Old Lyme, CT to Edgecomb, ME

OLD LYME, CT TO EDGECOMB, ME

This 2006 Voyage North update posting is taking place on September 6. If everything had gone according to plan I would be writing about an uneventful departure from Old Lyme Marina and our trip eastward out of Long Island Sound.

Remember, for the first time in our boating lives "we don't have a plan and we're sticking to it". That proved to be the case after the last posting, announcing we were leaving OLM on August 15. Ordinarily, that philosophy is designed to minimize our troubles, maximize safety, and let us have more fun. So, our story continues as follows.

COLLISION COURSE
Log date: August 14, 2006
If you looked carefully at the photos posted of Old Lyme Marina, with FLUKE in the middle, you would notice that all the other boats around us are sailboats. I mentioned that OLM is not a marina used by transient cruisers of our "kind", i.e., large power boaters. Most of our kin elect to go up the river about a mile to the town of Essex, CT, much better known for cruising dockage.

Well, sailboats and powerboats behave differently at anchor or on a mooring because of the shapes of their hulls and even top decks. FLUKE is even odd for a powerboat because she has both a very deep keel and large top deck, with lots of windage. Our neighboring sailboats first responded to the wind and then to the current, while FLUKE responded to the current (very swift through OLM) and then to the wind. While we had been at OLM for the 2 weeks we watched this behavior many times over, noticing that the sailboat to our south (named Dovekie) would seemingly come very close to us. We foolishly assumed that the OLM operators knew what they were doing when they assigned us our mooring.

Wayne and I were at the library getting off the last posting. Eddie was out making final social rounds. He arrived at the marina midday, as the winds had begun to pick up, blowing quite hard out of the south. The tide was going out, also headed south, so the water had developed quite a bit of turbulence with the wind and tide going against each other. Eddie looked out to see FLUKE's stern locked up with Dovekie's stern. Dovekie was being dominated by the wind, and FLUKE was still responding to the outgoing current, so the two boats were pulling on their mooring balls in the opposite direction, making them come close together. Eddie quickly jumped into the dinghy and went out to see what could be done. He managed to unhook the sterns, but Dovekie had already taken a thumbnail size piece of gelcoat out of FLUKE's portside transom.

Wayne and I showed up just as Eddie was returning to the dinghy dock to report what had happened. We all immediately went back to FLUKE as the weather was getting worse. As Wayne was on the bow checking our mooring line, Dovekie surged forward, having been forced by the current to turn around, and came at us bow first, smashing into our portside cockpit caprail. Doviekie's bow has a large pulpit that protrudes quite a ways forward, so it looked like we were getting harpooned! Eddie had already put our large fenders in the cockpit, but we couldn't act fast enough, and the situation was very dangerous, as Dovekie was surging forward multiple times, once actually passing us on the port side, forward of our entire cockpit! She could have smashed through the port side salon windows or those going out to the cockpit.

By this time, two marina employees had shown up with a workboat and could see the dangerous situation that had developed. One of them owned the sailboat on our northern side and decided to move his boat for fear that the same thing could happen when the tide changed or conditions worsened. They told us we could move to another mooring, but we told them it was too dangerous for us to try to move a tank like FLUKE under those weather conditions in that tight anchorage where our maneuverability was so restricted. We asked them to move Dovekie, which they did.

We went to sleep feeling as secure as we could under the circumstances, but happy no other boats were around us. However, at 2:00 a.m. we awoke to the sound of a motor going by our hull! Keep in mind, there were smallcraft warnings and the description of the currents at OLM and it was pitch dark. We went out on our foredeck to see a sailboat trying to pick up the mooring to our south. We could see it was a struggle for him, but we had to yell at him not to pick up that one for fear we would have the same thing happen again. In the calm of the next day we told him our story.
Old Lyme Marina assumed responsibility for the collision and will repair our damages when we return.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY
August 15, 2006, Ursa's 8th birthday. Smallcraft warnings prohibited our departure from OLM. We rendezvoused with Charles & Louise at an old time ice cream store (from Eddie's childhood!) to return Charles' truck and pig out on ice cream, an internal salve for soothing our wounds of the previous day.

HEAVE HO, BUT NOT OVERBOARD
We successfully departed OLM at 0600 on August 16. Seas got a bit rolly after we cleared Point Judith, RI and were out in the more exposed areas of Buzzards Bay. None of us do side to side rolling very well, so we had to deploy our seasickness remedy, the Explorer Relief Band.

Explorer Relief Band

We are all skeptical of gimmicky devices that are supposed to solve medical maladies, but the ERB really does what it says it will do. I would have never tried the item (retails for about $100 on sale) except I read an article in a boating publication written by a man who was extremely prone to both seasickness and car sickness, and his first hand account motivated me to give it a try. The ERB was first developed for use by pilots and then spilled over into its other uses. Apparently it works on some of the same principles as acupuncture, stimulating a nerve that runs through the wrist area that is responsible for nausea resulting from pregnancy or motion sickness. Some accounts have indicated it may even help for nausea caused by chemotherapy drugs. It sure works for all three of us, so much in fact that we can even feel its effects by turning the band off, feeling seasick, then turning the band back on and not feeling seasick. Using this product is so much better than having to rely on drugs that cause drowsiness or those you have to worry about taking in advance. Eddie went into a state of panic when he thought his batteries died, and we didn't have any spares!

Our destination for the night's anchorage is Cuttyhunk, a small island within sight of Martha's Vineyard. It is an Indian word meaning “land's end”, perhaps because it is the end island of the chain of Elizabeth Islands that extends off the southwest end of Cape Cod. We are going to use this anchorage to stage our transit through the Cape Cod Canal tomorrow morning. Since we are having a late afternoon arrival and early departure we have decided not to even go into the inner harbor and will just anchor out.

Kalmer Nyckel

Cuttyhunk, and its neighboring small islands, look like terrain you would see in Scotland: expansive grassy undulating hills, small, scraggly trees, and rocky coastlines with small pocket beaches; very picturesque. In the distance we could see the distinctive cliffs of Martha's Vineyard. We were even treated to the sight of Kalmer Nyckel, a Pilgrim era replica ship, dropping anchor across the bay from us. We later learned that KN had to pull into Cuttyhunk to repair damage to the rigging caused by the same weather system that gave us the trouble in OLM.

TAKING THE SHORT CUT

The 10 mile long Cape Cod Canal is our destination for August 17. It opened in 1914 and through the years has experienced navigational improvements to make it the world's largest sea-level canal with a channel width of 480' and average depth of 32', quite large enough for FLUKE to share with commercial vessels. It is important to time our transit to coincide with a favorable tide, as currents can run up to 6 knots, putting a considerable strain on our fuel usage and maneuverability if we have to fight the tide. Boaters are required to complete the transit in no more than 2.5 hours or be subject to getting towed through at their own expense.

Cape Cod Canal Railroad Bridge

As we enter the west end of the canal we can see the campus of the Massachusetts Maritime Academy and then the landmarks of the Bourne Bridge and the ornate, vertically lifting railroad bridge. Wayne is delighted with memories of crossing the BB to visit his grandfather's cottage on Cape Cod while growing up. We are all pleased to slowly travel on the calm waters on this clear, sunny day, enjoying the sights of the joggers, walkers, bicyclists, and just sitters using the paved recreational paths on each side of the canal. We are greeted by a huge (maybe 100) herd of common dolphins heading toward us after schools of fish. We marvel in their grace and beauty, with their striking white undersides, smaller than the Atlantic Bottlenose Dolphin that we are used to seeing on our southern travels. The beautiful lightship Nantucket passes slowly by.

Lightship Nantucket

Lightships are marine safety aids of the past, but there are a few that are still maintained for touring purposes and are worth visiting and learning about if you have the chance. The lightships were used to mark dangerous areas, mostly shifting shoals where lighthouses or buoys weren't practical or had been destroyed. The ships are ruggedly built, bright in color, and watertight as they had to stand in place through treacherous seas. We know that we are not sailors enough to be able to withstand a tour of duty on a lightship, even with our Explorer Relief Bands with a new set of batteries!

GAY PARIS

No, we didn't cross over the Atlantic Ocean to France! From August 17 – 21 we were in Provincetown, MA. Our originally planned 2 night stay turned into 5 because of bad weather, mostly to the north, our intended cruising area. Not to worry-we had LOTS to see and do, with never a dull moment.

Ptown (as the locals say) is way out on the very end of Cape Cod. Succinctly put, it is a town that prides itself on personal freedom and expression. Probably best known for a predominantly male gay lifestlye setting, spending a few days in Ptown will open up your heart and mind to delight in all the wonders the town really has to offer.

Pilgrim Monument in Provincetown

Provincetown is Pet Friendly!

You have to be captivated by the beautiful working harbor, where the centuries old tradition of fishing works side by side with modern fast ferry boats, packed whale watching tour boats, gawking tourist vessels, and locals looking for fun day cruises. The Pilgrim Monument keeps watch over both the busy waterfront and the surrounding high tranquil sand dunes. Beautiful, architecturally fascinating cottages with well-kept colorful gardens line the quaint streets in the older sections of town. Commercial St., the main business street, paralleling the waterfront, bustles with tourists and locals alike. It is the place to people watch and pass the time. Upscale restaurants, boutiques, nightclubs, cabarets, art galleries,and bakeries offer something for everyone day and night.

Provincetown Harbor Habitats

Cozy Cottages in Provincetown

You could say a lot of this about many tourist towns, but what makes Ptown stand out above all other is tolerance. It is a feel in the air – you don't need a document or sign to let people know you can be whatever you want: gay, lesbian, fat, ugly,old, young, short, tall, poor, rich, beautiful, Christian or atheist. Let me be me, and you be you; we can all live together in the same little place. No finger pointing, just acceptance.

Patriotic Cottage in Provincetown

Inviting Entryway in Provincetown

Unknowingly we arrived during Carnival Week, and this year's theme was Gay Pareé (a farce on all things French and appropriately titled for most participants in the festivities). We stepped on shore for the first time just as the parade was starting, one of the highlights of the week's events. The two hour parade itself would have been worth the stop at Ptown (Eddie says it will be the only parade he will ever remember!). It was like a mini Mardi Gras parade, with floats, throwing beads, music, outrageous costumes, wheeled vehicles, and walkers. The creativity, artistry, humor, and work that went into the whole thing was commendable. Cyndi Lauper was the grand marshal and the headline concert performer to cap off the week. Hedda Lettuce, wearing a gorgeous sequined lime green evening gown was giving out flyers to see his/her show, but Eddie wouldn't let me photograph him with her, so I downloaded this photo. There were many cross dressers like Hedda, wearing beautiful gowns and walking in stiletto heels to the delight of the jeering and raucous crowd.

Hedda Lettuce

Going away from the commercial areas of Ptown takes you to another one of its marvels: the Cape Cod National Seashore's Province Lands. This is a 10 mile bike loop that traverses through towering, undulating dunes, ponded lowlands, and the coastal beaches.

Coastal Rescue Station in Province Lands

Province Lands Dunes

We spent the greater part of a day riding the course, enjoying the sights. We've finally had the opportunity to use the gears on our bikes, something we Floridians seldom have the use for. In fact, there were some dunes that were so steep, our lowest gears couldn't get us up the hill and we had to walk! (I'm ashamed to have to say that). By the opposite token, there were several downhill rides that were so fast and curving there were signs posted warning of the danger for collision or skidding ( I had to use the brakes on the bike going downhill to slow my speed). We can't wait to do it all again!

Bikers in the Dunes

Provincetown Dike

THE REAL FLUKE

August 22 took us through the interesting waters of Stellwegen Bank, a marine sanctuary area off the coast of MA. SB is a shallow area with as little of 60' of depth with the deep ocean a step away. This combination makes for nutrient rich currents that attract all kinds of marine life, including everyone's favorite, whales. We were treated to a whale show that only nature can provide as we saw Humpback whales breaching high out of the water, rolling over, creating gigantic tidal waves when they crashed back into the sea. We had to alter our course 2 times to avoid resting whales that were laying in our path. We took the boat out of gear as we came close so we could see the whales and not disturb them. It was exciting to be in the wild next to these large animals that were bigger than our own FLUKE. Harbor seals, with their cute compact faces, made us laugh.

Humpback Whale Fluke

Rockport Lobstermen

It would had been easy to spend the whole day on Stellwegen Bank, but we needed to reach our destination of Rockport, MA to get settled for the night. In approaching the inner harbor we had to go through an active sailboat race of tiny little sailboats going in all directions, reminding me of gnats. Their activity, plus numerous lobster pots, presented a navigational challenge. When we finally made it to the inner harbor we were disappointed to see that there were so many lobster pots we could not find a place to drop the anchor without having to worry that we would get tangled up in the pots. So, we headed back out, through the races again, and moved on to Plan B.
Lobster pot density had been increasing since we entered MA waters, and we had to constantly keep a lookout for them. Getting one tangled in our prop, rudder, or stabilizer could pose some major problems, up to not being able to control the boat and keep her off the numerous rocks that always lay beneath us in these waters. Lobsters like rocks, so that is where the pots are placed. We needed to find an anchorage with a sandy bottom, where there wouldn't be any lobster pots.

We found a safe bottom off the town of Annisquam. We could see the mouth of the Annisquam River as it emptied into Ispswich Bay. The dunes and beaches of the area were picturesque. While the anchorage was very exposed, calm weather allowed us a safe haven.

BEING BLUE

We would finally enter Maine waters on August 23. Our destination for that day was Potts Harbor, north of Portland, at Dolphin Marina where we would rent a mooring for the night. While we thought we were seeing a lot of lobster pot buoys in MA we weren't prepared for what we had to go through to get into Dolphin Marina. I was convinced Potts Harbor had to be so named because of all the lobster pots. Potts Harbor has a clearly marked channel which would be easily navigable if it wasn't for the fact that the lobster pots are put in the channel. It is even worse once you get out of the channel and have to make your way into the marina harbor. There were even lobster pots in the mooring field!

Potts Harbor Rural Scene

After picking up a mooring and securing FLUKE, we were told if we wanted to go ashore to call for a launch pick up by blowing the horn. FLUKE has a BIG ship's horn that is very bold, but we gave a blast, got picked up, and went for a shore walk. The area was residential and very rural. We saw a sign that said blueberries were for sale and to proceed up a long winding dirt driveway. A friendly woman greeted us, and we told her we wanted some blueberries. She, like so many others we have run into, was interested to hear that we have come from FL and ask questions about our adventure. She had been growing blueberries for years, and hers were gigantic and juicy. We have enjoyed them in pancakes and on cereal.

CAUGHT UP IN THE EDDY

Real time, September 9, 2006. Here we are, having arrived August 24, at what was our originally planned final destination for the 2006 Voyage North. We made it!

FLUKE in The Eddy

The Eddy Marina and Clifford Homestead

So, now I can say "Eddie is at the Eddy Marina on Eddy Road napping on FLUKE moored in The Eddy". Wayne is working on the FLUKE job list, wiping down ceilings, and I am finally getting the blog caught up to be posted within the next couple of days. We don't want you thinking that we sailed off the edge of the earth like what many people thought happened to Christopher Columbus because he didn't keep up with his blog postings in a timely fashion!
Today the angle of the sun and clarity of the blue sky makes the ripples of water glimmer like diamonds on the Sheepscot River where the Eddy Marina is located here in the tiny town of Edgecomb.(Since I know you haven't heard of it, I can tell you it is just a short distance by land to Boothbay Harbor) I am used to hearing the low rumbles from the lobster boat engines as the fisherman come close to FLUKE to check their traps, thousands of which are located on the river between the marina and 13 miles south to the ocean where we first entered the river. Potts Harbor proved to only be a practice ground for what we faced coming up the Sheepscot River. At one point, during my turn at the helm Wayne asked me where I was intending to go as I was weaving my way through the floats and I told him I had to pretend like I was putting FLUKE in a boat slip; in some areas the floats were so close together the space between wasn't much wider than our boat! If we didn't have to drive through them, I would delight in how colorful they all are, reminding me of the old fashioned hard Christmas candy with its myriad of colors. I couldn't even take the time to enjoy seeing the tiny harbor porpoises cross by the front of our bow; we needed 3 pairs of eyes all forward to watch for floats as we came up the river at high tide and many were being pulled under the water, making them even more difficult to see. We only heard one thud on the hull and considered ourselves more lucky than skilled to have made it to the marina without any entanglements.

The Eddy Marina is owned by Willis and Merry Clifford, a couple we met in Vero Beach, where they spend the winter on their boat at the Vero Beach Municipal Marina. The land has been in the Clifford family since the 1800s; the family home and some of the marina buildings are original. In the 1800s the property housed the post office and general store. There are pictures of majestic four masted sailing schooners docked right where we dinghy up to get to land every day. In its heyday, the place was bustling with activities of an old New England seaport; many of the homes we walk by every day once belonged to sea captains from that era.

Willis and Merry opened the marina over 20 years ago after Willis retired from the navy. They cater to mostly local powerboaters, renting dock space, selling fuel and marine supplies, and a side business, enjoyed by landlubbers as well, selling Maine's finest lobsters. Yummy! The marina is open from May to October. Its name is derived from the fact that the mooring field is located in an eddy. This area has swirling waters caused by the currents that are pushed into a basin-like dead end off the Sheepscot river as it turns its way around the corner to the little town of Wiscasset. It is kind of like a gigantic whirlpool. The tidal fluctuation has been as much as 14', something that we 2' tide Floridians are not used to seeing.

Ursa at Her Guard Post

Willis Removing the Catch

We are spending time helping out with some tasks at the marina (Ursa is the official guardian of the fuel pumps and lobster tanks), enjoying the Clifford's hospitality and trying not to get in their way. They hosted a lobster dinner (a tradition for anyone who makes it all the way up here from FL!), have carted us to the grocery story, let us use their washing machine, forced us to pig out on ice cream, shared fresh produce from their garden, and have treated us like family members. Willis and Merry each hold private lobster licenses and have their own traps out in the river. They have let us go out with them when they pick up the pots, and have patiently endured my gazillion questions about lobstering. Willis finally just gave me the book that is used to study for the test required to get a lobster license; it is interesting and answered my questions!

The Clifford Feast

Lobster Tank at Eddy Marina

FLUKE's mooring is overlooked by Fort Edgecomb, originally built in 1809 to protect the harbor from British attack and then was later used in 1864 during the Civil War period to defend against Confederate ships coming up the Sheepscot River. The unusual, well-preseved blockhouse is the fort's most prominent feature and being the highest point, was used as the principle lookout point. From the waterfront we can see the circular stone battery where cannons were mounted.

Eddie at Fort Edgecomb Blockhouse

Right around the corner from the fort is the town of Wiscasset. Founded in the late1700's, it was Maine's largest seaport, its economy driven by being a shipbuilding center and lumber port. Some tour guides describe Wiscasset as Maine's prettiest village because of the handsome homes built by ship builders and sea captains prior to the 1807 Embargo Act. The town has prided itself on preserving the homes and maintaining the New England village flair of the historic district.

We spent one evening at the Windsor County Fair, originally started in 1888. It is an event of real rural fun: agricultural exhibits of animals (the sheep were my favorite) and vegetables (the 640 lb pumpkin was a hit), midway games and rides, megacalorie fair food, tractor pulls, and stunt car driving.

While we have had our share of overcast, damp cold days and peasoup fog we have delighted in days like this and mornings of pine scented crisp air with birds chirping and flying across our paths and chipmunks scampering for cover as we walk Ursa in the mornings. Locals have been so friendly, often stopping their cars or walking from their homes to talk to us, wondering who we are. They have given us produce from their gardens, told us to use their yards for shortcuts, given us historical insight about their period homes, and invited us into their beautiful flower gardens. We are so grateful for their hospitality.

FLUKE's Jewels on a Foggy Morning

Morning Walk Mushrooms

Coming up next: Travel to the Backwoods of Maine. We are getting a rental car for a week and will do some land touring. Please, Mother Nature, send us good wather!

Cape May, NJ to Old Lyme, CT

CAPE MAY, NJ TO OLD LYME, CT

Old Lyme Marina-FLUKE in middle

As I write this latest update, the fourth installment of the 2006 Journey north, on August 13, 2006, I am sitting in the pilothouse on FLUKE at the Old Lyme Marina in Old Lyme, CT using my travel journal to organize my thoughts. We have been here since August 1, and the time has flown by. Note: it is a gorgeous day (clear, high 70's), with hundreds of boats passing by on the Connecticut River, so it is difficult to focus on the task at hand. We regret the absence of interesting photos from our travels in the Chesapeake and Delaware Bays, but there were so many days of light fog which wasn't conducive to getting any nice outdoor shots. Since then we have so many pretty shots it will be difficult to choose which ones to post.Internet access, as a whole, has been more difficult than we originally anticipated. We have only been to land a small percentage of the time, and most of those times we have had a full agenda of tasks to tend to. Then too, we have faced time limitations on computer use at some locations. Even though I can create the text for the blog at my leisure while we are underway, posting to the blog for on-line viewing can be time-consuming. The photos have to be uploaded and then inserted into the text at appropriate spots, all on-line. We don't want to just use the small format photos, so inserting for the large format use is what takes the most time. Answering personal emails is very doable, as we can just post with a regular text answer. So, keep those questions and comments coming, and we'll get back to you when we can get on-line. Sign up with the blog update feature by entering your email address in the box on the right hand side of the blog page to get notification when a new installment is posted rather than counting on getting an individual notification from us.
Now, going back in time:

MAY WE USE YOUR CAPE?

We were heading into the Cape May Canal on July 28 at the same time of the day that the local fishing boats, tour boats, and ferries were heading to their ports, so there was a lot of congestion, complicated by low tide in an area with relatively low water anyway. Fat FLUKE needs to stay in the middle where the water was the deepest, so there was some tight squeezing going on with the local boats. Our destination marina was in a dredged area that needs continual dredging, so we had the low water alarm buzzing just trying to get to our none-too-large slip at the marina. We had elected to stay in a marina because it was a Friday night, in a resort area with a lot of potential for weekend boaters, and we didn't feel quite clear on where we could find a place to safely anchor anyway. It was a good decision, as shortly after we were in our slip a thunderstorm squall line passed closely by, bringing some high winds and rain. Being tied in to the pilings felt good. Ursa jumped off the boat and bolted at full speed down the dock to a destination she didn't even have in mind-she was just going. Fortunately she ran into a dead end and was able to be trapped. Sitting and staying is actually one of her two dozen or so tricks, but when her wild streak gets turned on, there is no switch to turn it off. This is a common problem with Schipperkes according to other owners we have talked with. Laundry (6 loads) and posting to the blog were the main priorities. I figured no one would be doing laundry at the marina laundry facility on a Friday night, but I still had to wait! I had the laundry going on the boat too, but with so much to get done, I wanted to use the shore machines too. The marina boasts of having wireless internet service, but it is a very large facility, and we were informed that we may not be able to pick up a connection at the dock we were at, which proved to be true. We had to sit on a picnic table under a street light to make the chapter 3 postings, with the connection fading in and out-very frustrating since we wanted to get up at 0500 to make the long run to Sandy Hook, NJ on Saturday.

WE WERE HOOKED!

We enjoyed settled seas for our 15 hour run to Sandy Hook, but it was quite hot and we were attacked by thousands of house flies, forcing us to put up the screens and be even hotter. As we got closer to Sandy Hook we could see large freighters and commercial ships laying up at anchor, waiting their turn to go into New York Harbor, our intended destination the next day.We had decided to anchor off the Coast Guard Station: guide said good holding in settled weather. Plus, it looked like a large area and had good navigational aides which we needed with our 9:00 p.m. arrival. We were so tired, and just wanted to get the anchor set and get a good night's sleep so we could feel alert the next day. The anchor held tight on our first try, and we shut everything down and went to sleep. Sometime in the wee hours of the morning a tremendous wake hit us and practically knocked us out of bed. Despite rising early, we were surprised to see many boats already out on the water, at anchor fishing in the bay or headed out the channel to the ocean. Initially I thought there must be some kind of event taking place since they were pouring into the bay by the hundreds. Turned out to be a typical NJ/NY nice weather weekend boating day for those locals.We wanted to time our trip through New York Harbor to travel going with the current to make steering easier and more predictable, so we were anxious to get the anchor up and head up the East River. When we went to pull up the anchor we felt more resistance than usual, but kept on hauling until we saw that the anchor was hooked to a large, underwater cable that was tightly pulling downward against our upward efforts on that morning of July 29. Early on in the 2006 Voyage North, we had added a trip line and float to our anchor: to mark our anchor so others could see its position and to have an alternate way of being able to pull the anchor loose in the event it hooked on something laying on the bottom, most likely a log or rock. We never imagined we would need it to release a cable, but we were so glad to have it. Grabbing the trip line and cleating it off on the bow, enabled the anchor chain to have enough slack in it to where the cable could be pushed off the anchor. I'm not sure how we would have gotten rid of the cable without the trip line.

NEW YORK, NEW YORK: THE THRILL OF IT ALL

Despite being one of the world's busiest harbors, traveling through New York Harbor can be enjoyable and exciting with proper planning, paying attention, and observing the rules of the road (basically go slow, give way to everything bigger and faster than you). Absence of fog, rain, or wind helps too.

Verrazano Narrows Bridge

We crossed under the Verrazano Narrows Bridge at around 9:30 a.m. From the water, VNB looks very impressive, spanning the mile wide opening between Staten Island and Brooklyn.

Staten Island Ferry

We passed by the quarantine area, where many commercial ships were lying in wait, mostly tended by tugs, for clearance to their docks. We were on alert for the giant freighters with limited maneuverability and slow stopping ability. There was much other water activity: ferries, harbor cruisers, water taxis, and pleasure craft. It was difficult to be able to enjoy the sights of the New York skyline, waterfront, even seeing down the streets while worrying about our own navigational situation.

Beautiful Ellis Island

MS Freedom

We intended to use the 14 mile East River to gain passage into Long Island Sound. The East River is only one of two rivers in the world with two mouths and no source. It is well marked, and there are lots of sights to see traveling through Manhattan, Brooklyn, and Queens, going under eight high level bridges, including the most famous, Brooklyn Bridge.

Brooklyn Bridge

NYC Waterfront Transportation

Chrysler Building

Ornate Ferry Terminal

United Nations Building

We passed safely through Hell Gate, the most dangerous area of the East River. Currents can run as much as 5 knots, with lots of unpredictable eddies, whirlpools, and crosscurrents caused by water depths ranging from 34 to 107 feet in a few hundred yards. Maximum strength currents can produce 2' high waves, so timing the passage is critical for boating safety. Holding the helm wheel steady even under our good passage conditions was challenging. Shortly after that we passed Rikers Island (where bad boaters are sent to prison!) and the runway to LaGuardia airport (certainly looks different from ground level).

Place for Bad Boaters-Rikers Prison

A couple of gallons of diesel later, we entered into beautiful Long Island Sound, same water as the East River, but a 100% different boating vista. Catching our breath, we all agreed it was an exciting passage that would be enjoyed again on other trips, and even better if someone else was piloting the boat, so we could all take more time to see everything.

Execution Rocks Light - Long Island Sound

Stepping Stones Light - Long Island Sound

OYSTERS AND COLD SPRINGS

Checking our guide book, we decided that we would head into Oyster Bay, located on the south side of Long Island Sound. Since leaving the East River at an early time we figured it was still early enough in the day to be able to find a spot to anchor, despite being a beautiful Sunday. When we motored into the Bay off the Sound we were surprised to see all the boats already in the Bay. The inner harbor was packed tightly-we didn't even think of going in there, but even the outer harbor was crowded, with what mostly looked like day boaters. We found a more isolated spot on the outskirts of all the “action” and only dropped 100' of chain, but the guide book said it had good holding. Right. We couldn't get the anchor to set, but figured that later in the day, most people would leave and we could try to reset the anchor. So, throughout the afternoon, boats came and went. Several boats dropped anchors around us, disregarding our large, obvious float marking the anchor, and put out so little line with their anchors that if the wind had picked up, FLUKE would have passed their anchors and engulfed them like a whale eats krill. Finally people starting leaving, but 6:00 p.m. was approaching and we needed to get hooked properly. We tried again and failed, so we decided to try the holding around the corner in Cold Spring Harbor. Both OB and CSH are in beautiful settings with hills (180'), wooded, sparsely populated (because there are large estate homes that have enormous pieces of property) set around long-fingered inlets that come off Long Island Sound. CSH was so named in 1653 because the settlers found icy, freshwater springs in the harbor (Eddie went in the water to check out the bottom of FLUKE and said he agreed with the early settlers because he could feel pockets of frigid water swirling around him at times). In the 1800's CSH was one of Long Island's leading whaling ports and today sports a whaling museum set right amongst period homes, now converted to gift shops. We were able to find good holding in a nonpopulated area of water. Because we were still tired from the run to Sandy Hook and wanted to do some boat chores, we ended up spending July 30 and 31 peacefully hooked in the serene setting.

HOME SWEET HOME

Finally on August 1, 2006, we reached another intermediate destination of the 2006 Voyage North: Old Lyme, CT. This was the birthplace of one person near and dear to too few: Eddie. His brother and sister, have resettled nearby, and Carol's brother (who has graciously loaned us a vehicle) lives in neighboring Niantic. Plus, we have friends living in close proximity. It has been great seeing everyone, but best of all, it just feels good not to be on the move and wondering where we will be able to safely stop next. Old Lyme is mainly a residential community (approx. 8000 people), founded in the 1600s. It fronts Long Island Sound for about 5 miles and extends 12 miles north up the CT River. Old downtown is typical of many of the old New England towns, with picturesque old homes that have become too expensive to keep up, but are wonderful to look at. We have been staying in Old Lyme Marina, located just off the Connecticut River, on the north side of the I-95 bridge. OLM is not normally used by transient cruisers like ourselves, catering mostly to locals and weekenders. The facility provides repair services of various sorts for smaller boats and is a family owned business. We love it because of the low-key atmosphere and ideal location for things we like to do. Of course, we have trade-offs, like no internet service, but the library is not far away and we can do what we need there. The setting is what is really ideal. We get to watch all the boating traffic on the CT River. There are so many vintage vessels in this part of the country, and they are our favorites. Boating history abounds along the CT river, affording the opportunity for day cruises to interesting harbors, like Essex and Deep River. Hundreds of boats of all sizes and types pass by on the weekends. We are protected from wakes from Calves Island, visible in the photo. The area is tidal, so we see dramatic changes along the shoreline a couple of times a day. Various wading birds, shoreline birds, geese, and a swan family come to feed among large mud flats. We have watched fledging ospreys leave the nest and capture their own first meals instead of counting on Mom for a handout. With the cooler weather, turtles pull themselves up on the mud shore to heat up in the sun.Even the marsh grasses and plants have been beautiful to see. Purple loose strife and rose swamp mallows provide striking contrasts of purples and pinks to the brilliant greens of the grasses. Gentle breezes off the river make the colors dance about. The sounds of the water lapping the edges and wind going through the reeds are so peaceful to the senses.

Our Marsh Friends

We have visited Gillette's Castle, built by William Gillette, actor who created the stage character of Sherlock Holmes. The home was designed by him, with a creative and artsy flair, which you would expect from an actor. The home has 47 doors, no two alike. The wood working and stone work are fascinating.

Gillette Castle

View From Window of Gillette Castle

Not far away is Devils Hopyard State Park. This picturesque park was the site of a grist mill in the 1600s, easily imagined by the natural falling waters.

Devil's Hopyard

While we are comfortable here and have been spoiled by gorgeous weather, conveniences, and comforts of familiarity it is time to move on towards Maine, our final destination for the great voyage north and our intended haven of safety for the remainder of the 2006 Atlantic Hurricane season. We hope to be back here at OLM and spend more time as we head south in the Fall.

Elizabeth City, NC to Cape May, NJ

ELIZABETH CITY, NC TO CAPE MAY, NJ

Interesting Cruising Boat

WHO NEEDS PLYMOUTH ROCK?

Ask a history buff from Elizabeth City that question and they will answer “No one in Elizabeth City”. Records indicate that European explorers sailed into the waters of the Pasquotank River, Elizabeth City's waterfront, in 1585, long before the “official” landings at Jamestown and Plymouth Rock.

Settlement didn't occur in the area until the late 1600's. After undergoing several name changes, in 1801 Elizabeth City finally got its known today name. EC survived the Civil War and with the help of the railroad arriving in 1881 and subsequent building boom EC's lumber mills prospered. Four masted schooners frequented the port, carrying goods along the eastern seaboard into the 1930's.

A U.S. Coast Guard base was established in 1938, remaining there today as the largest air station in the country. Heading up the Pasquotank River to EC's waterfront one's sight is drawn to the enormous mound-shaped structure looming over the trees along the shoreline. This is what remains of the Weeksville Naval Air Station, authorized in 1940 on the eve of WW11, to become the second blimp building station in the country. The blimps were used to provide defense against enemy submarines, escort ships and perform rescue missions. Blimps are still manufactured there by the private sector, no longer for covert operations to say the least!
Today Elizabeth City is best known for its hospitality and southern charm. Many unique and architecturally fascinating buildings still exist in the Main Street Commercial District, housing boutiques and restaurants. Late 19th century homes still exist in residential areas, all visible on walking tours, with detailed maps provided by the well run Visitors Information Center.

THE WELCOMING COMMITTEE

A Warm Welcome

We discovered Elizabeth City midday on July 20. The complimentary city docks are not readily apparent when approaching the waterfront dock area from the Pasquotank River because they are directly ahead, blending in with the seawall. So, FLUKE was motoring along very slowly, crew with binoculars in hand, trying discern exactly where we should go. A booming voice comes over the radio saying “Do you want to come into here to dock?” Well, duh, that is what we had in mind, but we didn't know who we were talking to or where we were going. That was our first introduction to Sam, the unofficial official dockmaster of the Elizabeth City waterfront and a key member of the famous “Rose Buddies” gang. The other two members are Fred and Gus. They comprise the official, but voluntary, cruisers welcoming committee for Elizabeth City complimentary docks. In addition to having a free dock for 48 hrs, ladies are given a rose, clipped from a bush growing in the waterfront park (if they are all gone, Fred gives away cotton bols, readily available from local field crops), plus answers to all your questions about staying in EC. If more than 4 boats show up, the Rose Buddies host a wine and cheese party. Sam and Gus “camp” out at the waterfront park all day, everyday. Fred (age 92) meanders through a few times a day on a golf cart, currently being occupied with trying to get the new Museum of the Albermarle, easy walking distance from the waterfront, running. They are an interesting group to say the least.
We wondered what kind of a community we were docking into when a group of 8 people gathered to watch FLUKE back her 18' beam into an 18' slip. And they are right on top of you when you pull in, elbows on the seawall rail, wondering if the fat boat is really going to fit in that slip. Sam says it will work. Pressure is on not to look like complete boating ineptitudes. Thank you for no wind and no current, and that wonderful bow thruster. We squeeze in with minimal rubbing of the rails. Many hands offer to take the stern lines to secure FLUKE to the bulkhead. The show is over, and people go about their business. This waterfront park, right in the middle of downtown, is a popular place of recreation and relaxation for the locals. Many friendly and curious people continue to stop by throughout the next couple of days to ask questions about FLUKE and our travels.

Fluke at Elizabeth City Dock

PARROTMAN AND THE DRUNK

Two regular characters to the bench off our stern I dubbed Parrotman and the Drunk. Parrotman showed up in the afternoons on a bicycle, with Pickles, his Yellowed Naped Amazon parrot, clinging to the handlebars. After propping his bike on the lamp post, PM would take Pickles over to the drinking fountain and turn the fountain on full blast and let Pickles bathe in the arcing stream of water. Then PM would place Pickles on a couple of sticks that PM had stood on his bicycle to tie high up on the lamp post. PM would sit on the bench for several hours watching the sites and talking to anyone who happened by. He always had lots of questions for me. Even Pickles would say Hi to me.
PM was one of those men, who women always joke about, that wore a mismatching plaid shirt and different type of plaid pair of shorts. Plus, he wore a stripped railroad engineer's hat. So, he and Pickles reminded me of a clown act in the circus! However, when PM spoke he was articulate, well versed on community and current events, and seemingly well-read. Talking to him was pleasant, other than he usually had more questions about life than I had, so it was difficult to be able to end a conversation with him.
The Drunk was a man of very bronzed complexion with piercing dark blue eyes – I guessed he must do some type of outside work. He showed up in late afternoon, neat and cleanly dressed, with a bag containing a bottle and sat on the same bench with PM. He was a chatterbox, but his extreme southern accent alone made understanding him somewhat difficult and as the afternoon went on and the bottle went lower his language became more difficult to understand, although he seemed happy about everything he said. When I came back from a late afternoon walk with Ursa I asked them if they wanted to see Ursa do her tricks. They were both animal lovers and readily replied “of course”. Ursa proceeded to impress them with her litany of tricks, drawing other passerbys' attentions – just like the circus I envisioned. The Drunk asked if she could shake hands with him, so I gave him a treat to give to Ursa and pulled her near to him. She succeeded, despite the slurred command (fortunately she is trained by sign too for most of her tricks, so putting his hand low was probably enough without having to hear the words). She then proceeded to jump up on his bench and take a sniff of the bottle! The Drunk quickly retracted his booty and said “I'm not sharing my bottle with a dog!”. I didn't want Ursa's lips on it anyway.

HUNTERS AND GATHERERS

We are always on the lookout for fresh produce, since it is usually a while before we have access to land to even try to find any and that's what we use first. We went on a 5 mile roundtrip bike ride to the outer part of town to visit a Walmart to pick up some computer software we couldn't find in downtown. A man was selling cantaloupes from the back of a pick-up truck, so we bought one. I had it in the basket on the front of the bike and hit a bump and the whole basket flipped off the handlebars, dumping the melon on the sidewalk. Fortunately it didn't roll out into traffic or break open. No one said the hunt would be easy. To assuage my frustration over the melon incident, we stopped at City Sweets in the old downtown and got an ice cream cone (always a favorite amongst cruisers) and a couple of hand-dipped chocolate covered strawberries. Sugar – life is good. What melon?
Having spent the majority of the afternoon away from the boat, we decided to infuse some more money into the local economy by ordering a pizza. There is free WiFi at the docks, so we thought it would be a good idea to support the pizza business that was advertising on the WiFi. Plus, they offered free delivery. I called the number and told the girl taking the order what I wanted. She said she needed a phone number, so I proceeded to tell her our cell phone number, but she said she had to have a local number. I explained that we were on a boat, to which she replied “Well, don't you know anyone in town?” I said “I've gotten to be pretty friendly with 3 old men on the dock, but they haven't given me their phone numbers”. She said she couldn't place the order without a local number and asked exactly where I was. I told her I could see the sign belonging to the restaurant next door, which she was familiar with, so she decided to use its phone number and told me she would put me on hold while she looked it up in the phone book. Just a new twist to the hunt – the pizza was great!

GETTING FROM HERE TO THERE

If you are traveling by boat and want to get from Norfolk, VA, where the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway begins at mile 0, to North Carolina you can take one of two routes: the Dismal Swamp Canal or the Albemarle and Chesapeake Canal. The DSC is traveled primarily by recreational boaters, for reasons which will become apparent as you read further, while the ACC is used more by commercial craft, boaters in a hurry, or boaters of more careful nature. We, being of adventurous nature, decided to take the DSC route. Note: the DSC route recommends boats not draw more than 6' to safely transit the waterway; FLUKE draws 5.5'.

WARNING SIGNS

The Pasquotank River connects Elizabeth City to the south lock of the Dismal Swamp Canal. For the most part, the river is very scenic, gracefully winding with a well-marked deep water channel. The shoreline is lined with beautiful, old stands of cypress, gum, and other hardwoods and looks much like some of the swamp lands we encountered farther south. When you get closer to the DSC, a dredged, straight, narrow waterway replaces the natural river. The shoreline is not as stable as that created by Mother Nature, and the continual beating by boat wakes further adds to its instability. During the summer months a lot of vine growth covers the overhanging trees, adding even more weight to their limbs. Summer thunderstorms can bring a lot of wind and rain, enough to give precariously perched trees their final push into the river. We didn't know that when we embarked on our voyage, this the 22nd day of July 2006.
After about 2 hours, we turned off the natural course of the river and entered the straight channel. In the distance it looked like a tree was down in the water, but it was difficult to see how much it was actually obstructing the waterway. As we got closer, it was apparent the very large pine tree was newly fallen and was blocking about 90% of the waterway. Fortunately, a small local tour boat was coming up behind us. We idled down until the tour boat was at our stern and we told the captain we needed help to determine if we could get around the fallen tree. He took Eddie on board and went around the tree to determine water depth along the shoreline and to see if our pilothouse could clear the overhanging branches. Water depth was fine; we picked up a lot of debris from the overhanging limbs and only one scratch on an antenna. The tourists on the boat were thrilled to be involved in an “assistance at sea” maneuver.
We cautiously motored onward; a bald eagle swooped down across our bow and led the way around the bend to the south lock of the Dismal Swamp Canal.

Trouble on the Pasquotank

THE DISMAL SWAMP CANAL

Beginning the Dismal Adventure

The DSC is the oldest operating artificial waterway in the U.S. It is designated as a National Historic Civil Engineering Landmark and entered into the National Register of Historic Places. Its history includes tales of presidents, explorers, writers, scholars, and slavery.
In 1728 Colonel William Byrd II of Virginia returned from a survey trip of the Dismal Swamp region. Despite, coining the area as “dismal” because he and his crew were constantly tormented by yellow flies, ticks, and chiggers, Byrd recognized the potential in being able to connect the sounds of North Carolina with the tidewater areas of Virginia to safely move goods back and forth. However, it wasn't until after the Revolutionary War that enough other people also realized the value a canal would have in helping to make the new country grow and prosper by moving goods along that north/south route.
In 1793, construction began on both ends of the canal. Since it had to be dug almost entirely by hand, using slave labor hired from nearby landowners, progress was slow and expensive. Numerous problems and other proposals to alternate routes of transportation prevented the canal from opening until 1805. When it finally opened, it was so shallow, only flat boats and log rafts could use it, and they had to be manually towed or poled through. This was a big disappointment to canal owners, farmers, lumbermen, and other merchants who had envisioned the canal as a great trade route. Maintenance costs and problems with the water levels led the canal to fall into disrepair and be sold. Private ownership continued to fail until finally in 1925 the U.S. Congress authorized purchase of the DSC. In 1974, Congress established the Great Dismal Swamp National Wildlife Refuge. Then, the water needs of the swamp took priority over the navigational needs of the canal. Today, the canal is maintained to a depth of 6'. The locks at either end of the canal keep the canal 8' above the surrounding waterways. If the water level in Lake Drummond, the main source of water for the canal falls too low, water cannot drain into the canal and the canal is shut down to transportation. The costs of maintaining the canal remain high: cleaning the bottom of the canal, maintenance of locks and bridges, and shoreline maintenance. Such costs are questionable to justify keeping the canal navigable for large cruiser type boat traffic.

THE VOTE WAS UNANIMOUS

Fluke's 32 mile voyage through the DSC got off to a slow start with a 30 minute wait for the south lock to open. After we locked through, we immediately dropped below 2' on our depth gage, which has an audible alarm set for depths less than 2', so we just turned off the alarm and visually watched the gage. If we dropped below 2', the plan was to idle down, shift into neutral and just coast. Judging by all the overhanging vegetation, rotting logs along the shoreline, logs tied off to the shore, and debris in the water, it was reasonable to assume that there was also the same stuff lying on the bottom. Plus, we had been warned by other boaters and all the literature we read said “Proceed with Caution”. I can't tell you how many times, they were so numerous, we just coasted. We “touched” objects at least a dozen times and dodged debris too many times to count.

FLUKE at NC Welcome Center

It was 4 miles from the first lock to the North Carolina Welcome Station, a site shared by boaters on the DSC and travelers on Route 17. The complimentary dock can hold a couple of boats for an overnight stay, and that was our plan. I think those 4 miles were the longest we've ever had on any boat we've ever been on. Just getting used to coasting and hearing thumps on the hull, and hoping nothing was getting hung up in our running gear or stabilizers, aged us 10 years.
The Welcome Station is a nice facility with lots of written literature about places to visit in NC, a NC field crop demonstration garden, and a beautiful picnic area. It is site of a 4.5 bike path that winds along the banks of the DSC to a little town called South Mills. We biked the whole loop in the late afternoon to help relieve the anxiety from the morning's travel.
Just as we returned to FLUKE a couple walked up and started up a conversation; they had been live-aboards at one time, based in the Chesapeake. They were nice enough to go over charts with us, giving us a much-needed overview of the cruising area, making useful suggestions on where we could anchor.

Formidable Passage Through the DSC

We got an early start the next morning, anticipating another arduous day of dodging and coasting. It turned out that the first 4 miles proved to be the worst, not that the rest were easy going. We were thankful that we didn't see another boat in the DSC the entire 2 days, as we would have had to undergo some tight maneuvers to let another boat pass by our fat gem.
If we hadn't taken the DSC I would have always wondered, and probably whined, about wanting to do it. However, having now done it, we all agreed that we will not do it again. The scenery and solitude are nice, but they are no better than several other places we have traveled this 2006 Voyage North. Plus, the risk to the boat is too great to justify that transit. One scenario that frequently crossed our minds, as we passed so many precariously perched large trees on obviously unstable banks, was what would we do if we had to pass another newly fallen tree with no one else around? It could be several days before a crew could be mobilized to move the obstruction. Then we would have no choice but to wait, through who knows how many thunderstorms or else turn around and go all the way back to Elizabeth City, with more downed trees possibly in our path. Leave the DSC for small power boats, kayaks, and canoes.

FROM NOTHING TO EVERYTHING

On July 23 we thankfully exited the north lock of the DSC, ran a short while in the southern branch of the Elizabeth River and plop!, we were in the middle of everything. So much commercial shipping activity and industrial sites along the shore. Lots of noise, steel, concrete, and bustling of boats and machinery. We followed a tug and got through all the bridges of the Norfolk and Portsmouth, VA areas without ever having to stop and wait. It was interesting to see all the docked Naval vessels and freighters up close, and difficult not to get too distracted from our own navigational needs.

Thimble Shoals Light-Welcome to the Chesapeake

We passed over the Hampton Roads Bridge Tunnel and declared ourselves as having finally arrived in The Chesapeake! We cruised up to Mobjack Bay, entered into Put-in-Creek and set the anchor. The surrounding land had a few farms, single family homes of various styles and ages and lots of trees. It was peaceful and welcoming. I was mesmerized by the scores of jellyfish floating in and out of the depths all around FLUKE. Coming from FL, it was puzzling how there could be so much water and not be able to go swimming because of all the jellyfish. The next morning we waited to exit our anchorage while a crew team, with men and women rowers in 1, 2, and 4 person shells rowed by with their coach traveling in a small skiff booming out orders over a bull horn.

SO MANY CHOICES, TOO LITTLE TIME

Over the next few days it became easy to see why so many cruisers spend summer after summer in the Chesapeake. There are more places to cruise than can be counted. Getting around is fairly easy, with well-marked channels, deep water, and good facilities for marinas, restaurants, and boatyards. There are tourist places to visit to learn about history and nature. We had to take our notes for future reference, as August 1 was just around the corner, and we still needed to head further north to visit family and friends. We dropped our hook at Sandy Point, in the Wicomico River, our last day in VA. We stayed two nights at anchor up Mills Creek in Solomons MD.
I've been writing most of this section of the Great Voyage of 2006 while we have been underway (and I haven't had helm duty), since 5:45 a.m., leaving from the Sassafras River, just south of the C & D Canal, which connects the Chesapeake Bay to Delaware Bay. We have spent the day staying just outside the main shipping channel as large freighters and commercial ships have passed us in both directions, destinations for them could be any of several major ports accessed by this route: all of those in the Chesapeake (Baltimore, Annapolis, Norfolk), up the Potomoc, and up to Philadephia.

Miah Maull Shoal Light in Delaware Bay

Our destination on this the 28th day of July 2006 is a marina in Cape May, where we will dock for the night, finally hose down FLUKE, get to do laundry, and presumably post this section to the internet for those of you who are vicariously cruising with us.
We need to get rested up for the next leg of the voyage, out to the Atlantic Ocean, into New York Harbor, and into Long Island Sound.

Cape May Ferry Dock along the Cape May Canal