Kim’s Korner:
We left Annapolis on a cloudy, dreary day and headed to Chesapeake Bay Marina which is located on the C&D Canal – an 18-mile canal connecting the Chesapeake Bay to the Delaware Bay. It was sad to leave the Chesapeake Bay as we had looked forward to being there for so long. We’ll be back! As we entered into Chesapeake City, the dreary day came alive with music and people out having a great time along the waterfront restaurants – what a surprise! We got tied up and met some new loopers, Gail and Bob from The Good Life, just as a light rainfall started. We had docktails and left as the rainfall was now a steady downfall. We never did get to see the town which looked quite promising – next time!
We headed to Delaware Bay Marina the next morning on yet another dreary day – but it wasn’t raining thank goodness… yet. By the time we arrived, it was raining, cold and foggy – glad it was a short travel day. This is the gathering spot (at least for loopers) before they head down the Delaware Bay to Cape May, New Jersey. The bay can dish out some very uncomfortable travel so the dockmaster holds a session on the weather and water conditions of the Delaware each night so boaters can make the best-informed decision on whether to go or stay. From Cape May, due to Hurricane Matthew, most boaters choose to go out on the Atlantic to get to New York which is at least two days travel. One problem was the fact that due to the bad weather we’d been having, boats were stuck in Cape May waiting for a weather window to move out. Since we had a good travel day for Delaware Bay, our main problem was finding a marina which could accommodate us. The dockmaster starting calling marinas in Cape May as he wanted us out of his marina because he had boats arriving the next day – things you don’t think about – the “Great Looper Bottleneck” – lol. He was able to locate a marina that could take us so we left our weather meeting and moved onto better things – dinner at “Crabby Dicks”. This town also looked promising but due to the rain, we really didn’t get to do it justice. We did enjoy our dinner!
A group of about ten boats left in the morning and headed down the Delaware Bay. It was yet another dreary, chilly day – but it wasn’t raining and we had a comfortable ride. We arrived in Cape May with no issues and settled in for what turned out to be a 3-night stay due to yucky weather. We headed into Cape May, a town I have never heard of. What a surprise! It was obviously a vacation spot for many people. The houses were all of Victorian or Cape Cod style and were really nice. There were lots of restaurants and gift shops and a nice beach. We ate at The Lobster House which was excellent and a favorite of the locals.
From here, we headed out into the Atlantic Ocean heading for an Atlantic City, NJ anchorage. Ok – this was the rockiest day we’ve had yet on the loop. The inlet getting out of Cape May had us rocking all over! Once we got through the inlet, things settled down and the rest of the day, while not comfortable, was not uncomfortable either. That is until we had to travel the inlet into Atlantic City. Again, we were rocking all over and again, once we got past the inlet, all was good. I took some videos but it was much worse than the videos show. That day was another learning experience for us. It helped us to know what we could handle and what we couldn’t. The question isn’t whether the boat handles it, it’s whether David and I can! We anchored just past the inlet and fell apart.
The alarm went off at 4:00 AM and we pulled the anchor up at 5:00 for a 100 mile trip to New York harbor. This was the longest distance we’ve done in one day and it was a very long day – 13 hours. About 10 other various boats left with us – it was like someone had opened the gates. The inlet was no problem that day and we went out 3 miles from shore. We had rollers but there wasn’t much wind so, for me, it was very relaxing. The sun even came out and it felt so good after all the dreary days we’d had. It was a beautiful day! I’d be on the water every day if they were all like that! We had heard some reports of whale sightings so I was constantly scanning the water. We passed two pods of dolphins who were rounding up the fish for their meal. Later in the day, I finally spotted water from a blowhole! I couldn’t believe it so I kept watching. There is was again – probably about a mile towards shore. David and I both saw the whale breach – either a belly or a back – not much but definitely a whale and very exciting at the least! We spotted NYC about 25 miles out – it was hazy and hard to see but gradually grew bigger as we neared it. I then spotted – all I know how to describe it is – the outline of a mountain in smoke. What was that? I finally guessed an air show and David googled it and learned it was the Air Force Thunderbirds doing an air show. Neat! A whale and the Thunderbirds in one day! We finally pulled into Great Kills Yacht Club which is located on Staten Island. We were exhausted but relieved to be here.
Our good friends, Maurice and Renee from Le Marie Sophie left the next morning. They completed their loop in Vero Beach and plan to be home in Canada soon. We have traveled with them two out of the last three months. They have taught us a lot and helped us learn this Eastern Coast which was intimidating to us with the tides, inlets, and currents. But more than that, they have become good friends and I know that one day we will meet again. It was still sad to see them leave.
New York City is not a place I would choose to visit. Some people LOVE NYC but I’m really not a big city person although I have enjoyed big cities in small doses. Since we were here, David and I decided we should attempt to go. If nothing else, just trying to figure out how to get into Manhattan would be an adventure even if we didn’t make it there. Our new friends, Gail and Bob from The Good Life decided to join us so we talked to some locals and set off for the nearest transit stop. The transit took us to the Staten Island Ferry which gave us a wonderful view of the New York Harbor including the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island. We made it to Manhattan without any rocket science involved! I was in awe of the buildings – just amazing! Old historic ones, some with a huge amount of detail, intermingled with sleek new skyscrapers – really interesting! We visited the 911 Memorial which was very nice. Since this really unique structure was close by, we went in and learned it is the Oculus, a new train station which, when completed, will connect New Jersey’s PATH trains and New York City’s subways. From there we grabbed some lunch and decided to venture into the NYC subway system – yikes! We found our way without too much trouble to Times Square. When we first came up to the streets, I was in total amazement of it all. I mean – it’s exactly what you see in movies and pictures but to witness it first hand was just amazing! It’s a good thing I couldn’t take it all in because I would definitely have internally combusted. We walked down 7th Avenue through all the hubbub of street vendors, police carrying M16s, and tons of tourists just like us. At the end of 7th was Central Park which was really cool. The movie Home Alone II came to mind. The most unexpected surprise were these huge rocks in the park. We people-watched for a while and then made our way back to the subway station to find our way back to the Battery in order to take the ferry back to Stanton Island. We had a little trouble this time and after finally asking a policeman for instructions, we learned we had to take a subway in the wrong direction in order to get on the subway which would take us in the right direction. Once we got to the ferry, we were home free – the ferry, transit, and walk to a recommended restaurant, Cole’s Dock Side, was a piece of cake. Our meal was delicious and we made the short distance back to our boat fully exhausted. What a day! It was so totally worth doing this and I think what made it so good was that we had no expectations - whatever the day brought would be an adventure. We were not disappointed!
Yesterday was a quiet day as the weather was dreary and chilly again. This blog with pictures takes a lot of time and I spent a good part of the day working on it. David spent a good part of the day watching westerns and war movies. I finally needed a break so took a good long walk over to Great Kills Park where I could actually see NYC in the distance although it was very hazy. Maybe it's always hazy for all I know. We ended the day with docktails in the Captains Lounge. There were maybe 25 loopers there and we only knew a few of them. Loopers are starting and completing their loop all the time so there are constantly new faces. And yes, we have met several families who are doing the loop so we even have kids with us at times which helps all of us who are missing grandkids while on the trip.
Picture of Chattanooga
Tuesday, May 30, 2017
Tuesday, May 23, 2017
Hampton to Annapolis
Kim’s Korner:
We left Hampton and were finally in the Chesapeake Bay! We have talked about being here in this bay for years now and we’d finally made it! It was a beautiful day, winds were low and the water was calm. We passed several sea turtles during the day which was a first for me from our boat. We also had thousands of flies which for some reason, only like to bite our feet – go figure! So long pants and shoes it was! We found a wonderful stopover at Ingram Bay Marina. We weaved our way back into a narrow entrance and found ourselves in a beautiful little bay where the marina was. We borrowed the truck and drove into the neat town of Kilmarnock to provision.
From there, we went to Solomons Island and stayed at Zahniser’s Yachting Center, a very nice marina where lots of sailboats live. We rode our bikes into town to visit the Calvert Marine Museum but it was closed due to high tides – really??? We rode around the quaint town and visited a few of the gift shops – it was yet another beautiful place.
I’ve had fun in the Chesapeake Bay taking pictures of the lighthouses that we pass and finding online a bit of information about each. You’ll see this in my pictures – some are very small in the pictures as we were not that close to them. One, in particular, I’ve had the pleasure of passing twice now – the Thomas Point Lighthouse. The first time I was on a business trip attending the ARINC User’s Group about 4 years ago and we took a cruise past it – as I went by, I wondered if I would ever see this lighthouse again with David on our own boat as part of the Great Loop. That was a neat moment when I did see it for the second time.
Next was Annapolis… as we entered the harbor, we heard over the radio - a trawler was hailing the coast guard – he was taking on water rapidly. You could hear the nervousness in his voice. David knew he had just seen a trawler leaving and when he looked back, he saw the trawler heading back in and it was not far behind us. Soon after, we saw the Coast Guard response boat headed towards us as they thought we were the boat in trouble. David waved them past us and they took off. What’s bad is you hear these issues on the radio but you never know the outcome. We did actually see this trawler and the Coast Guard boat later in the day from our slip and all seemed to be well.
We stayed at Watergate Pointe Marina which is actually slips available to people who rent from the associated apartment complex. The dockmaster was very helpful and this marina ended up being a quiet spot for us to return to after walking the mile into the bustling town of Annapolis. There is no question that Annapolis is the sailboating capital of the world. The first night we ate at Boatyard Bar and Grill which was very good – best crab cake I’ve had in my life! We walked into town and got a taste of what Annapolis is all about – a really neat place that we both fell in love with.
We took a tour of the Naval Academy while there – WOW – really nice campus! The most impressive thing to me was that each year, they have to pass a different swimming test. Junior year is the toughest – they must swim a ½ mile in 14 minutes with their uniform on – no shoes – that’s impressive! Out of 17,000 applicants a year, 1200 are accepted and all must be active in some sort of physical sport. There is no tuition fee although uniforms must be bought by individuals. Five years of service after graduation is required. We toured on a Saturday afternoon during commencement week and they were holding their Ring Dance that night. I was going to explain this event but found this really great blog explaining it so am including the link to this blog if you’d like to read about it – it’s really cool. It was fun to see all the uniforms and beautiful young ladies in their evening gowns being photographed before the dance on the steps of these elegant campus buildings. Youth… sigh…
Also while there, we rented a car and drove 50 miles over to St. Michaels which was definitely worth it. It was a really nice, quaint town with a lot going on. As Enterprise messed up our timing, we didn’t get to visit the Maritime Museum while there but we’ve heard that it is the best one around. We enjoyed a wonderful meal at Awful Arthur’s and browsed the gift shops We enjoyed walking the back streets looking at the historical homes as well as some very eclectic ones. The yards and gardens were beautiful!
Sorry – this got long but it’s been a while. Weather is once again going to impact us as we plan to leave a day early to begin our adventure maneuvering the Delaware Bay to head for our next big stop – New York Harbor.
We left Hampton and were finally in the Chesapeake Bay! We have talked about being here in this bay for years now and we’d finally made it! It was a beautiful day, winds were low and the water was calm. We passed several sea turtles during the day which was a first for me from our boat. We also had thousands of flies which for some reason, only like to bite our feet – go figure! So long pants and shoes it was! We found a wonderful stopover at Ingram Bay Marina. We weaved our way back into a narrow entrance and found ourselves in a beautiful little bay where the marina was. We borrowed the truck and drove into the neat town of Kilmarnock to provision.
From there, we went to Solomons Island and stayed at Zahniser’s Yachting Center, a very nice marina where lots of sailboats live. We rode our bikes into town to visit the Calvert Marine Museum but it was closed due to high tides – really??? We rode around the quaint town and visited a few of the gift shops – it was yet another beautiful place.
I’ve had fun in the Chesapeake Bay taking pictures of the lighthouses that we pass and finding online a bit of information about each. You’ll see this in my pictures – some are very small in the pictures as we were not that close to them. One, in particular, I’ve had the pleasure of passing twice now – the Thomas Point Lighthouse. The first time I was on a business trip attending the ARINC User’s Group about 4 years ago and we took a cruise past it – as I went by, I wondered if I would ever see this lighthouse again with David on our own boat as part of the Great Loop. That was a neat moment when I did see it for the second time.
Next was Annapolis… as we entered the harbor, we heard over the radio - a trawler was hailing the coast guard – he was taking on water rapidly. You could hear the nervousness in his voice. David knew he had just seen a trawler leaving and when he looked back, he saw the trawler heading back in and it was not far behind us. Soon after, we saw the Coast Guard response boat headed towards us as they thought we were the boat in trouble. David waved them past us and they took off. What’s bad is you hear these issues on the radio but you never know the outcome. We did actually see this trawler and the Coast Guard boat later in the day from our slip and all seemed to be well.
We stayed at Watergate Pointe Marina which is actually slips available to people who rent from the associated apartment complex. The dockmaster was very helpful and this marina ended up being a quiet spot for us to return to after walking the mile into the bustling town of Annapolis. There is no question that Annapolis is the sailboating capital of the world. The first night we ate at Boatyard Bar and Grill which was very good – best crab cake I’ve had in my life! We walked into town and got a taste of what Annapolis is all about – a really neat place that we both fell in love with.
We took a tour of the Naval Academy while there – WOW – really nice campus! The most impressive thing to me was that each year, they have to pass a different swimming test. Junior year is the toughest – they must swim a ½ mile in 14 minutes with their uniform on – no shoes – that’s impressive! Out of 17,000 applicants a year, 1200 are accepted and all must be active in some sort of physical sport. There is no tuition fee although uniforms must be bought by individuals. Five years of service after graduation is required. We toured on a Saturday afternoon during commencement week and they were holding their Ring Dance that night. I was going to explain this event but found this really great blog explaining it so am including the link to this blog if you’d like to read about it – it’s really cool. It was fun to see all the uniforms and beautiful young ladies in their evening gowns being photographed before the dance on the steps of these elegant campus buildings. Youth… sigh…
Also while there, we rented a car and drove 50 miles over to St. Michaels which was definitely worth it. It was a really nice, quaint town with a lot going on. As Enterprise messed up our timing, we didn’t get to visit the Maritime Museum while there but we’ve heard that it is the best one around. We enjoyed a wonderful meal at Awful Arthur’s and browsed the gift shops We enjoyed walking the back streets looking at the historical homes as well as some very eclectic ones. The yards and gardens were beautiful!
Sorry – this got long but it’s been a while. Weather is once again going to impact us as we plan to leave a day early to begin our adventure maneuvering the Delaware Bay to head for our next big stop – New York Harbor.
Saturday, May 13, 2017
Belhaven NC to Hampton VA
Our passage from Dowry Creek Marina to the Alligator River Marina located just south of the Albemarle Sound was without incident. The Pungo River was relatively calm following the high winds of previous days and the canal leading to the Alligator River was smooth and straight. Although there were several other Loopers at the marina we were traveling alone; no one else wanted to leave at 6:30 am. Our main concern for this day was the following day's weather, we would be crossing a fairly large body of water and the forecast was for 15 mph winds out of the northwest, not ideal but doable. We generally don't do doable (a condition between good and not-good), but with no better conditions in the foreseeable future, we had little choice. After exiting the canal we had several miles of the Alligator River to traverse and a swing bridge to pass through. As we bee-bopped along at 8 mph several boats passed us by, so as we approached the bridge Overtime was the last in a string stretching out about a mile. I was hoping the bridge operator would hold them until I caught up then let us all through, but when I saw he was opening it up I was sure we would be in for a wait; boy was I surprised that he keep all those cars waiting for a total time close to 15 minutes. We arrived at Alligator River Marina at 1:30 pm. This is a nice overnight stop but there's nothing here except a Shell gas station/convenience store, in fact, the dock master is the store clerk. They do have separate restroom facilities for boaters and there is a fry-cook in the store. Around 7:00 pm our friends aboard Marie Sofie pulled into the marina after a 100 mile 8 mph day, they had come all the way from Oriental, NC in hopes of catching up with us; we sure were glad to see them. They had some personal business to attend to so we had not seen them in about three weeks, not since Charleston, SC. Kim and I had planned to cross the Albemarle Sound alone, leaving about 6:30 am, but with our buddies back in the picture we conceded to their 6:00 am departure. The wind was coming from the northeast rather than the predicted northwest which meant we were getting hit on the bow rather than the side with those slow rolling waves. We had a few crash over the bow, even splashing the windshield, but it's much more comfortable than taking them on the side. You might ask how two and three foot waves can crash over a five foot high bow, well it's like this... as you go over a wave the bow goes down and if the next wave is big enough it hits the front of the boat (Overtime has a barrel shaped bow) and splashes on over the bow sometimes all the way up to the windshield. Anyway, after about 30 or 45 minutes the wind died down, the waves settled down and we had a very pleasant crossing to the North River and even up to the canal at the top of the river. When planning this crossing Kim and I had thought about going only as far as Coinjock Marina, but since we left so early and the weather was so good and it was only 10:30 and Maurice and Renee like to keep moving, we set our sights on the Atlantic Yacht Basin in the Chesapeake area, another 40 miles away. We had a couple of bridges to contend with, the first being the longest wait. It opens every half-hour and even though Overtime was only about 5 minutes behind Marie Sofie we got held up. So, over the next 25 minutes, I had to keep Overtime off both banks, away from other boats which were accumulating and a 60-foot log (utility pole?) floating along with us. Of the nine boats that stacked up waiting on the bridge in this narrow canal, one was a tug pushing an empty barge. The bridge finally opened and the faster boats maneuvered into the lead thereby leaving poor little Overtime with a barge on her ass. That guy was able to stay right on her tail, about 60 yards back, for the next hour. Worked out well for us though, the next bridge delayed the opening by a few minutes to make timing good for the tug which was still on Overtime's ass. All the faster boats from the previous bridge were there waiting as well. With an easy passage through this bridge, the subsequent disappearance of the tug and good clean living we reached the Atlantic Yacht Basin Marina around 3:30 pm to conclude a 70-mile day.
We had a short hop to Hampton, Virginia the next day so we didn't leave until 10:00 am, this departure had to be timed with the hourly opening of the “Great Bridge” bridge followed immediately by the “Great Bridge” lock, even the community is named the “Great Bridge.” We had about 10 or 11 boats traverse the bridge opening and pull into the lock located just a few hundred yards away. It was pretty routine for us at this point in our trip and we proceeded along the waterway slowly following behind the others as usual. However, the train bridges which are usually left in the raised position were each down in succession for train traffic as we made our way thereby reminding me of the turtle and the hare story each time Overtime caught up to the go-fast boats.
We were soon into the Norfolk area with the Naval ships, we saw at least five aircraft carriers and numerous other warships lining our way as we slowly crossed the James River and entered the Hampton River to find our next home, the Hampton Public Pier.
We had a short hop to Hampton, Virginia the next day so we didn't leave until 10:00 am, this departure had to be timed with the hourly opening of the “Great Bridge” bridge followed immediately by the “Great Bridge” lock, even the community is named the “Great Bridge.” We had about 10 or 11 boats traverse the bridge opening and pull into the lock located just a few hundred yards away. It was pretty routine for us at this point in our trip and we proceeded along the waterway slowly following behind the others as usual. However, the train bridges which are usually left in the raised position were each down in succession for train traffic as we made our way thereby reminding me of the turtle and the hare story each time Overtime caught up to the go-fast boats.
We were soon into the Norfolk area with the Naval ships, we saw at least five aircraft carriers and numerous other warships lining our way as we slowly crossed the James River and entered the Hampton River to find our next home, the Hampton Public Pier.
Two incidents that happened this past week:
1) There is a lady, not sure of her age, who was doing the loop solo, meaning no companion aboard... no husband, boyfriend, lovers, ex-lover, nada. She had been traveling with other boaters and they were all tied to the dock at the Atlantic Yacht Basin about two days following our stint at that marina. Transient boats do not pull into slips at this marina, rather they pull alongside a long dock located along the canal's bank. On this particular night, rain was in the forecast so this lady spent the night on a friends boat because hers has a leak above her bed. Around 1:00 am a barge got loose from the tug and crashed into her boat, thank goodness she wasn't aboard. The boat didn't sink but was a total loss.
2) A couple aboard Carter's Cove lost their boat due to fire, burned all the way to the water line. We had traveled with them for a few days back on the Tombigbee Waterway.
Kim’s Korner:
Hampton – what a history lesson this area brings! Let’s start with Jamestown – or Fort James as it was first named. Jamestown was the first capital of Virginia. There really isn’t much to look at now but… they are able to make you imagine… a two-acre triangular fort enclosed by a mere wooden fence where 300 people settled. Indians which at first were friendly but quickly turned to a foe. Can you imagine 300 people living on two acres and being afraid for your life to leave those two acres? The first winter brought disease and famine and 80% perished – only 60 survived. Cannibalism was not unheard of – not murder – but severe hunger brought dire results… Can you imagine living in such dire circumstances while answering to a country that was an ocean away?
Next was Williamsburg, which eventually became the capital of Virginia for a while. Colonial Williamsburg is a combination of the original and the restoration of the original. Historians dressed in colonial costumes line the streets and give narratives explaining life during colonial times. Many African Americans were enslaved during this time. We toured the Governer’s Palace, the Capitol and engaged in a courtroom re-enactment. It was very interesting and very well done. This was a town that answered to the country of England but… the town was restless as many wanted to declare independence from England and become their own nation.
The next day was a visit to the Yorktown National Battlefield. So… The Declaration of Independence was signed in Philadelphia on July 4, 1776. War then took place between America and England. The French took our (Americans) side and the last big battle was fought at Yorktown in 1781. England surrendered – which means they asked for surrender negotiations – which took place at the Moore house in Yorktown. The British did surrender to the Americans and French at Yorktown but the war was not final until the Treaty of Paris was signed two years later in 1783. Really interesting… and not what I remember from my history classes at all… but I thought history was the most boring subject during my adolescent years so what do I know. We took a driving tour of the battlefield and let me just say that the fields and forest we drove through were exceptionally beautiful! It is springtime and green abounded and it was one of the most beautiful drives we’ve ever taken.
History class dismissed and reality reigns! We now have several days of weather to endure before we leave Hampton. Laundry, provisioning and planning the next leg of our trip will consume these next few days. Think about how much planning goes into a week long vacation – where to stay, what to see, where to eat… All these questions come to mind as we look at the next step in our journey. It can get very overwhelming as we add weather and large bodies of water to these variables which may change a well-made plan. I’m not complaining, just saying that it can be overwhelming at times. This has been an amazing journey! I have been disappointed at times in not being able to do all I would like but…. I know that I can’t begin to see everything on this adventure that I would like and… I can honestly say that everything we have experienced has been wonderful and I feel very lucky to be able to experience the paths we have been able to take.
Hampton Area Pictures!
1) There is a lady, not sure of her age, who was doing the loop solo, meaning no companion aboard... no husband, boyfriend, lovers, ex-lover, nada. She had been traveling with other boaters and they were all tied to the dock at the Atlantic Yacht Basin about two days following our stint at that marina. Transient boats do not pull into slips at this marina, rather they pull alongside a long dock located along the canal's bank. On this particular night, rain was in the forecast so this lady spent the night on a friends boat because hers has a leak above her bed. Around 1:00 am a barge got loose from the tug and crashed into her boat, thank goodness she wasn't aboard. The boat didn't sink but was a total loss.
2) A couple aboard Carter's Cove lost their boat due to fire, burned all the way to the water line. We had traveled with them for a few days back on the Tombigbee Waterway.
Kim’s Korner:
Hampton – what a history lesson this area brings! Let’s start with Jamestown – or Fort James as it was first named. Jamestown was the first capital of Virginia. There really isn’t much to look at now but… they are able to make you imagine… a two-acre triangular fort enclosed by a mere wooden fence where 300 people settled. Indians which at first were friendly but quickly turned to a foe. Can you imagine 300 people living on two acres and being afraid for your life to leave those two acres? The first winter brought disease and famine and 80% perished – only 60 survived. Cannibalism was not unheard of – not murder – but severe hunger brought dire results… Can you imagine living in such dire circumstances while answering to a country that was an ocean away?
Next was Williamsburg, which eventually became the capital of Virginia for a while. Colonial Williamsburg is a combination of the original and the restoration of the original. Historians dressed in colonial costumes line the streets and give narratives explaining life during colonial times. Many African Americans were enslaved during this time. We toured the Governer’s Palace, the Capitol and engaged in a courtroom re-enactment. It was very interesting and very well done. This was a town that answered to the country of England but… the town was restless as many wanted to declare independence from England and become their own nation.
The next day was a visit to the Yorktown National Battlefield. So… The Declaration of Independence was signed in Philadelphia on July 4, 1776. War then took place between America and England. The French took our (Americans) side and the last big battle was fought at Yorktown in 1781. England surrendered – which means they asked for surrender negotiations – which took place at the Moore house in Yorktown. The British did surrender to the Americans and French at Yorktown but the war was not final until the Treaty of Paris was signed two years later in 1783. Really interesting… and not what I remember from my history classes at all… but I thought history was the most boring subject during my adolescent years so what do I know. We took a driving tour of the battlefield and let me just say that the fields and forest we drove through were exceptionally beautiful! It is springtime and green abounded and it was one of the most beautiful drives we’ve ever taken.
History class dismissed and reality reigns! We now have several days of weather to endure before we leave Hampton. Laundry, provisioning and planning the next leg of our trip will consume these next few days. Think about how much planning goes into a week long vacation – where to stay, what to see, where to eat… All these questions come to mind as we look at the next step in our journey. It can get very overwhelming as we add weather and large bodies of water to these variables which may change a well-made plan. I’m not complaining, just saying that it can be overwhelming at times. This has been an amazing journey! I have been disappointed at times in not being able to do all I would like but…. I know that I can’t begin to see everything on this adventure that I would like and… I can honestly say that everything we have experienced has been wonderful and I feel very lucky to be able to experience the paths we have been able to take.
Hampton Area Pictures!
Thursday, May 4, 2017
Carolina Beach State Park Marina to Dowry Creek Marina
Kim’s Korner:
From Carolina Beach State Park, we stopped overnight at Swan Pointe Marina. This marina had recently changed hands and did not have the personality that we had heard about. We had planned on anchoring outside Camp Lejeune but we were tired as we hadn’t slept well the night before and the wind had picked up so were glad just to have a place to tie to and get some rest without worrying about whether the anchor was drifting in the middle of the night. The next morning, we left in water that looked like glass – a definite change from our arrival the day before – and headed north to Beaufort, NC.
I have found that I like Beaufort, NC very much. We arrived on a Saturday after dodging weekend boaters. After getting settled, we found our way down to the waterfront district which was bustling with people and had a delicious meal at The Front Street Grill. Afterward, we walked the streets enjoying all the old historic homes – some big, some small but all were well maintained, many with pretty gardens and patios. It was interesting that the riverfront area was full of life and a street away was quiet and peaceful – both really nice. During our stay, we saw wild horses on the uninhabited islands where boaters gather at low tide with folding chairs to enjoy the water and sunshine. I found myself overwhelmed at the Beaufort Olive Oil Company but after sampling more than my share, I finally made a purchase. If you are interested, check it out at http://www.beaufortoliveoil.com . We met some very nice people while we had breakfast at the Beaufort Cafe and enjoyed fresh shrimp right off the boats at Homer Smith’s Dock and Marina where we stayed.
We are still learning about how the tides, currents, and wind all work together and how they can affect a slow moving boat like ours. We normally average about 8 MPH and a strong current can slow us to almost 2 MPH or it can speed us up to 11 MPH. Currents and the wind can also make a larger body of water rough and choppy. Inlets, bays, and sounds (basically all the same thing – openings to the ocean) can also make travel interesting. It can get stressful at times trying to decide if it’s safe to go or best to wait. We have weather apps we look at it but when they all say something a bit different, what do you do? Our boat does not handle waves from the side very well – I mean, she can handle them – it just makes for a very uncomfortable ride. We zig-zagged across the Neuse River due to it being choppy and having some rollers hitting us on the side but the zig-zagging worked so we are learning.
We stopped overnight at Whittaker Pointe Marina in Oriental, NC and left early in the morning to continue on to Dowry Creek Marina near Belhaven, NC. We were given the best place in the Marina as our aft deck looks out onto a virgin creek. It seems like we are anchored here and are the only ones within miles – very nice. We have good wifi for a change but no cell coverage – lol. Storms and winds are expected tonight and tomorrow so we plan to wait here until the weather cooperates again. We made it into Belhaven last night for an absolutely wonderful meal at Spoon River Artworks and Market. I wondered about the word “art” being in its name but after seeing how the food was presented and how it tasted, I totally understood that this food was definitely a work of art. This is one of those unique restaurants you find only a few times in your life where the whole meal makes for an unforgettable experience rather than just another good meal. The owner explained to us that she and her husband had just finalized that day the purchase of additional buildings on the block where they plan to expand their kitchen, have a separate room for private functions as well as a store for their homemade items such as jams, jellies, and bakery items. I expect their endeavor to be extremely successful!
Carolina Beach State Park Pictures!
Beaufort NC Pictures!
Belhaven NC Pictures!
From Carolina Beach State Park, we stopped overnight at Swan Pointe Marina. This marina had recently changed hands and did not have the personality that we had heard about. We had planned on anchoring outside Camp Lejeune but we were tired as we hadn’t slept well the night before and the wind had picked up so were glad just to have a place to tie to and get some rest without worrying about whether the anchor was drifting in the middle of the night. The next morning, we left in water that looked like glass – a definite change from our arrival the day before – and headed north to Beaufort, NC.
I have found that I like Beaufort, NC very much. We arrived on a Saturday after dodging weekend boaters. After getting settled, we found our way down to the waterfront district which was bustling with people and had a delicious meal at The Front Street Grill. Afterward, we walked the streets enjoying all the old historic homes – some big, some small but all were well maintained, many with pretty gardens and patios. It was interesting that the riverfront area was full of life and a street away was quiet and peaceful – both really nice. During our stay, we saw wild horses on the uninhabited islands where boaters gather at low tide with folding chairs to enjoy the water and sunshine. I found myself overwhelmed at the Beaufort Olive Oil Company but after sampling more than my share, I finally made a purchase. If you are interested, check it out at http://www.beaufortoliveoil.com . We met some very nice people while we had breakfast at the Beaufort Cafe and enjoyed fresh shrimp right off the boats at Homer Smith’s Dock and Marina where we stayed.
We are still learning about how the tides, currents, and wind all work together and how they can affect a slow moving boat like ours. We normally average about 8 MPH and a strong current can slow us to almost 2 MPH or it can speed us up to 11 MPH. Currents and the wind can also make a larger body of water rough and choppy. Inlets, bays, and sounds (basically all the same thing – openings to the ocean) can also make travel interesting. It can get stressful at times trying to decide if it’s safe to go or best to wait. We have weather apps we look at it but when they all say something a bit different, what do you do? Our boat does not handle waves from the side very well – I mean, she can handle them – it just makes for a very uncomfortable ride. We zig-zagged across the Neuse River due to it being choppy and having some rollers hitting us on the side but the zig-zagging worked so we are learning.
We stopped overnight at Whittaker Pointe Marina in Oriental, NC and left early in the morning to continue on to Dowry Creek Marina near Belhaven, NC. We were given the best place in the Marina as our aft deck looks out onto a virgin creek. It seems like we are anchored here and are the only ones within miles – very nice. We have good wifi for a change but no cell coverage – lol. Storms and winds are expected tonight and tomorrow so we plan to wait here until the weather cooperates again. We made it into Belhaven last night for an absolutely wonderful meal at Spoon River Artworks and Market. I wondered about the word “art” being in its name but after seeing how the food was presented and how it tasted, I totally understood that this food was definitely a work of art. This is one of those unique restaurants you find only a few times in your life where the whole meal makes for an unforgettable experience rather than just another good meal. The owner explained to us that she and her husband had just finalized that day the purchase of additional buildings on the block where they plan to expand their kitchen, have a separate room for private functions as well as a store for their homemade items such as jams, jellies, and bakery items. I expect their endeavor to be extremely successful!
Carolina Beach State Park Pictures!
Beaufort NC Pictures!
Belhaven NC Pictures!
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