Reedville, VA to Waterford, NY

Early June 16 we headed out from Reedville, VA to our weekend destination in Deale, MD where we planned to meet with Rusty's daughter, Cassie, and her dog, Romeo for Father's Day.  The pickings were slim for a nice restaurant on Sunday and we picked one that came recommended.  So sad.  We owe you Cassie!  Nevertheless having Cassie with us on Father's Day was a highlight.

The long range weather forecast predicted some weather in a few days and we were hoping to get to Cape May before then, so off we went early Monday morning.  A fuel stop at Harrington Harbor South slowed us down a bit and then the current kept us in check for the rest of the day.  It was tiring and we anchored by 4 pm.  It was rolly overnight mainly from the wake of boats passing in the main channel.

Tuesday morning we were with the current to Chesapeake City and lucked out to find space on the town dock.  There was time to bike to the local beauty shop and get a haircut, pedicure and brow wax.  I felt like a million bucks.  When I got back to the boat Rusty had vacuumed and defrosted the fridge. Guess who pulled in behind us:  Harry and Sharon.  We had drinks together and traded stories.

Chesapeake City: General store is now a gift shop

Wednesday morning we waited for the tides and then off we went making very good progress almost the whole way down Delaware Bay to Cape May.  Patti and Eric (Merluza) contacted us by email that they were going to be at Utsch's in Cape May and would we like to join them for margueritas and lobster rolls.  It was so thoroughly enjoyable spending time with these two sailors. 

Patti, Rusty, Eric

The next morning Patti made me a latte.  Yummy!  There is a difference between a real expresso machine and Nexpresso.  Then off they went and I went shopping by bicycle.  It was fifteen minutes of dodging traffic and broken sidewalks each way.  Rusty and I decided Cape May may be a pearl but not within walking distance.

The Atlantic Ocean from Cape May to Atlantic City was projected to be calm and and it was.  Fellow Monk owners, Gayle and John Wix, had been following our same path and had emailed us their anchorage destination in Atlantic City.  That afternoon we had a delightful time on their boat over cocktails.

Friday, June 22, looked like it would be another great day.  While some thunderstorms were predicted it was a low probability.  The radar showed nothing but clear skies.  Off we went enjoying the day.  After a few hours we notice there was a subtle change in temperature, with a slight increase in wave size.  NOAA cautioned that boaters should seek a safe harbor.  We tried to get into Barnegat Bay but winds and waves had picked up considerably and we could get no assurances from the local SeaTown company that it was safe to transit the inlet.  Visions of being blown onto the rock jetties were in our mind and so we headed offshore away from the direction of the storm.  We could see the storm front visually and on the radar.  It seemed that it would be past us in less than an hour.  It took four or five hours of dodging here and then there.  We kept aiming for the clear sky which only took us out further.  When it was all said and done we had moved almost ten miles off shore.  We saw a break in the weather and burned some fuel to get to Manasquan Inlet.  We made it.  There was a lovely anchorage and who should be there but Gayle and John Wix.  John had kept in email contact while we were out on the ocean and had provided valuable information on access to this anchorage.

Yellow line marks our attempt to get out of storm's path

Passing through tiny lift bridge from Glimmer Glass anchorage

On Saturday, June 23rd we had an uneventful trip up around Sandy Hook and down to Atlantic Highlands, NJ.  Another anchorage and a rather long dinghy ride to town.  Our reward:  fresh bagels, lox, and deli meats to take back to the boat!

Replica of wooden submarine

Pretty building in Atlantic Highlands

Sunday, June 24th we tried to anchor at the 79th Street Basin with thoughts of going to Zabars.  It was so bouncy from other boats that we continued up the Hudson to Croton on Hudson, an anchorage we knew from last year.  There must have been fifty other boats anchored, mostly families enjoying a lazy Sunday afternoon.  By the time it was dark, there were three boats left.  We had a good nights rest.

Statue of Liberty as we entered Hudson River

Early the next morning I was writing an email to the Wix's and letting them know our plans.  I glanced up and saw some rain hitting the windows.  As I went to the stateroom to close the windows, the anchor alarm on the Iphone went off.  50ft, 75ft, 100 ft, 130 ft, 150 ft.  We were dragging.  Rusty ran to the flybridge and turned on the engine.  I turned on the instruments and went to the bow of the boat to remove the snubber.  We let out more chain and the boat held.  The storm blew over in less than an hour and then we were on our way.  Well sort of.  The engine would not turn over.  We went through the list of possibilities.  After about an hour and thinking this cannot be happening, Rusty noticed the shifter thing was not in neutral.  Phew!

Early afternoon another summer storm hit us with about ten minutes notice.  We headed for the weather side of the Hudson River, anchored just in time, and comforted Gigi through the lightening and wind..  The storm was over in less than 45 minutes.   By 6 pm we arrived at our destination and made a decision to take a mooring ball instead of anchoring.  By the time we were secure, the winds had picked up again and we had some more rain.

On Tuesday, June 26 we did a short 3 hr. run to Kingston, NJ where we visited the Maratime Museum and had a great dinner at Ship to Shore.

We had a revelation that day.  There are three water tanks on the boat.  Two under the bed and a reserve tank in the rear portside.  We use a lot of water so the main tanks are filled frequently.  We had been listing to the portside for most of our trip.  We went as far as moving our wine from the port to the starboard thinking that would help.  Rusty opened the line from the reserve tank and voila, we don't list.

Lighthouse on Hudson River

Lighthouse on Hudson River

Lighthouse on Hudson River

Wednesday, June 27 was another short run mainly because the currents were against us and it was slow going.  We docked at the new aluminum Athens, NY town dock.  We had an enjoyable time walking through the town.  A couple restaurants, a waterfront park and a laundry were the offerings.  So laundry it was.  I used Gigi's stroller to carry the laundry to and from the boat.  A light breeze was blowing when I got back to the boat.  As I lifted the clean clothes to Rusty who was on the boat, he reached out his hand and said, "Watch the...."  I followed the hand and my eyes rested on two towels that seemed to be blowing away.  But no, Rusty meant the stroller.  I glanced over to where the stroller was and it was no more.  It had been blown along the aluminum dock and into the water.  I ran to the end of the dock, lay down and grabbed a wheel just as it was about to go under.  The clean bed sheets fell out of the stroller and floated long enough for me to grab them.  Alas the pillowcases are history.

House with a tower and a 360 degree view

Athens, NY:  crypt

Thursday morning we headed for Waterford, NY, a popular junction where the decision needs to be made either to head north or east.

I think I only bruised my ribs.  Ibuprofen is doing its job.  As we approched the Waterford dock, there was no one to help us so I threw the spring line over a cleat and drew it in through the howser.  It was too short to secure properly so I ran and threw the stern line to the dock and jumped on the dock. As I jumped I pushed the boat moved away and I lost my balance.  With one foot on the dock and the opposite arm around the railing I knew the next direction I would go was in the water.  Just at that moment Rusty put the bow thruster in gear and brought the boat and me back to the dock.  That was a dumb move on my part.

Friends from Florida to Virginia

Friends in every State – Good Thing!

From Florida to Virginia, we have met up with Looper friends.  Friends that we did know before we started the Looper adventure:  friends can take one’s mind off one’s misadventures.

It all started in Fernandina Beach, Florida.  Mike and Mary Dickens, brokers and owners of Paradise Yachts, dinghied over to our boat and we spent a couple delightful hours getting reacquainted.  We purchased “the Cooper” through Paradise Yachts in late 2010 and Mike and Mary spent the first four days with us as we brought the boat to Naples, showing us the ropes and giving us all sorts of practical advice.  Last year as we cruised north they introduced us to Cumberland Island, Georgia. What a treasure!  It was especially heartening to hear that our boat looked “great”.

The Gold Burgee flew off the flagpole as we crossed the St. Simon Sound.  Not only did we not have visible proof that we were seasoned and accomplished cruisers.  We can no way to tell the wind direction.  It was a toss between the Canadian flag or the yellow quarantine flag.  The Canadian flag won.  So now it was the Canadian flag at the bow, the Frisian flag at the mast, and the US flag on the transom.  (A big thanks to Anne Marie, our neighbor in Naples, for mailing our old burgee to us).

Steve and Beth Westgate (Gemini) live in Savannah, Georgia and we spent three nights at their dock.  We first met Steve and Beth in Waterford, NY in June 2011 and it seemed every week or two we would be at the same marina until November 2011 in Mobile, Alabama when we headed home and they took a side trip to New Orleans, LA.  They popped in to see us for a few days in Naples in January 2012 and so it had been a few months since we last saw them.  Great meals together, along with their daughter Rebecca, and a generosity of time driving us to get our chores and fix-ups completed.   There was some serious talk about cruising in the same neck of the water next year.  Noted!

Steve and Rusty

Me and Beth

The next stop was in Beaufort, South Carolina where we again docked at friends, Chuck & Claria Gorgen (Odyssey).  We were became internet friends in 2010 during the period that we were looking for a boat.  Odyssey is a beautiful 1971 Hatteras that has been lovingly restored and is a seasoned looper and down east veteran.  It was too much boat for us at the time.  Even though we did not remain prospective purchasers, Chuck was always willing to answer our many questions as we continued the search for our boat.  Then to our delight, in early 2011 they cruised down to Goodland, FL where we had our boat.  Goodland is at the edge of the map.

Chuck and Claria Gorgen

It seemed for the next few days we were just getting ahead of “Beryl”.  We ducked into McClellanville, SC and were joined at dinner by a couple from Cape May, NJ.  The next and only two times we were in a grocery store (Morehead City, NC, and Deltaville, VA) and who should be there but Harry and Sharon!

Well, as we continued towards Georgetown, NC, we lost our dinghy.  The lines snapped and off it went.  And where it went, we do not know.  On the plus side, it was leaking, and Rusty never liked it.  On the not-plus side, we would have to get another one.  And that meant finding a place to buy one that was near the water.  After much research, we decided on a West Marine water tender.   And lo and behold, wasn’t there a West Marine store in Morehead City, NC that would deliver one to us.

But not so fast.  There was another little hiccup before we got to Morehead City.  It was Memorial Day and Beryl was still pushing us north.  Eyes glued to the IPAD, and concerned with finding a series of places to duck  if necessary, I wasn’t paying attention to the navigation and failed to warn Rusty we had entered “the ROCKPILE”.   Passing boats is not recommended and we were passing a slow sailboat and gave him too much room.  Just as we edged back into the center of the channel the prop nicked a rock.  Sickening sound.  All I am going to say is that there was minimal damage to the prop.  It needed to be machined. At the same time the marina guys noticed the strut was a bit off and they did some magic with a belt and a forklift.  End result, the boat has NO vibration and is performing better than ever.  

Needless to say, Rusty is hitting the chart books at night.  I may have lost my job…

On Saturday, June 3, we arrived in Morehead City, NC, and had Roger and Linda Moffatt, and Linda’s brother Kevin, over to the boat for cocktails.  We met Roger and Linda in Naples earlier this year and gave them a tour of our boat.  They were interested in purchasing a Monk and our brokers, Mike and Mary Dickens, made the introduction.  Roger and Linda did buy a Monk and so now we are part of the same family. It was fun to trade stories and hints on making our boats comfortable for cruising.  We look forward to seeing them on the water!

Our new dinghy. It was delivered.  We tried to put on the outboard.  It did not fit.  We removed the thick rubber transom cover and found the plastic lip of the boat distended which resulted in a too-wide transom.  Screwing the edge into the wooden part of the transom did not make much of a difference.  We ended up trotting over to an auto supply store and picking up thin rubber car mats.  We made a template from the old cover and screwed it in place.  Voila!   Now you might ask why we did not go back to West Marine.  We did.  They offered to look at it at the end of the day.  But we figured by that time we would be on the hook for another day’s dockage and who knows if the issue could have been resolved quickly.

On Monday, June 5^th, as we headed to New Bern, NC, we were hailed, “the Cooper, the Cooper, this is Merluza”.   We met Eric and Patty in Little Current, Ontario in August 2011 and then again in Turtle Bay, Kentucky or was it Tennessee?  They also stopped in Naples.  Along the way we discovered a joint appreciation for coffee and margueritas both specialties of the “Merluza” team.  We became in-trust beneficiaries of their Rideau Canal and Ottawa River charts, which will be passed on to others when we are finished with them.  Unbeknownst to us, Eric and Patty had been moored quite close to us in Morehead City and unfortunately were headed in the opposite direction on Monday.  However, our paths are meant to cross and so we will keep in touch.

New Bern is a lovely, walk able town with a great multi-building museum.  The only problem is that we could only dock for four hours and then had to be on our way.  Not enough time.  We asked if we could overnight (we were the only ones at the city docks) and they said no.  So off we went but not before we discovered a shop run by a Swiss lady.  We purchased among other things, a can of red cabbage and black salty licorice. (One must be Dutch or married to someone Dutch to appreciate black salty licorice.)

New Bern iconic bears are everywhere

The very place Pepsi was invented.

Gigi trying to pilot the ship.

Not bad with a bit of help!

A stop in Oriental, NC to pick up mail was next on the list.  The check from the insurance company was duly forwarded to our bank.  We purchased a quiche at a small gourmet deli/restaurant in town.  It was delicious!

It was rough on the Neuse River and we were happy to find the space at the Belhaven City Dock, also free.  The docks were fixed and new with very high pilings.  We were warned about the depth and had no issues.  Fortunately a lady came over just as we approached and helped tie us up.  Turns out Beth and her husband David are Monk owners (Elizabeth). They came over at the end of the day and had drinks with us.   They know the same Monk owners we do.  Small world!

View of side alley in Bellhaven, NC

Mail box visitor's center in Bellhaven, NC

We decided to do the Virginia Cut this year instead of Dismal Swamp.  It was quicker we found and a nice change. Albemarle Sound was quiet this year.  By the end of day on June 8 we were docked at Great Bridge, VA.  We were tuckered and did not even go to the Fresh Market.

OnSail, a tall ship event, was the weekend event in Norfolk (pronounced gnaw fuk by Norfolkians).  We had to pick up some mail and were hoping to stop at a marina for a couple hours and then be on our way.  Well.  It turned out that the (free) ferry landing was practically deserted so we docked.  After picking up our mail and going to the farmers market, we left Gigi on the boat and had a super meal at Lagusternos, followed by fireworks on the water. The next day after church we took the ferry over to Norfolk and saw some amazing tall ships.

Sunday afternoon we headed to Hampton to visit with other boater friends.  Tom and Claria (Journey) came to our rescue in May 2011 when we needed to find dockage for a week while attending a family wedding.  A very lovely marina at Camp LeJeune, Swansboro, NC was the answer.   Journey left Camp LeJeune and meandered in and out of various rivers visiting the towns along the way.  Sort of what we were going to do if but for a rock or two.  Finally in Hampton we met and got reacquainted.  Spent a great day together at the local museum and then it was time to move on.

A view of downtown Hampton, VA

Tuesday, June 11 we headed to Deltaville.  It took 7 hours.  The first three were passable.  The next three were barely tolerable.  The last hour was “wow!”   Wind was ok.  The waves were nuts, starting with 1-2, 2-4, and then 4-6.  And boy do we understand that when there is a prediction of 2-3 waves, every seven way is another 2/3 again.   We stayed in Deltaville for three nights.  The first morning we slept until 9 am.  To put this in context, normally we are up at 5-6.

A lonely marker on our way to Deltaville, VA

Friday, June 14, we were aiming for Solomon’s, MD.  Waves were so unforgiving we gave up after three hours and ducked into Reedville, VA.   It is a charming anchorage.  We are having crab cakes tonight (purchased from the local seafood company).   The wind is blowing from the NE and we should not have any nasty menhaden smells tonight.

Reedville, VA - in our new dinghy

View of the Cooper from Cockrell's Seafood in Reedville, VA

Reedville VA - sea captain's home?

Reedville, Va - another stylish house

Friends and adventures. 

Indiantown, Florida to Jekyll Island, GA

We cruised up the Florida coast into Georgia and had a very enjoyable time, spending some nights at anchorage or a mooring ball.  We still had our dinghy so it was easy enough to get to shore.  Did you get that?  We still had our dinghy.

Here's a a pictorial overview of this section of our trip.

Saturday,  May 12 Farmers market at Ft. Pierce, FL

 

At anchor.  Gigi gazing at land.

At anchor again.

May 15-16 Marineland, FL

Marineland, FL nature trail - long vines Tarzan-like

Marineland FL beach at low tide - dog friendly

Marineland FL board walk

May 17. Fernandino Beach on mooring ball. A bit windy

May 18. St. Mary's, GA excellent tour guide

St. Mary's. Huge tree limb framing house.

St. Mary's. Sea sculpture in front of private home