Thursday, April 23, 2009
We're back, and very happy to be in the good ole' USA. Some of the things we like about it are: grocery stores with lots of stuff, reasonable prices, FM radio, cell phones, internet whenever we want it, nice marinas with showers and free water.
But, we loved the Bahamas for their charm and "foreign mystique".
Although we spent most of our time in the Exumas, the last 10 days were in the Abacos, in the northern part. We crossed over the Northeast Providence Channel on a fine day with a following breeze. We decided to try the spinnaker, and got it up just fine. We were so proud of ourselves. But as the day wore on, the wave action became a little more "active" and the spinnaker rotated and eventually wrapped around itself in a big flogging mess. We had to drop it and motor sail the last few hours. It's a strange feeling when you are 30 miles from the nearest land, with no one around.
We did meet some nice folks on other boats along the way, and some of them were out there making the crossing ahead of us. Some really nice folks from Marblehead invited us for cocktails, then had us stay for supper. We invited some folks over to our boat for drinks, and later they had us for supper on their boat. So now we have a book full of boat cards from interesting and friendly cruisers we've met along the way.
We spent time in Marsh Harbor, Hopetown, Green Turtle Cay and Great Sale Cay. We snorkled some of the most pristine ocean reefs off Green Turtle, where I was lucky enough to bag my second grouper. We invited friends over to help us eat it.
Finally, it was time to cross the Gulf Stream to Florida. We watched the weather intently, and had just about decided to wait for better weather, when another boat headed out. We hailed them on the radio, and they reassured us the forecast held a satisfactory window for our crossing. So we hoisted the inflatable on deck, put away everything that might shake loose, and headed across the Little Abaco Bank toward Fort Pierce. It was an overnight trip, and the quartering seas made us both queasy. Our buddy-boat, Nifty Nickers, was within a couple of miles at all times, and we could follow his stern light. We couldn't see him on our radar, which was a bit disconcerting. Later, a large oil tanker passed us close astern, and we could see him clearly on radar and over the waves. We also passed close by a large cruise ship. We arrived just after sun-up and settled into a pleasant anchorage for a much deserved rest.
Later, we motored up to Vero Beach, only 15 miles up the ICW, and took a mooring at the City Marina.
From here, we hope to do more long passages in the Atlantic. But first, we'll spend a few days visiting friends and relatives.
But, we loved the Bahamas for their charm and "foreign mystique".
Although we spent most of our time in the Exumas, the last 10 days were in the Abacos, in the northern part. We crossed over the Northeast Providence Channel on a fine day with a following breeze. We decided to try the spinnaker, and got it up just fine. We were so proud of ourselves. But as the day wore on, the wave action became a little more "active" and the spinnaker rotated and eventually wrapped around itself in a big flogging mess. We had to drop it and motor sail the last few hours. It's a strange feeling when you are 30 miles from the nearest land, with no one around.
We did meet some nice folks on other boats along the way, and some of them were out there making the crossing ahead of us. Some really nice folks from Marblehead invited us for cocktails, then had us stay for supper. We invited some folks over to our boat for drinks, and later they had us for supper on their boat. So now we have a book full of boat cards from interesting and friendly cruisers we've met along the way.
We spent time in Marsh Harbor, Hopetown, Green Turtle Cay and Great Sale Cay. We snorkled some of the most pristine ocean reefs off Green Turtle, where I was lucky enough to bag my second grouper. We invited friends over to help us eat it.
Finally, it was time to cross the Gulf Stream to Florida. We watched the weather intently, and had just about decided to wait for better weather, when another boat headed out. We hailed them on the radio, and they reassured us the forecast held a satisfactory window for our crossing. So we hoisted the inflatable on deck, put away everything that might shake loose, and headed across the Little Abaco Bank toward Fort Pierce. It was an overnight trip, and the quartering seas made us both queasy. Our buddy-boat, Nifty Nickers, was within a couple of miles at all times, and we could follow his stern light. We couldn't see him on our radar, which was a bit disconcerting. Later, a large oil tanker passed us close astern, and we could see him clearly on radar and over the waves. We also passed close by a large cruise ship. We arrived just after sun-up and settled into a pleasant anchorage for a much deserved rest.
Later, we motored up to Vero Beach, only 15 miles up the ICW, and took a mooring at the City Marina.
From here, we hope to do more long passages in the Atlantic. But first, we'll spend a few days visiting friends and relatives.
Monday, March 23, 2009
Bahamas
The Bahamas are great!
We left Marathon, FL on 2-12-09 with about 10 other boats. We had a three day weather window in the forecast, and the time was right. It took us several days to get ready, gathering supplies, reviewing our plans, checking equipment, etc. Even so, we were next to last getting out of Marathon, as we stopped to top off our fuel and water tanks.
We had arranged to "buddy boat" with some folks from Cohasset, Mass. We arrived at the jump-off location (just off Key Largo) just after dark and settled down for the night. But we had a bilge pump that wasn't working, so I checked it and found the hose mangled. (a drawstring had gotten around the prop shaft and whailed the hose to a pulp)
So, instead of leaving with the group, we stayed behind and launched the dinghy so I could motor 3 miles into Key Largo, put a bike ashore and bike 6 miles to a West Marine store to obtain some bilge pump hose. Success! That night I repaired the bilge pump, and we were ready to take off. Some nice folks on Salsa hailed us and invited us for cocktails. Sort of made the delay worthwhile.
We took off at the crack of dawn, all alone, heading across the Gulfstream. Wind was light and we had to motor much of the way. We arrived at South Riding Rock just before sundown and dropped the hook. We were the only boat there, and presumably within miles. We slept well in spite of the rolling swell.
Next day we made our way across the Great Bahama Bank (12-16 feet of water all the way)to the Northwest Beacon where again we anchored for the night. It's remarkable that we were able to spend two nights anchored on the bank, as there is minimal protection from any direction. We did have some company from Far Star on the second night.
On the third day, we motored into Bullock's Harbor and cleared customs at the marina. We paid our fee, and were officially checked in. Hooray.
From there we made our way a day at a time around the Berry Islands. Cruise ships stop there daily for their passengers to swim on the beautiful beaches. But a north wind was brewing, and we headed around to the south side for protection. We also needed to be in Nassau for Feb 26th when friends Tom and Angela fly in.
A long day's sail across the Northeast Passage in 20 knots of wind and seas of 8-12 feet got us to Nassau, where we proceeded to the Harbor Club and tied up in a slip to take on fuel and water. We also went to the supermarket and loaded up on food. There we were able to get our computer fixed so that we could access WiFi. (We'd been without e-mail since we left Marathon.)
Tom and Angella arrived right on time. We met them at the Green Parrot, and spent the night on the boat. Next day, we were off to Highborne Cay, where we spent a pleasant night in the lee of the high hills. Then, we sailed on down to the Exuma Land and Sea Park at Warderick Wells. We caught a small Skipjack Tuna on the way down, and ate it for supper. Delicious.
The Park was interesting, with magnificent snorkling. we saw huge rays, giant lobsters, millions of fish of every description - all colorful and unique. We also hiked and saw the coral island from the ground - now hot and arrid.
After a couple of days in the park, we headed on down to Staniel Cay. The trip was a blast, as we had a following wind, and were able to us our spinnaker for the first time. Angela helped set it up, and we made great time with that big sail full and booming.
Staniel Cay is quaint, as all the Exumas are. We shopped at the little store, and walked to the airstrip. Tom and Angela flew out from there. It was great to have them with us. It really livened up the trip.
From Staniel, we went south eventually arriving in Georgetown. It was full of boats and loads of activity. we had some fun there, but were glad to get away from the crowd.
Heading back north, we stop at Black Point to wait out 5 days of strong winds.
We left Marathon, FL on 2-12-09 with about 10 other boats. We had a three day weather window in the forecast, and the time was right. It took us several days to get ready, gathering supplies, reviewing our plans, checking equipment, etc. Even so, we were next to last getting out of Marathon, as we stopped to top off our fuel and water tanks.
We had arranged to "buddy boat" with some folks from Cohasset, Mass. We arrived at the jump-off location (just off Key Largo) just after dark and settled down for the night. But we had a bilge pump that wasn't working, so I checked it and found the hose mangled. (a drawstring had gotten around the prop shaft and whailed the hose to a pulp)
So, instead of leaving with the group, we stayed behind and launched the dinghy so I could motor 3 miles into Key Largo, put a bike ashore and bike 6 miles to a West Marine store to obtain some bilge pump hose. Success! That night I repaired the bilge pump, and we were ready to take off. Some nice folks on Salsa hailed us and invited us for cocktails. Sort of made the delay worthwhile.
We took off at the crack of dawn, all alone, heading across the Gulfstream. Wind was light and we had to motor much of the way. We arrived at South Riding Rock just before sundown and dropped the hook. We were the only boat there, and presumably within miles. We slept well in spite of the rolling swell.
Next day we made our way across the Great Bahama Bank (12-16 feet of water all the way)to the Northwest Beacon where again we anchored for the night. It's remarkable that we were able to spend two nights anchored on the bank, as there is minimal protection from any direction. We did have some company from Far Star on the second night.
On the third day, we motored into Bullock's Harbor and cleared customs at the marina. We paid our fee, and were officially checked in. Hooray.
From there we made our way a day at a time around the Berry Islands. Cruise ships stop there daily for their passengers to swim on the beautiful beaches. But a north wind was brewing, and we headed around to the south side for protection. We also needed to be in Nassau for Feb 26th when friends Tom and Angela fly in.
A long day's sail across the Northeast Passage in 20 knots of wind and seas of 8-12 feet got us to Nassau, where we proceeded to the Harbor Club and tied up in a slip to take on fuel and water. We also went to the supermarket and loaded up on food. There we were able to get our computer fixed so that we could access WiFi. (We'd been without e-mail since we left Marathon.)
Tom and Angella arrived right on time. We met them at the Green Parrot, and spent the night on the boat. Next day, we were off to Highborne Cay, where we spent a pleasant night in the lee of the high hills. Then, we sailed on down to the Exuma Land and Sea Park at Warderick Wells. We caught a small Skipjack Tuna on the way down, and ate it for supper. Delicious.
The Park was interesting, with magnificent snorkling. we saw huge rays, giant lobsters, millions of fish of every description - all colorful and unique. We also hiked and saw the coral island from the ground - now hot and arrid.
After a couple of days in the park, we headed on down to Staniel Cay. The trip was a blast, as we had a following wind, and were able to us our spinnaker for the first time. Angela helped set it up, and we made great time with that big sail full and booming.
Staniel Cay is quaint, as all the Exumas are. We shopped at the little store, and walked to the airstrip. Tom and Angela flew out from there. It was great to have them with us. It really livened up the trip.
From Staniel, we went south eventually arriving in Georgetown. It was full of boats and loads of activity. we had some fun there, but were glad to get away from the crowd.
Heading back north, we stop at Black Point to wait out 5 days of strong winds.
Thursday, January 15, 2009
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
Here is a long-overdue update. It seems that we've been busy traveling, and that I've been feeling a bit like there's not that much that's new. But as I read the last post, it seems that there is a LOT that's new.
First, we had a great time in Elizabeth City. The strange thing was that the city goes WAY OUT OF THEIR WAY to attract cruising boaters to stay and enjoy this cute little town. It's an old town, and its primary resources were cotton processing, timber, some food crops, and tobaccao. Then, times changed, and they need Tourism to survive. So, they have 14 FREE slips available and a FREE Happy Hour every day! There is a group called the ROSE BUDDIES who come down to the town docks at 1630 every day, and give out roses to cruisers who come in. The Mayor comes to the Visitors Center, where there's free beer and wine, cheese and munchies, and tells us what's available for our entertainment: restaurants, the Albemarle Museum, the free ride to the grocery store, the local winery, etc. The mayor is a live wire, and so energetic. I spoke with him for half an hour, and the next day when he saw me on the street he came right over to say hello, and to ask if we'd had a good time. WOW!
After three nights on the hook, we took a marina slip for a night and did laundry, took hot showers and took a break from the frosty dinghy rides. It's colder than anyone can remember at this time of year. We met some of the cruisers from the Dismal Swamp Canal at the second Happy Hour. Yes, you can go every night if you like.
We finally push on, and head toward the Alligator River - one of ten boats heading down. There is lively chatter on the VHF radio, and we begin to feel like we know some of the folks on the other boats. The Alligator River area is a huge preserve of wild, open land, and swamps. We glide through, seeing no houses, no roads, no telephone poles: only birds, and forests.
Through the Pungo River, across the Pamlico River, to Bear Creek, where we anchor of the night. We feel isolated, except for the radio messages now and then. No internet, no cell phone, only the occassional radio contact with fellow cruisers.
On and on, we head down the ICW toward Morehead City. We arrive late in the day, and anchor off the main channel. We miss Beaufort, where there is a huge anchorage, but we're happy to make best time South.
We finally make it to Charelston, S.C. What a beautiful city. We anchor out, and dinghy in with our bikes. We spend 6 days here, touring and just hanging out. The Charleston Museum is one of the oldest in the country. We spend half a day there. We dine in a great French restaurant (Rue de Jean) and stop in a good bike shop. Roy bikes to the top of the bridge, and gets some pix of the harbor. Bertha takes a tour of the Magnolia Plantation. We do laundry and grocery shopping, and get our house in order. We aslo take a Grayline Tour of the city and see some of the great old architecture, the ironwork, and the ramparts of Fort Sumter.
Then, we finally pull anchor and sail out into the Atlantic Ocean, bound for Hilton Head. A falling tide sucks us out the channel at 10 knots! We wave to Fort Sumter as we zip by, and then, the ocean swell begins. A West wind gives us a good push, and we sail under Jib 'n Jigger, but the swell on the quarter is somewhat sickening. As night falls, the wind picks up, but swings around to SW and the wave action aslo rises, and we find we have to tack in order to make any progress. The night is clear and cold, as we press on. The moon rises yellow and weird around 0100. We press on and around dawn we near the entrance to Port Royal Sound. We drop sails and motor up the long channel. It's hard to find the marks in the dark, but as the morning light increases, we feel safe and sound. We motor into Skull Creek, and drop the hook. Tired and happy, we hit the sack.
After a couple of days, we motor over to Broad Creek where we meet Guy and Laurine from "Tradition", a Whitby 42 from Marion. We enjoy the re-union, hear stories and have supper at Captain Woodies. They are leaving the next day after a 16 day stay. We, put our bikes ashore and spend two days biking Hilton Head Island. It's beautiful, but more built up than we would like. Nights are cold, though, and the outdoor restaurants all have gas heaters going.
And finally, we head out motoring and motor-sailing to St. Mary's for Thanksgiving. We arrive a couple of days early, and enjoy the warmer weather. It's still cold at night, but we're learning to cope with it. We meet some young folks who have sold their house, cars, etc, and are on a five year cruise. They almost dragged anchor down onto us in Charleston, and we didn't know who they were at the time. We had a good laugh over it, now that the panic of that night is just a memory.
Thanksgiving with cruisers is truly remarkable. We all showed up at Seagle's Saloon with dishes cooked on our boats. Bertha made Pumpkin Pie. The town supplies the turkey (18 of them) and we had more than we could eat. We met folks from England and Canada, and made plans for the crossing to the Bahamas. Folks with experience shared tips, and we soaked up as much knowledge as we could. There is a lot to learn.
Later we called home and caught up with family. Tomorrow we enter Florida!
First, we had a great time in Elizabeth City. The strange thing was that the city goes WAY OUT OF THEIR WAY to attract cruising boaters to stay and enjoy this cute little town. It's an old town, and its primary resources were cotton processing, timber, some food crops, and tobaccao. Then, times changed, and they need Tourism to survive. So, they have 14 FREE slips available and a FREE Happy Hour every day! There is a group called the ROSE BUDDIES who come down to the town docks at 1630 every day, and give out roses to cruisers who come in. The Mayor comes to the Visitors Center, where there's free beer and wine, cheese and munchies, and tells us what's available for our entertainment: restaurants, the Albemarle Museum, the free ride to the grocery store, the local winery, etc. The mayor is a live wire, and so energetic. I spoke with him for half an hour, and the next day when he saw me on the street he came right over to say hello, and to ask if we'd had a good time. WOW!
After three nights on the hook, we took a marina slip for a night and did laundry, took hot showers and took a break from the frosty dinghy rides. It's colder than anyone can remember at this time of year. We met some of the cruisers from the Dismal Swamp Canal at the second Happy Hour. Yes, you can go every night if you like.
We finally push on, and head toward the Alligator River - one of ten boats heading down. There is lively chatter on the VHF radio, and we begin to feel like we know some of the folks on the other boats. The Alligator River area is a huge preserve of wild, open land, and swamps. We glide through, seeing no houses, no roads, no telephone poles: only birds, and forests.
Through the Pungo River, across the Pamlico River, to Bear Creek, where we anchor of the night. We feel isolated, except for the radio messages now and then. No internet, no cell phone, only the occassional radio contact with fellow cruisers.
On and on, we head down the ICW toward Morehead City. We arrive late in the day, and anchor off the main channel. We miss Beaufort, where there is a huge anchorage, but we're happy to make best time South.
We finally make it to Charelston, S.C. What a beautiful city. We anchor out, and dinghy in with our bikes. We spend 6 days here, touring and just hanging out. The Charleston Museum is one of the oldest in the country. We spend half a day there. We dine in a great French restaurant (Rue de Jean) and stop in a good bike shop. Roy bikes to the top of the bridge, and gets some pix of the harbor. Bertha takes a tour of the Magnolia Plantation. We do laundry and grocery shopping, and get our house in order. We aslo take a Grayline Tour of the city and see some of the great old architecture, the ironwork, and the ramparts of Fort Sumter.
Then, we finally pull anchor and sail out into the Atlantic Ocean, bound for Hilton Head. A falling tide sucks us out the channel at 10 knots! We wave to Fort Sumter as we zip by, and then, the ocean swell begins. A West wind gives us a good push, and we sail under Jib 'n Jigger, but the swell on the quarter is somewhat sickening. As night falls, the wind picks up, but swings around to SW and the wave action aslo rises, and we find we have to tack in order to make any progress. The night is clear and cold, as we press on. The moon rises yellow and weird around 0100. We press on and around dawn we near the entrance to Port Royal Sound. We drop sails and motor up the long channel. It's hard to find the marks in the dark, but as the morning light increases, we feel safe and sound. We motor into Skull Creek, and drop the hook. Tired and happy, we hit the sack.
After a couple of days, we motor over to Broad Creek where we meet Guy and Laurine from "Tradition", a Whitby 42 from Marion. We enjoy the re-union, hear stories and have supper at Captain Woodies. They are leaving the next day after a 16 day stay. We, put our bikes ashore and spend two days biking Hilton Head Island. It's beautiful, but more built up than we would like. Nights are cold, though, and the outdoor restaurants all have gas heaters going.
And finally, we head out motoring and motor-sailing to St. Mary's for Thanksgiving. We arrive a couple of days early, and enjoy the warmer weather. It's still cold at night, but we're learning to cope with it. We meet some young folks who have sold their house, cars, etc, and are on a five year cruise. They almost dragged anchor down onto us in Charleston, and we didn't know who they were at the time. We had a good laugh over it, now that the panic of that night is just a memory.
Thanksgiving with cruisers is truly remarkable. We all showed up at Seagle's Saloon with dishes cooked on our boats. Bertha made Pumpkin Pie. The town supplies the turkey (18 of them) and we had more than we could eat. We met folks from England and Canada, and made plans for the crossing to the Bahamas. Folks with experience shared tips, and we soaked up as much knowledge as we could. There is a lot to learn.
Later we called home and caught up with family. Tomorrow we enter Florida!
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
Finishing up the Chesapeake, and into North Carolina
It's been a busy week.
We made the run to Kilmarnock in quick time and found a beautiful, quiet anchorage just south of town. I put a bike ashore and biked to the American Diesel shop to buy some parts for our engine. (routine maintenance)
The next day, it was rainy, and we motored in to the Chesapeake Basin and took dockage for the night. Barb and Ranny were nice enough to drive out and have lunch with us on the boat. They also brought mail and packages that we had forwarded to their address. We had a great visit, which was over all too soon.
That evening, we had Fred Chance and Judy Horst over for wine and cheese. They had come in after us, and had anchored Wild Oats near us. They had sailed all the routes we are planning to sail, and we were glad to have the benefit of their knowledge.
Up at the crack of dawn the next day, but Fred and Judy were already out. We called them later on the radio, and found them a couple of hours ahead of us - we could just make out their sail on the horizon. But the wind abated in the afternoon, and we had to motor the rest of the way to Norfolk. We spent a noisy night at anchor in Willoughby Bay. I can remember swimming near Willoughby Spit as a boy when we lived on the Navy base. Now there is a major highway and bridge-tunnel running through it, and the traffic is quite noisy.
We spent the evening poring over our charts and guidebooks, calculating our travel time to the first lock at the entrance to the Dismal Swamp Canal. We set the alarm for 0530, but somehow didn't get up until 0630. We took off immediately, skipping breakfast, and made our best speed to the first bridge. Having made up the hour we had overslept, we were then delayed at the second bridge where a railroad train kept the bridge closed for 20 minutes.
Finally through that bridge, and under the rest, we turned into Deep Creek. We hustled along again at our best speed to make the 1100 lock opening. Since there were four sailboats behind us, all having waited for the same bridge opening, the lockmaster held off for our arrival. We all locked up into the Dismal Swamp Canal together.
The lock is narrow and not too long. We were surprised that all three power boats and 5 sailboats would fit. But we did. The lockmaster was friendly and helpful to us newbies, and we got through without incident. (although our fenders got slimed by the grundge on the sides of the lock.
Once out, we motored along at No-Wake speed. The canal is wild and beautiful, with thick vegetation closing in on both sides. By late afternoon, we had traveled the 28 miles to the visitors center, where we were greeted by folks on boats already made fast to the seawall. We passed them lines and rafted up. We were welcomed onto their boats, and invited to happy hour. Cruisers are such friendly folks!
Later, another sailboat came alongside, and then it was our turn to welcome them and help them get moored alongside us. No Problem, although we weren't really prepared for it, and had to scramble.
We spent a delightful hour aboard Hydrotherapy, with Bill and Sue Hitchcock of Harpswell, Me. Then supper and bed.
In the morning, we took our time getting off. Yesterday's beautiful sunshine had turned to frost overnight. We use the oven to heat the cabin. Lots of folks left early, but we were in no rush. We missed the 1100 opening of the South Mill Lock, so we tied up to the seawall for a couple of hours,which gave me a chance to change the engine oil. Then we locked through with one other boat. The wind had picked up to gale force, and most travelers had hunkered down in Elizabeth City. We anchored there, as there was no room left at the famous Mariner's Wharf. We hope to find an opening there tomorrow.
Tonight, we're snug at anchor, and hope the wind subsides tomorrow. We plan to spend the day ashore.
We made the run to Kilmarnock in quick time and found a beautiful, quiet anchorage just south of town. I put a bike ashore and biked to the American Diesel shop to buy some parts for our engine. (routine maintenance)
The next day, it was rainy, and we motored in to the Chesapeake Basin and took dockage for the night. Barb and Ranny were nice enough to drive out and have lunch with us on the boat. They also brought mail and packages that we had forwarded to their address. We had a great visit, which was over all too soon.
That evening, we had Fred Chance and Judy Horst over for wine and cheese. They had come in after us, and had anchored Wild Oats near us. They had sailed all the routes we are planning to sail, and we were glad to have the benefit of their knowledge.
Up at the crack of dawn the next day, but Fred and Judy were already out. We called them later on the radio, and found them a couple of hours ahead of us - we could just make out their sail on the horizon. But the wind abated in the afternoon, and we had to motor the rest of the way to Norfolk. We spent a noisy night at anchor in Willoughby Bay. I can remember swimming near Willoughby Spit as a boy when we lived on the Navy base. Now there is a major highway and bridge-tunnel running through it, and the traffic is quite noisy.
We spent the evening poring over our charts and guidebooks, calculating our travel time to the first lock at the entrance to the Dismal Swamp Canal. We set the alarm for 0530, but somehow didn't get up until 0630. We took off immediately, skipping breakfast, and made our best speed to the first bridge. Having made up the hour we had overslept, we were then delayed at the second bridge where a railroad train kept the bridge closed for 20 minutes.
Finally through that bridge, and under the rest, we turned into Deep Creek. We hustled along again at our best speed to make the 1100 lock opening. Since there were four sailboats behind us, all having waited for the same bridge opening, the lockmaster held off for our arrival. We all locked up into the Dismal Swamp Canal together.
The lock is narrow and not too long. We were surprised that all three power boats and 5 sailboats would fit. But we did. The lockmaster was friendly and helpful to us newbies, and we got through without incident. (although our fenders got slimed by the grundge on the sides of the lock.
Once out, we motored along at No-Wake speed. The canal is wild and beautiful, with thick vegetation closing in on both sides. By late afternoon, we had traveled the 28 miles to the visitors center, where we were greeted by folks on boats already made fast to the seawall. We passed them lines and rafted up. We were welcomed onto their boats, and invited to happy hour. Cruisers are such friendly folks!
Later, another sailboat came alongside, and then it was our turn to welcome them and help them get moored alongside us. No Problem, although we weren't really prepared for it, and had to scramble.
We spent a delightful hour aboard Hydrotherapy, with Bill and Sue Hitchcock of Harpswell, Me. Then supper and bed.
In the morning, we took our time getting off. Yesterday's beautiful sunshine had turned to frost overnight. We use the oven to heat the cabin. Lots of folks left early, but we were in no rush. We missed the 1100 opening of the South Mill Lock, so we tied up to the seawall for a couple of hours,which gave me a chance to change the engine oil. Then we locked through with one other boat. The wind had picked up to gale force, and most travelers had hunkered down in Elizabeth City. We anchored there, as there was no room left at the famous Mariner's Wharf. We hope to find an opening there tomorrow.
Tonight, we're snug at anchor, and hope the wind subsides tomorrow. We plan to spend the day ashore.
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