Category: 2017-18 Voyage to The Bahamas

Left just before 6:30 this morning. Chris helped me off the dock just before he caught his Uber to the airport and hence home to St Petersburg …. thank you, Chris. Beginning of the day was benign but forecast of 2-3’ seas and 15 knot winds became 5+ seas and 20+ winds by early afternoon. No problem as I was sailing downwind. However, when I turned into the Beaufort Inlet I had the seas on the beam. So much steering that I had to engage the autopilot for a short time as my arms were getting very tired. Found my anchorage and anchored in the 20 knot winds which certainly has to be thought through when solo. Made a Manhattan and checked in with US Customs and Border Department. Main event of the day was the dolphins that came to race along the bow of the boat for 20 minutes …. just awesome.

Like the last two days this was sunny and calm until early afternoon when the winds came up to 20 knots. Bobbing in my anchorage (glad I have my sea legs) cause the land I thought would give me shelter is flat ? It’s a moot point though as there were very few possibilities short of continuing on another 30 nm to tomorrow’s destination. It’s on Roanoke Island in the upper right of this map/chart. A Marina stay and a quaint town to explore with dinner out. ?

Rough night. Had to sleep in the aft cabin as there was NO way to sleep forward. Only calmed down to 15 knots by the morning so it was a fun motor/sail avoiding crab pots and riding waves this morning. Half of today was spent in a shallow narrow channel that took me by some pretty sandy islands. The lighthouse is on Bodie Island just above Cape Hatteras. The funny item to the right is a duck blind …. there were lots of these. Very little traffic except locals. Arrived at Manteo (pronounced man knee oh) early afternoon. This was one of Sir Walter Raleigh’s settlements 1584-86. However, the settlers told him they didn’t want to stay. When Raleigh arrived with ships to take them off they couldn’t find them and never did. It’s known as The Lost Colony. Pleasant, friendly town to wander around. Lots to do here if one were staying longer.

Lottsa fun doing a giant slalom amongst the crab pots this morning – keeps me active! Didn’t want to pour in an extra jerry can of diesel and calculated that I could make it to Coinjock Marina with what’s in the tank. Was able to sail for 2 1/4 hours on Albermarle Sound. Have calculated that if I hadn’t sailed I woulda had .4 of a US gal left at the fill up. ? The water picture shows miles and miles of open water BUT outside of the channel is typically 1 to 3 feet of water with the odd 5 to 7’ where one could anchor. I’m anchored in Black Water Creek where Tarja and I anchored on the way down. Just 24 nm left for tomorrow although there are several bridges and a lock to contend with.

Shorter day today but lottsa rain and cold as another front went through – changed from my light foullies to my heavy duty set to keep warm and dryer. Last leg was through miles and miles of docks most owned by the US Navy …. quite the repair centre. I get a day off tomorrow (from travel, I still must clean up the boat, do laundry and an oil change). Peter Cohrs arrives late tomorrow evening and will be with me all the way home.

The old yacht, Enticer, that I have posted pics of as we passed each other showed up on our dock today. It was built in 1935 and is all wood. Peter Cohrs is admiring the lines of the vessel. The other picture shows the long fuel linea here. The actual pump is at the end of the dock behind Peter. With long lines you can be filled up in your slip.

Peter Cohrs and I left a grey Portsmouth at 7am and passed the USN ship yards including this aircraft carrier. By 11am we were in the Atlantic heading NNE up the Delaware Coast. Was rolling and what wind there was was on the nose. Beginning in the afternoon we had fog banks come and go repeatedly right up to entering Cape May harbour. Thank goodness for AIS (identifies ship location, direction, speed, and name and me to them) and radar. The radar can pick up buoys over 3 miles away. After refuelling we anchored to ride out the winds and thunderstorms due later today. Engines hours just rolled past 1000 :-/ So much motoring has meant 4 oil changes on this trip. Off tomorrow for NYC.

Greetings from Kingston (NY). Lovely trip although rather cool up the Hudson today …. no, we did not touch bottom getting out of anchorage, thank you. This part of the Hudson is very beautiful with treed rolling hills and the odd sheer rock face to add interest. Photo below (credit Peter Cohrs) is of the south side of West Point, the US Army military academy. We are anchored just below Kingston NY and should be at Hop-O-Nose Marina in Catskill by noon tomorrow to get our mast down in prep for the Erie and Oswego Canals.