Category: Intracoastal Waterway

June 21-22, 2017   Wednesday-Thursday

Wednesday, June 21: Arriving at Mile Zero of the ICW we turned east to transit the 14-mile long C&D Canal. A canal across the narrowest section of the Delmarva Peninsula was first suggested by Augustine Herrman in the late 1600’s, it took till 1826 for his dream to become a reality. The canal, 10 feet deep and 66 feet wide, cut 300 miles off the trip between Philadelphia and Baltimore. With improvements over time, the C&D Canal now has a depth of 35-feet and a width of 400-feet and is the busiest canal in the US and the third busiest in the world.

As observers, we love watching all types of vessels, but as boaters, it can be pretty tense when boating through a congested area and, although the guide books said it was pretty straight forward, we never look forward to transiting a busy canal or harbor. As luck would have it, we had only one tug that overtook us, Sea Robin, and a couple of small fishing boats, an easy run.

They say that a favorite pass time at Chesapeake City, MD is ship watching. Although I saw a few binoculars turned our way I’m sure that seeing us was not nearly as entertaining as when tall ships, Navy ships, and foreign ships transit.

When we arrived at Delaware City Marina the dock hand that helped us gave a quick rundown of the city, “ we have a population of 1,756, an ice-cream store, and thirteen churches,” what else could we possibly want to know.

Thursday, June 22: We were planning on exploring Fort Delaware, Fort Mott, and Fort DuPont today, all part of the historical defense system of the Delaware River, but the weather prediction for tomorrow is not good and the dock master told us that today’s weather prediction was the best one he had seen in over a month, so off we went.

Delaware City is two miles north of the C&D Canal, which meant that when we left the marina we had to pass the east entrance of the canal. We counted seven sailboats (including a tall ship), one tanker, and five motor vessel going in the canal. Looks like a busy day for the C&D.

We cruised down the Delaware River and at the Miah Maull Shoal Lighthouse we set a heading for Cape May, via the Cape May Canal, and arrived at Utsch’s Marina in time to have docktails with fellow loopers.

Note: The Cape May Canal is just under three miles long and was dug from a natural shallow creek in 1942 after several ships were sunk by German U-boats. The building of the canal was the final link in a protected waterway intended to allow coastal shipping to travel along the coast without the fear of being sunk by German submarines.

Nuclear Power Plant Crabbing (I wonder if the crabs glow in the dark?)

 

 

 

June 9-12, 2017  Friday-Monday

Friday, June 9: Today we did a short day to Broad Creek, we wanted to be in a marina where we could watch game four of the NBA playoffs. In hindsight it might have been better to anchor out, Cleveland easily handed Golden State their first loss in sixteen games. A win for Golden State would have set a record for the number of consecutive games won in an NBA championship and the final win of the 2017 season. I guess we will be watching game five at Coinjock. None the less it was a beautiful day with lots of sailboats under sail around Oriental, Sailing Capital of North Carolina.

Saturday, June 10: For a summer Saturday, this was a very quiet day with very few boats on the water. We decided to anchor at the headwaters of the Pungo River and plan to start our day early tomorrow. Before it gets too hot, we are hoping to see the wildlife around the twenty-mile-long Alligator River-Pungo River Canal. Awesome sunset tonight, I love anchoring out.

Sunday, June 11: Leaving the anchorage early paid off, we saw bears, geese, eagles, deer, turtles, but no alligators. Tonight we are at the Alligator River Marina, other than a beautiful location with geese, a turtle pond, and a restaurant with air conditioning and the best cheeseburger we have had in years, there is not much here. A fellow Looper, Seeker, came in for fuel and left to anchor out, other than that we were alone until a Danish sailboat came in for the evening.

As it turns out, we are not so alone, as I started to publish this post I saw an American Green Tree Frog, the state amphibian of Georgia and Louisiana, on the clear portion of our canvas, Rick took a picture, caught the frog, and as he tried to show it to me, it escaped into the cabin. Not sure how we are going to find him.

We left the lights off for about ten minutes when we turned them back on, there he was in the middle of the bed, Rick caught him and gave him a ride to the grass, so hopefully, he is not too traumatized and is happily catching bugs. For those who might be freaked out that he was in the middle of the bed, I keep a tarp on the bed during the day because the boat is so small, I’m constantly moving items to and from the bed, so no problem.

We were up before sunrise this morning, we wanted to get across the twenty-mile wide Albemarle Sound before the afternoon winds came up. The prediction was for one-foot waves and we had waves of 1-2 feet most of the way with some 3-4 foot waves in the middle of the sound. Fortunately, we had following seas and it wasn’t too uncomfortable but was difficult to steer our little boat, she likes to wander. I was on crab pot duty all morning as the crabbers do not mind setting their pots in the channel and most of them use small dark buoys that can be so challenging to see in the dark water. We have talked to more than one captain that has had to go in the water to cut the line off of a propeller and some that have had to replace a propeller due to a fouled line.

We are safely tied to the thousand foot dock at Coinjock, named by the Indians after a berry that still grows in the area. We have plans to have dinner with friends and then watch game five.

I took the most interesting picture of sunrise this morning. I took several pictures that were normal color wise but the sunrise picture was surreal.

June 1 -6, 2017  Thursday–Tuesday

Thursday, June 1: Today we visited Oriental, the Sailing Capital of North Carolina. Oriental was named after the Civil War Sailing Steamer Oriental and it is said that the number of boats in Oriental outnumber the number of residents by a ratio of 3 to 1. The heyday for Oriental was in the early 1900’s before the lumber industry went bust. Today’s population is less than a thousand, but in 1917 it was such a bustling town that it had the first motorized school bus service in North Carolina.

Leaving Oriental, we headed to Minnesott Beach, following Minnesott Beach Road, we expected a nice beach to walk on, what we received was a sign that said there was no beach access, with no access to the beach we returned to New Bern to watch the Golden State Warriors trounce the Cleveland Cavaliers in game 1 of the NBA playoffs; Warriors 113, Cavaliers 91.

Friday, June 2: This morning Rick replaced the impeller and I did laundry. In the afternoon, we went to Beaufort, NC (BOW-furd), not to be confused with Beaufort, SC (BEW-furd), the locals are very sensitive about the pronunciation. Beaufort, the third oldest city in North Carolina, was established in 1709. Approximately 150 of the restored historic homes bear plaques noting names of the town’s earliest known owners and dates of original construction.

In 1718, at the Beaufort Inlet, the pirate Blackbeard ran his flagship, the Queen Anne’s Revenge aground. The ship eventually sank to the bottom of the sea and was rediscovered in 1995. At the North Carolina Maritime Museum in Beaufort, you can view artifacts from the ship.

In the afternoon we connected with Nell Wallenberg, a former colleague of Rick’s from the DoDEA Virtual School, who is now teaching in Moorhead City. We enjoyed dinner at The Ruddy Duck Tavern in Moorhead City and had a delightful time catching up and sharing new adventures.

Saturday, June 3: Our destination for today was Washington, NC, the first city named in honor of General George Washington, and commonly known as The Original Washington, or Little Washington. In March 1862 the civil war came to Washington and you can still see Picket, a Union ship jutting from the Tar River where it blew up on September 6, 1862.

For lunch, we went to a local restaurant were the special of the day was an “OTW Burger with a one of a kind blend of Certified Angus ground chuck, sirloin, and bacon” for $11.95. When Rick inquired about what else was on the OTW the waitress replied “nothing, it is just a burger and a bun.” Rick, “can you add cheese and dill pickles?” The waitress, “no we only have fried pickles.” This is not Burger King and you cannot have it your way.  We left…

Sunday, June 4: We were all set to hike the Croatan National Forest, 160,000 acres on North Carolina’s coast when I read a review that said the forest was having an infestation of ticks. In Missouri, while searching for wildflowers with my niece Samantha, I discovered several of those creatures on my body, yuck! While hiking at Silver Glen Springs I also managed to let a few ride back to the boat on me, I’m so over hiking if I have to encounter one more tick. So, instead of hiking we decided just to drive through and check out the lakes. The dirt roads made going slow and just before we got to the lakes the road became impassable, very sad. Even though none of our original plans worked out it was a fun day and the forest was beautiful.

Monday, June 5: Today we enjoyed North Carolina’s Outer Banks, from Kitty Hawk to Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge. It was the wind, sand, and lack of obstructions that brought the Wright brothers to Kitty Hawk to pursue their dream of flight. After four years of experimentation, December 17, 1903, the first flight took place at Kill Devil Hills just four miles south of Kitty Hawk. The museum was closed for renovation but walking to the top of the Wright Brother’s Memorial was well worth the trip. From Kill Devil Hills we continued south to Cape Hatteras National Seashore, Bodie Island, and Pea Island Refuge Center.

On the mainland, we explored the Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge hoping to spot one the famous North Carolina black bears, but no luck. We know they are there because they left lots evidence along the road, but the best we could do was a couple of bog turtles. When it is not tick season, I will be more willing to go hiking, then maybe I can spot a bear.

Pea Island Refuge Center and Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge are two of the twelve refuges on the Charles Kuralt Trail. We would love to come back some fall or spring and spend quality time exploring the entire trail. The Great Dismal Swamp National Wildlife Refuge is also part of the trail and we had planned to take that route on the ICW, unfortunately, it is closed for the summer and we will have to take the North Carolina Cut route.

Tues, June 6: Finally, our engine parts arrived and Rick was able to continue servicing the engine. I spent the day working as the mechanic’s assistant, cook, housekeeper, and blogger.

 

May 29-31, 2017  Monday – Wednesday

We determined Sunday evening that we could make it above the 35th parallel by June 1 without traveling on Memorial day so we stayed put for another night. We were not the only ones hiding out, about 1:00 a sailboat couple came in and said they needed a break from the crazies.  The locals that did go out said it was more like stop and go traffic on a freeway than boating.

We were up early and away from Harbour Village Marina by 5:45 am in order to make the 7:00 am opening of the Surf City Swing Bridge, about an hour upriver. We made it there by 6:55 but could not get the bridge tender’s attention until 7:05, by which time he said we would have to wait till the next opening at 8:00. The water level indicated 13 feet clearance and we are 15 feet with the antenna up, and we think about 12.5 with it down. Rick lowered the antenna and we proceeded with me on the foredeck trying to determine if those measurements were accurate, I think we did clear by 5 or 6 inches and were on our way.

We enjoyed the houses on New River that had matching lighthouses, all very cute. We cruised by Camp Lejeune which occasionally closes the ICW to conduct artillery, small-weapons firing,  and amphibious exercises. Many Loopers like to anchor in Mile Hammock Basin, at the edge of Camp Lejeune, in hopes of watching these exercise, since we had a long day planned we were happy that there was not a delay.

We spent Tuesday evening at Homer Smith Seafood and Marina, where we enjoyed watching the unloading of a shrimp boat and meeting a French couple who are sailing the world with their three children.

Tonight we are at New Bern where we will spend a week servicing the boat and enjoying the nearby towns.

 

May 27-28, 2017 – Saturday & Sunday

We broke our prime directive, don’t have a schedule. For insurance purposes, we have to be above the 35th parallel by June 1 and we are now hurrying up the ICW on Memorial Day weekend. What is that like? If you are there to play, it is all you hoped for, a ton of fun. If you are trying to get from point A to point B, it is like being in a washtub with every type of motor vessel passing you on both sides. For two days we have felt like we are running rapids.

As we crossed Cape Fear River at Southport we could see the Oak Island Lighthouse, which is one of the newest lighthouses in the US. It features four 2.5 million candlepower aerobeacon lenses which produce four, one-second bursts of light every ten seconds.

The Carolina Bays Parkway Bridge anticipated a May 2017 completion, as you can tell from the picture, that is not going to happen.

We have thunder, lighting and rain tonight, but we are snug as a bug, at Habour Village Marina.

Note: From 1620-1720 pirates plied these waters, captains of merchant ships learned to spot the highest mast, or Tops’ls, of pirate ships in order to outrun the looters, hence the name Topsail. It is said that the infamous Blackbeard launched some of his most famous attacks from here. For years treasure hunters searched for buried treasure on the island.

May 26, 2017 – Friday

What a gorgeous day! Cool, calm, sunny, and lots of water under the keel. It has been said that, if you ask a Looper about their favorite rivers, among the top four would be the Hudson, the Tennessee, the St. Johns and the Waccamaw. Tonight we are on the Waccamaw and, we must agree, it is truly a beautiful river. It is on the Waccamaw that the salt marsh begins to give way to the moss-drape cypress trees, eagles soar overhead, and turtles poke their heads out of the water begging to be fed.

We were all up for an early start and we said goodbye to Jim as he did last minute prep, set his oars, and started up the river. We later passed him as he continued his journey to honor his friend and raise money for a worthy cause. At our evening stop, we met up with Jan and Lee, m/v Shangri-La who watched the space launch with us at New Smyrna Beach, Florida.

May 25, 2017 – Thursday

Today we passed by Charleston, South Carolina’s largest port. Our expectation was that that the port would be busy and it would be a challenge to navigate, however with gale force winds predicted on the Atlantic side and 20 and 30 knots blowing on the ICW there were only a few hardy souls on the water and the run through Charleston was fast and uneventful. With sunny skies and the temperature in the high seventies, we were having a great time as we enjoyed scenic marsh views, birds, and dolphins playing around our boat.

Things changed when we reach Matthew’s Cut, at mile 431, we were on an ebbing tide, the wind was blowing water out of the cut and we had very little water below our keel. The next four miles were a bit stressful but, Rick did a masterful job of keeping us in the center of the channel instead of grounded in the mud banks. At mile 430 we turned into Jeremy Creek, gained about 6 feet of water under our keel, and tied up the Leland Oil Company dock, McClellanville. With the wind gusting it was a challenge, but all went well.

McClellanville is a small fishing town and the fuel for their fishing fleet comes from the Leland Oil Company, lucky for us they allow transients. After securing Andiamo we took a stroll around town. There are so many historic clapboard homes, shaded by grand live oak trees, with historical markers on them, we got a good laugh out of the one that said, “On this site, in 1897, nothing happened.”  The citizens of the town are particularly proud of their Deerhead Oak, estimated to be 1000 years old, it was named as SC’s Heritage Tree of 2007.

Our dock mate for the evening was Jim Brassord who, in honor of his friend John, is traveling the ICW from Miami to New York to raise funds for the John P. Musante Health Center (JPMHC). His vessel of choice, an 18′ Little River Heritage Sculling Skiff. To learn more visit Jim’s site at www.miami2nyc.com.

Row Jim Row, safe travels.

May 23- 24,2017  Tuesday & Wednesday

Tuesday with severe thunderstorms forecasted for late afternoon we started looking for a safe anchorage. We settled on Bass Creek behind Morgan Island, sometimes referred as Monkey Island due to its colony of free-ranging rhesus monkeys. Within an hour of anchoring, the winds came up and the rain poured down. With winds gusting up to 30 mph and white caps on the water, the anchor didn’t budge, Rick is very happy with his new Rocna.

The anchorage reminded us of the one at Little Teakettle Creek as we were surrounded by marshland. Wednesday morning was clear with a high tide and we could see the boats on Coosaw River, it looked as though they were sailing on grass. We had a strong current and moderate wind but no rain, so Rick stayed dry as he raised the anchor. By the time we were back on the ICW a slight rain was falling, by afternoon the weather forecast was for waterspouts, tornados, and severe weather throughout the region. Checking our resources we were having trouble finding a good anchorage so we decided to make a run for Charleston. We pulled into St. John’s Yacht Harbour about 3:00, however, we didn’t beat the storm. Both of us were drenched as we secured the boat for the night. Rick was securing the dinghy and I was putting in the side panels. The zipper on the bimini came loose and rain poured down my arms and torso as I repaired the damage. We didn’t mind being drenched, we were just happy to be at a marina for the night.

Tomorrow’s forecast, mostly SUNNY and 78 degrees.