On Chesapeake Bay

The bridges opened up the afternoon the same day but we were so into boat chores that we sat tight, as did everyone else at the Coinjock Marina. Had happy hour with a really nice couple from Vermont on a sailboat, Peter and Theresa. They are leaving their boat in Deltaville on the Chesapeake for the summer this week. We continued north yesterday, going through the bridges and the lock to get to the south end of the Chesapeake. We came through the incredible industrial/harbor complex of Norfolk/Portsmouth. I never get tired of looking at the immense navy ships.  Made camp last night in the Hampton River, just upstream from a 26 foot bridge, so there all alone, no sailboats. Today we got up early and are making miles up the bay because it's flat and the weather is supposed to crash again. We are going to try to get to Cambridge Maryland tomorrow, weather permitting and sit for a couple of days. It is only a short day run from there to Gingerville Marina where we will leave the boat next week. Cambridge has a great free dock, protected and safe, and a dynamite thrift store for Cindy. We are way ahead of schedule, not flying out until Thursday a week from now and from where I am right now it's only about 100 miles. Boat is running great and all is good.

Norfolk, America at work

Locking through

Looking down the lock from the bow

Looks like Duluth with the high bridge in the background

Flat day so far on the Bay today

A barge heading south

Hard to see but this is the western terminal of the Norfolk interstate tunnel. Cars enter or emerge from the two big buildings and go under the channel for a couple of miles. We went right over them this morning

This is about a quarter of the marina boats where we were last night. We anchored a quarter mile above this mess and were all alone. I estimate there were 500 boats at this spot. I have never seen so many boats.

Almost to the Chesapeake

It's been a while since I updated the blog. Lots of adventures since then. At the last post, we had crossed from the Bahamas and re entered the US at Fort Pierce at a favorite anchorage at Faber's Cove on Sunday March 31. We ordered a new motor for the windlass to be delivered to Titusville and headed north on Monday April 1. First stop was on the Banana River just north of the Mather's bridge, off the ICW a mile or so, but protected and a neat spot we had been to before. A paddler's training center is there, mainly rowers, crew, high kneelers and kayaks. The next day proceeded to Titusville for 2 nights waiting for the windlass motor, and I spent my time disassembling and removing the entire windlass, a difficult process, but once disassembled, the gears all looked good, but the motor brushes and magnets were in pieces. In the mean time, we rented a car from Enterprise, reprovisioned for the next 3 weeks or so, went to the Playalinda Brewery and to Dixie Crossroads for shrimp and grits. Bob423 was staying in the marina, the guru of the ICW shallows and a great resource with his internet postings on Active Captain and The Waterway Guide. I went over, introduced myself and shook his hand, thanking him for his knowledge. Thursday morning the UPS guy delivered the new motor and it took a couple of hours to get it put back together and re installed the windlass. We left around 2 pm nd moved north 20 miles or so to an anchorage at Mosquito Lagoon. It was then on to St. Augustine and a mooring ball for a night, then outside at the St. Augustine inlet for a long day to Brunswick. It was a nice outside cruise, with shrimp boats keeping us company but at the end of the afternoon, a thunderstorm moved in as we entered the Brunswick entrance. Lots of lightning and rain. We put the portable electonics in the microwave, it is supposed to protect them in case of a strike. Made with no issues however. Sunday April 7, we continued outside on a long haul to Beaufort, SC, bypassing a bunch of shallows on the ICW, and just inside the Beaufort inlet is a great anchorage we had used a couple of times before. Monday we stopped at Beauforts free dock, for a visit to the historic old town area, some ice cream and a burger. As we ascended the Ashapoo Riiver area, a boat we had met last fall passed us, "Glory Days", friends of the Janacek's, and also loopers. We talked on the radio for a bit and caught up. That night we anchored 15 miles into the Ashapoo cuts and before the Dawho shallows. Tuesday we pushed on passed Charleston to an anchorage just before the McClellanville shallows. We got through the shallows Wednesday morning and then stopped at the Georgetown docks to pick up shrimp before ascending the Waccamaw River and stopping at Osprey Marina for fuel, a pump out and a night's stay. It's a hole in the wall marina just south of Myrtle Beach, and another neat spot. Cindy got a run in and I got a good paddle in the swamps before leaving Thursday morning April 11. We thought abot going outside again at Little River, but this time I figured we would save time on the inside, and went on to the Cape Fear River, and Tina's Pocket anchorage. From there it was on to Swansboro for a night, then a night at a new anchorage at the top of Goose Creek where it poured and once again we were inundated by the midges. We left there yesterday morning crossing the Pamlico sound, Alligator Riiver and finally Albemarle Sound with the knowldge that it was going to blow like crazy and if we didn't get across yesterday we might have to wait it out. Last night we pulled into the Coinjock Marina after a 100 mil day. Had the prime rib last night and pulled out this morning only to have to turn around and redock. Because of the rain last night and the big south wind, the water level in the river is way up and the bridges north of here, between here and the Chesapeake are all closed at least until noon tomorrow. We are less than 50 miles from Norfolk but are stuck here until the bridges reopen. We are way ahead of schedule, so holing up for the day is not a big deal, and I'll get my nap in this afternoon. It's a nice but blustery day. Cindy ran and I biked and we will do boat chores this afternoon and hopefully move on in the morning.

Bridge of Lions, always pretty at night

Outside at St Auguustine, a flat day

Shrimpers keeping us company

sunset south of Beaufort, SC

Spooky old tree on the Waccamaw

Waccamaw greenery

Pirate ship at the Beaufort free dock

Wings at Beaufort

Neat house north of Swansboro

Beaufort NC harbor

Tug pushing a barge of chips I think, north side of the Albemarle

Allegator Pungo Canal

Sunrise across Pamlico Sound

 A victim of the hurricane

Lilacs in bloom on my bike ride this morning.

Back in Florida

Ice Cream Parlor, Grand Cay

We left Moraine Cay several days ago and moved on to Double Breasted Cay, due to weather. A big front moved through with 36 hours of big wind, 30 mph plus, so we ducked behind the islands for cover. After things settled down, moved just 4 miles to the Grand Cay group of islands for a night. It's a pretty remote area, not visited by a lot of boats, and really an "Old Bahamas" feel to it. Hiked around Grand Cay and found some ice cream and a beer. The piles of conch shells on the shore were immense. The next day began preparing for our exit from the Bahamas. We moved to West End of Grand Bahama Island for our last night, then Sunday March 31 took advantage of the weather window and left at 0530 for Florida and Fort Pierce. As soon as we had light, I put out lines and fishing was pretty good. We picked up 2 Mahi Mahi enroute. Cindy's was the bigger of the two. Once again, as she was reeling it in, all of a sudden line started spooling out and she couldn't make an progress. Something bigger yet had hit it, but after about 15 minutes, the bigger fish let go and she was able to land it. We got to Fort Pierce around 4:00 and really struggled with the check in process. There is an app for our cell phones called CBP Roam, that links you up with Customs and Border Patrol. There is a glitch in the software that blocked our cell phones, but finally we were able to make it work with Cindy's Ipad. You do a face to face with the agent online. Yesterday we moved up the ICW miles or more and today will move again to Titusville where we will layover at the marina and wait for windlass parts to arrive so I can get that fixed. I am tired of hand cranking that sucker. The new windlass motor is supposed to show up by UPS by Thursday, and we will take advantage of the time to fix some other stuff and replenish the fridge and bar. We'll also eat out at a couple of favorite spots we found on previous Titusville visits.

Squall enroute to West End

Pretty odd mount for the Bahamas, at Rosy's Place on Grand Cay

Fish

Working on a nice Mahi

Cindy's catch

Slaw and Mahi