I wrote my last blog post while still sleep deprived after our passage from the Bahamas to Charleston. We spent a couple more days in Charleston after that and it is evident to us that we are back in The Land of Plenty. On Thursday we took the marina shuttle down town to go for a walk around the historic district - one of my favourite things to do in Charleston. We walked through the park down at the battery this time and had a look at the monuments there. I was surprised by one commemorating an accident at sea where two warships collided during 'wartime exercises' in 1952 - not sure what war that was, but they lost people from 38 states, and they had a piece of stone from each one of those states in the base of the monument.
After an hour of walking we stopped to have lunch before heading to Harris Teeter (I still smile when I say that name) - the grocery store. It was like nirvana to us. Not only was I able to get greek yogurt; I had about six kinds to choose from. We got everything on the list and then some. Because we had the advantage of the shuttle to pick us up we even stocked up on some heavy stuff like Coke. On the shuttle we had run into a couple from Flextime, who we had met briefly in Cambridge Cay when they did a dinghy rescue for another boat, and we saw them again in the grocery store and shared the shuttle ride back to the marina, chatting the entire time. We arranged to meet for Happy Hour and spent a delightful few hours chatting with our new friends Bob and Jane.
Friday we both had chores on our list. Dave worked on cleaning out the water tank (it was sad to dump all that water we paid for in the Bahamas down the drain, but it was time, and the marina was the place to do it), and changing the oil and I finally submitted our income tax before we headed off to go to a mall as I wanted to look for a dress for Nicki's wedding this summer. We walked over to the bus stop and took the bus to the mall. Dave managed to buy some tools (big surprise) and socks at Sears and I got a dress. On the way back we took the bus to West Marine to pick up a couple of things and then we decided to walk back to the marina from there. That was quite an adventure as we had to walk across the highway bridge over the Ashley River and it wasn't really set up for walkers. There was a 'sidewalk' about 18 inches wide and the rail was at about hip height, so it wasn't going to stop you from tumbling over. To top it off, when we got to the 'lift' part of the bridge we were walking on steel plate next to the grating on the road. Needless to say, I was not impressed, but we made it across safely and soon we were back at the marina. That night we had Bob and Jane over to Romana for Happy Hour.
After they left, we went and got our final shower before we left the marina and Dave had just started to heat up the barbeque for supper, when Monique and Martin, a couple from the Netherlands, showed up. We had run into Monique in the laundry room and found out they were planning to come to Nova Scotia at the end of June to head back to the Netherlands from there, so we told her they should come by and we should give them some information about the route back. We invited them aboard and I chatted to Monique while Dave showed Martin a bunch of charts, cruising guides etc. and talked about the trip. While we were below chatting, we heard the sound of fireworks, so Monique and I went up into the cockpit to watch. I have no idea what the occasion was, but I like to think it was a welcome back to the US for us. This trip has definitely been a fireworks bonanza - I think I may have seen more fireworks in the last 8 months than I usually see in 8 years! It was 10:30 when our new friends left, so I wasn't interested in eating hamburgers and just heated up soup and grilled cheese sandwiches before we crashed, ready for an early start the next day.
We are happy to have met four new friends, and we hope to see them along the way north, but for now our paths will diverage. Monique and Martin arrived the day after us and are staying to see Charleston (well worth it in my opinion) and Bob and Jane are planning to take the ICW and stop in Georgetown, while we plan to go outside to Southport.
Saturday morning we got up and helped Flextime leave the dock at 6 a.m. and then cast off our lines. Getting out of Charleston in the light was certainly a lot easier and less stressful than coming in in the dark. We did a 63 mile offshore passage to Winyah Bay, motor sailing in light winds. A few hours into the journey a whole bunch of flying insects arrived to 'bug' us - especially Dave. They didn't bite and they were slow and fragile, but they were driving him crazy so he got the flyswatter out and we ended up with bug guts everywhere. We talked to Flextime on the VHF radio that day and they had the same bugs in the ICW. Not sure what they were, but this is one wildlife encounter we could do without! We had to fight the current going into Winyah Bay, and it was a great lesson that where the boat is pointed may not be where the boat is going when you have currents involved. It was quite a challenge to navigate and keep on course, but by 5:30 we were anchored far enough in the bay for protection from the wind and waves, ready for a really early departure the next day.
Sunday we got up and left at 4 a.m. This time the current was with us and we stormed out of the bay at 8.5-9 knots the entire way. We covered the same distance we had done in 2 hours coming in in only 35 minutes going out! This was another day of mostly motor sailing with light winds, although we did sail for a few hours. We couldn't sail all the way because we had to cover 83 Nm and we wanted to get into Southport before dark, so we had to maintain a certain minimum average speed. We had another encounter with a couple of dolphins, who played in our bow wave and then did some tricks for us, including three consecutive leaps, two of which I was able to get in photos, much to my delight.
As the lighthouse at Cape Fear came into sight in the middle of the afternoon the wind picked up and as we got to the channel going in the waves were really huge as the wind was against the current which was rushing out. We arrived at the channel a bit earlier than we thought we would, which was a good thing, as the current wasn't as strong as we had expected, but it was still quite a roller coaster ride in. Dave was on the helm and it was pretty hard work to steer as we coasted down the waves. At 4:45 we arrived at the ICW cut near Southport - joining it at mile 309. That means we have avoided about 665 miles of the waterway from Fort Pierce on this trip north.
We tied up safely at a marina just south of Southport, planning to stay for two nights, so we could have a day 'off' to reward ourselves. Ahhh - decent wifi, never-ending hot, hot, hot water for showers and that mecca of the Land of Plenty: Walmart! we were very happy to get a chance to talk to all the kids and grandkids via webcam using the marina wifi and it is great to be able to talk to my parents on a real phone instead of the time delay on Skype. One of the fellows at the marina recognized Dave from when we stayed there in the fall, but he said I didn't look familiar - no wonder, since I have much shorter hair that is a completely different colour, a tan, and I am not wearing six layers of clothes to stay warm.
We spent Monday morning doing some chores and then just before lunch we borrowed the bikes from the marina and rode over to Southport. Although it is only a couple of miles up the river, to ride there is over 5 miles, because you have to go around a creek. We did it in 40 minutes, teetering on the edge of the highway but managing to get there unscathed. We rode around the quiet streets in town for half an hour and then stopped to go for a walk on the main street and have a look in some shops. On our way back we stopped at the liquor store and then we made our pilgrimage to Walmart. Whatever we bought we had to carry in our backpacks on the bikes, so we shopped carefully for some groceries and picked up a few other things (new sunglasses for me, shorts and a belt for Dave - just in the nick of time as the button on the shorts he was wearing fell off when he was trying the new shorts on, so he had to buy them and change into them for the ride home) before pedalling back to the marina. That night we had a wonderful meal at Joseph's Italian Bistro, a restaurant overlooking the marina that had been recommended by the folks at the marina. With Frank Sinatra crooning in the background we enjoyed a terrific dinner (Dave said his seafood pasta was the best 'fishy spaghetti' he had ever had and my tiramisu ranked in the top three ever) before heading back to the boat.
Tuesday morning it was time to go again. We planned a long day but we couldn't figure out what the current was going to be doing up the Cape Fear River, so we just decided to leave at 7 a.m. and take what we got. When we set off it was already 20 deg C so we knew it was going to be a hot day. Although the current was against us in Cape Fear we have to get used to that, with all the inlets we would be passing in the next few days. Three opening bridges that we had to wait for, 61 Nm and 11.5 hours later we anchored at Mile Hammock Bay just south of the Camp LeJeune Firing Range. We could hear the sounds of artillery fire in the distance as we sat in the cockpit that evening.
In the ICW we are seeing all kinds of birds again - pelicans, terns, ibis, herons, ducks, gulls - and when I saw some Canada geese on shore one day it got me thinking about how much like birds cruisers are because we migrate south for the winter and then head back home to the north. We are seeing some boats that we saw on the way down, and one day we saw the trawler A Capella, which we found out from eavesdropping on someone else's radio conversation, is the guy who started Active Captain, the crowd source app that we have been using to find out about shoaling, problem spots and other information on our trip. I even used it to look for snorkeling spots when we were in the Bahamas, so a big shout out to A Capella to say thanks for that.
Wednesday we set off shortly after 6 a.m. to get to the Onslow Bridge for what we thought was the first opening at 7 a.m. As it turned out, the bridge opens on request before 7 a.m. and then on the half hour, so when we arrived about ten minutes early, he opened for us. That was a nice start to the day, especially when we heard on the VHF radio later that the bridge was not opening until further notice. I imagine that will put a wrench in a lot of cruiser's plans until they get it opening again. We motor sailed up Bogue Sound, and past Beaufort and then towards Oriental, where we thought we would spend the night. when we got close we checked the 'dock cam' and saw that the town dock was full. Since we didn't really like the look of the anchorage when we checked it out in the fall we decided to give it a miss, even though both of us were ready to get off the boat and go for a walk, and I was hoping we could buy some fresh shrimp. We kept going a bit further and anchored in Broad Creek, a quiet spot that was listed as 'buggy' in the cruising guide, but much to our delight was bug free as we ate our supper in the cockpit while the sun went down. Another big day, at 68 Nm! We are really glad for the long days of spring compared to the short days of fall, as they mean we are not pushed as much to get the hook down early before it gets dark, so we can make lots of headway.
Again on Thursday we hauled up the anchor just after 6 a.m. for another big day. We traveled up a number of large rivers, where the navigation is easy, as they are big and wide with lots of water, and through connecting land cuts, where we have to be vigilant to stay in the centre of the channel. Near the end of the day we went through the 20 mile Alligator/Pungo River Canal - basically a big long ditch. We motor sailed all day with the wind behind us and it was pretty hot for much of it. Just after 5 p.m. when we got out of the long canal, we dropped the hook in the Alligator River after another 68 Nm day. That night, shortly after we went to bed, for about half an hour we listened to the blast of military jets flying over us, and at one point we looked out the hatch and saw what looked like a big fireball screaming across the sky - the power of these things is just awesome.
So far since we got back to the US the weather has been very pleasant, with the mornings a bit cool (maybe 15C), although I did actually put socks and shoes on the day we went to the mall, as it was a bit cool and I knew I wouldn't be acclimatized to the air conditioning. For early mornings under way, I opted for the fleece sweater, light pants and no socks or shoes option, while Dave's ensemble included a fleece sweater, shorts and slippers. By 9 a.m. it is up to 20-25 C and we are usually both in shorts and t-shirts and I have even worn my bathing suit top when it gets really hot. Even on cloudy days it is still warm, and we haven't had much rain to speak of since the downpour the day we cleared in at Charleston. The winds have been very favourable, either light, or from the south, southeast or southwest and the nights have been quiet and calm.
Unfortunately in The Land of Plenty as well as plenty of good things there are also plenty of germs. After a winter completely cold and flu free, Dave has a cold, which makes the long days that much harder on him. I am trying to get good sleeps and eat lots of fruits and veggies and I'm taking extra supplements to try to avoid getting it, but it may be inevitable.
Today we left at 6 a.m. again to travel about 15 miles up the Alligator River to the Ablemarle Sound, which we followed to the NE up to Elizabeth City. We had a fantastic sail all day with the wind on a beam reach and then beating the last few miles. We had to reef the main and I hand steered for a few hours which was pretty exhilerating - it is so nice when we get to sail like that. We arrived mid afternoon along with four other boats, which apparently meant enough 'new' boats arrived for the town to host a little get together (which we didn't get on our last trip through because the weather was so lousy). It was run by one of the women that works at the visitor centre and the ex mayor, who gave us a bit of a talk about the history of the area, recommended some restaurants, things to see etc. and it was an opportunity to chat to some other cruisers and make new friends. They gave us fly swatters and all of the women got a rose (in a tradition established years ago when a couple of fellows hosted a get together for some passing cruisers and one of them gave all of the women roses from his bushes). The visitor centre lady told us we would remember her for the fly swatter long after the rose, and I believe it, given the number of flies we have had hitchhiking in the last few days!
Tonight we went out for supper with Nina and Bob from Moondance, a very nice couple we met just after we arrived here and it struck me again how quickly it seems we make connections with people who are cruising. That is one of the great things about cruising - we end up with friends from all over the place. But being nomads, we are always saying goodbye as people head off in different directions with different plans. Maybe that makes us value those times with friends even more, knowing that they are fleeting, and that today may be the last time you will be together for a while. And it is great when we arrive in an anchorage and see a familiar boat and get to spend more good times with wonderful people.