BIG HOP

BIG HOP

After enjoying a night with fellow Krogen boaters all heading south, we left with the sunrise for an offshore run to Masonboro Inlet – Wrightsville Beach.  However, we found the seas much calmer than expected so made the decision to carry on for Charleston – a mere 32+ hour run for us.  So, sadly we waved goodbye to all the Krogens headed to the mini rendezvous in Bald Head that we were sacrificing for relatively flat seas. However, Charleston Maritime Center is not a bad place to spend a few days as we wait for weather to give us a straight shot to Brunswick, GA before a few short runs up to Jacksonville for a long winter break.

Familiar Territory

Familiar Territory

Again we had an early start to cross the Albemarle Sound with calm water and a quiet night off the Alligator Canal.  From there we headed to Bellhaven, NC to check out the flood damage from the recent storms.  We were glad to see there were no serious aftereffects from the high water and this remains an easy and cruiser friendly stop.  A late start after breakfast at the charming Gingerbread Café put us in our anchorage in Broad Creek well before sunset.  In time to enjoy some of the Saturday afternoon football action.  It never ceases to amaze us that we can catch network TV in these remote spots. Next we made a stop in Oriental so Steve could visit the famed surplus/consignment nautical store.  And, of course, the Admiral had to check out the local tourist traps before we could head on to Morehead City Yacht Basin – a favorite stop for resupply and good meals.

Brian to the rescue

Brian to the rescue

Brian, the ace marine mechanic – who works on holidays, kindly dropped his current project and stepped up to help us sort out our “electrical issues”.  The battery banks are realigned and the generator has another new impeller.  The new batteries will arrive tomorrow – if all goes well we will head south again in the afternoon.

Indeed all was good we headed further south into the Dismal Swamp hoping for a familiar stop at the Visitor Center. Instead we camped on the docks of the Chesapeake Yacht Company – these are not public or free docks, but with permission and an early departure – they often let boaters spend the night on their docks.  We kept at close eye on the cats since this is the place both have wandered off our boat along the Dismal.  We kept them entertained with the solar flower gifted by Steve’s sister Susan.

We did have an early start to make the lock opening at 8:30 and then on through the second lock at 1:30 which put us in Elizabeth City for the 4:30 bridge opening.  Thankfully there was still space on the face dock for us so we did not have to squeeze into their skinny slips for the night.  A walk in this cute town rounded out the long day.  

Heading South once again

Heading South once again

Leaving NYC harbor with the sunrise we headed out for an off shore run into Barnegat Inlet a little over 70 miles south.  With favorable winds and tides we were into our anchorage before dark – but not alone as a fleet of vessels took advantage of the nice weather to move. 

Again an early start got us into Cape May harbor before dark – in time to liberate our online orders sent to the kind folks at Utsch’s Marina.  My new boots are essential for those early fall morning anchor washing duties.

Our stop in Cape May included the usual walk into town – all bedecked for the fall Victorian Festival tours.  Lots of spooky displays and fall colors added to the Victorian atmosphere. 

We were also lucky to have a visit from Steve’s sister Susan and her husband, Dick.  They have been chasing us since PEI in Canada and due to an emergency water pump repair in Philadelphia we were able to get close enough for a visit. 

Sadly their stay was short since they declined the offer of a bumpy ride to Norfolk.  We needed to take the short and not perfect window south or be forced to take the longer and slower route through the Chesapeake Bay.

Our long night was mostly comfortable and virtually free of traffic for a change.  This ended as we entered the channel toward Hampton VA.  All the weekend traffic buzzed us and we dodged a couple ocean freighters that were departing the bay.

We were glad to land in Old Point Comfort Marina for a quiet 
night and delicious dinner at The Deadrise Restaurant – recently opened above the marina office.  We have anchored off the marina several times but opted for a night on the dock which now seems to be essential as Steve trouble shoots some electrical issues….. next stop, when we can move, will be North Carolina.

Turning the Corner into Long Island Sound & closing the loop

Turning the Corner into Long Island Sound

& closing the loop

About a week (OK more like a couple weeks) ago we left the Atlantic for the more protected waters of Cape Cod bay – through the Cape Cod Canal into Buzzards Bay for stops in New Bedford, Newport, New London and finally into Port Jefferson on Long Island. And then…..

New Bedford is home to an impressive whaling museum.  All things whaling are on display from art work with a whaling theme to the tools of the trade. The thousands of artifacts were available free since the museum is constructing an addition to enlarge their exhibition and education space.  The minor inconvenience of skirting the workers was rewarded with a free pass to the riches of this museum.

Even a walk in this historic downtown was a pleasure on a sunny fall afternoon – the 20^th century wealth of this town was evident in the elaborate public buildings.  And even today, the harbor supports a vast fishing fleet. To curb over fishing, days on the water are limited so we got to see many of the boats in the harbor.

Newport RI, our next stop, is famous  for attracting many mega yachts and even cruise ships.  We were a tiny dot in this harbor still packed with boats weeks after Labor Day. It is hard to find a more cruiser friendly spot with easy access to all provisions, great restaurants, and scenic walks in town or along the famous cliffs. Sights included mega mansions and mega breakers.

We made a brief stop in New London CT to have dinner with our friends on Water Hog and check their new dinghy hoist. New London itself has a spruced up waterfront and well maintained main street.  The breakfast spot seemed to be the Muddy Waters Café on Bank Street – where crowds waited patiently for the fresh sandwiches, sweet treats, and coffee. We knew we were in the right place when the Amtrak policemen joined us!

After a night on the hook off Joshua Cove we glided into Port Jefferson to meet up with Aramco buddies enjoying a mini reunion in Miller Place at the Martocello’s home.  Friends from our years in Saudi share many common experiences, and it is always good to reminisce and catch up on the current projects.  It was also a treat to see two of the Martocello boys who have grown into handsome and delightful young men as well as browse the photos from 20 years ago that show the boys as we first knew them.

Since the weather shut down an easy passage south, we opted to while away a few more days on Long Island.

Thanks to Irene and Steve, we had a tour of the north branch. Their hospitality – included a night off the boat in Uncle Bill’s Mattituck canal palace – every bedroom is a suite and common areas are far from common. The best part was spending a few more hours with good friends (none of us are OLD!)

We finally drug ourselves away from Port Jefferson to seek shelter in the protected harbor at Port Washington.  This is a well-known cruiser friendly stop just a short hop from NYC.  We elected to hang on the boat.  Although Hurricane Joachim thankfully headed out into the Atlantic, given the 25 to 30 knot winds and rain, touring was not an attractive option.  Instead we went to the movies, shopped at the handy and expansive Stop and Shop, local West Marine and assorted hardware stores in this pedestrian friendly town.  Riding the dink in high winds can be a damp experience, so it was also a special treat to take advantage of the water taxi included with our mooring. Sadly we did not catch enough WIFI to upload photos or post to the blog hence this catch up edition from Erben Renewal – heading south!  We stopped in New York Harbor behind the lady to close our Down East Loop in style.