Cambridge Municipal Yacht Basin

What a pleasant stay in Mill Creek.  It was such a calm night, we probably could have anchored anywhere.  A nice calm night and morning, however, does not always bode well for sailing.  The forecast of 10 to 15 knots out of the southwest never materialized.  Instead we experienced less than 10 knots out of the west northwest, then the southwest.  As a result, the motor had to assist the sails.  We recall these light summer winds from our visit two years ago.  The upside is that it makes for easier docking.

We settled in here about 3 pm, met our neighbors on a Whitby 42 (built in Fort Meyers as opposed to Toronto like Hold Fast), paid our bill, ate and then took a nap.  Brad showed up around 6 pm and we must have talked out on the dock for about 3 hours.  He and Sabrina, on ‘Joint Venture,’ crossed the Gulf Stream with us back to the states last year.  They are just three slips down.  It will be good to spend some time with them.

We have had some communications with a local church and they are glad to have our help with their VBS (Vacation Bible School) over the next 10 days.  At the transient rate for the yacht basin, a 10 day stay costs about the same as one month.  We opted for one month.  Now we can help with more than VBS and also get a longer visit in with Brad and Sabrina.

Even though we stayed here two years ago, I am sure there will be more to tell about Cambridge and the new people we meet.   We do not typically update our blog unless we move our location, however I will try to keep you periodically updated as to our local activities.

Love to all,

Dena

Posted via wifi
{GMST}38|34.607|N|076|04.303|W|Moored|{GEND} 

Solomons

Tyler got about a week at Deltaville.  He got to see the York River District Youth Choir, and even make a yard sign for them.  Jean and I, and many other ladies, prepared the food for the 58 youth/young adults before their performance.  Aaron, Jean’s grandson and Floyd Jean’s eldest, leads the group.  The week before their performance they do mission work, engage in worship and Bible study, and practice daily.  It showed.  We were blessed by the program.  I was thrilled when I heard we had arrived in time to attend, as we had attended two years prior when we first met the Ward’s. 

Tyler flew home to Phoenix out of Richmond on July 1.  It was a pretty drive to the airport and I must admit, the Richmond TSA folks were the most kind and friendly I have ever encountered…EVER.  SWA/Air Tran gave Myron and I gate passes so we could wait with Tyler for his plane.  We even waited to watch it take-off.  I hated to think that there could have been a mechanical problem and Tyler be stuck at the airport after we left.  All worked out fine – including a plane change in Atlanta - and he was home safe that evening.

We spent almost another week with the Ward’s, celebrating our country’s birthday, as well as mine.   The parade was a little short this year, but we got some good laughs since everyone knows everyone (except that strange clown that kissed Jean’s friend Shirley!)  Our favorite was this 'National Lampoon' twist on Deltaville!

We hung out with Gary (another Ward son), his wife and kids on the ‘flats,’ a sand bar near that tight entrance to Jackson Creek.  Nothing like adding to the tension of running the entrance when you see people standing in the water as you sail by!  Also, Jean patiently taught me how to make a cathedral quilt.  Her best bud Sue gave me all the backing fabric I needed to start on a baby blanket.  I am so blessed!  Of course Jean wants a progress report when we return in the fall.

We were all sad about our departure this morning, but there are other places for us to serve.  Tonight is just a stop over.  We hope to get to Cambridge, Maryland, Tuesday or Wednesday.  Today was a long day, almost 11 hours of travel.  We are nicely tucked in behind Calvert Marina on Mill Creek.  It is pretty quiet here.  And it is not too hot since it was cloudy or raining most of the day.  We have eaten, showered, and are ready to watch a show and hit the hay.

Here is a picture of Myron and Tyler in front of the Ocracoke lighthouse:

 

I promise that soon I will post a blog to share more pictures!

Love to all,

Dena

 
Posted via 3G
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Deltaville – Ward’s Dock

Sunday started off quite special when the lock tender stopped by and asked us to join him for coffee while he dealt with the southbound traffic.  He had donuts and OJ for Tyler, coffee and fruit for us, and lots and lots of stories.  His name is Robert, and his dog’s name is “U-Turn.”  He has tended that lock for 18 years and has the least tenure of all the tenders!  The story that had us laughing pretty hard was when he was trying to tell the skipper on a sailboat, who refused to use the radio, that he would take the stern line first due to the wind direction.  The guy kept saying “what?” so Robert yelled “stern line first.”  This happened so repeatedly that Robert shortened it to “stern first.”  Robert resumed chatting with other boaters until he saw many of them gawking at something, he turned to see the guy backing his sailboat into the lock…”stern first!!” 

There were five small sailboats and a trawler that had to proceed southbound through the lock before the northbound traffic could enter.  The five small sailboats were scout boats.  I am glad Tyler got to experience a lock with us before he saw the mess those guys made of it.  In summary, two of the boats hit each other before even making it to the lock, they lined up on the wrong side, did not have lines ready, and one engine kept dying so the boat could not enter the lock.  Robert was pretty patient, but at one point he did yell at the cluster of boats going in all directions,” if you are not coming into the lock, tie up outside and wait for the next one.”   They really put the lock behind schedule.  We knew we would not make the 9:30 am Gilmerton Bridge opening, but now making the 10:30 am opening was coming into question.   Once Robert got all those folks through, we readied Hold Fast to enter the lock northbound.  It was much more efficient and, better yet, Robert asked for some help.  Myron donned his life jacket, stepped off the boat and got instructions to go to the control booth and open the valves to release the water.  Myron was like a kid on Christmas – he got help operate the lock!  Robert said he needed Myron to do that while he did something else and it saved us 15 minutes on getting out of the lock.  We really needed that time and ultimately did make the 10:30 opening of the Gilmerton Bridge – plus Robert called to tell them we were coming!  What a fun start of the day.

We considered tying up to a wall in Portsmouth to do the Norfolk tourist thing.  Unfortunately, I was still too under the weather to handle much walking – therefore we pressed on and anchored at Old Point Comfort.  I think I slept for four hours before rising to make dinner.

Today the winds were light and we were probably only on sails alone for 20% of the time, the rest was motor assist.  What wind there was, was behind us, which can be a blessing.  Myron worked Hold Fast into the tight entrance at Jackson Creek – we saw 7 feet at high tide.  We are now tied up to the Ward’s dock.  We have already visited with them, had dinner, and hope to see Floyd Jean (Jr) tonight.  Please pray for him and his family as he continues the battle with cancer he was fighting when we visited two years ago. 

Love to all,

Dena

Posted via WiFi.
{GMST}37|32.959|N|076|19.987|W|Docked|{GEND}

{GMST}37|00.559|N|076|19.087|W|Anchored|{GEND}

Chesapeake City – Virginia

Today we slid into Virginia on the Dismal Canal.  We only had a few hours travel, good thing too – I am still pretty weak.  We tied up to the bulkhead just before the bridge, did some very needed grocery shopping and then took in some Mexican food.  A far cry from the good food we enjoy in the southwest, but better than Florida’s.  After the 1:30 bridge opening, we tied off at the park dock just short of the lock.  This is where we will stay for the night.

A quick walk around the park revealed an amateur radio gathering.  One of the fellows was attempting to communicate with a satellite.  All three of us stayed for the first attempt, but it was a no go.  Apparently the satellite was too low on the horizon.  I went back to the boat to go to bed and Myron attended the second attempt about two hours later.  They could listen in but not talk to them.  In addition to the large rotating antenna (five element yagi) for satellite communication, they had di-pole antennas strung up all over the park and generators running all the equipment.  I asked how they got the antennas up in the 100 foot trees.  “With an air gun and a weighted tennis ball” was the answer.  Wish I had been there to see that!  What a great group of people.  They welcomed us right in and were happy to feed Myron dinner! 

The lock master promised to put coffee at 8:00 in the morning tomorrow, so not too early of a day.  Still, I am ready to hit the hay!

Oh, by the way, there was a cemetery in the middle of the park.  I am beginning to get used to such odd placement.

Love to all,

Dena

Posted via WiFi.
{GMST}36|44.738|N|076|20.478|W|Docked|{GEND}

Dismal Swamp Visitor Center

I love this place!!

We tied up behind 'Puff,' a sailboat we had heard on the radio in the Bahamas. Nice young couple, with fuel filter problems.  It's always something...

We checked in with the ever courteous and helpful ladies at the Welcome Center and found out they now broadcast wifi.  Just sign in with the ladies and get the code.  We crossed the canal bridge to attend the nature exhibit with all sorts of information about the Great Dismal Swamp and canal.  The canal was proposed before the Revolutionary War.  Sixty years later George Washington participated in making it come about.  His lumber land in the swamp may have been a source of motivation!

It is always fun to talk to the folks who stop here by car (it is also a highway rest stop) and are so surprised to see a big sailboat at the park's edge.  Another cruiser and I talked to one man for quite some time.  His wife came up shaking her head.  She did not have the car keys or her cell phone and was baffled by his disappearance until she spied the sailboat masts across the park.  She figured she would find him there, talking stories.

I have managed to get some kind of horrible coughing illness.  Myron and Tyler put up with my heavy coughing and lack of desire to cook.  Hopefully today we will find that same Mexican Food restaurant open that we attended two years back, and they can fill up.

Love to all,
Dena


Posted via WiFi.
{GMST}36|30.392|N|076|21.348|W|Docked|{GEND}

Elizabeth City Update

Things have changed over the last 1.5 years since we have been here.  The ice cream shop is closed, that great deli closed, and the Fresh Market grocery no longer comes to the waterfront to pick people up for shopping.  That is the down side.  The upside: Still a free dock for 48 hours, the volunteer, Gus, is still around (Sam is not so mobile these days), you can still get water here, the visitor center gives you a code to the restroom, the museum is great, and Quality Seafood restaurant is still doing a good business!

It was a good stay.  Wednesday I did four loads of laundry and got some help from Myron folding and carting it back to the boat.  We attended the Wednesday night potluck at First Baptist Church and caught up with Pastor Chris and his wife, Jennel.  And we had a super plus with our stay here:  the cold front passage brought 60 degree weather.  What a blessed relief!

Tomorrow, Lord willing, we will begin our two day journey up the Dismal Swamp Canal.  It is one of our favorite passages.  Not sure about internet coverage in the next couple of stops, maybe cell coverage.  It is what it is!

Love to all,
Dena

Elizbeth City

Posted via WiFi.
{GMST}36|17.921|N|076|13.099|W|Docked|{GEND}

South Lake - off Alligator River

Today was a long haul, but worth it because we are positioned to cross the Albemarle Sound tomorrow and go up to Elizabeth City. Assuming the weather holds. We got a thunderstorm shortly after anchoring. It cools off the temperature outside. Once it stops raining we can cool it off inside. We remember the Alligator River for its aggressive yellow biting flies. They are still here, but kept at bay by our screens.

This anchorage is void of any obvious residences, and likewise void of cell phone service. Our neighboring anchored boat is using Nexus and getting service. No joy with T-Mobile or Virgin Mobile. Myron dug out our old Verizon phone and it shows a bar! Maybe we will put a couple bucks on that service! Always a struggle in our travels to communicate. We thank God for our Ham radio!

Love to all,
Dena

Posted via Ham Radio.
{GMST}35|55.048|N|075|54.804|W|Anchored South Lake|{GEND}

Pungo Creek

So I am wondering...is there ever a day on the Pamlico Sound without a small craft advisory? At least we did not see 30 knots today, just 20. Soon enough we were off the sound and turning into Pungo River toward our protected anchorage here in Pungo Creek.

In Ocracoke, we managed to finally meet Liz and Devin on "Moosetracks," a 45' Island Packet. They are friends of Bruce and Gina's and Gina has been trying to introduce us since last December back in the Bahamas! Yesterday the five of us hiked trails and the Ocracoke lighthouse. We went our separate ways this morning. When they hailed us on channel 16, our friends on Motu overhead and joined in the radio conversation. Always nice to know you have friends out there, somewhere, lurking on the radio!

We are headed north, mostly, to Elizabeth City and hope to be there around Tuesday...just in case any of our crazy friends feel like driving a few hundred miles to meet up with us!

Once again, we have no cell coverage here and are dependent upon our Ham radio.

Love to all,
Dena

Posted via Ham Radio.
{GMST}35|30.575|N|076|38.911|W|Anchored Pungo Creek|{GEND}

Ocracoke

We set out early yesterday morning, knowing the winds would kick up later in the day. About an hour after we left the anchorage we heard a weather alert that at noon the winds would be up to 30 knots. That was five knots more and three hours earlier than had just been forecast. We planned to be through the shoal area and inside the harbor before the winds kicked up the seas too much. Oh well. As Myron says, "it is what it is." We had no idea so many vehicle ferrys came to this place. We had to do a quick turn around at the entrance while one came out. In 30 knots of wind, it was a bit stressful. There was no room at the park service dock, so we anchored out with a few other boats. There is not that much room for anchoring and I have seen better holding. We rode out three thunderstorms last night, the first one finished about 10 pm, the second about 1:30 am, and the last one around 4 am. Suffice to say, today we needed some rest. We saw an opening on the park service dock and took it this morning. It was supposed to be cheap. By cheap, we think about $20/day. It is, rather, $1.25/foot/day and $3.00/day for electric. Still, it allows us to take long walks and leave Hold Fast secure at dock.

The visitor center materials showed some museums, exhibits and possible food markets. We hit all of those, paying special attention to the Blackbeard Exhibit, and grabbed an ice cream on the way back. The winds are not favorable for leaving here in the next day or two. We have no cell service again, and the internet is off and on. We will do our best to communicate.

Love to all,
Dena

Posted via Ham Radio.
{GMST}35|06.927|N|075|59.167|W|Underway|{GEND}