April 24-26, 2021 On to Norfolk

 Saturday, April 24, 2021. Day 139.

We were up early, 6:30am, and it was a chilly morning with a modest sunrise (we have seen such amazing sunrises and sunsets; the bar has gotten very high). We had told Henry, the dockmaster, that we would be leaving at 8am and he assured us he would be there. Captain Roland was getting nudgy, so at 7:48am, I called Henry and he said he would be right over to help us off the dock.

Our visit to Belhaven had been fun; we enjoyed River Forest Marina both times we had stopped there. We cruised on the Pungo River until 9:20am when we entered the Pungo - Alligator Canal (man-made to connect the two rivers as part of the AICW). It was a narrow canal and the steering was challenging. We went under the Alligator Swing Bridge with three or four other boats and the bridge tender was great; she waited for us to open. I’m not sure the other boats were happy to be hanging around for the extra 2 or 3 minutes it took for us to get there. The Alligator Bridge connects to the Outer Banks but wasn’t too busy with car traffic when we went by; not yet the season, we guessed.

At 5:30 pm we arrived at our anchorage at Buck Island. There were a couple of boats at the anchorage by the time we arrived, which was rather late. The day had been rainy and gray and visibility was muted. The charts were not have helpful re: the depth, so the captain had to guess. The first location he selected he didn’t like and moved to anchored elsewhere. Finally, at 6pm, we finished anchoring: beer time. The captain was tired, the weather was gray, and there were no sunset views.

We all showered before dinner and Captain Roland made grilled lamb loin chops, “smashed” lemon potatoes (a new recipe), and grilled asparagus, with a little chocolate for dessert; all good. We went to bed early hoping to leave the anchorage early Sunday morning.

Mike and Gail have been a tremendous help on this trip. This time together, although challenging at points, has given Gail and me an opportunity to discuss our communication, both of us striving for improvement and to understand each other better. We are a work in progress.

Sunday, April 25, 2021. Day 140.

Gail and I were up early. It was still gray and was raining off and on. Captain Roland and Mike were up soon after, planning an early start. Not a great cruising morning: rough seas, heavy winds, brown water, and a choppy ride. At 10:45am, we reached protected water which was much nicer. At 11:40am, we entered North Landing River. It felt like cruising through a wilderness; very few boats, and we noted that we were one week from home. We passed a myriad of old wooden sunken boats, some completely submerged and others with only parts still exposed. We reached Chesapeake, Virginia at 1:35pm, waiting for the 2pm bridge opening, and saw “Jeremiah” (a KK we had met in Stuart, FL, in January). We called out our hellos to each other and caught up a bit.

At 2:30pm we were through the lock, which went down only a foot and a half so it was easy, without a problem. Captain Roland had gathered the crew for lock instructions, and we all took our positions: Gail at the bow, and Terri and Mike at the stern. Mike had to stand on the door step to lasso the cleat, but he managed beautifully. This was Gail 's and Mike’s first lock; it was fun and gentle. All went well.

At 3pm, we passed the entrance to the Dismal Swamp; maybe next time, said Captain Roland.

We passed Casablanca, a KK 58, anchored right before Hospital Point, which is at the end or the beginning, depending on your direction, of the AICW, in Norfolk, VA. We radioed and tooted the horn to say hello. At 3:50pm, we entered the Elizabeth River.

We had a T tie up at the Norfolk Yacht and Country Club, but unfortunately, it was Sunday and late, so no pump out until tomorrow (not good). They told us we could use the dockmaster‘s office and bathroom.

The dockmaster was working to tie up Balero (we had seen them several times over the last few days, at various places on the ICW, and we were looking forward to meeting them now that we were both in NYCC). The dockmaster sent the security guard, Alex, over to help us dock and he did a great job.

Unfortunately the Norfolk Yacht Club had just changed all of their power posts to new GFI compliant posts, which meant that we were out of luck (like Vero Beach). We had not had an opportunity to deal with the problem, although we had done some research and collected some information. I was again becoming agitated that we did not jump on this faster and again annoyed that the surveyor hadn’t warned us and checked it out so we could have done the required modifications before we started our cruise. (see note below re: GFI issue).

So there was no power from the dock that night. Fortunately, we have a generator. We decided that instead of spending two nights at the dock, we would leave in the morning for an anchorage; there was no point in staying without electricity.

The crew and captain watched TV while I took a shower, and unfortunately, but not really shockingly,

after being on the boat together 24/7 for several days, there was a disagreement and a meltdown. It had been an intense and difficult two days and nerves were on edge in this crowded space. Things were tense.

Monday, April 26, 2021. Day 141.

I ran for 2 miles around the yacht club neighborhood with Gail on a fast walk. I then ran and walked another 2 miles after she went back to the boat. While I was running, Nancy and Chris from Bolero, came over to chat. Chris was a baroque musicologist hence the boat name. Their boat, a 52 foot sailboat, was purchased new by them and built to their specifications which, they decided, already needed modification. They felt they had made a big mistake. They have 2 water tanks and one fuel tank.....they planned to convert a water tank to a fuel tank. Ahhhh, more nautical units! They don't know what they were thinking! They are going north in the summer and planning to stop in Atlantic City at Farley Marina, so maybe we will connect this summer.

Last night's meltdown: Apologies were offered and excepted and we all moved on.

At 11am, we moved to the pumpout dock. It was an easy move, no wind, no current, a straight T dock, and no boats around with plenty of people on board and a dock hand on the dock to help. I was very disappointed that I didn’t get the opportunity to practice docking then and there; another missed opportunity! I wanted to try docking, And I believed that with an experienced crew, like Gail and Michael, on board, it would be the best time. I need to be on top of this issue.

At 11:30am, I took a pill, put on wristbands, and hoped that these precautions would be unnecessary. At 12:30pm, we entered the Chesapeake Bay. It was rough, there were white caps, we were moving against the current, and the wind was about 12 knots on our nose......not easy.

Gail and Michael steered most of the day; it was rough, but not awful for me. We passed the entrance to Yorktown at 2:30pm. Again, another time, no side trips this week, we needed to get home.

It was sunny but crisp, in the 60s, and about 3pm, it became calmer as we cruised towards our anchorage. It took two tries to anchor, the first one didn’t take, and at 4:30pm, we were on the hook in Mobjack Bay, in the Northwest branch of the Severn River.

It was windy, but there were no bugs (yay!!); and Mike grilled a great steak dinner.

Boat names:

I loved Boleros first name for their first boat which was “Going Baroque“”, but Nancy said most people didn’t get it.

I think one of the most honest names: “Going Broke”

We all agreed that the name “At Anchor” caused nautical confusion (on the radio when people addressed the boat they called “at anchor”, and boats on the hook thought the radio call was for them)....... …..“Knot Thoughtful” is how I would describe it.

NOTE: After many calls to various experts, and lots of research, one easy but pricey solution to the GFI failure was to install an isolation transformer. At dinner with our PO (previous Owner), in early June, we learned that Magic Moments HAD an isolation transformer. Yeah! So maybe the surveyor didn't mention the GFI issue thinking it was not a problem. And, I was grateful to our PO....they too thought it wouldn't be an issue.

So now, it is still an issue. The latest plan is to check the cord ends.....hopefully, that is the answer.....we are planning to test the ends and if that is the problem, the solution is easy and not financially outrageous.

My negative feeling towards the surveyor somewhat reduced. And maybe this summer, the solution will be found!

April 22-23, 2021 River Forest Marina, Belhaven

 Thursday, April 22, 2021. Day 137.

It was very cold and windy last night, and the anchor chain banged against the boat, sounding like fireworks to me; it was loud and, needless to say, interrupted my sleep.

As predicted, the morning was cold (39°), and Roland turned on the heat; I did yoga and we had coffee. We were anchored minutes from River Forest Marina in Belhaven, North Carolina, where we were to spend the next 2 days, so there was no rush in the morning.

Our plan was to dine in the evenings, at the two restaurants we had visited going south; one we ate outside, the other, we had takeout. Oysters outside and take out from Spoon River, known as the best restaurant on the AICW. We planned (all of us vaccinated), to dine in (they do not have out side space), as soon as they opened, when no one else was there. The tables were really far apart, and we reserved one tucked into a bay window slightly separated from the rest of the room. We were really looking forward to both those opportunities.

Although it was cold, the sun was strong and bright and we hoped it would warm up a bit during the day. Unfortunately, the boat was covered with teeny bugs; really unpleasant.

Roland made blueberry pancakes for all, our first breakfast altogether. They were great, a little uneven, as usual due to the electric stove top (sometimes I think Roland is serving uneven pancakes as a lobbying effort – he wants the a gas stove in lieu of the electric stove top). My sister said, if he is doing the cooking, he should have a replacement stove. Thank you, Gail; more nautical units! Unfortunately, she had a point.

We arrived at River Forest Marina at 12pm, and Henry, the dockmaster, was there waiting for us. It was really windy and we needed his strength and experience to help us tie up to minimize the movement of MM on the dock.

As usual, as soon as we docked: the laundry. Gail and I used the marina's free machines; they were large and made the task much simpler. And we were the only ones using the machines.

Henry arranged a tour of the turn of the century (the 19^th to 20^th), estate house that had fallen into ruin, and then, some years ago, restored by a group of local residents, several of them, skilled craftsmen. It was stunning in every way: the woodwork, the floors, the leaded glass windows, the plaster decorated ceilings; all of it was magnificent. The mansion is available for weddings, family reunions and other celebrations; along with the common areas, the 5-7 bedrooms are spacious, welcoming and worth the trip. Because of the pandemic, there had been no events since December 2020, but a wedding was scheduled for the first week in May, and everybody was sprucing it up and very excited. By the way the estate and the marina are for sale. There is a great area for a restaurant, bar and commercial kitchen, and the marina for fishing charters...... a good retirement project for the right folks!

We walked around Belhaven, and after finishing the laundry, got ready for our 5:30pm dinner. One of the fun parts about River Forest Marina is the golf carts we can use for transportation. Captain Roland loves driving the golf court around town and to the supermarket.

We had dinner at Spoon River in a private room with just the four of us (the owner, apologizing, had inadvertently seated the wrong four folks at our reserved table, but the private room was just fine). It was my first planned indoor dining experience and although it was fun, the owner was challenged. She couldn’t get the help she needed to properly operate her restaurant, and it showed in the quality of the food. The service was still excellent, although the bartender was extremely slow. Not being able to properly staff the restaurant was consistent with what we experienced in Beaufort, South Carolina and, the complaint we heard the following evening at the outside oyster bar. Workers, during the pandemic, are leaving small towns or making more on unemployment. Business was beginning to pick up; hopefully the workers will return.

 

Gail and Michael took the golf cart back, and Roland and I walked back to the boat. When we arrived, the boat was covered with the little black insects that Henry called “blind mosquitoes” because they don’t bite. The air was thick with them; it was overwhelming!

After dinner, the crew and the captain watched old Star Trek shows on television and I worked on my blog, happy to skip vintage TV.

Friday, April 23, 2021. Day 138.

It was cold again this morning but I enjoyed my 3 mile run around Belhaven. Roland and I had poached eggs for breakfast. Roland and Mike prepared to change the engine oil after trying to rid the boat of the insects. Henry lent Roland a big blower to blow them off first, before washing them off. I don’t think anything worked very well.

Changing the engine oil did not work out. One of the major reasons for staying in Belhaven for 2 days (other than the food), was to change the engine oil: it was time (the oil has to be changed every so many engine hours). Roland couldn't get the built-in pump to remove and replace the oil, to work. Not only was this a disappointment and a waste of time, but we were now talking additional nautical units ($$). The Captain now had to figure out how to fix or replace the pump, order the pump or parts, online, and find a place to install it and change the oil, which is something that really can’t wait too much longer, based on engine hours. It is highly likely that it would have to wait until we are back in Philadelphia.....and Mike won't be there to help....a loss!

We put our disappointment aside, and took a golf cart to Food Lion, which is a bit further than the center of Belhaven, going on the back roads. It was kind of crazy, but fun, and I was amazed that we were able to get all the groceries and the four of us on the golf cart.

I reached out to the Kadey Krogen Norfolk Harbor Host. Unfortunately they would not be around for the weekend when we arrived but they sent a detailed email with tons of suggestions and information. So cool.

At 5:30m, we took the golf cart the Tavern at Jack’s Neck, for oysters, shrimp, wings and ribs, topped off by apple pie with ice cream. The owner and her staff were terrific, we sampled a lot of her Bourbons and rum and had a great time. She was only serving outside; she had to defer the inside renovations until business picked up.

We were to leave Belhaven tomorrow, and Henry assured us he would be there early in the morning to help us off the dock.

April 20-21, 2021 Camp Lejeune, to Homer Smith's ( Beaufort, NC), to Belhaven NC.

 Tuesday, April 20, 2021. Day 135. My mothers birthday.

Everyone was up early, but the anchor was very muddy, so the 15 minutes it took to clean the anchor, caused a delay getting to the Onslow Beach Bridge (the USMC bridge). There was a barge with a crane that let us pass under first, and the tender opened the bridge even though it was between opening times, otherwise we would have had to wait 20 minutes for the 8am opening. The marine corp felt comfortable accommodating us under the circumstances (and thank you to the barge captain). It was our only request bridge of the day.

The water was a flat calm, an 180° opposite from yesterday afternoon with wind and the white caps (a/k/a “wavelets” lol, the Captain refers to them as wavelets.....they are whitecaps to me!).

I did a quick work out. Mornings were getting chilly as we cruised north, but the sun was warm. There were dolphins on the bow, and at 9:10 am, we passed Little Wing, from Annapolis,. A very hearty couple, in a very little, steel-hulled, 1970's, 30 foot sailboat. I so admired the young woman captain. We just love seeing them along the way, and always wish them the best. They far surpass our adventure bar!

We arrived at Homer Smith’s in Beaufort, North Carolina, at approximately 1pm. At first we anchored at the fuel dock, the wind, pushing us off the dock. Roland was docking from the flybridge and Matt, the marina the owner, had to pull us in with the spring line. With Matt's help and the bow thruster, we made it and tied up.

We asked Matt about the GFI issue (he is building several new docks and very clear about the issue). He explained the new regulations and the timing. We must jump on this issue asap, so Captain Roland agreed to call the expert from Vero Beach soon.

The forecast for tomorrow was for very heavy winds, so the question was: to leave tomorrow, or not to leave....I do not do well in heavy, choppy, seas! The decision went back and forth, but regardless, Matt asked us to move to a slip, which the Captain did beautifully, not withstanding the conditions, and we tied up.

We had lots of laundry to do and the marina washers and dryers were available, so I did laundry at the marina as well as on the boat, while Michael and Roland borrowed the marina courtesy car, and went to West Marine to pick up our replacement grille (thank you very much Gail and Michael for the treat). While I continued the laundry, Gail went with Michael and Roland, to do the food shopping.

Between running up and back to the marina laundry, I had a chance to speak to Nancy and Randy from “Bella Vita”, a couple from Denver who had bought their boat in Atlantic City (Farley Marina). It was their first boat (Randy was a former pilot and was loving the boating life). We exchanged boat cards and I went back to the marina to move the wash to the dry and take the dry back to the boat. When I got to the marina office, I found that everything had been locked up and Matt had gone home. We had been in such a rush to get our chores done that I had failed to get the code; I was locked out the laundry was locked in. I waited for someone to come by who knew the code; I called the food shoppers to find out if they knew the code; no luck. In desperation, I called Randy (I had his boat card and he had the code!). It felt very weird to call him 2 minutes after meeting him for the first time. He was very gracious.

There was a Kadey Ladies zoom at 7pm which I attended and asked about GFI and learned that almost all the other boats had already taken care of this problem. Again, I stressed about this issue and wondered why our surveyor hadn't addressed this issue, knowing the requirements. I was unhappy about the surveyor again!

At 8pm I had a TCPW zoom with three national White House correspondents which was really terrific.

The decision was made to leave early tomorrow to minimize the choppy seas. I hoped for the best.

Wednesday, April 21, 2021. Day 136.

We had planned to leave at 8am and I was ready at 7:50am, however, Roland and Mike had de-docked at 7:15 am. I was told Captain Roland did a beautiful job. I took a pill and put on the wrist bands; it was windy and rough. At 11:30am to 12:30pm we were in the Neuse River, and it was choppy. When we entered the canal connecting the two larger bodies of water, what a relief, it was calm. Short lived. Warning to me: The sound after the canal could get choppy again, and it did, but I managed (no computer, nor zooms, nor notetaking, nor reading....just watch the horizon and breathe deeply)....all was OK. I actually was able to use the time to handle some telephone calls for Wil and TIAW.

The original plan was to go to River Forest Marina in Belhaven, NC, but the winds being so heavy and in a very inauspicious direction, caused us to make a change. Captain Roland called Henry who was very understanding and agreed that we should spend the night “on the hook”, in a nearby protected area. So at 3:50pm, we anchored in Pungo Creek (bonus: we get to try our new grille for a steak redo), everybody was happy!

After we anchored, Captain Roland and Mike gave me some instructions as to lining up points on the shore to check the boat's position, from time to time, to make sure we were not drifting, while at anchor.

The steaks grilled on our new “secure on the staple” grille, were delicious, with wonderful sweet potatoes and string beans, and a nice red wine. We zoomed with Howard and Debbie (Gail's and my brother and sister-in-law in California ). And the captain who was tired after several early and long days, was looking forward to sleeping late tomorrow before we cruise over to the marina.

April 18-19, 2021 Beautiful Passage.

Sunday, April 18, 2021. Day 133.

We all arose with the sun, and it was spectacular. We have seen some amazing sunrises over the past 4 ½ months, but this one was unbelievable. All four of us ran around the boat taking dozens of photos. The water was like a mirror. The morning was quiet, peaceful and calm. Mike got up early to help Captain Roland take up the anchor and get started. and then he went back to bed (Mike is a retired firefighter so he had a lifetime of training getting up in an instant and then being able to go back to sleep - a wonderful talent). 

 I joined the Captain after Mike went back to bed. We were on the Waccamaw River in South Carolina, going through abandoned rice fields; possibly the finest scenery on this entire journey. We passed a boat selling hotdogs, custard, sodas and coffee, while anchored near a small creek right off the ICW. One of the many unexpected sights that bought a smile to my face. Who would have thought?

We passed Myrtle Beach and went under the Barefoot Landing Swing Bridge, which is 31 feet, without the need to open (MM is 25feet). We did need the next bridge to open, and the tender was excellent. As she saw us arriving she opened the bridge and we did not miss a beat.

Near Ocean Isle Beach, at approximately 2:15pm, my sister at the helm, we got a radio call from the local police for speeding by a marina and, he said, creating too much of a wake (MM has almost no wake, and we are always careful in slow and no wake zones, to reduce our speed). Unfortunately, my sister didn't realize she was passing a marina (her experience is not on the ICW, and this was early in her MM training). The Captain apologized and admitted that he needed to supervise his crew a little more closely. Captain Roland was just loving having so much time off from steering, but there is no free lunch; very embarrassing, but fortunately they didn’t fine us.

We arrived at St. James Plantation Marina, which is a lovely, small marina in a golf community. Before we had completed docking, we were greeted by two guys from Philadelphia who saw our hailing port, and came to the dock as a welcoming party. Much fun!

At our dock, the power post didn’t work and the person in the office hadn’t bothered to tell us it was not functioning, so we wasted a great deal of time and energy trying to figure out how to get the electric to work. Finally Gail suggested just trying a different post. We did and all worked just fine.

Monday, April 19, 2021. Day 134.

I got up early and did my 3 mile run around St. James Plantation. I passed very large houses, beautiful paths, outdoor installed exercise stations; an upscale community, with very reasonable marina prices. A very lovely place to stay.

At 9am, we de-docked, and the wind helped us do so, making the process easier. The Captain is practicing docking and de-docking from the fly bridge, and he loves it. He felt that he is really getting to know MM.

We exited from St James Plantation through a rather narrow passage, and proceeded back on the ICW. Most of the day was spent on the fly bridge, but the weather was erratic: sometimes very windy and overcast and other times sunny and lightly breezy. One gust blew off a cushion on the bow. Fortunately, one snap held, and I brought the 2 cushions into the pilot house, and almost went over the side like a windsurfer. Nothing was lost nor went overboard (including me).

We had only two bridge openings for the rest of the day: the first was very narrow, and there were several other vessels waiting. We all had to circle for 20 minutes; ugh, never fun. Later, we passed Little Wing, from Annapolis Maryland, a tiny sailboat that was captained by a very adventurous young woman. Very spunky!

We anchored at 5:10pm in Mile Hammock Bay; a cute little bay with five or six other small boats. There was a short fetch so there were no “wavelets”, a/k/a white caps. The entrance was very tricky from the ICW, really shallow, narrow with lots of dredging equipment (and it really needs to be dredged); very tough negotiating.

We anchored right near Camp Lejeune, and listened to the cannon blasts in the evening. No maneuvers were in process which was disappointing to the Captain who had hoped to see burned out tanks and helicopters and war games.

It was a beautiful small cove and we had a lovely evening; the end of a beautiful two days.