The Captain Writes

Here's the Captain again. Like I said previously, I would try my hand at this thing once in a while. LOLOL

Since the next trip to New Smyrna Beach was only 15 miles we slept in and didn't leave until about 9:30. We usually have breakfast while we are traveling but that day we relaxed in the salon and enjoyed breakfast leisurely. The 2 hour trip was uneventful except we had many dolphins swimming along with us. Click on the arrow to watch the dolphins playing,, there were 4 on each side of our boat and a few at the bow. It's amazing to watch them swim and fish in our wake.

Got to our slip in New Smyrna and the Admiral said, "lets go shopping". There was a new bus service in town that took us right to Publix. It was good we went because we were out of wine and Al and Fran were expected for a pre dinner get together the next night. The bus took us right back to the marina. Nice service!!!

The next day laundry and a good cleaning both outside and inside was done to the Summer Wind.Since we had been on the hook for so many days and the weather had been so awful she got neglected. She shined when Al and Fran arrived. They have been the best of friends for many years and we make it a point to always stop in New Smyrna to see them. This evening we went to the New Smyrna Yacht Club for dinner. Hey all you guys from the Harlem, they put a PC flag on our table when they learned I was a Past Commodore. Dinner was wonderful and the company superb. Thanks Al and Fran. As always we take a group shot of all our guests but note, this one is special!!!!

The weather was going to deteriorate the next day and we had to get farther south. Got up at dawn and were out of our slip as the sun broke through the horizon. Had to traverse some pretty big open waters so we were very lucky the winds were on our back. If they were coming from the west we would have been rolling. We needed fuel and decided to stay at the Harbourtown Marina on the Canaveral Barge canal instead of going on to an open dock near Cocoa village. Again the Admiral thanked me because the winds piped up with streaks of spray coming across the white caps. So that night we spent again in comfort. By the way, this marina is where we saw the shuttle launch in the spring at 4:30 in the morning. There diesel price was the best in Florida. $2.95 per gal including tax.

Yesterday again we were up really early because it was a long day travel to Vero Beach. Got here in the early afternoon yesterday and rafted up on a mooring with our good friends Ted and Nancy. She prepared a wonderful X-mas evening dinner and like always we enjoyed each others company. So here we are,up to date on X-mas day and Mother Nature is promising 70 degree temperatures and sunny. All the boaters here, which are many, are getting together for a big pot luck dinner this afternoon. Should be fun and Elle is busy cooking for that.
Hope all have a nice day and I'll try this again in the near future.

This clip was taken in New Smyrna,, It's shortly before sunset. Egrets, Herons (blue and white), Pelicans and Cormorants use this island as a nesting site. It was interesting to watch the birds fly in what seemed  like they were synchronized on a runway. What was even more interesting was that these species respected one another's space but could have easily gone onto the other big island very close by and have plenty of room. Listen closely and you can hear them talking to one another,,, also listen for someone elses music.  : )

Welcome to Warm Sunny Florida???

Thursday December 16th-  We crossed the Georgia/Florida border... Normally we've anticipated shedding of jackets, sweaters, mitts, and donning of tees and shorts. Alas, this was not to be, in fact as we were heading into our slip the winds had picked up immensely. The captain pulled us in nice and smoothly and even the dock master complimented him on how well he controlled the Summer Wind. Our destination today was the Fernandina Harbor Marina on Amelia Island where we would spend 2 days getting our land legs back and getting off the boat to explore. Working together we made short work of laundry, cleaning up the boat and getting ourselves showered. That night we enjoyed a lovely relaxing dinner at Guaranno's Italian Restaurant.
We've been told that nothing 'exciting' happens on Amelia Island, but upon returning back to the Summer Wind from an outing, we noticed police cars and a crowd of people by the boat ramp. Curious like we are,, we wanted to find out what the fuss was all about.. Well they have a funny way of parking cars on this tiny little Island,, and it sure doesn't look easy trying to get out of that spot. Turns out someone stole the car a whole block away and parked it in the basin....where else can you park it?? The Island is only 14 miles long.

The townsfolk are very friendly here, we learned about the history of some of the families and how they are making things work through this recession. Later in the afternoon we were sitting on the boat and noticed a man walking back and forth the Summer Wind. The captain being curious and friendly himself went out and talked with 'Bob'. He explained how his dream is two years away to be cruising on a boat similar to the Summer Wind. After talking with him a bit, we discovered he knew people that we knew and so the Captain invited him aboard to have a look inside. Well, Bob was grateful for the tour and chat and later in the afternoon thanked us with some shrimp. Wasn't that nice!! Thanks Bob.. great to meet you and hope to see you on the waterway in 2 years.

Mother nature was unpredictable, there were more winter storms coming across and so we ended up spending one more night in the Fernandina marina. We were plugged in warm, and had all the comforts needed, so why go out again in cold weather?

Sunday December 19th- Our day was going to be a long trip to St. Augustine. Normally we would spend a couple of days here but we wanted to get further south and hopefully find some warm weather. Our plan had been to spend a night on one of their mooring balls that is now a new feature to the marina. But as we were travelling along and the temperatures not making 50 degrees the captain said, this is nuts, we're going to be plugged in tonight and decided to take a slip at the marina. Not only had the temperatures dropped, but the winds had really be blowing and if we had been on a mooring it would have been darn cold!!! Thank you Captain Honey!!!!!! We did brave it out for a quick walk through the town, and enjoyed dinner out,, but we were happy to be tucked into a warm comforter with heat for the night!

Monday December 20th- Our destination today was the Halifax Harbor Marina in Daytona. We hadn't been here for a couple of years and the last time we had been here we met so many wonderful people. So, we decided to give it a try. The marina is beautiful, floating docks, and they have a pool ( but its too darn cold for that), but we were disappointed walking along the main street. There were only 2 shops occupied along the main drag that offered any means of shopping and the restaurants were bar type. What a shame! So, we had a quiet evening aboard the Summer Wind and looked forward to our next stop New Smyrna Beach.

"The Moon Over Georgia"

This is the Herb River anchorage in GA where we spent 3 days waiting out a winter storm that had struck all along the east coast from Florida to the northern states. The night time lows fell to the teens and the temperatures inside the cabin were a balmy 38 degrees and the winds outside at times were blowing plus 40 knots. The rain teemed in sideways and we were so glad that it wasn't snowing!!  Our anchorage was very protected, the Summer Wind barely rocked.  We entertained ourselves cuddled under blankets keeping warm, watching movies and indulging in homemade chilli, or a pot of fresh hot soup and.  We ran the generator more often then usual to warm up the inside of the Summer Wind but not at night when we would sleep. Thank goodness for down comforters! Unfortunately we didn't get to see the moon or the stars,,, too cloudy and cold!! Each morning we woke up to ice on the windows and very slippery decks. brrrrrrrrrrrrrr
Finally the winds settled down enough for us to weigh anchor and head down to our next destination. When bringing up the anchor we discovered our salt water wash down pump had froze,, it's a good thing the anchor came up decently clean. Any water that fell onto the deck from the anchor and chain instantly froze. Normally we would steer the boat from the bridge, but because it was still too darn cold we took advantage of being able to steer from inside the cabin.

 Our next stop was the Frederica River anchorage. We could have gone into a marina that evening but decided that this anchorage was pretty protected from any winds and so we would be 'comfortable' for the night. That day the temperature highs were in the high 40's and the nights were in the low 20's,, still not 'boating weather'.

Our last day in Georgia was another anchorage in the Wahoo River. Temperatures were beginning to rise but still too cold for southern comfort.  It would be good to finally get to Florida.



Cows making short work of the tall grass

 The ICW winds through the Georgia marshland with tall grasses, shallow water and fast currents. There are times your crossing your fingers and toes that there is enough water to get through. Our last day in Georgia took us through the Cumberland dividings.. a notorious spot for catching captains off guard that don't pay attention to the markers and as we were traversing through,, it had captured a huge sailboat on a sandbar. We had no problem following the markers,, but we were so happy to cross the Georgia/Florida border.

Words From the Captain

After cruising for quite a while and hardly ever writing in this blog I (Dick) am going to try my skills and post a few writings. As you are aware my first mate has done most of the postings since we have started and took and posted all the pictures. I am not sure if I can compete with that but here goes.

We are now anchored in a nice little creek (Herb River)  not far from Savannah, Ga. The wind is blowing quite hard as a cold front is just going through. It rained most of the night and we're beginning to see some breaks in the clouds. Big decision a few hours ago, decided to stay put since the next leg would take us through St. Catherines sound which is notorious for having heavy seas with lots of wind. The weather reports are calling for 25 to 35 MPH with gusts up to 40 MPH wind so we will stay right where we are nice and secure. Looking out the window we see marsh and a few houses only one other boat anchored down. He is not going anywhere either.

So let me back track a little. Went back to Morristown,NJ about a month ago planning on spending Thanksgiving with the kids and was suppose to go back to the Summer Wind a few days after the holiday. Welllllll, the best laid plans....... saw my eye doctor for a follow up visit since my cataract surgery last summer and he found some scar tissue behind the lens in my right eye. He said that it was quite common and could correct with laser surgery. Unfortunately because of the holiday and he also only does surgery on Wednesdays we had to wait until the following week. I also have been experiencing pains and stiffness in my shoulders so saw my Orthopedic doctor. The X-rays showed some bone spurs and arthritis in which he prescribed Prednisone and wanted to see me in a week. After both doctors and follow up visits we finally got the OK to travel.

Drove back to Beaufort, SC and reboarded last Thursday, December 9th. Did some fresh food shopping on Friday and returned the rental car. Yesterday was our first day of travel and found everything working well .

We do this cruising and head south because we hate the cold weather but, alas, we haven't seen or felt the warmth yet. This time of year the cold fronts are moving far more south than we like and we are getting hit with them. Yesterday it was in the low 50's (but felt colder) and rained most of the day. Had to steer from inside with the wipers going most of the time. Last night it was in the low 30's and tonight the 20's. YIKES, Get me SOUTH!!!!!

Even with all the cold and wind and delays it is great to be back on the Summer Wind. She is packed to the gills and wants to head south as badly as we do.

I will try to write more often but leave the pictures to Elle.

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Charleston,SC to Beaufort,SC

Thursday November 11th raised the anchor and left our quiet anchorage. Our destination for today was the Carolina Yacht Club in Charleston.We love this city, and we always spend a couple of days to visit. The temperatures warmed up to the 70's and we were able to shed our sweaters for T's.  Shortly after noon we arrived at the Yacht Club waiting for our slip assignment. There was a big Catamaran trying to dock and with the wind and current, the dockmaster was having quite the time trying to reel him in. Slowly but surely our time came to dock and the captain had us docked very easily.

After docking and showering we went to check into the Yacht club, we've never been in this club so we wanted to check it out. The Carolina Yacht club is very beautiful and steeped in tradition and formality. We were 'welcomed' and invited to dine in their club, but neither of us felt the desire to change (jacket required) again so we decided to venture out on our own. You can't go wrong with most restaurants in Charleston.

After walking around a bit, we decided to check out the local restaurants. As we were reading the menu board one of the hostesses from the Mercato restaurant came outside to welcome us to their restaurant. She told us they were having live jazz music and we would not be disappointed. Well we made the reservation ,, and you know she was right! We enjoyed a fantastic night at the Mercato. Ann Caldwell was singing with a three piece band, drums, keyboard and cello. Her songs were sultry, and wonderful to the ears. Oh yes, the dinner was marvellous as well!! The wait staff was very attentive to all customers and even the manager came around a few times to see if everything was enjoyable. We had asked him if he knew if Ann and her group produced a CD, and he gave us a free copy. We went back to the Summer Wind totally enthralled and satisfied from a wonderful night.

 We spent two nights in Charleston, and had a fabulous time walking around the Battery and river walk. We toured the exchange building and enjoyed listening to the history.

Dolphins on the Bow

 Saturday November 13th- We untied our lines and decided to head for our next destination. Our plans were to anchor as close to Beaufort, SC as possible. So, we anchored in Wimbee Creek off the Coosaw River. We knew this was going to be a great anchorage when we turned up the creek there was a large pod of dolphins as our welcoming committee. Each dolphin was taking its turn looking up at the Summer Wind, and playing in our bow. That evening we enjoyed watching them swim around and we could hear them when they would come to surface near the boat. The scenery around the Summer Wind is mostly the tall marshy grass with a few homes dotting the area. However there were a few new  ' grand' homes being built.

Sunday November 14th,- Our trip was only about an hour long. The anchorage gave us an advantage of docking in Beaufort at slack tide. Shortly around noon we had the Summer Wind secured to her slip where she would be awaiting our return. Our plans were to pick up our rental car and drive home for the Thanksgiving holiday. An adventure we're both looking forward to enjoying.

Waccamaw

Wed. November 10th-Untied the lines at Barefoot Landing at 6:30am and began the trek down the ICW when there was enough sunlight. The captain showed his talent for pullling away from the dock because along the wall, all the boats are bow to stern and at very close proximity. Around 9:00 in the morning we made a stop for fuel at Osprey marina, they still had their fuel at a great rate of $2.77/gallon. Fuel prices are starting to rise above $3.00 as we move further south. 

We had a wonderful trip down the Waccamaw River. The temperatures had warmed up enough that we were able to spot turtles sunning themselves on logs and rocks along the river banks.  Most of the trees still had their burnished autumn color,and the leaves were only beginning to fall. When you travel down the Waccamaw, it's a unique experience everytime.

Our final destination today was the Minim Creek anchorage where we dropped a hook. In the afternoon we went out on the back sundeck and listened to the call of various birds. Somewhere over the tall grass there must have been hundreds of birds having a large party,, hmmm and we weren't invited. That evening the winds were calm and there wasn't a cloud in the sky. Shortly around midnight we went outside on the back deck and the black sky was lit with millions of stars that were reflected in the water.

North to South Carolina

Friday November 5th  - Woke up to pretty cold temperatures in the morning.  It's hard to believe we were in North Carolina. Pulled up the anchor and thank goodness the wash down pump for the anchor worked. It was caked in mud and would have made for a very long, cold morning. Our trip today was short, Moorehead City Yacht basin, and it was the first time we had ever been to this marina. We spent  a couple of  wonderful days here. We explored the little town and did some necessary chores (laundry, food shopping).  We enjoyed our time with Ted and Nancy and took an unscheduled country drive thanks to the provisioning of a loaner car from the marina. Enjoyed a wonderful Veterans Day parade with many veterans participating. On our second day Robin and Jim Roberts joined us all for dinner at the Beach Bums restaurant and later had dessert and coffee aboard their vessel  'Adventures'.

Sunday November 7th - Early in the morning, we untied our lines and headed down Bogue Sound. The winds were blowing but because they were coming from the WNW, there was very little chop on the water. We passed several sailboats along the way and later they caught up with us in Mile Hammock Bay. That evening we rafted up with Ted and Nancy aboard Aloha Friday. There were 26 boats including us in this anchorage. Nancy served a delicious Tuscan style pasta dish for dinner. Came back to the Summer Wind not only with a great recipe in hand, but a few  gadget and space saving ideas. Thanks for a great time!!

Monday November 8th - Untied our lines from Aloha Friday, with deep gratitude for their company and we bid 'adieu' to Ted and Nancy. Our plan today was to make up some time lost due to the bad weather and possibly do a 70 mile day. The timing was absolutely perfect down the Cape Fear river, at one point we were travelling 11.8 knots and we normally travel around 7.5 knots. By the end of the day we were exhausted but glad to be tied up at the St. James marina in Southport.

Tuesday November 9th - Today we crossed  into South Carolina and finally found the warm weather. Our jackets and sweatshirts finally came off!!! YEAH!!! Tied up at Barefoot Landing marina in Myrtle Beach, SC, which has an outlet shopping area. Yes we did some shopping but would you believe we purchased sweaters,, aren't we heading south??  Barefoot is a cute place to stop but its still struggling with the economy,  sadly many more shops are closed.

Heading South Looking for Warmer Weather

Sunday October 31st - Thursday November 4TH - Untied our lines from the basin in Portsmouth and began our way down the ICW. Norfolk is MM1(mile marker) of the Intracoastal Waterway. The Summer Wind joined the slow train through the Virgina Cut, a narrow passage under the timed bridges and through the Great Bridge Lock. Our final destination today was Midway Marina, in Coinjock, NC. As we were tying up we noticed small boats pulling up to the docks, with  usually 3 hunters all dressed in camouflage with their listening devices and rifles. It's deer hunting time and seems that the deer are very aware of it because none of the boats had a carcass, hence lunch time at Crabbie's.

Our plans to travel the next day were dashed by the winds. That evening we were joined by our friends Nancy and Ted McCarley aboard Aloha Friday. We enjoyed spending some time with them that evening. We had talked about possibly going to Manteo together  with another cruiser and made plans for a departure time in the AM.

 Low n Behold, mother nature had other plans, the weather pattern changed again and the winds were whipping 15 - 20 knots. The Pamlico looked rougher and if we didn't at least try to cross the Albermarle, we were going to be socked in for a few days. So out we went, well, that day we wished we had Aloha Friday's magic button. This magic button engages the stabilizers which helps reduce the rocking motion of the boat. Several yelps were heard aboard our boat when we crossed the wide open Albermarle, no we won't say from whom! But it was a day we were happy to get over with! Dropped the hook in a very quiet anchorage, relaxed and enjoyed a beautiful sunset in the Pungo River.

Wednesday morning woke up to windy conditions, so crossing the Neuse wasn't a great idea. Instead we rafted up with Aloha Friday in Long Creek to wait it out for one more day just at the entrance to the Pamlico River. It was cold, rainy but we enjoyed the company of Ted and Nancy aboard the Summer Wind and shared a hot pot of chili!

Thursday morning the winds had calmed but we were socked in with fog. Slowly and steadily we made our way up the Neuse and to the Cedar Creek anchorage. Once again we attempted to raft our boats, but the wakes made it very uncomfortable for all of us. So, we broke apart and dropped the hook. That evening the temperatures dropped again to the low 40's, when your anchoring you can't run your heat unless you have the generator running. We don't run the generator when we're sleeping therefore, thank goodness for warm comforters!!

A Hauntingly Good Time

Wed. October 27th-30th - In order to catch even a little bit of the tide heading down the river we had to be up by 6am. It was still very dark out at this time, but when the sun started to rise the clouds first appeared with a hint of pink. It's very quiet that early in the morning. So, we prepared the boat and made plans to untie the lines when there was enough light  for us to see.
For the past few weeks the weather has been unpredictable, it seemed to change every 12 hours and today was no exception.There were a couple of fast moving fronts coming through as we were travelling , fortunately we missed the thunderstorms that rocked other areas.

 As we were coming upon the Reserve mooring field, the waves had built to 2 -3 feet and the Summer Wind was ploughing steadily through with no problem.

Late afternoon, we finally arrived at the Portsmouth basin, but decided to put off our fuelling for a day that wouldn't be so windy. We spent 3 days in Portsmouth, thanks to the weather. But our time there turned out to be great fun!

Our first night we enjoyed a fun evening at the Commodore which is a 1940 style Dinner Theatre where you can dine and watch a movie in comfy arm chairs. It's an interesting experience, not to be missed. There were servers and we enjoyed a light meal of salad on real dinnerware  before the feature movie "Secretariat"  which was a definite must see. Oh, yes there are the typical fare of popcorn, candies and soda for those that indulge.



Time went fast in Portsmouth. We had spent many evenings dining with friends. Jim & Robin, Sam & Barbara joined us for dinner at Bruttis. Another evening we were joined by Robin, Jim, and Karen and we enjoyed a wonderful German style meal at the Biehr Garden Restaurant. Another evening we enjoyed a great meal aboard 'Adventures'with Jim,Robin, Karen and Jeff. It's all about the food and great company! Thanks guys!

It's Halloween and the ever Southern town of Portsmouth was in full swing for the festivities. We took part in the "Ghost Walk" throughout the "Olde Town of Portsmouth" . The brick sidewalks lined with historic homes were an excellent backdrop where we heard hauntingly scary stories of former residents. We're  still not sure if the story tellers were of the  'living'. For the survivors of the walk, a nice warm cup of Apple Cider topped off the evening.

 It didn't have to be the dark of night to bring out the trick or treaters. There were several, ghosts,gremlins and ghouls that strolled through the streets. But not to fear, there were a  cute bumble bee and fairy princess or two.

Oh yes, we did get to meet up with Dyna and Dylan, the masters of aCapella. Tails were wagging and we instantly knew that we were to give them a good rub on the ears. Apparently they have quite the knack for training!

Quiet Destinations

Monday October 25 - 26TH- It was time to explore somewhere new. We heard so many great things about the James River, and decided to let our nomadic instincts take over. Early in the morning we untied the lines, and took a right turn heading up the James River. Richmond,VA would be the farthest we could travel up the river but our destination today was the River Rest Marina on the Chickahominy River. The James River twists and winds and narrows gradually. We came upon the James River reserve fleet which are rows of military vessels in the mothball stage waiting to be scrapped on mooring balls. Don't even think about getting near this area....

The trip up the river was another race with the weather. We could see fast moving fronts dumping rain from a distance. We entered the Chickahominy river and we discovered a winding narrow river with sparsely populated banks of homes , but there were forests of tall oak and maple trees just beginning their color change, mixed in with the natural green of pine. There were numerous duck blinds each unique in its design and empty thank goodness at the moment. However we did hear the odd gun shot going off in the distance,,, hmmmm.

 Late afternoon, we tied up at the River Rest Motel and Marina. Two dock hands were waiting to tie us up, the current runs 3-4 knots and can give cruisers quite an interesting welcome. The captain made docking look easy, and the dock hands were quite impressed that he was a single screw (engine). The dock master welcomed us, and told us the restaurant was closed Mondays, but on Tuesday it was open and worth the visit. He also warned us not to walk off the paved roads because it was grey powder season, (deer hunting : ( awwwww)

That evening we spent aboard the Summer Wind and just as dinner was being prepared that weather front came in full blast. There was a tremendous pounding of rain and then 5 minutes later, it stopped. As I(first mate) was down in the galley the captain exclaimed "OH MY! Look at that rainbow!" It was a huge, beautiful rainbow, out came the camera and pictures were snapped before it quickly disappeared. The picture just doesn't do it justice, the rainbow was amidst the dark sky and to the west was a pink sky with the setting sun, simply breath taking. Our second event of the night, we noticed a strobe light outside the windows, and wondering what or who was on the dock. Sure enough a big 42' Grand Banks was coming into the docks, and believe me it was pitch black. The captain of the GB didn't have such luck with his docking. After 3 attempts, side swiping the ends of the docks, and giving our boat a nudge, he finally made it in,,,, whew!

On our second day, the Captain decided to install the new float switch he purchased. The chore became a two man job. Finally a chance to get into the engine room and get my hands dirty! Sorry there aren't pictures because we were both 'knee deep' and busy.  That evening We did enjoy the "Blue Heron" restaurant and couldn't believe the offerings or the prices. It was a fantastic dinner!

Hampton Roads, VA

Saturday, October 23RD- 24TH-  Woke up and began getting ready to leave when we noticed the moon was setting.Shortly after 7am we untied and headed out into the Bay. The seas were relatively choppy, we were taking spray up to the bridge. NOAA was a little off on its prediction of wind speed. We were noticing winds over 10 knots and we were taking spray up to the bridge. The chatter on the radio were cruisers asking what the conditions were like further south. They were making decisions whether to just duck in or continue on for the day. After hearing reports of calmer seas further south, we continued on our track. Sure enough as we continued south, the winds seemed to calm down and it was a much more enjoyable trip.

As we were coming to Thimble Shoals which is at the mouth of the Bay and the inlet to Hampton Roads we noticed dozens of sailboats heading out for a sail. Soon we were pulling into Hampton City Docks and the captain docked with relative ease.
That evening as were showering we noticed that the shower didn't seem to be draining properly. Sure enough, the pump stopped working.The captain fiddled with the wires and thought he had things working when it stopped again. Sunday morning we went to the dock master to see what time the West Marine shuttle would be coming. She told us that wasn't happening until Monday. Well, a couple that were on the sailboat nearby said they were going to West Marine, would we willing to share a cab? We were thrilled and made plans to head to West Marine. The captain was able to find a switch for the pump.
That's how we met Judy and Stephen, isn't it great! They are planning on doing the Caribbean 1500 but only going to the Bahamas and they were provisioning their boat with necessities. Have a great sail and great to meet you both!

Fun in Lonely Deltaville

Wednesday October 20TH-22ND- Our travelling window was very narrow, if we didn't leave today there wouldn't be good weather for a few more days. NOAA was calling for light morning showers but deteriorating in the afternoon because seas would be building. So, we made plans to get up at sun up and beat the weather. Deltaville was going to be only 40 miles away which meant only 5 hours of travelling. Sure enough when we woke, the rain had already began so we took the cover off the window and planned to steer from below. We enjoyed fresh hot coffee below and we were nice and dry. However after a few hours the waves began to build. We were so happy to be off the Bay shortly after noon, because the seas were definitely getting uncomfortable.
Our stop today was the Regatta Point Marina. It's funny we always say there's nothing in Deltaville but we always have a great time. This time was no different, after checking -in the Captain came back excited and told me were going out for dinner and we would be treated to some dancing music, YEAH!! The restaurants pick up cruisers that are at the marinas because there isn't anything close by. We had a fantastic evening at Toby's, great food and we danced the night away to some great 50's - 60's music. It wasn't crowded so we had the dance floor mostly to ourselves. What a great evening!

Woke up the next morning to the winds howling and NOAA was right this time, the winds were increasing and the Bay would be treacherous. Oh well, we decided to do some laundry and provision the Summer Wind. The marina loans out cars they keep on hand for an hour or two and we made great use of that convenience. Interesting this little town has 2 West Marines and one was situated next door to the grocery store. So, the Captain said let's go in and see if we there's anything we need for the boat. Sure enough the Captain spotted "SPOT MESSENGER" and discovered there was $100 rebate and free carrying case. For those that don't know how SPOT works click on that black box on the top right of our blog. It can track our travels, and if we aren't within cell or radio communications, we can send out an SOS message if there is ever a need. Saying all that we're rarely out of radio frequency, but redundancy is a good thing on the boat. We have two radios on board, plus a handheld and a cell phone. We liked the thought that we can track exactly where we are, and we're hoping that the grandkids will be interested in following along. So, we decided to give it a try. Headed back to the boat with our goodies in hand and excited to be setting up our new 'toy'. So, give it a try check out where we are right at this moment.

That afternoon, there was a knock on the boat and we were invited to the porch deck for a wine and cheese gathering for the cruisers! How wonderful! So we joined in and met several cruisers, we love these gatherings.
Friday morning, we woke up and winds were again blowing and there were white caps visible. Didn't look like we would be travelling today either. Oh well, so we did a few chores aboard the boat and relaxed. Dick practiced his flute and there was a clapping at the door. One gal came over and told us it was wonderful and he inspired her to pull out her harmonica and learn how to play. Isn't that great??
 For a place where there is 'nothing' we always seem to have a great time! Checked the weather that night and it definitely looks good for Saturday!!!

Heading South on the Potomac River

 Sunday October 17Th -The winds had settled enough to travel down the Potomac River. For the past couple of days the winds were gusting WNW over 30 knots. Our destination today was the Tobacco River anchorage which is the half way mark on the Potomac. It's a very picturesque anchorage. The landscape is hilly and filled with tall trees. There are only a few homes lining the rivers shore. No light pollution at night, and on a clear night the stars shine incredibly. The only noise pollution we endured were the calls of the migrating ducks and geese. At times we thought we were in their landing strip because the group would come in low bellowing a huge squawking noise. Thankfully there were no surprises on deck in the morning.



The Dove

  Monday October 18th/19th-  We weighed anchor and headed down the rest of the Potomac. Our stop today was St. Mary's River. It's an anchorage that we have never explored and we heard wonderful things from other cruisers. We arrived just in time before the skies opened with a good rain shower and decided that we'd just stay aboard for the night. After checking NOAA we realized that we were going to be here for an extra night. So we made plans on Tuesday to go to shore. St. Mary's city is one of the first settlements in Maryland and the first Capitol before moving it to Annapolis. There were ongoing architectural digs and they were finding interesting clues as to how the people lived. There were findings from Native Indians and the first Settlers. There is a replica of the Dove sailboat that carried 54 people and came from England. St. Mary's College is also located there, and they are very welcoming to cruisers. They allow cruisers to purchase meals in their cafeteria and we could not believe ,,, it wasn't McDonald's or Burger King type offerings. There was quite the buffet of food, even  a dessert chef that made us wonderful crepes filled with a banana cream a slice of brownie and topped with fresh berry sauce. Scrumptious!!!

St. Mary's College has a sailing club and each night we would watch them taking lessons just before sunset. There was also a scull crew that were going through their paces.

Our Adventure in Washington, DC

Friday October 8th/ 17th - Shortly before noon we tied up at the Gangplank marina. Our plans were to spend a week in Washington, DC, to visit with family and to explore, how wonderful!
We had an amazingly busy week. We spent a few days touring the National Mall. Washington is a wonderful city with many museums, monuments and parks to explore. It's only a mile away from the marina but you could literally walk your feet off with all the options.
 Our first visit was to the American History museum where we saw everything from the History of Lincoln, Transporation, Electricity and of course the 'First Lady's Inauguration dresses where Michelle Obama's dress is now on display. Not to forget the Ruby slippers worn by Judy Garland.

While we were in Washington we also took two tours of the Capitol. Because there is quite an echo throughout the gleaming halls, we wore headsets to hear our tourguide. The guides were very knowledgeable and gave quite a history of the Capitol. We then took a tour of the old Senate Rooms and halls. 

The National museum of the American Indian  was fascinating. We enjoyed lunch at the Mitsitam Native cafe where they served native foods and it was delicious. 

 Our last day in Washington we decided to check out the Library of Congress. Can you imagine millions of books under one roof?  We found Thomas Jefferson's library,, all the books that he read. Information about how the Constitution, Bill of Rights and the Declaration of Independance were written. There was an amazing exhibit on George & Ira Gershwin, and Bob Hope.

During our stay in Washington, we spent some time with the Flynn family. On Sunday we went to the Washington monument to watch Debby finish the 60 mile walk for breast cancer. It's  a 3 day event and we are very proud of her. That evening we enjoyed a wonderful Chinese dinner at their house. On Tuesday we enjoyed watching Meghan's volleyball game where her team won both games, very exciting! We ended up spending a couple of nights at the Flynn's and each night Moira took turns reading to us.

The highlight of our trip was for 'Grampy' to be the mystery reader in Moira's kindergarten class. Moira and her class came in from recess and, there was Grampy sitting in the mystery readers chair! Grampy chose a special book to read 'Make Way for Ducklings'. He had the children's attention, you could tell they were really enjoying the story. Grampy is an excellent story teller. I sat there with pride and as I looked over towards Moira and Debby, both of their faces were beaming with smiles of love and pride. Well done Grampy!
Sadly we had to say good-bye to the Flynn's but we're looking forward to seeing them in a few weeks. Thank you so much!!

San Domingo to the Potomac River

Tuesday October 5th - Honey I'm not enjoying this",,, hmmmmmmmmm never thought I'd hear those words coming from my lips. Let's back up for a moment. Early in the morning, NOAA predicted that the seas would be manageable 1-2 ft, and the winds would be 10 -15kts.It was still cloudy, cold and very damp, and we were antsy to be on our way. The wind had indeed settled and we weighed anchor and headed out towards the Chesapeake. However from our protected anchorage we couldn't see what was awaiting for us on the Chesapeake. The north winds were gusting every now and then and with it came a good 3-4 foot wave that would hit us on the side of the boat. The waves would jolt us sideways... Not a very comfortable ride.... We definitely don't like waves on the beam.Thank goodness the trip on the Chesapeake was short and we were heading into Solomon's around noon.  At the dock Ted greeted us and tied down the Summer Wind. Whew!!! That evening we enjoyed some great pizza at Ted & Nancy's. Thanks guys!!

Calmer Seas

Wednesday October 6th- Early in the morning we untied the lines and headed down the Patuxent River for the Chesapeake. The weather was totally different!! The sun was shining and the seas were literally flat. However mother nature let us know she wasn't quite finished playing, from the boat we could see some rain bands off in the distance. We were a little concerned for when we would reach the mouth of the Potomac but all  our fretting was for naught. It turned out to be very calm seas. In fact the day turned out to be a wonderful day for cruising. Our destination was Olverson's Lodge on the Yeocomico River. We pulled in, and Freddy was there to catch our lines. Tied up and Freddy said we were invited to join them for dinner at 'The Moorings' it was pasta night and they have a fabulous special. Two pasta dinners and a bottle of wine for $25, how can you refuse?? It was a fantastic dinner and we had a wonderful time with Freddy, Cass, Mike and Beverly.



Cass, Freddy, Mike , Beverly


Thursday October 7th-  Shortly before 8am we untied the lines. Mike and Beverly who were tied up next to us, said good-bye and off we went. Our first idea was to drop the hook in Tobacco River, but we had a great push with the tide that it was just too early to stop. So the captain said, let's try Mattawoman anchorage. That would give us a great head start for the next morning. The Potomac is 100 miles long to Washington DC . It winds and slowly narrows as you head further up. It was a beautiful trip up the river, the trees are just beginning to change their colors, in a few weeks it will be a spectacular show. Shortly around 4pm we came to the Mattawoman Creek. It was very tricky getting into the creek because you have to zig zag the hundreds of crab pots. This anchorage is our first exploration and again we used the Skipper Bob book and the Active Captain website to show us where to anchor. However, upon getting nearer to where we were to cross the creek was covered in this massive floating leafy plant. Again the captain made a decision to not anchor in the exact spot and found an area where there were no floating leaves. It was a wise decision. Mattawoman creek is a very picturesque and protected anchorage. When there is a big fishing derby the marina across from the anchorage has huge spot lights. We didn't need to put on our anchor light because we were well lit for the night.

Mount Vernon

Friday October 8th-  5:30 in the morning we were jolted out of bed from the roar of the high powered fishing boats heading out. Oh well, while the captain readied the boat, I put on an extra strong pot of coffee. The early wake up call turned out to be a blessing because when we pulled up the anchor, there was a massive leaf plant attached to the chain. Our hook looked like a beautiful hanging basket that any gardener would be beaming with pride.  It took a boat hook to get the heavy piece off. The trip up the rest of the Potomac was easy, calm and relaxing.There is a vast amount of history that took place on the Potomac. We passed by Mount Vernon , the home of George Washington and we also passed by Fort Washington. 

Fort Washington on the Potomac

Our destination today was the Gangplank Marina  in Washington, DC,where we planned to spend a week. It was going to be a great adventure!