11/17/2009, Wrightsville Beach
Today, a walk on the beach and an early Mexican dinner at the surfer's hang out. But that misses a bunch of the story...
I think we last posted when it was raining in Morehead City. And I think you all knew that we would be sick of the rain and wanting to move. So on Saturday evening we moved our boat out of the slip in Morehead City and travel the few miles to anchor in taylor Creek in Beaufort, NC again (so Pete and I could use our beer tokens at the Dockside Restaurant). We were up early and, despite having the anchor fouled on some random line in the harbor, we sailed from Beaufort at 0800.
Once we were 15 miles south west of Beaufort the sun came out and the sea was calm. The wind blew at about 15 so we could set a broad reach. When we started, our destination was Wrightville Beach, NC. Then the wind died and as we looked at our arrival time, we decided to push on to Charleston... As the sun set, we chatted with some other boats who were headed to Marsh Harbor in the Bahamas! "Three days" they said... "hmmm" we said. We contacted our weather folks, checked our fuel and water and took a 90 degree turn to the East to head across the Gulf Stream. the night was spectacular and the wind blowing 5 to 10 out of the north promising a lump but OK passage and we were all entranced by the warm waters of the Bahamas....
At about 11 pm with everyone asleep but Bill, the engine sputtered again. Pete was rousted and we again found a clogged filter... With some mucking around we fired her up again and we off with Pete back in his berth... again the engine sputtered and again Pete came up on deck in his skivies. After a short discussion we opted for the closest port: Wrightville Beach, NC. We plotted a course that would have us at the outside bouy around sunrise. Under full sail we cruised back to the US, arriving in time to have Pancakes with Maine Blueberries abord Starbound. So, here we are... being here now.
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Comments [3]
11/12/2009, Morehead City, NC
Rain rain rain
We moved over here to get out of the wind and be clear of any boats that were going to drag anchors in the big wind. Most of what we have seen is lots of rain.We have bailed the dingy once already...
Showers a nice here and we have treated our selves to Pizza and fresh baked goodies from a bakery in town. We have installed our "5 Mile WIFI" system and that does allow us a better connection although the Marina's WIFI doesn't seem to work right so we have a hard time keeping a connection. The same has been experianced by some of the other boaters holed up here.
Although it has been nice to relax here, we are all ready to move on to warmer and dryer places!
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11/10/2009, Morehead City, NC
Isobel passed out, waiting for the next passage.
At the Beaufort Docks, the day was spend completing little projects such as the fuel filters change, checking the Trisail for how it would sheet. Pumping out the waste tank and filling the water, buying gas and testing the dingy engine (it runs!)
Then we talked with all the people around the marina about the impending storm (Winds to 45 and offshore seas to 20'!) Where to go and how to anchor. Finally we ran into an Irish couple who were on a Hallberg Rassy. They were headed to Morehead city because it was protected, less expensive than Beaufort and they provided slips with piers to tie to. Pete and I created a spider web of lines around the boat so it will be clear of the floating docks. (Lara had purchased 110' of 5/8" line that I cut into 3 lengths and spliced big loops to make more dock lines).
Then, inside the boat the discussion turned to the concept of Complete. Like a job complete. And then we went on to discuss Myths (Pete having a memory full of good Greek and Scandinavian myths) Isobel drummed on the floor with the measuring spoons and bill nodded off...
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11/08/2009, Beaufort, NC
Here is sunrise from sunrise. The clouds are at the Gulf Stream. We were there...
Best laid plans... We had a great weather window and motor sailed to the edge of the gulf stream. Excitement was high, some nerves were running, and everything seemed to be perfect... Then the engine started to sputter... a quick check found sediment in the fuel filter, lots of it... indicating a bad load of fuel that we had taken on in Oriental NC. After a few minutes of discussion, we aborted the passage with some disappointment.
We did get to see another beautiful sunset and a bunch of dolphins playing around the boat. That was magical.
Being 35 miles off shore, we could not make it back to Beaufort by dark, so we sailed slowly back to the channel marker, arriving about 2 am. We then Hove-to (Which is a way of parking the boat in the middle of the ocean) until 5:30... as the sun came up we motored slowly into Beaufort. The day was spent tracking down someone to "polish" our fuel and clean our tanks... unfortunately, not something we are set up to do (easily) ourselves. We inflated the dingy, mounted the engine, added oil, rowed to town and buy a gas can... rowed back to the boat as the sun was setting.
We will review the weather tomorrow and weigh all of our options...
Here is video of us leaving Oriental (after taking on bad fuel!) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uN4a4bt-G8Q
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11/06/2009, Oriental NC
Pete goes up the mast to check the rigging and remove the Wireless wind instruments ( we are trying to track down something that is interfering with our Single Sideband Radio.)
We are expecting a freeze here as the high pressure slides over us. That same high will provide us with a good start to cross the Gulf Stream tomorrow night and Sunday. We are all excited and a little nervous! Fuel is topped off with extra jugs filled in the stern lazerette. Water is filled to the brim with extra jugs.
We have storm sails all set to go if we need them. Secondary anchor is stowed with it's chain the sail locker. Fridge is filled... now we just continue to watch the weather...
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11/05/2009, Oriental NC
Arrival at Oriental NC
We had a wonderful day sail 52 miles from bird islands to Oriental NC. Mostly under sail doing as much as 7.5 knots which is theoretical hull speed for Sunrise.
The morning started with the retrieval of the two anchors we had put out the night before... one to the north and one to the south, since the wind was forecast to and did clock 360 degrees overnight. We devised a strategy for undoing the one wrap and retrieved both anchors with only a few minor " learning experiences". Then we sailed 52 miles across Pamlico Sound, often out of site of land, but never in more than 20 feet of water!
Tomorrow we start with the final preparations for our crossing to the Virgin Islands.
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and that you made a later port of call at Oriental.
i hope you got my other email.
best j&h
I realize that I did not give Pete a suitable introduction. He is from Dorset also. He grew up sailing with his family, including a year they spent doing an Atlantic circle: sailing to the Azores, Portugal, Canaries, across 21 days to the Caribbean. He has helped deliver several Swans from the NE to Florida. He own's "Sea Pod" which he has been working on in preparation to solo sail.
When we were in Portland ME, taking the offshore medical course, Pete and his brother were there also. After a dinner out and some other discussions we felt he would make a good addition to the boat. We were right. Smart, thoughtful and quick to act. Willing to do anything on board. He also generates some good conversation being a philosopher.
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11/04/2009, Off Hatteras
Bill and Pete in the Old House Chanel near Oregon Inlet, NC.
After a full day of sailing we are anchored off Hatteras NC in what seems like the middle of nowhere! We had to divert to here because the weather forecast changed roe tonight's wind. We had planned on a nice little anchorage near long Shoal... and then they forceasted a wind shift to the south, then southwest wind. So we found this little string of islands called the Bird Islands, just north of Hatteras inlet. The islands didn't even show up on the radar... We had a great sunset and now we can see the lights of Hatteras of to the east. Beyond we can see the clouds forming over the Gulf Steam as the cool north winds hit the warm waters. Tonight is not the night for a crossing! We heard that Saturday might have west or south or light and variable winds... which would be good for a crossing.
Today we sailed with the Spinnaker a lot and worked Pete on the deck so he could get familiar with the foredeck. And then we put him on the anchor when we deployed two of them in our current position. Why two? One for the current North wind and one for the south wind. In both cases, the second anchor with also back up primary should it drag.
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11/03/2009, Manteo, NC
Note the boat in the background.
We had a short day motoring and sailing to Manteo, NC. We were not sure we could make it through the Roanoke Chanel to travel south of Manteo until we spoke to "Tamure". This couple had been out several times including once for 5 years when there kids were small. And they had been up and down the East Coast many times. They called there friend in Manteo to get some local knowledge and "Comraderie" gave us the green light.
The green light gave us all a chance for a shower or bath, a walk around the village and a Tex-mex dinner out on shore.
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love love love
11/02/2009, Conjack bay, NC
The interstate of the boating world.
We got up at 0530 so we could beat the rush hour traffic... Rush hour? What are you talking about... During the rush hour, they don't open the draw bridges... so we wanted to get south of the Norfolk traffic... and we got to the southern most Norfolk bridge at 0635... and watched them close the bridge... until 8:30. Ah well, we got to circle around as the other boats arrived. Quite an assortment. Big motor boats, elegant sailboats, Rugged looking offshore boats, spacious trawlers... all circling like wagons on the prairie. Then as 0830 approached, they all started to jockey for position like Race boats at the starting line... and in the middle of the mix was a tug boat with a huge barge of sand.
The bridge opened and the melee started... each boat jockeying for position to squeeze through the tiny opening, with the barge pushing like some big spatula squeezing the last stragglers ahead of it. As we moved further south, the boats spread out according to speed. The four sailboats in a line traveling at about 6.5 knots. As we got clear of the bridges, things calmed down and the helm could think more about where we were in the channel more than where we were in relation to other boats and trying to understand what they were doing.
We did end up being passed by Andrew III, who is owned by the parents of one of our friends from Dorset. There are also a couple Valiant 40s here including "Tamere" who stopped by to chat with us about kids on boats.
Pete Mithoefer joined us in Portsmouth... flying in to help us with the crossing. More on him later.
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