The Last Leg

It’s been a month since my last blog and just three days shy of a month since we left the boatyard in Oxford, MD. We’ve been a bit lax, enjoying port life in the center of Salem, MA, seeing friends, working on projects and for the first two weeks here, trying to stay warm.

I always feel the trip between the Chesapeake and Massachusetts is the hardest part of the long distance we cover back and forth to Florida. There are stretches with little protection, as along the New Jersey coastline, and no option but to travel outside, and other stretches with few good places to stop, necessitating long days or days shorter than one might like. Getting underway at 6 am as we did every day for a week and going until sunset several days, it can feel like a slog.

Traffic in the C & D Canal

Our rough itinerary goes as follows and usually doesn’t vary much trip to trip. We left Oxford on April 29 late morning and arrived at Still Pond, a pleasant anchorage up the Eastern Shore of Maryland. We intended a short trip the next day, but the seas were so much calmer than predicted and the current seemed to stay with us, so we travelled through the C & D canal (Chesapeake and Delaware), crossed Delaware Bay and took the back door into Cape May via a short canal. We arrived in Atlantic City the next day, May 1, earlier than planned, but felt we needed to have our battery charging systems and alternators looked at-- there’s a whole other story here which I won’t go into-- as well as having some time to catch our breath. 

Atlantic City at First Light

We stayed in Atlantic City three nights, we got the batteries charged up, hoping all else was well in the engine room, and my college roommate joined us on the third day to make the trip through NY harbor with us. As was true for most of out trip up from Oxford, the weather and marine forecasts were not encouraging-- rain, high winds and our least favorite thing, high seas. So we left Atlantic City for the long trip up the Jersey coast, stopping just outside the harbor to put down our paravane stabilizers, the first time we've dropped the "fish" in almost a year. We travelled in rain with a slight roll all day until just as we approached NY harbor the late afternoon sun began to peek out.

Lights of Lower Manhattan

Reception Hall at Ellis Island

If there’s little else to get excited about on this leg, the trip through New York City via the East River makes up for it all. And unlike our last trips, instead of anchoring further south in Sandy Hook, NJ, Paul found a wonderful spot between Ellis Island and Liberty Island. Never mind that it was one of the roughest anchorages we’ve ever experienced, the views were spectacular.

None of us, even Bubba, minded the evening we spent there, literally on a roll. We ate a late dinner with the lighted Statue of Liberty off to the port and the Reception Hall at Ellis Island and the night skyline of lower Manhattan off to starboard. It’s hard to describe the elation we felt!

The next morning was the actual trip up the East River through the NYC bridges, looking at all the landmark buildings, the Chrysler, the Empire State, the new building going up where the twin towers of the World Trade Center stood, and the prison of Law and Order fame at Riker’s Island. We travelled up Long Island sound and arrived by early afternoon at Port Jefferson-- an uneventful passage other than watching a submarine out of Groton, CT heading up the sound and out to sea.

The next bright spot on our journey homewards was Newport, where we landed late Friday afternoon. Paul’s old college friends who lived in Jamestown whisked us and our guest off to their yacht club for dinner. After a lovely breakfast at their home Saturday morning, my friend left us and Paul and I made plans with our Jamestown friends who would be joining us for the last leg up to Salem.

We planned a civilized Sunday, picking them up at the Jamestown town dock around 10 am and anchoring in the Mattapoisett/ New Bedford, MA area in the early afternoon. Luckily Paul checked weather conditions again and found the window of opportunity was closing to get to Salem without experiencing seas of 5-9 feet-- way more than we want to purposely find ourselves in. With guests onboard, we made a quick decision to go overnight, stopping for a few hours east of the Cape Cod Canal for favorable currents. Our friends are well-seasoned sailors and cruisers and more than willing to stand night watches, so we docked in Salem at 5:30 am Monday morning, May 9.

Brooklyn Bridge

The sun is shining again today, the second full day of sun in the almost three weeks we’ve been here. I do keep reminding myself, that although it’s been chilly and damp here, we really have nothing to complain about as every evening we see new reports of unbelievably destructive tornados ripping through the south and midwest. 

We have two more weeks here, which will go quickly. We’re looking forward to the month we’ll spend in Maine and the rest of the summer cruising along the Atlantic coast of Nova Scotia, visiting some favorite spots and discovering new places along the way. 

Chesapeake!

On the Hard in Oxford, MD

We had a great week with our friends last week and now Carry On is sitting on the gravel at the boatyard in Oxford, MD, a long planned stop to have the boat hauled, the bottom cleaned and painted, as well as some other jobs that can only be done when the boat is out of the water. 

We’ve been living onboard, more or less as usual, minus some of the comforts that we usually take for granted. For instance, a 45 degree, rainy day (like Friday) is not a big deal when we’re in the water, on an anchor or plugged into a dock. But with no generators or cooling pumps to run the A/C/heat, it was a mighty cold day! We scavenged extra fleece blankets from the guest stateroom and spent a reasonably comfortable night under 5 layers of fleece, plus one shared furry beast. Two days later and now the temps are over 80-- it seems Spring in the Chesapeake has much in common with Spring in New England! 

Welcome Aboard!

Some of you have asked questions about life on the hard, like how do we get groceries on board, can we use the bathroom, can we run water for cooking, etc? It’s a long way up to Carry On via a regular ladder to the swim platform and another ladder from there to her deck, so two hands are required. We use a rope and a bucket or canvas bag, lowered down or brought up by someone on deck to get items on and off. Yes, we have a large (55 gallon) holding tank, so with judicious use, we will be fine until we can safely pump out again. Most of the gray water (as opposed to black water in the holding tank) goes into sumps, or tanks in a special part of the bilge, which pump out automatically when they reach a certain volume. We’re showering in shore facilities, using water carefully and needless to say, when crews are painting or working under the boat, the dishes wait!

But back to our “vacation” days in the Chesapeake. Our friends joined us in Great Bridge, VA, and after going through the only locks on the Atlantic ICW, we transited Norfolk Harbor. That passage is always a thrill for Paul and me, as we both have roots in the area and the busy port demands attention with its multitude of commercial and navy vessels and timed drawbridges. We continued a long day up to our anchorage in Deltaville, VA in the lower Chesapeake Bay. We stayed on board that evening and were up again early to make our destination of Solomons, MD.

Chesapeake Bay Crabber

The size of the Bay and the distances between destinations by water still surprises me and makes careful planning necessary for a short cruise with endpoints fixed by dates and geography. We arrived late afternoon in Solomons, launched the dinghy and went out for a walk around town. It was not until after we’d passed the third Budweiser Clydesdale (don’t you see them every day where you live?) that we asked what was going on. Someone was happy to explain what is clearly one of the local rites of Spring-- the opening of the Tiki Bar! Apparently 30,000 people were expected the next day for the event, ready to see the Clydesdales parade, the Tiki Bar King arrive on the Tiki Barge and I’m sure you’ve already guessed this, drink lots and lots of beer! Some locals have been known to flee their homes for the weekend.

Chesapeake Bay Lighthouse

Tiki Bar aside, Solomons is a charming sailing and boating hub, with a well-protected natural harbor with several marinas and anchorages. Our boat guru, Scotty, is based in Solomons in the spring and summer, so we are very familiar with the area. This visit was still early in the tourist season, but it was a nice, warm Spring day and everything seemed to be in bloom.

From Solomons we traveled to St Michael’s, a tourist spot on the Eastern Shore with a large maritime museum dedicated to the watermen’s way of life-- crabbers, scallopers and oystermen. Unfortunately, the weather took a decidedly nasty turn with high seas, high winds and tornado warnings. After our guests and Paul made a brave trek to shore the first evening, with a struggle to get back in the dinghy, we all decided that our lay day would be most wisely and comfortably spent on board. Sadly, there went the sightseeing, the museum visit and the dinner reservations; instead we spent a cozy day inside with tea, hot chocolate and of course, good meals, while the wind howled and the seas raged!   

In the Middle of Things in Annapolis

We woke to a new day, sunny and quiet in our anchorage and we set off across the Bay again for Annapolis, a short run that put us in at mid day. Our dock was literally in the center of town (the dock is nicknamed “Ego Alley”), and as it was Palm Sunday and a beautiful day after a terrible Saturday, town was packed with sightseers and locals out for fresh air. Many Naval Academy midshipmen were also out and about, both male and female, looking fit and attractive in their summer whites.  Other tourists were perched on the wall alongside Carry On eating ice cream cones and tending children, a whole new experience for us! We were happy to join the tourists in a walk around town, then enjoy the hubbub from the sanity of our flybridge and salon!

Our guests left the next day after an all too quick visit, and here we are in Oxford, busy but looking forward to starting the last, long leg homeward to Marblehead.. 

Back to Zero

Cable Ferry South of Georgetown, SC

So here we are back at Statute Mile Marker 12.5 on the ICW, in Great Bridge, VA, just below Norfolk, the official beginning of the waterway, St M 0.0. That may not sound so impressive to you, but to us it represents about 1050 statute (land) miles covered since we left Miami. The first 500 or so miles usually seem to go pretty quickly, but the last week and a half or so can feel like forever. We’ve made good time and have put in long days, leaving at first light and anchoring just before sunset-- we are ready for a little down time!

We had a fine evening out in Charleston-- the weather was beautiful, if rather windy, the city was full of blooming trees, Wisteria and tourists everywhere. We ate at one of our favorite restaurants and made the long walk home, deciding it would be quicker than waiting for a cab. Up early the next day and on to Georgetown, SC with hopes of getting our propane up and running again. What began as a just a leak in the propane grill line escalated into a larger problem with the lines to the cooktop and stove. Sunday night dinner was a microwave success story, after a trek around town looking for an open restaurant. 

Whatzit on the Waterway

The helpful personnel at our little marina did manage to get the cooking propane working again and we managed to get the boat off the dock with more than 20 knots of wind holding us on and little room and depth for backing. Always a tense situation, but onward to Wrightsville Beach via the twisty, turny Waccamaw River. 

Usually I knit when I’m on watch. I can look up every few stitches, check the course, depth, speed and look around for other boats. If it’s a big open body of water and long course legs, I read. But on a day in the Waccamaw, knitting is out of the question. So to keep boredom at bay, I amused myself by counting the turtles sunning themselves on logs--  the four lined up head to tail like circus elephants got me going. I got to 23 with my haphazard methods, still giving the autopilot the attention it demanded! Some days we are reduced to such things.

Duck Blind on the Little Alligator River

We had a fine two nights in the Wrightsville Beach anchorage. I had a lovely walk on the beach and friends from our time at Bennett Brothers in Wilmington were in the area, so we went out for the afternoon with them, and had dinner together aboard Carry On. The next days were a blur of traveling, from breakfast in the pilot house and dinner shortly before falling into bed. 

The waterway went from twisting and turning and areas of shoaling (we bumped at least a half dozen times, but never got stuck) to the wide open, vast rivers and sounds of North Carolina-- the Neuse River, Pungo River,the Albemarle Sound, the Alligator River, Pamlico Sound and finally the Currituck. 

One of the Local Bubbas

It’s hard to imagine the feel of these bodies of water. Often there is no shore visible, and because they are very shallow (yes, more bumps), opposing wind and current can make for a very rough ride, as I can attest from personal experience having  spent my 60th birthday on the Neuse River, seasick myself and nursing a seasick cat. The good news is that on a quiet day, piloting is a piece of cake with long runs of 5 or 8 nautical miles between course changes-- all the benefits of running off the coast-- and you can get a lot of reading done!

   

And very finally and happily, we are in Virginia again. Company from home arrive tonight and we will spend the next week poking around the Chesapeake together, before Carry On goes into the boatyard next Monday to get hauled and the bottom painted!

It’s Spring!

Pink Birds

We spent a bit longer than planned in Ft Pierce, thinking that we had a good weather window to travel outside to Fernandina Beach, with a bailout at St Augustine, if necessary. When the day arrived, we looked at each other, took a deep breath and admitted we really weren’t so inclined to do the 30 plus hour run by ourselves-- meaning with just the two of us to stand watch overnight. So, Plan B, or maybe it was C or D, we headed north up the Indian River on the ICW. One  compensation is the leg through the Merritt Island National Refuge, near Cape Canaveral, with its’ rookeries and manatees-- and a chance to see the Roseate Spoonbills again, although there were not so many as we have seen there before. I always get a kick out of seeing these big pink birds with their distinctive bills, roosting in the trees.

Did Someone Say "Coffee"?

After a quiet overnight in the Banana River anchorage, we were treated to an early morning show by the local rowing club. Kayaks and shells of various lengths, with single and multiple crew, went racing by as we ate our breakfast. Very suddenly, they all turned in the same direction and paddled furiously back to the rowing club base-- it was if someone had yelled “Coffee!”

Another day spent in the Indian River with an anchorage in Halifax, just south of Daytona, and then a day’s run up to St Augustine. We’ve discovered that the $20 moorings, nice dinghy dock and shore facilities makes a nice stopover. And indeed, we walked across The Bridge of LIons, the beloved, recently renovated drawbridge, and had a downscale, but wonderful Saturday night dinner of fried local shrimp.

Bridge of Lions, St. Augustine

On to Fernandina Beach (Amelia Island) on Sunday, with a lay day for a major grocery shopping run, a few errands and a haircut for me on Tuesday morning, before leaving again to resume the northern march. The rain which started on Monday, continued all day Tuesday to our anchorage in Jove Creek-- in GA, Carry On’s first night out of Florida since early December. More rain on Wednesday, a little lightning and a lot of thunder, but the water was flat and we made great time to our anchorage in New River, near Daufuskie Island, SC. We saw lots of dolphins and all the birds seemed more active than usual, including the group of terns who circled Carry On for a couple of hours. We’ve seen this phenomenon a few times before-- we’ve speculated that because of our superstructure, they think we’re a fishing boat! Of course, we’ve had the same problem with the Coast Guard, so who could blame them?

Got Fish?

The run to Hilton Head the next morning was a short one, we had the afternoon free and dinner out with friends who live in the area. We woke up this morning to a very chilly, clear and sunny day--but it did feel a bit like an April Fool’s joke at 46 degrees!  But it’s definitely Spring. The ospreys are nesting in day marks on the waterway, the trees here in South Carolina are leafing out into a beautiful pale green and the azaleas are in bloom. We’re underway today in sunshine and tomorrow morning, we’ll be in Charleston. 

And once again, we’re having the discussion of going outside on Sunday for an overnight run to Wrightsville Beach!

Patiently Waiting

Postcards from Miami

Miami Sunset

Phew-- it’s been a long time and it seems like we’ve been a lot of places or done a lot of things, or time is just flying as usual. If you’ve looked for us in the last couple of weeks, we’ve been a bit forgetful about putting the “SPOT” out where it can do its thing, so I’ll try to catch you up on the where and what we’ve been up to.

Cape Florida  Light, Key Biscayne

Before we left our Miami marina home on March 10, we managed to get in all our last errands and do some more sightseeing before turning in our car. We visited Vizcaya, the mansion and grounds of James Deering (International Harvester) and found it a great example of incredible excess, which of course makes for an interesting visit and a great audio tour! Built during WWI, at one time it employed 10% of the population of Miami. Whole rooms and crumbling ceilings were imported intact (or reconstructed crumbles) from sites in Italy and France, along with virtually all other furnishings which were chosen personally by Deering and his mentor/ architect on long trips abroad. Some difficulties apparently occurred with the shipping of his purchases due to the war in Europe. Our visit was enhanced by young women posing in elaborate costumes and gowns for their Quinceanera photos, very much a part of the everyday happenings at Vizcaya in the 21st century!

We spent a morning exploring Fairchild Botanical Gardens, the only subtropical plant collection in North America-- the themed gardens were all quite spectacular, particularly the orchids growing in the rain forest. Another morning we visited the Florida History Museum, one of the few things we did in downtown Miami. We had planned a quick hour to visit, but after a couple of hours had to give up finishing because of general overload, not to mention growling tummies. So--- enough on the sightseeing.

Stiltsvville,  Biscayne Bay

We spent a weekend on the hook at one of my favorite anchorages, in Miami Beach, below the Venetian Causeway. We were there last year and it was one of the reasons we become enthralled with the Miami area. As the sun goes down, lights begin to twinkle in 360 degrees from the skylines of Miami and South Beach. Combine that with the cruise ship traffic late in the afternoon and I always found myself looking forward to the end of the day. But then, another highlight is the dinghy trip from the boat through the Collins Canal over to South Beach-- what a kick going under the low bridges, the overhanging trees and tying up midway to make a quick trip to the grocery store across the street!

Dingy Route to South Beach

This year we timed our arrival at Cape Florida State Park/ Bill Baggs Recreation Area so that we were able to find a lovely spot with ample swinging room to drop our anchor in tiny No Name Harbor. After lunch I took the mile or so walk to the Cape Florida lighthouse at the lower tip of Key Biscayne, looking at the fisherman gathered at the small piers along the outer path and marveling once again at Stiltsville. The houses there, built in the 1930’s on a sandbar, have a colorful past. Barely surviving Hurricane Betsy in 1965, they were further devastated by Hurricane Andrew in 1992. They now lie legally protected from the wrecking ball, within the Biscayne Bay National Park area, but the seven structures remaining are now barely more than campsites.

We’ve had so little company on board this winter, so were delighted when our niece and her husband, along with our great-nephew, joined us for the short trip up from Miami to West Palm Beach. We had a great time, but it was a short visit, and we left them in West Palm Beach Friday evening to fly home again.

Skipper Resting, Collins Canal, Miami Beach

We’re now in Ft Pierce, having arrived Saturday from Palm Beach, traveling outside, along the coast to miss the three challenging and grumpy Jupiter bridge tenders. It’s been a long time since we’ve been underway any distance, and an even longer time out of the protected waters of the ICW. Bubba and I had our sea legs challenged-- I was fine by early afternoon after crackers and my seasick bands, but poor Bubba spent the day under the bedspread feeling miserable. 

All in all, we are feeling that we are in very good shape boatwise, with a little help 

from Scotty and a very flexible (physically, literally!) mechanic who was able to twist himself over, down and around to replace a part in the 12KW generator. And I’m happy to report to anyone who cares that our Florida registration numbers are now painted on our inflatable-- yes! I can finally cross that one off.

We’re all happy campers and it’s getting warm down here. We’ve loved our winter in Florida, but it’s time to head north and we’re looking forward to seeing friends and family in the Boston area. 

I think I’ve rambled on enough for one sitting-- the next entry will be shorter, I promise!

River of Grass—or Gators, Waders and Three Owls

Anhinga Drying Out

I’ve been interested in going to the Everglades, the third largest National Park in the US, since last winter, our first trip to South Florida. So last week we made a day trip down, entering the park near Homestead, the most accessible of the three entrances from the Miami area. We packed a picnic lunch, lots of water and insect repellent, although we almost didn’t need the last. We had been warned that amenities were few in the park outside Flamingo, where even the park run lodging is closed indefinitely due to hurricane damage.

We explored the Ernest Coe Center, checked out the bookstore and exhibits and went to meet the ranger for a guided walk on the Anhinga Trail. From what I know I would say that Anhingas are similar to Cormorants, although somewhat larger than those we commonly see in New England. They have a similar habit of spreading their wings to dry, as they are unable to fly with the extra weight of the water their feathers carry after being submerged. We have seen a few of these birds on the ICW in South Florida, but never so up close and personal as the many we saw on our walk. 

Everglades Cat & Mouse

It’s the dry season now and also alligator mating season (who knew?) so the alligators are beginning to congregate in “holes” with enough water to support them. The holes are shared with all the species of birds one would expect— white ibis, Great Blue Herons, Little Blue Herons, Snowy and Great Egrets, Wood Storks and Moorhens, a pretty little brown and blue bird, new to me. We and our fellow Anhinga trail walkers were transfixed by what seemed to be an elaborate cat and mouse game between the alligators and the wading birds. When the sleepy looking gators began to slowly move into the water, the birds warily moved a foot or two back. After the gators moved on, the birds resumed fishing until the next gator appeared. The sequence was repeated again and again. We were told that alligators need to eat only every couple of weeks, but when they’re hungry can be quite indiscriminate, even, the ranger reported, feeding on another smaller gator, as he recently witnessed. Quite a lesson in the food chain!

Gator Hole

After a drive down the road, a picnic lunch and another long drive down the road towards Flamingo, we made an excursion to the Mahogany Hammock, a seven hundred (or so) year old stand of mahogany trees, thought to be the oldest hardwood stand in North America. The park’s winding boardwalk through the grove was beautiful, but the scene stealer of the day were a pair of Barred Owls. Only four days old, these downy creatures were brought to our attention by a couple, with binoculars and a camera with a huge telephoto lens, fixed in mid-trail. I’m afraid we would have walked right by without their presence blocking the boardwalk. Instead, we were treated to a visit by the mother Barred Owl, a beautiful creature so named for her lovely striped brown and white foliage, who had come to bring the babies food. The babies, unable to fly before 42 days, were surprisingly large for their young age—they also looked a lot like very appealing lemurs!

Baby Barreds

That was it for the day, albeit a satisfying “it”. I will go back again next year, perhaps with my bird-watcher sister for an overnight trip. There is much to see in the Everglades and much to learn about man’s interaction with a natural phenomenon responsible for the water supply and ecology of South Florida. I am almost finished reading The Everglades, River of Grass by Marjorie Stoneman Douglas, written in 1947 but still relevant, which details the geological formation and anthropological history of the Everglades. I highly recommend it for an appreciation of this vast area of sawgrass, seasonal flowing water and a very important, endangered ecological system. 

Thanks to Sibley’s Field Guide to Birds for references!

Ferocious Felus Catus (Really!)

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Miami Days

We’re here in Miami and I would say we definitely have what my nephew-in-law calls “the Florida attitude”. I’m not quite sure how I’d define that, so I’ll just say we’re enjoying the weather, the tropical scenery and our surroundings in general.

The natives are very accommodating! 

The marina here is small and not fancy, sitting just off the ICW on the western shore of Biscayne Bay, where the breezes come up every afternoon. Unlike our previous two marinas, transient cruisers and live aboard couples predominate, with only a few sportsfish. The atmosphere is low key and friendly, set by the very accommodating staff of two. Our complex includes three high rise condos on wooded grounds with a nice pool area and fitness room, which are available for our use. 

The complex sits on the edge of MiMo, the recently designated Miami Modern neighborhood. While the side streets have many small renovated 50’s style homes, Biscayne Boulevard (US Route 1) is a little iffy, although the best restaurant in Miami, according to Zagat’s, is at the end of our block. There are numerous 50’s style hotels, some more attractive than others, but we couldn’t resist photographing Wishes-- yes, it is actually in operation-- we have a laugh every time we drive by!

South Beach Sunday

We see Manatees almost daily here, and sometimes a congregation of them heaving under the sea grass which blows in and out with the tides and wind. We also see dolphin feeding off our stern on occasion, and last week, there were incredible moonrises.

We spent our first Sunday afternoon here walking the board walk at South Beach with our niece and her husband who had joined us for a long weekend. We also explored Coconut Grove with them and went back again ourselves last weekend to the 49th annual Coconut Grove Arts Festival. There was a huge number of artists and skilled crafts people, food vendors and many fellow visitors, a fun afternoon. There are many, many things to do here and I’m afraid we’ll run out of time and energy before we’ve scratched the surface.

Moon Over Miami (Beach)

Miami has become a center for the art and design markets and the Design District is about 20 blocks away, home to several restaurants on our list. We are often struck by the feeling that we’re in another country, not just from the diversity of the population and the multiple languages, but by the look and feel of the buildings and streets, the elevated trains. We have been seduced and Miami is again high on our list for next winter.

Going back to our trip here over two weeks ago, I’ve included a photo of Carry On underway coming down from Jupiter, approaching the Donald Ross bridge. It was taken by friends from the eastern shore of the ICW as we transited-- we had no idea they were there. We really got a kick out of this photo and the others they took, as we never see ourselves underway!

We have two more weeks here and I know it will go fast. More later---

"Carry On" southbound at Palm Beach Gardens