Riding the storm out, October 29 2012

When we first got to Elizabeth City, we heard about a storm named Sandy that was forming in the Caribbean. People in Elizabeth City seemed unconcerned. In fact, when Dan asked the lady at the visitors' welcome center about it, she replied, "I don't think that there is much to worry about. Y'all gonna be fine."

Well, she was right, we are going to be fine, but Sandy has proven to be something to worry about. We read an article from the Weather Channel that described this storm as one that will, "...occupy a place in the annals of weather history as one of the most extraordinary to have affected the United States." We find ourselves on the edge of the storm, knowing full well that people further north are really going to get hammered.

We left Elizabeth City on Friday and motored back up the Pasquotank River toward the Great Dismal Swamp to a "hurricane hole," behind Goat Island. Before we left town we stocked up on food and wine and took the sails off the boat. In these conditions you want to reduce windage as much as possible.

We are sharing this spot with seven other boats.




This is our view forward from the companionway. This is the view (only darker) that Dan had as he stood watch all night to make sure we didn't drag, or one of the other boats didn't drag into us. We decided that since no one dragged the first night, it was safe to sleep the next night.




This is Groovin', our friends from Toronto and a trawler behind them




This is the Mary T, from Maryland.

We have spent four days at anchor listening to howling winds, often confined in the cabin due to rain. However, we are safe and consider ourselves very lucky to have gotten this far south before the hurricane hit. It was within the last couple of weeks that we were in the places that are going to be hit hardest by Sandy. We are concerned about the people who live in those areas and those traveling there on boats. Tomorrow we hope to head back to Elizabeth City and wait for favorable conditions to head further south.

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Location:Behind Goat Island, in the Pasquotank River

Waiting for Sandy, October 25, 2012

On October 23, we got up and moved into the first lock on the Dismal Swamp Canal. There is a lock at the beginning that raises the boat eight feet and a lock the end that lowers the boat eight feet. It was pretty easy after all our experience on the Erie Canal. This is Jackie on the bow of Heritage.








After getting through the lock, the parade continues. There really is not room to pass, so everyone just falls in line and travels the same speed.




On the way, we said good bye to Virginia and hello to the Tar Heel State.




The scenery is very pretty, but has a kind of sameness.

We stopped that afternoon at the Welcome Center and then the boats really came piling in. By the time nightfall came, we were rafted four deep at the docks. Everyone was friendly and cooperative about tying up and crossing over other boats to get to shore.




In the morning, we were off the dock and on the canal at 7:15. Everyone wanted to make it to the end lock for the 8:30 am opening. When we got to the lock, there were 13 boats lined up and the lock master said over the radio, "come on in and we'll get y'all through." So we did.




Soon after leaving the lock, the canal converges with the Pasquotank River. It opens up and becomes curvy and twists through the swamp.

Soon we got to Elizabeth City and took one of the free docks. This city goes out of its way to welcome boaters. There is a welcoming party, complete with wine, beer and cheese at 4:30 pm. Each of the ladies gets a rose, presented by the Rose Buddies. The former mayor came down to welcome us and tell us a little about the area. He also invited us to attend the free dress rehearsal of the Sound of Music, performed by the local theatre group. We attended, along with nearly all of the other boaters, and everyone had a good time.






This was this morning's sunrise. "Red in the morning......."

Everyone is listening to the weather forecast to try and figure out what Hurricane Sandy is going to do. We have decided to move a little way back up the river to an anchorage that offers excellent protection.

It looks like we will be there several days. That is fine because Dan has a follow up appointment on Tuesday with an oral surgeon after having a tooth extraction today after losing a crown last night. It was amazing that a dentist worked him in, then called the surgeon who also made time to do the extraction.

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Location:Elizabeth City, NC

Anything but Dismal, October 22, 2012

On October 20, we left our quiet anchorage on the Poquoson River for a short run down to the Norfolk area. We were a little surprised to find the Chesapeake Bay was rolling pretty good! This is Heritage, one of the boats we have been traveling with.




This is Groovin', rolling down the bay.




As we approached the bottom of the Chesapeake, we decided to duck into Hampton, VA, rather than continue on to Norfolk. We found a nice place to anchor in a boater-friendly harbor. We found a laundromat that was a long dinghy ride and a short walk away. We got things washed and folded and headed back to the boat.




The next morning we walked over the river to Hampton University. It is a very pretty campus with an interesting history. We toured the impressive African-American Museum at the university.




We also learned that in addition to being a university of opportunity for African-American students, it served as a boarding school for Native-American students in the university's early history.




After we left Hampton, we passed Norfolk and viewed the shipyards and Navy installation.




It is impressive to see a small segment of the United States' military might.



When you leave Norfolk and enter the Intracoastal Waterway, you have to decide whether to take the Virginia Cut or the Dismal Swamp. We chose the Dismal Swamp route.

The Dismal Swamp is a canal (ditch) that was originally proposed and surveyed by George Washington. It has been maintained as a waterway through Virginia into North Carolina, and despite its name, is a pretty piece of Americana.




Tonight we are anchored with Heritage and Groovin' in the Dismal Swamp Canal.




Group shot!

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Location:Deep Creek Lock, Dismal Swamp, VA

Nearing the end of the Chesapeake Bay, October 20, 2012

Fall is coming to Virginia and the colors are just starting to show.



We spent three nights at Deltaville. This was partly because we were waiting for the wind to turn around to the north and partly because we liked it there. After the first night at anchor, we moved into a dock at the Fishing Bay Yacht Club. This very nice club offers one night's free dockage to members of other yacht clubs. By tying up to the dock, we were able to access the Internet, get unlimited fresh water, showers, and walk to the grocery store. We took full advantage of all of these. We did a thorough boat cleaning and got all the salt off. We took real showers for the first time in about ten days and walked to the store. The store owner gave us a ride back.

The night we stayed at the dock we got together at the club house with three other couples that we have been traveling with. Chris from Groovin and George from Heritage played their guitars and sang. It was a fun evening. They are both very talented and although they only met that day, it seemed to us as though they had played together for years. We enjoyed listening to all the old songs we know and appreciate.

In the morning, after getting our dockside chores out of the way, we moved back to the nearby anchorage for the night.

The next morning we hauled anchor at 8:00 am and had a nice sail down the bay to Chisman Creek. We got settled early enough in the day that we were able to listen to the Michigan-Michigan State game while we prepared a fantastic dinner of Jambalya. Michigan won, which made the dinner even sweeter for Dan.




As we came in to Chisman Creek, we passed several duck blinds. No one was hunting, but these guys clearly know how to build comfortable blinds.

The weather continues to be unbelievably nice, sunny and mid 70's. Tomorrow we head to Norfolk.

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Location:Chisman Creek, (near Poquoson, VA)

Crabman, October 18, 2012

We left Solomons Island on October 16 and had a fantastic sail down the Chesapeake Bay to the town of Reedville. It seemed good to actually be sailing after so much motoring.

As we sailed to Reedville, we crossed the Maryland-Virginia state line. Virginia is our seventh state since leaving Michigan.




On the way, we passed the mouth of the Potomac River and soon we started seeing pelicans. They are odd looking creatures.





After we got settled at anchor in Reedville, Dan set the crab traps that we bought in Solomons Island and baited them with chicken necks. In the morning we had our first "keeper crab."




We left early to get ahead of some predicted nasty winds and the bay was like glass, just after sunrise. One thing we have learned about traveling on the Chesapeake is that it always takes longer to travel from anchorage to anchorage than you might expect. The good places to anchor all seem to be, "up the river, past the second bay, to the next creek, to the place where it widens out." Sometimes it seems like to make 20 miles south down the Bay, we have actually travelled 35 miles, or more in total distance. Because of this, it is nice to be able to stay in one spot for multiple nights.




This house is directly behind us as we sit in Jackson Creek near the town of Deltaville. We went for a long walk yesterday and picked up a few things we needed. This town is all about boating. It is called the "boating capital of the Chesapeake" and you can see why. Boats and boating related stores are everywhere.

We are planning to stay here for one or two more nights. From here we will have one more stop before we reach Norfolk. Then it is on to the Intracoastal Waterway.


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Location:Deltaville, Virginia

Anniversary day! October 15, 2012

Today we are celebrating an anniversary. Not a wedding anniversary, (although that is coming up in just over a week) but a live aboard anniversary. Four months ago today we finished cleaning out the house, put the last items in storage, moved aboard Glory Days, and headed to the North Channel.

Two months ago today we left the dock in Tawas, Michigan and headed off for points south.

During the time we have been aboard we have learned a lot, made more than a few mistakes, but have also confirmed that this was the right decision and that we really "can do this."

We have met many nice people and have seen a lot of beautiful sites. We are always encouraged when we talk to others that have either done this trip before or, like us, are doing it for the first time.

We miss family and friends and enjoy staying connected through phone calls, emails, texts, and Facebook. The ability to use technology has helped a lot.

Today we got up early and left the boat at 7:15am for the two mile dinghy ride to the town dock, then walked 1.5 miles to the McDonalds to use the wifi, only to learn it was not working. From there it was on to the grocery store for supplies. As we shop, we make decisions based in part on what we feel we can carry back to the boat.

As we hiked back, we stopped at West Marine and bought two crab traps. Some people anchored near us told us that they have been catching crabs using traps baited with chicken necks. Now we have two traps and two dozen chicken necks, but no crabs.



This is me pulling up the trap to find an untouched chicken neck. Note the disappointed look on my face. We may need to look through the cookbook for a chicken neck recipe.


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Location:Solomons Island, MD

Moving south, it's getting colder, October 14, 2012

After two nights in the San Domingo Creek, we hauled anchor on October 11th, and moved south to the Little Choptank River. As we were leaving SD Creek, we passed dozens of boats that were raking for oysters.





They use long handled "rakes" and feel along the bottom for the oysters and when then find them, they scoop them up with the rake and dump the catch into baskets. It looks like very hard work. You wouldn't want to arm wrestle one of these guys.

Up the Little Choptank, we found a quiet bay to anchor. After being there a short time, we heard the familiar call of a Loon. We often see and hear them in Northern Lake Huron, but this was our first in the Chesapeake Bay. We suspect he is heading south just like us.

In the early evening, another boat came in and anchored outside of us in the channel. The wind was blowing vey hard and their protection was not great. After they got secured, we noticed that their inflatable dinghy had come untied and was very quickly blowing down the bay. Dan radioed them and they said they were aware the dinghy was loose and were inflating the kayak to go get it. That did not seem to us like a good plan, so we jumped into action and got our dinghy motor off the rail and onto our inflatable. Dan put on his foul weather gear, motored over, picked up the owner, and the chase was on. By the time we caught up to their dinghy, it was a good half mile from their boat. We tied a line on and had a long wet ride, towing it back.

When Dan got back to our boat, Laurie had vegetables in the oven and Maryland Style crab cakes we going into the frying pan. Another great meal.

We were awakened in the morning to the sound of gunfire. It was opening day of duck season.




It was a cold, clear morning and we were reminded that fall has arrived on the Chesapeake.

We had a nice motorsail to Solomons Island and found a well protected spot to anchor in Old House Cove. The forecast calls for strong southerly winds for the next few days, so we plan to stay put.

While having drinks with some new Canadian friends from the sailboat Groovin, we were treated to a beautiful sunset.




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Location:Solomons Island, MD

Enough of Annapolis, October 11, 2012

We really enjoyed our time in Annapolis. We loved the city, the sights, the food and the history. The boat show was incredible and we bought a number of things that will make life aboard more comfortable. After nine days, we were ready to move on.





During our stay we had a chance to see some of the historical sites. Like the MLK, Jr. Tree.





And the Thurgood Marshall memorial.




We also visited the State House. This is the oldest capital building of continuous use in the country. It also served as the United States Capital for a while.


After our first failed attempt to see the Naval Academy, Laurie went back with our friend Kaye and the got the tour. Leo and I went to the boat show.

We left Annapolis on October 10th and crossed the Chesapeake to the Choptank River and wound our way up to the Broad Creek and then to a quiet anchorage in the San Domingo Creek, near the town of St. Michaels.

We were told that many famous people have homes in this area including Donald Rumsfeld and Dick Cheney.




We think this might be Cheney's house, but we didn't want to get to close, for fear of getting shot.




After being in Annapolis for so long, it seemed good to be at anchor in a quiet spot.

Today we took the dinghy to shore and explored the town of St. Michaels. This town has transformed itself from a fishing community to a summer destination town with many nice shops, restaurants and spas.







It is also home to the Inn at Perry Cabin, which was used in the filming of the movie, "Wedding Crashers."

The Chesapeake Bay seems like the kind of place we could spend months exploring, but it is getting cold and we need to keep moving south.



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Location:San Domingo Creek, Maryland

Just hanging in Annapolis, October 4, 2012

My Internet connection has been spotty from the boat, so I am having to do this on my phone. Sorry for the brevity.

We are still on the mooring ball in Back Creek. We are getting some things done around the boat and walking around the city. We wanted tour the Naval Academy today, but when we got there we realized we needed picture ID and we had left them back at the boat. We will try again Saturday.





We bought a pound of fresh crab meet and have two fantastic meals of crab cakes. We used a recipe from a book about cruising to the Caribbean called, "An Embarrassment of Mangos." We have both read the book and it has served as a guide and inspiration to us.

We have now been living aboard for about 14 weeks and we continue to be happy and well.


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Welcome to Annapolis, October 1, 2012

After a restful night in Delaware City, DE, we left at noon and headed to the C and D Canal. This canal connects the Delaware Bay to the top of the Chesapeake Bay. It is basically a 400 foot wide, 12 mile long ditch. It cuts through a wilderness area. The guidebook says it is heavily trafficked by commercial boats, but we went through at a quiet time and only saw recreational boats heading south, just like us.




This is a train bridge, that was raised to allow boats to pass.



After clearing the canal, we headed south and stopped for the night at the Sassafras River. This was a remote anchorage that reminded us of anchoring in Lake Huron's North Channel. After five straight nights in marinas, it was a welcome change.

We left in the morning with the tide and headed down the Chesapeake. Sailing down the bay is complicated by the mine fields of crab pots. They are everywhere! We worked together spotting and dodging them all the way to Annapolis.

We arrived late in the day on Sunday and were impressed by the the number of boats out sailing in the bay. This is a huge sailing area and it seemed everyone was out enjoying a fall sailing day.




After an unsuccessful attempt to find an unoccupied mooring ball in the favored Spa Creek, we turned back and found the last ball in Back Creek. Soon after getting secured, we concluded that we like Back Creek better, as it was quieter and less congested. A gentleman from a nearby boat, Spunky, came over in his dinghy to welcome us and give us advice about where to get showers, groceries, and where to land our dinghy to get into Annapolis.




After a restful night, we went into town and looked around and got groceries. This is the Alex Haley Memorial in Annapolis. The photo is a bit compromised by the adds for sailing products as they prepare for the sailboat show.




Annapolis has retained the historic feel, with narrow brick streets and sidewalks.

We are looking forward to spending a week here. Next weekend our friends, Kaye and Leo, are coming out to join us for awhile and we look forward to their visit.

This adventure has had many milestones: Buffalo, the end of the Erie Canal, New York City, Cape May and now Annapolis. It feels very good to be here.

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Location:Annapolis, MD