Lots and lots of miles

Lots and lots of miles

Whether counted in nautical or statute miles, in the last 8 days we have covered some territory. (872 statute miles) Leaving Charleston after waiting for the vestiges of Colin to blow north, we hopped overnight to Morehead City, NC.  This trip was slower than our southerly transit last fall due to unfavorable winds, waves and currents.  To keep all cats and the crew happy, the skipper added a few miles by hugging the shore after rounding Frying Pan Shoals.  This shallow area makes it impossible to head straight for Morehead City from Charleston.  The shoals have also famously caught many a mariner off Bald Head Island and Cape Fear so with the benefit of modern navigation systems we stayed well away.  Even so, we arrived in Morehead City Yacht Basin in time to borrow their loaner car for a quick run to Wally World for cat litter and a propane refill.  (As an aside, while in J’ville we had tried the four legged crew with a new litter system which they emphatically rejected - no one needs more details on that subject! So we needed to restock all that old stuff.)  Thankfully hauling cat litter or propane tanks on our bikes was not necessary. 

After a great meal at the Ruddy Duck and a restful night on the dock we left with the tide for an anchorage on the edge of the Pamlico River.  From there the next day we made it to Elizabeth City free dock.  This was a record long day for us with 101 miles logged – fortunately all in daylight.  It was nice to see an empty spot on the dock and welcoming hands to assist with tying up.  The only sad note was the service and meal we had in town.  It is rare to a reason for complaint since overwhelmingly our shore meals have been great and service more than adequate.  Perhaps we were just over tired??

The next morning, we left with several sailboats for a passage through the historic Dismal Swamp canal.  It was our first time to transit the entire canal – both locks in one stretch. Like the sailboats, we wanted to reach Norfolk so we would not have to fuss with the restricted bridges on Monday.  A scheduled maintenance on one of the many railroad bridges in the short stretch from the canal to mile zero would have seriously wasted our Monday. So our little flotilla of five boats trudged along at a slow clip – occasionally bumping a few unseen logs but miraculously making both bridges and locks and arriving on the dock in Portsmouth, VA minutes before the heavens opened up and thunder boomed. There are several good anchorages in the area but the 94° degree heat - even with the rain -  made a dock with power for the A/C a worthwhile expenditure.  It was also a short walk the next morning to the Kitchen Koop – a cooking/dish store on High Street that is always worth a visit – snagged a couple essential dishes – just replacing things lost to careless wakes!

Fortunately, the winds shifted and died down so we trundled out of Norfolk along with Destroyer #79 and the Pride of Baltimore  heading for Cape May, New Jersey.  

The seas were plenty calm until about 3 AM but from there almost into Cape May we had a little rougher water though nothing that seemed to bother Frank – our rough seas bell weather. He slept the whole way as did the ever vocal Annie. 

All in all a quick trip of 25 hours for 180+ miles.  A nice walk into town and a stop at our favorite seafood restaurant/market rounded off the day.  In the harbor on our way back to our boat we spotted another Krogen – Cygnet – a Manatee recently purchased and headed to Vermont for the summer.  Hopefully we will reconnect at the Krogen Rondezvous this fall. The new owners have circumnavigate in a sailboat and ought to have great stories to share.

Heading out early with the sun, we tackled the last leg – only 237 miles to Block Island, RI.  Arrival a mere 30 hours later thanks to a lusty following sea and lucky tide timing.  It was also calm enough that Princess Annie enjoyed a walk on the bow while underway to bask in the sunshine. 

A rest to explore is well earned.  The remainder of the summer will be from here on up to Maine and back at a more leisurely pace than our last week.