Belhaven, NC to Beaufort, NC

November 11, 2018 - November 17, 2018

The weekend was predicted to be cold so we stayed put in Belhaven, NC to take advantage of our heater that we can only use when we are plugged in to shore power.  On Saturday we watched Penn State beat Wisconsin and then went out to dinner at The Tavern at Jack’s Neck.  Apparently Belhaven used to be called Jack’s Neck.  the restaurant interior was beautiful with wood everywhere and several alcoves and levels to make the dinner more intimate.  The food was excellent as well.  On Sunday we relaxed, watched NFL football, and prepared for our departure on Monday.

We had two sailboats behind us.  One was from Galesville, where we have the boat maintenance done and kept our boat there for several years.  The second boat was from Newark, DE where I grew up.  The boat owner went to Christiana H S and graduated in ’68.  I went to the same HS and graduated in ’69.  Small world!

Early Monday morning we helped the boat behind us push off and then we had room to take off, too.  It was a narrow channel, but Bob’s expert boat handling got us out without incident.  We are always thankful for our full cockpit enclosure on these cold mornings.  While other sailors are bundled up in their foul weather gear we are comfortable with a light fleece jacket.  Later in the day on the Nuese River the wind picked up and we had a choppy ride.  The waves were hitting us from the port stern which caused the boat to roll sideways.  I didn’t get sick, but I wasn’t a happy sailor.  We anchored just off the ICW in Adams Creek.  Later that night the wind picked up bringing heavy rains and lightening.  At about 3am my phone alerted us to a tornado warning that was on until 5am and to take shelter immediately.  Needless to say we didn’t get much sleep after that.  In the morning all was calm, but Bob discovered that we had dragged anchor about 500 ft. putting us in shallow water.  We moved the boat into deeper water and anchored again.  It is fortunate that we didn’t have a worse outcome from dragging.  We waited for the Beaufort Docks Marina to contact us to let us know that our slip was available.  We left the anchorage at 9:30 am and were docked in Beaufort by 12:15.  After checking in we enjoyed the daily special (meatloaf, coleslaw, string beans) at the Dockside Restaurant. Yummy! 

The town built a boardwalk at the water front that is lined with 

restaurants and shops and, of course, the Beaufort Docks Marina.

Rainy Days is safely tied up at the marina for a few days.

My phone was whacked out and I couldn’t use the hot spot to get WiFi so I walked to a coffee and wine bar to use their WiFi.  I needed to make flight reservations to visit Claire (my children’s grandmother and a dear friend) and her husband Fred in Sarasota, FL.  I decided to combine  the trip with a trip to Houston to visit my son’s family and be there for my grandson’s 5th birthday.  Using the WiFi with a glass of chardonnay was much less frustrating than fighting with the WiFi on the boat.  I did finally fix my phone though - yes, I just had to turn it off and turn it back on again to get it back to normal.

Beaufort reminds us of a little Annapolis with its history and focus on boating.  Bob has challenged me to visit all of the shops in town in one afternoon.

Shops and restaurants line the main street (Front Street)
which is parallel to the water front.

We went to a new restaurant on the boardwalk and had great pizza.
 You can see the brick oven in this photo.

I love to photograph flags.

Thursday was a bust.  it poured down rain from early morning until the afternoon.  It let up just long enough for me to do two loads of laundry at the laundry mat.

The laundry mat is conveniently located across Front street
from the marina and at the back of the General Store (white building).

On Friday we borrowed the loaner car and drove to the Verizon in Moorehead City to change our carrier. We just weren’t getting the coverage we needed in the more rural areas that we travel through.  Hopefully, this switch will solve that problem, and with Bob’s former military discount it won’t cost us much more than T-Mobile.   We walked around town a bit enjoying the bright sunshine and cool temperature.

Provisioning was the main task for Saturday.  We stopped at the town’s farmer’s market hoping to find some fresh produce, but the market was mostly crafts at this time of year.  We borrowed the loaner car and got our groceries at the local Food Lion.  In the afternoon we listened to Penn State football.  

Thank you for reading my blog.

Beaufort, NC to Southport, NC

November 18, 2018 - November 25, 2018

Early Sunday (11/18) morning we cast off and headed south on the ICW.  The weather was beautiful and by the time we anchored in Mile Hammock Bay (near Camp Lejeune) I was wearing shorts.  Since we have the full cockpit enclosure up the sun warms us up nicely even if the air is chilly.  Along the way today we saw evidence of the destruction of Hurricane Florence mostly in blue tarps covering roof damage and missing siding.  

On Monday we left our anchorage at 7:15 in heavy rain that had started early in the morning.  We wanted to make sure we got past New River Inlet at mid and falling tide.  It’s nice to get what we thought was the only tough spot done early.  We had three opening bridges to contend with today, and Bob timed our travel so we wouldn’t have to wait too long for openings.  It is stressful to circle around in front of a bridge with other boats lined up for the opening as well. Between the Figure Eight Bridge and Wrightsville Beach Bridge we went aground briefly at an inlet, but Bob was able to power through the shallow section. After traversing a part of the ICW with incredible mansions lining the west side, we arrived in Wrightsville Beach.  It is a beautiful area, and we are hoping our favorite restaurants here have not been damaged by Florence.

Since our reservation in Southport doesn’t start until Wednesday, November, 21 we enjoyed a stopover day in Wrightsville. Our favorite Mexican restaurant, Tower 7, was open and the food was a delicious as we remembered.

The beach was deserted except for this lone fisherman.

Of course, when I saw this shop advertising
 hurricane sale bargains I had to check it out.  

This view of Wrightsville beach shows the fishing pier.

We left Wrightsville Beach at 7:15 on Wednesday morning headed for Southport, NC.  With a favorable tide helping us on the Cape Fear River we arrived by 11:00am.  The bright sunshine and cool breeze made it perfect for a walk over to Fishy Fishy for lunch.  On our way back to the boat we stopped to admire an American Tug and were invited aboard for a tour. It has a beautiful roomy layout with a great galley.  

That afternoon I made a pumpkin pie (sugar free, of course) and Bob made cranberry relish in preparation for our Thanksgiving “feast”.  While I was baking the pie the propane tank ran out and Bob had to switch to the spare. Thanksgiving was great; good food, nice weather, and lots of football. 

On Friday morning we walked to the outpatient clinic at the local hospital (about 1 mile) for Bob to have his eye examined.  Since there were no eye doctor’s offices open until Monday the hospital was our only recourse.  Bob was seen quickly and diagnosed with an eye infection and prescribed drops to clear it up.  We then walked a half mile further to the pharmacy, had lunch at a pizzeria, and then walked to Walmart to buy our needed groceries.  By the time the Uber driver dropped us off at the marina it was 3:00 pm.  In the pouring rain on Saturday we took an Uber to Oak Island hardware to get our propane tank refilled.  Then we watched college football.  Penn State handily beat Maryland in their final regular season game.

Sunday we were busy all day with the chores to get ready to head out on Monday - laundry, changing engine oil and filter, cleaning our composting toilet, cleaning the water filters, and the cleaning interior of the boat.  It was another exhausting day, but I did take time to walk to the Christmas store to buy some decorations for the boat.

My next blog post will be about the final leg of our journey and will be posted from Charleston, SC our final destination for the season.

Thank you for reading my blog.

Hampton, VA to Belhaven, NC

November 4, 2018 - November 10, 2018

Sunday was a restful day.  The only things on the agenda - cleaning the boat interior, filling the water tanks, and getting groceries.  Right after a mediocre brunch at the Grey Goose Restaurant we took an Uber to the local Food Lion and found everything on our list.  After stowing all the groceries I decided to take advantage of the beautiful weather (sunny and cool) and take a walk.  I crossed one of the many bridges in town admiring the changing colors of the leaves. On my way back to the boat I stopped into a gallery which displayed and sold art from 65 local artists.  Back on the boat I watched the last quarter of the Ravens vs. Steelers game. The final score was 20-26 with the steelers on top.

On Monday we left for Great Bridge, VA at 9:15.  We weren’t in a rush because we thought it would be a short day.  We didn’t reach mile 0 of the ICW (intracoastal waterway) until noon and we still had 15 statute miles to go.  With waiting for bridges and locks to open we didn’t tie up at the Great Bridge free dock until 3:30.  The seas were smooth and Lola spent most of the day out in the cockpit with the rest of us.  She was a little restless and needed attention at first, but soon settled down and even took a nap.  

The cats have an easy time of it while we are underway.

Next stop - Coinjock Marina which is basically a series of boats tied up at a bulkhead on the ICW.  The Coinjock dock hands are experts at getting as many boats tied up as possible leaving no more that 12 inches between boats. We took much needed showers and had a great dinner at the restaurant.  We decided to forego their famous prime rib and went with seafood.

We left Coinjock at 7:00 am.  The weather was sunny and mild with very little wind.  We were moving along so well we decided to go all the way to right outside of the Alligator River/ Pongo River Canal.  It was a long day, but very low stress.  We anchored along with 11 other boats at around 3:30 pm. The best advantages for anchoring out are; it’s free, we can grill, and the sunsets are amazing.

You can see the heavy clouds moving in that brought rain in the morning.

Lola celebrated her first birthday on 11/7.

We entered the Alligator River/ Pongo River canal at 7:30 am.  The 25 mile long canal was an easy trip and we tied up at the Belhaven Marina by lunch time.  We walked downtown to the Gingerbread Bakery for lunch.  It was a quaint spot with delicious reasonably priced food. 

The Marina office and facilities are pictured.
This marina has the best shower facilities of any
marina we have experienced.

Belhaven  (Beautiful Harbor) is a historic town which calls itself the "The Birthplace of the ICW". In 1928 with the completion of the Alligator River/ Pongo River Canal the ICW was complete and was dedicated in Belhaven.

One of the historic buildings in the town.

In the next two days I visited every shop in town.  They ranged from antiques to high end clothing stores. 

The most interesting spot was a shop with individual boutiques.

 Every nook was filled with unique merchandise.

 Antiques were mixed with new merchandise in this room.

We will be staying in Belhaven until Monday because of the cold (below freezing) weather that is due on Saturday night.

Thank you for reading my blog.

Annapolis, MD to Hampton, VA

October 28, 2018 - November 3, 2018

The C&C rendezvous was quite a success.  Sailors brought their boats from as far away as North Carolina, drove in from Canada, and flew in from Minnesota.  We toured each other’s boats, admiring all of the updates and custom additions gleaning ideas for our own boats, shared meals, and lots of conversation.  Bob and I are the only live-aboard cruisers in the group, but many of the couples are looking forward to the cruising lifestyle in the future.  Sunday was the last day of the get together and involved visiting back and forth and saying good-by.  

Four C&C boats are tied up in slips.

Annapolis will always feel like home.

We left Annapolis at 10:30 after breakfast at City Dock Coffee.  It was windy and overcast, but our plan was to go only as far a Galesville where we dropped anchor at 1:30.  Lola seems to be getting more used to the movement of the boat while we are underway, but did not join us in the cockpit.  That night the temperature went down to 43 degrees and the boat was at 56 degrees when we woke up.  Bob got up first and lit the propane fireplace to take the chill off, such a gentleman!

The sun was shining brightly when we left Galesville  at 7:30 am, but the boat had not warmed up much. Our trip to Solomon’s was uneventful and when we tied up at Zanhizer’s H dock at 2:00pm the cockpit was toasty warm. Lola had joined us in the cockpit for most of the trip which is a good sign that she will be a stellar boat cat.  Bob continues to revise our trip plan as we go along. Originally, he had planned seven stops between Annaolis and Norfolk. He has eliminated the Eastern Shore stops narrowing it down to five stops.

We left Zanhizer’s at sunrise heading for Fishing Bay, but the wind and waves kicked up negatively effecting our speed.  We stopped for the night about 15 miles short of our goal in Wicomico River.  We left the next morning at sunrise hoping to make it half way to Hampton.  Our speed was good and the seas were manageable so we decided to go all of the way to Hampton.  The wind and waves increased in the afternoon slowing us down a bit and we didn’t dock at the Downtown Pier until 5:15.  Fortunately, the Bull Island Brewing Company was just a few feet away from where we were docked and we had a light dinner there.  

Hampton, VA is the longest continuously occupied English speaking community in America even though it was burned to the ground in both the Revolutionary and the Civil wars.  We went out to lunch on Friday and visited a unique antique shop.

The tree lined streets contain small local restaurants and shops.

This antique shop also had a wide variety of local craftsmen's wares.

On Saturday, we walked around town a bit and I visited the History Museum and the 98 year old Carousel.

This creative mural was on a building on Wine Street.

The museum was very informative with displays tracing the early colonization thru the present.  

 Blackbeard, the famous pirate, was convicted, hanged,
and beheaded in Hampton.  His head was placed on a
spike and displayed on a point of land at the head of
 the Hampton River to warn off other pirates.

The carousel operated at the Buckroe Amusement Park from
1920 - 1985 when it was dismantled and stored until renovation could begin.

The renovated carousel was reassembled in an
enclosed pavilion where it now operates.
The carousel contains 42 oil paintings, 30 mirrors,
a Bruder Band Organ, 48 hand carved wooden horses,
and two hand carved wooden chariots.

The rest of Saturday was spent enjoying college football games. Go Penn State!

Thank you for reading my blog.

Final Days in Baltimore and Trip to Annapolis

October 2, 2018 - October 27, 2018

We were in a  holding pattern concerning our departure for Charleston, SC where we will stay from 12/1/18 to 3/31/19.  I continued my physical therapy and dealt with insurance issues.  Our latest run in with Allstate has caused us to rethink our plan to negotiate on our own.  We have enlisted the help of a law firm.  

One of our neighbors in the marina left for their winter berth last week and had a short haul to clean the barnacles off their props.  When Bob saw the extensive growth on their props he decided to hire a diver to clean our prop before we leave.  Divers are busy this time of year and we couldn’t get an appointment until 10/24/18.  Our new departure date will be Thursday 10/25/18.

The fun part of this delay is that I have been able to spend more time with Jess - sewing and going out to lunch on the last two Saturdays.  She is managing a huge concert for Peabody involving over 500 performers.  It is the Bernstein Mass which Leonard Bernstein created for the opening of the Kennedy Center in 1971. The performers are from Baltimore City Schools, Morgan State University, New Psalmist Baptist Church Choir, and Peabody Conservatory.  This concert is a gargantuan task and I am looking forward to attending it on 10/26/18.

We left Baltimore on 10/24/18 at 8:00 AM.  The weather was cool, but with our full cockpit enclosure we were well protected from the elements.  We arrived in Annapolis in time for lunch at Pip’s dogs on Dock Street. I always have the Almost Chicago Dog that is loaded with all kinds of yummy condiments.  We are in Annapolis for the C&C rendezvous which is a gathering of C&C boat owners in the area.

I researched public transportation from Annapolis to Baltimore so I could attend the "Mass" and found a commuter bus that would leave Church Circle (within walking distance of City Dock) at 3:17 on Friday afternoon.  On Friday C&C boats and their owners began to fill up the slips at City Dock.  We met up with many of them and the planned cover dish for the evening was moved from the dock to our boat because of the predicted N’oreaster that was moving into the area.  So while I was in Baltimore at the Bernstein Mass Bob was hosting 12-15 people for a cover dish dinner on our boat.  With the full enclosure everyone was well protected from the rain.

s/v Rainy Days cockpit full of C&C owners

My bus trip went smoothly and I met Joe (my son-in-law) at the Brew House for dinner before leaving for the "Mass" that Jessica had produced for Peabody Conservatory.  It was held in the New Psalmist Baptist Church which has a seating capacity of 4000 and the house was almost full. I really didn’t know what to expect, but the impact of the Mass was incredible.  With the multitude of performers and genres (from marching bands to opera) and the powerful message of the music I was overwhelmed and inspired.  The work to produce such a spectacular show was incredible.  I am very proud of Jessica to say the least. 

It was such a thought provoking and inspiring performance,
I'm so glad I could attend.

After the show I spent the night at Jess and Joe’s and returned to Annapolis via light rail and Uber by 11:00 on Saturday.

The rendezvous was in full swing with pain killers flowing.  I spent the afternoon and evening on one of the boats making friends with all of the C&C owners.  Great times.

Thank you for reading my blog.

Hurricane Season in Baltimore, part 2

September 10, 2018 - October 1, 2018

In the past few weeks Bob and I have spent countless hours dealing with the fallout from my accident in which I was sitting at a red light and was slammed into by a pick up truck.  I have been going to physical therapy twice a week and Bob has been dealing with issues concerning the damage to our car.  Here are the particulars:

• After several days the insurance company of the truck driver (Allstate) determined that the accident was not my fault and they would accept responsibility
• It took several more days to get an initial estimate on the damage and repairs
• After a week the car was towed to Koon’s Toyota in Annapolis for repair.
• By the end of the next week Koon’s determined that the car was a total loss due to structural damage
• During this time period I was informed by GEICO (our insurance company) that they would be paying my medical expenses under PIP (whatever that means). This entailed several hours of filling out paperwork and talking with insurance agents.
• When I took out my Sailrite sewing machine (that was stored in the back of our car) several pieces fell off and when I used it to repair a friend’s canvas it made all kinds of terrible noises. This caused another round of phone calls to Allstate and Sailrite to determine what to do to get the machine repaired.  We took the machine to UPS and had it packed and shipped to Sailrite for repair. 
• I took pictures of the machine which I sent to Allstate along with the repair estimate given to me by Sailrite.  I payed for the repairs out of pocket as I needed the machine to complete projects before our departure for Charleston. Sail rite repaired my machine in one day and sent it back to me immediately.  I still haven’t heard from Allstate about paying for the repairs.
• Bob is still in negotiation with Allstate to determine the evaluation of our car.  They want to pay us trade in value and we want replacement value.  It just doesn’t seem fair that we should be penalized $3000 for sitting at a red light and getting slammed into by a truck.  We will see what happens.
• Bob researched and found a Toyota Prius that was the same model as our old Prius but 2 years younger at the Koon’s Toyota in Westminster which we made arrangements to buy.  We still haven’t been paid for our totaled car but we got a loan and picked up the car last Thursday relieving Allstate of the expense of a rental car.

 We are very happy with our new (to us) car.

• Who knows what the outcome of all this will be, but I get the feeling that we will be royally screwed by Allstate no matter what we do.
• I am still being treated by a physical therapist to correct the damage to my neck and upper back.  I am recovering slowly.

Another incident that occurred to rock our world was hurricane Florence hitting the Carolinas early on September 14th.  New Bern, NC (where we were planning to spend the winter months) took a direct hit.  The damage to the marinas and the town was colossal.  After much discussion we decided to cancel our marina reservation in New Bern and make a reservation in Charleston, SC.  We can only hope that no more hurricanes will hit the area this season.  

Bob and I have been working to complete the few remaining projects and provision for the trip south.  A major project which I finally completed was the 

Androsia Batik quilt that I started when we were in the Bahamas.  After having it machine quilted by a local quilter I sewed on the binding and here it is!

I think it was worth the effort to have this quilt which will not only keep us warm,
but also remind us of our time in the Bahamas.

Here is the quilt tucked into our bed in the V-berth.

Our plan is to leave our marina on October 18 as the work to replace our dock will begin on October 19.  We still have several doctor’s appointments to attend and provisioning to complete by then.  

I have been able to spend lots of time with Jessica since she got back from Aspen and have met up with my sister Laurie.  Seeing the rest of my family will have to wait until my next trip back to the area.

My next blog post should chronicle the final dealings with Allstate, our last preparations, and our first few days of our seasonal migration south.

Thank you for reading my blog.

Hurricane Season in Baltimore

I have obviously taken a hiatus from my blog. I’ll try to get caught up on what has been happening on s/v Rainy Days with Bob and I.  This will be somewhat like a “What I Did Last Summer” essay (you know the ones you always wrote on the first day of school).  I don’t think students do that anymore.

My summer was taken up for the most part with boat maintenance and projects, visiting family, integrating Lola (our new kitten) into our family, and sewing.

Boat maintenance and projects:

• The boat was at Hartges Yacht Yard in Galesville for 2.5 weeks for yearly maintenance and replacement of the wiring in the mast which required the yard to remove the mast.  This was the first time the mast had ever been removed so we were apprehensive about what they would find, but there were no unusual problems and that repair went smoothly.  
• While the boat was being worked on Bob kept a close eye on the progress while I sewed a sunshade for the cockpit and constructed cushions for the cockpit life lines.  

Joe visited us while we were in Galesville
for our boat work and he and I went Kayaking.  

On our way back to Baltimore from Galesville we stopped

 in Annapolis for a couple of nights.  

We watched a sailing school training sailboat racers.

• Overall we completed over 80 projects such as mounting a new solar panel, water proofing all the sunbrella, installing a new TV and sound system, cleaning and painting the dinghy bottom, installing a new range and fixing the damage to the doorway we had to enlarge to get the old stove out and the new stove in, and a myriad of other smaller projects
• It was a very productive summer!

Visiting family:

• I was able to spend quality time with all my sisters and children which was one of the best parts the summer.
• Laurie and I spent two days together visiting our only living Aunt, Aunt Mary Ruth. We supervised a doctor visit, chatted, and went out to dinner together.
• Becky and I spent a week together at the Outer Banks in NC along with her daughter, son-in-law, grandson, and many of their extended family and friends.  It was a new beach experience for me and I made some great new friends.

Becky and I are relaxing on the veranda.

• Nancy and I drove together up to Sarah Barr’s (Laurie’s daughter) in New Jersey for the Barr’s annual summer party.  I then spent the night at Nancy’s which gave us plenty of time to catch up.

My sisters and I always enjoy a good party together!

• I visited with Rachel, Juan and Lilli in August in Oak Park, IL.  We went to the pool one day, went to a pool party, saw the new “Mission Impossible” movie and ate lots of good food.

Lilli and Rachel enjoying the cool water
on a very hot day.

Lilli and I drip drying after a great swim.

• Next visit was in South Bend, IN to see Grace and her friend Ben.  I got to see Grace in action at her new job, go shopping, and we ate some great meals together.
• From there it was on to Houston to visit my son, Karl, his wife Brandy, her son Maddix, and their son Acen.  Their new house is wonderful with lots of room for everyone.  We went fishing, shopping (for school stuff), and to a trampoline center that was amazing.

Here is the mighty fisherman and his dad.
Karl cleaned and cooked this blue gill
and we all got a taste.

• Next I stopped in Sarasota, FL to visit my children’s grandmother, Claire.  I helped her order a few items she and her husband Fred needed, we went shoe shopping, ate at Longhorn Steak House, and watched some great old movies on Turner Classics channel.
• By the time I got home from that trip it was time for Jessica and Joe to be home from Aspen, CO where Jess spent the summer as the main orchestra manager.  We visited back and forth from the boat to her apartment and spent two glorious days at Bethany Beach in Delaware where the sun and surf were both outstanding….perfect beach days. The cheese steaks, french fries, crab sandwiches, and frozen custard were all perfect, too.

Helping Lola become part of the family:

• She is playful and sweet natured.  This makes her antics (she thinks the whole boat is a giant cat play land) a little over the top sometimes, but she has such a fun loving personality she has endeared herself to us all.
• She has started to venture out to the cockpit and the cabin top, but has not left the boat yet.
• She loves to “help” me sew and “help” Bob with indoor projects.

My sewing helper

She's getting bigger everyday.

Sewing:

 I finished the quilt top and will be having it quilted by a local quilter.

I also completed several garments, sun dresses, capris, tops and sweaters.

So that brings me up to date except for the incident on the way home from the beach on Labor Day.  I was rear ended by a pick up truck while stopped at a red light, taken to the hospital by ambulance, and then taken home by Jess and Joe who had stayed at the beach longer than me.  I have a sprained neck and sore shoulders and arms for which I will receive physical therapy. Hopefully the car will be repaired quickly.

Next blog post will be about our preparations for our annual  migration south.

Thank you for reading my blog.