November 16:  Solomon’s Island

We had a nice sail today to Solomon’s Island.  We pulled into Zahnhiser’s Marina which is a very nice Marina.  Solomon’s island is a nice little seaside community with some shopping nearby.  We stayed 2 extra nights here in order to avoid a nasty blow which seem to occur every few days in the Bay.

November 19:  Deltaville, Portsmouth/Norfolk

We arrived in Deltaville late afternoon and anchored in front of the marina.  Our plan was to make it to Portsmouth/Norfolk and the start of the ICW the next day.  The forecast for the next day was not good and small craft advisories were posted on the NOAA website.  Other boats were staying another night to wait out the choppy conditions. 

When we awoke the next morning we decided we should be fine if we stick to the leeward shore where the waves will not get a chance to build much.  So we set out and had a nice sail on a close reach which led us out into the middle of the bay.  This was contrary to our plan but allowed us to sail and also get around some nasty shoals along the western shore.  Once out in the middle of the bay we got beat up pretty bad so we rounded the shoal and headed back to the leeward(western) shore.  It was much calmer here but we were forced to motor the remainder of the way to Portsmouth.  Entering Norfolk harbor is not to be done at night because of all the commercial traffic and lights along shore.  We entered the mouth of the harbor around 3:30pm.  The wind had piped up to 30kts and there was a foul 1kt current and 2-3 ft square waves on the nose.  We barely made 4kts.  Once into the harbor we were able to turn to port and sail down the channel to our planned stop for the night, the Scott’s Creek marina.

Norfolk and Portsmouth are the home to many naval bases and shipyards.  You have to be very careful as all the large military ships require you pass them by at least 500ft.  This is a result of the bombing of the USS Cole a few years back.  We saw huge destroyers, aircraft carriers and other naval vessels.  There are many security boats watching for unusual activity which can include picture taking.  Kathy managed to snap a few stealth photos without getting the attention of these boats.  Some pleasure boats have been boarded and searched for taking photos.

November 20:  Dismal Swamp Canal

At this point we needed to decide whether to take the shallower and narrower Dismal Swamp Canal or the Virginia cut of the ICW.  They are roughly the same distance but the Dismal swamp is more scenic and interesting.  Unfortunately it is also shallower.  Our boat draws about 5 ½ feet and the canal is dredged to 6ft.  There is no tide but water levels can vary based on weather so we called ahead to the canal office to check the conditions.  They confirmed that water levels were normal and we should be fine.  We made our way up the Elizabeth River and entered Deep Creek which leads to a lock at the northern end of the canal.  We rose 8ft. in this lock and entered the canal.  The canal is fed by Lake Drummond which keeps the water level consistent unless there is a severe drought.  The lock tenders are very friendly and offer advice and history about the canal.  Following is a little history of the canal.

In May 1763, George Washington made his first visit to the Great Dismal Swamp and suggested draining it and digging a north-south canal through it to connect the waters of the Chesapeake Bay in Virginia and Albemarle Sound in North Carolina. As the first president, Washington agreed with Virginia Governor Patrick Henry that canals were the easiest answer for an efficient means of internal transportation and urged their creation and improvement.

In 1784, the Dismal Swamp Canal Company was created. Work was started in 1793. The canal was dug completely by hand; most of the labor was done by slaves hired from nearby landowners. It took approximately 12 years of back-breaking construction under highly unfavorable conditions to complete the 22-mile long waterway, which opened in 1805.[3] At about the time the canal opened, the Dismal Swamp Hotel was built astride the state line on the west bank.[4] It was a popular spot for lover's trysts as well as duels; the winner was rarely arrested as the dead man, as well as the crime, were in another state. As the state line split the main salon, the hotel was quite popular with gamblers who would simply move the game to the opposite side of the room with the arrival of the sheriff from the other jurisdiction. No trace of the hotel can be found today.

Tolls were charged for maintenance and improvements. In 1829, the channel was deepened. The waterway was an important route of commerce in the era before railroads and highways became major transportation modes.

We spent the night in the canal at the welcome center.  They have a dock that fits approximately 3 boats.  We pulled in behind a 38ft. Lagoon catamaran sailed by some nice folks from Spain.  The welcome center doubles as a rest area and tourist information center along rt. 17.  They are very accommodating to visiting boats with 24 hour bathrooms, free wifi, a book swap and cruisers lounge.  The entrance to the Dismal Swamp state park is also here and gave us the opportunity to hike some trails with Shamus.

November 22:  Elizabeth City

In the morning we woke to find 24° temps and frost on the docks.  Thank God we have a nice heater.  Our goal was to make Elizabeth City, a short ways past the end of the canal.  We motored along to the South Mills lock and bridge after bumping some submerged logs along the way.  It takes a little time to get used to seeing single digits on the depth sounder for days on end.  In Maine we get nervous when the depth falls below 30ft.  Around here you are measuring in inches as sometimes we only had a few under our keel.  And not only do you need to watch the depth but you have to also look up and make sure you will not hit any tree branches with your mast as many overhang the canal.

Elizabeth City has a nice free dock and are very welcoming to visiting boats.  It is amazing how many towns offer free dockage for a night or two.  This town, however, felt a little odd as it was Saturday and just about every business in town was closed.  One exciting note about Elizabeth City is that we noticed Palmetto bushes growing in the yards.  Our first sign of warmer climates to come!

November 23:  Alligator River

We had a nice calm day to cross Albemarle Sound and run the Alligator River which can get very choppy in high winds from certain directions which was the forecast for the night and following day.  Transiting the canals in this weather is usually no problem but the shallow waters of the sounds can be treacherous.  If we stayed in Elizabeth city to wait out the Gale we would have lost 2 days.   So we had an easy trip across the sound and we poked up into the Alligator River beyond the entrance to the next canal.  We found a spot in the river that was about 10ft. deep and in line with the SE winds forecast for the night.  We had to take Shamus to shore and this marshy area did not offer any stable landing area or firm ground to walk on.  Not to mention the possibilities of Alligators!  There was a small boat ramp near the anchorage that was the perfect solution.  It was not right on the river but a little ways up a very narrow and shallow stream.  I kept picturing all those movies where folks are in a small boat in the swamp and you see all the alligators rushing into the water hoping for an easy meal!

The night turned out to be a little rougher than forecast.  We were supposed to get winds 15-20kts which is not terribly bad.  Instead we got winds sustained at 30kts and gusting to 40.  The worst of this arrived around 2am so I got up and checked on our position to ensure our anchor was not dragging and also monitor the anchor until the winds eased a bit.  Our anchor was dug deep in Carolina mud so it never budged!  Although very windy with the swamplands offering little protection it did provide us shelter from the waves so the boat swung a little but was otherwise very comfortable.

November 24:  Bellhaven

The next canal we needed to transit is the Aliigator-Pungo canal.  It is deeper and wider that the Dismal Swamp canal and also very pretty.  We pulled into the Dowery Creek Marina at the end of the canal and spent the night.  It is a very nice place with a beautiful clubhouse and pool for cruisers.  They also have free washers and clean showers.  This marina caters mainly to the transients that frequent the ICW during the spring and fall.  Every night they host a small cocktail party in the cruiser’s lounge.  We attended and chatted with the owners, other cruisers and local live aboards.

October 29 – Another night in Cuttyhunk

Due to wind and sea conditions we stayed another night in Cuttyhunk but we pulled anchor and spent the night rafted up at the dock.   We explored a little more of the island.  There are several bunkers on the west side of the island that overlook the island and the surrounding waters of the Atlantic Ocean.   The bunkers were built by the U.S. Coast Guard in 1941 to watch out for Nazi U-boats during WWII.  

Other than that we just puttered around doing little chores on the boat.

October 30 – Block Island 

We left Cuttyhunk and had a beautiful sail across Rhode Island Sound to Block Island.  It was Tim’s first visit to Block Island.  I had been there several times with my family when I was a teenager but it might as well have been my first; I recognized very little of it.   We anchored in New Harbor otherwise known as Great Salt Pond and walked over to town which overlooks Old Harbor.  Since this is mostly a tourist town most of the hotels, shops and pubs had just closed for the season.   We found a small clothing shop that was open and stopped in to ask the proprietor if there was any place open where we could grab a beer.  She said she had beer in her fridge that she wanted to get rid of and whipped out two Budweiser’s for us.  We tried to refuse the Buds (we are beer snobs!) but she wouldn’t hear of it so we left her shop with the two buds and directions to a local pub that was still open.   Shamus was invited into the pub as it doesn’t serve food.  We enjoyed meeting the folks who stopped in and even ended up witnessing a spat between two of the patrons who were sitting on either side of us at the bar.   The two buds were abandoned on the steps of the pub.  Hopefully someone will find and enjoy them!

We didn’t stay long as another Nor’easter was forecasted to blow through on the weekend so we decided to head to Westbrook, CT where we would have good protection from the storm.

October 31 – November 3: Westbrook, CT

We left Block Island early in the morning in order to time our arrival at “The Race” to be at slack tide (the period of relatively still water between high and low tide). The Race is the narrow eastern entrance into Long Island Sound through which the Sound’s tides pass in and out of every day and if timed incorrectly can be notoriously difficult to navigate.  The Race overlies part of a moraine, a ribbon of boulders and rocks left behind by a retreating ice age glacier.  Parts of the moraine are above water forming Plum, Great Gull and Fishers Islands which essentially form what amounts to a kind of narrow gorge through which the Race flows.  The underwater sections of the moraine are higher than the surrounding floor of Long Island Sound, forcing water to go up and over it. These two constricting forces, from the sides and from below, force huge volumes of water through a comparatively small space, causing currents that can run as fast as 5 knots and if there is wind opposing the current there will also be large and erratic waves.  We had a beautiful broad reach over to the Race and thanks to Tim’s meticulous planning we hit the Race exactly at slack tide and had an uneventful entrance into Long Island Sound.

We docked at a slip at the Brewer’s Marina in Westbrook, CT.   This size of the marina is unbelievable.  It is a city of boats and there are two swimming pools, playgrounds, and picnic areas throughout the marina.   The staff there was incredibly nice and helpful.   They shuttled us to the grocery store and West Marine.  We planned on leaving Connecticut on Monday but delayed our departure until Tuesday as Tim started having some painful muscle spasms in his lower back.   Nothing strenuous brought them on – just leaning over to pick up a pen or something off the nav station.  Anyway, sea conditions in the Long Island Sound were supposed to be choppy on Monday and a bouncing, rolling boat would have been agony for Tim so we relaxed for another day and departed Tuesday.

Nov 4: Port Jefferson, Long Island, NY

We motored across Long Island Sound to Port Jefferson, Long Island and picked up a mooring there for the night.  We didn’t explore the area.  We only went ashore to a nice little beach to walk and play with Shamus.   

We were pushing to get to Jersey City, NJ or Staten Island, NY before the weekend as we planned an offshore passage off the New Jersey coast to Cape May, NJ which we estimated to be about a 30 hour trip.   We hoped if we made the passage on a weekend then some of Tim’s brothers or our friend Chris Allen could join us so we could have shorter night watches.

Nov 5: City Island, The Bronx

We left Port Jefferson and had planned on anchoring for the night in a small anchorage close to the Throgs Neck Bridge but it was too shallow for our boat so we spent the night on a mooring in City Island, the Bronx.  Again we didn’t do much exploring.   We did take a nice walk to a small neighborhood grocery store a couple blocks from the Marina.  It was a really neat little area with several little pubs and galleries.   

Nov 6: Hell Gate and Lady Liberty

Hell Gate is another section of our passage where careful attention to the tidal currents is essential.  Hell Gate is the tidal strait that connects three major bodies of water; The New York Upper Bay, Long Island Sound, and the Hudson River via the Harlem River.  On any given tidal cycle the “Gate” is going to have currents usually in excess of 3.5-4.0 knots except at slack tide.  The convergence of these different waterways as well as the tidal currents and wind can make the waters here particularly turbulent and challenging.   Large commercial tugs and tankers take special care transiting this section of water so you can imagine that it is imperative for a small sailing vessel like ours to time the passage through Hell Gate correctly. Failure to do so not only would leave you open to getting a good ass kicking by mother nature but given the commercial traffic through Hell Gate it certainly would not be a healthy choice to end up unintentionally playing chicken in the channel with 25,000 ton steel vessel!

It was a rainy morning but visibility was still good.  Again, Tim’s careful planning had us arrive at Hell Gate at slack tide and we had an uneventful passage through the Gate and a nice cruise down the East River to New York Harbor.   It was great having our AIS.  We could see all the commercial traffic, their direction and speed and just as importantly they could see us.  In fact, one tug and barge reached out and asked if they could get by us before passing under one of the bridges.   We had no problem slowing down for them to pass.

We anchored in Liberty State Park, Jersey City which is very close to and offers a great view of the Statue of Liberty and the Freedom Tower. 

My sister, Colleen, lives in Hoboken which was less than 10 miles from the anchorage.  She picked us up and we spent a great evening together at a restaurant called Skinners Loft in Jersey City! 

Nov 7:  Great Kills Harbor, Staten Island NY

We left the anchorage at Liberty State Park early in the morning for Great Kills Harbor on Staten Island.   The skies had cleared and we had great views of the Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island, and the Manhattan skyline especially of the Freedom Tower.

We had a nice sail over to Great Kills Harbor and picked up a slip for the night at Mansion Marina.   Tim and I each rented a car.   I was headed out Blairstown, NJ to see my family for the day and then back to the boat later that evening.

We estimated the trip from Staten Island to Cape May would be about 30 hours.  Shamus isn’t trained to go to the bathroom on the boat (yet) so Tim drove him to Cape May where we put him a nice kennel until Sunday morning.  He was also meeting our good friend Chris Allen in Cape May.  Chris pulled some very long hours in his truck to drive all the way down from Maine to help us with the overnight passage of the NJ coast.   Trust me when I say Chris, Tim and I looked into all modes of transportation and rendezvous points to meet up with Chris and then reunite him with his truck for his drive back to Maine.  Crazy as it seems Chris driving all the way to Cape May and then back to Staten Island with Tim worked out the best. 

Nov 8: Offshore Passage of the Jersey Coast / American Chop Suey on Deck

Chris and Tim arrived back at the boat from Cape May around 3:30 a.m.   Tim and I were up a couple hours later to return the rental cars.  We got back to the boat around 7 a.m. and started out for Cape May shortly thereafter.

The forecast called for northwest winds 10 – 15 knots changing to southwest late in the afternoon with seas building to 3 – 4 feet.  The forecast turned out to be fairly accurate.  We started the trip with some nice wind and calm seas and were able sail several hours before the wind turned to the southwest (right on the nose) and we needed to start the engine. 

The waves started to build late in the afternoon or early evening.  Carina started bucking a bit but all of us were very comfortable.  Even in the rougher conditions I was able prepare us a nice warm dinner of American Chop Suey. 

Our night watch schedule was to each take 2 hours at the helm and then four hours off to rest.  I went to bed around 8 p.m. and came out to take my watch around mid-night.  We were just offshore of the very brightly lit up Atlantic City.   Tim had just taken the helm from Chris and said he was still good to go for a while.  The sea conditions had gotten a bit worse and between the wind, waves and current we weren’t making any real headway sticking directly to our course.  We put out the staysail to stabilize the boat and started tacking back and forth across our course line.  It was a somewhat more comfortable ride and we were able to make pretty good headway.   When something crashed I stuck my head down the companion way to take a look below and then I also put my head down when I was helping tack the staysail.   Not such a good move for me in particular to make in rough seas.  It gets me everytime. My stomach curdled and my portion of American Chop Suey hit the deck – literally!  Yuck!  As is typical for me when I get a little sea sick the involuntary clearing of my tummy makes me feel better almost instantly as long as I stay in a somewhat reclined position.  Sitting up usually brings on another wave of nausea and vomiting.  So I spent the next couple of hours reclining, vomiting if I sat up to help, and staring at the lights of Atlantic City while Tim and Chris took turns at the helm.  Around 3:30 a.m.  I rallied and took the helm until about 7:30 a.m.   Tim relieved me and we arrived in Cape May at 9:15 a.m and picked up a slip at the South Jersey Marina.

Nov 9 – 10:  Cape May, NJ

Shamus was really happy to see us when we retrieved him from the kennel in Cape May.  As always he was especially ecstatic to see Chris who is one of his most favorite people in the world.   Chris left for Maine after grabbing a shower at the marina.  We offered Chris a nice hot breakfast and a bunk to catch some sleep before he started his road trip back to Maine but he was anxious to get going.   I worried about his return drive as he had two long nights in a row without much sleep but he made it home just fine.

Chris, we can’t begin to thank you enough for helping us out!!!. It would have been a difficult night without your help especially since I had a short bout of sea sickness that sidelined me for a bit.  You and Jen are the best of friends!  Just pick up the phone when we can return the favor and make plans to come visit us in the warmer climates where you and Jen can do some diving!

Tim and I didn’t have much energy to do more than get a bite to eat and straighten up the boat a bit before dropping into bed for a long nap.  We woke up long enough to take Shamus for a nice walk, eat dinner and go back to bed for the night.   

On Sunday, we decided to stay another day in Cape May.   We did a thorough cleaning of the boat inside and out and I hauled Tim up the mast so he could replace the wind direction vane.  After finishing up our chores we explored the town of Cape May a little bit.  It is a nice little village especially the Pedestrian Mall area.   We splurged and bought some very yummy fudge and salt water taffy.  

We needed to determine if we could transit the Cape May Canal to enter the Delaware Bay or if we would need to go down around the peninsula which would add a couple hours to our trip.  The issue is whether there was enough clearance to pass under the two bridges in the Cape May Canal.   The height to the bottom of the bridges is 54’ at mean high water.  Our mast height is 56’. Everything Tim researched seemed to indicate if we transited under the bridges at dead low tide we might be able to squeak under.   After double checking all the information he could find and actually walking over to see the first bridge Tim felt we should give it a shot.   Dead low tide was around 4 a.m.  The plan was to glide up to the bridge in neutral or just barely in gear to see if we would clear the first bridge girder.  If not we would not clear the bridge we would do a hard reverse to stop our forward momentum turn around and head around the peninsula.    

Nov 11 - Nov 12:  Chesapeake City, MD

4 a.m. arrived bright and early.  The moon and stars were still out and it was a beautiful morning.   We followed our plan and approached the first bridge at dead low tide… and… we made it! Just!  Our VFH antenna, which is flexible, hit every girder on the way under the bridge.  

When passing under the second bridge we had a close call with an electric cable hanging down which powers the green navigation light illuminating the height of the bridge.  We almost hooked it with the masthead and had to back down hard to avoid it having break off equipment that is mounted on the top of the mast! PHEW!     Once we were certain everything was okay with the equipment on the masthead, we passed under the bridge no problem then changed our underwear and proceeded into Delaware Bay. 

We crossed Delaware Bay and transited most of the Chesapeake and Delaware Canal (CDC).  We stopped in Chesapeake City, Maryland which is still inside but toward the end of the canal.  It is a great place to stop.  It is a quaint little historic village filled with nice little shops and galleries.  There is an interesting museum there about the history of the CDC, and plenty of places to walk Shamus.  The “Deck” at the Chesapeake Inn is a lot of fun.  We met a very nice woman named Jersey who we had a great time talking with and sharing stories.  She was a veteran of the army and navy and had served our country in some very cool places.  It was Veterans Day so we made sure to thank her for her service to our great country.   

Tim’s parents met us on the 12th for lunch at the Chesapeake Inn.  It was great to spend time with them.   Hopefully, they will come visit us when we get to warmer climates!  It was a little too late after lunch to head to another anchorage so we spent another night in in Chesapeake City.

November 13:  Annapolis

The next day we sailed down Chesapeake Bay to Annapolis where I hope to meet up with a few friends from my college days at the University of Maryland.  I haven’t been down here in 17 years so it will be nice to reunite with those who can meet up with us on such short notice.  

November 14:  Annapolis Day 2

I had forgotten how beautiful Annapolis is.  There is history everywhere you look.  It was nice place just to stroll around.  We had lunch at McGarvey’s with Bev Cauley, a friend from college.  It was fabulous to see and catch up with Bev and hear how well her husband Mike and sons are doing and also to get the news on some other mutual friends we shared during our college years.    

November 15:  Fairhaven

This morning we had breakfast with one of my closest friends from college – Amy Dunne. Yesterday at lunch Bev had described Amy as a “breath of fresh air!”  Amy is absolutely irrepressible and it was wonderful to spend time with her. Tim and I are both still smiling.   I will definitely not let so many years pass between our next visit!   

After our visit with Amy, Tim and I sailed away from Annapolis and we are now anchored off Fairhaven, MD.  We hope to be in Portsmouth, VA by Tuesday.