April, 23, 24, 25, 26 and 27th, 2007 - The day seems to go by fast even when you are not moving anywhere. I have been working diligently on my stove problem daily. I have discovered that nowhere can I get service that will be done here without shipping the stove back to Finland. That is not an option at this point. I have a need to just go and buy something that works and worry about the latter option when the trip is finished. The stove starts up okay and then when it should kick in and really heat up it just goes poof and dies. I took the screws out and lifted it out of the hole in the cabinet and said no way should a color blind man start taking wires loose and then hope to get them fixed again and in place when you reassemble it. It won’t make any difference because I think it is basically dead anyway. I can’t believe that a Finnish product with such a good name world wide cannot be serviced in this country and in a city as large as the Norfolk area. It basically went to pot when we really did have to use it as a heater on a really cold night. It worked well all night but since that time it has decided that if you want to use me as a heater or cooker I am on strike because that is too hard work. Now I am in the process of figuring out the bus schedule to get me to Hampton, VA so I can go to Bass Pro Shop and buy me a new stove to camp out with. It is a seventy dollar taxi ride and I am ready to starve before I pay that. I almost starve some days anyway so why pay to do it. As you can tell this is not a happy camper at the moment because this is delaying my tourist duties. I just have this attitude that if you pay for something with enough dollars it should work. If you don’t want it to be a heater then don’t advertise that it is one. After recharging my phone from making so many calls locally for service I feel I have tried to work out the problem every way possible way even by reading the instructions for things that can go wrong. Another thing is no one has kerosene and the closest thing to it lives at the Airports along the way and I even called the dealers who said they sell it. So the closet thing to it is to use diesel fuel and when you go to the website they sell diesel heaters so why make this to run on Kerosene. I am just venting and I will quit now. I just feel that people should know this is one possible problem you can have on a trip like this. You have to be ready to come up with alternative solutions when the problem arises and the answer is not a car trip to the store. In this case you have to also solve the transportation problem which is not easy when you live in this country. Although this is one of a few problems I have had do not think for one minute that I don’t like the boat. This is one of the best boats for this trip and many people look at it and say how are you doing this without something much larger, well I pass many larger boats every day in the same weather conditions and I am tied up enjoying life when they finally get there.
After all the griping above I should also give the other side to this dilemma and that is if I have to suffer I am doing it in style. I have a microwave which is covering my starvation duties quite well and I am also fortunate to be at rest in a very nice marina at the moment with all the amenities as they call them that I need. I have a nice supply of food and a nice restaurant on the property should I decide not to cook and starve. I am choosing to get along on what I have because I also feel that it is not bad for me to loose a few pounds because I am not eating what I like. If you take away my bacon and eggs in the morning you are not going to have a happy camper that day but I also know my doctor is saying that it is not going to hurt me to do this. A few days of having to eat cereal for breakfast is normal just not for me. I feel much better after the above because it cleanses the soul and prepares you for the next challenge which always involves much walking. After eight blocks one way yesterday I finally found somebody that sold batteries at there store. At home you just get in the car and drive there; here you put on your walking shoes and go find one. In that process though I passed some more lovely historic homes and many other businesses that I might have a use for and discovered which street they are on. I also passed a beautiful garden of roses which I stopped to admire and smell to my hearts content while I rested a moment, so for everything that is wrong there is always something that is really right. The roses were my wife’s favorite color which is yellow and yes I thought of her at that very moment and wished she were here to smell them and enjoy there beauty. And of course I did not have my camera with me to record the moment because the problem was batteries.
Today is a very cloudy and humid day here and yes it is showering. You know what they say about April showers. This morning there has been a lot of work boats passing but no ships as of now. It means I can spend some more time reading about what is up ahead and then I will be ready when my charts arrive in the mail to begin seeing how many miles it is from place to place and putting a time frame on the next part of the trip. Laundry will just have to wait until the showers pass. It is wonderful to have the time to mull over all these things and know that sooner or later they will get done so just enjoy what is happening now. It also a good day to go to the library which is just a few blocks away and see what is happening in the world around me. I hear the sirens and noises but they make no difference here in my isolated section of the world which is very quiet most of the time. Every marina has its gulls, herons, and ducks which also have there own little world that they seem to travel in daily as no one disturbs the daily rituals they have and there food supply seems endless here as they fly off in the morning like business people and then return in the evening to there little areas of seclusion where they hide out just like us humans do. The navy commutes to work by helicopter in the morning and evening where as time immortal goes on and rank has its privileges to enjoy. They fly a regular route past here just like a bus route on land. Another thing I noticed and don’t know for sure is that tied up next to the navy ships in dry dock are square barges that I think hold the crew of that ship while it is in port and being refurbished. They are just big grey boxes that sit next to the ship. And then there is the seeming endless circles by the homeland security people in there boat to protect the navy yard. That must be an exciting job but the one boat assigned here disappears with great regularity and that is when we will get attacked. I think he is on break for two thirds of his day and bored to death the other part and no one is on patrol after his nine to five day of circling and this is visible to me a normal crazy citizen so I know a terrorist would have no problem here just wait till he goes on break. Enough of the rambling for now it is time to figure out a better way to do nothing, When the trip is over I will have a masters degree in how to make a day go away and can probably make millions of nothing dollars as well.
Friday, April 27, 2007
Sunday, April 22, 2007
April 19, 20, 21,22, 2007
April 19, 2007 - Just a normal day around here. I have been doing little chores on the boat that get ignored when we are moving. I swept the floor and then scrubbed it down in the cabin. Then went outside and sprayed the boat down good and then soaped all of the stainless stuff and polished it. I have a bathtub ring on the bottom of the hull that I need to find a brush to scrub it off. Just little things that add up and don’t get done once we are under way. I have a month to get it all done and ready for Bob and me to take off north once again. The weather is kind of getting rid of the bite in the wind but still need a jacket in the morning. I am not changing to shorts this time until the thermometer hits the ninety degree mark. Tired of packing warm clothes up and then getting them back out again in a day or so. I need to fuel up Shorty and get the head pumped off, just chores that come up regularly. I also have been reading destination and port books for up ahead of us even though I don’t have charts to get the distances and fuel usage done yet.
April 20, 2007 – More of the same as above. I decided this evening that it was time to do a little exploring tomorrow. I can only spit and polish so long before I get the itch to go and if I am going to do my walk every day I might as well make it count. The weather is also getting a little warmer, still brisk late evenings and early morning’s though. I went to the visitor center in Portsmouth to get some materials and see what is going on here. I just arrived home with enough stuff to last a month and have already missed some good stuff. It is a month long arts festival that goes from now till up in early June. Got to get the hooves shined up and ready to go for tomorrow.
April 21, 2007 – The day dawned this morning with beautiful colors just like a day should during an arts festival. I went and got my Portsmouth walking map out and set out to see some of the local sights. This is also historic garden viewing week here and all over Virginia if I have it right. The first houses and churches I looked at were so very pretty and of such different design from a lot I have seen elsewhere. I noticed that the steps here going up to the second floor of the homes was located on just one side of the house and not both sides in the front. The story goes that the reason the houses had two sets of steps up on the front is one side was used by the women and the other side by the men because they did not want the men looking up those big hoop skirts they wore to formal events. Well here in Portsmouth that did not seem to matter because they only have one set of steps going up the front of the house. I think it has something to do with the fact that sailors are a much better behaved group of people than some of those Southern gentlemen seemed to have been. Also sailors don’t mind viewing a few hoop skirts going up stairs and have better control of themselves. That said, I am going to have to go back tomorrow and check out the historic gardens as they were pretty crowded yesterday on a Saturday. The dogs certainly are tired tonight and I got the photos processed and up on the internet along with some from the prior periods. Any file with an April 21st date is what I have been catching up on.
April 22, 2007 - I found out two things at the visitor center in Portsmouth that make it really nice for people visiting both cities. First there is a ferry that old folks like me can ride across the river to Norfolk for 50 cents, now that is cheap in this day and time. The second was the Hampton Roads Transit has a free bus to all of the tourist attractions and the museums, library and other stops along the way, even stops at a shopping mall. So now you will be getting the true 50 cent tour in case you think it is worth it. One ferry ride later and I was on the free bus to the Scopes Arena which is where they play basketball and hockey but not today. Today the arena was host to Virginia International Tattoo. I had heard of tattoos but this was altogether different. A tattoo is what they call a ceremonial performance of military music by massed bands. And this was a super program of bands and music. It simply takes more than my words to describe this gathering of bands but I will try and if you ever get a chance to see a tattoo please do so.
It will make your throat dry and your eyes moist and give you a good dose of what patriotism should mean to everyone. I was both of the above as I sat and listened to what our military bands are capable of and of the additional awe thrown in for good measure by other countries military bands as well. Canada was represented by the 3 area Support Group Gagetown Pipes and Drums, the 8 Wing Trenton Pipe Band and the 12 Wing Shearwater Pipes and Drums. The Band and Corps of Drums of the Bermuda Regiment from Bermuda. The Band of Her Majesty’s Royal Marines from the United Kingdom which is the band that travels with Queen Elizabeth when she travels abroad as well as in Britain. Another Bermuda band was the Bermuda Islands Pipes and Drums. The Caribbean Symphonic Dancers from Norfolk University gave a performance from the various islands. Republic of Korea was represented by the Chae Hyang-Soon/Ang Song and Dance Group. The Churchland High School Chorus sang and did backup for others. Doc Christian and Friends did the song Amazing Grace to the accompaniment of the audience tears and made sure there was not a dry eye in the house. I will name some more that included Drums and Pipes of the Irish Guards, H & H Gombeys, Hampton Roads Police Color Guard, Highlands and Islands Scottish Dancers. The Juliana Bicycle Team from Holland is the only group to use bicycles in there presentation. Norfolk University has a military drum line called the Million Dollar Funk Squad and what a show this group can put on with absolutely lightning fast hands and drumsticks, wow. The Old Guard Fife and Drum Corps from the US Army with their old time dress and precise movements and the fact that they represent Bush at many events. The US Coast Guards silent drill team put on a performance with rifle and real bayonets that made you hope no one missed his move. The US Marine band from Quantico Virginia did the Hymn to the Fallen and the Marine Hymn and had everyone absolutely quiet with the most wonderful playing of Taps I have ever heard followed by the person from the corps. who sang Amazing Grace. Then all the bands massed which made it over 850 strong and played the Stars and Stripes Forever, Scotland the Brave, and Black Bear. There was much, much more and I have only skimmed the top few. I know if I see another tattoo advertised I certainly will go see it. In my reading for the trip I know there is another of these that will take place this summer in Canada, I hope I am nearby when it happens. We Americans including myself sometimes lose track of what the services sacrifice for us. If you could have heard the soft version of taps and its mournful tones echo in the arena it would make you proud to be an American and tearful at the same time. When they did Amazing Grace accompanied by the bagpipes and soft drumming was another of those times. As they played each services theme they asked that the people who served in that branch of service to stand while it was played and I was proud to do so.
I also posted a number of photographs since I arrived here. The new files are dated April 21st and April 22nd . I hope I did not ramble on to much above but I was just very excited about being able to see this while here in Portsmouth, VA. Some of the photos are a little blurred but it was hard to catch the units when someone was not moving and you could not use flash.
April 20, 2007 – More of the same as above. I decided this evening that it was time to do a little exploring tomorrow. I can only spit and polish so long before I get the itch to go and if I am going to do my walk every day I might as well make it count. The weather is also getting a little warmer, still brisk late evenings and early morning’s though. I went to the visitor center in Portsmouth to get some materials and see what is going on here. I just arrived home with enough stuff to last a month and have already missed some good stuff. It is a month long arts festival that goes from now till up in early June. Got to get the hooves shined up and ready to go for tomorrow.
April 21, 2007 – The day dawned this morning with beautiful colors just like a day should during an arts festival. I went and got my Portsmouth walking map out and set out to see some of the local sights. This is also historic garden viewing week here and all over Virginia if I have it right. The first houses and churches I looked at were so very pretty and of such different design from a lot I have seen elsewhere. I noticed that the steps here going up to the second floor of the homes was located on just one side of the house and not both sides in the front. The story goes that the reason the houses had two sets of steps up on the front is one side was used by the women and the other side by the men because they did not want the men looking up those big hoop skirts they wore to formal events. Well here in Portsmouth that did not seem to matter because they only have one set of steps going up the front of the house. I think it has something to do with the fact that sailors are a much better behaved group of people than some of those Southern gentlemen seemed to have been. Also sailors don’t mind viewing a few hoop skirts going up stairs and have better control of themselves. That said, I am going to have to go back tomorrow and check out the historic gardens as they were pretty crowded yesterday on a Saturday. The dogs certainly are tired tonight and I got the photos processed and up on the internet along with some from the prior periods. Any file with an April 21st date is what I have been catching up on.
April 22, 2007 - I found out two things at the visitor center in Portsmouth that make it really nice for people visiting both cities. First there is a ferry that old folks like me can ride across the river to Norfolk for 50 cents, now that is cheap in this day and time. The second was the Hampton Roads Transit has a free bus to all of the tourist attractions and the museums, library and other stops along the way, even stops at a shopping mall. So now you will be getting the true 50 cent tour in case you think it is worth it. One ferry ride later and I was on the free bus to the Scopes Arena which is where they play basketball and hockey but not today. Today the arena was host to Virginia International Tattoo. I had heard of tattoos but this was altogether different. A tattoo is what they call a ceremonial performance of military music by massed bands. And this was a super program of bands and music. It simply takes more than my words to describe this gathering of bands but I will try and if you ever get a chance to see a tattoo please do so.
It will make your throat dry and your eyes moist and give you a good dose of what patriotism should mean to everyone. I was both of the above as I sat and listened to what our military bands are capable of and of the additional awe thrown in for good measure by other countries military bands as well. Canada was represented by the 3 area Support Group Gagetown Pipes and Drums, the 8 Wing Trenton Pipe Band and the 12 Wing Shearwater Pipes and Drums. The Band and Corps of Drums of the Bermuda Regiment from Bermuda. The Band of Her Majesty’s Royal Marines from the United Kingdom which is the band that travels with Queen Elizabeth when she travels abroad as well as in Britain. Another Bermuda band was the Bermuda Islands Pipes and Drums. The Caribbean Symphonic Dancers from Norfolk University gave a performance from the various islands. Republic of Korea was represented by the Chae Hyang-Soon/Ang Song and Dance Group. The Churchland High School Chorus sang and did backup for others. Doc Christian and Friends did the song Amazing Grace to the accompaniment of the audience tears and made sure there was not a dry eye in the house. I will name some more that included Drums and Pipes of the Irish Guards, H & H Gombeys, Hampton Roads Police Color Guard, Highlands and Islands Scottish Dancers. The Juliana Bicycle Team from Holland is the only group to use bicycles in there presentation. Norfolk University has a military drum line called the Million Dollar Funk Squad and what a show this group can put on with absolutely lightning fast hands and drumsticks, wow. The Old Guard Fife and Drum Corps from the US Army with their old time dress and precise movements and the fact that they represent Bush at many events. The US Coast Guards silent drill team put on a performance with rifle and real bayonets that made you hope no one missed his move. The US Marine band from Quantico Virginia did the Hymn to the Fallen and the Marine Hymn and had everyone absolutely quiet with the most wonderful playing of Taps I have ever heard followed by the person from the corps. who sang Amazing Grace. Then all the bands massed which made it over 850 strong and played the Stars and Stripes Forever, Scotland the Brave, and Black Bear. There was much, much more and I have only skimmed the top few. I know if I see another tattoo advertised I certainly will go see it. In my reading for the trip I know there is another of these that will take place this summer in Canada, I hope I am nearby when it happens. We Americans including myself sometimes lose track of what the services sacrifice for us. If you could have heard the soft version of taps and its mournful tones echo in the arena it would make you proud to be an American and tearful at the same time. When they did Amazing Grace accompanied by the bagpipes and soft drumming was another of those times. As they played each services theme they asked that the people who served in that branch of service to stand while it was played and I was proud to do so.
I also posted a number of photographs since I arrived here. The new files are dated April 21st and April 22nd . I hope I did not ramble on to much above but I was just very excited about being able to see this while here in Portsmouth, VA. Some of the photos are a little blurred but it was hard to catch the units when someone was not moving and you could not use flash.
Wednesday, April 18, 2007
April 17, 18, 2007
April 17, 2007 – We got up this morning and ate breakfast and then Bob and I went to wait for our rental car for me to take him back to Swansboro, NC. I will spend the night there and return tomorrow. As we drove down the highway from here in Norfolk, VA to there we passed through many types of areas. We left here and went down highway 17 which led us to the Dismal Swamp Trail just because we wondered what it looked like from the road because we could see cars passing us as we came up the canal. One side really is the swamp and the other is a lot of farm land after you cross the road. We saw many tobacco barns and they were much different from those I had seen before. These were like individual barns the size of a mid size u-haul truck. They use propane gas to do the drying instead of natural air. When we passed the Carolina Visitors Center where we had tied up during the storm all the boats had left except one. Larry and Gail were going to wait another day and then travel all the way to Deltaville, VA in one hop. They should have had pretty good going if they left on the 18th. We drove through the cities we had passed by boat, such as Elizabeth City, Belhaven, and across the rivers that we had crossed by boat. It seemed so different to be looking down at them from a big highway bridge after being on them. Where we crossed them they were much larger because we were closer to the coast. We went through New Bern, NC and if it had not been so rough the day we crossed that river it would have been fun to go by boat. It has a governors mansion called the Tryon Palace. It was very elaborate and had what looked to be beautiful gardens. The homes there were also historic and pretty much like those in the other southern cities that I have visited. After about four or so hours of driving we arrived at Bob’s house and it felt different not to see Shorty down there in the boat basin where he enjoyed a respite from all as did I. After the drive we were both pretty tired and after eating we took turns falling asleep as we watched TV.
April 18, 2007 – This morning we ate breakfast and although I hated to leave Bob there and go back to Shorty alone we both had things to do. It will be a month before Bob returns from vacation and comes back to Norfolk to continue on. Maybe by then it will warm up some. After driving through the pretty country again on the way home and seeing things that I did not see on the way down I was ready to get back on the boat. I passed some large plantations and today in a couple of places the farmers were setting out their tobacco plants. I thought it might be a little cold for that but it is supposed to warm up a little in the next few days. It is cold enough here tonight that I have the little electric heater running again in the cabin. It sure feels good. The wind was still coming out of the easterly direction when I arrived here and it had a bite to it. It was not as bad as the day we arrived when it was gusting so high you could barely walk the docks without moving and losing your balance. Since I will be here quite a while I will try to have all the new charts sent down here to me. Then I will return my old charts that I have been using back home and away we go again. I also want to find out what is here in the way of historical places to visit. I am not to far from Williamsburg and other places. Also this is home to a lot of navy stuff so I am looking forward to watching the ships, etc.
April 18, 2007 – This morning we ate breakfast and although I hated to leave Bob there and go back to Shorty alone we both had things to do. It will be a month before Bob returns from vacation and comes back to Norfolk to continue on. Maybe by then it will warm up some. After driving through the pretty country again on the way home and seeing things that I did not see on the way down I was ready to get back on the boat. I passed some large plantations and today in a couple of places the farmers were setting out their tobacco plants. I thought it might be a little cold for that but it is supposed to warm up a little in the next few days. It is cold enough here tonight that I have the little electric heater running again in the cabin. It sure feels good. The wind was still coming out of the easterly direction when I arrived here and it had a bite to it. It was not as bad as the day we arrived when it was gusting so high you could barely walk the docks without moving and losing your balance. Since I will be here quite a while I will try to have all the new charts sent down here to me. Then I will return my old charts that I have been using back home and away we go again. I also want to find out what is here in the way of historical places to visit. I am not to far from Williamsburg and other places. Also this is home to a lot of navy stuff so I am looking forward to watching the ships, etc.
Monday, April 16, 2007
April 15, 16, 2007
April 15, 2007 – Here we are in the Dismal Swamp which is beautiful and haunting and we are waiting out a very big spring storm which is just twenty miles away in Norfolk, VA and really beating up the coast. We are so well protected from it that we are getting some little wind ripples on the water but a hundred feet up the trees are swaying with the force of 30 to 45 mile per hour winds with gusts higher at times. The rain comes down in sheets and will stop for a few minutes. We all get out of our boats, go up the hill and use the welcoming center for North Carolina’s bathrooms and bam; here comes the rain and we are soaked again. This has gone on all day and night and tonight it has added some more cold to it. Bob is freezing and our diesel heater has decided that it only likes to run part time. We have the boat sealed tight and feel that maybe it is starving for oxygen or that we had some fuel we added from our supply and that it might have had water condensation in it. We had run it all night the night before and cooked on it as well and it was fine. We have a generator on board and could hook it up to our electric heater but it is raining so hard and we are not sure that we can set it on the dock in the rain or whether it would die on us and then we would drown in rain getting it back on the boat as we are rafted two deep at the center. Of course the big boats all have their generators humming and are toasty. We know however, that this too will pass if we just wait it out. I have Bob in all the extra warm clothes that we have on the boat.
April 16, 2007 – This morning we got up and finally the sun was shining where we were but they are still punishing us with the cold weather. The boat was wet on the inside this morning and condensation was everywhere as the boat cooled down dew formed on the inside because we had everything shut up tight. The diesel heater did not work well last night either. I plan on solving the problem when I get to Norfolk as I need to get Bob to his doctors appointments and then we are going to wait a month before we go north some more and hopefully the cold weather fronts will work themselves out and the weather will at least warm up ten or twenty degrees so we can be comfortable. I have been from shorts to long johns so many times on this trip I can’t count them anymore. I think our dockmates probably thought we were slightly daft when we took off for Norfolk, VA from the middle of the Dismal Swamp this morning. It was practically calm in the channel and we were giving this up for a storm blowing 30-40 knots and maybe more for the peace and quiet. We went the rest of the way through the swamp okay and reached the lock before Norfolk in fine time. As we went out of the lock the wind hit us with its gusts and we started down the intracoastal to mile zero where our marina for the night was waiting for us. When we got in front of the marina they couldn’t believe we traveled today as the weather was pretty fierce. They asked us where we were and we said out front. All they could see was this ball of spray coming down the channel they said. We told them that was us. So tonight we are tied up safe and sound in the marina and listening to the wind still blowing past us and it is again getting real cold tonight but I believe tonight we can keep Bob warm as the heat is on
April 16, 2007 – This morning we got up and finally the sun was shining where we were but they are still punishing us with the cold weather. The boat was wet on the inside this morning and condensation was everywhere as the boat cooled down dew formed on the inside because we had everything shut up tight. The diesel heater did not work well last night either. I plan on solving the problem when I get to Norfolk as I need to get Bob to his doctors appointments and then we are going to wait a month before we go north some more and hopefully the cold weather fronts will work themselves out and the weather will at least warm up ten or twenty degrees so we can be comfortable. I have been from shorts to long johns so many times on this trip I can’t count them anymore. I think our dockmates probably thought we were slightly daft when we took off for Norfolk, VA from the middle of the Dismal Swamp this morning. It was practically calm in the channel and we were giving this up for a storm blowing 30-40 knots and maybe more for the peace and quiet. We went the rest of the way through the swamp okay and reached the lock before Norfolk in fine time. As we went out of the lock the wind hit us with its gusts and we started down the intracoastal to mile zero where our marina for the night was waiting for us. When we got in front of the marina they couldn’t believe we traveled today as the weather was pretty fierce. They asked us where we were and we said out front. All they could see was this ball of spray coming down the channel they said. We told them that was us. So tonight we are tied up safe and sound in the marina and listening to the wind still blowing past us and it is again getting real cold tonight but I believe tonight we can keep Bob warm as the heat is on
Saturday, April 14, 2007
April 14, 2007
April 14, 2007 – Today we started out in Elizabeth City and then went through the lock and into the Dismal Swamp which is in northern North Carolina and southern Virginia. The area is one of cypress and tamarack trees which give the water an iced tea look as the boat goes through it. It leaves some foam on the top which kind of hangs around for a while. Right after we started it began to rain lightly and the Pasquotank creek looked foggy and just fit the name. Then we came to the first of two locks one at the beginning and another at the end of the 22 mile canal which was mostly hand constructed during the Washington years. It has had many things done to it over the years and is primarily a canal which boaters use when going north and south along the intracoastal waterway because it saves them from going across the Albemarle Sound which can get pretty nasty during windy weather. Once in the canal you see the beauty of the trees which have almost grown across the canal and shade it from the sun. The sailboats ahead of us had to be very careful not to snag the tops of the trees in there rigging. About half way through you come to the Carolina border and you can tie up at the Visitor Center and go in and look at all of the stuff. Today there is a severe weather advisory for up ahead in the Norfolk and
Chesapeake area so they are allowing us to tie up and stay until the weather ahead clears out. You can ordinarily stay here overnight if you want to. They took some of the ladies from the boats to town to shop for groceries because we anticipate that it will be maybe two to three days before we can leave here which was nice because the people who operate the dock are state employees. There are currently five of us tied up here and we have had lots of fun visiting with the various people on boats ranging from Shorty's size to a beautiful Fleming boat that is probably 45 feet long but all are really nice people. Since it was a very short day there is not too much to write about but it sure is beautiful here.
Chesapeake area so they are allowing us to tie up and stay until the weather ahead clears out. You can ordinarily stay here overnight if you want to. They took some of the ladies from the boats to town to shop for groceries because we anticipate that it will be maybe two to three days before we can leave here which was nice because the people who operate the dock are state employees. There are currently five of us tied up here and we have had lots of fun visiting with the various people on boats ranging from Shorty's size to a beautiful Fleming boat that is probably 45 feet long but all are really nice people. Since it was a very short day there is not too much to write about but it sure is beautiful here.
Friday, April 13, 2007
April 11, 12,13, 2007
April 11, 2007- On Wednesday we began to prepare Shorty to move on up in North Carolina from Bob’s boat basin in Swansboro area of North Carolina. We went out and bought some food for the next week that Bob is going to accompany me on the trip north. Then we did a few things at Bob’s place to get ready. There is always the air of anticipation about the next leg of the trip. It is all new water for me and for Bob it is a chance to see what new has happened since he was last in the area we will approach tomorrow. For me it will be fun to have some company on the next legs as there will be the possibility of some difficult water to traverse as the sounds will get much larger and the waves will be a little larger depending on the breezes we meet. But we are ready and I am excited to be moving north again after a rest and the wonderful hospitality shown me by Bob and his wife over the Easter period.
April 12, 2007 – The morning dawned with a thunderstorm and showers and low ceilings. But after awhile they passed and the skies cleared some and we took off. The first place we came to was Morehead City and then on to Beaufort and up the waterway. As we continued along the winds got stronger and stronger until sections of the waterway were whitecap ping. We reached the Pamlico Sound and we got bounced around pretty good. The waves were about two feet with an occasional three footer thrown in for good measure causing us to slow down some from our running speed of twelve knots till we got down to about five to six knots before reaching Belhaven Marina in Belhaven, NC. This marina was our goal because we had to fuel up before the next day. This made our days trip a little over 100 miles and we arrived at a little after five well shook up and tired needless to say. We were very proud of the behavior of Shorty though because we put him through his paces. This last part of travel over the Pamlico Sound is always a rough one even in lower speed winds because they were forecasting 20-25 knots of wind and everyone was having a tough day even the ones we passed. After tying up at the marina we signed in and took a look inside the Mansion and hotel that is part of the Belhaven Marina as well as the restaurant. After taking a few photos of the mansion in the late evening sun we retired to the boat for our dinner of the day. As quick as the sun set it began to cool off and we made up the cabin of the boat for a bed for the first time and it worked really well. Bob slept in the bunk while I slept in my usual spot in the fore cabin with all of the rest of the stuff that sleeps up there with me that won’t pack into another storage place. It got very cold and our shore power source cut off in the middle of the night and poor Bob was freezing when I woke up. I started the diesel heater and Bob reset the outside breaker on the pole then we tried to warm him up before we started the next day.
April 13, 2007 – The day dawned cold and after getting Bob warmed up we ate breakfast and then started to prepare for another long ride in the Pungo River toward the Albemarle Sound. The wind conditions were promised to be the same 20-25 knots. Well we started the morning off with a five mile run and since we had one foot of chop we let Shorty run at 3500 rpms to gain some ground before we went from sheltered waterway to the Albemarle Sound. When we reached the beginnings of the Sound we saw the conditions were the same as the day before and we were going to get a little bouncy ride to say the least. We then experimented with Shorty in various modes of trim and we found we could trim the engine with bow down as far as it would go really was best because the V of the bow cut the waves better but boy was it wet with spray flying over the top of the boat and the windshield continuously wet but with it rain-exed it shed water like a duck until we literally wore it off I guess and resorted to more use of the windshield wipers. On different sections of the run we of course experienced waves from all directions as well as wind drifting us out of the channel but once we got into more sheltered waters we began to get a smoother and smoother ride until the last 20 miles of today was directly into the wind and we were doing 12-14 knots in the gusts with a smooth ride. Tonight we are at the city docks in Elizabeth City, NC getting ready to make a short run tomorrow to the entrance of the Dismal Swamp Canal to Norfolk, NC and the end of the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway until we get to New Jersey. As we set here tonight we feel that Shorty did an admirable job in the conditions dealt to him and while not as smooth as a forty footer in the same conditions. He did exceptionally well for an 80 mile jaunt in which we left at eight fifty in the morning after everyone else had left an hour before us and we met and passed them before the hour was up. The Alligator River has a reputation I guess for always being rough no matter what the wind conditions are. Well we arrived in Elizabeth City at about two thirty and covered eighty miles and only had maps and charts and a few other things fall off on the floor during a fun ride for us. Tomorrow morning it will be through the Dismal Swamp and then into Norfolk where I will lose Bob to a vacation in Hawaii which he said sounded better than three weeks on Shorty. I am hoping he will come back after vacation as I would really enjoy that.
April 12, 2007 – The morning dawned with a thunderstorm and showers and low ceilings. But after awhile they passed and the skies cleared some and we took off. The first place we came to was Morehead City and then on to Beaufort and up the waterway. As we continued along the winds got stronger and stronger until sections of the waterway were whitecap ping. We reached the Pamlico Sound and we got bounced around pretty good. The waves were about two feet with an occasional three footer thrown in for good measure causing us to slow down some from our running speed of twelve knots till we got down to about five to six knots before reaching Belhaven Marina in Belhaven, NC. This marina was our goal because we had to fuel up before the next day. This made our days trip a little over 100 miles and we arrived at a little after five well shook up and tired needless to say. We were very proud of the behavior of Shorty though because we put him through his paces. This last part of travel over the Pamlico Sound is always a rough one even in lower speed winds because they were forecasting 20-25 knots of wind and everyone was having a tough day even the ones we passed. After tying up at the marina we signed in and took a look inside the Mansion and hotel that is part of the Belhaven Marina as well as the restaurant. After taking a few photos of the mansion in the late evening sun we retired to the boat for our dinner of the day. As quick as the sun set it began to cool off and we made up the cabin of the boat for a bed for the first time and it worked really well. Bob slept in the bunk while I slept in my usual spot in the fore cabin with all of the rest of the stuff that sleeps up there with me that won’t pack into another storage place. It got very cold and our shore power source cut off in the middle of the night and poor Bob was freezing when I woke up. I started the diesel heater and Bob reset the outside breaker on the pole then we tried to warm him up before we started the next day.
April 13, 2007 – The day dawned cold and after getting Bob warmed up we ate breakfast and then started to prepare for another long ride in the Pungo River toward the Albemarle Sound. The wind conditions were promised to be the same 20-25 knots. Well we started the morning off with a five mile run and since we had one foot of chop we let Shorty run at 3500 rpms to gain some ground before we went from sheltered waterway to the Albemarle Sound. When we reached the beginnings of the Sound we saw the conditions were the same as the day before and we were going to get a little bouncy ride to say the least. We then experimented with Shorty in various modes of trim and we found we could trim the engine with bow down as far as it would go really was best because the V of the bow cut the waves better but boy was it wet with spray flying over the top of the boat and the windshield continuously wet but with it rain-exed it shed water like a duck until we literally wore it off I guess and resorted to more use of the windshield wipers. On different sections of the run we of course experienced waves from all directions as well as wind drifting us out of the channel but once we got into more sheltered waters we began to get a smoother and smoother ride until the last 20 miles of today was directly into the wind and we were doing 12-14 knots in the gusts with a smooth ride. Tonight we are at the city docks in Elizabeth City, NC getting ready to make a short run tomorrow to the entrance of the Dismal Swamp Canal to Norfolk, NC and the end of the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway until we get to New Jersey. As we set here tonight we feel that Shorty did an admirable job in the conditions dealt to him and while not as smooth as a forty footer in the same conditions. He did exceptionally well for an 80 mile jaunt in which we left at eight fifty in the morning after everyone else had left an hour before us and we met and passed them before the hour was up. The Alligator River has a reputation I guess for always being rough no matter what the wind conditions are. Well we arrived in Elizabeth City at about two thirty and covered eighty miles and only had maps and charts and a few other things fall off on the floor during a fun ride for us. Tomorrow morning it will be through the Dismal Swamp and then into Norfolk where I will lose Bob to a vacation in Hawaii which he said sounded better than three weeks on Shorty. I am hoping he will come back after vacation as I would really enjoy that.
Tuesday, April 10, 2007
April 5,6,7,8,9 and 10
April 5, 6,7,8,9 and 10th
I have been waiting for the cold weather to go away and while doing so I have been tied up at the Keller’s boat basin in front of their home on the waterway. I can’t believe that it has been in the thirties for so many days at night. I have been enjoying the comfort of a warm bed in their home and am very appreciative that I was able to do so. I have done some things on Shorty and had Bob’s help completing a couple of other things. Since it was so cold here we left the boats tied up in the basin and I went home to Mebane to spend Easter weekend with them at their home there. When we finally do get back in the boat and get ready to go hopefully it will be for a continuous move up the east coast. We are 230 miles from the end of the intracoastal waterway in Virginia and then it will become available again in New Jersey. But that may change because I understand that they have not taken care of it the way they should. If that section is not available then I will be going outside in the Atlantic Ocean up through New York City and then on the Hudson River as we continue northward. Being shallow draft I may be able to use the intracoastal in New Jersey.
Bob and I came back to the house at the coast today and if my taxes show up tomorrow and we are able to get the boat loaded up we will leave here on the twelfth for Norfolk, Virginia. This will be a new stretch of water for both of us and that makes it exciting to be able to see new things and have company. As we make stops in the upcoming days I will begin to write more often. It was really nice to be able to compare the countryside from the coast to Mebane which is near the Raleigh-Durham area. We went up hill so gradually that I did not realize until coming back today just how far we had climbed in the trip up to Mebane. All the dogwoods were in bloom and along with them the azaleas. As in all of the states I visited the trip there was also filled with historical places and sites to see. We went to Hillsborough which has a number of old buildings dating back the the 1700 and 1800’s. The old courthouse had the original panes of glass which are wet looking. The sidewalks were also hand laid stones of different colors and textures. Just one more place that we need to see on another vacation in the area. Bob also took me on a drive through the area around Swansboro and Morehead City and Beaufort to see the cities before we go through them on the waterway. From the house we could see the breakers in the Bogue Inlet today as you watched the strand of sand at the inlet and also saw a couple of boats entering the inlet from the ocean. There were a few more boats that went by headed north on the intracoastal waterway.
I was also able today to visit with a friend of Marilee’s who is stationed at Camp Lejeune here in the Swansboro area. Jo Beth is in the reserves and has a little more time down here before returning to her home in the Dallas-Fort Worth area.
I have been waiting for the cold weather to go away and while doing so I have been tied up at the Keller’s boat basin in front of their home on the waterway. I can’t believe that it has been in the thirties for so many days at night. I have been enjoying the comfort of a warm bed in their home and am very appreciative that I was able to do so. I have done some things on Shorty and had Bob’s help completing a couple of other things. Since it was so cold here we left the boats tied up in the basin and I went home to Mebane to spend Easter weekend with them at their home there. When we finally do get back in the boat and get ready to go hopefully it will be for a continuous move up the east coast. We are 230 miles from the end of the intracoastal waterway in Virginia and then it will become available again in New Jersey. But that may change because I understand that they have not taken care of it the way they should. If that section is not available then I will be going outside in the Atlantic Ocean up through New York City and then on the Hudson River as we continue northward. Being shallow draft I may be able to use the intracoastal in New Jersey.
Bob and I came back to the house at the coast today and if my taxes show up tomorrow and we are able to get the boat loaded up we will leave here on the twelfth for Norfolk, Virginia. This will be a new stretch of water for both of us and that makes it exciting to be able to see new things and have company. As we make stops in the upcoming days I will begin to write more often. It was really nice to be able to compare the countryside from the coast to Mebane which is near the Raleigh-Durham area. We went up hill so gradually that I did not realize until coming back today just how far we had climbed in the trip up to Mebane. All the dogwoods were in bloom and along with them the azaleas. As in all of the states I visited the trip there was also filled with historical places and sites to see. We went to Hillsborough which has a number of old buildings dating back the the 1700 and 1800’s. The old courthouse had the original panes of glass which are wet looking. The sidewalks were also hand laid stones of different colors and textures. Just one more place that we need to see on another vacation in the area. Bob also took me on a drive through the area around Swansboro and Morehead City and Beaufort to see the cities before we go through them on the waterway. From the house we could see the breakers in the Bogue Inlet today as you watched the strand of sand at the inlet and also saw a couple of boats entering the inlet from the ocean. There were a few more boats that went by headed north on the intracoastal waterway.
I was also able today to visit with a friend of Marilee’s who is stationed at Camp Lejeune here in the Swansboro area. Jo Beth is in the reserves and has a little more time down here before returning to her home in the Dallas-Fort Worth area.
Wednesday, April 4, 2007
April 3,4, 2007
April 3, 2007- I woke up early and was ready to hit the road and see more of Wilmington but alas, my legs and feet were not ready for more of the day before. So I started to get ready to move from Wilmington the following day. I got my charts already and plan A and plan B set in case things do not go the way you think they will. I was headed for the marina home of Grand Finale but got a call that they were still wading through a years worth of mail and they would try to catch up with me at my next stop. This is also Easter Weekend coming up which is a family time so all the changing is fine with me. And after being gone for a year on a trip of this magnitude it is time to really set down and let it soak in. I am hoping that the little walking around I did today will help get the circulation going again. I should not try to get so much done the first day I play tourist but I am always so overwhelmed with each place that I guess I do not have any self control.
April 4, 2007 – As usual on a travel day I am awake before sunup. I got up and went through my usual morning routine and then laid the charts on the table and made some notes about things to do on the way. Thanks to Bob in Southport, I acquired a wonderful book called, “Managing the Waterway from Hampton Roads, VA to Biscayne Bay, FL. It does the waterway mile by mile and gives you lots of insight as to what you are seeing along the way. By doing it mile by mile and looking at the charts you can see lots of things you would ordinarily miss. I now have three books to consult each time I move and each one has its place but this book I find is the best one. Today when I left Wilmington it was 7:10 AM and the sun was up but hidden by the clouds. At Wilmington when coming from or going to the city you use the main shipping channel and that always makes me keep an extra alert eye as to what is going on. This morning I met a fuel barge in a pretty tight turn that he was approaching so I called on the radio and asked which side he wanted me to pass on and received no indication on the radio so I gave him and the tug guiding him into the terminal as wide a berth as possible and went on my way. A little further down the way some container ships were unloading and I passed them slowly so I could observe what was going on. Then it was down the channel and into the entrance to the waterway called “Snows Cut” and Shorty and I were off and running for the day. Like I said on plan A I had selected a couple of possible places to stop and I reached the first one way too early to call it a day so went on to the next one and it was still too early. So tonight I am tied up at my friend’s private dock near Swansboro, NC. This is a wonderful protected spot to take a few days and see if the weather is going to improve going forward and I certainly appreciate it. The boat, Come Good Home lives in this boat basin. On the way I passed some areas which were just a sand strand away from the Atlantic. The wind was blowing really hard today but I could not see any surf like I have on some prior days. I passed by some Swing Bridges which if you are more than so many feet high they swing them open for you to pass through. The last thing I came by today was the Camp Lejeune Marine base which is huge and covers a lot of area including all the way from the base across the waterway which runs through it to the Atlantic. When they are having firing exercises on the base they close down the waterway. You reach this sign on the south end which if it is flashing red you must wait until it stops or you might get shot up if someone misses. When I went by it was not flashing so I proceeded on. All of a sudden I hear a big boom about midway through and then another and then more of them. I thought to myself if I had missed the red flashing light or what I had done. But I was already in the middle and they didn’t seem to be shooting my way so I better get the heck out of Dodge before they do. Finally I located the source of the booms and I think it was some kind of exercise with the jets flying around because they were making the boom noise. And when I got to the other end the red lights were not flashing either. I breathed a sigh of relief and continued just a little further to where I am now tied up enjoying the sunset. It is so quiet here and the birds are chirping, and the geese are calling as a wild flock landed for a rest across the way. The tide is now coming back in after being out most of the afternoon. I have met the neighbors and we spent the afternoon talking about various things. The sky is very cloudy and they are saying it will be a very cold Easter weekend. I think Shorty is really enjoying this respite. The water is kind of gurgling under the hull and he moves slowly back and forth with what little wind is still occurring at this point as it almost always quiets down in the evening. Today’s trip of seventy-five miles took me just five hours and twenty minutes which I thought was tremendous because some of the time the currents were against me. I like to watch the salt spray as it moves aside when the boat passes through the water on plane.
While I am here so close to Camp Lejeune I am hoping to visit with a friend of Marilee and I who is in the Navy Reserves and who is stationed here. I am probably five miles from the base and I still can’t hear the trainee’s counting cadence for the drill sergeant. Times might have changed since I was in the Air Force. Hup one, Hup two and don’t look at your shoe’s.
April 4, 2007 – As usual on a travel day I am awake before sunup. I got up and went through my usual morning routine and then laid the charts on the table and made some notes about things to do on the way. Thanks to Bob in Southport, I acquired a wonderful book called, “Managing the Waterway from Hampton Roads, VA to Biscayne Bay, FL. It does the waterway mile by mile and gives you lots of insight as to what you are seeing along the way. By doing it mile by mile and looking at the charts you can see lots of things you would ordinarily miss. I now have three books to consult each time I move and each one has its place but this book I find is the best one. Today when I left Wilmington it was 7:10 AM and the sun was up but hidden by the clouds. At Wilmington when coming from or going to the city you use the main shipping channel and that always makes me keep an extra alert eye as to what is going on. This morning I met a fuel barge in a pretty tight turn that he was approaching so I called on the radio and asked which side he wanted me to pass on and received no indication on the radio so I gave him and the tug guiding him into the terminal as wide a berth as possible and went on my way. A little further down the way some container ships were unloading and I passed them slowly so I could observe what was going on. Then it was down the channel and into the entrance to the waterway called “Snows Cut” and Shorty and I were off and running for the day. Like I said on plan A I had selected a couple of possible places to stop and I reached the first one way too early to call it a day so went on to the next one and it was still too early. So tonight I am tied up at my friend’s private dock near Swansboro, NC. This is a wonderful protected spot to take a few days and see if the weather is going to improve going forward and I certainly appreciate it. The boat, Come Good Home lives in this boat basin. On the way I passed some areas which were just a sand strand away from the Atlantic. The wind was blowing really hard today but I could not see any surf like I have on some prior days. I passed by some Swing Bridges which if you are more than so many feet high they swing them open for you to pass through. The last thing I came by today was the Camp Lejeune Marine base which is huge and covers a lot of area including all the way from the base across the waterway which runs through it to the Atlantic. When they are having firing exercises on the base they close down the waterway. You reach this sign on the south end which if it is flashing red you must wait until it stops or you might get shot up if someone misses. When I went by it was not flashing so I proceeded on. All of a sudden I hear a big boom about midway through and then another and then more of them. I thought to myself if I had missed the red flashing light or what I had done. But I was already in the middle and they didn’t seem to be shooting my way so I better get the heck out of Dodge before they do. Finally I located the source of the booms and I think it was some kind of exercise with the jets flying around because they were making the boom noise. And when I got to the other end the red lights were not flashing either. I breathed a sigh of relief and continued just a little further to where I am now tied up enjoying the sunset. It is so quiet here and the birds are chirping, and the geese are calling as a wild flock landed for a rest across the way. The tide is now coming back in after being out most of the afternoon. I have met the neighbors and we spent the afternoon talking about various things. The sky is very cloudy and they are saying it will be a very cold Easter weekend. I think Shorty is really enjoying this respite. The water is kind of gurgling under the hull and he moves slowly back and forth with what little wind is still occurring at this point as it almost always quiets down in the evening. Today’s trip of seventy-five miles took me just five hours and twenty minutes which I thought was tremendous because some of the time the currents were against me. I like to watch the salt spray as it moves aside when the boat passes through the water on plane.
While I am here so close to Camp Lejeune I am hoping to visit with a friend of Marilee and I who is in the Navy Reserves and who is stationed here. I am probably five miles from the base and I still can’t hear the trainee’s counting cadence for the drill sergeant. Times might have changed since I was in the Air Force. Hup one, Hup two and don’t look at your shoe’s.
Monday, April 2, 2007
April 2, 2007
I had the perfect weather today to come up the Cape Fear River to Wilmington, NC. Only went ten miles but it was one of those times distance does not make the difference. It was the company that I had with me. The owner of the boat whose home port is Southport, NC came with me today with a little cajoling and made it the perfect day. His wife agreed to drive up and pick him up so he could do this for me and I thank her for that. The city has a river walk the whole length of downtown and we are tied up at the city docks just below the Hilton Hotel in downtown. The history of this area is tremendous and to have a local person with all the knowledge just made it the best day ever. We saw the remnants of the forts which defended this area during the Civil War and even though it was not a good war one cannot just forget all of the history which came with it. One of my goals for this trip was to learn more about all of the areas I traverse through the country. When we arrived in Wilmington I was a little surprised after being in so much low country that the city was pretty hilly. But beautiful beyond words when it comes to historical buildings and the way each of the houses has a plaque on its front porch if it is a historical house and tells you when it was built and sometimes its place in history. The plaques on early and original homes has been something I have forgotten to mention before but it seems to be in all the southern states and I think it shows how much they appreciate the history of things. In our area at home instead of restoration most times they do demolition. I always like to look at the back yards as some of them are as great as the house and rich in detail. One in particular today had balconies around three sides and then circular staircases in the rear of the house which led through three floors down to the ground. Another thing which I have found amazing is the architecture of the churches in addition to the homes. The Catholic Church for instance had a huge dome for the roof but after looking at it for awhile the building is in the shape of the cross. A course in art appreciation which I thought would not serve any purpose in life has me looking at the details of all the buildings as I pass by and then try to remember which period influenced there construction. I could not tell which one, but one of the churches played a hymn at five o’clock that could be heard through the city which I thought was unique. Many of these buildings were built in the 1700’s. The photos I took today and posted tonight I tried to put something in the photo before or after which showed the period it was built in. A lot of the expensive stained glass had been covered with a laminate for protection from weather and hurricanes so it does not show up as well in the photos. Every turn brings some new and wonderful experience that sometimes I am at a loss to describe. About a quarter mile away from me is a boat from Annapolis called Meander which I have heard call on the radio a few times and they said they have heard me talking from time to time. We had a nice visit and they are on a trawler built by Pilgrim which is a very sturdy boat.
This is kind of short but it was that kind of a day, short on miles but long and rich in local history which is a very good day indeed. I know that I forget to add a lot of things each day but when I get home and reread each of these I am sure I will remember more things to add. This morning when I got up there was a very different looking container ship coming up the river channel. I watched it until I couldn’t see it through the binoculars any more. It had a sloping covered bow which probably helped protect it and the cargo in heavy seas. It is just one of many occurrences throughout the day that I sometimes forget.
One other thing if you are still having problems with the photos send me an email at hothpix@sbcglobal.net and I will send you the link. It does not seem to publish right in the blog.
This is kind of short but it was that kind of a day, short on miles but long and rich in local history which is a very good day indeed. I know that I forget to add a lot of things each day but when I get home and reread each of these I am sure I will remember more things to add. This morning when I got up there was a very different looking container ship coming up the river channel. I watched it until I couldn’t see it through the binoculars any more. It had a sloping covered bow which probably helped protect it and the cargo in heavy seas. It is just one of many occurrences throughout the day that I sometimes forget.
One other thing if you are still having problems with the photos send me an email at hothpix@sbcglobal.net and I will send you the link. It does not seem to publish right in the blog.
Sunday, April 1, 2007
March 29, 30,31, and April 1, 2007
March 29 - Today was only a four hour run from North Myrtle Beach, SC to Southport, NC and the weather started off warm and I was wearing shorts. Well this evening I am in my jeans and wearing a sweatshirt. A front passed through that changed the weather in a few hours back to cold. It is in the high fifties but the northwest wind is what is really killing any warmth. It is also overcast and has been raining all afternoon which was in the forecast this morning but only as about a 30% chance. The Cape Fear River to Wilmington lies just around the corner and I will be running a bit up it before turning and going to Wrightsville Beach, NC on Monday. I don’t like to run on weekends if I can help it because of all the jet ski and fishing boat traffic that is going every which way and I can not keep track of it all. The terrain now has changed from trees to sandy to marshes and it can’t decide exactly what it wants to do but it is definitely different from what I experienced in South Carolina. I am now 310 statute miles from Norfolk and the end of the waterway there. I will have another portion of it in New Jersey or at least they say some of it is navigable.
March 30 - By staying here it will give me a chance to see the old town on my walk about. I am just up a block and turn to the right and not very far from there to the river. I am not going up river to Wilmington because it is so hard to see a large city without walking a long distance and Charleston, SC did me in. My walking shoes almost retired themselves that weekend and so did my legs. The smaller towns and villages are where the character really resides especially when they are as close to the ocean as Southport is. At the docks in the next little basin are a bunch of shrimp boats and commercial fisherman and looks like some good seafood restaurants right next to them. The docks at my marina are all being changed out to the new floating kind and it really makes it nice for old guys in small boats. But you have to know how to schedule bathroom breaks because the restrooms are about a half mile from the boat. I don’t mind the walk however, because it gives me a chance to look at all the boats. There is a beautiful Bavaria sailboat one slip over and I have been drooling as I look at it. It is owned by a man from England who has single-handed the boat across the Atlantic and through the Caribbean and then to Southport and he has been here for three years and now is getting the boat ready to go back across the Atlantic. Next to that is one of the big Benetau’s and of course being a marina right next to an ocean inlet there are lots of sport fishermen and even though I hate them for their wakes they are big and bold in the designs they come up with.
March 31 - The folks here are serious fishermen. They started leaving the marina at daybreak this morning and there have been boats going past my slip all day long. I did not do much today. I scrubbed the inside of the boat up and took the salt off the motor from the other day. It is hard to believe I started this on the 29th and haven’t got it posted yet. I must be getting into the rhythm of doing nothing real well. I will be back up and doing more tomorrow. If the weather is nice in the morning I am planning to move up the river to Wilmington, NC and do a little tourist bit there and then start moving north again. I know I said I was not going to Wilmington but I have been convinced by my friends here that I really need to go there. They are predicting two cold fronts will pass here in the next two days with higher winds and rain so I will play it by ear. Southport is a very nice place to wait something out and it just happens that a couple of blocks away are some friends who I played tag with for a few days on the waterway and now we are two blocks apart and tied up at docks. One of boats has Southport as its home port and the other one is just a short distance away from finishing the Great Loop Cruise. So I have been doing a little too much socializing and not enough moving but I have enjoyed it very much. I have more people to meet up the way in North Carolina and then it will be time to make some serious moves on the water because April has arrived. Here it has been nice, I can see the ship channel from my slip and when the tide is in I can see the ships coming and going.
April 1 - One thing I don’t usually say too much about is the seemingly instant friendships which are formed on the waterway. As you know from above; you meet at a marina and you leave and go different directions at different speeds and then you round a bend and here is the boat you met two days before or so. You call on the radio and then talk about where you are going next and all of a sudden here you are as close as a couple of blocks from one another. Being in a small boat and not a cook I always feel that I can’t socialize as much. But my friends on “C” Life whose home port is Southport invited me to come aboard and enjoy a low country boil along with the friends from Grand Finale and then I met there friends who have a boat called LiL David and are just south of here at Hidden Beach NC. Well the food and the conversation lasted till long after my usual bedtime and I felt totally comfortable. This happens all along the waterway and I am going to be visiting with more people whom I have met as I go north from here. And to top it all off they invited me to attend an oyster roast which I have never had before in my life. They steamed the oysters in a big pot and then put them in the middle of the table where they had oyster knives to open them with. I can’t ever remember in my lifetime touching a shell with the oyster cooked in it. These were extremely good and fresh from the beds and had a great salty flavor that just kept you going back for more. They also had all kinds of food in the house that people brought who attended the roast. They had great jambalaya and other types of food and desserts to numerous to mention, and I was totally full before I even got started well. Met more people and even someone who grew up fifty miles from my home in Iowa and who went to college the same place I started. It is such a small world these days and if we could just have more interaction like this I think a lot of problems would go away. I really sincerely wish that everyone I know could experience what I am doing. It has always been very hard for me to meet and make friends but this trip seems to be changing that part of me. The hospitality experienced so far has been tremendous I appreciate it so very mcuh and they say it does not change as you continue onward.
March 30 - By staying here it will give me a chance to see the old town on my walk about. I am just up a block and turn to the right and not very far from there to the river. I am not going up river to Wilmington because it is so hard to see a large city without walking a long distance and Charleston, SC did me in. My walking shoes almost retired themselves that weekend and so did my legs. The smaller towns and villages are where the character really resides especially when they are as close to the ocean as Southport is. At the docks in the next little basin are a bunch of shrimp boats and commercial fisherman and looks like some good seafood restaurants right next to them. The docks at my marina are all being changed out to the new floating kind and it really makes it nice for old guys in small boats. But you have to know how to schedule bathroom breaks because the restrooms are about a half mile from the boat. I don’t mind the walk however, because it gives me a chance to look at all the boats. There is a beautiful Bavaria sailboat one slip over and I have been drooling as I look at it. It is owned by a man from England who has single-handed the boat across the Atlantic and through the Caribbean and then to Southport and he has been here for three years and now is getting the boat ready to go back across the Atlantic. Next to that is one of the big Benetau’s and of course being a marina right next to an ocean inlet there are lots of sport fishermen and even though I hate them for their wakes they are big and bold in the designs they come up with.
March 31 - The folks here are serious fishermen. They started leaving the marina at daybreak this morning and there have been boats going past my slip all day long. I did not do much today. I scrubbed the inside of the boat up and took the salt off the motor from the other day. It is hard to believe I started this on the 29th and haven’t got it posted yet. I must be getting into the rhythm of doing nothing real well. I will be back up and doing more tomorrow. If the weather is nice in the morning I am planning to move up the river to Wilmington, NC and do a little tourist bit there and then start moving north again. I know I said I was not going to Wilmington but I have been convinced by my friends here that I really need to go there. They are predicting two cold fronts will pass here in the next two days with higher winds and rain so I will play it by ear. Southport is a very nice place to wait something out and it just happens that a couple of blocks away are some friends who I played tag with for a few days on the waterway and now we are two blocks apart and tied up at docks. One of boats has Southport as its home port and the other one is just a short distance away from finishing the Great Loop Cruise. So I have been doing a little too much socializing and not enough moving but I have enjoyed it very much. I have more people to meet up the way in North Carolina and then it will be time to make some serious moves on the water because April has arrived. Here it has been nice, I can see the ship channel from my slip and when the tide is in I can see the ships coming and going.
April 1 - One thing I don’t usually say too much about is the seemingly instant friendships which are formed on the waterway. As you know from above; you meet at a marina and you leave and go different directions at different speeds and then you round a bend and here is the boat you met two days before or so. You call on the radio and then talk about where you are going next and all of a sudden here you are as close as a couple of blocks from one another. Being in a small boat and not a cook I always feel that I can’t socialize as much. But my friends on “C” Life whose home port is Southport invited me to come aboard and enjoy a low country boil along with the friends from Grand Finale and then I met there friends who have a boat called LiL David and are just south of here at Hidden Beach NC. Well the food and the conversation lasted till long after my usual bedtime and I felt totally comfortable. This happens all along the waterway and I am going to be visiting with more people whom I have met as I go north from here. And to top it all off they invited me to attend an oyster roast which I have never had before in my life. They steamed the oysters in a big pot and then put them in the middle of the table where they had oyster knives to open them with. I can’t ever remember in my lifetime touching a shell with the oyster cooked in it. These were extremely good and fresh from the beds and had a great salty flavor that just kept you going back for more. They also had all kinds of food in the house that people brought who attended the roast. They had great jambalaya and other types of food and desserts to numerous to mention, and I was totally full before I even got started well. Met more people and even someone who grew up fifty miles from my home in Iowa and who went to college the same place I started. It is such a small world these days and if we could just have more interaction like this I think a lot of problems would go away. I really sincerely wish that everyone I know could experience what I am doing. It has always been very hard for me to meet and make friends but this trip seems to be changing that part of me. The hospitality experienced so far has been tremendous I appreciate it so very mcuh and they say it does not change as you continue onward.
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