Meetings Along the Waterway

One of the benefits to traveling as we do is the frequent opportunities to meet others who are also traveling by boat. It appears that we have a built in interest in meeting and talking with other cruisers This common interest of cruising provides an easy opening to conversations. This often leads to learning more about other areas of the country from people who have lived there or spent time there while cruising. On occasion our contacts even go beyond other parts of the country.

On Thanksgiving, we joined more than 150 other cruisers at a Thanksgiving potluck at the Vero Beach Municipal Marina. We didn't really know anyone at the event, so we sat at a table with people we'd never met – always an interesting experience. The couple next to us was from Australia, and they'd come down the East Coast after completing a trans-Atlantic crossing. They'd spent most of the past seven years in the Med. They told us of their travels to countries from Spain to Egypt. What a great experience! One of the surprises was the answer to the question of, “What was your favorite country?” We expected perhaps Italy or Greece. But no, it was Croatia, a country we wouldn't have guessed. They also commented on watching the news of late and seeing places in Syria being bombed that they had visited.

They went on to tell us about their frustration with US customs laws. They could only get a 6-month visa, so they are now forced to make plans to go to the Bahamas by the middle of next month. Other foreigners they know have traveled up to Canada for a brief visit in order to get another 6-month visa upon their return.

They told us of their visits to Maine, Boston, NYC and to Washington DC. They seemed to thoroughly enjoy learning about our country and its history while visiting these places. They now feel somewhat embarrassed that they know more about our history than Australia's. One comment that made us feel good was that they found the US people they met to be very friendly and helpful. People were always inviting them home for a meal, a chance to do laundry or even the offer to borrow their car for shopping. This last offer carried a bit of a risk, since Australians drive on the left side of the road. Apparently they learned to adjust to the change.

So attending this cruisers' event, even though we knew nobody there, proved once again to be an interesting and worthwhile enterprise. We are truly fortunate to be living an adventure that provides us with such built in opportunities to meet and share with different people regularly.

By the way, the weather has warmed a bit. The last couple of days have been beautiful and in the low 70s. But this morning it was 56 degrees inside the boat. That just reminds us that we're not far enough south quite yet.

Carpe Diem

Captain Bob

Weather - the Good, the Bad and the Ugly

As I write this addition to the blog, I sit quietly in the boat on a mooring in St. Augustine, Florida. I could say, “...in sunny Florida.” but I'd be not telling the truth. We've been seeing gray days now for the past several. The temperature at the moment at 3 PM is up to 63 degrees. That may seem good to all you northerners, but this is not what we came to Florida for. In fact, with the wind gusting up around 30 mph or better, it's down right uncomfortable here. I probably sound a bit unhappy about all this. I'll move on.

We left Beaufort, having had a great, but brief, visit with Janelle and Bob Proctor over lunch. We hope to spend more time with them and with Beaufort on our return trip. It was then on to Georgia and the issues of tide and current I mentioned in the last piece. We managed to pass through the few shallow stretches with no difficulty and no groundings. Because the weather was as described above, we didn't bother to stop at Cumberland Island. The thought of walking around even that beautiful island with cold temps, wind and likely a shower or two just lacked the appeal. We'll definitely have that on our itinerary for the return trip. Instead we went to Fernandina Harbor and picked up a mooring for the night. One plus for getting the mooring instead of anchoring was the hot shower at the marina and the thought of a good meal in a warm restaurant. We found a great restaurant and had a delicious meal in addition to that long, hot shower.

The next day (yesterday) we were off to St. Augustine, a sixty mile trip that should have taken us almost nine hours. We got here in a bit over 7 and a half hours, thanks to the tidal current. We've been hearing a bit about extra high tides with all this wind over the past several days. While we've not seen the evidence of the high tides till today, the associated current has been quite noticeable. We came in to St. Augustine with the tide doing more than 11 mph instead of our usual 7.5.

Today we went in to make some stops in town and noticed the extra high tides for the first time. The street which follows the water was under water a bit. Farther up the main street where it crosses a river the police had to close off the street due to flooding. Some successfully drove through it while others weren't so lucky. Others turned around and tried other ways to reach their destination. One motorist who was stopped by the police from proceeding was shocked to learn that there was street flooding. 

This reminded me of my reaction to the devastation caused by Hurricane Sandy in New Jersey and NYC. Especially in the case of NYC, we've thought of that place as somewhat impervious to such damage. It opened my eyes a bit more to how little control we actually have over our environment in spite of the fact that we often believe we can remain insulated from its affects. As boaters, we're more in tune with the weather and potential impact of changes in weather...probably more so than the majority of you readers who live on land. Since one has AC in the summer and heat for winter, even garage door openers to limit the affect of rain or snow on us while we unload the groceries, it's easier to dismiss some s of weather's influence on our lives. While cruising we have no heat or AC except for those rare occasions when we tie up to a dock. Since our dinghy is our commuter vehicle, we don't even have a roof over our heads, let alone a garage with an automatic opener.

Today we were reminded that the majority who don't live close to the water probably don't think much about coastal flooding or its potential impact until they are stopped by a flooded street. And to carry the thought a bit further, melting glaciers, droughts in other parts of the world or even record heat for a few years in a row may not get our attention. Perhaps it takes a Hurricane Sandy to get the Mayor of NYC to remind all of us that we need to be aware of weather, our impact on it as well as the resulting impacts on all of us.

As I first thought of this topic, I wasn't sure how it related to cruising down the waterway. But since the weather influences most everything we do as we cruise, we are more in tune with little changes and more aware of that influence. So perhaps it relates quite closely to our own day-to-day thinking, our decision making and life for us in general. Perhaps in some small way we can serve as one of the canaries in the mine when it comes to changes in weather.

Till the next entry...Carpe Diem.

Some Skinny Water

This is a short addition to the last entry into this blog. As I mentioned in the last one, we must remain tuned in to tides and currents as we travel. This is most important as we complete our traveling in South Carolina and cross eastern Georgia. Today we left Beaufort.  We knew that we had to pass through two areas after low tide. It would be a bit tricky to attempt to pass down Ramshorn Creek and Fields Cut at dead low tide. But the tidal current pushed us along faster than expected, so it was necessary to dramatically slow down the boat and wait for a bit. As it turned out, we traversed both a bit closer to low than we'd planned. The day turned out OK for us. We saw some skinny water, but it could have been worse as it was for this boater. This boat apparently ran aground while the tide was going out.  They'll have to wait till the tide comes back in a bit more. We actually had to pass very close to this boat.  We were in nine feet of water while the boat was in perhaps two feet.  The navigational aid that might have helped keep this boat in the channel was missing.

We are currently anchored in a quiet spot. Tomorrow is another travel day for us. We've planned our route which includes getting through another skinny spot called Hell Gate. It's really not that bad, but it's just another spot we need to pass through at some point other than low tide. It's really quite a pretty area if one takes the time to appreciate it.   

More Observations Along the Way

As I write this addition to the blog, we are anchored in the Bull River, about 15 miles north of Beaufort, SC. Lots has happened since the last blog up at an anchorage called Mile Hammock Bay in Camp Lejeune. We've spent a night in Wrightsville Beach where we enjoyed a meal at one of our favorite Mexican restaurants. We also spent a night at Carolina Beach State Park where we managed to acquire more of those long pine needles that work so well in Sandra's Baskets. The next day we crossed over the state boarder into South Carolina. We passed by Myrtle Beach, but we couldn't really see any of it from the ICW. On another day we traveled down a river through a cypress swamp. It would have been beautiful with lots of fall colors if it wasn't for the cold rain.

At a marina in Charleston. While you can't see our boat, our yellow dinghy shows up well.

From there we spent the next two days traveling to Charleston where we spent a day enjoying the sights. Our day there included a carriage ride to learn about some of the history of Charleston. It was a fascinating tour of this beautiful city.

On a neighbor's boat - not even a pirate!

Tomorrow we'll drop the anchor by one of the prettiest towns along our route and enjoy a lunch with Janelle and Bob Proctor. Janelle was a teacher at Hampton Roads Academy during my time there. We've visited with them in the past during our travels to Beaufort.

While I'll usually avoid any political commentary on this blog, I must comment about those who are now likely to pay a bit more in taxes. The homes we've seen in North and South Carolina along the ICW are quite impressive. I know I've commented on these signs of conspicuous consumption before, but the recent political advertisements have made me think again about that group who might add to the tax revenue a bit. Unlike the impressive ones, we saw a house for sale with the price advertised of $550,000 for a nice ranch with a dock. In other areas away from the water, this home would probably sell for a quarter of that price. Based on that advertised price, most of the homes we noticed would likely cost at least four times that price and go up from there. The word that most often comes to mind is mansion. And there are so many of them. It just boggles my mind that so many people can afford such accommodations. What makes matters more difficult to grasp is that many of these appear to be second homes.

OK. I'm done with that.

One might think that our 7 mph speed would allow us to travel between 50 and 60 miles each day as we head south even though the sun drops down below the horizon pretty early now. Of course this is a good starting point, but there are issues that influence each day's travel. For instance, one day we dropped the anchor at about 1 PM. This was because we would be traveling through some shallow areas beyond this point but wanted to avoid them at low tide when we might run aground. There were no good anchorages within reach to get us past that stretch on this day, so we decided to wait till the next day so we could get through the whole stretch and then to a good place to anchor for the night. Today, we had to deal with tidal and river currents that really impacted our progress. At one point we were bucking tidal current that was in the 4-5 mph range. Since we normally travel at 7 mph, this stretch cut our progress by more than half. On the other hand, there were times today when we were doing close to 10 mph. These stretches helped to make up for the times when we were bucking the strong current.  Each day we must look at such influences and determine how far we should plan to travel.  In a way, it's like driving someplace knowing that you are likely to hit an area of construction and other busy highways during rush hour.

Life on the water can be challenging.

Over the next several days as we travel through the remainder of South Carolina and all of the Georgia coast, tidal current and shallow stretches will be at the forefront of our planning. Of course there will be compensating factors. We continue to see more and more dolphins along the route. Today we were lucky enough to pass close by a navigational aid with a bald eagle sitting on it checking us out. The scenery is ever changing and at times spectacular. And of course we'll be traveling slow enough to get a good look at most everything we pass. Till the next entry, Carpe Diem!

Captain Bob

Anchoring Entertainment

Today was a travel day that went pretty smoothly, but the most interesting part of the day was the entertainment provided by other boaters in their attempts to anchor. This anchorage is part of Camp Lejeune in North Carolina, and it's one of very few acceptable spots between Beaufort and Wrightsville Beach. When we arrived, ten other boats were already here with one hard aground. The boats arrived in a pretty steady stream for the next couple of hours. By the time the sun set the anchored boats totaled 23. Several had trouble anchoring either because their anchoring technique left something to be desired or the anchor used just wasn't up to the job.

About a third of the boats.  We couldn't get them all in one photo, since they were all around us.

One was single handing the first boat to come in after us. He threw the anchor down just behind our boat and paid out about a third of the anchor rode required. When I questioned his location, he thought about it some and then moved...twice. He just couldn't seem to get it right. Either he ended up too close to another boat, or the anchor wouldn't catch hold. Another larger boat with a couple aboard tried at least three times in different places to get their anchor to catch before they were finally successful. They then came on the radio to tell everyone that they'd finally made it. Next time they'd plan to charge admission for the entertainment they provided.

The boat that was hard aground got help from Towboat US, the same organization we get towing insurance from. When the skipper finally got free with Towboat help, his first attempt at anchoring was so close to another boat,  the Towboat US boat moved in between the two so he wouldn't hit the other boat already anchored. He then tried in another spot, but made a nearby boat owner so nervous, that this second skipper pulled up his anchor and moved to a new spot. Variations of this same sort of entertainment played out again and again while we watched. Then we heard on the radio of one boater who ran aground twice today and then was involved in a collision. This was just not a good day for a number of cruisers.

One could use these experiences as instructional for proper anchoring techniques or for discussing the pros and cons of particular brands of anchors. That is not my intent, although I'd be happy to share my thoughts with any willing listeners in another setting.

For me this provided a reminder to me that one can never get too complacent while cruising. I'm sure that several of the key performers today were not new to cruising and were generally pretty successful at securing their anchor. While I chuckled a bit at what I saw, I know that tomorrow I could make some equally foolish mistakes. Like in many settings in life, cruisers must always remain alert and focused on the task at hand.

So I'll end this with the hope that tomorrow I won't be writing about my own foolishness.

As with many days, this one ended well.

Carpe Diem

Captain Bob

All Clear in New Bern

Well Sandy spared us much of the trouble that others further north suffered through. The National Weather Service had it pegged pretty well. Winds never rose above the predicted levels but it has remained a bit breezy into yesterday (Wednesday). The sun is shining now, but the last couple of days have been a bit chilly for this time of year here in North Carolina. Of course, it's been about the same temperatures all the way down to north Florida, so we can't complain much.

The visits with boating friends have been quite enjoyable. While we missed seeing one couple, we were surprised by the visit of Bo and Joyce on Dream Catcher that we met two years ago in Marathon and we were able spend an enjoyable day with long time friend Priscilla. The boating community is truly a mobile one with meetings taking place in some unlikely places like New Bern, a town we'd never been to before.

Maddie's always ready and waiting for us to take her out to meet new people.

And speaking of New Bern, it's a town worth a visit. Bern apparently means bear, so there's lots of them around the streets of New Bern. I've included one photo to give you an idea. The downtown area has lots of interesting shops and restaurants.  As an added bonus, one of the art/craft stores is now selling Sandra's pine needle baskets, so we have developed another connection with this cute town.  One unusual aspect of the downtown is the train track that runs down the middle of one of the streets. At first we thought it was an old trolly track, but the photo will clue you in that freight trains actually force cars off to the side as they come through town. I can't end my comments about the town without mentioning how friendly the people are throughout the town – really unusually so. This just adds to the attraction.

Note the car up on the right had to move over to the side to allow the train to
pass down the street.

We continue enjoy good fortune on many fronts. This hurricane we dodged was the sixth such storm we'd had to deal with in the last four years. We had to look out for half of those while we were in New England - a part of the country that doesn't usually get too many hurricanes. In each case we seemed to be in the right place to avoid big problems. It helps to convince me that we're not making these decisions on our own, but perhaps we're getting some extra help along the way. That's just one of the thoughts that comes my way along the Waterway.

It was difficult to leave our friends Dick and Libby, but today we left for Beaufort. Tomorrow we'll continue on down the ICW to Camp Lejeune. We've never been stopped at their firing range, but there's a first time for everything. After leaving Beaufort, we'll be more attuned to the water depth than concerned about the Marines. This next stretch has a few shallow areas we hope to pass at some point other than low tide. We'll see how that goes.

Till the next report, Carpe Diem!

Captain Bob