Heading north again

After almost a month at a dock in New Bern, NC we are once again under way, heading slowly towards home, and as strange as it may seem to say, we hope towards cooler temps.  They have had record high temps around here for the last week or so - 96 forecast for today!  We got a little spoiled, being able to go in the air-conditioned marina lounge periodically.  Now it's back to full sun and heat, and right now not enough wind to really sail.

Here's the golf course at Northwest Creek Marina.
The Master's Tournament of Roses was held here this year.

It was rather hard to leave the marina and some of our new friends this morning.  We first met three of the boats here mid-February in Long Island, and have traveled with them off and on for the past 4 months.  We also go to know people on several of the boats who dock here.  Of course our good friend Bill, who we stopped to see in the first place, wasn't here when we arrived, and then left as soon as we got back from Michigan.   I guess I can't be too hard on him as he did take us to the airport to get our rental car.  And he might try to catch up with us in the Chesapeake.

Here's our friend Margaret.  We first met in February on Long Island.
You might recognize her from "Cat Woman" or "The Fabulous Baker Boys".

Right now we're heading out to Ocracoke on the Outer Banks.  It might be too remote for cell coverage so maybe no blogs for a couple of days.  (Actually the marina we just left had such bad cell coverage that we had to go in the cockpit to use our phone, and friends could only use their phone from the starboard side of their boat.)

9:30 and it is already 87 degrees!!            It made it to around 98 this afternoon.

When you wear a fur coat all the time you don't have
 too many options for keeping cool.

Burnout in New Bern

As SPOT shows we are still in New Bern, NC - I guess taking a little break from our year long break.  Actually we were all set to head up to (little) Washington, NC to return the shorts I borrowed last fall.  Then we realized it was the Memorial Day weekend and people here suggested that  lots of people might be traveling for the 3 day weekend so anchorages and docks might be full.  Saturday was also Karl and Treva's 21 anniversary so we decided to stay put.  We also had a few boat projects we could work on (Yea, I know you'll find that hard to believe!) so we decided to stick around.

Before we returned the rental car we made a provisioning trip on Tuesday.  We tracked down a leak in our forward hatch that we have had since we bought the boat.  We also think we figured out how top get the refrigeration to work off the batteries - it was another bad wiring connection.  We also washed and waxed the cabin top the day it was 95 degrees!  Saturday it rained off and on all day so we didn't get much done.  I won't say we're getting a little bored, but even Sue watched the entire Indy 500 yesterday.

This morning the cats complained that they are tired of the same view off the boat every day, and the dock master asked us when we're leaving.  Sounds like it might be time to head north.  Our next stop is Ocracoke, on the Outer Banks.  (That's OBX to the cutsey people who have European-style oval bumper stickers on thier SUVs.)

Back home in the summery south

I don't have much to add to what Sue has already reported about the wedding.

As well as seeing Sue's dad, sister, brother, and aunt, we saw several of our boating friends and even a neighbor or two in Saline.  We also ate more meals out in one week than I can remember.  Even though we spent about 10 days at our house in Saline I found myself mentioning being "back home" several times in relation to being back on the boat.  Except for about half an hour of stop, stop, stop and go traffic and some heavy rain around Columbus, we had an uneventful drive back to New Bern, arriving just before 9:00.  Fluff doesn't usually use fowl language, but I'm sure he was thinking "Son-of-a-b***h!!!  Back on the d**n boat!!!" after his second 15 hour car ride.  Zim was pretty content to sleep most of the way, after losing his breakfast about an hour into the trip.

The weather here is the big topic of conversation, being as hot now as it usually gets in August.  Today it's supposed to get to 95, and tomorrow around 92.  Two weeks ago as we were coming into New Bern we were wearing fleece, foul weather gear, stocking caps and gloves, and were still chilly.  And when we were in Saline we had a fire in the wood burner one night and ran the furnace the next day.

Our next stop will be Washington, NC, probably after the holiday weekend as the locals seem to think most of the near by destinations will be crowded for a few days.  We had planned to do a few boat projects but it's almost too hot to work outside, and they also have some strange bug hatch going on so we can't do the exterior teak.  We might be forced to stay in the air conditioned marina lounge watching cable TV.

I didn't know that the world headquarters of Ban Roll On was located in North Carolina.

I was also surprised to see that Batelco (Bahama telephone) has taken over some of the pay phones here in the States.

The cats "enjoying" a break in the drive.

Things we haven't done in the last eight months...

Traveled 800 miles in less than a day.
Traveled 80 miles an hour.
Been over 3000 feet above sea level.
Were in the state of West Virginia.
Had a Whopper.
Slept in a bed in a building.
Read mail.
Saw how our driveway turned out after the big street project last fall.


Yesterday we got up around 5:30 (Yup, it's hard to believe there are two 5:30s every day!) and were on the road by 6:15.  Zim and Fluff weren't too excited being in a car again, but after a few hours they settled down and had nice long cat naps.  You boaters might appreciate this little experience.  After being on the boat so long and using the auto pilot whenever possible, once I got used to the traffic and the rental car I decided to use the cruise control.  The first thing I did after engaging the cruise was take my hands off the wheel.  It quickly became apparent that "cruise control" and "auto pilot" aren't quite the same thing!  It's also interesting that cars have a "cruise" function and boats have an "auto" function - go figure.  We got home around 9:30 - traveling with two cats adds a bit of time to pit stops.


This afternoon we're getting together with Sue's family.  Tomorrow there is a pre-wedding dinner, and then Saturday the wedding, which happens to be here in Saline. 

Link to photo album...

Here is a link to some of the photos we've taken in the last 8 months.  As I get time I will be adding some comments or labels.

https://picasaweb.google.com/103456707849840114639/OurTripToBahamas?authkey=Gv1sRgCITxoZ3uvon_pAE#

There should now be a link to this photo album under the "SPOT" and "Kitty's Blog" links.  Would someone please comment if you can access it without issue?  I get several "Stack Overflow..." messages before the album shows up properly.  Thanks.

Pix from New Bern

Sue thought 55 was too cold for shorts.

Notice the 50 cal bow sprit.

Dredging in the ICW.  The open water was to the left.

Tannin mustache.

After a little scrubbing.

Last Blog

Thursday afternoon we arrived in New Bern, NC.  It is up the Neuse River away from the ICW.  We are at the same marina where our friend Bill (remember we mentioned meeting with Bill earlier in the trip?) keeps his boat.  We're going to leave the boat here for a couple of weeks and drive back home.  Sue's sister Chris's favorite daughter Kristin is getting married to Ethan next weekend, and we are going home for the wedding.  We haven't been following the news very closely, but we thought there was some mention of a "royal wedding" - I guess we'll find out.  We're also interested to see how traumatized the two cats will be after a 14 hour road trip. 

All the people we've met here at Northwest Creek Marina have been really friendly and accommodating.  Yesterday I asked a couple (Al and Lois) who were sitting on a bench by our boat if they were from the area and knew of any stores that were within walking distance.  They said that they were from New Jersey and were only here for a week at a time-share condo, and that there was nothing within walking distance.  An hour or so later Al came walking out our dock and asked if we would be interested in going out to eat in New Bern later.  We said yes, and met them by their condo around 5:30.  They drove us to Morgan's Tavern which had been recommended by their friends.  Being Friday night it took a while to get a table, but the food ended up being pretty good - chicken cordon bleu and baked salmon with garlic mashed potatoes.  On the way back to the boat we stopped at a Food Lion grocery store for some lunch meat and yogurt.  Al and Lois used to have a sailboat in the Long Island, NY area.

The last couple of days we have been doing boat projects - rust removal, deck scrubbing, sail stitching, and engine maintenance.  We're trying to decide if we should refinish some of the deck teak, or just leave it until we get back home.  We also walked the docks looking at all the boats here (around 300 I think) and talked with several of the other boaters.  Tuesday we pick up a rental car at the airport, and drive home Wednesday.

For Charlie who wanted to see a picture of both of us, and for Mark who wants to
know what's to eat -  Louis, from Gaia, having corn on the cob and chicken with us
in Georgetown, South Carolina.  Picture by Nadine, from their blog.

Through Camp Lejeune

Yesterday we did the section of the Waterway that goes through the Marine Corp Base at Camp Lejeune, NC.  The weather was overcast in the morning with rain and thunderstorms predicted.  Three armored personnel carriers crossed behind us, and we heard some artillery fire (actually it was thunder, but the thought of military gunfire exercises is less scary than thought of thunder and lightening when you're under a 60 foot metal mast).

We had a nice assist all day from a following wind and the tides.  Most of the time we were making 6.5 to 7 knots over the ground, despite throttling back the diesel.

I don't care if we are on starboard, this guy has the right-of-way!

A sign not mentioned on the charts.

Target practice.

Bikini Beach update.

Monday morning our Canadian friends were surprised to see us still at anchor.  They came over first thing in the morning to find out if everything was OK, and chided us for not having them drive us to the hospital.  They go to bed early, and we had visions of spending the night at the hospital, so we didn't really consider that too much.  We promised to wake them next time.

Now for the rest of their story, it turns out their outboard was toast.  The shop didn't even want to pull it apart because of how long they figured it would take to get parts.  So Louis and Nadine spent most of Monday shopping for a new outboard.  They eventually found a 4 stroke Yamaha the same horsepower as their old Suzuki.  Unfortunately it weighs about 60 pounds more, and doesn't fit in the outboard mount on their boat.  Now they have to cut a bigger opening in the motor mount and then re-glass all the cut out surfaces.  They also have to figure out what to do with 40 or 50 gallons of gas that has two stroke oil mixed with it.  The two other French-Canadian boats that they have been travelling with are sticking around so they have plenty of company, and lots of muscle to help get the new motor installed.

We left bright and early this morning and are now anchored on the south border of Marine Corp Base Camp Lejeune.  We're hoping they won't have any exercises tonight or tomorrow.  From our boat we can see a sign, "Caution Tank Xing Ahead".

I liked this signage - I wonder if the "Golf View" is High Def.

With all the osprey nests we've seen on waterway marks it's
hard to believe they are endangered.

Tonight we're sharing the anchorage with one boat from Sweden, one from Toronto, and four others.
And Sue's pain has virtually disappeared.

Running aground near Charleston, Part II

From Sue Monday morning,
The plan was to move farther north today but yesterday I woke up with pain in my chest.  It wasn't bad and I ignored it most of the day, as it seemed like a muscle pull.  However, it seemed to get worse after dinner and it seemed I could feel shooting pain every time I moved and I just couldn't seem to take a breath without it hurting.  I eventually called a local hospital and the on-call nurse said it didn't sound cardiac, but that I should come in anyway.  After hunting up a taxi we arrived about 10:00 PM.  They did several tests and pronounced me healthy but attributed the pain to the fall down the companionway a few days ago when we grounded so hard.  It's odd that I had no bruises or pain at that time but that it showed up now.  Anyway, the doctor recommended taking it easy for a day, so we are still sitting here in Wrightsville Beach.

From Richard, after the fact,
In the "It's a small world" department:  The receptionist at the ER is from Marquette, in the UP.  Our nurse's husband is from Pinckney, about 20 miles from Saline, and the doctor is a sailor who was part owner of a sailing school in Wrightsville Beach.  We got back to the boat around 1:00 in the morning so an early departure for points north wasn't going to happen.

Wrightsville/Bikini Beach

After a very peaceful anchorage in the Waccamaw River with the osprey and the turtles our next point of interest was the stretch of the ICW containing “The Rockpile”! Some of you might remember this as the very narrow stretch that was blasted out of rock. Southbound last fall we had come through at low tide and were quite intimidated by the ragged rock edges showing. We hadn’t been looking forward to a repeat transit of this section, but because of a slightly higher tide which hid most of the rock ledges, and no other boats crowding us out of mid-channel we had an uneventful passage. The rest of the trip that day would have been OK if we hadn’t had a mis-communication between reading the chart plotter and steering the boat going into Shallotte Inlet. We provided entertainment for those on shore as we ran aground not once but twice before we were safely anchored. The annoying thing was that we had gotten in there with no problem last fall, and it actually is quite an easy cut to get into.

Saturday morning we headed up towards Wilmington and the Cape Fear River. As we approached Snow’s Cut, one of the narrower points of the Waterway where the current can be very strong, we started slowing way down because of the falling tide AND the river current. When our ground speed dropped to just over a knot, and our arrival time at a point about 7 miles ahead showed 7:30 pm, we decided to anchor for a while and wait for the tide to change. After lunch, and a two hour wait we, we were able to make much better speed. We ended up going to Wrightsville Beach even though it was a bit farther than we had planned to go. We were surprised to see Gaia and the two other French-Canadian boats they were traveling with. As soon as they saw us they came over in their dinghy and Nadine immediately informed me that I was really going to like “Bikini Beach”!

Gaia had been planning to leave early Saturday but one of their outboard motors had quit running. They had found a Suzuki dealer and rented a car to take the outboard in for repairs. After telling us about the beach and bikinis they offered to take Sue to the grocery store Sunday morning.

Nadine and Sue with that "shopping" smile.

Later in the day, as we were going by their boat we noticed Nadine giving Louis a haircut. One thing led to another, and soon I was on the barber chair - actually their boat bucket. Part way through the clip job I found out I was only the second person whose hair Nadine had cut, but it turned out quite well (and even if it hadn’t, I can’t see it).

Louis doesn't seem to mind getting clipped.

Note the chair.

They were right about the bikinis. Every place we looked we saw bathing suits - on the beach, in the stores, walking on the sidewalks… The other thing we noticed was the average age seemed to be about 20, and maybe 20% had tattoos.

The beautiful people, as far as the eye can see.

You don't see this in Saline.  Check out the feet.

Later Louis and Nadine invited us to ride to Wilmington with them. We walked around the historic water front section of town, checking out some of the interesting shops. Some of this part of town reminded me of Seattle south, with numerous coffee shops. One small section of town virtually everyone had limb encompassing tattoos. We thought it was a little strange since between the four of us we don’t have a single tat, but then we saw a sign mentioning a tattoo convention or festival. Had we noticed that sign earlier I would have taken some pictures of all the skin art. We had dinner at a pizza place that looked interesting. Our second pizza was OK (half Canadian bacon and pepper rings, half Canadian bacon and pineapple) after they replaced the first Cajun pizza - burnt black bottom.

Here is a link sent to us by Gaia.  It's not one of our cats, that's for sure, but a great clip.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lXAs5lnRTw0&feature=youtu.be