Speedwell of Hong Kong

ICW to Oriental

Sunday, November 22nd, 2015

After a fast and very cold sail from Jackson Creek,  I decided to stop for the night in Chisman Creek and regroup. The creek is easily accessed off Mobjack Bay and provides good shelter. I was grateful for this as the wind picked up and the weather deteriorated. No wifi access here, but the NOAA weather radio gives on-going weather information. It all sounded bad with strong southerly winds. I waited it out and was only able to set off again 3 days later. Then it was an easy sail down to Norfolk on a sparkling clear day. I stayed close to the coast all the way which helps to avoid the very strong tidal current.

Once again, entering the Elizabeth River at Hampton Roads I was amazed at the big ship traffic. Before entering the marked channel up the river, I started the engine as the wind had almost completely disappeared.  Soon I was anchored in much the same spot, near to Hospital Point, that I had used when I first arrived at the end of June.

I did some provisioning and met some interesting people and after a few days set off again for the Dismal Swamp Canal.

Deep Creek Lock

I had last done the Dismal Swamp route in 2007 and nothing much seemed to have changed except that now there was more traffic. It was almost the official end of the hurricane season and the snowbirds were rushing south. I shared the first lock at Deep Creek with 4 other boats.

Elizabeth Dock

Once through the lock there is a comfortable free dock and I decided to stop there for the night. The others continued on to the Welcome Centre about 20 miles further on. Later in the day I was joined by a big Canadian trawler, ‘Sea Star’ and they had me over for cocktails and dinner. The hospitality along the waterway never ceases to surprise and amaze me.

Rafted-up 3-deep

Next day we moved on to the free dock at the Welcome Centre and to start with were the only boats there. Later in the day others started to arrive and soon boats were rafted-up 3 deep. Speedwell was dwarfed by these big cruising boats, few of which could have been under 40ft.  The big boats did not attempt rafting up to me which was quite a relief.

A mirror of black water

The surroundings were quite beautiful with the water forming a perfectly smooth black mirror to the changing foliage. I wandered along a nature trail which had been laid out along the water’s edge with labels for the trees. Now I know what Loblolly Pine, Pignut Hickory, Black Cherry, Virginia Red Cedar, and more, look like. There was a sign warning one to beware of snakes.  I trod carefully.

Anchored off Goat Island

An early start the next day and a short wait for the Mill Creek Bridge to open and let us through to the lock. There was noticeable current pushing Speedwell down to the bridge and I had to do some awkward manoeuvring in the narrow, shallow canal to stay safely away from it. Speedwell does not handle well in reverse gear. Once through the lock, the canal soon opens out into the winding and interesting Pasquotank River. It was too beautiful to be rushed and I stopped early and spent a night anchored behind Goat Island just enjoying the solitude.

Tied to the park dock – Elizabeth City

Next day it was on to Elizabeth City which is well-known for its hospitality to passing boats. There are some free docks available, but I find it too tricky to manage getting lines around the high pilings with very little room for making mistakes. I tried it once on a previous trip through and prefer to tie up alongside at the park dock. Despite a sign saying ‘No Docking’, nobody bothered me. I had time to pay a quick visit to the Museum nearby which is one of the best I have seen, with very well presented displays of the history of the town and the area. I felt a degree of comfortable companionship with the backpacker who slept on the park bench next to the boat. At least here, in friendly Elizabeth City, they have not divided up all the benches with separators that make them impossible to lie down on.

The wind was starting to strengthen again the next day and I decided not to waste the favourable weather. I had a really good sail across Albemarle Sound, just able to lay the course to the entrance of the Alligator River by cutting the corner behind the green ‘PR1’ beacon. The depth never showed less than 2.5m.  I was pleasantly surprised at how well my new sail performs to windward. That night I anchored quite far up the Little Alligator River which gives good shelter in a northerly wind. But the next day was forecast to bring a SW wind. Not good, so on-on.  I started out again at first light and was soon approaching the Alligator River swing bridge. A faster yacht was ahead of me and I heard them call the bridge and request an opening. I tried desperately to speed up so that we could pass through together, but Speedwell’s top motoring speed is 5 knots and we were not quite catching up. The other boat passed through the open bridge. The line of cars and trucks stopped on the road, waiting for the bridge to close again, was getting longer. We still had about half a mile to go. I called the Bridge operator on the VHF radio, to ask if he could wait for me and he replied very quickly to say that it was no problem and he was happy to wait. I’m not sure that the motorists would have been so polite.  Eventually we were through. I waved my appreciation. Then a gentle sail up the well-marked channel showing the deep water in the river.  I dropped the sail turning in to the approach to the Pungo River Canal as I needed to find a safe anchorage for the night and the weather was starting to turn nasty again. I managed to creep in to the shallower water away from the channel and found a good anchorage near to Tuckahoe Point. Well protected from almost all directions. In 1.8m I let out 30m of chain and felt safe enough.

Nasty weather – Alligator River

It was not the most attractive of anchorages but I chose to stay where I was until the weather improved again. Other boats set off, regardless, the next morning with a northerly wind gusting to 30 knots and the water very choppy. I had no fixed itinerary and couldn’t see the point in suffering. It was cosy down below and I made a delicious bean stew in the pressure cooker.  To my surprise my cell phone worked and I was able to use the internet again. With the weather so changeable it’s a big help.

Getting ashore at soggy Belhaven

I left again when the wind dropped a day later and motor-sailed to Belhaven, passing through the Alligator-Pungo Canal and then down the Pungo River. By the time I got to Belhaven I was well and truly soaked in my non-waterproof foul-weather gear. I anchored quite far in approaching the bridge and well out of the channel. There is a nice free town dock which I only discovered after anchoring and going ashore. A good place to go next time. I needed some fresh bread and other odds and ends and went for a walk to the local Food Lion about a mile down the road. Back in the town, there was still evidence of the flooding they had suffered during the recent heavy rains.  It blew very strongly that night and I let out some extra chain taking it to 50m. After dark an enormous barge came in and tied up at the factory nearby. I was surprised at how close it seemed to come despite my being anchored well out of the marked channel. The next day it poured with rain again and I stayed where I was. That night the barge moved out and I was woken up by a loud rumbling and the boat starting to move strangely. I dashed up on deck to see the lights of the tug-barge combo towering above me. The water was churning wildly as they manoeuvred to get away. Suddenly I realised that we had started spinning and Speedwell was trapped in a whirlpool created by the powerful props of the tug. It was a strange feeling and the tiller had absolutely no effect. Thankfully by now the barge was pulling away and the danger of a collision had passed, but Speedwell was still spinning. What to do? I decided to start the engine and put it in reverse. This broke the stranglehold that the whirlpool had on us and eventually things calmed down. It had been a rather frightening experience.

Oriental Harbour

A lovely sail from Belhaven to Oriental down Pamlico Sound and the Neuse River. I had spent the winter of 2006/7 in Oriental and was looking forward to seeing old friends again. Henry and Tuk on their boat Parpar had arrived a few days before me and it was really good to see them again. I anchored nearby in Oriental Harbour.

Posted in Chesapeake Bay, Cruising, ICW, United States | 1 Comment »

Annapolis to Chisman Creek

Wednesday, October 28th, 2015

Wednesday, 28 October 2015

While still in Annapolis, I spent an interesting day at the enormous US Boat Show, marvelling at the luxury yachts on display. Catamarans with airy living space and all imaginable creature comforts. State of the art sails and electronics. Hundreds of ways to ensure that your every movement can be tracked and you will never get lost. Motorised everything. All was gloss and shine.

I envied some of the smaller boats on display with lifting keels and rudders enabling them to sneak up those shallow little creeks that I am forced to avoid. But there was not one that I would have preferred to my tough and reliable Speedwell. Enough has been said about the beauty of simplicity and I shall not expound further.

Sailing on the Bay

Inevitably, when I am asked about my junk rig and try to explain its advantages, the first response is ‘Ah!  But it doesn’t go well to windward’. True enough, and yet… Recently I have been heading south as the cold weather is starting to make itself felt. Other boats are also heading my way. This is a beautiful time of year for sailing on the bay. Plenty of sunny days, no more biting flies and enough favourable wind to get from one anchorage to the next in daylight.

Looking Aft – The Navik does a superb job steering the boat

I normally leave my anchorage at first light having got everything ready the night before: dinghy on deck, wind vane paddle installed, washing up done. Usually we are the first to leave. Others soon follow. Being single-handed and uninsured, I use the engine until I am safely away from the other anchored boats and then the noisy thing can be switched off and we start sailing.

Neal on Full Moon leaving Deltaville at first light

If the wind is against us, the other boats will soon overtake, but it is obvious that in most cases they are motor-sailing. On a downwind day, I have the advantage, as this is what junk rig is best at. No need to pole out the jib – the big main works almost as a square-sail and we romp along. The other boats are motoring. Some with no sail up at all. Downwind. It makes one wonder. Are the sails only actually used for those Wednesday evening races? Does everyone have some critical piece of rigging that is about to break? I shall rant no more, but what a pleasure it is when you do see another boat actually using its magnificent sails.

Harness Creek

After leaving Annapolis I made a short trip around to Harness Creek on the South River.  One of the prettiest anchorages I have been in. It has a convenient dinghy dock giving access to Quiet Waters Park where a hiking trail leads to the shops in Eastport. I stayed longer than planned as I really enjoyed the walk through the woods.

A walk in the woods

The trees were just starting to change colour and each time the breeze moved the branches, leaves would drift down, almost like snowflakes. The wide path was littered with crimson star-shaped leaves and squirrels scampered about gathering acorns.

Common Loon – Jackson Creek

Then, after an overnight stop in the shelter of the cliff at Herring Bay, it was a fast sail to Mill Creek on the Great Wicomico River. I was tempted to stay and chill out but the wind was too good to miss and the next day took me on to Jackson Creek at Deltaville. Again, I stayed longer than planned, this time spending a day installing a new starter battery for the engine. The old one was showing signs of severe fatigue, being one that I had bought 5 years ago in Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil.

Sandspit at low tide – Jackson Creek

Another fast run with the new sail performing superbly, got me to Chisman Creek in Mobjack Bay where I decided to take a break and wait out some strong southerly winds before heading on to Norfolk and the start of the ICW.

Posted in Chesapeake Bay, Cruising, Junk Rig, United States | 2 Comments »

Back in Annapolis

Thursday, October 8th, 2015

Thursday, 8 October 2015

I left St Michaels and moved back to Annapolis where I found a good anchorage in Weems Creek. I had received a message from the SA Embassy in DC that my new passport was ready for collection.

A lazy scene on the Potomac

A little internet research revealed a commuter bus that runs during rush hours between Annapolis and Washington and it starts from a point about 15 minutes’ walk away from where I can leave the dinghy at the Tucker Street boat ramp. It meant an early start, as the last morning bus leaves at 7am. The trip took about 1hr 30min and cost me all of $4 each way (as an old person of course).  I got the passport and spent the rest of the day doing the usual sight-seeing.

An old canal

A slow walk back from the embassy on Massachusetts Avenue took me through a lovely park and then on along the bank of the Potomac River. I spent some time downtown and ended up in the Museum of Fine Art for a quick culture shot.

I spotted a deer in the park

First bus back leaves about 3:30. It was a successful day.

Weems Creek is quite convenient for local shopping and very well protected. I decided to stay for a while and try to reduce the length of my job list.

Last week the weather turned nasty with 5 days of strong winds and torrential rain. The water tanks were nicely filled, but getting ashore was not an option. I hauled the dinghy up on deck to keep it safe and avoid having to keep climbing down to bail out the rainwater which threatened to sink it. With no sun for the solar panel to convert to amps, I was forced to run the engine for a few hours to top up the battery. And it turned cold. After years of tropical heat to suddenly find myself experiencing temperatures down to 11C soon had me searching for woolly socks and a warm jersey. It made a delicious change.

Weems Creek after the storm

Hurricane Joaquin was strengthening and moving through the Bahamas. At one point it looked as if it might head directly for Chesapeake Bay. I anxiously read up on how best to handle things if the worst came to the worst. I let out all my chain and checked that the Fortress anchor was ready if needed. I hate putting out two anchors unless absolutely necessary. The wind regularly gusted to 30 knots but the water was relatively flat as there is not much fetch across the Severn River. It was much like a strong trade wind day in Tyrrel Bay, Carriacou. Great relief when Joaquin headed further offshore. It was a guilty relief for me, when I thought of my friends in Bermuda.

But now the danger is past and the creek is quite beautiful. Calm blue water, trees just starting to get their autumn colours. The ospreys have left. I keep an eye on a bald eagle who has a nest in a tree nearby and makes an occasional appearance. The canada geese and terns are gathering. A great blue heron stands sentinel in a favourite spot on the river bank.  Each morning a crab boat does its rounds and I watch the lone skipper dipping his net and collecting the crabs that cling tenaciously to the bait on his trolling line.  Lisa and Joyce gave me a book called ‘Beautiful Swimmers’ by William W. Warner. The title is a translation of the Latin name for the blue crab – ‘Callinectes sapidus’  – literally, beautiful and tasty swimmers. The crabs have a very interesting life cycle and the book describes the work of the watermen who harvest them. It gave me a new perspective on the bay and the cursed crab pots.

I have to start to think about moving south but will stay for a few more days and have a look at the US Boat Show which runs from tomorrow till Monday.

PS: I had to do this post to get the picture of that scary snake off the start of my blog..

Posted in Chesapeake Bay, Cruising, United States | No Comments »

A Short stop in St Michaels

Saturday, September 19th, 2015

10 September 2015

The new sail was fully rigged and now it was just a case of waiting for a favourable wind to help me across to the other side of the Bay and give it a try. Days and days of hot, humid calm. Turgid water which did not invite swimming.  I decided to fill in the time by doing some spring cleaning and went aft to get the bucket to fill with water and start cleaning the deck.

The Snake

Oh dear! A snake was coiled in a nook under the bucket and seemed as put out as I was, by its sudden discovery.  I hastily covered it up again and had a think about what could be done. It was a strange one to me and I had no idea if it was poisonous or not, so I fetched my camera and carefully raised the bucket again and was able to get a good picture of it. Back down below, snake still safely under bucket, I fired up the smartphone and googled ‘Chesapeake snakes’. Quite quickly I was able to find an identical image of my snake. It appeared to be an Eastern Garter Snake and was supposedly harmless. Feeling a bit braver, but still very cautious, I managed to trap it under a big plastic bowl and then tried to slide a nylon chopping board under snake and bowl to enable me to lift it and put it overboard. I had to believe that it was a good swimmer, as how else could it have come aboard? Whoops, the snake managed to wriggle free and slithered along the side deck revealing itself to be about 4ft long. Thankfully it opted to head out through one of the scuppers and I was able to see it swimming away. What a relief!

A Skipjack passed me

Now I was keener than ever to move along. Next morning I decided to give up my hopeful wait for the wind and just go. I had plenty of diesel and the battery probably needed charging. And so, it was a full day of motoring in flat calm. I took a short cut to Eastern Bay through Kent Narrows and as it was late afternoon by then, decided to anchor for the night in a secluded little spot called Tilghman Creek. It had an interesting, winding entrance but once inside opened out with plenty of room to anchor. I had just got settled and was gazing about, when a big blue crab approached and we had a look at each other.

Curious Blue Crab

Next morning, at high tide, I was able to sail most of the way to St Michaels, about 6 miles further up on the Miles River. It was the Friday before Labour Day weekend and boats were already arriving to enjoy the festivities. I decided to anchor just outside the harbour where there was still plenty of space. At the time, I was the only boat there but as the weekend progressed I must have counted about 60 other boats, of all shapes and sizes, scattered over the area.

Labour Day crowds

St Michaels has a wonderful Maritime Museum and I was fortunate to be allowed in and to use their showers as a guest of Dudley, who is a member there. It was a bit too crowded for me over the weekend, but by Tuesday everyone had gone back to work or school and I wandered around, contentedly absorbing Chesapeake Bay History.

How to build a 5-log canoe

I learnt all about the interesting technique of constructing log canoes and later saw them racing on the Miles River. I explored a very well-presented exhibit of a skipjack, the traditional type of boat used for oyster dredging. Life-size models of fishermen were placed here and there around the deck, in working positions and an eerie recording of their voices made the experience quite ghostly.

Ghostly Skipjack

The skipjacks do not have inboard engines and rely on enormous sails to move through the water dragging their heavy dredging gear. When all else fails, a skiff with engine is attached to the stern and acts as an outboard.

Skipjack ‘outboard’

The weather was still very warm and although here, the water looked clean, there were just too many nasty looking jelly fish, or sea nettles, to make swimming an option.

Sea Nettle

Posted in Chesapeake Bay, Cruising, United States | 1 Comment »

A New Sail for Speedwell

Sunday, August 30th, 2015

30 August, 2015

My main reason for aborting the trip to Nova Scotia and a later crossing to Ireland was the fact that my South African passport was coming up for renewal. I had been warned that this could take 4-6 months and would have made the timing very awkward. Hence the decision to return to the US from Bermuda and get things sorted out in Washington DC while I explored Chesapeake Bay. Also lurking at the back of my mind was the growing awareness that the boat was seriously in need of maintenance and adventurous sailing might not have been the wisest thing.

The rigging and sail had taken some heavy wear on the long downwind run from the Eastern Caribbean to Guatemala and I was running out of usable rope to replace chafed-through parrels and sheetlets. The main halyard had a worrisome threadbare patch near the middle. I had served it in an effort to prevent catastrophic failure, but it did not inspire confidence.  The small blocks that I use for the sheet attachments to the sail were also wearing out. Most had been acquired in an already geriatric state and were now overdue for retirement. The sail itself was still repairable but looking rather seedy. Add to all this the dodgy state of the engine, and I felt that the disappointment of not being able to explore the fabled cruising grounds of Nova Scotia, followed by an Atlantic crossing,  was justified.

In 2006 I had spent a few months at Old Road Bay near the start of the Patapsco River which goes up to Baltimore. Unfortunately, Brian, who runs Old Bay Marina where I had hauled-out then, had changed his policy regarding foreign cruising boats, but there are many other small boatyards in the area and within a few days I was safely installed at Young´s Boatyard a short way up Jones Creek. The mast was efficiently lifted and laid on trestles ashore for painting and re-rigging. Living aboard while hauled out at the yard is not encouraged, but Dudley Boycott, an old friend from my previous visit, lives nearby and generously offered me a place to stay.

Lifted out at Young’s Boatyard

Dudley is 92 years old and still cycles 10 miles nearly every morning. He is also a semi-retired sail-maker with a full scale sail loft in the basement of his house. He agreed to let me use it to re-stitch and repair my sail and soon my poor raggedy old sail was laid out for inspection. It would be a daunting task to get it back in shape and my thoughts ran to somehow finding the cash to make a new one. The opportunity just seemed too good to miss. Everything so easily available and lots of help from friends.  And so the decision was made. Scrapping the old sail made me feel quite heart-sore as we had been through so much together. It took some persuasive talk from Dudley to get me to eventually roll it up and leave it in the boatyard dumpster after removing some of the more respectable looking pieces. Carrying it as a spare was simply not an option with the limited storage space on Speedwell.

Dudley on the committee boat

The new yellow Sunbrella was duly ordered and delivered with many thanks to Robin for arranging a good price for me. Robin also does canvas work and had some left-over yellow from a job she had done. She generously donated it to the project along with a reel of yellow polyester thread.

I decided to stay with the same sail design (as per Vincent Reddish) and not try anything new and experimental after my rather unsuccessful attempt at ‘cambered panels’. I like the solid simplicity of the flat junk sail. It might not win any races but, so far, has not let me down.  Previously, because of limited space for laying things out, I had measured and cut each panel separately before sewing them together. This time, with plenty of clean, uncluttered floor space and Dudley’s years of experience, I was shown how to lay out the full shape of the sail using tapes pinned to the floor. Everything can be carefully measured and checked. The position of each batten was marked off with tape as well, to give me an overall view of the outcome. The cloth was then laid out in parallel horizontal strips and marked off for seams and cutting lines. It is a much more economical way of cutting and I found I had ordered about 6 yards more than I needed, based on previous experience. It won’t be wasted as there are always more little projects waiting to be tackled.

Measured and marked out on the floor

My days were quite busy, as I had decided to split my time by working on the boat in the morning while it was still relatively cool and then spending the afternoon in the air-conditioned basement doing the sail. Edgemere is a very pretty suburb with an abundance of shady deciduous trees. All green now but turning to brilliant colours in autumn. Cosy clapboard houses with mostly unfenced gardens running down to the street. I enjoyed my early morning walk to the boatyard and usually saw many squirrels, rabbits and birds: Baltimore Orioles, Red-winged Blackbirds, Northern Cardinals, Mourning Doves and Canada Geese flying overhead. Dudley came to fetch me each day at 12 and gave me lunch before I started the afternoon shift.

Wednesday twilight race

It has not been all work, of course. Every Wednesday evening the various sailing clubs get together for a twilight race in the bay and I have been allowed on the committee boat, a comfortable trawler called ‘Myth’, which belonged to Dudley and his late wife Rose for many years. It is now owned by a syndicate of 5 and oversees the weekly race meet.  It was a much appreciated chance to get back on the water and watch how the ‘pointy’ boats do it.

One problem with being in Edgemere is that there is absolutely no public transport and everything is just too far away to reach on foot. A bicycle would work well, but I’ve never owned or ridden a bike and feel nervous in traffic so I’ve had to rely on getting lifts from people. Will, a part-owner of ‘Myth’ has been very helpful taking me to Annapolis to buy a reel of rope for the new rigging and Joyce and Lisa also drove me to town for a few things that I’d forgotten. Apparently, in the good old days, there was a tram which went all the way from here to Baltimore. It would have made things much more convenient.

Crab feast with Dudley, Joyce and Lisa

I met Joyce and Lisa when I was here before and they are still living on their boat in Old Bay Marina and are very enthusiastic crab catchers. One evening they brought a huge pot full of enormous steamed crabs round to Dudley’s for dinner. We had a feast, making a glorious mess smashing the shells with sturdy wooden mallets and picking out the delicious edible bits. Will has a house surrounded by sycamore trees, overlooking the water of the bay and provided dinner each Thursday.  Always a treat.

Newly varnished name plates

At last, after 3 weeks on the hard, Speedwell was ready to go back in the water. The mast had been repainted, the wiring to the masthead light repaired, the VHF antenna repaired, new halyard, lazy jacks and sheets installed, the bottom cleaned and repainted with antifouling, the Garmin transducer properly mounted on the transom, name plates re-varnished, the blocked raw-water intake cleaned out, etc, etc.

A beautiful new sail

And of course, the new sail was finished. There is not much water at the mast-lifting dock but Speedwell can just get in at high water. Phil did a great job of re-fitting it in the tabernacle and then we bundled the sail on board and moved the boat out while it was still floating. I anchored out in the little bay and spent two days putting things together. I was lucky to have calm weather and it was an enjoyable task. Rather time-consuming, measuring off and tidying up all the little bits and pieces of rope that a junk rig needs, but it was relaxing being back on board and just fiddling away.  When I was able to raise the full sail at last I was delighted with the result. So grateful to all the friends who helped make it possible.

Posted in Chesapeake Bay, Cruising, Junk Rig, United States | 9 Comments »

Annapolis

Sunday, August 2nd, 2015

Saturday, 1 August 2015

I left Solomons early on a Sunday morning heading for the next convenient anchorage at Herring Bay, about 35nm further north.  There was no need for the engine as a pleasant southerly breeze was blowing. I relaxed and let the Navik do most of the work. In this part of the bay the western shore doesn’t offer many safe places to stop so Herring Bay is a popular choice.

Limestone cliffs near Herring Bay

As I approached the shallow entrance I had to weave through crowds of small Sunday afternoon motor boats, all anchored on the shoal with fishing lines in every direction. I reduced sail and thought it might be an idea to use the engine for the final part of the channel. Rather disappointingly, once again, the water pump had dried up. Oh, well, it was a pretty straightforward approach and I was soon safely anchored near to a beautiful limestone cliff. The water was clean with no visible jellyfish, so I had a cooling swim and tried to see if something was blocking the raw-water intake. Couldn’t see or feel anything. Very mysterious.

I drifted slowly past a working lighthouse

The next day’s forecast was for more southerly winds and we had a really good sail for the first few hours and then the wind died completely. It was extremely hot with a hazy sky and the weather radio was issuing hazardous weather warnings due to the heat index of 107 degrees. Swarms of biting, black flies tormented me as I sat sweatily in the cockpit. To make it even more excruciating, the tide had turned and was pushing us gently backwards. I knew that I couldn’t use the engine for more than a few minutes at a time without it overheating, and felt that it was probably wise to save those few minutes in case we were forced to motor out of the way of some big barge or ship. So we drifted helplessly about.

Anchored off the Academy Wall

At last a few small ripples started to appear on the surface of the water and a whisper of a breeze crept in. I imagined that the relief I felt must have been comparable to that of the sailors of old when they first detected a gentle zephyr after weeks of drifting in the doldrums; with scurvy threatening.  Even more wonderfully, it was coming from the right direction, and we were able to sail sedately all the way to an easy anchorage off the Naval Academy wall in Annapolis.  I celebrated with a warm Bud Lite.

A tourist boat comes close to have a look

Annapolis is rightly described in the brochures as the ‘Jewel of the Chesapeake’. I had last been there in 2006 and nothing much seemed to have changed. The Naval Academy still as impressive as ever, Ego Alley still filled with gin palaces, the Hard Bean still dispensing great coffee and free wifi. Being the height of summer, it was crowded with holiday-makers. There were regular open air concerts given by the Navy Band and the bay was bristling with sailboats. Wednesday and Thursday night races made a wonderful spectacle as I sat in the cockpit with my sundowner.

Ego Alley

After settling in, my first job was to remove the offending water pump and find a replacement or someone to fix it. Getting it off was a bit of a battle, as the fuel pump is mounted too close to allow it to be pulled out, and so, it also, had to be taken off.  I was able to find a helpful mechanic in Eastport who located a repair kit in Florida and promised to have it as good as new in a few days. What a relief.

A colourful sidestreet

I filled the time while waiting to get the pump back, by doing the rounds of the shopping malls and marine shops. Fawcetts is a wonderful family-run business with many, many things for my wish list. At Bacons I bought an entire 600ft reel of 3/8 inch polyester rope to replace all my ragged rigging. They gave me a really good price.  The selection of clothing at the Goodwill Store was a little uninspired so I was able to leave there empty-handed. A really good bus service makes it easy and cheap to get around. As an old wrinkly, I only had to pay 2 dollars for an all-day pass.

Naval Academy gardens

Early every morning the Naval Academy midshipmen spend about an hour being put through their exercise routine. I had a good view from where I was anchored.  It looked pretty exhausting. The buildings are so imposing that I felt I should spend some time having a look around. Entrance is free but you have to have ID and go through a security check. It was not nearly as exhaustive as the normal airline boarding checks. The grounds are magnificent with park-like gardens.

In a hall at the academy

A very interesting museum has a magnificent collection of ship models, some of them in pristine original condition as they were made about 300 years ago. I marvelled at the miniature detail and at the fact that the models are such an exact and exquisite historical record of the old ships. Rather like an antique hologram.

Approaching Chesapeake Bay Bridge

At last the pump was ready. I picked it up in Eastport and soon had it reinstalled. Unfortunately the leak was worse than ever. So it had to go back again. It seemed there was some problem with the new seal, which was soon sorted out. Now it no longer leaks but the water flow   through the exhaust is still no more than a trickle. So there is a blockage. I decided to leave things as they were and head directly to Jones Creek near Sparrows Point at the entrance to the Patapsco River where I plan to haul out and spend some time doing necessary maintenance.

Posted in Chesapeake Bay, Cruising, United States | 1 Comment »

Chesapeake Bay – Norfolk to Solomons

Thursday, July 23rd, 2015

23 July 2015

I don’t have sophisticated gadgetry on board to enable internet access at sea. Normally this doesn’t trouble me in the slightest as I enjoy being able to get away from the frenzied need to be constantly in touch and available. Nevertheless, one of my first concerns when I arrive back in the world of smartphones and the internet, is to locate the nearest wifi hotspot to catch up with missed emails and get weather information. Most towns here in the US seem to have a wonderful public library which offers free internet access, either using their computers, or allowing you to plug your own device into a handy power socket. Norfolk was no exception and I was grateful to relax in an easy chair in air-conditioned comfort and catch up with my inbox.  The first emails I looked at brought me rudely back to earth. Carly, the wife of Pete Hill, had been lost overboard their catamaran, ‘Oryx’, while sailing off the South African coast near Durban. An extensive search had failed to find her.  Pete is an old friend of mine and I got to know Carly when we spent some time together in Buenos Aires a few years ago. It had happened on 19th June, the day I left Bermuda, so of course I had no way of knowing about it until two weeks later. A most terrible shock.

Carly and Pete picnicking on a traffic island – Bs As, 2009

The Norfolk Naval Station is the largest in the world and there is a proliferation of Navy vessels of all types, all greyly enormous and imposing. I was anchored on the Portsmouth side of the Elizabeth River and a ferry runs every half hour making it easy to cross to the other side.

Paddle wheel ferry

The ferry has a decorative paddle wheel but I was disappointed to learn that it was not the driving force. Henry, on his boat, Parpar, arrived soon after me, having made his way  through the Dismal Swamp and we spent an interesting morning together visiting the battleship Wisconsin which has been turned into a museum.

Battleship Wisconsin

The town of Portsmouth has a lovely historical district and flags were out for the 4^th of July celebrations.  On the 4^th, Norfolk put on a magnificent fireworks display and towards the evening the anchorage became crowded with small local boats trying to find a good spot to anchor, have a BBQ on board, and view the show. I had a perfect vantage point from my cockpit. Unfortunately my camera did not do justice to the spectacle so I will spare you the blurry results.

Flags out for the 4th July

The passage from Bermuda had revealed quite a number of imperfections on board and I decided to work my way fairly directly to a small boatyard that I had been to before at Edgemere near Baltimore. I´d be able to haul out there and sort out all the problems. I was not keen to sail in the bay at night as my masthead light had stopped working so I needed to find an anchorage each night.

Juvenile Yellow Crowned Heron on a Hampton dock

My first stop was Hampton at the entrance to the Elizabeth River and a comfortable mornings run from Norfolk. In fact, despite the daunting volume of the water traffic,  I had a lovely sail there with the current helping me along and found a place to anchor opposite the municipal dock. I spent the afternoon doing a quick tour of the town and enjoying  a few hours in the cool of the Air and Space museum. In summer the streets of most towns seem to be deserted as everyone avoids the heat and shelters in air-conditioned buildings.

A cool break in the Air and Space museum

It took me two days, including at stop in Chisman Creek,  to get up to Deltaville, where I anchored in Jackson Creek and visited Jonathan and Anne Hutchings who run a branch of Annapolis Yacht Sales there. They had me round for dinner at the magnificent house that they are restoring at the edge of a small creek up the Piankatank River. Jonathan is the nephew of John Goodwin who owned and sailed Speedwell for many years back in the 60´s.

Jackson Creek

It was tempting to stay longer as the Deltaville Marina allows the use of their dinghy dock and facilities for a reasonable fee which made it a very comfortable stop. But a forecast for two days of good southerly winds followed by a spell of northerlies sent me on my way again.

3 nearly full-grown osprey chicks waiting to be fed

Next stop was beautiful Mill Creek a little way from the entrance to the Great Wicomico. When I first arrived I was the only boat there and the surroundings were peaceful and magnificent. Later 3 other boats arrived but the anchorage has plenty of room and it didn’t feel crowded. I was able to enjoy my normal shower in the cockpit to cool off and clean up in the evening. Rather too many small jelly fish floating about made me wary of taking a dip in the water.

Saililng on the Bay

The distance from Mill Creek to Solomons which is past the entrance to the Potomac River is about 45nm, quite a long way for me to manage in one day and get in before dark. I work on an average cruising speed of 3knots which is usually pretty accurate. The days are long with the sun only setting after 8, but unlike being offshore, I need to be in the cockpit all the time, mostly hand-steering. No sheltering down below with a book while the Navik takes care of everything. Too much traffic and the occasional shoal patch to catch the unwary. Luckily it was a cloudy day so the heat wasn’t really a problem. We left at first light and, with a good wind, we arrived at Solomons at 7:30pm. I motored up Back Creek hoping to find a place to anchor near the Holiday Inn which allows the use of their dinghy dock and offers wifi. I had anchored there in 2006 but unfortunately these days the area has become totally clogged up with new jetties extending out from a new condominium development.  Most boats seem to prefer being tied to a dock and apart from myself, there were only 3 or 4 other boats anchored, which left plenty of space in the rest of the creek. I found a good place opposite Spring Cove Marina next to a wooded bank. Ospreys and herons and mallards were out foraging for their supper.

Restored lighthouse at the museum

The water was fairly shallow – only 2m – but it was low tide so I was happy enough, I let out 20m of chain and went aft to back up on the anchor and make sure it had dug in. Oh dear, I heard an odd gurgling sound coming from the siphon break pipe which normally squirts a reassuring flow of water into the cockpit drain. A quick look told me that no water was getting through. Quickly kill the engine to prevent overheating, destroying the impeller and other disastrous effects. A look overboard revealed a shoal of small jelly fish and I suspected that one of them must have been sucked into the raw water intake.  There was no way that I was going to jump overboard and clear it. I decided to assume that the anchor was fine and leave it for the morning. The weather was calm and there wasn’t far to go if I dragged anyway.  Next morning I checked the filter basket and it was clean, tried to reach the intake from the dinghy with a brush on a long stick but could feel nothing. I primed the hose with water so that the pump wouldn’t start off dry and tentatively tried the engine. To my immense relief water was coming through again. The blockage had fallen away or maybe I had brushed it off.

Waterside walk at Solomons

I spent two more days at Solomons waiting for the wind to turn southerly again. Did some restocking at a convenient Food Lion supermarket and visited the Maritime museum, which  has a very interestingly presented display of fossil finds from the nearby limestone cliffs. They also have the restored Drum Point ‘cottage’ lighthouse. I climbed up the spiral staircase to the cosy living quarters and couldn’t help thinking how nice it would be to live in. Surrounded by the sea, with magnificent views, almost like being on a boat.

Posted in Chesapeake Bay, Cruising, United States | 2 Comments »

On to Bermuda

Monday, May 25th, 2015

My departure for Bermuda was delayed by the need for some emergency dental work, giving me a chance to explore the town of Stuart. I enjoyed regular strolls along the river walk and the faces of some of the other early morning walkers and their dogs were becoming familiar.

Historical downtown Stuart

At last I was ready to leave but the weather had other ideas. An early ‘named’ tropical storm, Anna, was moving towards the coast of North Carolina and strong onshore easterly winds kept me aboard, safely anchored in the St Lucie River.

7 May, 2015

Today I motored up the ICW to anchor at Fort Pierce where there is a grade A inlet from the Atlantic Ocean. As always, it felt good to be close to the open sea again. My cruising permit had to be canceled so that a new one can be issued when I plan to return later in the year. This entailed a 4 mile walk out to the airport where the customs office is to be found. No busses on this route. A kind motorist stopped and gave me a lift on the way back.

Trailer-park village on the way to the airport

Harbortown Marina, close to where I was anchored, allowed me to use their dinghy dock and free WiFi. They also had a convenient fuel dock.

May 9, 2015

The anchor and chain came up cleanly, not covered with sticky black mud as in the St Lucie river and very soon we were approaching the start of the channel to the sea. It was a lovely sunny day and the weekenders were out in force.

Even the dogs were out there

The wide channel was alive with small fishing boats, inflatable dinghies, kayaks, monster gin-palace stinkpot boats and anything else that floats. Just ahead of me a powerful Coastguard vessel, with blue lights flashing, stopped and boarded an incoming fishing boat. Someone’s unlucky day.

May 16, 2015

A week at sea and half way to Bermuda. The first two days were easy and fast with the Gulfstream helping us along. Then the wind died and we flopped helplessly about for a day until a strong NE wind set in and stirred up an evil sea. I was reminded as to why not everyone goes to sea in small boats and wondered what I was doing here. Nothing to do but reef down and hope that nothing breaks. The Navik managed valiantly and I retired to my bunk with leecloth securely fastened.

Just rolling along

Over the next couple of days the wind moderated but took up a firm position directly against our heading. So we are currently way north of our ideal course and hoping that the winds forecast by the weather fax will materialize and get us going in the right direction again. A gracefully curious tropic bird circled the boat a few times but retreated when I aimed my binoculars at him.

Sunday, 17 May 2015

This morning I found a small squid had expired on the leeward side deck. I cleaned him up and had a delicious brunch of calamari rings pan-fried in garlic butter tossed with spicy couscous.
Yesterday it was a fair-sized flying fish which cooked up well with rice. Maybe I should start a collection of ocean roadkill recipes.

Still waiting for the wind to change.

Monday, 18 May 2015 – day 11

After a long dark night of steady motoring in a flat calm and rolling sea, we were rewarded with a gentle breeze on the aft quarter. Just enough to hold the sail out and keep us moving at almost 2 knots. Now the junk rig shows its stars. A small group of storm petrels fluttered about gathering their breakfast.

Banana cake heeling to starboard

The wind strengthened as the day progressed and soon we were running smoothly along at a comfortable 4 kts. I took advantage of the easy conditions and made a big pot of vegetable stew in the pressure cooker to last a few days. Then I found that the last banana had become rather overripe. Ideal for making banana cake. It turned out well despite being a little lopsided as my stove isn’t very successfully gimballed.

The wind increased steadily.
Big seas, strong wind, moving at hull speed reefed right down and a pitch black moonless night. Time for all those irrational fears and terrors to surface.

Another view of the sail

By morning it was already moderating and everything seems easier in daylight. Once again I was glad that I had made the change back to a flat sail with strong, rigid battens and no added complications to go wrong in rough conditions.

Friday, 22 May 2015

After a few days of a good following wind, I arrived at Bermuda early this morning.

St Georges anchorage, Bermuda

Three other yachts arrived at about the same time, one of which had to be towed in. Much to and fro from Bermuda radio, constantly giving instructions as to what to do and where to go. On previous occasions I have not had the radio switched on when I arrived as it can be very distracting. The anchorage was quite crowded but I was able to find a good spot and rowed ashore to clear in.

Tags: Bermuda
Posted in Bermuda, Cruising, United States | 1 Comment »

Okeechobee Waterway

Saturday, April 25th, 2015

It was a slow, slow trip from the Dry Tortugas to Sanibel Island at the entrance to the Caloosahatchee River, leading to Fort Myers and the start of the Okeechobee Waterway. For the first two days we tacked and tacked again battling to make headway against a gentle NE wind and a sea still rather confused after the strong winds of the weekend. I could only console myself with the thought that at least we were making better progress than we would have been if still anchored.

Flat calm – Gulf of Mexico

Then the sea flattened and the wind died and we might as well have still been bird watching in the Dry Tortugas. I was able to get a 3-day weather fax and it wasn’t going to get much better. After a day of flopping about I gave in and fired up the engine to motor through the night, very aware that I had a total of only 20 litres of diesel on board. It was good for the morale to be making progress in a straight line again. Whenever there was the least bit of wind I gave the engine a rest and at last, with about 20 miles to go, a wonderful west wind arrived and wafted us in to the bay at sunset. I found a handy place to anchor for the night tucked in behind Sanibel Island and set off early the next morning for Fort Myers, 15 miles upriver.

Approaching Fort Myers

Thursday, 2 April 2015

Fort Myers has a convenient free anchorage close to the centre of town and I gratefully settled in for a short stay. Also know as the City of Palms, it is a very clean and friendly town with a wonderful municipal bus system. Thomas Edison, of light-bulb fame, once lived here and his memory is revived in street names, a big shopping mall and curio shops selling antique light fittings. The streets are quiet as most people do their shopping at the big malls out of town, but things liven up at lunch time when the pavement cafés get crowded.

Palms and pavement cafés

I also took advantage of the mall shopping opportunity to splash out on a new pair of binoculars and a few other things that I´d been looking for.

Monday, 13 April 2015

After a week I was ready to move on up the waterway and I made a really early start, leaving the anchorage at Fort Myers just before sunrise. I hoped to reach La Belle, about 35 miles away, before dark and wasn’t sure how much I might be delayed by the lock and the bridges which would have to be opened for me. Everything went very smoothly and I was at the free town dock by 2:30 in the afternoon.

Illegally parked

Unfortunately it was full except for one awkward space which I didn’t feel confident enough to approach on my own. So I went a short way back and anchored just off a little park. I had just settled in when there was a thunderstorm and torrential down pour. I scuttled about and quickly rigged up my rain catching system. What bliss. Masses of water to fill tanks and shower bags and both my buckets. I quickly did a load of washing and hung it up in the cockpit.

Tuesday, 14 April 2015

I rowed ashore in the morning and tied my dinghy to a convenient dock at the park near to where I was anchored. It was a short walk across the bridge to town. Although, of course, in this part of the world, walkers are not the norm. When you do encounter another walker there is usually a meeting of the eyes and a smiling acknowledgement of experience shared.

Downtown La Belle

La Belle is a small town centred around a great supermarket and town hall. I picked up some bargains and got back to the boat to find a waterway ranger waiting for me. I had transgressed two regulations and needed to move on within the hour or face a steep fine and/or prison sentence. No anchoring for more than just overnight and what was my dinghy doing tied to the park dock. OK. I had planned to leave anyway. Maybe it was my washing hanging up to dry that had worried them. It was a short 10 mile hop to my next planned anchorage in a narrow canal off the waterway leading to a disused quarry.

Bridge at Dawn

I needed two anchors to stop from swinging into the bank. Cows grazed in a nearby field. An enormous manatee broke the surface for a breath of air, really close to the boat and raised a long flipper as she slid languidly back underwater. An oddly shaped floating branch turned out to be a slowly cruising alligator. An osprey sat on a post checking the menu.

Strange fish

Strange fish with gaping mouths skimmed the surface. I enjoyed a well-earned beer and played with my new binoculars.

Wednesday, 15 April 2015

Another day on the waterway. Not the most interesting stretch. Miles of straight, deep channel with not much to see on either side. The Ortona Lock had more of a rise, about 8ft, than the previous one and took a bit more effort to control bow and stern lines, but apart from losing a neat little solar garden light that I had carelessly tied to a stanchion, no problems. The lock keepers are very helpful and encouraging. I found a good place to anchor a short way further along in an abandoned part of the channel.

Thursday, 16 April,2015

I set off again at about 9. There were quite a few alligators about. Normally only the head is visible just at the surface but occasionally one makes a sudden lurching dive and their full size is easier to judge. I don’t think I’ll be having any cooling swims. I was taking the perimeter route, where the channel runs along the edge of the lake. Birds were everywhere and there were some straight sections where I could use the electric autopilot and have a chance to look at them. It was also nice to be able to give my steering arm a rest. Nevertheless, constant small adjustments needed to be made to the autopilot to be sure of staying in the deepest part of the channel. Ahead there was a big tree leaning out over the water with herons, moor hens and purple gallinules pottering about in some lily pads. A beautiful scene. I reached for the binoculars and failed to notice that the water was getting on the shallow side.

Aground in beautiful surroundings

Belatedly, I jabbed at the autopilot buttons to turn back to the middle of the channel but we had already touched the bottom and were stuck. Oh dear! Bad mistake! The problem is that there is no tide once you are through the locks, so no chance of just waiting to be floated off. Reversing didn’t help. I got the dinghy in the water and rowed out a kedge anchor and tried winching off after heeling the boat towards the deep side, but all that I accomplished was to tear something in my back. A few fast boats raced by leaving a big wake and I tried to get off each time, but poor Speedwell just rose enough to come back down harder than before. I would have to get help. A park ranger came by but it was more than his job was worth to try to haul me off with his massive 250HP motor. My only option was to get one of the tow operators to come out and rescue me. $500 later we were floating again and it was a race against the sun setting and a looming thunderstorm to reach my chosen (and only possible) anchorage for the night. I made it by the skin of my teeth. An expensive lesson learnt.

Alligator close to shore

Saturday, 18 April 2015

The anchorage turned out to be one of the best. A totally enclosed lake accessed via a narrow entrance off the waterway. It was so peaceful, I took a day off to recover from my gruelling experience of the previous day. I saw an osprey take a fish from the water with its claws. Anhingas gathered on a derelict boat to dry their wings. Moor hens and herons foraged along the edge of the water. Allligators quietly kept watch. Every now and then a noisy fishing boat roared passed.

Sunrise at the lake

I set off early the next day. An onshore wind had picked up a bit and was creating an ugly chop in the channel which is shallow and close to the shore. At the earliest opportunity I escaped into the deeper waters of Lake Okeechobee itself and then on through Port Mayaca Lock. This was an easy one as the level of the Lake was high enough to allow it to remain open.

Little Blue Heron – Stuart

Sunday, 19 April 2015

After spending the night in a very pretty creek just off the channel I set off on the final leg of the trip. The St Lucie Lock drops you 15ft back down to the level of the river and I was a little apprehensive. Once again the lock keeper was very helpful and there were no mishaps. By early afternoon I was anchored at Stuart on the East Coast of Florida.

Posted in Cruising, United States | 2 Comments »