Washington NC

We arrived in Washington on Monday, we didn't go into Bath but stayed another day at Dowry Creek. Our friends were waiting for us on the dock in the rain. What a welcomed sight. Our friends took us to the grocery store, West Marine, etc...had us for dinner Monday and Tuesday nights and we actually stayed in their house last night (Oct 27) It was a great treat, hot showers, good food and good company. We will probably leave here Thursday or Friday and head for Beaufort, NC and then on to Wilmington where we will have the engine looked at. We are still getting a lot of black smoke and the mechanic that looked at it in Washington recommended Mack Boring in Wilmington, NC (also he couldn't work on it for about 3-4 weeks....all the good guys are very busy). We are all well and enjoying our trip. Traveling on the ICW is a mixture of motoring through areas that are like canals(like the Cape Cod canal only with trees and stumps in the water) and crossing sounds. However even though the sound is a large area of water there is only a very small area deep enough to travel through, so we have not been sailing. The most we do is motor sail.

We are in North Carolina

We finally left Solomons Island on Monday, Oct. 19 and headed to Deltaville Va. We spent quiet night in a small anchorage in Jackson Creek. All the houses surrounding the anchorage had private docks, but we managed to take Packet ashore at a small marina. On Tuesday we left for Norfolk Va. It was cold in the morning but we had a quiet motor sail into Norfolk. We stayed at a marina (Waterside) due to the fact that we were going to have get up early. Behind the marina was a food court with a Hooters, and Outback(where we ate) and other restaurants. There was also a park with water fountains. We were at a place called Hospital Point where the Inland Waterway actually begins. This mile 0. Wednesday was our first experience with being at a bridge at a scheduled time for the opening. It was a little stressful as there were many boats waiting for the bridge to open. Dave did a great job keeping Lafalot in line. After the bridge we had to go through a lock, which proved to be very easy. We arrived in Coinjock, NC in time to tie up at the marina(there is a marina on each side of the ICW here) and go to the restaurant at Coinjock Marina to have their famous roast beef(32 ounces for Dave, 16 for Barb, needless to say we took some back to the boat). On Thursday, Oct. 22 we arrived at the Alligator River Marina. This was our last night with our friends Helen and Ray. It is a small marina situated just before a swing bridge. It has a gas station and small restaurant and a field where Packet could roll in the grass(he was a happy camper). We had a delicious pork roast dinner that Helen cooked and said our good byes. They are headed home to Florida after being on the boat since last May. We will see them again when we get to Florida. We are now in Dowry Creek, NC. We took an extra day here for rest and relaxation, but also because we had very high winds today. Tomorrow we leave for Bath, NC and then up the river further to Washington to see some friends. The weather is finally starting to be warm(I am going to put away our winter hats and gloves that we needed while in Maryland) and the flies and mosquitoes are telling us that yes you are in a warmer climate.

Change in plans, that's what cruising is about

We did not go to St. Michael's, but went to Annapolis instead. We spent Saturday, 10/10 at a dock so Dave could go to the boat show and we could attend a dinner of fellow Island Packet owners. We left on Sunday, stopped in the anchorage to visit with Rick Nutt, an IP owner we had met in Portsmouth, RI and then we went on to the Rhode River. This anchorage was just beautiful. There was a little island that we could take Packet on. We took a dinghy ride and followed the river into another smaller river. There are so many rivers and creeks we could explore for weeks and not see half of them. We had a very peaceful night and left on Monday, 10/12 for Solomons Island where our friends were having work done on their boat. We are still here due to the weather, but what a nice place to be. We are on a mooring at a marina that has a nice laundry and nice showers. It is only a dinghy ride away from a small shopping center. We took a bus to a super Walmart for groceries, etc. There are 3 malls and the bus would stop at whichever one you would want to go to. Today, Thursday is very rainy and windy. We will stay here until the nor'easter passes, maybe leaving Saturday to get further south. We are having fun, and it is a great help being with Ray and Helen and also meeting other boaters along the way who have had the experience of going south.

We are in the Chesapeake Bay

On Wednesay, 9/30 we left Port Washington and headed through the East River through New York City. It was very impressive to say the least. We saw Lady Liberty from a distance, we did not sail directly in front, but it was ok. We did not encounter any large ships and the trip through Hell Gate( which can be be tricky) was very calm. We spent the night at Atlantic Highlands, we were officially in the Mid-Atlantic states and out of New England. We had dinner with several other boats. It was very windy and getting in the launch and to shore was wild and wet. On Thursday, 10/1 we left for Atlantic City. This was a very long day, leaving in the dark or as cruisers say 0-dark hundred, it was cold and damp. After 11 hours of motor sailing we arrived at Atlantic City at a very nice little marina at the Gardner Museum. Had dinner ashore at a little pub with Ray and Helen(our buddy boat and guide). On Friday we left for Cape May. We managed to sail with just the jib up part of the way. Very rough going into the inlet to Cape May. We anchored across from the Coast Guard Station. We stayed on our anchor from Friday to Monday morning when we went into a marina. My sister and husband visited us on Sat. and my girlfriend from high school and her husband visited us on Sun. We went into Cape May both days and were very happy to see them all. We also thank them for taking us to lunch and shopping. This was the first time we had left the boat unattended at anchor for any length of time. Our sailing friends will understand why this would worry me. But all was well and the boat didn't drag. On Monday we went into a marina to fuel up, get water, do laundry and get ready for a very long day through the C&D canal to the Chesapeake Bay. We went around the end of NJ(Cape May) into the Delaware Bay, through the C&D canal to Georgetown, MD about 11 hours! We had the current with us all the way. We traveled 97 miles, a record for sure. The Canal reminded us of the Cape Cod canal, but not as pretty and more bridges to go under.
The other boats that came into Georgetown with us left Thursday to go to various places south in the bay. However, I was not feeling well so we decided to stay until Sat., mainly due to the direction of the wind. It was coming from the south today and is due to blow 15-25 with gusts tonight. Hopefully the marine forcast is still correct and the wind will change to the north for tomorrow when we will leave early and head for St. Michaels. Meanwhile we catching up on chores and I am catching up on sleep. And it is a beautiful harbor we are in so life is good.