Sailing (?) on Chesapeake Bay

We anchored just north of the last lock of the Dismal Canal two nights ago, right across the channel from this sign.  When we go back south, we'll be going left instead of right.

Next morning we motored through Norfolk.  First we had to make a 9:30 opening of a bridge and railroad bridge, raised just for us.

 Our job, according to all the security boats and police around, was to stay away from all the Navy ships around.  We could look, but not approach (like we were any kind of threat!)


 

 

 

 

Of course there were many other boats there, too.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Norfolk is as big and busy a port as we've passed through.

 

 

 

What really happened that day, what we will remember, is that we got into Chesapeake Bay, saw that the winds were 10 knots and off the beam so we could sail.  We  put the sails up and had a lovely time, for a while.  Then the winds came directly off our bow so we took the sails down and motored, hoping to get about 35 miles to an anchorage we'd found on the inland coast.

But that was not to be.  The winds kicked up to 25 knots and the waves bounced us and we made so little headway that we knew we had to get off the bay.   We found a little anchorage just up an entrance to several rivers.   The wind died down, we ate our navy beans, collards and cornbread that we'd been working on intermittently all day and all was lovely.

But around 4 in the morning, the wind came up again and began tossing the boat around.  We weren't protected enough.   This is how the sunrise looked

 

 

The winds are supposed to be similar the next couple of days so we've motored to a marina, refueled and took on water.   We are now anchored in a more protected spot and plan to be here today at least.  Marina has offered use of their bathrooms and dinghy dock if we want to go ashore and look around.  It's mostly residential and looks very peaceful. 

 

(Not so) Dismal Canal

 

That's what we did today.  And with the fall-like temperatures (I wore jeans and a long sleeved shirt all day 'cause it was cool on the boat) and the slanting clear light, the canal was not dismal.

Strangely enough, the prettiest part and most "eery" part was at the south end, before we entered the locks and the official canal.

Okay, today the internet will allow me to load pictures, so here are more from the Dismal Canal trip two days ago.

It was so much fun to find these mirror images along the way.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Our first time through a lock.  We went through two yesterday and were told we were the only ones coming north that day.  I guess lock managers communicate so they'll know when they're likely to have to open the lock.   George, who ran the second lock (Deep Creek Lock) moved here from northeast Oklahoma 50 years ago.  He said he it's a better life here because it may cost a little more, but wages are a lot better than back home.

 

 

 

Our big job during the lock transit was to hold onto our lines and adjust them as the water came in or went out.  It rose 8 feet in the first lock and fell 8 feet in the northern one.   The water to do this comes from a relatively nearby lake.

 

 

We stopped at Dismal Island State Park(located next to a rest stop that serves both the waterway and a highway) and took a nature walk on a boardwalk, then a short hike.

 

 

There were paw paw trees everywhere and overripe ones on the ground.   I am so jealous because I have two paw paws back in Arkansas and anxiously await the ripening of the one or two I see each year.

 

  Out on the hike they had set up a still and labeled all the parts.  Not working though!

 

 

 

By contrast, the waterway between the canals, the part I'd consider the Dismal Swamp,

was not that scenic.  Mostly vines and trees and not much variety.

 

 



Peace

I can't help putting this one picture from Oriental NC here for all to see.  Every time I look at it I think I needed to post it. 

What do you think?

Just South of the Dismal Swamp

Glory Be!   We had the engine on but didn't use it to leave our anchor south of Albermarle Sound two days ago.   We sailed back three miles back to the Intracoastal Waterway, then out into the  Sound and all the way across (15 miles) without mishap and with a decent amount of speed.    We practiced heaving to, for use if the wind did come up so high we didn't want to handle it.   But it never did.

Here at Elizabeth City, NC, they have town docks where we can stay two days or so free.  And the use of free bicycles.

Can you see them here in front of the boat?  They're painted really happy colors so they won't be lost along the way.

We took them all over town - to the Laundromat, to a grocery store, to Ruby Tuesdays for lunch, to the mall for shopping (Tom bought a couple of pair of shorts and we found some ice cube trays).
We couldn't believe we were able to do all that in ONE trip.

Tom needed those shorts because this sailing regime and living with me and my cooking has caused him to loose weight.

 

We needed the ice cube trays because we have discovered we can make ice in our freezer!   No more buying bags of ice, stuffing it into little bags and trying to fit it all into pockets in the refrigerator/freezer.  Now we'll have what we need as we need it!

 

Today, it's much cooler and it's supposed to be windy.  But today, we will dump our waste tanks, take on fuel and water (two different places for this) and head up the 15 miles to the Dismal Swamp canal that goes on into Virginia.    We'll say more about this as we learn more.

Headed north

We made about 50 miles each of the last few days, putting us just on the south side of Albermarle Sound. We should be to the Chesapeake in a couple more days.

  It's about 15 miles across the sound going north and reputed to be choppy because of the its relatively shallow and with a long fetch (distance of wind going over water).   Sometimes when the wind has been going one way and then changes, the waves are continuing to go another way so there's a checkerboard affect.   Anyway, the wind has shifted a little since yesterday, the winds are at about 9 coming from the south so we do plan to sail as much as we can toward the other side.
 
It's so strange.  Coming here the wind was on our nose so it was difficult to sail.  Every time we made a turn, we'd say, now the wind will be off the side so we can sail.  But no!   The wind was still on the nose.    Other sailors have noted this, saying wherever they want to go, the wind is right there coming toward them.

Anyway, we've anchored out in some beautiful places the last two nights and swam and fished in some lovely water.  

It was tough, having a non-eventful day, just watching the scenery and hanging out.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We wondered when the gulls ever rest.  We found out yesterday morning when the water was dead calm.   They were everywhere, just floating.

 

No pictures.  Just an update on our plans.

Yesterday, at 5 p.m. we decided we'd rather be anchored out and a little on our way rather than sit here in town any longer.   So we motored the one hour across the Neuse River and up Adams Creek and anchored where we had anchored on the way into town the first time.   It was lovely.   I just kept cooking the spaghetti sauce I'd started before we left so when we got there at 7, we had some wine, then the dinner.   Then we SWAM.  That was a biggy!   We hadn't swum behind our boat since at that anchorage more than a month ago.   Lovely as the day dwindled and the crescent moon came out.  

It was really dark and we could hear two kinds of owls calling.

Next morning, we talked and looked at the calendar and decided that we have time and would like to go farther north, maybe just into the Chesapeake.  There are few stops along the way - the waterway goes through very unpopulated areas.   So this morning, here we came back to Oriental and its town dock to get fuel, water and provisions. 

We may leave this evening and anchor out or maybe early tomorrow.  Either way, we will have more pictures of wilder areas to post soon.

Home again, home again

Here we are back in Oriental, the place we stayed a month until five days ago when we sailed to Orcacoke.

Okay, while on a bicycle ride here, I saw what I think is a Luna moth. 

I think it was dangling on the grasses and laying eggs.

 

 

While Tom was gone I spent quite a bit of time in this little park in these chairs or at the Bean where you get coffee in the morning or ice cream in the afternoon - a great business combination.  It's usually crowded until 7 at night.

You might want to see what it's like back in the boat.  Pretty comfortable, except when it's too warm.  We had the A/C running the whole time we were here so we always had a cool place to escape to.

 

This is how our boat looked just after we arrived in Ocrakoke. 

 

 

The foresail was in a bundle on the bow and books were tumbled to the floor down below.    We had started out sailing.  It was a beautiful day and the sails had us going between 5 and 6 knots.    Finally, we said, we will be sailors and use them to get from one place to another.   But no.   About half way there, we noticed a storm off to the north, "going away from us."   All of a sudden, winds went from 14 to 20 and on up to 28 knots.   Our sails weren't reefed (shortened in preparation for heavier wind) so we decided to take them down.   But couldn't!    Our lazy jack lines were loosely tied and one of them got twisted with a jib trim line, once again ripping out several feet of fabric on the leech (rear) side of the sail.     Tom courageously went to the foredeck  and manually brought the foresail down while I steered.   And since the lazy jack lines were not taut, when we brought the mainsail down, the mainsail didn't go into its mack pack pocket; it draped over the boom 'til Tom could get them tucked in.   After that half hour or so of gathering and tucking, we motored the rest of the way to Ocrakoke, arriving about dusk.    We were so grateful for the protected anchorage where we could just sit back and feel safe 'til the next day when we regrouped.   

 

You can only reach Ocrakoke by boat.  The small body of water, called Silver Lake, where we anchored is also the basin where two sets of ferries come in.

 
We loved having our bicycles to take us around.  The last day there, we biked to the beach.   The water is clear.   When we swam, the water was just right - not cold and not warm.
 

 

 

 
The last night we were there, it was windy and a little moody, making for a dramatic sunset.
 
After getting our rigging back in shape and hearing that the wind would be coming from the northeast (behind us if sailing southwest), we left Ocracoke on Saturday.  Thinking the wind would be 14 + and maybe gusting higher again,  we followed the lead of another sailer who left just before us and reefed our sails just as we set out.   And for a while that worked great - we were making 6-7 knots in 14-15 miles wind.   But the wind got lighter and lighter.  We put the sails out fully and sailed a while.  But by half way up the course, the wind was down to 5 so we turned on the engine, left the foresail out and stayed at about 5 knots.   We arrived back to what feels a little like home now - Oriental - where we had sailed from.  
 
The town has a town dock where boats can stay up to 48 hours, right in front of the Bean coffee/ice cream shop I've mentioned.  We were so lucky that one of the two large spaces here was empty when we pulled up. 
 
So here we are again, going to  our familiar grocery store and favorite restaurant, looking for sailing gear nearby.  
 

 
 
This will be our second night here tonight.   Last night the Lady Susie shrimp boat was docked across the way from us.  With all the lights and colors, she looked like a carnival ride.   But some young women have just come and seen off some of the crew members just now and she's gone back out.  Kinda fun to watch them be and come and go.
 
Tomorrow, we plan to head over  to Beaufort, North Carolina and anchor there in town for a couple of days.   Out the inlet from there, is Cape Lookout where the outer bank island hooks around to form a safe harbor.  There the water is said to be beautiful and the beaches pristine.   We plan to stay there a bit 'til we get to urge to get on down the road.