Coin jock, NC to Baltimore, MD

June 13, 2017 - June 16, 2017

We left Coinjock by 6:15 on the morning of June 13.  We had a long day ahead of us with 14 bridges to pass under and one lock to get through.  Six of the bridges were opening bridges that followed a specific schedule and can slow you down significantly if you don’t reach them at the right time.  Our timing was outstanding that day and we made it through the final bridge in Norfolk, VA by 2 pm.  Consequently we decided to continue on to Mobjack Bay which is about 20 miles up the Chesapeake By on the Western Shore.  After 12.5 hours on the move we were exhausted by the time we anchored.  The next day was another long day with 80 miles to travel to our anchorage in Solomons Island, MD.  Most of the day was an easy motoring trip except we were going slower than would be expected.  Could it be a crab trap caught on the rudder?  I got in the water and checked all-around the rudder and propeller and couldn’t find any evidence of any crab traps so Bob concluded it must be the tidal current.  We dodged a thunder storm in the late afternoon and anchored at about 7 pm…13 hours after we had hauled anchor that morning.  Our anchorage in Solomons was terrific with hardly any boat motion and a nice breeze to keep us cool.

You can see what a great help to navigation
the cats have been during our trip.
This is how they look most of the day.

The next two days were much easier with 43 miles to Galesville to get an estimate on the repair of the damage the loose anchors did to the bow and then 35 miles to Baltimore.  It was great to be in familiar waters and to visit familiar places.  We ate dinner at Pirate’s Cove in Galesville, traveled under the great Bay Bridge, and returned to our condo slip in Baltimore. 

We passed numerous light houses on our
trip up the bay.  This is the Wolf Trap Light
house in Northern Virginia.

Thank you for reading my blog.

Southport, NC to Coinjock, NC

June 9, 2017 - June 12, 2017

Life on the water has greatly improved these last few days.  The sun is still hot, but the breeze is cool and we are much more comfortable in the cockpit during the day and sleeping in the cabin at night.  My attitude improves when I get a good night’s sleep.  The trip from Southport to Coinjock has been one of long days on the water.  One day we lost about 45 minutes of travel time waiting for bridges to open even though the first bridge of the day opened just as we were approaching it.  When a bridge only opens at the top of the hour catching an opening like that is reason to celebrate.  Another day we traveled 84 miles in 11 hours.  Since we got an early start that day we were anchored by 6 pm, but were hungry and tired by then.  After a great dinner of grilled hamburgers and a solar shower we revived.  

Boat travel requires flexibility as the weather, tides and water depths dictate much of your daily schedule.  Even though we are anxious to get back to Baltimore and settle down for awhile this part of the journey is part of the whole adventure and I am learning to appreciate the sites and sounds of the ICW nearly as much as the Bahamas.  This morning we hauled anchor to the sound of brown pelicans swooping down into the water and the sight of a perfect reflection of the trees in the water of a calm river.  Sightseeing when traveling at 7 knots/hour is more enjoyable than when you are traveling 70 mph on an interstate highway.  One day we saw three deer down by the canal getting a drink and a black bear cub swimming across the river.  Amazing.  The camaraderie of fellow cruisers is a big part of the adventure, too.  We saw the black bear because a boat that had just passed us radioed us to look out for the bear in the water.  

Being on a boat early in the morning traveling to our next destination is an extraordinary experience.  Standing on the deck, drinking my first cup of coffee with the cool morning breeze blowing through the cockpit and the water sparkling from the reflection of the rising sun is special to me.  That’s when I know what a privilege it is to be living this cruising life.    

We only stayed at Coinjock overnight, but it was enough time to get a fabulous prime rib French dip sandwich.  We got fuel and ice, got showers and did a load of laundry…all the essentials.

By the time I post my next blog post we should be back in the Chesapeake Bay.

Thank you for reading my blog.

Isle of Palms, SC to Southport NC

June 1, 2017 to June 8, 2017

It’s funny how different my attitude about coming north on the ICW is from going south last fall.  Both Bob and I just want to get back to Baltimore and stay in one place for awhile.  Also, it is hot and humid which makes us both exhausted and grumpy by the end of the day.  Another issue is that we are not looking forward to a great adventure we are just trying to get home.  All of these factors add up to us traveling as many miles as we can in a day and not making many leisurely stops. We should be back in Baltimore by June 15 if all goes as planned.  

After provisioning, doing laundry, and engine maintenance in Isle of Palms we were “back on the road again” by 9:30 am on June 2nd.  Our goal was to get to Georgetown by the evening.  We were making such good time that we changed our plans and anchored behind a small island (Butler Island) just off the ICW.  It was a quiet and peaceful spot.  When we got going the next morning the water was so calm that I got a great reflection shot of the shore line.

This picture gives you an idea of the area we
traveled through today.

We stopped at Barefoot Marina at about 1 pm.  It’s quite a spot with a pool and private shower rooms.  I took advantage of the pool while Bob relaxed in the air conditioned cabin.  We had to wait until 11:00 am to leave in the morning to hit the three trouble spots we needed to traverse today at rising or high tide.  So far Bob’s careful planning around the tides and trouble spots has kept us from having any major grounding problems.  Today was no exception to that.  We made it to Southport Marina at 4:30 and settled in for our two night stay. 

On our way to dinner at Fishy Fishy Cafe we saw
these shrimp boats at Potter's seafood market.
Do you think we can get fresh seafood there? 

The weather kept us in Southport for 4 days instead of 2 so our journey is delayed. Southport is a great place to be stuck even with the rain.  There are wonderful restaurants, lots of cute shops, and a Walmart we can get to by taxi for groceries.  

As an aging mermaid I think I will follow
these rules. I found this plaque in one
of the cute shops on Howe Street.

I liked this sign because it reminded me of
one of my "sistas" who I will be
seeing soon.

We will be on our way north on the ICW tomorrow bright and early!

Thank you for reading may blog.