Washington DC

Our second and final day on the Potomac was just as exciting as our first. We passed Mount Vernon and then Fort Washington. As the Woodrow Wilson Bridge came into view, the Washington Monument also came into view in the distance. After passing the bridge, we then passed the former presidential yacht Sequoia, now a tour boat, going in the opposite direction. The Potomac is the flight path for Ronald Reagan National Airport, so soon it was one jet after another flying overhead. We made our way into the Washington Channel and followed it with the East Potomac Park to port and marinas to starboard. We anchored just across from the Capital Yacht Club. We have privileges at the Capital Yacht Club, where they are very nice and they gave us a warm welcome. The Washington Channel is the flight path for helicopters, and they are numerous. They pass directly over and not too far above our mast top. Pictured is the view from our cockpit during our first evening in Washington. We plan to stay here at least a week now that we have made the journey.

View From Ariel

On The Bay Again

We enjoyed our stay at the Bluewater Yachting Center. It is a well-run facility and very friendly. It is tight getting in and out, but it is one we would return to. We left Hampton on Memorial Day to take advantage of favorable winds. It was so good to be on the bay and to actually sail again. We knew Star Shadow was in Deltaville, our destination for the day, and we did reach Graham on the radio, but the wind strength and direction precluded us from getting close enough to their marina to visit. They were hauling out the next day and returning to Canada two days following. We enjoyed our time with Windsong, alternating dinners on Ariel and Windsong or going out for dinner together. We knew we would go our separate ways once we reached the Potomac. Alice called her friend Jane, who lives near St. Mary's. Jane's husband, Skip, recommended we anchor in Smith Creek and meet them for dinner at the marina there. It turned out to be a beautiful anchorage and very remote. We had a wonderful time with Skip and Jane. The next day was extremely windy, so we stayed put and enjoyed one more day together. Today, we started our trip up the Potomac to Washington, DC. We had a little excitement as we approached the Navy's Danlgren firing range. We could certainly hear the guns well in advance. As we approached, the Navy Range Patrol Boat contacted us and provided directions that would take us down the Maryland side of the range. As we were passing, they fired another salvo, and we watched the huge splashes in midriver. We are now about halfway to Washington and anchored just outside Port Tobacco.

Together Again

New Bern was a wonderful stop for us. We had not been there for several years and had never arrived by boat. As it happens, Rodger and Kathy from Talisman were on our dock, just a couple of boats away, so it was good to see them. They are also going to Maine this summer, so we are sure to see them again soon. Iain and Jan, and Ted and Alice finally caught up with us. Actually, we stopped long enough to let them catch up.  We wanted to see Iain and Jan before they left for Canada. They are such good friends, and we were so excited to see them and spend some time together. We managed to get the flavor of the marina and town. They have a wonderful farmer's market on Saturday mornings. Linda bought lots of fresh vegetables. We attended church at the United Methodist Church and immediately felt very much welcomed. After church, we stopped at a coffee shop, a popular spot for locals to discuss the day's topics. There we met Curt and Linda Wright, former cruisers who just moved to New Bern a year ago. Curt is an accomplished artist with paintings on display and for sale at the coffee shop and, of all places, Painted Post, New York. Curt and Linda lived in Dundee, New York, during their working careers. One interesting event while in town was rescuing some baby ducks. We were all out walking when we came upon a father and son working on removing a storm drain grate. The mother with her eight ducklings had crossed the street in front of his car. The ducklings were having trouble getting up and over the curb. One decided to go parallel to the curb, the others followed, and then one by one disappeared into the drain. Iain was the hero, hanging upside down in the drain and recovering the ducklings one by one. The young boy then carried them to the mother duck, who was frantically waiting off to the side. Once she had all her young, they were on their way again. We even had police assistance. The officer stopped to see what was going on and immediately jumped in to help.

We are now in Hampton, back where our adventure together all started. We had planned to anchor here again, but the city widened the channel so that there is really no room to anchor. We decided to stop at a marina for the holiday weekend. That decision turned out really well for Ted and Alice as they then invited their son Scott and his wife and two children to come spend a night on the boat. The children are very young (four and two), so being in a marina made it possible.

Ted, Alice, Iain, Jan, Norm, and Linda

Coming up the Virginia Cut. On our last day, we had six bridges
 and one lock, but it was a beautiful day for travel.

New Bern

We are spending a few days in New Bern, North Carolina. We are at the Sheraton Hotel and Marina. We are actually on a scouting mission. We are planning for 2009 and considering spending that summer in New Bern. The marina is downtown and, in addition to the typical marina amenities, it also provides hotel amenities such as the exercise room. New Bern, the second-oldest town in North Carolina, is situated where the Trent and Neuse Rivers meet. It is 23 miles up the Neuse River from mile marker 182 on the ICW. This puts it well off the beaten path.

Camp Lejeune

We are again at Mile Hammock on Camp Lejeune. This is one of our favorite stops. While we like variety, we prefer isolated locations. During the day, there are the sights and sounds of military exercises, but at night, this is a very peaceful and quiet place. It is a popular stop for many, so we are not alone here. Going ashore is not permitted, so everyone seems to use the time to relax and enjoy the natural surroundings from the comfort of their cockpits.

Jocks Lodge and Windsong are still two days behind us, as they have been for the past couple of weeks. We expect to stay in New Bern long enough for them to catch up. Iain and Jan are leaving Jocks Lodge in New Bern for a month while they fly home to Ontario.

Wrightsville Beach

We had planned to spend a couple of days in Wrightsville Beach, but we have now been here for five. The strong low-pressure system that generated so many tornadoes also brought high winds. We have seen long periods of sustained winds of 30 - 35 with higher gusts. Our anchorage is well protected, so the wave action is minimal. Bridges will not open in high winds, so we are staying put until it quiets down a little. This is a great place to wait it out. The town provides a very nice floating dock that is just one block from the beach. The beach, which is wide and flat, stretches for miles. This picture, taken from Ariel, shows how narrow the strip of land is between our anchorage and the Atlantic Ocean. The hotels front the beach.

Oops

We stopped at Calabash Creek, a spot we enjoyed on our trip south. It is right on the border with North Carolina. We had two other boats, both trawlers, join us later in the day. We were concerned when the pictured trawler anchored very close to shore. You must be sure you can safely swing in all 360 degrees. The wind picked up during the night, and these guys paid for their mistake. In reality, it is not as bad as it looks. They will just have to wait for the tide to come in, and they should be able to float off. We were on our way early to make the 8:00 am pontoon bridge opening. We are now in Wrightsville Beach and plan to stay a couple of days. The beach is literally a block away from the dinghy landing.

On The Waterway Again

We are back on the waterway, working our way northward. Before leaving Charleston on Monday morning, we spent Sunday afternoon back in the historic district. We took a much slower pace than on Saturday. We visited the Heyward-Washington house, located within the area of the original walled city. This brick double house was built in 1772 by rice planter Daniel Heyward as a townhouse for his son, Thomas Heyward, Jr. The city rented it for George Washington’s use during the President’s week-long Charleston stay in May 1791, and it has traditionally been called the “Heyward-Washington House.”

We started to get back into the feel of the waterway on Monday. The current was against us more than it was with us, and much of the day was near low tide; so we had a lot of skinny water. We stayed Monday night in Georgetown, but didn't go ashore. Today was a short day as we are positioning ourselves for the 'Rock Pile', a narrow area with a rocky bottom. We will go through tomorrow around noon at high tide and slack current. Yesterday we saw two alligators, each around 6 feet. We had all but given up on seeing alligators, not having seen any during all the time we spent in Florida. Today, we saw many Osprey nests, and they all seemed to have little ones.

Charleston - Finally

With good weather, we decided to go outside from the St. Marys River to Charleston. We actually made our decision during breakfast, so we quickly calculated the arrival time and got underway as soon as we were cleaned up. We first returned to Fernandina Beach Marina to top off our diesel fuel, and then we were off on an outgoing tide. The day was beautiful as forecast, with winds a little on the light side, so we motored-sailed. There was little traffic, just a few other northbound boats that had also left from St. Marys or St. Augustine, bound for Port Royal or Charleston. At one point, we saw a large object in the water about one boat length off our port side. We were so relieved we had not hit it, and then tried to figure out what it was. It was just at and below the surface. Just at that moment, it raised its head, and we realized we were looking at a very large leatherback sea turtle. Leatherbacks are large turtles, with adults weighing 700 to 2,000 pounds and measuring 4 to 8 feet long. By morning, the wind was even lighter, and the swell increased and was directly on the starboard beam, making for a very uncomfortable ride. There is a long entrance channel into Charleston Harbor that passes Fort Sumter. Right then and there, you know you are in a place of such historical significance. We had called Charleston City Marina on the Ashley River for reservations before we left, so we just needed our slip assignment when we arrived at about noon. We both were exhausted from lack of sleep, but we got the boat cleaned up and the laundry done so we could enjoy the weekend in historic Charleston. The marina provides van service to the downtown areas, so Saturday morning, we were off, beginning with a stop at the Old Market. There is so much to see and do. After spending a little time in the market, we took a horse-drawn tour of the East Battery area. After returning to the Old Market, we spent some more time there before setting out on our own walking tour. We visited the Old Exchange and Provost Dungeon and then the Edmonston-Alston Home. This home has 90% of the original furnishings and is still in the family that lives on the third floor. The homes in Charleston have very short front facades, modeled after those in London, which were taxed on frontage. This is very deceiving because they are very deep and the sides usually have beautiful piazzas. At the Edmonston-Alston Home, which is on the East Battery, the owners stood on their piazza as we did while touring, and watched the beginning of the Civil War when Confederate artillery opened fire on the Federal fort in Charleston Harbor at 4:30 am on April 12, 1861. There is so much to take in here that it will take a few more visits.

Haul Out Time

A lot has happened since leaving St. Augustine. We have had a very mild vibration or flutter with our Autoprop, especially in shallow water. Immediately on starting out from St. Augustine, the vibration was more severe than usual and of concern. We stopped at Pine Island, so Norm could dive on the prop to clean it. It was actually already pretty clean, and the effort did not improve the vibration. We had already planned a haul-out this summer to raise the waterline, so we decided to advance the date and do the haul-out at Fernandina Beach. In addition to changing the waterline, we would also change to our standard prop and add the dynaplates for the SSB radio ground. Fernandina Beach had been recommended to us as a great stop. Fernandina Harbor Marina has recently added a mooring field, and we decided to take a mooring for a week. The tidal range is 7', so the currents are swift. The mooring fee included use of the dinghy dock, water, and shower facilities. The marina is right in the heart of downtown. It is a wonderful and friendly town and has quickly become a favorite for us. The only real negative is a nearby pulp mill, which is odorous when the wind is in the wrong direction. We made arrangements with Tiger Point Marina and Boatyard to haul Ariel. They have a small yard on Egan Creek in Fernandina Beach. We ordered bottom paint, and it was waiting for us when we arrived for the haul out. In all of our years dealing with boat yards, this was by far the best experience. They allow DIY and placed us near the restrooms/showers, provided 30 amp electrical service, water, and a ladder. They did a very thorough job of power washing the bottom and getting the boat very level on the stands. When we needed the prop pulled, they responded within 10 minutes. They are really geared toward cruising boats and allowed us to stay aboard in the yard. There were several other cruising boats in the yard with us. We will definitely return to Tiger Point for any future haul outs. We were hauled on a Thursday and launched the following Tuesday. We rented a car to have while doing the boat work, knowing we would have to run out for parts and supplies. We treated ourselves to a night at their dock after launching to give Ariel a good washing before we left. This was our first night in a marina since we left our marina last Labor Day. We are now at Cumberland Island. We are planning an offshore route to South Carolina, and we are looking forward to spending a few days in Charleston.

 

Pulling Ariel, now 30,000 pounds

Ready To Launch

St. Augustine

One of our highly anticipated stops on the way south was St. Augustine. We ended up passing it by trying to get to Titusville for the Space Shuttle launch, which was eventually delayed by months. So, on our return north, we have stopped in St. Augustine and are staying for a week or more. We had been here by car before, and it is a favorite of ours. This is really a very cruiser friendly stop. For a small daily fee, the Municipal Marina provides a dinghy dock, a good laundry, showers, a lounge, and is located right in the heart of downtown. We have a guest on board for a couple of weeks. Flat Stanley joined us just as we were about to leave Daytona. Flat Stanley is from Evelyn's kindergarten class. He is rather quiet, but we enjoy having him along. He enjoyed the ride from Daytona to St. Augustine along the ICW. In St. Augustine, we have shown him some of the sites, including Castillo de San Marcos, the fort. We wish he could stay longer, but he needs to get back soon.

Spring Vacation

After so much looking forward to our week with our son Daniel and his family in Daytona, it went by way too fast. We made it to Daytona late Sunday, a day later than we had hoped for. As soon as we were settled, we met Daniel, Lesli, and Thomas for dinner at the Aquarium Restaurant, which was close by and a convenient spot to meet and land our dinghy.

On Monday, they were off to Disney, so we had a day to recover and get the boat spruced up, as we had invited them to spend some time aboard Ariel on Tuesday. After fitting Thomas out with a new life jacket, we were off for a dinghy ride to Ariel. Everyone did well, and Thomas sat still and enjoyed the ride. We had a great day aboard, just enjoying each other's company. Of course, Grandpa started some early lessons on boat handling with Thomas. On Wednesday, we took advantage of having a car available and started replenishing our depleted food stores, and filled both propane tanks. We visited the Daytona Speedway. It was really enjoyable, with a Tram ride around the complex and along the racetrack.  They also have an IMAX theater, along with displays, including this year's winning car. On Friday, our last day with them, we all visited Steve and Dale in Palatka. We had a nice cookout (Steve's specialty) followed by a ride on their pontoon boat. It ended too soon, but it was a wonderful week for us.

Return

We left Green Turtle Cay on Easter Sunday, planning to anchor at Great Sale Cay on Monday afternoon before the next front arrived with strong northeast winds. It was a light drizzle all day, but we were well protected in our enclosure. We spent Sunday night at Allan-Pensacola Cay and continued on at first light Monday morning. Monday was cloudy, but a mostly dry day, and we were in our anchorage well before the winds began to build. Some boats were already there, and more arrived after that, so by nightfall, there were about 20 boats at this unpopulated cay. It was dead calm at dinner time, but shortly after dark, the winds built quickly to a sustained 25 knots, gusting to 35 knots. Two boats dragged anchor, one of which hit the anchor chain from a boat downwind. That boat let its anchor and chain go, averting potential disaster. It was a very bouncy night, but we managed well and held firm. It remained quite windy all day Tuesday, finally settling down on Wednesday. With calmer conditions on Wednesday, they were able to retrieve the anchor and chain that had been let go. A gale in the Atlantic northwest of us had generated a very large northeast swell. Throughout Wednesday, additional boats arrived to stage for the crossing. By the time we left on Wednesday night, we counted at least 45. Three of us decided to leave on Wednesday; the rest waited one more day for the swell to diminish somewhat. Tarwathie left at about 4:00 pm. Wind Chaser and Ariel left together at 9:00 pm as we had planned. We sailed about ½ mile off and parallel with Wind Chaser throughout the night. It was comforting to see their running lights in an otherwise empty Little Bahama Bank. We could still see the lights from our anchorage a few miles out. It looked like a small village had settled on Great Sale Cay. We cleared the bank at about 6:30 am, and then we each set our separate course, each setting up the best conditions for each particular boat. The swell was still quite substantial, but with a 10-second interval, very manageable. We steered a constant heading of 274 degrees, which is almost due west. We counted on the current to carry us 20 miles to the north. Our plan worked perfectly with only a minor correction at the end. Our arrival time could not have been worse. We faced a 2 ½ knot ebb current at the Fort Pierce inlet, which was met with the remainder of the northeast swell and pretty good northeast winds. The water in the inlet was boiling, but luckily, only for a short stretch. After getting the anchor down, we called Customs and Immigration to clear in with our Local Boater Option card. We were cleared very quickly. Wind Chaser arrived at Fort Pierce about one hour behind us. They continued on to Vero Beach, which is about another 15 miles north on the ICW. They did not have the Local Boater Option cards, so they were directed to appear in person at either Fort Pierce and Cape Canaveral. They rented a car to return to Fort Pierce and clear in at the airport. The next day, we proceeded to Cocoa. On Saturday, before leaving Cocoa, we went to the grocery store. We then were quickly on our way to Titusville, where we did laundry as soon as we arrived. Sunday, we were on our way for the home stretch after topping off the diesel fuel. It was a nice weekend day, so the waterway was packed with local boaters. We arrived at Daytona at 4:30 pm, having battled winds on the nose all afternoon. The whole point of this fast-paced return was to meet up with our son Daniel, his wife Lesli, and their three-year-old son Thomas. They are vacationing in the area this coming week. We made arrangements to meet Daniel, Lesli, and Thomas for dinner. As we were getting ready to head in, we saw Wind Chaser going by. We hailed them on the radio, and they had just spotted us and were making a U-turn to come into our anchorage. Today, Monday, we are just trying to catch our breath. Daniel and family are at Disney World. Wind Chaser stayed here today waiting on the wind to ease or change direction. We are looking forward to a great week with Daniel and Lesli and to the chance to spoil Thomas.

New Friend

We found a new friend sleeping under our boat. He seems content and has no immediate plans to move.

Waiting On Weather

It seems we are in for an extended wait for acceptable weather. The forecast had looked good for this coming weekend, but now it has deteriorated. The seas in the Gulf Stream are running very high, so we will wait it out at Great Turtle Cay. There are really no good, all-around protected anchorages after leaving here. There is the West End, but it is a marina that could get expensive if you're caught there for several days. We met Brian and Jan on Wind Chaser. They are from Lorain, Ohio, which is an area we know well from when we lived in the area. They have a condominium on the Black River in a complex we have toured by dinghy with friends. They also retired last summer. We have compared our plans, and they match up well, so we will cross the Gulf Stream together. Meanwhile, we are enjoying their company here at Green Turtle Cay. They have a son in the Navy stationed at Fernandina Beach, Florida, and we are destined for Daytona Beach. They plan to leave the boat there and fly to Atlanta to visit their daughter and babysit their grandchildren. We both would very much like to reach our destinations by the end of March.

Departing

Ted and Alice treated us and Jocks Lodge to dinner for our last night as a group. Also with us was Alice's friend Diane, who had just arrived from Philadelphia to spend a week with them. We went to a small restaurant frequented by locals. The place was packed, and we were the only cruisers there. Our meals were all very good, and most of us had sides of 'peas and rice' and 'baked macaroni and cheese', both of which are staples here and which we all enjoy. After dinner, we went out for 'Rake and Scrape'. On our first visit to Marsh Harbor, Norm met Browntips and learned he has a 'Rake and Scrape' band, so it has been a priority to see what this was all about. The rake and scrape sound comes from running a knife blade over the teeth of a bent carpenter's saw. The audience is free to jump in and play with the band. Linda was the first to give it a try, and she was quite good. She soon moved on to dancing (and learning some new moves) with one of the band members while Norm picked up the maracas and joined the band for a few songs. Believe it or not, Linda and Norm provided most of the audience participation. Our camera batteries failed, so we cannot share. I guess we were ready for fun during our last night out with the gang for a while. The next morning, we said our goodbyes again. We miss our good friends and look forward to seeing them back in Annapolis if not sooner. After leaving Marsh Harbor, we made another attempt to see Man-O-War. We entered at high tide and checked both mooring fields, but gave up, frustrated, as they were marked private, reserved, or not to be trusted. We anchored behind Garden Cay until the wind settled and then went back to our old anchorage at the north end. The next day, we took our dinghy in and walked to town. It is so amazing how each cay is so individualistic. This cay is very residential, with just golf cart paths and very few shops.  They do not really support tourism, so it is very quiet. We spent another night at our anchorage and then returned through the Whale Passage to Green Turtle Cay. They rate the passages on a scale of 1 - 5 for conditions, with 5 being the best. Our trip this time was a flat 5, which is as good as it gets, while our first time through was a doable 3. We are watching the weather in the safe harbor at Green Turtle Cay, and when we get the next window, we will cross back to Florida.

Pete's Pub

We have been waiting for a few days of settled weather to go to Little Harbor, which would be our furthest point south. The area between Elbow Cay and Little Harbor has several large openings to the Atlantic, so the swell makes it into the Sea of Abaco, and there is usually a strong surge around Little Harbor. We left Hopetown on a high tide, which was needed to exit the harbor. We arrived at Little Harbor about four hours later, but could not enter the protected harbor, as high tide is required to enter there as well. We anchored outside the harbor, but the wind was from the south and the surge from the east, so the boat had a tremendous roll.

Pete's Pub

We decided we did not want to wait a few more hours for high tide in those conditions, so we backtracked to Black Point Cat, the most protected area we could find to anchor. We anchored for the night, and then the next day returned to Little Harbor, again anchoring out but taking the dinghies into the harbor area. The main and only attraction in Little Harbor is Pete's Pub and Gallery. Pete Johnston is a Bronze Sculptor and the son of the late Professor and Sculptor Randolph Johnston, who founded this unique art foundry in this remote and beautiful area. After touring the gallery, we sought out the foundry, and they were so nice to give us a tour and fully explain the 'Lost Wax' process for creating bronze sculpture. After our foundry tour, we then stopped at Pete's Pub, which has a limited lunch menu that changes daily. The food was excellent and the atmosphere great, with sand at our feet. Quite a few spring breakers were there, so it was a fun time. While there, we met Ed and Dee off Sea Fox 10 and friends of Jocks Lodge. They had just arrived, coming north from the Exumas. However, we had to cut our visit short to allow time to snorkel at Sandy Cay. This is reported to be the best snorkeling in the Abacos. We anchored behind the cay, and Norm picked up Alice and Jan, and the three of us went snorkeling. We tied the dinghy to a mooring used by the commercial dive boats. While we could only stay about 1/2 hour, it was fantastic. There was wonderful coral, and many species of fish. The surge was strong, and the incoming tide was a problem. We had just decided to leave when Norm spotted two very large barracuda directly below us. This hastened our return to the dinghy and exit from the water. We wish we had more time, but we had to get back to the anchorage and the following day back to Marsh Harbor in advance of the next strong cold front.

Treasure Cay

We spent a few days at Treasure Cay before returning to Hopetown. Treasure Cay had been recommended to us by several cruisers. It is quite different. The inner harbor, which is irregular in shape, is surrounded by a sea wall and lined with condominiums and houses, all with dock space. It looks very much like some areas we saw in Florida along the ICW. The key feature of Treasure Cay is the resort and marina, which has an unbelievably beautiful beach. We paid a modest fee to anchor, which included use of the resort's facilities. We found the prices here to be about the best we have seen.

Treasure Cay

Hopetown

Ariel on Mooring

Back in Hopetown, the lighthouse is always prominent. This is sunrise on the sea outside of Hopetown and Ariel on a mooring in the harbor.

More Scenes From Hopetown

Elbow Cay Lighthouse

Joe and Sandy from NorthWind advised us to visit the lighthouse at dusk, when the lightkeeper arrives. The lighthouse on Elbow Cay in Hopetown is one of just three remaining that still has a kerosene lamp and is manually powered. We arrived about an hour before sunset to spend time at the top and enjoy the view. We pretty much had the lighthouse to ourselves. We enjoyed a spectacular sunset, and then shortly after, the light keeper arrived. He answered all of our questions and invited us to the upper part of the light around the Fresnel lenses to watch him. This area is not normally open to the public. He has been a light keeper for 36 years. It takes two light keepers, each working a six-hour shift. The lighthouse burns two gallons of kerosene each night. The weights need to be wound back to the top every two hours. First, he removed a heavy canvas curtain that protects the lenses from the sunlight. This is to prevent sunlight from reflecting off the lenses. We then watched him prepare and light the mantel. He then slowly cranked the weight back to the top, and the lenses began their steady rotation. This light is set up with five beams and then a long pause. We asked about working through hurricanes, and yes, he has kept the light on even during them. We both have a great interest in lighthouses, so this was such a special treat. Luckily, here there are not all sorts of regulations and rules preventing an up-close and personal look at the workings of this very special lighthouse.