November 25, 2015

Coordinates: 35.93094N, 78.56652W

Happy Thanksgiving!

My mom died on November 16, 2015, so I have been off the water since then.  You know that dying is a hard part of life and we all have it happen to a loved one but we move on incorporating this lose into our lives. So let’s talk about the water.

I am very happy to tell you that I am spending Thanksgiving with my NC family in Kitty Hawk, NC.  We have plans to eat at Kelly’s in Nag Harbor and visit the Wright Bros. Museum.  We will do other activities as well, I will tell you about them later.

We will be back on the water on Saturday the 28th but it will take us a day or two to set sail again.

At Peace

Tricia

Before and During...

Coordinates for the 12th

36.83836N, 76.29591W

North Landing

Portsmouth, VA

Coordinates for the 13th

36.63797N, 76.372285W

Dismal Swamp, Douglas Road Dock

We don’t know the town name

It would take too much time to put the other information that I list for each day, so I am skipping that this time.

I am going to work backward in time to fill you in on the past events because of course, those are the freshest in my mind.  I have so much to share with you my mind is reeling.

You may remember at the end of my last post I was looking forward to restaurants and shopping in Portsmouth.  It didn’t quite happen as big as I wanted, but we still had a great time.  Thursday night we went to a dinner theatre; dinner so-so and movie fabulous.  Tom Hanks in Bridge of Spies based on a true story.  All four of us recommend you see it. Rob and I have a favorite character in the movie-Able.  Just keep that in mind when you see it or rather let me know who is your favorite. 

Being in Portsmouth, Virginia is unnerving.  Think of your self as the worm in a bottle of tequila or if you don’t drink because you are a teetotaler, think of yourself as a grain of sand in the Jordan River. Everyone else is on their own to imagine being tiny.

We prepared for heading out and the first thing that happened was a ding in the dinghy operation.  The davit system, the rig that holds the dinghy up, was detaching from the boat.  Now for some unknown reason I have a great affection for my dinghy, I don’t know maybe cute and little and needs someone to advocate for her.  I wanted to get the dinghy davit fixed in Portsmouth but it wasn’t in the cards.  We moved on with her tagging along behind.  So far so good and she was still with us in the Dismal Swamp.  At least now as we continue our trip her motor is mounted on Linda Jean and the dinghy will be a lighter load.

Our first challenge as we left Portsmouth was to get under a raised bridge that is never closed.  The bridge needed repairs so there wasn’t any need to worry about timing.  We got there and the train bridge had a stopped train on it, the last word we heard was that the bridge was up.  A tugboat was first in line, Sue and Paul were next then us.  Slowly other boats came, a sailboat and fancy all fiberglass boats. The visual is an Argentine Tango.  We danced during the hour wait.  You will have to ask Sue and Paul if that is accurate timing, I didn’t keep track. Oh ya, the audience was a tiny Navy Police boat keeping us away from a gigantic aircraft carrier that was having work done. Do you think that he would have shot us if we crossed he imaginary line?

   

Getting away from Portsmouth was a tad complicated.  You see you have to time your arrival at a lock at a scheduled time.  The times that you can use the locks are 8:30, 1:30, and 3.30.  You don’t want to get there too soon, but too soon is better than too late.  No lock waits for you. We were an exception because Sue and Paul got there before us and asked the guard to wait for us.  The guard was so helpful and had a good sense of humor.  I whistled to Rob to get his attention and the guard’s dog came to me. Rob didn’t hear me the first time, but the dog had good hearing.

We left Portsmouth for the Dismal Swamp on the 13th. Here is a little history about the swamp. I thought you might enjoy this tidbit.

From the Waterway Guide, Atlantic ICM, 2015.  (Let me interject here that we have four separate guides that cover the ICW that are a necessity when you plan your trip).

“In 1763, George Washington first proposed draining the swamp, harvesting the timber (cypress for shipbuilding and cedar for shingles) and then farming the land.  He and other prominent businessmen purchased 40,000 acres of swampland.  Washington first supervised the digging for the ditch from the swamp to Lake Drummond, today known as Washington Ditch.  Disenchanted with the business  venture, Washington tried to sell his interest in the land to “Lighthorse”, Harry Lee, father of Robert E. Lee, 30 years later.  However, when it came time to close the deal, Lighthorse Harry was a little light on cash and Washington wound up keeping the land and passing it on to his heirs.  In 1909, a lumbering company purchased the swamp and continued to harvest virgin timber until they cut the last tree down in the 1950;s.  In 1973, the Union Camp Company donated its swamp holding to create the Great Dismal Swamp National Wildlife Refuge."

Part way through the DS we tied up at a dock that holds only two boats. We enjoyed the hum of the generator and the outside lights of a restroom.

Today we leave for Elizabeth City, five more hours of the Dismal Swamp, I know why they call it dismal, however I appreciate the beauty.  It is a straight line of about 5’ or 6’ deep water a welcome ride after the high seas. Our boat draws 4' 5" and sometimes the depth is 3' 8".  Do you think that our depth sounder is off?

The theater

My first McDee's ice cream cone since I started this trip and Sue joined me!
Those of you who know me well will certainly understand the sacrifice I have made.

Protecting America

We can wave our flag freely

A girl has gotta eat when the seas are rough

The guard

The locks

The stop for the night

Prefect smooth

Check out the lack of wrinkles in my coffee now that is 
smooth sailing.

Hopefully I will see you tomorrow, no promises.

Tricia

Last Will and Testament

November 11, 2015

Coordinates 37.00726N, 76.31657W

8 hours, 56.4 NM, 7.05 kts

Fort Monroe

Hampton, VA

Last will and testament

I am starting this blog while my poor trawler (and poor Tricia, Rob doesn’t mind) travel to Portsmouth (Norfolk), VA in 3-4 or more foot seas with winds 19- 20 kts.  The wind is NNW.  The sky is very clear and very blue.  

The cabinet under the sink came open and the contents spilled out onto the floor because we forgot to secure it with a makeshift lock of twist ties.  For some reason this time the spray bottle cover twisted off spilling water.  The little bit of water won’t matter when we roll over into the sea.

I tried  to get to the head across 10 feet, down 3 steps, across another 2-3 feet and sit down without falling down. One must remember to shut the lid on the sit-down if you don’t want to loose anything in it.  I am lucky because the stuff that fell missed the hole.

Rob just reported that for about 10 minutes we are turned in a direction that enables us to pick up a wave from the north and ride it.  Sounds like we are surfing, don’t be fooled. After the 10 minutes Rob promises we will be closer to shore and because of that it “shouldn’t” be as bad.  He wasn’t right.

I took pictures for you but there isn’t any sense in sending them.  Just believe that while I am sitting here with you, the view of the water comes and goes depending on which part of the rolling sea we are in.

Well okay I/we are not Shackleton, so it isn’t that bad nor the Titanic, so maybe this isn’t my LWT.

What does one do while the boat moves along to our destination?  I tried knitting and sometimes that works, knit one, oops, knit two oops. Crossword puzzles work easily because it is only pen to paper. But I bought the medium hard book of puzzles from Tuesday and Wednesday NYT.  Good thing the answers are in the back.  As soon as I get to a store I am going to buy the easy version.

We arrived on a beautiful late fall afternoon with only a catamaran and sail boat at the anchorages.  After anchoring we took the dinghy to shore for a nice long walk around Fort Monroe.

I had a snack of great Irish cheddar cheese and Vidalia onions with my wine and Rob had his old stand by crackers with hummus.  I cut up veggies for a stir fry that if I am lucky, Rob will fix.

The windows are open and the breeze is pretty darn nice.  Sue and Paul are already in Portsmouth, so we will meet up with them tomorrow.

I hear there is shopping, restaurants and entertainment in Portsmouth.  I have cabin fever, so it will be very nice to be out and about.

Tricia

Picture from Reedville Anchorage

Worse than it looks

Dinghy Taxi

The gulls have followed us south

The end of today's blog

November 9, 2015 still

Coordinates 37.83725N, 76.27651W

Readville, VA

79.5nm, 10hours, 7.95kts

I promised to let you know how we made out today and where we ended our day’s journey. 

We are tired.  During part of the day the seas rolled making me very uncomfortable but the white caps were not quite as bad.  To quote my husband, “it was a mess”.  We left Annapolis at 7:15 today and anchored here in the dark at 5:15.

We are having pork baby back ribs for dinner with sautéed Brussel sprouts and Jasmine rice. I think that it is amazing to have such a wonderful meal on our boat on the sea. Let us know when you are in the area and we will share a meal with you.

I want to leave you with a wonderful picture of comfort since my words most likely did not paint comfort.

Writing my blog on the seas

Tricia

On the road again, Willie Nelson

November 9, 2015

Coordinates  38.94713N, 76.46845W

This coordinate is 3nm south of Annapolis Naval Academy

Lake Ogleton, Annapolis, Maryland

We were on our way to Solomon Island, MD, but if we stayed there we would be there through Saturday due to the weather. Our traveling companions suggested Ingram Bay, but that turned out to be a too far meaning we would arrive just after sunset. Then Sue called us with a suggestion of Ellyson Cove on the southern shore of the Potomac. I will let you know the coordinates when we get there. The seas are picking up now with white caps and rolling seas.

We have autopilot, which I believe I have mentioned before, with autopilot it is possible to put it on standby and take control of the helm.  When I am at the helm I use standby more than Rob.  I see crab pots and want to change the course a tad so we won’t run over them then the crab pots fly away and I realize the pots were the infamous sea gulls.

We have been at a dock since November 5, arriving here from the harbor at the Naval Academy.  It has been 3 weeks and a few days since we left Maine and the ICW is in site, about 2 days if there is good weather.

November 6, 2015 Rob and I had dinner with Holly and Chaz Cirame, my great nephew.  We had dinner at the Iron Rooster near Main Street in Annapolis.  I had walked Main Street and side streets during that day and the day before. Although there was some hubbub, it was pale compared to the nightlife of the city.  We had dinner outside on a perfect warm night, the food was great and I loved seeing my family.  

I forgot to tell you a great story from someone we met in Chesapeake City.  One thing that I have learned on this trip is a broad definition of “neighborhood” and “small world”.  I listen to Sue, Paul and Rob talk about different boats that we have encountered along the way and I don’t recall a thing about other boats in the harbor.  Both Rob and Sue will talk about the behavior of the occupants of a particular sail boat, yacht or trawler.  Something like “that sail boat was anchored near us at one place, that boat anchored in the part that was shallow waters, or Rob might say “ I saw someone get out on the sailboat trying to cover a hole that might be in the base of the mast”.  At that point I wondered how he knows there is a darn hole at the base of the the mast.  He launches into a lengthy story about that type/kind of boat that had a problem with....  These are only a few examples.

Here is the story that I was leading up to.  In Chesapeake City we met Jerry and Karen Kopp who docked their Pacific Seacraft 44 at a free dockage, there boat’s name is No Agenda.  The story she told was fascinating.  You see, we had been following each other along the way from Maine.  Off and on Sue and Rob would notice, “there they are again”.  In Chesapeake City we had a drink with them where we learned that our dinghy had come untied and floated off while anchored in Gloucester Harbor, MA while we were visiting Sue and Paul’s boat. Someone saw this happen and rescued our dinghy and tied it up on the back of Paul and Sue’s boat without telling us he had done so.  Karen must have seen this all happen because she told us the story.  That was very nice of that person to do that.  

We had a great time on the dock we just left, but I think that all four of us were ready to move on.  As I mentioned we will be stopping at the mouth of the Potomac today and that will put us there around 4. Sue does a top notch job at finding perfect anchorages for us.  What would we do without her.  Paul and Susan are very generous with their time to help us learn all about traveling the east coast.

I almost forgot to tell you that the son of Sue and Paul’s friends watch the Patriots play against the Red Skins.  The Patriots won the game, 10-27.  

Contemplate this: 

If you had to bring the bathroom scales to weigh the propane tanks would you weigh yourself too?

Would you put on make-up or care about your hair?

Would you shave everyday?

How often would you take a shower?

What brings would you bring with you to read.

Who would you call to chat with.

All for now, see you tonight.

Pictures you might enjoy

80 degrees and a heavy back pack

Paul watching the Patriots

Sue and Paul watching a ho hum game

Winters Back

A picture is worth a thousand words

November 5, 2015

Coordinates are 3nm south of last nights location.

Annapolis, MD

First I want to say I missed you yesterday but I guess not as much as I missed Bones.  I have access to WIFI so I did a Bones Marathon but I am back now.

I spent yesterday walking around Annapolis while Rob worked on the boat.  The generator, the transmission and two engines needed oil changes.  The starter needs a part and that could take hours to fix.  There is a piece missing from the forward head and he found a leak in the generator water tank that cools the generator.  We would like to have a wash for the anchor because it gets really dirty depending on the anchorage. I will let you know how much can actually be done with the time that we have at this dock.  Most of you know that I hate detail yet here I have given you lots of detail.  I was so proud of understanding it that I had to pass it on.  I assume that most of you would be satisfied with "work needed to be done". Here is where the boat is receiving her care.

Before I move on I want you to contemplate the two pictures.

Which crab are you today?

I have more pictures than words today but before I show you them I will set the stage.  It was a cloudy warm day here in Annapolis yesterday making it very pleasant to walk around town except for the backpack I carried.  I felt kinda silly being a 61 "old" woman carrying a backpack, I pictured myself in my early twenties.  Most of you know that I have done things that were much sillier.

I used to be able to find my way around in new places but not now.  I walked around a long time to find one thing that I wanted. It reminded me of being in the forest trying to find your way out and coming across the same tree several times.  You see all was not lost that I was lost because I put lots of steps on my pedometer adding up to 5.29 miles.  I am not bragging about my steps just hoping that you won't be concerned about me not getting any exercise.

I wrote a long story to you about my hotel experience and decided to delete it since I didn't particularly like it, so why would you want to hear it.  I had a wonderful time in spite of my hotel dealings.

My room is very comfortable and has a REAl shower!

Here are the pictures instead of words that I want you to see.

Chick $ Ruth's Delly
(Barbara A. eat your heart out wish you were here to share it with me)

The crab cakes were wonderful.  I chose this place because it was so busy I thought it must be good.

I am not really fond of food photos but I didn't want to resist

Annapolis in the fall

I wish that I could have taken the picture of the young girl and her mom sitting together in front of an ice cream store.  The young girl was breaking pieces of her cone off and feeding it to the little birds while mom looked on. I didn't want to ask if I could take a picture of the girl because I didn't want it out there on the  internet.  Since then I decided that the story leaves you to make up your own scene.  A lovely touching scene for those that had this relationship with their mom and for you who wish you did.  

Today I see family, Chaz and Holly a very special day for me.

On that note I will sign off.

Tricia

November 3, 2015

Coordinates 39.52626N, 75.80689W

Chesapeake City, MD.

64.7 nm, 8.25 hrs, 7.84 kt

November 4, 2015

Coordinates 38.97670N, 76.47854W

Annapolis, MD

53.2 nm, 9 hrs, 5.9 kt

As you know we have been having a really good time all along the way, yes there is a but. You knew the days weren’t all going to be like that, right?  

Maybe all or maybe some of you know that it is the story that we tell ourselves about the past, present or future that causes us the most grief. Long story short, I told myself I was going to have a lot of fun in Chesapeake City and I didn’t. The details are not important.

We left Chesapeake City at 6:30 today, an earlier start than we planned because we planned to go between 5-6 kts instead of the 8-9 that we had been going.  The faster you go the more diesel you use.  It is called a trawler after all, not a “cigarette” boat.

Rob and I are now anchored in front of downtown Annapolis after crossing Chesapeake Bay.  It was a spectacular trip with sunshine, water like glass and no one around but us.  Well the last part of that isn’t exactly true, but almost.  We saw a few barges, a few fancy cruise boats, but that was about it.

One of the things that people told us was that there was always something to do to fix the boat, well they were right.  In the next few days Rob will be working on different problems on the boat.  I might stay in Annapolis and enjoy myself and one of the greatest parts of the trip is to visit my grand nephew who is the son of the my niece for whom the boat, “Linda Jean” is named.  I will see him and his wife on the weekend.               

 Dream a little and create your own story about the pictures I have today.

Time to eat dinner.  Good night

Tricia

Cape May Canal to the Delaware Bay

November 2, 2015

Coordinates     38.95024N, 74.88513W

Cape May, NJ

63.9 miles, 8 hours, 8.36 knots

Before I tell you about today, I want to fill you in on yesterday.  It was quite a slow day for me, so slow as a matter of fact, I washed the cabin floor. I went from one thing to another trying on different activities to see if I could settle down.  I did a little knitting and truthfully I can’t remember what else.  We were cove-bound by high seas.  

Sue called in the afternoon and we went ashore for a walk, which turned out to be so delightful.  We talked about the houses and tried to create a story about why they chose to live on Long Beach Island.  We found a path through the pucker brush to sand dunes and finally to the beach.

Susan saying thanks to the beach deities

Interesting that I get more walking in on this boat trek than I did at home.  We try to go ashore if we can and explore.  Sue and I walked over 3 miles yesterday on the beach.  We chatted to the people we met who were fishing off the breakwater, we took a picture of a beautiful gull and we selected shell treasures to bring back to the boats.

Let me tell you about a nice gull experience after the gull guano one that we had in Rockland Harbor.  I guess there is profit in begging, look at the size of this waddling gull. I have never seen such a beautiful plump gull. I will let you feast your eyes on a beauty.  Susan told me it was a herring gull and the locals told us it was a baby herring gull.

Herring Gull

I get really distracted while doing this blog because I want to tell you everything so you can have as much fun as I am, but it just isn’t possible.  For instance, I can’t describe every interesting thing I picked up on the beach. 

Let’s talk about our trip to Cape May today.  It was for the most part a ho hum day, sprinkled with excitement.  I saw 2 alien spaceships, the radar warned up of pending doom.  We couldn’t figure out why the alarm on the radar was going off and before we find out why I had created a story from WWII that included torpedoes.  Radar really should include a description.  The ocean was scattered with lots of foreign objects that had to be defined and deemed harmless.

We are settled into the shores of the oldest seashore resort in the United States, but if I hadn’t told you that, you would not have guessed it on your own.  We are anchored just off shore from the Coast Guard training camp.

Supper was delicious, a hearty serving of peanut/tofu/pasta combination. 

I want to say goodnight to you with a few pictures of the crew. But before I say goodnight I want to tell you about the hump back whale that we saw today. This one was very large and just gave a hint of its size.

Rob

Tricia

Another day is done.