On Sunday we cast off from New Bern and motored down the Neuse River to a lovely anchorage on the South River where there was very little development along the shoreline. We anchored in 8 feet of water off the eastern shore to be sheltered from the 20 knot easterly winds predicted to build overnight. It turns out we anchored in front of the Lukens Cemetary, a remote cemetary for the abandoned town of Lukens which is only accessible by boat. Norm, the ultimate explorer, wanted to take a look, so we inflated the dinghy and went ashore. Apparently Lukens was abandoned after the exodus of many of the residents and being repeatedly damaged by hurricanes. Nothing remains of the village except the cemetery which is still used by Lukens descendents and even the site of family reunions. In the evening just after dinner, we were surprised by several dolphins moseying past our stern.
A Skipper app image of Silver Lake harbor on Ocracoke island.
Whoopee, a fishing success!
Channel intersection at Manteo..... "red, green, green, red, red....... huh?"
The next morning we were up early to catch the 8:30 lock opening at South Mills. The Dismal Swamp water level is maintained approximately 8-10 feet above the slightly tidal water of the Pasquotank to the south and the Elizabeth River to the north at the Portsmouth/Norfolk VA end. We entered the lock with three sailboats and one large powerboat. Then nothing happened and we noticed the lock gates hadn't closed completely. Soon the sound of hammering on steel was reverberating through the air. It turned out a brass pin on the gate mechanism had broken and was jammed, preventing a replacement pin from being inserted. After 20 minutes of hammering, a tired and frustrated lockmaster paced by muttering something about "cheap Chinese-made metal pins". Norm and I started to wonder if we would be stuck in the lock all day. But after more hammering, then some silence, the lock doors started to close, hooray! The trip north through the swamp was lovely with the fresh lush green foliage of Spring (in contrast to last November's fall foliage on the chilly run south) and the fragrance of honeysuckle filling the air.
Passing through Hell's Gate from the East River into Long Island Sound enjoying an early morning beverage.
In the morning we were off to Ocracoke, a harbor locals told us was well worth the visit. Unfortunately the winds were 15-20 knots from the east so we had to beat our way sometimes under shortened sail, engine or both, into a lumpy choppy waves at 3 knots. It was probably the slowest run of the past 7 months, but worth it as Silver Lake harbor on Ocracoke is an interesting place. The island is only accessible by private boat or ferry. The North Carolina DOT even runs a free car ferry from Hatteras to get folks to visit the island and spend money. We arrived at the harbor near sunset after following the dredged channel which is plagued by shoaling. We tied up to an empty dock run by the National Park Service that offers a steeply discounted dockage rate to Seniors ( not me, Norm!). We wondered why the dock was so empty, but it was so late the Park Service office was closed.no one was around.
After a rough day we felt like ordering in dinner and a quick internet search found a local family run business that only does delivery of "steamer" seafood dinners, so we ordered up. An hour later we were enjoying shrimp, clams, blue crab, corn, andoule sausage, and potatoes in Kuivato's cockpit under the glow of the chili pepper lights and the setting sun.
I woke early and jogged to the ocean side of the island and while lovely, I'm just not into beaches which permit 4-wheel drive vehicles to track up the beach. The harbor town is a funky beachy town with lots of bars, charter fishing boats, restaurants and kite surfing shops, all geared towards tourist. It is also obcessed with Blackbeard (Edward Teach) and the wreck of Queen Anne's Revenge, Blackbeard's flagship, which was believed to have sunk nearby. It turned out a Coast Guard buoy tender ship docked next to Kuivato is currently assisting with recovery of pieces of the wreck. The captain came over ot say hello when he saw Portsmouth, NH on our transom. He was formerly stationed in New Castle. He then invited us for a tour of the bouy tender and showed us some of the artifacts they had recovered which were in a saltwater pool. We also learned why the dock was so empty and why there was no water or power at the dock pedestals; the Park Service said the dock was closed while they finish some repairs and upgrades. They said we wouldn't be charged for the night but we were nicely asked to leave, which we did after a quick stroll through town.
The wind today was 15-20 knots but this time from the west so we had a roaring sail north towards Manteo. We were still south of Manteo as the sun was setting so instead of continuing to navigate a narrow dredged channel and enter an unfamiliar harbor in darkness, we anchored just off the channel where the charts indicated a 15 foot area was present and enjoyed a peaceful evening away from the harbor scene. We continued north on Wednesday morning in the dredged channel with only one soft mud grounding when we misread the buoys at an intersecting channel.
Fortunately even though we were motor sailing with a small portion the of the jib unfurled when we grounded, we were able to back off with the engine a full throttle. Once out of the dredged channel, we were able to sail almost all of the way north to Elizabeth City where we tied up at the free Town dock, Mariners Wharf, to wait for the next bridge opening. Elizabeth City, like many mid-coast towns, is very welcoming to cruisers by providing free dockage and other shoreside facilities like showers. After getting some lunch ashore we continued on to Lambs Marina (the site of the famous tumbling Thanksgiving turkey story) to fill up with diesel. There is a new dockmaster Bill who was very helpful and told a joke a minute while we were at the dock. One fascinating thing about cruising is all the characters you meet on the waterfront. It seems like at every stop there is an engaging character with a story.
We continued north towards the Dismal Swamp on the Pasquotank River and anchored for the night in a beautiful quiet place just off the channel by Goat Island.
Sunrise by Goat Island on the Pasquotank River
Heading north in the Dismal Swamp canal.
There was a bit of excitement when the way north was blocked by a sailboat blocking the canal. Apparently the electric fuel pump for their engine started smoking and died. They were pushed to the side of the canal and fortunately one of the Canadian sailors in our parade north passed over a spare fuel pump as they passed by. (Oh, did I mention 75% of the sailboats heading north were Canadian! ) On Kuivato we had just purchased a spare fuel pump just in case we ( or another boat) needed one. Then, at the north end of the Canal, while waiting for the Deep Creek Lock to open, the engine on the large powerboat traveling in our group, died and they to were also pushed to the side so we could pass. Once through the lock, we made our way past the heavy industrial Portsmouth/Norfolk waterfront to the free High Street Basin on the Portsmouth waterfront. We tied up a the exact same spot as the previous November, except this time the Basin is full of boats (all Canadian), the trees are green,there are no Holiday lights, and it's warm. That evening I discovered a deer tick on my leg which iI must have picked up four days earlier during the walk through the Lukens cemetery. I really don't like messing around with the risk of Lyme Desease knowing so many people whose lives have been turned upside down by the Desease. Fortunately we carry an assortment of antibiotics onboard, so a week long course for Captain Tim.
Since the weather windows for offshore runs north were short we decided Blaock Island was not in the cards and instead Cape May, NJ was our destination. The next day we hoped to start the overnight passage to Cape May but were still concerned the weather window was a bit too tight and the weather models I refer to at Passage Weather and Pocket GRIB were not in agreement. Also, if the NW winds veered even a bit more north than predicted we would be in for a very uncomfortable and slow night ride in 25 knot north winds. We decided to motor out to the Norfolk entrance past all the Navy ships and see what we encountered. As few miles east of Hampton pounding into a headwind, I decided it was just not worth the risk of getting caught in headwinds, so we turned back and settled into a nice anchorage in Hampton just west of Fort Monroe. The next morning when I checked the weather history for the previous night I was really glad we decided to wait for a better window because the winds indeed went north, not west. The next window looked like it indicated a departure the following evening so we settled in, did chores on board and went ashore to tour Fort Monroe. The fort which is best known for its role during the Civil War, protecting the northern shore of Hampton Roads. The Fort also became a refuge for slaves seeking freedom and is the site that inspired the declaration that slaves who escaped the South were "contraband" of war and therefore did not need to be returned to their owners as was previously the case.
The following evening we left in clear calm weather for Cape May and arrived the following evening in Cape May at sunset. In e morning we fueled up and picked up my good friend Lou, a Jersey boy sailing buddy I've known for years. We had a great spinnaker run up much of the Jersey shore and the next morning we arrived in New York Harbor at sunrise. The AIS feature on the new radio worked great helping us navigate around the stream of cargo ships entering and exiting the harbor.
Since the wind died as we entered New York Harborwe we motored up the East River past NYC with 6 knots of current. The ride through Hell's Gate and on to Port Jefferson was calm and uneventful. We anchored once again in the Narrows by Strongs Neck where my mom had lived and I went to high school.
Kuivato at anchor in The Narrows between Strongs Neck and Old Field Point.
Since two days of blustery east winds were forecast, Lou hopped the train home to NJ, but not before we visiting the tasting room of the Port Jeff Brewing Company. Norm and I visited old friends on Strongs Neck and once the winds went south we set off just before sunset for a nice overnight run to Newport RI, arriving about noontime. Diane, and Norm's girlfriend Mila, joined us in Newport for a lovely day at Gooseberry Island, one of our favorite spots on the New England coast. Norm, Mila, and Diane headed back home and Andrew (one of the Kuivato Tuesday evening racing team) jumped on board for the final overnight on the journey north. After a pre-dawn departure from Sakonnet Point, we arrived in Sandy Bay at Rockport MA just after sunset. The next morning we were off for the final five hour leg to Portsmouth.
Entering the Piscataqua River and passing Whaleback Light after seven months and several thousand miles of sailing put me in a reflective state of mind. Our wonderful journey was truly coming to an end, Kuivato was back in her home port, and the warmth and clear waters of the Bahamas were behind us. I was already missing the rhythm of living aboard within a 38 by 12 foot space with the ever changing waterfront scenery. It was truly an amazing trip and Mother Nature shined upon us with mostly great weather. I could already tell getting settled back into work and dealing with all the additional responsibilities and clutter of living on land would be a challenge.
July 3, 2013
Kuivato is now back at the dock on Badgers Island in Kittery ME. We've been slowly lightening her of all the cruising gear and supplies. We just found 6 liters of seltzer water we wish we had located during the cruise! We compete in PHRF racing on Tuesday evenings in the Cruising Class. After about ten races, we are in second place. Racing is a blast, but living aboard and cruising is an amazing and rewarding lifestyle.
