A Difficult Passage

It's always tricky to find a good weather window for a trip that will last more than 24 hours and cover a lot of mileage, as when traveling off shore from Ft Lauderdale to the north Florida border. We, Paul mostly, had done his homework, using several marine weather websites, including NOAA, and a paid weather router. And so we finally decided to cast off from our dock in Ft Lauderdale on the monday after Easter-- uh, that would be April 1, otherwise known as, well, you guessed it already.

We knew it would be rough getting out to the Gulf Stream from Port Everglades and it was, but once in the stream, we were moving well and it was comfortable enough, and we were into a period which the forecasts all agreed would be seas of 1-2 ft. So we figured we had paid our dues and set our course for Port Canaveral. Needless to say, conditions were not as forecast and we were treated to disorganized and high waves, at short intervals. Nasty stuff, with heavy spray and much discomfort for the crew. All this was compounded by fuel transfer issues, which finally caused us to head for St Augustine with only one engine. We would spend some period of each day the rest of the week, as this problem cascaded from one thing to another. After a big cleanup and a fuel polishing in Charleston, we have put that issue to bed.

A day or two later, when travel became normal again, to keep things in perspective, Paul read out loud to me the following passage from Blackett's War by Stephen Budiansky, ppg 151-152, describing the hastily built corvettes, used as escort vessels by the British in WWII.

"A scant 200 ft long, they carried a single 4-inch gun on the bow and racks of depth charges in the open stern. The bridge was open to the elements, too, save for a small enclosed wheelhouse and another boxlike cabin holding the asdic set. The Royal Navy's theory was that fresh air kept the watch awake and on their toes and that an enclosed bridge hindered visibility. In fact, in any bad weather standing watch was 'sheer unmitigated hell,' said one young Canadian officer. The ships were originally planned for a complement of 29 officers and men but that was increased to 47 and then 67, with the result that 55 enlisted men shared two 20-by-14 foot compartments, two toilets, one urinal, and three wash basins. There was no forced ventilation system and the first fifty ships that were built had no insulation either, which caused the walls to sweat with heavy condensation, causing epidemics of pneumonia and TB among their crews. In rough weather water simply slammed down through the standing ventilator pipes, flooding the mess decks and wardroom and washing up a tide of spilled food, sodden clothes, and loose gear in chaotic piles.

"The food was abominable. The only passage from the small galley, at the rear of the superstructure, to the bridge and the forward crew quarters was across an open well deck which was frequently swept by heavy seas, which meant meals arrived cold, if they arrived at all. The galley's small refrigerator could hold only five days' worth of fresh meat and vegetables, after which the menu settled into an invariable and dreary procession of canned sausages, canned corned beef, canned stew, hard biscuits, and tea.

"To add insult to injury, the corvettes had all been given the names of flowers: HMS Gladiolus, HMS Periwinkle, HMS Buttercup... It almost seemed seemed like a bad joke."

Despite another uncomfortable overnight outrunning weather  as we traveled up the Chesapeake Bay, we feel pampered by contrast aboard Carry On, with all her comforts, plus the luxuries of fleece and Gortex, GPS and  AIS. We're safely on the dock in Annapolis for a few days, where our broker is seeing to our needs and we're enjoying a beautiful, if chilly spring  here in this lovely town.

Last Day Here

Strangler Fig

It's Easter Sunday, our last day here in Fort Lauderdale, where we've been for the last three and a half months, the longest time we've spent anywhere. It took us a while to settle in here, but we have, and very pleasantly. There will be much that we will miss, not the least of which is the glorious weather we've enjoyed almost all winter. We've become accustomed to the warm days, the touch of coolness in the mornings and evenings and the afternoon breezes. It's been a long time since I wore real shoes and something that worries me about my ability to readjust to winters in New England.

For my part, I will miss my four favorite "walks" in the neighborhood and along the ocean. I continue to be fascinated by the strangler figs, which like the one above, can grow to impressive size along the residential streets. I will miss the yoga studio where I've been going to classes for the last six weeks. It's been a great introduction to yoga, a challenge physically with immediate benefits in reducing my stress level. I'll miss the office secretary and the assistant dock master, always ready to help, find our mail and chat when things are slow. I'll miss the variety of mega yachts, whose bow and stern thrusters signal their comings and goings, and the other passing sights on the ICW, like the fuel barge that hangs in the waterway near our marina, waiting to service the big boats.

Neighborhood Gas Station

Paul has his own list, but on it would be MacDonald's Hardware, our breakfasts out around town, our favorite bakery on Las Olas and his surreptitious lunches at Skyline Chili, the Cincinnati chain which has two outposts in the Fort Lauderdale area. When he heads out to do errands around 11 am, I know now to expect a call, announcing he has too much more to do to get home for lunch. I don't ask questions anymore! Actually I did take the picture below, and I have been known to indulge in the very occasional smaller five-way of my own.

The Pleasure of Skyline Chili

Now we're pretty much ready to leave tomorrow morning for an overnight off shore trip up to Port Canaveral, further if conditions are good and the crew feeling rested enough. We expect to be in Charleston in a week or so, and we'll spend a week there before continuing our journey north.

As Carry On is not sold yet, and we're very happy and comfortable living aboard, we'll continue to do so while we spend the summer in Salem again looking for a place to live on land__  the best of all worlds solution for us right now.

Remember you can watch our progress on the SPOT link at the top of the page, right hand side.

The Locals

We're still here in Fort Lauderdale, enjoying the gorgeous weather while we keep the boat spic and span for potential showings. Today we're enjoying a rainy day, really our first since we arrived here before Christmas, with cups of tea and hot chocolate, a nice alternative to our usual iced drinks. While we were watching the coverage of the recent blizzard in the Northeast, we were feeling a bit nostalgic for a good old fashioned snow day. Mostly, though, we wonder if we'll be able to adapt again to a New England winter!

Morning Shower, Iguana Style

We've settled in here at our marina, which is mostly very quiet, despite its proximity to a large aquatic complex, where swim teams work out from the wee hours of the morning until 8 pm. There are a couple of other live aboards down the dock from us, and then there is the real wild life.

A few years ago, the South Florida iguana population was decimated by severe cold. I remember arriving here shortly after that episode and hearing people tell stories about frozen iquanas falling out of trees and crashing through windshields. The population was slow to recover due to drought conditions, but it's pretty clear to me that they're back! Some days they seem to pop up everywhere__in the parking lot, in the middle of the road, on top of a tile roof, or sunning by a residential swimming pool. They are urban creatures. I'm not a big fan of reptiles in general, but checked them out in my National Aububon Society Field Guide to Florida anyway. Here's what it says, "5'.... "Can run upright on hindlegs. Looks frightening but is a docile vegetarian." I caught this small fellow enjoying the runoff of a drain one sunny morning, actually looking kind of cute.

Green Heron Intent on Fishing

I happened to look out the portlight in our stateroom late one afternoon as I was about to jump in the shower. I saw a furry looking clump on the dock line and couldn't figure out what it was, so I got dressed again, grabbed my camera and captured this charming bird. He ever so slowly crept up the dock line, slowly moved himself to a perch on the cleat and sat on the boat without moving for a couple of hours. We haven't seem him again on our lines, but he fishes on the rocks frequently when the tide is low. His attention to his fishing is complete, and it seems he can sit without moving for minutes at a time.

What's the Fuss?

And then there's my favorite local critter, who was very patient with the attendees at the Trawler Fest boat show a couple of weeks ago. Happily for Bubba, our broker is a cat person, who never fails to give him a little ear scratch and a few kind words. Life is good!

A Southern Christmas

It's still a little strange to me that Christmas here comes with 80 degree temps, shorts and tee shirts, and possibly a run up the river in the dinghy tomorrow. In a perverse way, I miss the snow and the cold this time of year. But only a little. It's easier to adopt what my niece's husband (and frequent boat visitor) calls the Florida attitude. 

To me that means paint the toenails, put on my flip flops, walk on the beach and try to remember to wear a sun hat! Another big part of the Florida scene are the boat parades all along the waterways at Christmas time. I've always wanted to see one, but we never seemed to be in the right place at the right time. 

This year we saw two-- the first quite by accident in Fort Pierce where these photos were taken and the second here in Fort Lauderdale was a bit more planned. We were fortunate to have the company of our niece and two of her friends join us for the last day of our southern trek, from North Palm Beach to our marina here in FTL. They were lots of fun and are old hands at parades, Mardi Gras or otherwise, and were smart and considerate enough to buy folding canvas chairs and stake out a place on the dock for us. We watched the parade in comfort, with a glass of wine perched in the arms of our chairs.

Since the parade last Saturday, we've begun to settle in here, as we expect to be here for a few months. A kind friend has loaned us a car, which we've been enjoying. We had given up on rentals, which are barely available here during the holidays and ridiculously expensive.

Paul has been working hard to get both of our computers back up and running properly, and I think mine is finally healthy, not to mention a great deal faster! 

Now we're ready to kick back and enjoy the holidays-- the red velvet cupcakes just came out of the oven, next I'll start the sauce for the pasta. We'll put on one of our Christmas CD's, pour a glass of wine and put aside our projects. 

And to all our you, we send our very best wishes for a Merry Christmas and all the best in 2013!

Warm At Last

Finally we are warm. It's been such a chilly, gray and damp fall, or maybe just that's the way it's felt to me, with the extra blast of weather from Sandy and the two week northeaster that followed on her heels. Finally we are out of our fleece jackets and layers of blankets at night and reveling in 80° temperatures in Fort Pierce. Out to dinner without a sweater or jacket, to the farmers market nearby in shorts-- it does feel good.

Finally, too, I'm back on line. My computer has been plagued by frozen screens and spinning balls. We think Paul has corrected at least the major problems and he's on standby to check out any quirky happenings before they become bigger problems. 

We've had an uneventful trip down since I last wrote three weeks ago from Wilmington, NC. North Carolina seems like a distant memory probably because while we've had so much gray and damp weather, the inland sounds and large rivers that can be so nasty were flat and pleasant to cross. We stopped in Charleston for Thanksgiving week and celebrated our anniversary there, remembering our honeymoon there 36 years ago. We also stopped in Hilton Head to visit an old friend and enjoy our favorite breakfast place on the entire east coast (that's the Sunrise Grill, if you're ever that way)!

Looks like Trouble

The Real Thing

As we were going up Broad Creek to our HH marina, we were rather alarmed by the AIS target in our path. That's the big blue ship shaped mark on the chart at right. We love our AIS (automatic satellite identification) which tells us the name, size, course and closest point and time of encounter with our boat. It is also sized on our chart in proportion to the size of the vessel. We trust it almost without question. And we still do, but it took a moment or two for Paul to realize that the captain of the vessel in question had clearly entered the wrong data for the size of his vessel! Still we looked for the biggest boat we could on the docks that we passed. 

Of course, when we located the vessel by the name on it's stern, it was this small blue cruiser, laying quietly at it's dock. We can only guess that the owner does not have the proportional size feature on his AIS! 

After a nice visit with our friend in HH, we left on a calm Sunday afternoon to travel outside overnight to Fernandina Inlet and Cumberland Island National Seashore anchorage. We had lots of company during the night, mostly sailboats taking advantage of the same quiet, moonlit conditions that enticed us. There have been few weather windows for going outside this fall, and this trip outside was a great opportunity to miss a couple of days of shoaling and bridges on the inside route.

Marineland Beach

We spent several nights between the National Seashore, Fernandina Beach and St Augustine, doing some errands and provisioning and enjoying a rendezvous with friends that we met last year in Jacksonville. The last stopover was Marineland, at a little marina that we almost passed over as it's so close to St Augustine. We're so glad we didn't. The marina operators who double as ecology tour leaders could not have been more delightful (the dockmaster reminded us of our nephew, never a bad thing to us!), the setting was so  not touristy (a great contrast to St Augustine) and there was one of the most spectacular (and deserted) beaches I've ever seen. It's unusual rock formations are coquina clams and other tiny shells that have combined over the centuries with the soft silica based rock there. Just beautiful!

Only two more days underway, interspersed by a few days in North Palm Beach, and we'll be in Fort Lauderdale. We'll spend at least three months there and I have to say that we're both looking forward to settling in for a while.

Sunrise, Sunset

Watching the Sun Rise

Good morning from rainy Wrightsville Beach. We're altering our routine this morning, which is a welcome change for all three crew members. Breakfast at the table for us and a game of fetch for Bubba. We have a short day planned today, largely so that we can ride the strong currents down the Cape Fear River rather than fight them. Today was to have been a lay day, a chance to walk on the beach, one of my favorites, but it's raining and very chilly, not yet 48°. Not so appealing.

Daybreak, Great Bridge, VA

After our enjoyable 6 weeks in Baltimore, we're anxious to keep moving. With the exception of three beautiful sunny days over the long Veterans Day weekend, it's been gray and chilly. Very chilly. My three turtlenecks, which were meant for foggy days in June in Maine, are in constant circulation. Fleece is the fabric of the day and of the night. We've moved the extra blankets from the guest stateroom onto our berths and I encourage Bubba to snuggle closer. The first move of the morning is a run to the generator, to start it and get some heat going.

We've seen a lot of early mornings. We're usually underway at 6 am, hauling anchor in the dark and tucking in at our anchorage for the night by sunset. Once we're in the routine, it's not a bad one. Despite the chill, we've had many days of almost glassy water. The shallow sounds, open bays and large rivers of North Carolina can be unpleasant when there's a lot of wind moving against the current, but our two long days traversing them were easy ones. Lots of open space, little traffic and easy piloting for the most part.

Black Bear Fording the Canal

As we cruised through the 21.2 mile land cut, the Alligator River- Pungo River Canal, on a quiet, sunny morning, Paul noticed something large swimming across the canal. When the creature was halfway, we realized that it was a young black bear. I think he was as surprised as we were, judging how quickly he hauled himself up the bank and disappeared into the woods! You can see him in the photo if you look for the little ears on the dark spot closest to shore, OK, it's not a great shot, but it's proof, right? Spotting him was definitely a thrill and a first for us and I can't remember other cruisers talking about such sightings.

Washing Chain, Gale Creek

All these early mornings, while not always so pleasant while washing down muddy chain and foredeck, have provided some beautiful sunrises. There's nothing quite like watching the sun rise, sipping coffee and thinking about the day ahead. I noticed most of my photos come from this part of the day, although we've seen some beautiful sunsets. I think we're always too busy anchoring and settling the boat before it's seriously dark to take the time to snap a photo. Maybe it's the time of day, but maybe the roses just smell sweeter in the morning.

Southbound__Almost!

our last morning in Baltimore and while it's still windy and chilly here in the aftermath of Sandy, we were spared the brunt of the hurricane that caused so much damage in so many areas. There are many things I've come to appreciate about Baltimore, but one at the top of my list right now is the protection the inner harbor offers in storms such as Sandy.

We did see lots of wind, with gusts of perhaps 50- 60 miles per hour, and lots of rain which came with a big chill down. While friends reported balmy temps in Boston much of the week, we haven't been much above 55 degrees here since Sunday. But we were safe throughout the storm, for which I was especially thankful as I was here on the boat without Paul who was away in Florida (what's wrong with this picture) at a long planned business meeting. My intrepid friend, who had scheduled a visit long before seeing a weather forecast, did not cancel and we rode out the storm together with lots of catching up, laughter and good meals. There were so many things here that I wanted to share with her, but we felt lucky that we could doll up in foul weather gear and hurry over to the hotel health club a block away!

Inner Harbor Marina from Federal Hill Park

I've been collecting some photos of things we've seen and done here and I'll start with the shot of our marina from the park across the road. We're near the center of the picture and if you can find the green hull, you've found Carry On!

Another thing we love about our urban experience is how easy it is to get around. The free hybrid buses run in a half dozen routes all over the downtown area every 15 minutes and they are a delight: clean, no graffiti and very quiet. In fact the whole city downtown is immaculate, a fact of pride for the city __Salem could learn a lesson or two.

Fort McHenry

If you remember your history better than I do, you'll know that Baltimore is home to Fort McHenry. The overnight onslaught of the British which was successfully held off by the local militia was the inspiration for Francis Scott Key's Oh Say Can You See. It actually had a few revisions along the way to produce what we all so immediately identify as our National Anthem. 

Baltimore is also the home of Edgar Allen Poe, which you probably would easily guess from all the purple jersey- wearing Ravens fans seen on game days.

At Ease on the Mess Deck

There are five historical ships
here in the inner harbor open for visiting. We toured the submarine Torsk and the Coast Guard Cutter Taney which was in Pearl Harbor and served for over 40 years after that. There's also the Constellation, a sister ship to the Constitution, our Boston institution.

Washington Monument in Mt Vernon

Our favorite neighborhood is Mount Vernon, home of the    Walters Art Museum, the Peabody Institute (a well respected music conservatory), the symphony and theatre venues. It's a lovely place to walk, even on a drizzly day, with beautiful newer, elegant row houses and condos, restaurants and a few small shops

The "Bus" at American Visionary Art Museum

And last, but not least, the American Visionary Art Museum, a jewel of a museum showcasing the work of self taught artists, sometimes called outsider art. The wonderful bus at right is just one feature of the outdoor works, a wonderfully whimsical mirrored mosaic with reflector lights, bits of ceramic and the odd plaster bunny and swan!

There are still things here that we didn't quite get around to doing, but it's time to move. It's getting cold and there's a reason people who live on boats go south for the winter. But before we get seriously on the move, we'll go to Solomons, MD, to see our boat guru Scotty for those few things we'd like him to do. Tonight we'll be on an anchor near Annapolis and I'll be encouraging Bubba to cuddle closer in my berth__Brrrr.