wee boat (under 1000 lbs) you can ride up the Feeder Ditch and across a railroad (not unlike the Big Chute in Canada, we think) and go boating in the lake.  Sure enough, around 8 pm a little boat came paddling out of the Ditch and headed for Deep Creek.  In the dark.  And man, was it dark!  We’d planned to go for a walk at dusk, but when we saw the “What to do if you meet a bear” signs, returned to YA and had a delightful dinner on the foredeck under the dark, dark sky. 

It was still dark when we tossed off the lines in the a.m. and so still and beautiful as we hummed along toward South Mills Lock.  3 sailboats were tied up at the visitor’s center, with a fourth waiting at the lock.  We were happy to see more travelers, and led the parade out of the lock at 8:30 a.m., through the gorgeous Turner’s Cut, and on down the twisty Pasquatank River to Elizabeth City.  It was only 1 o’clock, and the wind was barely blowing, so we decided to pass on the traditional wine and cheese party (given to groups of boaters by the Mayor of Eliz. City) and hop right across Albamarle Sound.  Our usual plan is to cross that Sound in the early a.m. as it is very shallow, and it doesn’t take much wind velocity to create a really unpleasant---even unsafe---ride.  We lucked out though, and were snuggled into the Alligator River Marina before dark!

In the morning we passed through the Swing Bridge that we drove across last July when we went to the Outer Banks.  Headed south in the Alligator River, and then the Alligator River-Pungo River Canal.  The canal is another straight line with a deep channel and very little water on either side.  We saw a sailboat actually sailing ahead of us, a rare sight, as we see a lot of ‘masted motorboats’ but rarely see boats under sail---especially in a heavily wooded canal where the wind is puffy, gusty and unpredictable.

Turns out that Dale, aboard CHANCE ENCOUNTER with his English Springer, Chili, was counting on the wind to get to Belhaven—about 25 miles away.  His engine was running on fumes and he was pretty much ready to choose a spot to drop the anchor and call for a tow boat.   A few minutes later, we became that guy.  The boats were rafted together and we all had a pleasant afternoon ride.  And the best part?  Dale was heading south from Rondout Creek in Kingston, NY.  He'd had the boat hauled at Certified Marine, where YOUNG AMERICA 2 lived for 17 years! Gave Fred a good excuse to call and say hi to Sharon and Fred!  How small is this world, anyhow?  CHANCE went into the River Forest Marina just inside the breakwater on the Pungo River, and a few minutes after we were tied up at Belhaven Marina, Dale and Chili drove up on a golf cart.

We were soon joined by Brant Wilson, with whom we chat whenever passing by Belhaven, and enjoyed a happy happy hour in the marina’s gazebo. 

This morning the weather persons announced small craft advisories and 2-3 foot waves in Pamlico Sound, but it looked so lovely at 7 a.m. that we decided to go as far as was comfortable, and then anchor if necessary.  Wasn’t necessary.  The waves were low, as was the wind, and it wasn’t until we rounded Maw Point in to the Neusse River (our old friend!) that the bow began to slap the water.   By then we were too close to quit so we just endured until 2 p.m. when we made the turn into the Oriental Marina.  Our July slip was damaged by Hurricane Irene, so we’re snuggled in by the Tiki Bar.  The wind and lots of rain are my companions as I write this.

So it took me from 11/11/11 until today, 11/16/11, to get to the blog.  Biggest deterrent was the 1522 page book, 11/22/63, Stephen King’s latest.  (Those are e-pages.  I think the real book is only 800 or so pages long.) It is a hard-to-put-down story of ‘what if JFK hadn’t been assassinated?’  But now it is done, and so off I go to post photos.

Be well, and keep in touch!

November 2, 2011

AAAAAAHHHHHH Baltimore!  Loved it.  Stayed for 5 days, docked at the Inner Harbor East Marina.  It is owned by a USPS member, and gave a discount to us Power Squadron persons.  Love that, too.

The Tall Ships made a parade through the Baltimore Harbor before departing for the to race to Newport.  It was a windy, rainy, sludgy day, but they braved it, and so did I.  The Marina had a lovely waterside area with tables and benches!   Turned out (according to Mary, aboard the WHALER) that during the race, the Bay got so nasty that few prizes were awarded.   Many boats turned back and their crews drove to Norfolk for the festivities.  The WHALER arrived at the end of the race, but had motored thru a calm before the storm, and so did not place this year.

We spent a day at the Annapolis Power Boat show.  Drove down with Mike and Linda Borum (SEA DREAM is also in Baltimore), and had a fun dinner with them and also Ron and Tina (SEA GYPSY) at Mike’s Crab Shack.  Phoned CAROLYNN ANN to include Joe and Punk in the evening.  Earlier in the day Bettie and Klass (MOON BEAM) and Richard and Shannon (ESMERALDA) were known to be at the show as well.  Great Harbours everywhere!

Also did some sight seeing in Baltimore…Fred gave a submarine tour aboard the TORSK, and I gave the  USS CONSTELLATION a cursory glance before walking to the American Visionary Museum.   What a fun place that is---lots of inspiring and waaaayyy out there exhibits.  My favorite was the screen painter, who showed how to decorate your door or window screen.  The technique was used by Baltimorians to a) distinguish their home---with 12’ wide row houses everywhere, that is important, and b) provide air and privacy inside.  Very nifty, and she made it look oh, so easy.  Maybe I’ll paint our porthole screens one day.  Maybe.

We had dinner with Lynn, Jeffrey and Denia one evening, and the next day after shopping at the Whole Foods store—walking distance from the marina---headed out.  We took a side trip up Curtis Bay looking for the US Coast Guard construction site. We were able to get under the first bridge, but not the second.  We could see tall masts in the distance; maybe the EAGLE? 

Back in the Bay and on to the Magathy River.  We did the upriver U-turn. all the way to the Causeway.  From there you can look across the road (accessible only to members of the Club on the private island and their guests…there is a guard, we’re told) and watch the traffic on the Bay.  We opted for a more protected anchorage ‘back a bit’. 

The next morning was beautiful, and the Bay calm and quiet, so we simply motored on until about 4 when we were tucked neatly (stern first) into A-2, our Solomons slip at the Holiday Inn Marina.

A day later, the car was packed and we headed north.  Our new urban travel mode is  to depart at 0-dark-thirty and avoid the commuters.  Worked like a charm and by noon we were back in Condo-land.

While there I helped out with a couple of UU fundraisers and we attended the Annual meeting of the Condo Association, where, sadly we were 6 signatures short of a quorum.  On Thursday we gave what Fred calls our ‘dog and pony show’ at the Westchester Power Squadron Meeting.   Talked (with power point) about the boat and living aboard it in general and the Great Loop in particular.   People seem amazed that we have shared 37x16 feet of living space (592 sq. ft.) for 3-1/2 years—and still enjoy each other’s company.  Other ‘live aboards’ understand.   And yes, it really has been 3-1/2 years! 

We went to the Power Squadron’s D2 fall conference in Danbury, CT, and changed our plans a bit to include the Arlington High School Marching Band’s Parents concert (Alan’s son Paul marches).  Sadly, we had to go to Plan C on Saturday when the October blizzard arrived. Concert cancelled. The snow began in mid afternoon and the ride home from Danbury was exciting to say the least.  Our Jeep held the road, unlike many cars and trucks whose passengers were shaking their heads and wondering how to get out of the ditch.  The best part was being the only people in a Dunkin’ Donuts near Fishkill, soaking up a Dunkin’MochaChino (or whatever they call it) and giving the teenaged employee someone to talk to.   He’d had a very quiet day!

On Sunday the family gathered at HPC to celebrate the three J’s.  Son-in-law Jimmy and daughter Jenny had birthdays during that week, and it was with great gratitude and thankfulness that we welcomed grandson JT (age 15) home from Westchester Hospital.  He’d been airlifted there on Friday after a car bounced him from the school bus stop onto the highway.  He was thrown 25 ft. through the air, lost consciousness for about 5 minutes (lying in the highway's traffic lane) and miraculously suffered only scrapes and bruises!  As Jenny said, “It’s official,  JT is made of rubber!”  It can’t hurt that he plays ball, of the foot, base and basket varieties, and so is in great physical shape!  ‘Twas a harrowing experience for all, with, thankfully, a happy ending.

We’d decided not to bring the car back to the boat, as our journey now will take us to Marathon in the Florida Keys.  So on Monday we packed, once again, and Tuesday a.m. set out for a many-legged trip back to the Boat.   Kris drove us (and our 4 suitcases, 3 large tote bags and a pocket book) to the shuttle bus. The bus took us to the Metro North train.  Elevator out of order, but a nice lady helped us up the 40 steps, and we made the train by at least 10 seconds!  In New York a taxi got us to Penn Station where another kind man helped us down the steps to the Amtrack level.  Somewhere there must have been a down escalator, but we sure didn't see it.  At the station level we found a Porter who loaded everything on a cart, found the secret escalator to the track level, and got us into a quiet car well before the throng of passengers arrived.

Our friend Lynn was waiting when the train pulled into the Baltimore train station. She’s a Private Investigator who conveniently has a case in Solomons, and needed to take photos of a restaurant about 10 minutes from our marina.  It certainly worked for us!  Had time to chat during the drive, and also over lunch.  Now we are ‘back in boat’, and happy to be so.

When next we meet, our journey south will have begun, and, as we’ll be cruising, I’m thinking of returning to the Monday Messages.  We’ll see.   In the meantime, be well, live long and prosper!

October 12, 2011

WE DID IT!  We left the comfy shore, and are mushing about in the Chesapeake.

We enjoyed the National Power Squadron meeting in Greensboro. On a bonus side trip, I was happy to tour the Replacements Store, a huge conglomeration of warehouses stocking, well, replacements, for your china or your cutlery. Yes, I was able to find the missing knives and spoons for our High Point Circle dining use!

On the way back to the boat, we lunched with Ted and Rita (can you tell from the picture that he’s Fred’s brother?).  A day later, we were underway by car for NY.  No, we didn’t race home to try out the new spoons---there was a Condo meeting to attend as well as the September birthdays with daughters Kris and Linda to celebrate.  Had a good visit and returned to YA for some very serious exterminating.

Sometime after the hurricane, we began to see the occasional Palmetto Bug (a euphemism for the I-can’t yet-say-the-word-roach), god help us, inside the boat. Immediately set traps and used spray, but there are way too many hidey-holes and entrance ports, so immediately upon our return to Solomons, we attacked with vengeance.  Removed the bed, the floors of all galley cupboards, got behind the refrigerator and compactor, and into every other low-lying space we could think of.  All flat (and gently rounded) surfaces are now liberally coated with Borax—death to the little buggers.  We also liberally applied a (supposedly) 12 week spray on vertical surfaces.  Uffda. 

Wouldn’t you know that after all that, one of the creepy scurriers had the audacity to wave his feelers at Jerry and Teresa (SHA LA LA) when they stepped aboard?  Double uffda. Finally, today, after finding only the occasional very dead body for several days, I can speak of the (?) infestation—never did we feel exactly overrun with critters, but one indoors is one too many.  With spray always at hand, we are ever vigilant, no more and no less clean than we have ever been, and guardedly optimistic that we’ve won the battle AND the war.  Many folks say (I’ve read a lot of ads, editorials and blogs on the subject) that with the joys of the southern climate comes the ‘ugh of the bug’.  We’ll never know if they blew in with Irene, hitch hiked home from the grocery store, or rode aboard in a book swapped at a marina office.  We are grateful that they are, by our best indicators, gone.

Cruising the Chesapeake has been our summer goal, and so in early October we headed right out!  Crossed the Bay and spent a night at St. Michael’s, always a treat.  As we left on Friday morning about a bazillion boats were heading in.  Ah, it is Columbus Day weekend, and a gorgeous one at that.  We spent some time making loop-d-loops in the Bay to calibrate our magnetic compass.  Fred plotted the data, drew the curve and was mostly pleased with the accuracy.  There is always some room for improvement.

Next, the Wye River called us, and at Shaw Cove, we chose the Eastern leg.  Moseyed along the beautiful, pristine shores, noting the beautiful homes as well as anchored and rafted boats along the way.  We dropped Knute (our Rockna anchor) just past Wye Landing.  It took an hour to get both halves of the anchor light to shine (the aft part has always been problematic. It is time for a replacement), and by then it was too late for the dinghy. So we had a leisurely dinner, and spent some time on the bow of the boat just enjoying the stars, the nearly full moon and the silence.

Early in the morning we were joined on the water by crabbers—lots of crabbers.  They have such a smooth, practiced handle on the trot-line baited with chicken necks.  It is indeed an art to flip the crab into the wire net and deposit him in the bushel basket without missing the next crab on the line.   

We did get the dinghy down, and had a fine ride around the little bay.  Saw a flock of black sheep contentedly munching on the lawn of a waterside estate, and rafted the dinghy to a crabber whose motor had failed.  He was happy that we picked him up so he did not have to paddle to shore.

By noon we’d raised Knute, washed away the sticky mud he’d been grabbing, and were again underway.  It seemed to be a ‘tow’ sort of day.  In the Eastern Bay, we passed (as other boats had been doing for ½ hour, we were later told) a 22’ cigarette boat with an open engine compartment. They did indeed need help, so we rafted the boat to YA’s starboard side, and had a pleasant ride to Kent Narrows.   There we swung around and they tossed starboard lines to friends on a big boat in the marina.  We released their port side, and they were safely home.

The bridge tender at Kent Narrows was convinced that we’d fit under the ‘flat steel’ or approach road openings next to his bascule, but it was only 2 minutes to opening time, so we just waited it out.  He was an unusually chatty bridge guy, and we had a chuckle with his banter.  On the north side of the bridge we tucked into a space on a town dock and spent an hour or so enjoying the Chesapeake Festival at Kent Narrows.

Fred had checked with the operator of a passing SeaTow boat about the water depth at the town’s wall, and we were told “I’m showing about 12 feet”, so we tied up.   In the morning, when checking the steering to get underway, Fred found that the right rudder was not moving.  No, it wasn’t the stick we’d seen being carried under the boat by the current the evening before, it was, of all things, the tide. We showed exactly 0.0 feet of water under the keel.  So we went for a walk and had a second cup of coffee before motoring off to the Chester River.  Chestertown, a few miles up the river, has been on our list of ‘places we missed last time we passed thru this area’.

Chestertown is an adorable little old town, and we’d just tossed our lines over at the Chestertown Marina when the phone rang---it was our friend Mary (from Newburgh), who is, for her tenth year, crewing aboard the schooner MYSTIC WHALER.  Like us, the WHALER is ‘mushing around in the Chesapeake’ for a few days before she participates in the Schooner Race from Baltimore to Norfolk at the end of the week.  She came in just behind us, and we caught her lines as she tied up in the slip usually occupied by SALTANA, Chestertown’s Tall Ship—already en route to Baltimore.

We walked the uneven brick streets enjoying the colonial architecture, and had dinner at the ‘olde’ Imperial Hotel.  Later, aboard the WHALER, folk and shanty singer Jeff gave a wonderful concert singing a cappella, as well as with his guitar and other hand-held percussion instruments.  For a finale, Jeff’s wee wooden friend, Jack, danced with great precision and enthusiasm to Jeff’s tin whistle.  Most entertaining.

On Monday we went back to the Bay, and then north to Worten Creek, where fall has fallen.   The nearest town is Chestertown---9 miles as the crow flies—40 miles by boat.  There was a skeleton crew at work and zero boats were moving in the water.  So we had a sort of quiet evening at home listening to the geese.  Apparently this part of the Bay is the winter destination for many northern geese, and there were mobs of them flying in all directions, calling greetings to each other.  What a hoot!

Tuesday the wind was from the east, and blew us across the Bay.  It is really fall, now.  We were the only boat on the Bay!   There are many more northern stops to make, but we’ll save them for our run north in the spring of 2012.   For now, we’re Baltimore bound!