Back In Deltaville For The Summer!

Friday May 29

This morning we were not in a hurry, we had to wait for the 8AM opening of the Deep Creek Lock. Robert is the lock master today and we know never to be in a hurry. We love to visit with him and hear about local stories of the area and people. Robert is well known by all the cruisers for his friendship and great personality. If you mention Deep Creek Lock to another cruiser, they immediately ask if you met Robert. Robert has a garden in front of the lock house and in it are conch shells from all over that have been given to him from fellow cruisers. We gave him one our last time though. We told him next year we would be going to the Bahamas and promised to bring him another one.

After leaving the Dismal Swamp we traveled the distance of the ICW though Norfolk, VA. It should have been quick but we, you guessed it, hit the two train bridges closed for a train. Did I mention a slow train. We also had to wait at the only traffic bridge for an opening. See you have to have great patience to travel on the water way. It is certainly a lesson we have learned, to never be in a hurry or on a schedule. We come across cruisers all the time that have yet to learn these important lessons. I'm sure there are some that never learn.

After leaving the Elizabeth River and crossing the James river, we anchored at Old Point Comfort in Hampton, VA. When we arrived we were the first. It was early in the day around 2PM. By days end around four other boats joined us. It was a quiet night, restful night.

The first picture is of a Naval ship dry docked for maintenance. The second picture is of a Navel ship being piloted to a dock in the restricted area for Naval ships. We are always amazed how close we come to these ships. If you get too close though, you can be sure a small gun boat will great you.

Saturday May 30

Today was our last day of travel and we were anxious to get under way before the winds picked up. They were predicted to be out of the North and on our nose and we would also be fighting the current. We picked up our anchor and were under way by 7AM. It took us 8 hours to arrive in Deltaville. When the wind and current are favorable we make it in much less time. It felt good to know we were finished with our travels for now. We plan to work during the Summer to build the cruising kitty and do some needed repairs on the boat. Everyone at Regatta Point seemed happy to see us as we were to see them.

The picture is of the beautiful sunset we were treated to our first night back.

Tuesday June 2

Day one of repairs! The picture is of Larry as he replaces our macerator pump on our holding tank. It was a very tight squeeze to get into the compartment that it was in. It had been originally installed so tight that the bolts that held the two parts together had sheered off. They were no where to be found. Larry took off about 1/4 inch from one of the hose and the fit was much better. A boat flexes with the movement of the water and being crammed in so tight is not a good thing. From the beginning we have always had a smell coming from the tank and now feel it has had a slight leak from the beginning. Not a pleasant odor to have. We had to remove everything stored in the aft lockers and scrub the fiberglass bottoms. Thank goodness we had placed plastic drain mats down before filling up the compartments. We had done this because of moisture that forms on the outside hull. It had also protected our stored stuff from the leakage. Something we had not planned on. All is well and we smell better now.

Larry started to work for the marina but will only work 20 hours. This leaves him leeway to drive the Sea Tow boat and work a few days at West Marine. Working at West Marine gives us good discounts and with the needed repairs it will help. I start to work Tuesday sewing for a local canvas shop two days a week. I will apply for West Marine also but only want two days a week there also.

We have seen a lot of rain the end of our first week here. There is always a shortage of rain fall here even though many thunderstorms move though the area. Today the sun is shinning bright and the breeze is bowing and the temperature is very pleasant. I'm sure we will have the air conditioner running this Summer but it sure is pleasant to have the boat open for now.

Friday of this coming week we will ride the motorcycle to Rochester, NY. We will visit with family and have an inspection taken for the cycle. We would register the cycle in VA. to save having to go to NY by cycle if they had the same rider on insurance for car rental. Lets hope the weather will be kind to us.

Tonight we plan to get together with our friends Greti and Richard on M/V Uschi. They won't be spending the Summer here this year but will travel to New England. They will spend a month here at the end of Summer before retuning to Florida by car. They plan to leave early tomorrow morning. It's good to spend a little time with them before they leave.

Lake Drummond

Monday May 25, Memorial Day
This morning we were under way by 7 AM. We have a long day ahead of us and depending on the current who knows how far we will get. We would like to get though the Pungo Canal but it is 24 miles long and now where to anchor within it. We arrived at the canal by 6 Pm, too late to go though. There are many tree stumps along the sides of the canal and a boat that went though after dark hit one last year and sank. We anchored off on the Pungo River a place we had not used before. We had good water depth and protection from the wind and waves. We will definitely use this one again.

Tuesday May 26
Again we were under way by 7 AM. We traveled the 24 miles of the canal along with several other sailboats and of course we were passed by many power boats. They were not necessarily traveling North back home for the Summer but were local boats cruising for the Summer. Many of them go to New England or the Chesapeake.

When we left the canal we then traveled up the Alligator River to the Alligator River Bridge. After going though the bridge opening we stopped at the Alligator River Marina and took on fuel. Larry felt that this fuel would last us til we got to Deltaville. After fueling we headed across the Albemarle Sound. The wind had begun to pick up and the fetch was growing on the sound. It was a little uncomfortable and got worse in the middle then eased up some on the other side. When we made our turn to go up the Pasquotank River the wind and waves were coming from behind us, this flattened out the boat and the rolling stopped. We had motor sailed across the sound but the waves were greater than the wind and the sails didn't help much. We arrived in Elizabeth City when the bridge came off restriction and we caught an opening shortly after 6 PM.
We transited though the bridge and continued on up the river to Goat Island, where we dropped our hook along with two other boats. It had been a long day, a little over 11 hours of travel. It felt good to stop for the evening and have dinner and a good nights sleep.
















Wednesday May 27
Last night we discussed taking our time this morning and catching the 11AM bridge and lock opening at South Mills. I knew we would be up early and said why not go for the 8 AM opening that would get us at the Visitors Center around 10AM. We had planned to spend the night at the center. Getting there early would give us more time to visit the new State Park Center on the West side of the canal. That is what we did and it was worth it. We spent several hours viewing the center and walking the new board walk. After which we borrowed the courtesy bikes at the Visitors Center and took a ride on the nature trail. Of course we got caught in the rain but it was only a shower. It was a very warm day so it felt good. Along the way the only nature we came across was one dead snake and one very long, very alive one. That was enough nature for me.

The picture is of the new pontoon foot bridge, which gives you access to the center on the West side. They have been working on it the last two trips though for us. One of the rangers told us it has already been struck by lightening twice and cost a small fortune to fix.

Thursday May 28

This morning we were the last ones to leave the dock at the center. We were in no hurry we were only going about five miles to the dock on the East side of the canal by the feeder ditch. When we arrived another boat was already tied up. When we ask how long they were going to be there they said a few hours and that it was OK to raft up to them. We did and then got into the dinghy for a ride up the feeder ditch to Lake Drummond.

The ride in the feeder ditch was quiet and very scenic. We had hoped to see some wild life but it didn't happen. The picture above is of the dam that controlls the water flow that feeds the canal. The boat house is for the lock tender that arrives by boat. We turned to the port ( left ) and followed the water way to the lift. Where we placed our dinghy on the rails and proceeded to move it across the land to the other side where we placed it in the water again.

This picture is of our dinghy as it took a ride on the rail car.

Our breath was taken away by the view that awaited us when we emerged out onto the lake. It was a perfect day not a breath of wind to disturb the water. You can see by the pictures the water acted as a mirror for the landscape and the sky. I took many pictures and it was hard to choose for the blog. They were all magnificent.

We rode along the shore being careful not to get too close as to snag on a stump. As you can see, some of the trees are growing out in the water. We arrived on the other side and came straight back in the middle of the lake. With nothing disturbing the water you could look out over the bow of the boat and almost think you were on a movie set. The landscape was a painted picture for the back drop and the dinghy was nothing but a prop with a recording for the sound of the engine. What an experience we were very glad we made the stop. We have passed by many times and we always say we need to stop. I'm so glad we did today.

We arrived back at the boat around 1PM and both us and the boat we were rafted to set out to make the 3PM bridge opening at Deep Creek. We didn't go though the lock, we will do that at 8AM tomorrow morning. We both went to the Elizabeth Dock and tied up for the night.

Larry and I went for a walk to stretch our legs and see what the grocery store had to offer. We picked up a few things. When we got back to the boat we went over for a cocktail on our neighbors boat. We called it an early evening, tomorrow would be a long day.

Visiting In New Burn, NC

Wednesday May 20
We left very early around 6:45 AM for a very long day. We traveled up the Cape Fear River going into the wind and current, seeing only around 4 knots of speed. Some waves were breaking over our bow but not bad only around 1 to 2 footers. It was just a slow go of it. After a twelve hour day we dropped the hook in Mile Hammock Bay, in the middle of the navel base for some dinner and hopefully a good nights sleep. It wasn't long after we arrived that we saw the sunset in the picture.

Thursday May 21

We woke to another 6:45 exit out of the anchorage to make the bridge opening at 8 AM. These long days are starting to get to us. It will be good to call it quits in Deltaville.

Today we traveled though Beaufort, NC and on our way we passed by this big guy. He was hauling phosphates (chemicals) and had signage all over his barge with warnings. I didn't want to get too close and would not want to be crew aboard his ship.

We anchored in Cedar Creek for the night. There were a few other boats that seemed to be traveling for the Memorial holiday weekend. Most were out of New Burn, NC, our next stop.

Friday May 22

This morning we were in no great hurry but were up early as usual. Our days voyage was a short one from our last nights anchorage to New Burn, NC. We traveled up the Neuse River to the this quaint little town. Upon arrival we headed to the Skip Jack Marina for fuel. After fueling we headed to the anchorage between the two bridges. The main bridge is a lift bridge and has been under construction for a year and a half, so it is open permanently til construction is complete. We traveled though it and had to wait for the train bridge to open. This took 45 minutes. This bridge is normally open accept when a train is coming though. We seem to manage to always be at the train bridges when they are coming. As luck would have it there was a delay and we along with five other boats on the other side had to wait. The bridge tender finally opened to let us pass before the train arrived. It was kind of neat to watch the train pass when it did finally arrive.

When we got settled our friend Kathy met us at the boat ramp/dinghy dock to show us the town. She had just moved into a new apartment the weekend before, so we got to see her new home. We also met her friend Annie, they both moved here from Rochester, NY four years ago. Annie has a massage business at her house and stays very busy. Kathy works in a dentists office and also works part time for Food Lion. She worked part of today and has tomorrow off. In the evening the four of us went to dinner at a restaurant that has a fresh fish market next door. I don't need to tell you how fresh and good the fish was.

Saturday May 22

The picture is of the little ducks male and female that came to great us early this morning. I think they went to all the boats for handout. A while later they were joined by to more male ducks and the battle for the female began. Our little friend held his own and the other two left.

This morning Kathy met us at the dinghy dock around 10 AM. We were headed for Super Wal*Mart and Lowes for propane and groceries. When we returned Larry took our supplies out to the boat and Kathy and I set out for an adventure. Larry wasn't interested in shopping and going to lunch, besides he had some chores he wanted to get done.

When were returned late afternoon Larry brought Kathy and I out to the boat by dinghy. We had invited her and Annie for dinner. The picture is of Kathy when we arrived on the boat. We didn't know if Annie would be joining us or not. She did call and Larry went to shore to bring her out. I had cooked a roasting chicken on the grill. It was a beautiful evening and after dinner we visited until dark. We said our good byes and Larry took the girls back to shore. If the weather is still warm when we pass though in the Fall we will make a stop in New Burn, if not we'll do it in the Spring. It was great to see Kathy and meet Annie.

Sunday May 23

This morning we traveled the short distance on the Neuse River to Blackbeard Sailing Club. We are going to visit George and Carol the couple in the picture. We met them in Marathon at Boot Key Harbor City Marina. They were on the mooring ball next to us. They, also like us are former Lake Ontario Sailors. They belonged to Putneyville Yacht Club.

When we arrived at the sailing club we were greeted by several of it's members, George being one of them. When we got our lines secured, George gave us a tour of the grounds and club house. It reminded me a lot of the club we were members of on Lake Ontario, Brockport Yacht Club. The people were friendly and the club house had a great view of the water with a big deck.

George and Carol invited us to their house for the evening for dinner. George came to get us in his car around 4:30. They live in a gated community but it is very rural with lots of trees and space between the houses. In fact you don't really see the neighbor houses when you look out the windows. It was a beautiful setting with all the wooded areas. We had a lovely dinner and great visit. They don't plan to cruise South next year so we hope to stop on the way down or back to see them again.

Friday May 15

We made it passed Georgetown, the current was carrying us along at a good speed. We dropped the hook in Thoroughfare Creek and the picture is of the bluff on shore. This creek gets it's name from all the small boat traffic that come though from the creek up stream and the river down stream. When we arrived two small boats we at shore having some libations with another man. The two with the boats left and the other man stayed. We don't know where he was living because there were no houses that we could see from the water. It was very quiet and dark that night. Kinda made it eerie wondering where that man went. All in all it was a good anchorage.

A friend of ours said when he anchors there he swims to shore and takes a picture of his boat from on top of the bluff. There was no way we were going in that water, when we were in route today we saw a large gator in the river. Larry thought it was a log until it started to move and upon further inspection with the binoculars, he was big.

Saturday May 16

We woke very early and were underway by 7 AM this morning. The tide was against us all day today on our ride to Barefoot Landing, Myrtle Beach, S Carolina. It made for a slow go compared to yesterday.

You can see from the picture the low hanging clouds on the water. It continued to rain in spurts on us all day. In between the rains the sun would show it's face for a while but then the clouds would move in again. We got to Barefoot Landing Resort and Marina early afternoon, fueled up and took a dock. This area is known as the ditch and has very little to offer in the way of anchoring. We have been to this marina in the past and like it here. We have access to the pool and hot tub which make it worth the stay. While we were at the pool our friend Norman came up, he and Nancy had just arrived. We were just wondering about them and where they were a few days ago and here they are. It seems to work that way. That evening we got together with them on our boat for cocktails. They plan to go to Southport tomorrow and take a dock because of the predicted bad weather to come. We are not sure what we will do. We Plan to make that decision tomorrow underway.

I took this shot underway to Barefoot Landing. It is a bridge that is under construction a few miles south of Barefoot Landing. If you look real close you can see one option to keeping your boat from being waked by the passing boats. Just below the bridge at the end of the crane cable is a small powerboat suspended in mid air. I guess there is a first for every thing, I not seen this technique before.

Sunday May 17

We left the dock this morning just before 7 Am along with our friends Norm and Nancy on S/V True Loev and three other sailing vessels from across at another marina. We had a swing bridge first thing and we all went through together. I was the lucky one to be doing the driving though the area known as the rock pile. It is a strip of the ICW that is not only narrow but has rock under the water on both sides. The first time down through this area it was at high tide and we couldn't see the rocks and what the fuss was all about. The next time thorough was at low tide and we could see what the fuss was all about and it was pretty scary. We now have been though several times and we stay alert and in the center. That way we stay out of harms way.

While we were under way it was evident that the weather prediction was going to come true. We called ahead via cellular phone and made a reservation for the marina in Southport. Normally we go to the South Harbor Marina but it is too far from the town and if we are going to get stuck here for a few days we want to be able to go for a walk and see things. We arrived mid afternoon and tied to the dock just before the winds go too strong.

Our friends were surprised and glad to see us. We also found another couple we met in Marathon at the docks. They had been here for three days already.

When we were finished checking in we went for a walk into town to check it out. It was still warm but down by the river the wind was strong and much cooler. We walked back and just in time for the skies to open up and down pour. It was quite a wet night and continued to rain all night.

Monday May 18

We slept in this morning later than we normally do. I think it was because it was so dark out side and still drizzling. I cooked us breakfast and we just hung out on the boat until late in the afternoon. We had talked about taking a cab to the super Wal*Mart but just couldn't get up the ambition to go. Finally late in the afternoon our friends Norm and Nancy ask us if we wanted to walk into town with them. We took a walk but not much was happening due to the weather. We walked to the health food store and then to a cafe for a cup of java. We returned to the boat and stayed there for the rest of the evening.

Tuesday May 19

This morning we got up and made plans with both sets of friends to share a cab to Wal*Mart around 10:30 AM. This got us moving. We needed a boost, the weather is still not good and the gale force winds warning is still in effect. A good day to stay put. When we returned form Wal*Mart we had lunch and I gave Larry a trim on his beard and mustache. Norm came over to ask if we would like to get together for a pot luck dinner at his boat. We accepted and will see them tonight.

I wish the wind would stop howling, I'm getting tired of listening to it. The prediction is for it to lessen but still 15 to 20 in the morning. We plan to leave early unless something is to change.

Wednesday May 13
Today was a good day to stay put. The picture is of the ocean and the gray sky. We enjoyed our day visiting with Phil. Dianne was at her daughter's house but we got to visit some when she came home.

They were kind to us and let us use their washer and dryer. I desperately needed to do laundry. It was coming out of the wet locker at me. Phil, Larry and I took a break in between loads and went to lunch and for a drive to see the area. They live in a gated community on a golf course. The Isle of Palms is an island just North of Charleston and on the East side of the ICW. It's very peaceful here at the dock and protected.

Thursday May 14

We made the decision last night to stay another day. We still had some work to do on the boat even with all the cleaning and laundry we did yesterday. The weather was still threatening thunderstorms this morning and though the afternoon. We felt it was a good choice on our part.

When I got up this morning I baked a banana bread and Phil and Dianne came over for coffee. We had a good visit, but a short one, they had things to do as they are getting ready to cruise on their boat next week. They may even catch up with us before we get to the Chesapeake. If not we will see them in Deltaville.

Phil needed to go to Wal*Mart and we tagged along. I got to ride with the cute little gal you see in the picture. Her name is Sailor and she will be going with Phil and Dainne on their cruise.

Tomorrow morning we plan to get a early start before the wind begins to blow. We should make it to Georgetown, SC, where we will anchor for the night.

Still In Charleston!

Monday, May 11

Today we just hung out and read until late in the afternoon. The sun was shinning but thunderstorms were predicted. After lunch we took the dinghy and went to shore. We took the short walk to the health food store. The sky was cloudy when we left and it looked like we were going to get wet again but by the time we walked back the sun was out again. When we returned to the boat the air temperature took a quick dive and we didn't last long in the cockpit.















Tuesday, May 12

We woke to a chilly 55 degrees this morning, we ate breakfast and began to raise our anchors. We don't as rule put down two anchors so we had to coordinate our efforts in raising them. I had to dive slowly in forward while Larry by hand bought up the first anchor and by winch let out the second anchor. The first anchor was the one we were being held by, the current was still on the incoming tide. When he got the first one up we move back by way of the current to the other anchor. It was gentle enough that he brought up the second one while we were moving back to it. All in all it went quite well but Larry had a back ache from the strain of lifting the anchor by hand. On our thirty foot Hunter the anchor windless was called Larry. I guess he is out of practice.

We arrived at the boat yard to have our mast stepped around 10AM. You can see by the picture it is being rigged by the crew in the parking lot. Larry and I mounted our new mast head light. It went smooth lets hope it works when they are all down.

We're getting there! The crane has the mast on the boat and the crew is attaching the stays.

We were hoping to make the bridge before it goes on restriction but it is now 3 PM and they are still tuning the rig.

It's 4 PM and the main sail is on and we are pushing off the dock. The wind has picked up and the chop is building in the harbor and we have a two hour wait for the bridge. We rode around in the harbor for a period of time then entered the ICW again and waited near the bridge. It was 6 Pm when we went though the bridge opening. We had about another hour of travel to get to Isle of Palms were we had a dock for the night, thanks to our friends Phil and Dianne. We were pretty tired by the time we arrived but glad to get tied up, have a shower, some dinner and go to bed early.

Mother's Day In Charleston, SC

This morning we got an early start to the city. We docked the dinghy at the city marina and walked one block to meet the DASH Bus. We rode the bus around the city to the visitors center. From there we walked to the Fort Sumter Monument, where we boarded the ferry to Fort Sumter. In the picture of the fort you can see the ferry in the back ground. The entire trip lasted about two and one half hours. The ride out and back and the talk at the fort totaled about two hours. We would have liked more time to walk around the fort. They now allow you to take your personal boat out to the fort. We may anchor out and dinghy in for a longer stay next time.

The day started out sunny and quite warm but as you can see by the picture it got very over cast and threatening of thunderstorms. Before we left it started to sprinkle and just after we departed the boat at the mainland the skies opened up and down poured.

This was a shot across the inside of the complex. The original fort had two more stories but were fired upon during the Civil War and turned into rubble in the center and then eventually removed. I can't fathom living on the fort during the Civil War or any other time. The soldiers were isolated and captive for months while being fired upon. If your interested in more on the fort go to www.nps.gov/fosu

After the rain let up we walked to the Market area again and found a place to have lunch. We didn't stay in the city as long as on Friday. Of course the rain began to fall again on our dinghy ride back. We were pretty soaked by the time we arrived at the boat. It was just like taking a trip on the cycle we always get wet on the return trip. In fact we saw a large group of cycles while we were eating lunch. Bet they got pretty wet too.