The Rest of the Way Home

October 24 – 31, 2011

At first light, on October 24, we had a great start since when we pulled up the anchor we didn't have one of the underwater cables attached to it which would have really complicated our departure plans.  The passage out of Beaufort inlet was mostly calm.  Two other Krogens came out right behind us, so we knew we would have some radio company at least until we got to Wrightsville Beach, NC where at least one of the other two would be going in for the night.  The FLUKESTERS were leaving our options open, hoping to take advantage of a small weather window, to be able to stay out in the ocean for an overnight passage to at least Charleston, SC.

The seas weren't very nice from the beginning, and continued to decline a bit in their level of comfort throughout the day.  They weren't high or dangerous, just kind of sloppy, making the ride kind of corkscrew-like since we were getting pushed from the stern quarter.  It makes for a tiring, boring ride.  However, we knew that the forecast for the following day would be worse, and if we went in at Wrightsville Beach, we wouldn't be able to get back out in the ocean again.  Travel on the inside, on the ICW, could prove to be more frustrating and dangerous, with all the other boat traffic, low tidal areas, and excessive shoaling that would we would have to face.  So, we decided to stay out all night long and press on to Charleston.

We were optimistic toward sunset when we approached Frying Pan Shoals, off of Cape Fear, NC and the seas calmed down quite a bit.  We thought we would have nice night seas, but once we completed the long arc around the Shoals, King Neptune turned on his washing machine and made our lives miserable again.  I think it's stressful enough traveling at night when visibility is extremely limited and you have to rely on the radar screen, but when you are getting jostled around at the same time, it is really miserable.

I had the first watch, until midnight, and couldn't wait to be able to go down below and lay down.  When I awoke, it was daylight with calm seas, and I was surprised that we hadn't entered Charleston harbor yet.  When I went up to the pilothouse I was told that since the seas had calmed down so much Captain Wayne had made the decision to keep going south, maybe to St. Marys, GA, if the passage proved to be comfortable. 

Within half an hour, the sea conditions changed drastically which often happens when the sun fully rises above the horizon.  The wind really kicked up.  Since we had just passed Charleston we should have turned right back around and headed to an anchorage off the ICW.  We were all tired and just the thought of spending another day in the “spin cycle” didn't bode well with any of us.  I heard 2 other boats that had left Charleston say that they were turning back to port because of the poor sea conditions.

However, we decided to try to head into St. Helena Sound which wasn't too far south.  We had never been in that inlet before, so we put out a call on the radio for anyone to answer with local information about how suitable it would be to use under the present sea conditions.  A research ship responded favorably, so we changed course to angle into the sound.

BRIDGOT DENISE

There were two shrimp boats trawling by the outer markers.  You can see how the waves are kicked up and how murky the shallow water looks.

The approach into the sound positioned us to get hit broad side by the wind and waves making FLUKE roll quite a bit to the port side.  We had to hold on to keep ourselves upright and steer the boat in conjunction with the oncoming waves to reduce getting hit directly.  It took over an hour to get far enough into the Sound where we could get some protection from the land enough to calm the water.

Once we finally intersected the ICW, and had a favorable tide, we continued onward another 3 hours until we reached Beaufort, SC.  That meant we had traveled 34 hours straight from Beaufort, NC to Beaufort, SC!  We were rewarded with a quiet, calm, peaceful night at anchor.  Thank you.

When the sun rose the next morning with a forecast for calm seas and light winds, we were underway again, out the Port Royal Sound inlet.  We hoped to be able to stay offshore all the way to St. Marys, GA and anchor near Cumberland Island.  Once we cleared the outer marker, we could see 6 container ships, bound for either Savannah to the south or Charleston to the north.

Research project

I've told you before when the seas are calm you can do a variety of things aboard while underway.  I was fascinated by the great numbers of these brown jellyfish that were floating n the water.  They ranged in size from those as small as a ping pong ball to those as large as a softball.  They clearly had the ability to orient themselves in a specific direction and also propel themselves at a pretty good pace.

Ordinarily Captain Wayne is reluctant to slow the boat down for me to take pictures or try to collect anything, but to my delightful surprise, he agreed to let me try to catch one of the jellyfish with my bucket on a rope.  I think he was feeling sorry for how miserable we had all been the day before.  Anyway, it was no easy task to try to capture one of the jellyfish with the bucket as the boat was moving even at idle speed.  So, Wayne just let us drift in neutral, and I was able to scoop one up.  He laughed at me when I squealed in delight over my success.  I declared that we were now RV FLUKE.  Once I had completed my examination of the specimen I dumped it back into the sea. 

Captain Ursa

Eddie, on the other hand, finds other, less cerebral, diversions to break his boredom at sea.  Some of the time that means one of the animals will get harassed.  While Ursa loves sitting up on the helm so she can see out, she wasn't enthused about steering the boat.

It was about this time that Eddie made some “profound” statement that made me remark, laughing, about the possibility of him being our resident savant.  He puffed himself up until Wayne went on to explain that there are two extremes to someone being a savant.  Since one  of Eddie's favorite movies is Rain Man he got the message of what I what kind of savant I had in mind for him!!  Idle time at sea also has its dangers.

We reached the entrance to St. Marys inlet at 9:00 p.m.  Since we had been in here before after dark, we had confidence in getting safely to the anchorage.  The only “hazard” we encountered was an extinguished (light out) channel marker that we came way too close to.  Wayne reported that to the Coast Guard the next day. 

We had hoped to make the short run over to Fernandina Beach the next morning and pick up one of their mooring balls for a day or two.  However, when we called about availability, we were told all the moorings were “down for maintenance”.  Sounds like that means there must have been an incident, like a boat breaking loose, that would cause them all to be out of service right at the beginning of the Fall migration of cruisers heading south.

So, we decided to head south to St. Augustine, where we would visit with Wayne's family.  After we upped the anchor I was able to see 5 wild horses on Cumberland Island grazing in the morning light.  A great start to my day!

More winter visitors

The upper portion of the Florida ICW allows cruisers to get really close to large flocks of white pelicans that have migrated south for the winter.

Surfboard art

Not all the areas of the Florida ICW are wide open, natural areas like in the previous photo.  Some of the waterway is very channelized and flows by residential areas with a wide range of home styles and prices.  I thought this directional patio signage was clever and colorful.

Pirate ship

We arrived in St. Augustine in late morning and were greeted by the tourist pirate ship,  BLACK RAVEN.  This cruise had a bunch of kids aboard, and Eddie gave them a blast on our big ship's horn and the kids went crazy.  Since it was a pirate celebration weekend, lots of people went out on the ship, and judging by all the singing and loud arrghs coming from the passengers, they were having a fun time.  A lot of people we passed on the street were dressed in pirate garb, going to various pirate functions.  I kept my eye out for my favorite pirate, Jack Sparrow, but I didn't see him or the BLACK PEARL.  Guess I'll have to watch the latest movie to see him again.

Happy Halloween

We picked up one of the new moorings, south of the Bridge of Lions.  This old style house was right across from us and had some Halloween decorations.  At night, the archways were lit with orange lights, and looked really neat.

Holiday advertising

St. Augustine should be on everyone's tourist stop; there is so much to see, and the historic sites are all close to the marina and easy to walk to.  However, we were not really tourists this time since we stopped just to visit with Wayne's  Dad, Russell, and his wife, Rayma.  We could walk to their house from the marina, so it was nice to be able to go back and forth as we wanted without having to worry about transportation.  We usually visit them on a holiday like Thanksgiving or Christmas, so it was really nice to see them this time without all the holiday chaos.  One thing was the same as the holidays though, they always bake cookies and feed us way to much!

Home observatory

We left St. Augustine at first light with the intention of making it all the way to Mosquito Lagoon and anchoring for the night outside the channel.  Since the tides had been running high, we didn't have any trouble with the usual shallow spots that would have slowed us down.  I have always been fascinated by this intracoastal home with its own astronomical observatory, even more so after looking through the binoculars that night back at the swamp in Alligator River. 

I could really tell we were back in Florida because of all the dolphins and manatees that we could see.  Some of the dolphins gave us private acrobatic shows with high leaps fully out of the water, always with that gleeful “smile” they have, looking right at us.  Mother Nature also treated us to a flock of three dozen rosette spoonbills, flying right over us.  There were so many together they had a pink aura around them, just gorgeous.

When we got to Mosquito Lagoon, it was way too windy to anchor.  Even though it was nearing sunset, I told the guys I wouldn't be a happy cruiser if we anchored there and that we had enough light left to make it through Haulover Cut and get over to the ICW where we would have better wind protection.  Plus, the lighted channel markers would provide safe enough beacons for the short distance we would need to travel in the total darkness.  Then we heard a radio conversation between another cruising boat and the Titusville Municipal Marina about their new moorings.  We figured we could make it there in the dark and pick up a mooring. 

When we made it to the mooring field, it was more difficult than we thought it would be to even see the mooring balls, but there weren't many boats, so we had plenty of room for error in maneuvering toward a ball.  Once we radioed in to pay $15 for the mooring, the marina employee said the mooring would be complimentary.  It sounded like the whole mooring system was brand new and they weren't set up to take customers yet anyway.  Okay by us, thank you.

Rain came during the night, along with even stronger winds.  At first light, we upped the anchor in the rain, and it stayed with us until about 1:00 p.m.  The wind never let up, blowing 20 – 25 KTS, but at least it was behind us, so we got a good push, and arrived at the dock at the Vero Beach Municipal Marina at 3:30 p.m. and pulled into the same slip we left 6 months ago.

We'll be posting our usual summary blog within a couple of weeks once we tabulate all the data.  I'll also be making a few additional comments now that I don't have to worry about being restricted to the confines of FLUKE and having to put up with any whining from my two crewmates if I divulge too much personal information.

South Through North Carolina

October 21 – 23, 2011
With great travel weather in the forecast, there was a mass exodus from the wall at Chesapeake, VA.  We were all in a line waiting for the 8:00 a.m. Great Bridge opening.

Squinting required

I tried to take a shot of what we have to see on clear mornings when we are headed in the same direction as the sun is rising.   Even though FLUKE has raked windows that have anti-glare protection, the direct sun can still be blinding.  If the windows are dirty, it can be impossible to see out of them.  With all the glare, reflection, close quarters, and other moving boats, we like to have all “eyes on deck” to help with seeing what's ahead.

Our goal for the day was to make it all the way to the south end of the Alligator River where the Alligator Pungo Canal begins.  It is one of my favorite natural areas on the whole ICW, and I always write about how magical I think it is, especially at sunset and sunrise during calm weather.

Since this uninhabited area is so vast and isolated, on a clear night, like we had, the Milky Way looks like a big belt of thick foam in the sky.  A city person would think they must be on a movie set since so many stars are visible.  By looking through our binoculars into the heavens I can see the diversity of star size, color, and brightness, and it is breath-taking.  The night chill doesn't even distract me from scanning the sky.  Groupings of stars take on a three-dimensional appearance and look like jewels on black velvet.  The vastness of the universe makes me feel “smaller” than the tiniest particle of matter that I can think of.  I am so lucky to see these wonders of nature.

Beating the sun

I could have said that this was taken when we were setting the anchor since we arrived right as the sun was setting, another day of about 75 miles.  We were the last boat of 20 in the area to anchor for the night.  However, this is Eddie getting ready to pull up the anchor the following morning.  By the time we had the anchor up and chained cleaned off, there was enough light to see so that we didn't run over a crab trap buoy since they are numerous in that area.

Lovely in lavender

When the sun rose enough to bring color to the swamp, we were treated to a morning cloaked in all shades of purple.  The clouds were reflected in the glassy calmness of the water.  The swamp mist clung to the shore vegetation until the sun's rays burned it away for another day.  A lone bald eagle perched on a snag and cautiously watched us pass through his territory.

Hello sunshine

The big cloud bank on the eastern horizon extended the morning sunrise.  When the sun could peek through the clouds, the tree silhouettes provided an interesting shoreline panorama.  Sunrise never lasts as long as I wish it would; it is my favorite time of the day when the swamp is being lit up and bathed in all the gentle colors of morning light.

Who goes ahead?

The mist clung to the canal for quite a while where the vegetation was near on both sides.  Look closely to see the sailboat up ahead.

Another golden day

When the sun rises up high enough, it casts a golden glow on the shore line vegetation.  Notice the diversity in the hardwood trees and grasses, coming into their Fall colors.

Yearlings

Creatures of the night, like these two young deer, will be scampering into the underbrush when the sun rises higher and the rest of the parade of boats goes by them.

Swamp rescue

Since we were the lead boat in the “pack” leaving the anchorage that morning, we were the first to come upon this sailboat that had either grounded itself on the bottom or on an underwater log.  As we approached, the captain motioned for us to come closer.  I called on the radio and asked what they wanted, and they asked if we could pull them free. We felt sorry for them since it was a young couple with a small baby, and the woman couldn't do anything to help because she had to hold the child.  We had to be cautious in how close we could get since we didn't want to run aground either, and we drew more water than they did.  So, we approached them with our bow.  The captain threw a line over to Eddie (took four tries), and we had ample power to pull them free.  The “law” of the sea says you always lend assistance whenever you can, even if it is an inconvenience for you.  I wonder why we can't live like that on land?

So, I hoped you liked sharing our morning on the Alligator Pungo canal!  Those kinds of mornings sure make cruising wonderful.

The rest of the day was uneventful as we went another 75 miles until we reached South River, across from Oriental, NC (a boating mecca).  We planned to anchor there for the night and half the next day until we moved to a better staging area to make an offshore run out of the inlet at Beaufort, NC to sea places southward.  It is a great area to anchor because there is a LOT of room, and you can try to tuck in on either side of the river, depending on the wind direction.

The weather forecast for the next couple of days indicated we should have good sea conditions to make an offshore run to Charleston, SC, requiring one night at sea.  We had about 20 miles to go to get to the inlet, where we would anchor for the night so we could get an early start the next morning.  So, we left South River around noon.

Dreams aground

We had to travel through the Adams Creek Canal area, which had sustained damage from Irene.  A couple of large vessels were still stranded.  At least they weren't in the water where cruisers would have to worry about running over them.

Sitting pretty

This stretch of the waterway doesn't have much in the way of scenic natural areas.  So, I try to find other sights to entertain myself.  These house colors and the porch chairs added some real brightness to an otherwise rather dull stretch of the ICW waterway.

Castaway?

It was very easy to spot this inflatable raft aground in a marshy area right alongside the waterway.  At first I just assumed it was some kind of water toy that had blown off a boat.  However, upon closer inspection, I could see that there was a body lying close to it.  What a weird place to stop and take a nap, if that was what this guy was really doing.

Just after 4:00 p.m. we arrived at the Beaufort inlet.  We had talked several times about trying to anchor in the inlet, right off the beach by Fort Macon and the Coast Guard station, so that it would be easy to get out the inlet at first light.  There was some confusion where an underground cable area was supposed to be located according to our nautical chart and there were no signs on shore indicating exactly where the cable crossing was, so we picked the best spot we could with the information at hand.  We found there to be great holding, and the wind kept our bow pointed toward the channel, helping to minimize roll from the few boats that came in late in the day.  If we had been there earlier when a lot of boats were coming in, their wakes would have made the anchorage too uncomfortable.

Almost to port

We were treated to a show of two tugs assisting this ocean freighter through the inlet and over to the port dock, visible from where we were anchored.

We breathed a sigh of relief the next morning when we pulled up the anchor, by itself, without a cable attached!   The anchorage had been quiet and calm through the tide changes.

We had an easy, smooth exit out of the inlet, with the intention of saying goodbye to North Carolina for 2011.

Goodbye Virginia

October 16 – 20, 2011

Our remaining time at the Piankatank River anchorage was spent being glad we hadn't tried to move down the Bay a day sooner since the wind really did pick up a lot. We were tucked in well enough not to be affected, but we could hear radio chatter from boaters who had tried to go out, but turned back to a safe port because conditions were too rough. I was actually hoping for some decent rain to move through with the weather system because FLUKE was covered with gritty salt from the water we took over the bow on the way in and the rain would help wash it off. No such luck.

Bagelmania

Baker Wayne made his first attempt at baking blueberry bagels, quite a different process from his usual bread making projects since they have to be boiled before baking. They tasted as good as they look in the photo, and we will add them to the stock list. With all of his bread projects, Wayne lets the bread cool enough to slice or package, and then puts it in the freezer. We find freezing right away like that keeps the bread fresh.

A couple of fighter jets flew by over the treetops (probably smelled the bagels!), and one of them did a barrel roll, like our own private air show.

When the winds died down, we were anxious to get going again, and wanted to be able to put in a long day to get all the way down the Bay and through Norfolk. The Great Chesapeake Bay Schooner Race had been in progress the previous week, so we had hoped to see some of the beautiful schooners out on the Bay, but all the ones that passed us didn't have their sails up.

In the pink

This sailboat with a colorful spinnaker provided a bright diversion.

Vessel diversity

This was the first time we had seen a cruise ship in port when we have gone through Norfolk. Later in the afternoon, when we were south of Norfolk, we heard the captain of Carnival GLORY on the VHF announcing his intentions to leave the dock for his move to the sea.

Taxi anyone

This paddlewheel boat water taxi was taking people from the Portsmouth side to the Norfolk side of the harbor.

Undercover operation

Two navy warships were in dry dock. In this photo, with warship 55, you can see the dry dock frame on either side. When the ship pulls in, the bottom of the dry dock is below the water level depth of the keel of the ship so that it can float freely. Then, the water is pumped out so that work can be done to the bottom and all the other parts of the ship after the bottom is raised. Note the big cranes attached to the dry dock frame, used to move heavy parts on and off. The covers on the ship help protect the workers and contain debris as well as keeping spy satellites from seeing what kind of refit work may be being done to the ship. Notice how the bow at the water line is covered, so that you can't see what is being done to the sonar area. The upper levels of the superstructure are covered where a lot of the electronics are located. The floating barrier fence keeps people in watercraft from getting too close.

We really lucked out at one of the bridges that only opens on the hour when a northbound tug requested an opening at half past the hour. Commercial vessels don't have to adhere to the time schedule, and if a recreational vessel is at the bridge when it opens for the commercial vessel, we can go through too. That can save a lot of waiting time, and less anxiety if the weather is bad, pushing the boat around.

Our destination was the floating dock that belongs to the Chesapeake Yacht facility on the waterway that is the entrance to the Dismal Swamp Canal. We were hoping to find space available for us to tie up for the night, and we had a surprise when we got there.

River gunboats

We ended up sharing dock space with 4 Navy river gunboats and one other cruising sailing catamaran.

Mission tents

In one corner of the shipyard, the Navy had set up their sleeping and kitchen quarters for their base of operation. They had an armed guard for sentry duty, and portable bright lights that shined all night long over their tents and out onto the dock. Plus, their big generators ran all night, making for some loud sleeping noise. We figured that they must be getting set to do some practice maneuvers in the nearby swamps.

Sure enough, when we were underway a few days later, one of our sisterships, who had been anchored out in the Pungo River swamp area, radioed to us to tell us about seeing a river attack show in the early morning hours. There was lots of blank shooting between the swamp boats and the “enemy” on the shore of the swamp, and apparently it was a really, intense, interesting show. I would have gladly anchored out in the swamp just to get to see that!

We left the CY dock to get to Top Rack Marina by 7:45 a.m. so that we could take on fuel and water and make the 9:00 a.m. Steel Bridge opening, right next to the marina facility. We took on 558.7 gal. of diesel at the best advertised price of $3369/gal. If you dine at their nice restaurant (the food is said to be very good) and spend about $75 you can stay overnight free at their dock.

Once we left Top Rack, it was only a short distance to the Great Bridge Lock, and we locked through with 3 other boats.

We were the only boat to pull over to the wall to tie up, and there was only one other boat already there. The wall area would fill by midweek when the wind kicked up and another frontal system moved through bringing the rain I hoped for to finally wash the salt off.

This stop, Chesapeake City at the Great Bridge, is always one of our favorites. Of course, we never miss a visit to Dairy Queen where we get our Blizzard “fix”. Plus, all the stores for shopping are within easy walking distance. Eddie even ended up getting his seasonal flu shot at one of the local drug stores.

Boat parade

You can pass the time watching the boats lock through the lock and then wait to go through the Great Bridge. The Annapolis Power Boat show had just ended, so there were a lot of the show boats that passed through the area. We usually see many other cruising boats that we know, and it is fun to step outside on our bridge area and talk with their owners while they wait for the bridge to open. Everyone always ask the same question “Where have you been and where are you going?”

Barging through

There are a lot of tug and barges that go through the area, carrying a variety of cargo. This tug was pushing two heavy barges.

A trawler from Toronto was docked ahead of us. Three Customs and Border Patrol agents showed up to review their papers for some reason. We suspected the lock may have notified them when they locked through. The armed agents positioned themselves with one agent standing next to the bow, one to the stern, and the other one talked to the vessel owner and really harassed her about their paperwork and check-in procedure. Keep in mind they had to first check in to the U.S. at the same place we checked in on the north end of Lake Champlain (where the agent boarded our boat alone when we weren't there). The Canadians are required to call in at each port they stop at, but what is defined as a stop and a port is not very clear. So, how in the world could they have anything out of order by the time they reached Chesapeake, VA?!! We had them over for dinner, and they do not fit any conceivable profile of some kind of renegade, terrorist Canadians. We felt so sorry and embarrassed for how they were treated. We will be looking forward to seeing them again and find out if they had any other such encounters.

We left the Great Bridge wall early on the 21st, with only about 25 miles to go to get to the North Carolina border. It really feels like we are homeward bound now.