First of all, I can see I'm not likely to be keeping up with this blog on any kind of reasonable time frame. So, "Friend" us on Facebook, since we seem to be able to post to that from our phones. While we're in the Bahamas, I don't think we will have a lot of data on a phone, so it will be harder to post in real time. We should be able to find an occasional wi-fi connection, but I bet that will mostly be for FB posts. And look at Jenny's blog, link on this page.
And hopefully, I will be able to post an occasional blog, too. For this one, I'm going to be an engineer, and provide a summary of our travels going south this year. Update: check out the story on the date of October 27.
Sept. 1, 2016- We moved onto Magus, expecting it to be for the next 9 months or so. On September 3, we sailed to Portland for fuel and water at Dimillo's, and then stayed on our mooring on Peaks Island for a couple of days. We had a nice going-away dinner with Matt and Stephanie.Sept. 6, 2016- Sailed to Cape Porpoise. Hurricane Hermine had just gone by, and there were big swells in the ocean. Just stayed on the anchor.
Sept. 7, 2016- Sailed to Isle of Shoals, stayed on anchor.
Sept. 8, 2016- Sailed to Gloucester, MA. On a mooring the first night, then anchor. Dinghied in to town quite a lot. Nice visit. A great restaurant is Passport.
Sept. 11 to 12, 2016- Sailed to Woods Hole. 7 pm to 10:40 the next morning, 78 n.m. in 16 hours. Rode the current through Cape Cod Canal early in the morning. Stayed on a mooring at the Woods Hole Yacht Club, got to use their very Cape Cod style bathroom and shower, and walk all over the town. The nearby public beach with fresh water shower was like the caribbean. Jenny loved the trained seals at the Aquarium.
Sept. 15, 2016- Sailed to Block Island, 51 n.m. Stayed on a mooring for a few days, then anchor for the last night. Did a little touristing. They were mostly closing for the season.
Sept. 21 to 22, 2016- Sailed to Cape May. Left at 3:30 am in a thick fog, thankful to have radar; still a little hairy going out the channel from Great Salt Pond. Arrived at 2:00 pm the next day-- 34.5 hours, 211 n.m. = 6.16 kts. Some sailing, but mostly motor-sailing to get the speed. Anchored by the Coast Guard station, just spent the night.
Sept. 23, 2016- Sailed to Chesapeake City on C&D Canal, at Shaefer's Canal House restaurant.
Sept. 24, 2016- Left early and sailed to Worton Creek, eastern shore of Chesapeake Bay. Anchored, and caught a catfish.
Sept. 25, 2016- Sailed to Baltimore, just 26 miles across the Bay, mostly motoring. Stayed at the Crescent Marina for three days; well actually left the boat there, and stayed with Echo. Albert's brother Andrew and wife Sandy stopped by that first day for a visit and dinner out, with Echo and Chris. Then, we did some provisioning and laundry and visited wtih Echo.
Sept. 27, 2016- Sailed to Magothy River, 22 miles. Anchored out while a cold front went through.
Sept. 30, 2016- Sailed to South River, 22 miles. Anchored in a cove right off of the house of Albert's good friend from UVA, Bill Ball and wife Katie. They were great hosts, and we had dinner together several times. One time Jenny did a live Facebook video that didn't work quite right. More provisioning, and we saw them a couple of times later in the week, see below.
October 3, 2016 (Monday back to work for Bill)- Sailed to Annapolis, 14 miles. Caught the 4:30 pm Spa Creek bridge opening, and anchored, twice, to make the Harbormaster happy. We still found a great spot between two City parks, and stayed busy for a full week. Saw Bill and Katie, Echo and Chris, went to the Sailboat Show, lots of other stuff.
Oct. 12, 2016- Sailed to St. Michaels, eastern shore of Chesapeake, 26 miles. Anchored in the harbor. Jenny played some songs at Carpenter Street Saloon. Met good people. Went to the Tilghman Island Day celebration on Saturday. Ate oysters and crabs, talked a little politics; this was Trump country.
Oct. 16, 2016- Sailed to LaTrappe Creek, Choptank River. Hot day, used the SUP. Lots of geese.
October 18, 2016- Sailed to Solomons Island, MD, used a mooring at Zanhazer's Marina. Stayed several days with Ed and Karen Chambers, had a great time.
Oct. 23, 2016- Sailed to Deltaville, VA, 56 n.m. Albert's friend Mac Ward, s/v Carmella (Pearson 424) got us a free slip at Stingray Point Marina, where we met some wonderful people, and had a love fest, of sorts.
Oct. 25, 2016- Sailed to Hampton Town Dock. First night free, then we paid for a night. Enjoyed a great jazz band at the hotel bar with a great community of people.
Oct. 27, 2016- Sailed to Portmouth Town Dock-- free. Jenny got her absentee ballot here, and Albert's was lost by the US Post Office. A new one was requested to be sent to Deaton Marina in Oriental, NC.
Updated story: While at the dock, we met Bob on his boat, and we had dinner with him at a nice local restaurant. He told me and Jenny a different version of the story in the following link. He said he never ran aground, was south of Ocean City when the USCG showed up, and he was persuaded to abandon. He said that his boat was boarded later by some sailors who saw her offshore and when they got back on shore, they looked him up and presented him with a few things from his beloved boat. They told him that she was filling with water and likely foundered, well offshore. Jenny has a video of his story, but it's long and may not make it to the Internet. He did say that the whole sad story was his fault, that he should have changed his plans when the weather turned bad. He is now 81, living and traveling on a Gulfstar 37 named Valor. LINK
Oct. 28, 2016- Sailed into the Intracoasal Waterway. Left early to make the 9:30 am group through the Great Bridge lock and 10:00 am bridge opening. Kept going to the North River, south of Coinjock, anchored off of Buck Island, stayed on Magus. 50 n.m., or about ICW statute mile 57?
Oct. 29, 2016- Sailed across Albemarle Sound, and up the Alligator River to Deep Point, anchored, stayed on Magus. ICW mile 102.
Oct. 30, 2016- Motored to Belhaven, tied up to the Town Dock at 2:15. Found out it would cost something and it was hot, so we anchored out.
Oct. 31, 2016- Sailed to Oriental, NC, stayed at the free Town Dock the first night, then we went over to Deaton's Marina. We had them look at the engine, and found out that we needed to run it at higher rpm's, basically. The smoke and smell is just the way this engine is, at this point in it's life... she won't last forever. We did laundry and provisioning, like usual.
Nov. 5, 2016- Sailed to Beaufort, NC- A little bit of sailing on the Neuse River, then motoring through a creek and canals. Tied up to Finz Grill, went to a dog walk benefit event that was just starting at 6 pm, then had dinner at Finz. The next morning we found out that the dock was managed by Beaufort Docks, and should have cost some real money at $2.50 per foot. We negotiated a good bargain, so all was good.
Nov. 6, 2016- Sailed out to Lookout Bight, the southern end of the Outer Banks. Stayed on Magus.
Nov. 7, 2016- Sailed to Masonboro Inlet, Wrightsville Beach. Left at 7 am, had a good breeze, and anchored by about 4:30 pm. Stayed on Magus.
Nov. 8, 2016- Motored to Southport, NC. Got fuel on the way. Stayed at a dock at the Provisions Company restaurant. That made it easy.
Nov. 10, 2016- Sailed to Charleston, SC, actually a little past to the Charleston Crab House on Wapoo Creek, a free dock but very loud bridge. 133 n.m., 28.5 hours.
Nov. 12, 2016- Motored through the ICW to an anchorage on the Ashepoo River. Very quiet, watched a few boats go by.
Nov. 14, 2016- Motored through the ICW to Beaufort, actually Lady's Island on Factory Creek, using the Lady's Island Marina, where everyone is great.
Nov. 17, 2016- Sailed to Jacksonville, FL, about 150 n.m., 10:30 am to the next morning. Rode the current down the Beaufort River and arrived a little early for a favorable current, but it wasn't bad.
Nov. 18, 2016- Kept going to St. Augustine. Stayed there through Thanksgiving. Great liveaboard community.
Nov. 25, 2016- Motored to Marineland, and stayed three days. Got a tour of the dolphin and marine aquarium stuff. Nice place.
Nov. 28 through Dec. 1- Ran down the ICW to New Smyrna, Melbourne Beach, etc. to Vero Beach.
Dec. 4 to Dec. 5- Vero Beach to Palm Beach/ Lake Worth inlet. Got fuel and water, able to leave on Dec. 6 for West End, Bahamas.
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| Arriving at West End, early morning. |
