Last modified 21 June 2008 to re-order chronologically.
A brief synopsis of our trip to St. Augustine in the fall of 2006.
We left Wentworth Marina, New Castle NH at 0630, COLD!, Not quite ice on the deck, but very close. Wind was up, 10-15 knots, gusts up to 20+, but, amazingly, not on the nose! We motor-sailed with a reefed mainsail and the jib. At times, the motor contributed nothing, so we shut it off, doing close to 8 knots. It got lumpy between Gloucester and Scituate (due to the long fetch from Boston Harbor), which forced only the making of Fluffernutters for lunch. However, the seas calmed down the closer we got to the Cape Cod Canal. The forecast was for diminishing winds, but we never really saw them diminish.
This was our fastest trip from Portsmouth to the east end of the Cape Cod Canal - it took only 11 hours for the 80 mile trip. It normally takes us 13 hours. We stayed at the Sandwich (MA) Marina, plugging into shore power to keep the cats warm.
Another very cold start at 0600, which was slack current in the Cape Cod Canal. There was sea smoke in the Canal (ie, FOG), which made it interesting when the tanker passed us. However, it was flat, and Kristin cooked some bacon, egg, and cheese on bagels to help keep us warm. The fog lifted as we left the Canal, into a FLAT Buzzard's Bay. Buzzard's Bay is usually very choppy, but this was exceptionally flat. The wind had finally diminished from the previous day, and this was mostly a motor, although we did put out the jib for a little increase in speed. The day actually warmed up to the point where we were able to take off some layers!. The wind came around to the front as we came out of Buzzard's Bay into Rhode Island Sound, so we furled the jib in and motored the rest of the way. We had time for a 'real' sandwich of baloney and cheese.
We arrived in Jamestown around 1430, and docked at Conanicut Marina, as another cold night was predicted. We cleaned up the boat, and got the boat out of sailing mode.
We heard from Leslie Sanders, who was to be our guardian angel and make the trip South with us. Unfortunately, she blew out her knee, and will not be able to make the trip. This is devastating news for us, for both Leslie's sake with her knee, and for us who were so looking forward to her help and experience on this trip. We will have to come up with a plan B. We discussed our options over dinner at the Jamestown Oyster Bar, but have not come up with anything so far. We then went to bed, everyone (including the cats) snug and warm with the heater going.
Jamestown Boat Yard was doing some work on the boat, so we had to get up early to get ready to bring the boat over to their boat yard. We woke up around 0600 to a gorgeous sunrise! Kristin is not usually a morning person, and it takes a lot to get her going, but she grabbed her camera and raced out to get some photographs of the mackerel sky. During the night a schooner had docked, and the schooner provided a photo-op for the sunrise.
Around 0800 we motored over to Jamestown Boat Yard, where Nathan commenced going over our engine. We took the opportunity to tour Jamestown Boat Yard's parts department. We get to see (and touch and feel) all the strange bits that are so difficult to find since our boat was built in Finland, It is like being in a candy store. Unfortunately, it is jewelry store prices.
After lunch they brought the boat into their dock. They had to wait for enough of a tide to get the boat in. Andy at Jamestown Boat Yard drove the boat, as he knows where the rocks are. We got into the slip, and the depth meter showed 9.5 feet. We draw 9 feet.
The front was coming in, the wind was picking up from the Southeast, and the rain started. When Jamestown finished around 1600, we motored in the rain over to Newport. The Sea Princess cruise ship was in Newport. The 12 meter yachts were sailing in the harbor. There was a sailboat race of J-22's going on at Ida Lewis Yacht Club. A very busy harbor for a raw, cold Tuesday evening in October. We docked at the Newport Yachting Center around 1700 (the staff had left at 1530 for a party, so no one was there to take the lines). We saw the boat Ozymandias on the docks, which is a boat that summers at the Wentworth. We went aboard to chat with Tom and Maureen for a short time. They had left the day before us, stopping at Gloucester, Plymouth, and Cuttyhunk before arriving today.
After plugging in the heat again (its for the cats, you know), Kristin cooked a nice dinner while I wrestled with trying to get the Wi-Fi connection to work. While she worked on her pictures, I typed in our trip so far. Tomorrow is planned to be an off day (no getting up early).
We know too many people in Newport. Unfortunately, we don't necessarily know the right ones to find crew.
As we are walking up the docks to go to town, we met a couple from the power boat Boston Accent. They are at the Wentworth Marina in the summer (A dock, which we are not that familiar with, being D dock people ourselves). They are off to Stuart Florida. In the parking lot, we met Tom and Maureen (from Ozymandias) again. They told us that Pat and Fred Manley from Marianna were also here. Pat and Fred belong to our yacht club (Kittery Point Yacht Club) in New Castle, NH, and Pat had done some canvas work on our previous boat. We chatted with them, and as we were leaving, I saw the Swan 56 Amerigo at another marina. We had traveled to Bermuda with Amerigo in 2003 when we went to the Caribbean. So, we had to go over and say hi. Murray Jacobs, the captain we had met in 2003 was now on a Swan 60 in the Mediterranean (Sardinia). The new captain, an Irish lad named Alan, was bringing Amerigo to St. Martin around the 1st of November.
We walked over to American Shipyard to talk with our friend Sky. Sky is now captain aboard the 97 foot sailboat Symmetry. He was gracious enough to give us a detailed tour of Symmetry. The engine room is larger than our main salon! Very nice boat, to say the least. Hydraulic systems everywhere. We gave Sky a hard time about not having to do any work, maybe only getting a blister on his thumb from pressing all the buttons.
Sky is a friend of Leslie's, and he had heard of our predicament (which was another reason to visit him). He had no real leads on a crew, but would keep his eyes open for us. We called Leslie. She is still nursing her leg. She gave us some telephone numbers of people she thought would be good, and that she had talked to. We spent the rest of the day making telephone calls, contacting people to see if they might be able to help us out. We won't know if anyone can help until after they check their schedules. We think we can make it down to Norfolk VA okay. There are really only two long stretches (24 hour runs) - along the New Jersey coast, and along the Delmarva peninsula. It is Cape Hatteras which concerns us, as that is a two or three day run, close to shore (ie other boats to be aware of), and difficult for just the two of us. We'll see what happens.
We ended the day with a nice sunset on Ozymandias with Tom and Maureen, and Fred and Pat from Marianna joined us. After the sun set, as we were talking, we saw a strange sight. A group of policemen on bicycles rode down the dock on a training exercise. They rode to the end of the dock, slowed down, but did not stop, and without touching the dock with their feet, turned the bicycle around on the narrow dock. Very impressive. Bicycles make a lot of sense in Newport. It is so difficult to get around by car because of the traffic.
Tom and Maureen will probably leave tomorrow morning. Fred and Pat are waiting for a refrigeration part.
We have to go to Jamestown Boatyard tomorrow for the completion of the work. Before going to the Caribbean in 2003, our world traveler friends Jay and Carol had strongly recommended cleaning out the fuel tanks before going, so that any 'stuff' in the tank would not clog the filters, and cause the engine to die. It was good advice, and we had Jamestown Boat Yard clean the tanks on Tuesday. The mechanic (Nathan) had found some clogging in the fuel pick up tubes (the only right angle in the fuel lines), and he wants to remove the fuel filter bowls for a thorough cleaning, just to make sure.
No pictures today, sorry.
It was one of those days you're busy, but you end up not doing much. We motored over to Jamestown Boat Yard where Nathan finished up the engine work. We then motored back to Newport Yachting Center and filled up with fuel. I spent considerable time on the internet trying to resolve conflicting reports about whether or not we can get into Atlantic City or Cape May NJ, with no definitive results yet.
Nathan, the Jamestown Boat Yard mechanic, recommended the Newport Blues Cafe for dinner (where he works as a bouncer). The dinner was good, but we left before the music started. It is almost right across the street from the Newport Yachting Center.
It was a dark and stormy night...
As I write this, it is literally blowing a gale. We have a breast line out, have doubled up on dock lines, and very glad we have our large inflatable fender. It is a little bumpy, and the boat is heeling on a starboard tack. We have seen 40 knots of wind. There is a catamaran on the face dock (we are one in, thankfully) that is really bouncing around, as there are white caps in the harbor.
We are pretty much ready to go. We are just awaiting weather (we didn't think it would be good to go out in this stuff). We plan on sailing to Norfolk VA by ourselves, and hope to pick up crew for around Hatteras. We can get into Cape May okay. Pat from Marianna suggested I talk with marinas down there, and to talk with the local TowBoat/US operator (as they know the shallow spots they are pulling boats off from). They said there should be plenty of depth. I even called the Coast Guard station. That was frustrating. They want to help, but because of liability, they can really only read me through the chart. I can read the chart, I want to know if there has been shoaling in the channel, rather than relying on the chart's depth readings from the 1980's. If they just said that their 210 foot cutter comes and goes without a problem, that would have been fine (the marina people told me that).
Kristin was able to do walk around Newport and do some grocery shopping in the rain, and I was able to do a little billable work (I need to help pay for the time spent on a slip in Newport). Tomorrow will also be a weather day, as the seas should be pretty lumpy from this gale. So far, Sunday looks like we can finally head off. But then, the weatherman always lies, so we'll see.
Kristin shopping in the rain
Rainy day in Newport
We spent a bumpy and noisy night last night. The winds aren't quite as gusty, but are still strong. We stayed in Newport as the forecast was for the winds and seas to not really diminish until tonight. So, we'll try to be off tomorrow morning before the next front comes in.
Our friend Sue from Maine stopped by (she was coming back from Connecticut), and we had lunch with her.Cruise ships are in town, so many restaurants are crowded.
We hope to have a more restful night tonight.
It was a boring, un-eventful day - just the way we like it.
We had to wait for the dockhands at Newport Yachting Center to show up for work, as we were boxed in so tightly we needed help with lines and to get the boat pointed in the right direction to back out (without hitting all the other boats). Fortunately, the wind had finally diminished, and there was no problem. We finally got clear of the dock around 0830. We put the sails up, and motor-sailed out Narrangansett Bay, past Point Judith, and on to Fisher's Sound, in Long Island Sound. As we rounded Point Judith, the wind came on the nose (typical, when you own a sailboat, the wind is either too much, too little, or when it is just right, its on the nose and you can't sail anyway), so we motored into it.
When we got to Watch Hill RI, we ran into the current. We had heard of the Long Island Sound currents, but, hey, we are from the Piscataqua River, so how bad can the currents be? We hadn't really known what to expect, but to have a 2 knot head current surprised us. (Later, looking at the current charts, it made sense. Good thing we didn't try to go around the Race, which would have had 5 knot head current). We put out the sail, but at times, we were still only going 4.5 or 5 knots over the ground (but well over 6 and 7 knots through the water). However, there was only about 10 miles left to New London at this point, so we still arrived in good time at the harbor entrance, around 1530.
We came up the Thames River, very wide, DEEP (yea!), and well marked. It is a busy river, like the Piscataqua, in Portsmouth NH, but without the current. We had to go through a railroad swing bridge (Kristin's first time driving through a bridge) to get into Shaws Cove. We tied up at Crocker's Boatyard for the night. This is very well protected, but very pricey ( 3 times what Newport Yachting Center was ). We are next to the railroad tracks, so get to hear the Amtrak trains all night long. In a way, this is comforting to us, as at the Wentworth Marina we are near a steel bridge (the 'singing bridge') and listen to cars go by all the time, so it is almost the same.
This passage marks a milestone for us. Newport was the furthest south on the mainland we (together) have been. (We went to the Caribbean in 2003, but that was all offshore. I helped bring up our other boat from West Palm Beach in 1993, but I had hired somebody who knew what they were doing.). We are into new waters for us. We also get to put away the Chartkit (collection of charts) we are familiar with (covering Block Island up through Maine), and open a new one. We are now in un-familiar territory, with lots to learn (like, look at the current charts, dummy!).
We probably should have gone today.
We are in the mode of trying to guess how much the weatherman is lying. The forecasts for today sounded marginal, so last night we opted not to go this morning. Tomorrow's forecast doesn't sound any worse (nor better), so we'll plan on giving it a try. If we leave early, we should have favorable current (now that we know what to look for) until afternoon. So, we'll plan on going, but listen to the forecast in the morning to see if it changes significantly.
I spent some time working. Kristin did some laundry. The marina is very quiet this time of year. It seems like a nice marina, but not worth the money to stay any longer. (Its strange when staying at Newport is a bargain). Their pool and summertime amenities are closed up for the season. In order to get WiFi, we have to walk up to the bathrooms, which is where I am posting this from. Hopefully we will move on tomorrow.
We probably should not have gone today.
It would have been better if the wind were only 20 degrees more north, so we would have had a close reach. Instead, it was a 50 mile beat. I was hoping that with northwest winds and an almost southwest course to Port Jefferson, the wind would be on the beam. Unfortunately, the winds were west of northwest, and the course is actually west of southwest. Go figure. The favorable current we had in the beginning was opposing the wind, so it kicked the seas up more (it was nice seeing 9 knots over the ground though, one GPS had us doing a maximum speed of 9.9 knots at one point). As the current turned against us, the wind turned more on the nose, and started gusting up to 30 knots.
We did not see any other sailboats out.
As a matter of fact, other than the large ferries and barges, we did not see any other boats, period.
It was just a snotty day. We have had worse, but we have had so much better.
Kristin is not having fun yet
We arrived in Port Jefferson (along with a ferry, yikes!), but were unable to raise anyone on VHF about moorings. so, we grabbed the biggest one we could find. No one has kicked us off yet.
Port Jefferson is, guess what, exposed to the northwest. And the winds are gusting from, guess what, the northwest. It is a bumpy place to be. We set an anchor alarm (in case we start dragging the mooring). It will not be a peaceful night.
The good thing, I suppose, is all the water washing over the deck exposed some shortcomings in how we tied down the dinghy, which hopefully I have rectified. It also told us that our forward head hatch is still leaking. The leak is less than it was, but this is exasperating, as we finally gave up on the old hatch, and had a new one installed. It might be just a matter of tightening the latch to squeeze the gasket together more, but the water definitely came squirting in when the waves washed over the deck. The better news is that the forward cabin hatch leaks much less, only some drops, rather than the stream we were used to.
It was a bumpy night. No electricity, so no heater, so the cats joined us in bed. I've always thought the military should use cats for heat seeking missles. However, in the morning, the mooring had not dragged, and we were still on it, so it was a good thing.
Given that the weather forecast is the same as yesterday, we are staying put. Kristin is trying to find a more sheltered harbor we can get into that is nearby. Thursday was supposed to be a good weather window day, but the window has closed. It might be a little less wind than today and yesterday, so we might undertake a short sail to have a quieter night.
We got out our trusty (getting rusty) Honda generator, to run the refrigerator, battery charger, water heater, and run an electric heater a little bit which the cats liked. You can't run all at once, so we had to 're-acqaint' ourselves with the permissible combinations.
Cats paying homage to the great god Pelonis
A quiet day in Port Jefferson harbor
Port Jefferson offers the complimentary deck auto-wash feature
It was a bumpy night, but not quite as bumpy as the night before. We were still attached to the mooring, and the mooring had not moved, so everything was good. It was still blowing, a lot, but the edge had been taken off the gusts.
The forecast was for improving conditions, so we set off for Oyster Bay. This was only 25 miles from Port Jefferson, and so would be fewer hours of slogging to windward. As we left Port Jefferson, and were hit with waves over the bow, and gusts over 25 knots, we were not sure we were doing the right thing by leaving, but then again, we didn't want another night in Port Jefferson if it was still blowing from the northwest. However, after a while, the seas and wind moderated. Oh, if only the wind were only 20 or 30 degrees to port we could have had a nice sail. We did see other sailboats and powerboats out in the Long Island Sound this time (in addition to the ferries and barges).. By noontime, it was actually turning out to be a pleasant day (except it could be warmer). Even the cats were up and about as the boat was underway (rather than cowering in their cat carrier).
In the morning, as we were waiting for conditions to let up a bit before leaving, Kristin telephoned Frank and Linda from Boonatsa. We had met Frank and Linda in the Caribbean in 2003, and Boonatsa was a Swan 56 (which is how we met them). Since Frank works in New York City, we were asking him about marinas to stay at in the city. Coincidently, they live near Huntington, which is near Oyster Harbor where we were headed. Better yet, they were members of the yacht club that is in Oyster Harbor, and they arranged for us to have a mooring as their guests. Frank and Linda were kind enough to drive over after we arrived, and we spent all too brief a time catching up from the Caribbean. Boonatsa is headed back to Tortola next Wednesday. We wish them better weather.
Oyster Harbor is so quiet after Port Jefferson, the lack of noise may keep us up. I doubt it though.
We definitely not far enough south yet. It is downright cold in the morning. We had to pry the cats off of us to get up.
It was a quiet night (for a change). We planned our departure so we would be at Hell Gate in the East River at slack. I checked the previous night with Frank of Boonatsa, and he calculated a similar departure time. So, we left the mooring at the elegant Seawanhaka Corinthian Yacht Club at 0900, and proceeded toward the East River. Hell Gate was 25 miles away, and we had to make it no earlier, and not much later, than slack, at 1400.
Seawanhaka Corinthian Yacht Club, Oyster Harbor
This was a challenging day for me, personality wise. Although I am lazy, and love to sleep in, once I eventually get up, I need to GO! Today, the seas were flat, little wind (and on the nose, of course), and the temptation to rev up the motor to go at 6 or 7 knots was very strong. Finally an opportunity to go fast! However, it would do us no good to arrive early, so I had to struggle with keeping the throttle so that we were putting along at 5 knots (I would sneak it up to 5.5 occasionally). My restraint allowed us to reach Hell Gate almost exactly at slack water, and we had an un-eventful trip through the East River, at least from a current point of view.
There were many more pleasure craft out today. We saw several sailboats about, some headed in the same direction as we were (a little cavalcade of sailboats through Hell Gate at slack water). Smaller power boats abounded. The sound was nice and flat. The sun came out long enough to warm things up considerably (the layers came peeling off). However, the clouds from the gathering storm filled in, and all the layers went back on.
There was also the usual group of tugs and cross sound ferries. As we approached the East River, which constricts the channel substantially, we were pleasantly surprised at the lack of commercial traffic. Only a few tugs were present, which were easily avoided. After Hell Gate, though, as we approached lower Manhattan (the Battery), the commercial traffic became intense. Ferries (high speed and low speed) everywhere. Water taxis. Tugs. Sightseeing boats. Helicopters flying incessantly overhead. A very busy place. We played dodge-um's, having to spin circles to let barges pass (and try to stay away from the ferries at the same time). We finally made it to our $4 a foot per night marina (cheapest one around, but well protected).
We had made it to New York City. Well, technically, we are on the Jersey shore (Jersey City, adjacent to Hoboken), but overlooking lower Manhattan across the Hudson River.
We saw the skyline of the city as we came up the East River. It was a spectacular sight as the skyline grew the closer we came to downtown along the East River. We passed the UN building, which is showing its age, and could use a face-lift and a good cleaning. The Chrysler building and Empire State building was visible, along with a lot of other buildings we have no clue what they are. As we rounded one bend, into view came the Statue of Liberty. Very impressive. It would have been better under a clear blue sky, but at least it wasn't raining (yet).
Approaching NY in the East River
East River
UN Building
First glimpse of Statue of Liberty (under the Brooklyn Bridge)
Staten Island Ferry - stay out of their way!
Statue of Liberty
Both Kristin and I are intimidated by big cities (we even get intimidated by Portsmouth NH sometimes). We feel like country bumpkins now that we are in New York. And its strange, there doesn't seem to be any Patriots or Red Sox fans around.
Although the marina is outrageously expensive (to us country bumpkins), it is well protected. This is a consideration in the upcoming storm. The storm appears severe, with gusts over 50 mph, possibly through Sunday. We doubled up on all our lines, and ran a breast line to the far dock. We intend to hunker down the next few days. The good news is that there is WiFi access, so we can check email, etc. We do have internet withdrawal syndrome when we are on a mooring.
NOAA weather radio is telling us to move our lawn furniture indoors, so we may have to buy some so we can comply.
View from the marina
It was a light and stormy night (the lights from the city kept it from being too dark).
The rain came. Then the wind from the southeast (sustained mid-30 knots, gusts over 40 that we saw). Then the wind came from the southwest (better - blowing us off the dock). But, eventually the rain stopped in early afternoon.
The marina is fairly well protected, so no real wave action, thankfully. We stayed put. Kristin went out in the afternoon after the rain stopped and walked around while I worked, answered emails, and paid bills. The cats slept all day - wait a minute, they do that all the time, anyway.
More views from the marina and adjacent park
Ahhh. Daylight savings time ends. An extra hour of sleep. I love it. The cats get to sleep 24 1/2 hours a day, rather than their normal 23 1/2.
It was still blowing hard, but not the huge gusts we had yesterday. We spent the morning doing chores. I plotted our course to Cape May. Kristin did laundry. We had some excitement as the boat next to us moved to another slip, and a new boat came in. Five dockhands (including us), lots of fenders, lots of grunting and pushing, lots of shouting and cursing, and all was well. No damage. Just close calls.
Of course, this was the one day the water taxi decided to have its annual maintenance. So, we went on the internet (thank you for having WiFi access), to search out maps, the train stations, schedules, and ATM's that can take our bank card. We walked (against the wind!) to the train (Hudson-Bergen line) station, bought tickets ($7 with a $20 bill, we got $13 in silver dollars as change), and went across the canal into Jersey City. We eventually found the ATM (trying to recall the map in our heads), and then walked towards Warren Street, where there was reported to be a delicatessan. Mind you, if the water taxi was running, it would drop us off directly across the canal (for $1 per person) at Warren Street. We might try it tomorrow, just to see how easy it would have been today.
As we were walking down Warren Street, we were both hungry, so we stopped at Amelia's Bistro (187 Warren Street, Jersey City, NJ, http://www.ameliasbistro.com . What a great restaurant. When we entered, it was the tail end of the brunch crowd, and was packed, but soon thinned out. Instead of butter for the bread, they had do it yourself hummus. They give you the the chick peas, garlic, and olive oil in a mortar and pestel, and you mash it together yourself. It was delicious. Our lunches were excellent (Kristin said the onion rings were awesome). What a great find. We might go back tomorrow.
After the delicious lunch, we found the delicatessan (Dockside Deli) and picked up a few things. I got to carry the gallons of water. We walked back to the train station (only a few blocks), and took the train over the canal back to the Liberty Park Station. Then we walked back to the boat, this time with the wind behind us. It is a fairly long walk, as Liberty Landing Marina is actually quite large. We are on D dock, and Liberty Landing goes all the way to N dock. I guess we won't complain about walking from the Wentworth parking lot to D dock anymore.
When we returned to the boat (it was now getting dark - so early!), Kristin was desperate for football. We found a New York station on the radio that had the NY Jets game on. We were rooting against the Patriot's division rival Jets, and for the Cleveland Browns, whose head coach, Romeo Crennel, was a long time Patriot's defensive coordinator (through all the super bowls). Cleveland won, but we didn't cheer too loudly in case there were some Jets fans around.
First of all, a correction to yesterday's statement that the New Jersey Transit system returns change in silver dollars. They were one dollar coins. Some were the not quite round silver looking ones, and others (later dates) were the bronze looking ones. I am not a coin collector, and have not seen these before. Maybe they are fake, and only redeemable in Atlantic City at the Trump casinos (none of the faces on the coins look like Donald, though. Not even Ivanka.). Thanks to Ted Polito for catching my gaffe.
Not much doing today. I did some work. We put the inner forestay on and the staysail in preparation for some offshore work. The water taxi was still not running, so we walked the mile or so to the train station (we used the one dollar coins New Jersey Transit had given us as change, and they worked). to go back to Amelia's Bistro for dinner. We found a store nearby, and picked up a few items before the train ride back and the walk back to the marina. Our last night with heat for a while.
The weather forecast was for southwest winds, which would have been on the nose to Cape May, NJ, so we opted for a short 3 hour motor to Atlantic Highlands (just past Sandy Hook). We took on fuel and water before we left Liberty Landing Marina. Then it was dodging the barges and the BIG SHIPS in New York Harbor. We picked up a mooring in 10 feet of water at Atlantic Highlands. The Atlantic Highlands Yacht Club did not answer the radio or telephone, so we may get this mooring for free.
Passing the Statue of Liberty
New York Harbor Traffic
Entering the harbor, we see a sailboat on its side on the grass. A victim of the storm, I presume. I hope we don't have his mooring.
As we entered the breakwater at Atlantic Highlands, we saw Marianna, who we had last seen in Newport. They had ridden out the storm in Manhesset harbor on a town mooring. They had just arrived about 3 hours before us at Atlantic Highlands. No one has dinghys in the water, so we conversed by cell phone. They are planning on leaving for Cape May early in the morning. We plan on leaving around 11, thinking it will take us 24 hours, so we can get in in daylight. With luck, we might go a little faster, and get in at daybreak. Hopefully the weatherman is not lying too much.
Sunset at Atlantic Highlands, NJ
The weatherman lies, he lies, he lies. He lures you in with the temptation of succulent northwest winds, not too strong, not too light (which would mean a great sail). Then, he SLAMS YOU IN THE FACE with wind on the nose. Okay, I concede the wind speeds were not that high. So you are hit in the face with a feather ... for 20 straight hours.
If the telephone company did this to you, it would be called bait and switch , and is illegal. For the weatherman, its just another day at the office, tallying the count of boats suckered into leaving based on their forecasts. Since the NOAA weather forecasts are free (if you don't count your tax dollars at work), you get what you pay for.
To be fair, I, and others have experienced that if you pay private weather forecasters with your own real money, the forecasts are not much better.
Anyway, I am skipping ahead. The forecast called for nice northwest winds over the next few days, so we left at 1100 (not too early, in case we made 6 knots, we would get in at sunrise, not too late, if we made 5 knots we would get in at noon, and if we had difficulties and could only do 4 knots, we would still get to Cape May during daylight hours). But, as we were leaving, the forecast changed - southwest winds early (on the nose), turning northwest later, chance of rain. What? there was no rain and no southwest winds in the previous 4 days worth of forecasts for Wednesday and Thursday.
It was a nice motor out of Sandy Hook Bay. We had to dodge some barges, but not too bad. Tom of Ozymandias had come into Atlantic Heights last evening, after being on the other side of Sandy Hook, on his way to the Manasquan inlet, but they could not find any room at any of the marinas (thank goodness for cell phones) in the Manasquan inlet, and there is no room to anchor. So, they turned around when they were halfway to Manasquan,and came to Atlantic Highlands. They were going to try again today for Manasquan (if any space had freed up), or otherwise into Shark River inlet. Ozymandias only draws 4 1/2 feet (one-half of what we draw), and they can scoot into places we don't even bother to read about.
It was cloudy during most of daylight hours, with the sun peeking through occasionally (another change from the forecastst). We had to motor, because the WIND WAS ON THE NOSE, NOT NORTHWEST, or did I already mention that? The seas were fairly flat, with a 2 or 3 foot swell. As night fell, the moon was already up, and the sky cleared a bit. So, we had good visibility until around 0200, when the moon went behind the clouds, and that was the last of the moon. Then, it gets dark. Very dark. Atlantic City was visible 20 miles away, lighting up the sky, which actually helped give some light (to find those supposedly lighted buoys that are not lit. One buoy we never saw, but passed with 1/8 of a mile - we could see it clearly on radar, but we never saw the buoy in the water). However, since we were close to the shore (about 3 to 4 miles out), it was difficult to make out navigation lights against the lighted shoreline. Off to the east, where there was nothing, other boats showed up very well.
Still cold
It had been a long time since Kristin and I did an overnight alone (in the Caribbean in 2003, going from St. Martin to Tortola). We had forgotten to charge up the searchlight (which had it worked, would have been useful trying to find that buoy we never saw), and just having the right safety equipment handy and tested. We should be all set the next time.
The nice northwest winds, previously forecast, but which then disappeared and changed to the not so nice in the face southwest winds, made a re-appearance in the forecast that was issued at 0330. Only, now it was 20 knots, gusting to 30. What planet's forecast had I been listening to? The timing was such that at daybreak, when we were projected to arrive at Cape May, and turn northwest into the channel (which we had never been in), the winds would turn from the southwest to the northwest, and pipe up. Sometimes, the weatherman gets it right - usually when you don't want them to. They actually seem to be able to predict the past and present fairly reliably - it's the future they have trouble with.
With the wind now on our nose, (still), we carefully entered the channel into Cape May. The channel is narrow, and not too deep, but we found a place to anchor, in about 15 feet of water. We have to wait for mid-tide (around 1300) in order to make it over the shallow spots to the marina where we are to spend the night.
The trip from Atlantic Highlands was not actually too bad, at least up until the moon went behind the clouds, the wind picked up, and there were rain showers. Then what was a fairly pleasant motor became more raw, cold, snotty stuff, especially as the seas also picked up. Have I mentioned that the wind was on the nose, not the nice, previously forecast northwest winds? We made it in around 0700, averaging closer to 6 knots than 5, going 120 miles. We are definitely tired from having stayed up all night, and look forward to getting to the marina and having a nice long sleep. It doesn't look like Friday will be a good day. It seems as if we have not been able to string together two good travel days in a row.
We finally made it to South Jersey Marina later in the afternoon. The people are very nice. We pretty much tied up the boat, tidied ourselves up, and staggered to the C-View Tavern (note that we staggered to the Tavern, rather than the usual staggering from ). We had a quick dinner (buffalo wings, burger, etc) and made it back to the boat and collapsed. The heater was on, and everyone was cozy.
Cape May, at South Jersey Marina (overlooking the commercial fleet)
Now, we'll listen to more lies to try to decide when to leave for the longer (160 miles) journey to Norfolk.
It was cold when we got up. This was an errand day. Kristin did a little grocery shopping and some laundry. I went up the mast to fix the steaming light (but the problem was with a switch in the cockpit, as it turned out). The second spreader light worked fine when I was up the mast, and stopped working when I got down. We topped off fuel and water. I got one of the propane tanks filled ("No, its the gas station on the OTHER side of the bridge." Trudge, Trudge. Trudge). I layed in the course to Norfolk. I pulled down some weather (cold, and those tempting Northwest winds again, oh, how I want to believe).
We had a very nice dinner at the Copper Fish, across the street. Kristin had the cumen encrusted pork loin, with blueberry chutney. I just had a nice steak, with garlic mashed potatoes. We certainly won't have as nice a one underway. The forecast looks good (it always does, you know those tempting northwest winds), except COLD. Colder than when we left New Hampshire. We still are not far enough south, yet.
First of all, my comment yesterday about not having good offshore meals was mistaken. I typically only expect warm Spaghetti-o's or the like, since if it is rough, that's all you can usually make, if you can make anything at all. Kristin surprised me with stuffed chicken breasts, Dave's carrots, and warm bread. It was scrumptious!
We awoke to a cold morning. As I was turning off the heater to coil up the electrical cords, Kristin was huddled with the cats, telling them "Bob is a bad person. It is all his fault, not mine." I had to remind her of her goal to watch the Patriots play the Colts on Sunday Night Football in Norfolk. In truth, it was not as cold as I expected (New Hampshire cold), but it was cold.
We left at sunrise, picking our way through the shallower spots of Cape May. At least now, Cape May is not the dark unknown for us. We know we can safely get in there. We did not know what to expect for winds and waves outside of Cape May, (not really believing the weatherman at this point), so we only put up our small staysail to start. As we got out into 'Suicide Corner' (because of all the ship traffic), and the entrance to Delaware Bay, the waves were up, and on the stern quarter. This made for a rolly ride, but the wind was nice (and from the Northwest, strangely, as predicted) so we unfurled the jib. Ship traffic was light, and we only saw one ship over the several hours it took to get across the entrance of the bay. As we crossed to the Delaware coast, we were shielded by the land, and the seas calmed down and made for a nice motor sail.
For all my railing against the weatherman, he got it mostly right. The winds stayed mostly northwest and behind us (except for the times they came on the nose, but that was only briefly). It was a nice, sunny day, although not all that warm. There were freeze warnings out for the night. The night was well moonlit with a full moon, which made the sailing at night easier.
It was a fairly uneventful sail until we got near the Chesapeake Bay. There were a few missing buoys (and I have very recent charts), which were confusing. Also, our approach to the Chesapeake was at an angle, trying to save time, rather than going down to the sea buoy and following the channels in. The shoreline is lit up, making buoys hard to see, and there are several different channels. When you see a buoy, you are not sure which buoy it is, since there are several 'flashing green 4 second' buoys at similar angles. We took it slow, came up close to some buoys to identify the numbers (with our new spotlight we purchased in Cape May), and, coupled with the chartplotter, it all started to make sense.
We made it to the main channel into the Hampton Roads area (to Norfolk) around 0500. It was still dark, and there was a lot of ship and barge traffic. One 965 foot container ship graciously told me where to go to get out of his way...NOW. We hovered on the outside of the channels to let traffic pass.
We had purposely slowed down, as the Waterside Marina, where we had made reservations, did not open until after 0800, and slowly made our way down past the aircraft carrier and battleships of Norfolk. After you pass the navy base, the city comes into view, but still, there is a lot of ship building activity. There are several dry docks across from the marina. We entered our slip, tied up, and the day started to really warm up. Maybe we are starting to get south enough for some warmer weather. The marina is right downtown Norfolk.
Entering Norfolk at sunrise
Kristin and I had adhered to a more disciplined watch schedule, so we both had been able to get some sleep. Although tired, we weren't nearly as knackered as we were when we arrived in Cape May. We went to breakfast the d'Egg, which was good breakfast place about two blocks away. We chatted with Rena on Lady Nora, a 62 foot Nordhavn trawler from St. John's Newfoundland, headed for Fort Lauderdale for the winter.
Kristin and I made it to a bar to watch the Patriots. However, after the third interception, it was clear the Patriots were not playing their best, and our long overnight caught up to us, so we went back to the boat for a good nights sleep.
When we awoke, it was warm. What a pleasant surprise. I did some boat chores, called into work, plotted the course for Charleston (but it is getting so late, we are contemplating going to Jacksonville, FL instead). Kristin did some grocery shopping. The store sends a van to the marina to bring the sailors shopping, and drops them off again at the marina, which makes it convenient. We are in the process of trying to get crew for around Hatteras. It is similar to when we were in Newport. We are making calls, and seeing who might be available. We have some leads, but we need to let them pan out, or not. This takes time, and we may miss the next weather window which looks like it is coming up Friday. We'll just have to be patient and see what happens. It is about 450 miles to Charleston SC (at least 72 hours), and about 600 to Jacksonville (at least 96 hours). How our friends Jay and Carol, who are going around the world, do long passages with just the two of them, I'll never know.
Around 1700, as I was working below, I heard chanting. I went out, to see a tall ship coming in. It was the 3 masted, 365 foot schooner Statsraad Lehmkuhl from Bergen. It is a Norwegian naval academy training ship. The crew was up on the yardarms singing sea chantys (I only heard two, I think their repertoire is limited). It was spectacular, both audio and visual. The ship made a slow turn, and made a perfect landing at their slip in the marina here. I had to back and fill and few times, but they made it on their first shot. There was some concern that this was a Norwegian Viking ship, and they had come to rape and pillage Norfolk, but it seemed like a quiet night.
Crew of the Statsraad Lehmkuhl climbing up to the yardarms.
Statsraad Lehmkuhl arriving with crew in yardarms
On the bowsprit
Kristin had invited Rena on Lady Nora over for dinner. Rena is from near St. John's, Newfoundland, and is a cadet at the Newfoundland Maritime Institute (I think that is the name). She was telling us her stories of working the Labrador coast, man-handling the loading of barrels of jet fuel (400 pounds, each) into and out of the ships hold for about 6 months (of 6 hours on, 6 hours off). She also worked on a cruise ship for a few months, and even got to take the ship out of dock, twice. She is only 21, and has one semester to finish for her degree. She has her 365 days at sea, and will be ready to take her test for the mate's license. Although she has the Newfoundland accent, it is not very thick, something she has worked at to be more intelligible to non-Newfoundlanders (normal Newfoundland accents are VERY thick). I think she is looking forward to introducing herself to the Norwegian navy at the end of the dock.
We are still waiting in Norfolk, for the serendipitous conjunction of crew availability and a weather window. Thursday (the 9th), we had a weather window, but no crew. This weekend we could have had crew, but there is no weather window (unless you like gales off of Cape Hatteras). So, it has been frustrating waiting for weather, and try to find people available (they are either working, or currently delivering boats). Fortunately, Norfolk is a nice place to be if you have to wait.
Kristin visited the tall ship on Tuesday, the 7th. She reports it is in excellent condition (I guess that's what can happen when you have cadets and can order them around). We had two of the Norwegian sailors stop by to look at our boat (they had identified it as a Swan). There was fancy reception aboard Wednesday night (the 8th) with crew all in dress uniform. (No, we were not invited). They left Thursday (the 9th) at noon, with the crew up in the mast again, singing out their two chantys that they know. Still, very impressive.
The tall ship Statsraad Lehmkuhl, a tidy ship
On the wheel
Statsraad Lehmkuhl leaving the marina
They really need to learn more than two chanties.
We have been hanging around with Rena from Lady Nora. The owners came in Friday night (the 10th), and we had drinks aboard their lovely yacht. They left Saturday morning (the 11th) to head down the Intracoastal Waterway. I think Kristin will miss Rena, they seemed to form a real bond. If we could get down the Intracoastal Waterway, we would have been long gone, but our boat is too deep (9 feet versus maybe 7 foot max on the waterway), and too tall (over 65 feet).
Rena from Newfoundland
Tim Faux and his wife Jessica stopped by the boat on Saturday (the 11th). I had worked with Tim with EGS Gauging (now ThermoFisher Scientific, Web Gauging Division), and Tim and Kristin and I spent a memorable time together in Sweden at a customer's site. Tim is now working in Maryland, but he had a conference to attend in nearby Virginia Beach on Monday, so Tim and Jessica (and their two dogs) decided to make a weekend of it. Tim worked out of this area when he was in the Navy, and Jessica went to University in Norfolk at Old Dominion, so they were able to show us around a bit. We had a nice dinner at the Freemason Abbey (one of several nice dinners we have had in Norfolk Sterlings Steakhouse was also particularly good).
Also on Saturday, Tom and Maureen of Ozymandias showed up at the Waterside Marina. They have been moving along in little hops, up Delaware Bay and then down the Chesapeake. We compare it to the hare and the tortoise. We are the hare, and take long leaps, only to rest for long periods of time, while they just keep trudging along. They will actually probably beat us to St. Augustine by several weeks if we can not get the crew/weather act together soon. Tom and Maureen have had their share of adventures (like being in the C and D canal, only to have it closed because a tug caught fire), and later, running out of wine (the latter was more serious). There is a front coming through tomorrow (the 12th), which they will let pass, and then leave.
Kristin is threatening to buy some rabbit ears for the TV so she can watch some football. Actually, she is threatening to buy a satellite dish so she can watch all the football. She is really having withdrawals.
Sorry for not keeping up to date, but not much interesting going on. I had to go back to NH twice for work. Kristin stayed in Norfolk. Our friend Sue came down from Maine and visited Kristin the first time I was in NH. They were in Norfolk for the Festival of Lights. Kristin said it was really neat, but she didn't take any pictures! Norfolk has been very nice. The Waterside Marina is well protected, and the staff has been extremely helpful, friendly, and accomodating. We've had to endure a few gales, and even a flood, but the boat has been fine. We have now been here long enough to get the monthly rate. We have been able to stay here for a month for less than it cost us to stay for 2 days in New York City.
Battleship Wisconsin
Waterside Marina, flooded during a storm.
Ian stranded in the marina office
We met a couple from Indiana, Melanie and Joe, on a Krogen 62(?) named Spectra. Melanie is an accomplished artist, and she showed Kristin her paintings, and Kristin showed her photographs. They were kind enough to invite us over for a delicious Thanksgiving dinner. They left to go south the day after Thanksgiving. Traffic has been slow this time of year in Norfolk. Most everyone who is going south has already gone. Not us, though. We're still hanging around. We actually have somebody coming in tonight, and hope to leave tomorrow. It looks like a good weather window. We'll see.
The sad news is that we just put down our elder cat, Chewbacca. While we were in Norfolk, he developed a sore on his back. We took him to the vets (Dog and Cat Hospital, Dr. Hallstrom, very nice people), and had the what turned out to be a cancerous growth removed. Chewy also showed evidence of kidney failure, and he never really recovered fully after the operation, to the point he was extremely weak and starting to suffer. Chewy was a classy, regal cat, very handsome, a good sailor, a great companion, and loving cat for 15 years. He will be missed.
Chewbacca
15 July 1991 - 04 December 2006
Our friend John McMahon flew into Norfolk last night to spend a week with us. John will provide a welcome third hand for the trip around Hatteras. (Why is he a third hand? He has two hands, why does only one count? Then again, Kristin and I both have two hands, so there should be a total of six hands with John, but there seem to be three hands unaccounted for. Maybe its because of the saying "one hand for you, one hand for the boat". Or, maybe it has to do with Kristin and I being a little klutzy, so out of the two hands each, we get only one effective hand. I suppose you could express this as
EH = Nop * Hpp
---------
KF
where:
EH - the resulting number of Effective Hands
Nop - number of persons, in our case, 3
Hpp - hands per person, typically 2
KF - klutz factor, the higher the number, the more klutzy
you are, use a KF of 2 for us
So, substituting values
EH = 3 * 2
-----
2
EH = 3
With just Kristin and myself, we have 2 EH, so John does become the third hand. But I digress.)
We left the wonderful Waterside Marina in Norfolk at 0830, after breakfast at d'Egg. As we motored up the harbor, we soon heard on the VHF radio reports about Warship 71 leaving its berth, and the security zone around it. The US Coast Guard was insistent in reminding anyone around, that violating the security zone would require law enforcement action, including the use of force, and use of deadly force. As we approached Hampton Roads, we saw the Coast Guard cutter, a Coast Guard rigid inflatable (with machine gun), Navy patrol boats, and helicopter gunships overhead. Hmmm, maybe Warship 71 (which turned out to be the aircraft carrier Theodore Roosevelt ) was nearby. Then the Coast Guard calls the "Sailboat in the channel" (which would be us). A brief verbal exchange occurs, where it is suggested that we get OUT of the channel while Warship 71 leaves its berth. There was plenty of water outside the channel, and the helicopter gunship hovering overhead made it seem like a really neat idea to get out of the channel. So we did. The carrier finally left, slowly at first, then, all of a sudden, it was gone! (it's strange not to see a smokestack - maybe we should get a nuclear engine for Nautorious, but that might present another set of problems that the Coast Guard might not have a sense of humor about). A nearby destroyer also took off to escort Warship 71 (destroyers apparently don't rate security zones, maybe they don't need them. On the other hand, I'm not sure why a large aircraft carrier needs a security zone. I would think that if we were silly enough to be in their way, they would not even notice until next haulout, wondering what that white smudge was on their hull).
Stay away from Warship 71!
After the excitement with Warship 71, we progressed down Chesapeake Bay. We managed to time the current right (due to luck, not to my good navigation skills), and we were doing over 9 knots for a while. We pushed the engine hard, at 3000 rpm, the fastest I've run the engine. The winds were from the North, and gave us a little push. The seas were flat. The moon was full and the sky was clear. Other than being a little chilly (but not too bad, we have been in colder), it was a really a nice 'sail' (motor). The notorious Cape Hatteras was was rather calm (thankfully), the ghostly abandoned light tower visible in the moonlight in the early morning. The water warmed up nicely, as we were close to the Gulf Stream. We motored on, and arrived near Cape Fear in the early afternoon. The water had chilled down again (about 60 F), and the wind came right on the nose. We lost any advantage from the wind, but we were only about 15 miles from Beaufort Inlet. We arrived at the Beaufort Inlet around 1600, and slowly picked our way up the Bulkhead Channel into Beaufort. John was reading the charts as we tried to stay in the channel, away from the shallow spots. The people at Beaufort Docks Marina were very helpful as we approached the docks, warning us of the shallow spot, and to head directly toward the docks. Too late, we bumped the bottom. Fortunately, I am paranoid when entering new harbors, so I was going VERY SLOWLY, so we were able to back off. Beaufort Docks told us to turn sharp left, which we did, and got into the 15 foot (plus) channel that runs along their docks. We docked without further incident at 1630. They even had a parade for us! Marching bands, fire engines, baton twirlers, the whole works! Well, okay, it was the Beaufort Christmas parade, but the timing was impeccable.
John pondering why he is here.
Beaufort NC welcoming committee
We had made the trip of 233 nautical miles from Norfolk to Beaufort in 32 hours (including all the excitement with Warship 71, and the poking along in the Beaufort channels), for an average of about 7.25 knots (pretty good, considering no real wind). We pushed the engine hard, probably won't do it again, but nice to know we can do it, and make the dreaded Hatteras passage in 32 hours (in good weather) if we have to.
After docking, we showered, and went to eat at Clawson's across the street. John and Kristin drank a bottle of wine (its Kristin's job to keep John inebriated all the time we are on shore, so he won't be able to jump ship). We went back to the boat, and Kristin had me hook up the Cable TV so she could watch football Thursday night. But, she was asleep by the time I had finished hooking it up.
It was a long day, but it was a good day. We are now past Hatteras. We are waiting for a front to pass tomorrow, but in a nice secure place. It was a beautiful, moonlit night, a really nice trip. Chewy would have enjoyed it.
Just a lay day, waiting for weather. It is not bad today, but tonight it is supposed to get windy (gale force). I replenished liquids in the engine (oil and anti-freeze). We visited the maritime museum in town (it was nice). We ate dinner at Beaufort Grocery, and had a very nice meal (and half-price entrees before 1830). We are back at the boat, and Kristin is looking for football on the TV, and John is surfing the web, looking for his next boat.
Another lay day. We wanted to leave in the afternoon, on a moderate northwest wind. However, the temperatures were going to be in the 20's, and we figured that would be too cold. So, instead, we went with John in the afternoon when he looked at boats. Campbell Tillman of Beaufort Yachts brought us to look at an Island Packet 35, and an Ericsson 38 in Oriental. Both Kristin and I enjoy looking at boats. To get to Oriental, we had to take a ferry, which was neat. By the time we got back to Beaufort, it was time for dinner, at Sharpies Grill, a very nice place.
After a very cold night, we took off around 0900 from Beaufort docks, letting the dock hands (each had two) help us off the dock with the current running. This time, we did NOT run aground (it was also high tide). We carefully made our way out of the Beaufort channels to the inlet, and headed for Charleston. The weather was warming up nicely. There was very little wind, so it was mostly a motor, but we had the sails up to catch what breeze might exist.
Unlike the trip from Norfolk to Beaufort, we were not pushing as hard with the motor. We averaged about 6 knots with the motor, and any wind in the right direction brought the speed up. John futzed and twiddled with the sails, and was able to get us up to 7 knots for a while.
The day warmed up nicely. The seas were calm. John had a run-in with a Warship that he had to alter course and duck its stern. As night fell, there was no moon until around 2200, and it got DARK! . We were were approaching Cape Fear around 2045 on Saturday night, I was on watch, and noticed what looked like a red streak in the sky. I thought it might be a flare. I looked in the general direction, and about two minutes later I saw a series of flashing, yellowish lights. Then, nothing. There were no calls on the radio. John came on watch at 2100, and I discussed what I saw with him. There was no way to tell the distance, just a general direction. He confirmed that I should probably call the Coast Guard, just in case it was some mariner in distress.
I dutifully called the Coast Guard. They took a variety of information. They then informed me that the Space Shuttle had launched about that time, and would be in that general direction. They asked if that might be what I saw - the shuttle, then the booster separation? Oops. I had heard the Space Shuttle launch was delayed, but I did not know when it was going off again. I had never seen the Space Shuttle launch, so I did not know what to look for. I told the Coast Guard, that, yes, it was probably the Space Shuttle. The Coast Guard was very professional about it. Others on the radio, however, suggested I was an idiot for not knowing it was the Space Shuttle. I wish I had known it was launching, so I would have been looking for it. As it was, I was just scanning around the boat looking for lights from ships. Anyway, I felt foolish, but also excited that I had seen the Space Shuttle launch. I'll have to pay more attention to launch times, next time.
The rest of the night was fairly uneventful. The night was actually quite beauftiful. Before the moon came up, the stars were brilliant (I can't count how many potential boat lights I saw off to the east, only to have the light continue to rise up into the sky). When the moon came up, it at least allowed you to see a horizon. The seas were calm. Dolphins gamboled in the waves. There were shooting stars. The sea did not have a ripple on it. It was quite nice. The temperature was not too cold, either. By Cape Fear, we must have been close to the Gulf Stream, as the water temperature was up near 70 degrees Fahrenheit. This kept the air temperature comfortable, not the freezing cold we had expected.
The nice trip continued in the morning. It warmed up very nicely, almost becoming hot. The dolphins were still around. The seas were still quite calm, although there was a little wind. Kristin cooked us French Toast for breakfast.
South Carolina Sunrise
Dolphins
As we neared Charleston, the waves got a little lumpier. There was a nice sunset, but without the moon, it became quite dark. As when we were entering the Chesapeake, we were coming in at an angle to the channel to save time. Nonetheless, it was nerve-wracking trying to find the buoys with very large tankers going by. We finally made it to the channel, and headed into Charleston (which was still about 2 hours away). John was able to identify the range lights, and with Kristin steering, John watching the range lights, buoys, and charts, and me in the companionway watching the chart plotter and radar, we were able to help guide Kristin into the harbor without incident. We docked at Charleston City Marina at 2130, for a run of about 32 hours, for 227 miles (through the water). If we had left Beaufort a few hours earlier (in the freezing cold), we possibly could have made it in by daylight.
We never really had dinner, just cheese and crackers and salsa and chips while we unwound from the trip. A shower felt really good. It was a good trip. Saturday night was certainly one of the most pleasant nights I've ever had on a passage.
John has to get back to work, which is why we came into Charleston (rather than keep going to Jacksonville). However, he determined he could leave tomorrow, and so we could spend the day touring Charleston.
It was a nice, warm day. We took one of the horse drawn carriage tours through Charleston. The tour guide Fred (with the horse Ben), provided a historical tour through the city. We learned (repeatedly) about the fire of 1861. He showed us the variety of architecture in the city. There are some really beautiful homes. It was an interesting tour. Afterwords, we ate lunch at an Irish pub (Tommy Condon's), and then Kristin and John did a little Christmas shopping. The Charleston City Marina runs a courtesy van, which dropped us off in town, and later picked us up when we were done.
We toured the docks, chatting with the Swan 48 Kanaloa (sp?), across from us (they are doing a significant refit), and Strabo a Swan 77. We also chatted with a variety of boats. For some this is a stop before continuing south, for others, this is the stop for the winter.
We had a quick supper, and then watched Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest, which John had bought for Kristin and I. Although we were tired, we all made it through the movie (the way it ended, I'm guessing there is another sequel coming).
Another lay day, mostly a boat work day. John left us in the morning to return to NH. At least he had one warm day before going back. I added oil, cleaned up the engine compartment, cleaned the engine strainer, and took apart the engine panel to check the wiring. Kristin did laundry. We got the Cable TV hooked up (although she missed the Monday night football game). At least we can watch the Weather Channel now. It has been difficult getting on the Internet. They have just changed their Wi-Fi setup, and are tweaking it. Unfortunately, we are in a marginal spot.
Fog?
Fog?
FOG!
Wednesday, we woke up to fog. It's never foggy in Charleston (okay, they said they get it a couple of days a year). But, this was Maine pea-soup thick and chunky fog. And, the forecast for the next few days was for fog (although, not as thick). So, we just holed up. I did some work. Kristin was able to do some Christmas shopping (what? Christmas? Already? But we're not even in St. Augustine yet!). And we watched the weather, and waited for, of all things, the fog to go away.
Charleston Fog (a light fog)
We left around 0730 from Charleston City Marina. The marina is nice, and we look forward to a return in the spring. The way out of Charleston was easier in the daylight than entering during the dark when we came in. Still, it is somewhat confusing. Not as straightforward as Norfolk was.
There really was no wind, again. What little there was was from the northeast, which is directly behind us (we are headed southwest). However, it made for calm seas, and an uneventful passage (which is good). There was virtually no moon (it came up at 0430, and was only a very slim sliver), so it was a very dark night. At least it was warm!. Finally, we were not wearing so many layers!
Dolphins accompanied us off and on throughout our journey. This is something we do not normally see in New England waters. They are so much fun to watch. They swim so effortlessly. There was a group of 5 or 6 playing in the bow wave, swimming along, but hardly seeming to expend any effort. They put on a great show.
No flares tonight, space shuttle or otherwise.
We arrived around 1130 at the St. John's sea buoy, and made our way to Mayport, FL. Mayport is the first town on the St. John's river, which goes up to Jacksonville. However, Jacksonville is about 20 miles up the river, which is another 4 hours or so (depending on current). So, we stayed in a marina in Mayport, which is only 2 miles from entrance. Not a great marina, but close by to the sea. Mayport has a naval base, with more Warships to stay clear of.
We took a ferry ($1 per person) across the busy river to SanDollar restaurant, which was reasonably priced and decent. It was warm, near 80 during the day. There were palm trees. Dolphins swimming in the channel. Pelicans. I think we are finally far enough south!
Mayport Pelican
Despite being tired, we both did not sleep great. We are both excited, anticipating the end of a somewhat longer than expected journey, to St. Augustine.
We left Mayport around 0930. Again, it was a motor to St. Augustine, with a gentle wind directly behind us. St. Augustine was 36 miles away (or about 6 hours). Not as many dolphins, but we followed a Navy warship out of the St. John's river (no security zone).
The rest of the way was a motor in gentle seas, about a 3 to 4 foot swell. We arrived at the sea buoy for St. Augustine, and turned to enter the inlet. We timed it to enter just after low (so we would have a rising tide if we ran aground), but it also meant an incoming current. We had talked with Capt. Rick of Towboat US (St. Augustine) when we were in Charleston, to get their local knowledge about entering St. Augustine. Capt Rick didn't think our 9 foot draft would have a problem with the inlet, but there was a shoal spot once inside we might have a problem with. He suggested we enter mid-tide or higher, so we were running a little early when we started our entry. We went slowly through the inlet, seeing about 15 feet at one spot, but we had strayed from the middle (Capt Rick of Towboat US had suggested staying in the middle of the channel, but favoring the green side a little bit). After traversing the inlet it got deep (30 feet) at the intersection of the the inlet and the Intracoastal Waterway. However, at buoy "2" was the shoal spot. We tiptoed slowly (the current was taking us, we were just idling, just trying to maintain steerage), and we saw 11 feet (and we were a couple of hours past low at this point). It would be interesting to explore the spot with the dinghy and the lead line to see if there is a deeper spot than we went through. After an area of about 15 foot depths, it finally deepened to around 20 to 30 feet. Then it was on to the Bridge of Lions.
Now, the Bridge of Lions is a famous bridge on the Intracoastal Waterway. It has been described as one of the prettiest. It is a bascule bridge (draw bridge), with unlimited clearance.
However.
The Bridge of Lions was in need of serious repair. So, they tore down the bridge, and erected a temporary lift bridge . This does NOT have unlimited clearance. So, what was the clearance again? A quick (panicked) call to the bridge indicated 95 feet (whew). (Not to appear like a complete idiot, we had checked the clearance of the soon to be built lift bridge when we were contemplating coming to St. Augustine last February. We had found the construction trailer for the project, and demanded to have an engineer give us the clearance , which they finally did, with typical lawyerese that they were not liable for any mistakes, errors, etc. Although I could not remember the exact clearance number, it was sufficient for our boat to get under. However, we had not checked the clearance again since then, so the call to the bridge operator was a last minute, just to make sure they didn't do something different than the plans called for, check).
We had to throttle up to make the 1500 opening, which we just did. We went past the bridge, and there was St. Augustine Municipal Marina, our home for the winter. Kristin had called them on the cell phone as we were leaving Mayport to get docking instructions, specifically which side to tie up on. They had told us port side, so Kristin rigged the port side fenders and lines while I was coming in the St. Augustine channel. When we passed the Bridge of Lions, we contacted the marina. However, at this time, the slip assignment had changed! Now it was a starboard side tie. So, I spun donuts in the channel (which the chart showed as very shallow, but there was plenty of water, but I was nervous anyway), while Kristin laboriously moved all the lines and fenders to the starboard side. Finally, we were ready for our approach.
The docking instructions were something like "come in past the marina office (on the face dock), up past the inside face dock, pull a 'U' turn between the north and south docks and head in around the green trawler with the big (my emphasis) anchor into the slip".
Not mentioned was the current that was running (remember, we were coming in mid-tide).
We provided the afternoon entertainment for the marina. The current was sweeping us down, so as soon as I started to make the 'U' turn, the beam of the boat was broadside to the current, and would sweep us down towards that big anchor on the trawler. Three tries. Three aborts (almost had it the last time, in fact I had overcompensated and was too close to the trawler, rather than the previous two times too wide). The controller in the marina office (after he had collected himself from laughing), suggested a more straight in approach to different berth on the north dock, which we managed quite well (and did not even have to change the fenders and lines again). We would try the south dock another time, at slack.
We had arrived.
We tied up. Put the sail cover on. Tidied up the boat a little (sleeping on sheets, rather than sleeping bags for the first time in two months). We started changing the boat from sail mode to home mode. The weather was warm (mid-70's). Lot's of questions for the marina (can we get cable TV so Kristin can watch the remainder of the football season? Where are the grocery stores? How do we get mail forwarded? etc) We took a quick walk into town (the marina is right down town), and grabbed a pizza for dinner. It is very different architecture, the town being of Spanish heritage. It looks very nice. We should have several months to explore it.
We came back to the boat, tired, but relaxed. No more weather reports to laboriously go through, looking for windows.
We are home.
St. Augustine Municipal Marina
It's Christmas day. Rather than the snow and cold of New Hampshire, we have rain and a tornado watch. Go figure.
We have been in St. Augustine for about a week, and I thought I would reflect on our trip. Kristin is slowly turning the boat into a home again. We put the dinghy in the water. It still floats, but still leaks air (nothing new there), but it had been on deck for two months. The staysail is put away. The foredeck is finally clear. Christmas lights are up. We're even hooked up to cable TV, so Kristin can watch her football (okay, I watch, too).
We have been getting used to St. Augustine. The marina is right down town, which is nice, as we don't have a car yet (I'll fly back and pick it up after the New Year), and so we have to walk everywhere. This could be a good thing, as we need some exercise with all the good restaurants around. St. Augustine is a tourist town, so the downtown is filled with the aforementioned restaurants and lots of shops. The nearby shops have helped with our last minute Christmas shopping, as being underway has made it difficult to shop and collect presents. Unfortunately, shops such as pharmacies, grocery stores, and delicatessens are harder to come by. We are trying to navigate the Sunshine Bus Company's schedule, but it does not run that frequently. A bicycle might be a good answer.
St. Augustine
St. Augustine
We had hoped Chewy would make it to St. Augustine. He would love to go outside in the morning and sit in the cockpit soaking up the sun. He would have loved it here, with the warm sun on his dark fur. I'm sorry he did not make it. I really think he would have enjoyed his last days being in a warm place. But, it was not to be.
It has been a long trip, two months. I never would have thought it would take this amount of time. If Leslie had been able to be with us as originally planned, I think we would have been to Charleston in early November. Once in Charleston, it is literally only a couple of days to St. Augustine. The weather patterns are better below Cape Hatteras, so I'm sure we would have been in St. Augustine for Thanksgiving, rather than celebrating Thanksgiving in Norfolk.
We are proud that we have done most of the trip ourselves. We now know we could in fact do the Norfolk to Beaufort passage with just the two of us (leave Norfolk at night to arrive at Beaufort during the daylight, possibly staging in Little Creek to save a few hours from downtown Norfolk). We missed a few windows in Norfolk because we were reluctant to go with just the two of us. However, having said that, having another crew or two (or hand or two, but I don't want to get into that again) is easier and less stressful. We probably should have shanghai'd John for a few more days when we had him, possibly bypassing Charleston altogether to head straight for St. Augustine. But, having a crew often means compromising weather windows because you now have to be aware of their schedules. And sometimes the beer tab is daunting. Nothing is perfect.
I felt I did a decent job with the weather windows. I purposely opted for flat seas over decent wind, to try to keep Kristin happy. It seems to have worked out. Some better wind would have been nice (even if light, just so it wasn't either in our face, or directly behind us. Some wind on the beam, or even a close reach would have been nice). However, all and all, I can't complain about the weather (just the weather forecasters), just that the windows were sometimes far apart. Good internet access is a must to get all the maps. Our friend Ken Abbott helped us by watching the weather for us, and providing a sounding board for me on weather issues - thank you Kenny. I can see the value in a good weather router.
We have been in some nice places. Norfolk was a pleasant surprise, which was good since we spent a month there. We would have liked to spend more time in Beaufort and Charleston, but it was so late in the season by the time we got there, we had to move on. Hopefully we can spend more time when we go back.
Would we do it again? I think we will have to see how the winter goes. Then the trip back. Again, the time frame it took us is crazy. There was a lot of stress waiting for weather, and trying to juggle my commitments to my customers. Just the time frame involved may dictate hiring a delivery crew to just deliver the boat south next time. Or, lining up a crew to help us deliver it ahead of time if we want to participate in the delivery, as a crew would let us make multi-day passages if and when the weather permitted.
All in all, it was a good trip. We did enjoy it, stressful though it was at times. We stayed in interesting places, met nice people, and saw some interesting sites. We made it without major calamity, although we did lose one crew along the way (Chewy), but fortunately, not due to a boating mishap. And, we are warm, which was the whole point.
So, so far, so good.