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.
May 7/8, 2018 – Portsmouth, Virginia
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.
May 6, 2018 – Tidewater Marina, Portsmouth, Virginia
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.
May 5, 2018 – Black Water Creek, Virginia
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.
May 4, 2018, Manteo, Roanoke Island, North Carolina
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.
May 3, 2018 – Long Shoal River, North Carolina
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. ?
May 2, 2018 – Green Point, Cedar Island, North Carolina
Think Garmin has a glitch … tracking stopped recording and now a map with the whole track (or any tracks) is no longer on their site. Anyway, anchor up at 8:25 before the current and wind working against each other would make this difficult or impossible. Nice trip up Adams Creek … lottsa boats heading north. Below is one of them, Enticer, from RI. I have seen her several times since Savannah…this pic was her passing me yesterday. When I got to the Neuse River I thought I’d be sailing but almost no wind and sun so hot the deck was difficult to walk on. Then about 2pm the winds piped up to high teens. Headed off course about 8 miles to get to an anchorage in a nature reserve that has good protection (according to Active Captain). Turns out no protection from 20 knot SW winds. In 7’ of water my anchor gripped right away so that went well. Hope it pipes down later to reduce the rocking and cause this was to have been a bbq night!
May 1, 2018 – Morehead City, North Carolina
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.
April 30, 2018 – Seapath YC, Wrightsville Beach, North Carolina
Off at 7am to ride the flood tide up Cape Fear River. Short day as we arrived at our destination by 10:45. Chris flies home tomorrow…great having him aboard and helping! Thank you, Chris. The Seapath YC has a courtesy car so we got to the beer store, a hardware store, the grocery store AND lunch. Doing boatie stuff this afternoon then it’s showers, cocktails and off to dinner. Don’t know how much longer I can stand this. ?
April 29, 2018 – Southport, North Carolina
Early start at 6:20. Made a fuel stop as we were down to 2 gallons. After some hours the tidal current finally wasn’t against us but in our favour at 7 knots occasionally into the 8s. Almost by accident I realized we were close to the outlet south of Southport that boaters use to bypass a stretch of shoaling. I saw that the Atlantic way was favourable as was the tidal current inbound through the Cape Fear inlet. We decided to continue along the ICW IF the current continued with us. Well not so much so we turned around and headed for the inlet. Made good time although only about a 1/4 of it was sail only. Now anchored behind a spoil island. Oh the excitement !!