June 29  Spent the morning cleaning.  Heating up quickly with temps expected in the 100’s today.  Packed up our gear, went to M&M’s for lunch (happily ran into our friend John and had a nice visit), and headed to Raleigh.  As we evaluated our journey, there were many blessings to reflect upon: our safety in some less than safe circumstances, lovely sailing the first 3 weeks, beautiful scenery, wildlife and historic sites.  Our long return trip under motor was tedious for sure and the stiff helm left John doing most all of the steering, which was tough.  We are thankful for the opportunity to go, the people we met and the time together. 

June 28  We are in our home waters today and while warmer, it is still quite pleasant.  Yes, we are again motoring head to wind – 8 more hours.  Pulled in to our slip about 3:45 p.m., high fived, plugged in turning on the a/c and tied her up.  Quite warm indeed so we rested, took showers and headed to Silos for pizza.  Seems good and odd to be home.  Readjusting to landside life!



Gorgeous blue green marsh grass



June 27  Seventy miles to travel between Buck Island (just south of Currituck Sound) and Pungo River anchorage (just south of Alligator River Cut. Leaving the anchorage before we entered the Sound, John felt he should check the bolt on the wheel (recall he loosened it since it has been horribly stiff).  We pulled out of the channel and took it apart to discover it was ready to drop off.  Losing steerage would have resulted and we thanked God for the “niggle” to check on it.  No favorable wind so it was a 10 hour day of motoring, first across the Albermarle Sound which had opposing waves so it was a sloppy 3 hours, then the Alligator River with its’ notorious snags and logs, followed by the “ditch” which was delightfully cool and relaxing for the last 3 hours.  I put on an oldie radio station and we bounced around in the cockpit!  We are happy to be safely in our last anchorage just outside the ditch before we make the final run to Oriental tomorrow.  We are still getting water seepage in the engine compartment, have a super stiff wheel and a broken freezer lid…..ahh, boat maintenance to ready us for fall sailing!



Norfolk Lift Bridge #1 at Dawn



June 26  Up at 4:30 a.m. and under way at 5:00 a.m. to try to run the bridges in Norfolk before they  shut  down for the rush hours.  A kindly neighboring boat owner appeared in the dark to help us get the boat out of the slip with a stiff breeze.  Thank you!  The area is well lit with the Navy and Commercial docks but it still required major concentration as we approached our first bridge about 6 miles down river at 6:00 a.m.  We ran the gauntlet of 7 bridges and 1 lock in 3 ½ hours and headed across the Currituck Sound.  Stopped in at Coinjock for fuel.  Wind behind us – motoring again.  Never can remember so many consecutive days of motoring.  Dropped the hook at Buck Island for a cool night of peaceful sleep with no noises or movement….heavenly.

Great Bridge Lock



Norfolk Railway Lift at Dawn

















June 25 Tied down in Norfolk.  John changed the oil and replaced a broken clamp on the engine that has been leaking water.  Hoping that is the fix.  Our helm is still very stiff still.  He has lubricated several times and adjusted cables-something is up.  Lovely walk into Portsmouth for lunch at our favorite Coffee Shop and some shopping.  We will top off our water tanks in preparation for the next 3 days to our home berth.  Real early start tomorrow as the first bridge (Gilmerton) does not open between 6:30-9:30 a.m. so we need to get through before 6:30.

June 24 Left Fishing Bay early (but after our cup of tea) heading to Ocean Marine Marina in Norfolk.  No wind, flat bay and a long motor.  We are beginning to feel like a power boat wannabe.  As we approached the channel into Norfolk, a wind kicked up, we hoisted the sails and John was able to sail for an hour.  A nice respite after so many motoring days.  Secure in our slip by 5, we collapsed, snacked on whatever we could find on the boat – even showered on the boat rather than the shoreside facilities.  Three days away from our home berth.



Smith Point Light

June 23  Pulled up our anchor at sunrise and headed out with only the waterman this morning.  No wind, flat bay and the engine chugging.  However, as hoped, the current is favorable and we are making 7+ knots which increased to 8+ knots, causing us to shorten the journey by an hour or more.  We rounded Smith Point with ease.   Smile.  We bypassed our Reedville stop and pushed on to Fishing Bay in Deltaville as a result.  Pulled in to the familiar gas dock, pumped our diesel, got ice and pushed off to drop the hook.  It was Saturday, so there were ski boats, etc buzzing around the bay, but we were happy to be here.  John cooled the boat with the a/c for the night and we rested for the morrow.

June 22  Spent the day here at Glebe Creek for a weather day and the storms were “electric.”  I was so thankful to be safely tucked in the creek as the thunder and lightening came through in waves.  We reflected that if we had stopped at Canoe Creek yesterday, we would have been on the River when the storms rolled in.  I thanked John for his foresight in keeping us safe, as always.  He took the time to try to regrease the rudder as the helm is still very stiff.  It doesn’t seem to be helping.  Also to investigate water that is in the engine compartment-appears to be a leak of some type.  Enjoyed a double feature of Season One of Downton Abby – our trip entertainment treat!  Reading and resting for the next two days ahead.



John Chillin'

June 21  Up with the sun this morning to capture as much of the cool part of the day as possible heading for Canoe Creek, about 50 miles (10 hours) away.  The morning was comfortable as heat advisories were posted.  We were pushing against the current the first 3 hours or so and then the tide began going out and it gave us a gracious boost the rest of the day.  The Potomac was completely flat:  1)good news is it’s easy to spot all the floating logs and debris you don’t want to run over and 2) it’s easy to motor; bad news: you have to motor – no sailing.  Lemonade out of lemons – we ran an additional 20 miles down to the mouth of the River since we had such good conditions and ended our 10 hour day back in Glebe Creek on the Coan River, ready to round Smith Point tomorrow.  We had covered a lot of ground indeed.  And we were so blessed the last hour to have some clouds give us shade and a breeze!  On went the generator and a/c to cool the boat down before we turn it off to sleep.  We are ready to head home.

June 20  Captain John pushed us off Gangplank Marina Dock at 8:30 with perfection in a tight space.  We enjoyed our time visiting our capitol and some of the national treasures there, but both of us were happy to leave the city and the marina.  We would not go back there again as there were dead fish floating and the docks were ill kept with liveaboard boats and floating commercial offices.  The bathrooms were nice and clean and it was a block and a half from the Metro which was all good!  We stopped at National Harbor for diesel (hard to find in DC) and pumpout and motored the next 5 hours to Mattawoman for the night.  We arrived about 2:30 and the heat was oppressive with NO breeze.  Genset on and a/c to cool us before nightfall.   Cold salad plate for dinner tonight!

June 19  Jumped on the Metro after rush hour to Capitol Hill.  Got both trains without waiting-our skill sets improving in subway navigation.  We had a short wait in line for our reserved 10:40 tour to get inside the Visitor Center which is awesome.  While waiting inside the lovely Center, the cafeteria offered us freshly baked muffins for our breakfast in a clean quiet place.  Wonderful.  All the facilities were clean and top notch.  We toured the capitol – each person had a headset so we could hear and it was beautiful. 



 Entrance to Botancial Gardens

Before the day got too hot, we crossed over to tour the Botanical Gardens – my favorite section was the orchids.  They were phenomenal.

Walked to Sweetgreen and had an amazing salad and rest.  Liquor store next door to restock the rum.   

One more stop to the Library of Congress – again, we were blown away by the architecture and the art of this place.

Library of Congress Great Hall



Library of Congress



 

No picture can capture the building. absolutely breathtaking beauty of this place.  It is a must see on a visit to DC!   A true treasure.

June 18  Lazy morning as we woke to rain and worked on bill paying, etc.   Finished our provisioning when the weather broke as we plan to cast off first thing Wed a.m. and see the Capitol tomorrow.  Ventured to Station 4 across from the Safeway for dinner and had a very nice meal in a lovely setting at a great price (a rarity in DC) Warm chocolate croissant for dessert – how decadent is that!!!

 

Blue Heron that lived on DC dock

June 17  A leisurely morning to regroup and then headed to Union Station.  It has been refurbished and is now a station/mall.  Packed with people so we admired the architecture and then headed back to the Metro for the Smithsonian Natural History Museum.  It too was packed with people.  We strolled through a few exhibits, our favorite being the new wildlife photography exhibit.  Phenomenal.  Dinasours and the bones exhibit from the Chesapeake area that tied to our St Mary’s historical visit.  Did first run to the store to start provisioning for return trip and went to Phillip’s by the marina for dinner…big $$$ and long wait but food was good.  We are getting “city weary!”

We were greeted by the Heron that lived on the dock LDV was tied to on ou return.  It was crazy to look out our side portal and see only his feet strolling past.  At first I was excited to see him; then I realized he must not be healthy or he was old as he had some missing feathers and ate the trash from the marina waters.  Nevertheless, he was a constant companion that we chatted with coming on and off LDV

  

 June 16  Laced up our walking shoes and headed to figure out how to use the Metro.  Went to the Trolley stop and jumped on express line to see the National Cathedral which was fabulous!!  Pictures cannot begin to capture its' beauty.

National Cathedral



Gorgeous Architecture



Hopped back on to go to Georgetown, stroll and have lunch at Martin’s.  Jumped back on the Trolley and rode to intersect the overview route, spending the remaining day.

A great tour.  Back to the boat to grab a bite from the nearby Safeway to take to the boat, put our feet up and rest…whew.





Ft. Washington



Mt Vernon



June 15  Leisurely motor the remaining 17 miles up to DC.  Conditions were perfect, with scenic views of homes all along the beautiful shoreline.  As we neared DC, the planes, helicopters, marine police and activity picked up and we knew we were exiting the back waters and getting ready to be immersed in the “city.”  As I write this, I am sitting in the Cantina upstairs overlooking the Washington Channel with beautiful breeze while the clothes are drying.  The marina has some age on it – it is the third largest liveaboard marina on the east coast and has a different feel.  Tomorrow we start checking out DC!



Munions Disposal



June 14 Spent a relaxing day on the hook watching and “waking” the many small fishing boats zoom in and out of the creek.  We were lounging in the cockpit and noticed some activity on the restricted point near us.  Turns out it is some sort of munitions disposal site and shortly there were burning fires and booming shots like large fireworks!!!  What a site.  Calm cool night for resting.  Finished my 4^th book – wonderful.

June 13  Easing out of the Creek following the GPS track we laid down when we entered this tricky place, spouting confidence in such great technology and then “plumph”…really? At 6:45 a.m.?  This was a“nudge” versus a “grounding”…the difference (in Deb’s Wikipedia) is a nudge you can address with reverse and your engine…grounding needs more intervention of some sort.  John backed her off and noted he was just slightly off the track.  The winds were still brisk and gusty with Small Craft Advisory and that became obvious quickly…nothing we couldn’t handle after 3 days at anchor, we needed to move.  So the sail went up for stability and a power boost, the engine went on and we began the 10 hour trip to Mattawoman Creek (fondly referred to by LDV crew at What-a-woman).  Halfway through our journey we were hailed as Northbound sailing vessel between some point and some point (the names are all Indian and I am constantly trying to get my bearings).  We realized it was us they wanted and seeing as there was not another boat in sight, it should have been obvious.  Turns out we have been asked to hold our position so the Navy can do some practice shelling.  They will hail us when it is safe to proceed.  Okay, no problem, right?  We sit tight for 30 minutes and hear the Kaboooms…and move on.  Safely reached our anchorage but didn’t really go in to the creek due to our recent plumphs and a very dicey entrance…so we plopped our anchor at the mouth of the Creek.  A bit bouncy but what the heck – gotta go with the Captain’s gut.



One of many herons



June 12  I lay in my bunk tonight and hear the “mayonk mayonk” of the blue herons settling for the night.  Canoe Neck Creek has been a favorite anchorage with egrets, ducks, herons, osprey and fish everywhere – full of life everywhere you gaze.  We were boat bound today as small craft advisory was still in effect – cloudy with intermittent rain but enough dry periods for us to get to the cockpit and open the hatches periodically.  I cleaned “house” and John regreased the helm after our grounding (uh hmmm) and dropping his breakfast fork down the gunnel where the helm mechanisms are….smile.  We focused on options for moving north tomorrow hoping for an easing in the weather.  It will be a long trip – a solid 50 miles…10 hours + by boat.  Anchorages are sparse in this part of the Potomac, so we will start at day break, rested and ready.


Old farmhouse peaking rhrough trees at Canoe Creek



June 11  Laid back day hanging on the hook.  Took a morning dinghy ride around this creek and it is so pretty…just a few scattered homes and the biggest population of blue herons we have seen.  I have tried to get close enough for a good picture but they fly off quickly when they hear our small engine.  This afternoon I just watched them with the binoculars and their stealth, patience and grace just blew me away.  I kept hearing the Lord say to me – see how patiently they pursue their search for food with no apparent concerns, doubts or fears they will succeed.  Faithfully trusting putting one foot in front of the other.  Hmmmmmm.  Later I watched some waterman perform with the rhythm of a ballet the netting of crabs, each movement precise and fruitful.  Life has a different pace on the water.  The wind has freshened and the clouds hover above as the weather moves in around us.  We have the first 2 seasons of Downton Abbey….tonight the 3^rd show is on the “little” screen.  We’ll see what tomorrow brings. 

June 10  Expected to reach 94 degrees today so we are off early to work our way North.  A bit of a sail down the River but then the wind died and we motored the next couple of hours to Canoe Neck Creek to hang out and try to stay cool.  We laid low and after dinner, John fired up the generator and the A/C to cool down the boat for an hour.  We will likely stay here tomorrow and explore the creek.  Cold front is in store midweek so we will need to be secured to weather out the stormy couple of days – likely around the corner at Cobb Island.

June 9  Percussion night music last night rhythmically slapping wind and current waves on LDV hull.  Captain John positioned lines and fenders strategically to ease us off the dock this morning and all was well until the final line I threw off got snagged on the piling.  John jumped off, unsnagged it and jumped back on.  Whew.  We decided to explore some of the “fingers” of this river and eased down a lovely creek.  I spotted a stick about 6 inches above the surface and reported it to the Captain, who checked his chart plotter, seeing that all was well. Then came that muffled “phlomph” and the immediate knowledge we were grounded.  For those uninitiated to sailing, any sailor that claims never to have run aground probably never left the dock.  It is always an adrenalin rush, no matter.  John went into bounce, roll or power off actions as I moved from jumping on the stern to the bow.  Nothing.  So we put the motor on the dinghy, dropped the anchor and chain in it and John deployed it off the starboard midship.  I wenched her and he powered and after a few times, we cleared the shoal.  Restowed all the gear after our kedge off and 2 hours later, we are on our way!!

 



I am happy to add that we had a delightful sail up the St. Mary’s River, anchored and went into St Mary’s City to take in the history of this first capital of Maryland.  Even got to tour a replica of a square rigger that was of the period.   I never would have made it cruising in one of those for sure.  We toured the old excavated city and returned to LDV to cool off (it did get hot today) and rest.  It was Homecoming for St Mary’s college so the riverside campus was full of young people having a great time all day and night…this college has a heavy emphasis on sailing and all the lasers were on the water today…a lovely site.



Navy Parking Lot



June 1  Eyes pop open at 5:30 (without an alarm!), we unplug and cast off on our way by 5:50 through the Norfolk Shipping Channel.  It takes over 2 hours to navigate to the entrance of the lower Chesapeake.  We are hopeful we can sail a promised SE wind with our destination being the Onancock on the Eastern Shore.  After about 3 hours of making marginal process, we determined the promised onset of stormy weather necessitated our change in course to snug up to the Western shore planning to revisit a familiar bay, Fishing Bay, and a secure creek to weather out the storm.  It was a very rough ride in as the squall lines in advance of the weather were starting…but we eased our way in through the rain and secured her, popped on some of our canvas and headed below.  It was quite the storm and we were thanking God for safe passage and harbor.  


Big Boat "Rules" in Norfolk Channel

June 2  Progressing up the Western shore today to Wicomico River leaving late morning. NOAA forecast NW-W winds which would have made a good day sailing but the promising wind never arrived, so we fought wind angle and tremendous current most of the day. 



Chesapeake Lighthouse

John lubricated the wheel this morning that was a huge help as it had become super stiff.  Mill Creek became our home for the night that promises to be cool and calm.  Zucchini stuffed portobellos on the grill – yum.

A piece of our rainbow



June 3  Stayed put for a day of rest.  Lovely dinghy ride up the creek this morning followed by a nap.  John (ship’s engineer) reported an issue with our tachometer-did some analysis.  We may have to replace alternator with our spare.  I am having trouble settling into the rhythm of the trip still.  Rain shower passed as we grilled our dinner followed by the most brilliant rainbow ever and a full moon rising.  

We will explore the Wicomico tomorrow.



Many lovely homes everywhere



June 4  Cool night-ahhh.  Headed up the Great Wicomico for a motoring tour revealing lovely homes on very high banks of the river complete with grassy verge.  Small Craft Advisory today so we tucked into Cockrell Creek for some diesel and a sandwich in the café that looked like something from down island.  Smile.  The wind was delivering the promised 30mph gusts so we worked our way up to find a place to drop anchor.  Didn’t make it to town as our boat was creaking under the strong winds!  Learned from a native couple on the docks we helped tie up that there is no science to navigating the Potomac….always a bit of a trial.  We hope to round the bend into her mouth tomorrow.



Essence of Old South



June 5  A heavy dark sky greeted us this morning.  Small Craft Advisory until 2 but there is a favorable wind direction so we decide to bundle up in foul weather gear as it is in the 50s and head out.  A robust sail for the next 5 hours as we rounded Smith Point and entered the mouth of the Potomac, feeling surely this must be some of the best conditions possible in an area we have heard many a sailors story!  LDV was heeled over with steady 7-8+knots as we maxed her out and kept on our toes for mighty gusts.  We ran up with the current adding a knot or two.   Thank you Lord!!  We settle in Glebe Creek on the Coan River overlooking a working farm on one side and waterside homes and tall trees.  It is lovely and we are the only boat anchored.  We will explore in the creek by dinghy tomorrow.

June 6  John enjoyed a leisurely sleeping in today and I spent time reading and talking to the Lord.  Threatening clouds this morning with a very cool breeze…after a bit of clearing we took to the creeks exploring.  Saw our first Great Blue Heron and he was a beauty.  Allowed us to get quite close and take in the amazing detail of this magnificent creature.  John tinkered with the outboard lubricating etc. and defrosted our freezer overnight since we have almost emptied it.



Chesapeake Boat Garage



June 7  Woke early feeling rested and headed out to Yeocomico River with a light West breeze that allowed us a lovely leisurely sail.  Absolute perfection.  The day is noticeably warmer as we worked our way into the River making our way to Kinsale at the headwater.  We put down a day anchor and after a quick lunch, headed to the shore for a walk around this “little” town.  The walk was good – stopped to chat to some locals...smile!  Picked up our anchor and headed to the Southern Branch for the night.  Two things each river/creek has…high treelined banks with osprey and presumably due to the grassy banks that drift toward the water…someone mowing the lawn.  We got our first look at oyster-ing today as we passed two boats…one harvesting and one seeding a new bed.  Fascinating process which I had just read about (or I would have been clueless, I’m sure!).  I took several pics of this but had a technical glitch :(  Another rainbow tonight after a thunderstorm passed off in the distance.  Perfect end to the day.



Wonderful stop!



June 8  Crossed to the East shore of Potomac this morning with a nice wind and current (we are getting reacquainted with tidal currents) giving us a 7.5 knot sail…wonderful as I sipped coffee and enjoyed the fresh air.  Our destination is Lookout Pt Marina today at the mouth of St Mary’s River.  We need water, food, and to handle some business with a printer and fax.  It is a picture perfect day as we ate our lunch on the deck of marina restaurant overlooking Smith Creek.  It feels tropical..smile.   Great stop as tomorrow we head up the River that is known for it’s beauty. 

May 24 Finally left Raleigh after many loose ends were snugged up. Determined on Tuesday that John would actually have medical clearance to make this trip. Spent this day and the next completing last minute chores on the boat.

May 26 Pulled off our home dock in Oriental at 7:30 a.m. The winds were far stronger than predicted on the Neuse with steady 25 gusting to 30 all the way up the river for 4 hours. We turned in to the Bay River and into the Hobucken Cut ready to motor through. Had a lovely sail across the Pamlico River and up the Pungo River around the corner to throw out the hook at dusk. A long day but satisfying with a variety of conditions for sure.

May 27 Pulled up a bit later today and started the journey across the Alligator River and Abermarle Sound. Lots of motoring today (my favorite-smile) and a new anchorage just outside Broad Creek. The waves rocked us even though we were on the protected shoreline. No matter as we will stay here tomorrow and rest. We are having a hard time settling down the pace and just plain relaxing.

May 28 Okay, so the night was a bit warm and rocky (smile) but we are here all day and can take our dinghy out exploring….nope, the outboard is not happy. Freeze plug or carburetor…no exploring for us today. We are both bummed and just when we were feeling restless, a pod of dolphins showed up and played and swam around the boat interacting with us. John was sure it was an encouragement from the Lord to hang in and persevere. He has stuff for us!

May 29 Another LONG day. I was up a 4 and we pulled up at 6:30.  Running the cut at Coinjock, Currituck Sound and the river up to Norfolk today.  This was a motoring day, but a good one as the sound crossing was uneventful – a blessing since it is quite shallow.  This trip was much easier than the one we make several years ago with the addition of our chart plotter that gave ample warning of the shallow channel edges!  The river way was just gorgeous with the tallest marsh grasses I can remember seeing blowing in the wind with a uniquely coastal swish.  I grabbed the binoculars to spy a bald eagle perched in a dead treetop and we both felt like young children exclaiming our first ever sighting of such.  Then the bridge follies began on our approach to Norfolk.  Even though it is a bit tense, I always enjoy the bridge architecture – the lift bridges are incredible even through none were working this time through, they hang overhead with artistic majesty.  As we approached our last bridge –Gilmerton-with 3 other boats- a squall overtook us and we got a great boat wash, some wind and John exercised his excellent boat handling.  Did I mention that 2 barges pulled into the river just before the bridge and allowed us even more practice with negotiating the seaway with commercial traffic?  As we slid through at 3:30 (it’s last opening until 6:30), we breathed a sigh of relief knowing we’d make our port.  Tied down, showers and leftovers anticipating a nice restful night….

May 30  Good sleeping in the air conditioning last night with little motion – yay.  We are just across from the Naval Ship Yard that always makes me feel so insignificant as I look over at the massive ships – they are awe inspiring indeed.  The remnants from Beryl moved in this morning so it is rainy which is what we expected.  I took advantage of the facilities and did some laundry and we plan to venture out tonight for dinner.  We are a bit disappointed at the condition of this marina as it is tired and not as clean as on our prior visits; then we both realize it was new then and that’s been (uh hum) 9 years!!  We also look a bit more “tired.”  John has ordered a new carburetor for the outboard for delivery tomorrow, so it may be Friday before we jump into the Chesapeake.  The marina no longer has a loaner car that is such a huge benefit to cruisers.  It appears that this marina has shifted focus to liveaboards rather than transient business. 

May 31   This morning we confirmed that our part had made it to Norfolk with some uncertainty about when it would be delivered to the store for us to pick up.  So we used the time to reconnoiter a bit then ventured out to lunch, hoping to grab our taxi from there to pick up the part if we were called.  Had a wonderful outdoor lunch and then called a cab to take us to the grocery store to get restocked….got the call from them so finished up and taxied to get the part. The lady driving the cab shared her story with us after I asked about how she handled being a female driver.  Turns out she had had a close call … she is also a Christian and it was very cool.   John again displayed his great mechanical skills and he had her running for a late afternoon tool around the marina.  Enjoyed chatting with our marina neighbor, Charlie, as he shared his story with us also.  His 93 and 85 year old inlaws are joining them today on their Grand Banks to go up to the Rappahannock.  I love to hear people’s story…one of the best parts of being on the water is that folks are usually very open.  It is great fun indeed.