Sandy Hook, NJ

Yesterday was a very long, long, adventurous day for us! We left Cape May, NJ at about 8 AM and arrived off the channel of Atlantic City, NJ at about 2 PM. We decided it was too early to stop yet so we continued on to Barneget Bay, NJ. We had never been to this port and had read and been told it was not easy to navigate. Well they were all true. After going hard a ground and driving off with the throttle full out a kind soul directed us into the anchorage over the VHF radio. We settled in, had dinner and went to bed around 10 PM. The wind picked up about 1 AM even though the weather report was for 5 knot winds, we clocked about 28 knots at 2 AM when we woke to a bump of our boat into the boat behind us. Our anchor decided to drag and cause us to play bed buddies with the boat behind us. It took 4 of us to get our boat off the bow of their boat. We had drifted over their anchor and we straddled over their chain between our keel and our rudder. Being afraid of fouling our prop we had to do it by hand. Once we were free we tied to a mooring ball that was out in the anchorage. To compound all this did I mention not only was it dark but very foggy and I had never been the one to drive up to a ball. The wind kept driving my bow away so Larry could not grasp the line. I finally after two tries backed up to it, Larry said he never saw anyone do it quite like that. I guess there has to be a first time for everything. Larry was so cold and smelled like the slime on the ball he took another shower. Even though we were secure on the mooring ball, we could not fall back asleep. What a night!

The picture is of three of the boats we left with this morning in the fog about 6:30AM. We stayed together because the two boats in the middle of the front boat and us did not have radar. The front boat and along with us kept a look out for in coming boats. Larry said he was very glad to have radar something we didn't have when we started our journey on our Hunter 30. The two boats expressed their gratitude as we all went different directions after the fog lifted around 10 AM.

After having very little sleep last night and the weather predicted much the same as we had last night we decided to get a mooring ball at the Atlantic Highlands Yacht Club. We stayed here on the way down, there isn't much here but it is secure.

Tomorrow we will leave weather permitting and travel up to Nyack, NY. Yeah!

Cape May, NJ

We have traveled many miles since I have been able to post to this blog. My signal is either too weak or the site is down. It took about 25 minutes to load this picture of us out at the beach near Cape May Lighthouse. It was a beautiful day today but I think a little cooler than up in Rochester, NY. Our youngest daughter, Patience went back to Rochester to visit her sister for the weekend and when we talked tonight she said it was 90 degrees there today. Wow, they will have Summer when we return!

Since I was last on the site we have been to Annapolis, MD and from there to Salem, NJ and now to Cape May, NJ. We have been putting in long days so as to cover long segments of our journey.

We decided to stay put for today to rest but that is a joke we rode our bikes all over today. The last time we were here in October everything was closed and now they are open for the Summer season. What a great seaside harbor. We will definitely come back here for a return trip.

Soloman's Island

The picture is of boats anchored across from the marina we are in and behind them are the condos that were in the process of being built last fall when we came through here. We had planned to anchor also but we are having trouble with our electronics again. Larry felt it was good to be stationary when Scott worked with him on the phone. Technology is great when it is working.

Well the Chesapeake didn't let me down with my memories from last fall. I have never seen so many confused waves on a body of water and so consistently. We were very glad to be sitting still tonight. I'm sure glad we are not prone to seasickness. If we were we would have certainly been in trouble today. The Navy was using the firing range today so we had to do a little detour which added to the motion.

Tomorrow we will go to Annapolis if the weather permits, sounds like it will be even more interesting. When we leave Annapolis we will head to the C&D Canal where we will be finished with the Chesapeake. I guess you have to live here to enjoy sailing on the Chesapeake. We are told that it is less active on the East side, so I think we will check it out coming back in the Fall

Meeting Friends in Deltaville

If you remember back I said how we can be traveling with someone and go our separate ways and somewhere along the way we meet up again. It happened yesterday, our friends Mike and Diane M., called us to find out where we were. They were headed up the Chesapeake from Norfolk and in route they met up with more of our friends, Michele and Steve. They all docked at CoCoMo's with us last night. The picture is of CoCoMo's a restaurant with docks on the water. It was great fun seeing them and sharing dinner together. They both left this morning. Had our work been done we would have left also. Our plan is to leave tomorrow morning, we have one last thing left to be fixed and then we are on our way. We are every anxious to be back in NY and to see everyone.

Still in Deltaville

These are the great gals at Coffee Creations! Left to right, Bev, Catherine and Holley. They have done a terrific job making breakfast as well as lunch. No wonder they are so busy! We come in to see them just about every day. We will miss their smiling faces when we leave on Thursday. I'm sure we will stop in Deltaville in the fall if it's to see them.

We are just about finished with our service on the boat and plan to leave early Thursday morning. It's been very cool here and windy but is supposed to warm and the winds are expected to calm down.

Over the weekend Larry and I bought folding bikes from West Marine. They have made a great deal of difference getting around. A lot faster than our feet! When we needed groceries on the weekend, Bev and Mike at Coffee Creations were very generous and let us use their truck. The folks here in Deltaville are very friendly and helpful. It's easy to see why so many boaters come here and stay and make it their home.

Well as you guessed we are still in Deltaville! I'm sure your not surprised after it taking 5 weeks when we purchased our new boat. Then again we are on Deltaville time as anyone here will tell you. We are waiting for back order parts more warranty work on electronics. The plan now is to be on our way by Wednesday of this week.

The tug boat you see in the picture is being restored at the marina we are now at. The name on the boat is Captain Johnny. The print is small and difficult to read but the name is on the back of the boat. We thought of our oldest grandson his name is Jonathan. We are curious but not knowing if the boat will go back into commercial use or private use. We have come across another larger commercial vessel being used for private use, the couple live aboard full time. That boat's name is My-T-Mo. I can't imagine the fuel bill!

Deltaville, VA

We arrived here on Sunday, early afternoon. We are at Deltaville Yachting Center awaiting service and installation of new and existing electronic equipment. After Scott is finished with his part we will go to Norton's for warranty service and a new electric toilet. By the weekend the plan is to start on the move again up north.

We are unable to get a signal for the internet here in Deltaville so we are at the local coffee shop this morning. They have free wi-fi, it is a great draw for business from the many boaters that pass through and that live on their boat during the summer.

Your probably wondering about the picture of the blue crabs! Crabbing is big business in the Mid-Atlantic Coast, especially on the ICW. While we were at Midway Marina we were treated to a first hand view of the operation for soft shell crabbing. This is the season for mass shedding of their shell. What you see are three male blue crabs, they are the bait for the unsuspecting female crab. The male is placed in the crab pot and attracts approximately 40 or so females. The females are then placed in large water tanks with circulating water from their habitat. The fisherman then checks every 2 hours around the clock to see what crabs are ready for processing. They must be of a perfect texture after shedding their shell, a slight sandpaper feel to the skin. This ensures firm texture to the meat. If they are left in the tank too long they will again have a hard shell. We were told that crabs shed all year long but a few times of the year it happens in mass. After processing, the crabs are sold to local restaurants and shipped to major cities like NYC. Nature never ceases to amaze me!

Midway Marina, Coinjock, NC

Mamma duck and baby duck enjoyed posing for pictures after several crackers. They have been hanging around all day here at Midway Marina.

We arrived here today around 2 PM. It was a short trip here from Alligator River Marina. My internet signal has been nonexistent in most of North Carolina. Which has been the reason for the laps in my postings. We had traveled from Camp LeJeune to Oriental, NC, then to Alligator River Marina.

This morning we woke to the brilliance and warmth from that orb in the sky, which we haven't seen for several days. It felt good to be warm. We actually sat by the pool here at the marina after giving the boat a wash. We were afraid we would return up north and not have a tan any longer.

Tomorrow the forecast is for rain and light SW winds. We will leave here early tomorrow morning and anchor at Hospital Basin in Norfolk, VA.

Camp Lejune, NC

It pays to share the ICW with this big guy. Being a commercial boat they don't wait for bridge openings that are on a schedule, the bridge opens on request for them. It certainly saved us time today and because of the time savings we made it all the way to the anchorage 68 miles from where we were last night. We set a personal record today we have never gone 68 miles in one day without doing an over night. It took us 10 1/2 hours, boy are we tired.

Today we went past the anchorage we were trying for last night and it took us 3 hours to get there. That would have made it around 7 PM last night. I'm glad we threw in the towel at 4:30 instead.

I did forget to mention yesterday about the wild goats we saw on an island while we waited for the pontoon bridge to open. Another boat said on the VHF that they could see a red fox but we were too far away. It is amazing what you see traveling on the ICW and the variety of animals.

Tonight we are anchored in Mile Hammock Bay. It is within Camp Lejune and maneuvers take place right here, sometimes during the night. There are 12 other boats here as well, 10 sail, 1 power and 1 catamaran. Tomorrow we will go through the firing range. Sometimes the ICW is closed due to firing. The shut down can be for an hour or longer.

Tomorrow will be a short day, only 63 miles. We will leave early tomorrow morning in hopes of getting to our destination earlier than today.

Southport, NC

We have traveled so many days in a row that the places and days are running into each other. We are making good time but have to stop and ask each other what day of the week is it. Even though I'm anxious to get to NY, I'm looking forward to a few days rest in Deltaville, VA.

We decided to stay at a marina tonight the weatherman was calling for thunderstorms. The current slowed us down and the anchorage was another 10 miles from where we are. We decided to throw in the towel and call it a night. This marina is outside of Southport and nothing is open so it is a quite night for us. We will watch a little TV and turn in early.

The large cruise ship in the picture passed us today on the ICW. They are also docked at the same marina tonight. When they came by us we recognized the name of the cruise line, Canadian American Caribbean Cruise Line. We have seen the sister ship to this one in Oswego, NY and in Clayton, NY before and during our trip. They travel the ICW, the Great Circle and the Caribbean, what a great way to see the country, very low key.

Myrtle Beach, SC Grande Dunes Marina

Today we traveled one of the most beautiful scenic sections of the ICW. When we traveled this section on the way down it was raining and cloudy and the windows on the enclosure kept fogging over. Today we were in for quite a treat something we missed on the trip down.

This morning we saw a ray jump out of the water and during the day we saw lots of turtles sunning themselves lined up on logs.

A few days ago I posted a picture of a nest on top of a mark on the ICW. Today we were able to figure out what kind of bird made the nest. We actually saw birds in several more nests. They are Osprey, birds common on the water way. We even passed a marina named after the Osprey.

Tonight we are in the Grande Dunes Marina. We decided to stop here, the current was against us most of the way. Coming down this was a tough area for current against us also. Hopefully tomorrow will prove to be better. It was a good stop, Larry washed the boat and I went shopping and did laundry. The marina has a courtesy van and will take you to the store for supplies or where else you would like to go during their open hours.

The picture is of a houseboat, there were actually three of them just floating in a little cove behind an island. They looked so peaceful just floating there.

Georgetown, SC

The picture is of the anchorage here in Georgetown, SC. We stopped here on the way down but went into a marina. The right up looked good but when we arrived the right up was very misleading to the point the bathrooms didn't have hot water. They were in the process of downsizing. We didn't make the same mistake twice, we are anchored tonight.

We left Charleston at 8 AM to catch the 9 AM opening of our one and only bridge today. We arrived here in Georgetown at 4:30. We made very good time thanks to the tide. The weatherman predicted scattered thunderstorms today and we went right through one. Thankfully the wind was less than 10 knots and the storm was mild and small.

We plan to leave early tomorrow morning and will have a much shorter day!

Charleston,SC

We left Beaufort, SC this morning around 8:40 AM. Our start was a little on the late side because of the schedule of Ladies Island Bridge. The bridge was on restriction form 7 AM to 9 AM and request after 9 AM. We started our day with a bridge and ended it with a bridge. The one in Charleston was also on restriction when we arrived from 4:30 PM to 6:30 PM. We arrived at 6 PM. The tide had us moving along at 7 knots all afternoon. We hung out by the bridge for half an hour waiting.

As we were traveling the ICW today another boat hailed us on the VHF radio, asking about the water depths going into Beaufort. When he said his boat name it sounded familiar to us but we didn't know from where. He said we met in Back Forest Marina, Belhaven, NC. We then remembered, they were getting engine repairs done. It took 2 months, this is them just going South. We are amazed at how we meet other boaters and time passes and we meet again.

The picture is of a flotilla of barges just off the channel in the ICW. From a distance they looked like they were coming at us. We were very thankful they weren't.

We are anchored just across from the city marina here in Charleston. The boat traffic has settled down and we will turn in early tonight. Tomorrow will be another long day.

Riding the Tides to Beaufort, SC

We crossed the boarder today into South Carolina. To night we are at the Beaufort City Marina. We had a good day of travel, sunshine and warm temperatures. We even goofed off taking our picture in the cockpit.

It is amazing how the tides slingshot you from creek or river to creek or river depending on the tide. We would ride fast to the inlet on the low tide and slow in the high tide. Then we would turn around and go fast on the rising tide or slow on the low tide. The changes here are incredible. Some of the areas we have been in the last few days have a tidal range of 9 feet. Most marinas have floating docks and we feel like mountain goats going to shore on a low tide.

We walked to town and had a pizza at an Italian restaurant. It will be another early night tonight, we started out early this morning.

Savannah, GA

I was unable to receive a signal for the internet here in Georgia until tonight.

We left around 8 AM yesterday and traveled about 65 miles. We anchored in South River Creek and had a quiet evening. The current was strong, the creek was linked to the inlet for the ocean. We did turn on our anchor with the tide change but Larry was still up to check during the night.

When they say it isn't a question of if you will go a ground but when, it is very true. After taking the helm myself for only a few minutes we went a ground in the channel. Larry drove us off and we went very careful for a while. Georgia is notorious for shoaling and no dredging.

We traveled though miles and miles of marsh, not quite what I expected in Georgia. We were deluged by horse flies most of the day. We were like crazy people swatting horse flies and dodging shoals. We were more than ready to take a break last night.

We woke early this morning and were under way by 7:30 AM. Today went better no going a ground but the horse flies came out about 9:30. We decided we couldn't do this again, out came the rest of the enclosure and the screens. Larry keeps saying how much he didn't want them but is glad he changed his mind. They have saved us from the cold and now horse flies. We know it was money well spent.

The picture is of a channel marker with decoration on top, a large bird nest, makes navigating a little difficult from a distance. Gotta love Georgia!

We have enjoyed our evening here at Isle of Hope. We went for a walk to go to dinner about a mile away from the marina. We found that they have no sidewalks here along the road. We were about half way there and a local stopped and ask if we wanted a ride. We were glad we said yes when we found out how far away the restaurant was. The hostess gave us a ride back, it was dark when we left. The meal was delicious and the service superb. This is a stop for the return trip in the Fall. We would like to spend some time sightseeing here.

We will turn in early tonight and be up early tomorrow morning!