Scranton Creek Anchorage to Oriental Anchorage

     It was early, dull and a hint of pending rain when we lifted anchor and eased our way out of Scranton Creek. This anchorage was remote with intermittent Verizon Wi-Fi so we were unable to get  a morning weather update. Nevertheless, the water was calm and we had our "outs" routed into the map plotter.  The north wind put a chill in the air. Danny remarked, "Golly! Who would have thought it would be this chilly in North Carolina at this time of year. I may have to send for my Mackinaw jacket!"  He was joking but there was a definite chill in the air.
     The north wind was pushing us south.  The waves were a little choppy as the morning sun rose in the east but as we approached Pamlico Sound we could see them.  At first they appeared off in the distance but moving our way. Beth immediately checked the radar which although she couldn't get it on her computer was able to bring it up on her phone.
                                                                             

                                                             
                                                   More Thunderstorms!

     "There is a line of thunderstorms crossing along the sound and they appear to be spreading down to Morehead City. We better stop at Oriental to see what they are going to do but they don't look like they are going to clear up for a while!" she added.
      When the sound opened up we could see four ominous dark rain clouds marching up the sound. We quickly motored across the Pamlico River and took the calm ICW passage into the Neuse River.  Once through the ICW passage, Goose Creek and into the river we powered up Doc's Holiday to 2000 rpm and rushed up the Neuse entering under the bridge at Oriental into very "skinny" water. Finding a spot very near where we anchored on the way up to Maine, Danny and I set the anchor in our usual fashion.  It took a couple of tries but it held the boat in position with the motors reversed for a several seconds.
       Launching the dingy, we were anxious to get to town and get rid of some crap gas (read ethanol), get some non-ethanol gas, grab a quick lunch and stretch our legs exploring Oriental. Beth decided to stay on the boat to tidy up a few things. Thank heavens she did!
       Danny and I just started eating lunch at the local dock restaurant when my phone went off with a text, "The boat is drifting.  Get here NOW!  Quickly I jumped up and ran for the dingy telling Danny to finish his lunch as I sent a text to Beth to let out more chain. As I rounded the corner under the bridge, the dingy threw off spray and bounced wildly and I could see the boat had drifted back near a dock.  Jumping onto the swim platform I was face to face with a very upset, wild eyed and  tearful Beth.  We pulled the boat ahead and began the anchoring dance. Trying several spots, finally we got the anchor to set securely in about 4.5 feet of water by cleaning the thick mud off the anchor and putting out 60 feet of chain.
      Beth had done all the right things. She had the motors running, dragging the anchor forward to keep the boat from hitting a homeowners dock. She was frustrated by not being able to raise the anchor by herself and worried that we would ground out in the very shallow water, get the anchor chain wrapped around the prop, or take out somebody's dock.
                                                                           

                                                   
 "We are never anchoring again!, she cried. My supplications that there was no harm done didn't appease her and I resolved to follow her wishes to stay at marinas for as long as she wanted.
    I jumped in the dingy to go get Danny with explicit instructions to "Come right back!"
     The rest of the night was uneventful, meaning the boat never moved out of the anchor alarm zone but the air was chilly with Danny and I on the upper deck and Beth in the aft cabin watching a movie. She didn't even join us for grilled hamburgers simply stating, "No thanks. I'm not hungry!"
     Danny was concerned but I told him, "We should just leave her alone and let her get over it," knowing from experience that any kind of "suck-holing " would upset her more.

Coinjock to Scranton Creek Anchorage

     Although there was a few thunderclaps and distant lightning throughout  the night, the morning proved to be sunny and calm.  We easily drifted away from the wooden dock and slowly powered up the throaty sounding Detroit engines to our usual 1200 rpm.  An easy cruise across Currituck Sound, Albemarle Sound and into the 23 mile long Alligator River-Pungo River Canal.
                                                                            

                                               
                                            Entering a  calm Albermarle Sound

     After waiting for several bridge openings, we were surprised when we approached the bridge from Albemarle Sound into the Alligator River.  Having seen only a couple of pleasure craft during the day, I think the bridge operator must have been bored. Beth requested the opening when we reached the last marker and the operator stopped the traffic a little early..  As we cruised through, Danny commented, "Wow the traffic is backed up for over a mile on each side!"  Indeed it was a long bridge but we appreciated not having to stop and wait for the opening.  In my best pirate voice I responded, "Argh! Let the landlubbers wait!"
                                                                              

                                                     
                                                 Alligator River Swing Bridge

     The Alligator River-Pungo River Canal was almost an uneventful ride. The sun was shining, almost no wind, and the humidity heavy.  Heavily carpeted brush lined the banks so we saw no animals, no fish, and only the occasional homestead when we got to the other end of the canal.  A few big black bugs followed the boat, landing on the rear glass doors.  They were about the size of Danny's big toe and looked like a giant black bodied fly.  Danny caught one that made the mistake of coming into the boat and saved it to use as bait on our fishing pole.
                                                                             

                                         
                                            Alligator River-Pungo River Canal
                                                                                    

                                                     Lots of Tannin in the canal                   
                                                                                

                                                                    Bait!
                                                                               

                                                        Lab fishing in the canal

     During our lazy sultry cruise down the canal the VHF radio cracked on with a plea from the coast guard station out of Norfolk. "What is the nature of your distress.  Your boat is going down off of Oracroake Inlet.! Is there anything you can do!"  The radio went silent. We were out of range. I quickly checked the weather to see that indeed there were 5 to 7 foot seas around Oracroake and higher seas around Cape Hatteras.  There was never a question about us going on the outside at this point....and now you know why. Cape Hatteras is known as the graveyard of the Atlantic.
    We exited into the Pungo River as the wind came up.  We could see storm clouds brewing and headed our way and it began to rain,   Hearing distant thunder and seeing white caps on the water we elected to take the first "out" instead of trying to push down into Palmico Sound.
    Slowly we followed our plot winding our way into Scranton Creek. Really it was anchoring in the middle of a shallow marsh (only 7 feet at the deepest) but it got us out of the wind and was a secure anchorage to weather the passing thunderstorm. Once again, we were fortunate to only get the edge of the storms.
     Danny immediately saw the opportunity to "Snag One" and quickly got out the fishing pole, the bug he saved and some frozen shrimp. He was so distracted he spilled the "Bloody Mary" I mixed him, but it was easily cleaned up and in good cruising tradition replaced immediately with another.
                                                                               

                                                                 Danny fishing

     Beth made another excellent meal consisting of corn on the cob, pasta, fresh tomatoes and cucumbers, while I grilled the salmon steaks.  We may have to go on a diet after this cruise!

    

Norfolk to Coinjock, N.C.

   "It should be easy cruising now," said Danny. "No more ocean swells and we can just go from marker to marker. We practically don't need the the map plotter."
     Danny got a surprise when he took the helm to relieve me for a "potty break".  Sitting down on the throne, I began to rock back and forth as the boat began to wallow from side to side. Beth began hammering on the door so I quickly finished my business and rushed up to the upper helm to see a rather pale faced Danny struggling with the ships wheel.
     "What' going on buddy? I grinned
      "Damn, I can't keep it in a straight line.  It's so responsive in the channel and I'm afraid its going to go outside the channel into the shallow water!"
      "It's easy to over steer in "the channel," I responded as I took over the helm. "You just have to anticipate where the wind is pushing the boat and slowly compensate. It helps if you look two markers ahead and check your wake.  This keeps you in the channel."
      We laughed as I described the considerable  consequences of my possibly sliding off the throne. Danny, however was not eager to take the helm over again and we just sat back and enjoyed the scenery. Being a hunter and a woodsman,  Danny marveled at the vast areas of wetlands and pine forest that lined the Virginia ICW.

                                                                                 

                                                                                 

                                                             Danny's first lock.
                                                                            

                                                                  Great Bridge

                                                                                  

                                                                                 

     As the rain approached we glided into Mid Way Marina in Coinjock, North Carolina. A great spot with a helpful attendant to get us tied up to the wooden dock, lots of space for the dogs to run free, a clean swimming pool and a fantastic place to eat. (Crabbies Bar and Grill).  This marina was practically wiped out in Hurricane Sandy and is struggling to make a come back. Its owned by locals so we decided to help out and give them a try.
                                                                           

                 Lots of grass at Mid Way Marina. The dogs loved running without a leash.

     Entering the restaurant, we became somewhat concerned to see that we were the only patrons. Beth usually insists that we dine only where there are lots of cars because, "It means the food is good!" insinuating the corollary that it must be bad if there are no customers.  Not So at Crabbies!
We were warmly welcomed by two waitresses, Cindy and Jerrika and by the chef, Rich Cowan.
The decor was light hearted and reflected the seafood orientation with paintings done by the owner. The restrooms were exceptionally clean and decorative and the atmosphere festive.
                                                                               

                                                                                 

                                                                                 

                                                                               

     Starting with an appetizer of barbecued chicken wings for me, crab corn chowder for Danny and a cold beer for Beth we took the chef's advice to try the Maryland Crab Cakes.  Wow! Delicious!
Most crab cakes are 50% filler with crab. These were 90% crab and just a little filler. We could have them with Bay seasoning or Key West Style citrus. I took one of each.  They came with a creamed corn, baked potato and I added a side of apple sauce.  This was one of the best restaurant meals so far on the trip.  We waddled back to the boat exclaiming our good fortune to have found this place.
    
     

On to Norfolk, Va

     Although a little hazy, it was a comfortable ride outside the shipping channels all the way down the bay. We could see in the distance the target ship used by the navy for practice and became somewhat alarmed when a warning came over the VHF that all ship traffic was to remain a distance of 15 nautical miles. Live firing was about to take place!  We watched a helicopter hovering over a smoke bomb, which I think was marking the limit of approach to the area, then we heard jets screaming overhead.  Fortunately we were far enough away and didn't have to change course. Interestingly, we did not hear any live fire.

                                                                       

                          
                              Staton Island Ferry Coming out of Norfork Harbour.....is he lost?
                                                                                 

                                                        No......he is being towed.


   As we entered Norfolk, Danny sat in the upper helm taking in the impressive view of the Naval dockyard and ships buzzing up and down the area known as Hampton Roads.
     Particularly impressive was the armed sharp shooter blatantly standing on the front of the aircraft carrier.  There was a marked ring of buoys delineating a range outside the ship and the message was clear.  Cross past this line and you will be shot!  You can't blame them after what happened when a terrorist group killed many American sailors by blowing a whole in the side of the USS Cole.  We eased past and silently thanked them for their honor and diligence. Clearly these people are highly skilled and they practice all the time. Their efforts make it possible for us to continue to be able to be free and able to choose the vocations that allow us to accomplish and achieve our careers and goals and ultimately live this decadent cruising life. As the venerable Bob Bitchin says, "I don't recommend decadence as a way of life, but it has worked for me!"
                                                                             

                                                                                  

                                                                                   

          
                              If you zoom in you can see top of submerged submarine

                                                                                

 

                                                                                 

           
                                                            Lots of security                                                               


                                                                                 

  Since this was an emergency stop due to a catastrophic equipment failure, (our coffee pot quit working and we had no coffee for 3 days! lol) we decided to tank up with fuel and stay the night at Ocean Marine Yacht Center. Our next stop was the local Wal Mart for a coffee pot and other essentials (read more beer!).  The cab driver waited for us, took us back to the boat than dropped us off at a well known local dining establishment call "Roger Browns."  Slow relaxing service, good food and reasonable prices made it obvious why it is a local favorite......and it was an easy walk along the waterfront back to the boat.

                                                                                 

Super Mega Yacht "Equanimity" pulling in to the same marina.They were out sea trialing. Apparently has been berthed at Ocean Marine for the past month.....they were fueling and stocking with supplies while we were there.They will be pulling out on Monday. Crew of 30!


     Sophie and Spencer were excited to see our return and to go for a walk in the waterfront park. They have tolerated the ride better than me meaning they seem to have overcome their sea sickness but the thunderstorms still really bother Spencer.  Sophie, on the other hand seems oblivious to the storms and just wants to play.

Atlantic City to Cape May/Delaware Bay and the Chesapeake

We set to sea
Mal de Mer
Took to my chair
Till we got there

Rolling sea swell
All the way
Danny Collins
Saved the day

                                                                             

                                                               Captain Ralph!

      I know, not a very good limerick but it describes my whole day. I got dizzy and nauseated before we got out of the Atlantic City Channel and stayed that way the whole way to Cape May.

                                                                     

                                    
                                   Lots of little boats out fishing outside of Atlantic City.

                                                                                

                                    
                                     Wildwood, N.J. rebuilt after 2012 Hurricane Sandy

    Taking over the helm when it came time to enter the channel, we threaded our way in, fueled  up and settled at a slip in Utsch's  Marina.  This is a great stop and a very well run marina with helpful caring staff.  They even give you a welcome package with a bottle of wine!  We stayed here for 4 days on our trip north in 2012 after our Delaware storm event and they remembered us.
                                                                         

                                                      Notice......empty bottle!

      Beth was able to do the laundry while Danny and I washed the boat. cleaned up the engine room and settled in for a couple of "coldies" when the inverter kicked off and the battery charger quit.
Cursing the event since we had just paid to have the inverter checked out and the batteries upgraded we scratched our heads doing everything we could think of to get the thing working again. We pushed inverter/charger buttons. We clicked breakers off and on. We disconnected and reconnected power cords. In exasperation I called a marine electronics engineer who agreed to come by and take a look the next morning.  Relieved that help was on the way we sat down for another "coldie" and calmly perused the Xantrex inverter manual.
"We can try to reboot the processor in the inverter." Danny calmly remarked.
"We already tried to restore it to factory settings." I replied, "What the hell. We have someone coming tomorrow. Let's try it. We've got nothing to lose."
     This was a process that involved disconnecting wires from the inverter and shutting down all power to the boat.  Restarting the system exactly the way the manual directed.......Voila! It worked!"
We were at peace again with full inverter power......time for another "coldie".
     Beth was diligently using the laundry facility at the marina so only got to hear part of the frustration when things screwed up but all of the braggadocios of how we figured it out and corrected the problem.  Laughing about it we decided to go out for dinner at the "Lucky Bones" restaurant.
      Dodging traffic across the main road into Cape May we entered the restaurant to see a long line up waiting for seating...and no seat at the bar.
"Table for three, please."
     The receptionist smiled at me. Looked down at my shirt which had imprinted in small letters "Dalhousie University" and immediately seated us!  The food was superb. We started with an appetizer of the biggest mussels I have ever seen.  They were drenched in a wine sauce and came with bread rolls for sopping up the sauce after the mussels were finished. Danny  then went on to have the baked crab stuffed flounder; Beth the succulent sea scallops;and I the Cuban baked bone in pork chop......HMMMM!  We wallowed back across the traffic with a satisfied smile on our faces.
       We set out early in the morning with the tide to give us a push up the Delaware Bay.   In two to three foot seas, we easily conquered our fear of Delaware Bay and made it across the Chesapeake-Delaware Canal to anchored out at Worton Creek in Handy Cove, on the Chesapeake.  A solid fix with the anchor in 7 feet of water allowed us to take the dogs to shore in the dingy and weather a significant lightning thunderstorm.
                                                                                   

     
   The Lighthouse in Delaware Bay that we did not see when we came down the Bay in 2012
                                                                                 

Lots of Ship traffic on the Delaware (did not see these in the storm on the way down in 2012)


     This anchorage had an infestation of small biting black flies, which were too quick for Beth to swat with the electronic fly swatter, so they remained with us until our next anchorage. As we descended the Chesapeake, we took turns swatting flies with everything including towels but a few still remain on the boat.

                                                                             

Exploring the little island we anchored near at Worton Creek....looked like Robinson Crusoe


                                                                                   

                                      
                                             Returning from a romp on the beach 

                                                                               

                                       
                                                   Chesapeake Bay Bridge


     Easy peaceful cruising following the well buoyed channel down the Chesapeake had Danny piloting from the upper bridge. Even though the wind increased in the afternoon the swells were tolerable so we pushed along until Beth spotted another large thunderstorm coming our way.  Immediately we pushed the throttles forward and headed to a protected anchorage in the Great Wicomico in Cockrell Creek where we set the hook in 6 feet of water.  About 30 minutes later the rain started, the lightning struck and we were rocked by 36 knot winds.  Fortunately we just caught the tail end of the storm as it was going out into the bay, so it only lasted 10 minutes.  More importantly, we had a good anchor set and the boat remained glued to the bottom.
                                                                             

                                                      
                                                    Anchorage in Cockrell Creek

     Beth didn't want to run the generator for the air conditioners and the fan just wasn't cutting it for me so I went up to the upper deck to sleep out in the cool breeze. I easily fell into a deep sleep until about 3 am when I was aroused by a most pungent rancid odor.  It was like someone put "smelling salts" under my nose!  Yuck! It only lasted a few minutes because the wind changed direction. We had anchored next to a fish plant that made fertilizer and was known to be malodorous in a north wind. 
        We haven't been able to update the blog because we have been in remote anchorages which do not have accessible internet.  This prompted a call from my son to confirm that we were still on top of the water not under it! I reassured him that other than some electrical issues, things were running well and we would be in Norfolk, Va tomorrow.

Sandy Hook to Atlantic City...."That Sucked!"

  
                                                                       

                                                      
                                                   Atlantic Highlands Marina


                                                                                 

                                               
                                                 Marina with NYC in the background

                                                                                

                                         
                                          Another beautiful sunset @Atlantic Highlands


                                                                                   

                                               
                                            Blue Moon at Atlantic Highlands Marina
                                                                                

                                                                                

  Our plan seemed good.  Up early. Catch an hour or so of an incoming tide than get a 4 to 6 hour boost in speed with the outgoing tide all the way to Barnegat Inlet some 40 miles south. If the weather and sea conditions were acceptable we would go all the way to Cape May (120 miles). We plotted in two "outs".  One at Manasquan inlet (about 20 Miles) and the other at Atlantic City (about 80 miles).  Ha! We make our plans and the Gods laugh!
     Leaving Sandy Hook we fell into a lazy and comfortable ocean swell as we pushed into the tide at 9 knots. When the tide turned we got a boost in speed to 10.5 knots with an easy undulating ride that allowed us to view the shore passing by, just 3 miles to our east.  Passing Manasquan Inlet Danny and I both grinned with the anticipation that wow, we might be able to knock out a big day since the ride was pleasant.
      Unfortunately, things turned sour 10 miles past our last "out".  The breeze stiffened and the ocean swells.....swelled! Danny and Beth had rested most of the morning so I, feeling a little queasy, took a couch break while they took the helm. I could hear them talking about how "This isn't too bad. If it doesn't get any worse we might be able to go all the way to Cape May."
     Things started to get worse. First, we heard distress calls to the Coast Guard and Tow Boat US.
"We are a 27 foot Catalina. We are going to need a tow!"
"We have a boat on fire....smoke pouring out of the engine room. It may be just a ruptured hose!"
"There's a boat on the rocks with a kid trying to hold it off!" and worst of all........
 "We have a child overboard!"
   It was the weekend and the marked fishing areas were littered with small and larger fishing boats that we had to thread our way through.
     Docs' Holiday began to pound into the head seas and we heard, "South bound boat with the black hull. You are getting close to the shoals. You need to head out!"
Indeed we were in 20 feet of water and thrashing all over the place.  I took over the helm and we headed out. It wasn't a whole lot better but at least we had 30 to 40 feet of water and didn't have to worry about going to ground.
 Danny commented, "Sky. Water. Sky. Water. White caps.  It's rough but the boat isn't in any danger."
 I replied, "Take over the helm a minute while I puke over the side.....and did!!"
     Beth, exasperated and feeling nauseated went to the couch with the dogs and held on. She later told me that when I got sick both dogs got scared and started to shake.  We had to head back into shallow water to get to the Atlantic City Inlet and what we were doing wasn't easing the situation much. Curiously, we passed sailboats and a trawler heading north with the swells and they seemed to be doing fine.   As we turned west into the inlet the swells began hitting us from the port beam and rolling us from side to side.  I heard Beth groan. This was the motion she really didn't like!  Within  what seemed like an eternity but actually was a few minutes, we were safely inside and anchored right in front of the Golden Nugget Casino.  We were feeling unwell, exhausted and ready to sell the boat but, we were safe.

                                                                         

                                                               
                                                          Golden Nugget Casino
                                                                             
                                                                                 

                                                                 
                                                                Taj Mahal

                                                                               

                                                     
                                                   Golden Nugget Night Lights

     What went wrong? The first error occurred in the morning as we were leaving Sandy Hook.  I inadvertently moved (still don't know how I did it!) the entire route track on the  map plotter. I quickly reassembled the upper part of the route and should have checked the destination waypoints. Second, our plan violated one of our previous learned dictum's...."Be off the water by two in the afternoon that's when the storms come up!"  There wasn't a storm but the wind came up and with us pushing against the wind, the tide, the ocean swell and being in the shallow water.....well....you see what happened!
     A lesson relearned and not soon to be forgotten!
     At least we had a very good anchorage.  We could see the pool bar especially well using the binoculars. Good thing we had two. Danny is bigger than me and I might have had a struggle un-gluing those binoculars from his eyes. The music was a little loud.....wait did I say music!  Very little music.....a lot of "Rap Crap!"  Fortunately it quieted down around 10 pm.  The boat remained motionless once the sun went down and we had enough air flow that we didn't have to use the generator to run air conditioners.
     Grilled chicken Caesar's salad and a few cocktails later and even Beth was smiling again.
     Let's see if we can get a better outcome tomorrow.
      It's only 40 miles to Cape May.
     

    
    

     

      
     

Pandimonium.....New York City

     We left at exactly 8:30 and idled out to face the Throgs Neck Bridge which we had timed to pass through at 9:25 so we could hit Hell's Gate at 10:25....and it worked! We passed through Hell's Gate with nary a ripple as we caught it at slack tide.  The last time we came through here I compared the currents to "Old Sow", the whirlpool between Eastport, Maine and Deer Island, New Brunswick which produces the exact boat motion that Beth does not like.  She and Danny relaxed. The air was clear, the sun shining, and the water reasonably smooth for New York Harbor.  Once again, preparing properly paid off.

                                                                         

                                       
                                                              New York City!
                                                                 
                                                                               

                                                          
                                                             Danny in NYC                                                                                                                            
     This was the first time Danny had been to NYC and he was impressed as we passed by things that he had heard about or seen on TV.  Pandemonium was in the air.  Airplanes were taking off just over head as we passed La Guardia. The curled barbed wire fence around the  prison at Riker's Island was gleaming in the sun and we marvelled at the same fencing on top of the barge that held the overflow from Riker's.
                                                                             

                                                                       
                                                              Rikers Overflow
                                                                                  

                                                             Rikers

      Beth and Sophie huddled on the front sun seat as we  glided by hospitals, parks and a gazillion cars creeping along the river roads. Gondolas filled with people passed overhead near one of the bridges and we passed under familiar bridges such as Brooklyn Bridge.  As we passed the ferry terminals we were impressed at the number of people cued up waiting for their turn to embark to other terminals and Staten Island.  Helicopters were buzzing like giant Dragon Flies from a waterside helicopter terminal, three and four in the air at one time. They kept out of the way of the sea planes taking off and landing in the middle of the river. We dodged the ferries, the pleasure boats, the sail boats and cursed the sports fishermen and testosterone laden Sea Ray wackos that waked everyone in their path.

                                                                                   

                                                                                     

                                                                                

                                                                           

Queensboro Bridge- also known as the 59th Street Bridge because its Manhatton end is located between 59th and 60th Streets

                                                                           

                                                                                

                                                                   East River
                                                                               

                                                                                 

  

                         Float plane taking off on the East River from 23rd Street Seaplane Base

                                                                                   

The new One World Trade Center (Freedom Tower). They were just starting above  ground construction when we were there June 2012. It is a 104 story super structure  that is the 4th tallest in the world.



     Slowly we approached the Statue of Liberty and got our pictures of Danny and his first impression of the stately lady. Even the dogs sat up in the chairs on the upper deck and seem to marvel at the grandiosity of the structure.

                                                                             

                                                         Danny and Lady Liberty

      We then pointed Doc's Holiday toward the Verrazano Narrows Bridge and Sandy Hook.  Our destination, Atlantic Highlands Marina where we would re-supply (think Beer) and prepare for our trip down the outside of New Jersey.