Charleston South Carolina

Left Elizabeth City on a sunny, cold morning, but perfect winds to cross the Albemarle Sound.  Sailing down the Pasquatank River we passed an airstrip and hanger for Zeppelins!  Didn't see any flying though!

Sunrise on the Pasquatank

After we crossed the Albemarle Sound, we entered the Alligator River.....no Alligators spotted!  We sailed down the river until we found an anchorage just north of our next canal, where we shared the anchorage area with 14 other boats!!

Spent a quiet night at anchor, and the following morning headed in to the Alligator River-Pungo River Canal.  This canal, although wider than the Dismal Swamp Canal, is much more 'dismal'....lots of Cypress trees and marsh grass!

Once out of the canal, we continued down the Pungo River, past the town of Belhaven and on to Slade Creek, where we found another quiet anchorage for the night.....this time only two other boats!!!  We arrived nice and early; about 2:30 in the afternoon, so I made some banana muffins and got some knitting done in the cockpit while enjoying the late afternoon sun!  That night the wind picked up, so we were up for about an hour, laying out more anchor and tying aside halyards and jacklines that were whistling or flapping in the wind, so the early evening quiet of the anchorage was really appreciated!

Sunset on Slade Creek

The following morning it was still blowing, and by the time we were back in to the Pungo River, it was probably blowing 15-20 knots, but behind us, so with a reef in the main we were doing well!  The wind blew us across the Pimlico River and then in to the relatively protected waters of Goose Creek and the canal leading to the Bay River.

Once in the Bay River, the water opened up again and we were able to sail down the Bay River and in to the Neuse River, which eventually lead us to the town of Oriental.  Gale force winds and small craft warnings were out for the next couple of days, so we planned to stay put at the Oriental Marina for a couple of days.

Oriental is a town that is famous for the fact that the number of sailboats outnumber the people 3:1!!  It is a very quiet little town with only a couple of small shops and a small grocery store and an amazing marine consignment store!!  Spent a fun afternoon wandering through the most organized consignment store I have ever been in!  There was also a great marine store close to the marina which everything you could need plus it loaned out free bicycles!  So once again, we were able to borrow a bike and trailer so George could check our propane tank and refill if necessary and I took advantage of the time and wandered through the neighbourhood, enjoying the waterfront and homes in the area!  We also stopped in to the local coffee shop, called The Bean, and enjoyed a coffee and bagel and chatted with one of the locals, Rolf Anselm, a retired tug skipper who winters here and does lovely pencil and charcoal sketches of the harbourfront, so we chased down his work at one of the stores and bought a couple for souvenirs.

At rest in Oriental Marina

Our last night we decided to treat ourselves to the local restaurant, called M & M's (no relation to the frozen food variety!!) and tried some 'local' fare.  George had fried oysters (fresh that day!) and I had the Cajun grill.....tuna steak, shrimp, Andouille sausage, black beans, rice and coleslaw, and for dessert....key lime pie!!  Our waiter also brought us a special 'order'....we had wondered what a 'hush puppy' was and he couldn't believe we had never heard of them, so he brought one to the table for us to try!  It is essentially fried cornmeal balls, so a little sweet.  He served them with butter, but it is optional!   Anyway, they were quite good, but we continue to amaze people here that we had never had them before!!  Next southern food we need to try is okra, but I have to admit, I am not too anxious for it!  The other thing we are seeing on the menus now is Shrimp and Grits.  Shrimp, good, grits, hmmm.  Will keep you posted on how we do!!

In Oriental, we are about five hours away from Beaufort (pronounced 'Bo'fort) and Morehead City, North Carolina.  This is one of the harbours where we can safely enter the ocean if we want and get off the ICW for a  while.  We have checked our weather, and it looks like light winds, coming from the north for the next four days, so have decided we will sail our next leg to Charleston, South Carolina, which is the next safe harbour we can get on or off the ocean.  This is a distance of about 220 offshore miles and will take us about 56 hours.

So, Thursday, November 14, at 0645 we left Oriental and not a moment too soon.....FROST ON THE SAILS!!!!!  Eee gads!  We need to get moving!  After crossing the Neuse River, we entered the lovely Adams Creek which took us all the way to Beaufort and Morehead City.  As we neared Morehead City we saw four deer trying to swim across the river, and then we started to see dolphins again.

Adam's Creek

Deer Crossing!

We entered the North Atlantic about noon under sunny skies and 10 knot winds from the north...perfect!!  We had a wonderful sail under sunny skies all day, with lots of dolphins joining us along the way!  By evening, the wind had died down and we had to start the engine, and by nightfall, the water was milky calm, under a starry, starry sky and full moon!!!  Finally, a relaxing night sail!!!  We had snacks in the cockpit before dinner and I made a potatoe peanut soup for supper, while 'Auto' manned the tiller!

The next morning, we rounded the Frying Pan Shoals, extending some 20 miles off Cape Fear.  Continuing in a direct line toward Charleston, you end up about 40 miles out at the widest point due to the coastline curving in.  The sea was getting pretty sloppy.....waves coming from a couple of different directions, and swell, plus the wind was starting to pick up again.  While we were eating breakfast, we passed a sea turtle, flopping about in the waves!!!  Initially we were concerned it was injured, but as we circled around to check it, he decided we were getting too close for comfort, poked his head up to have a good look at us, and dived under the water!  Unfortunately, the seas were too rough for a photo.  In fact the seas continued to pick up, as did the wind, so by mid-day we had two reefs in the main.  Once again, we have been let down by the weather man!!!  So much for the four day light wind forecast!  Oh well...Wyvern handles the waves very well, actually, its the crew who get thrown around mercilessly!!  At it's worst, we had 20-25 knots of wind with 10 foot swells and waves.  After about two hours, the sea started to die down as did the wind, however we could see storm clouds on the horizon and our weather system was showing rain moving up the coast.  You've heard of storm-chasers?  Well, we became storm-dodgers!!!  We were trying to head inland as the night approached, but we had to 'run the gaunlet' of storm systems.  So with the help of the weather GPS which can show real-time rain via radar/satellite, we found a small gap between systems and snuck through with only a few sprinkles reaching the intrepid crew!!!

Sunrise on the North Atlantic

Finally, just after sun-up, the seas died down to a gentle swell with only about 10 knots of wind and Charleston, South Carolina was on the horizon!!!  Coming in to the Charleston Harbour, we admired the Arthur Ravenel, Jr. Bridge, North America's longest cable-stayed bridge, spanning the Cooper River ahead of us, and to our left, Fort Sumter.  When South Carolina seceded from the Union, Union troops still held the fort.  When they refused to leave, on April 12, 1861 the South Carolina Confederate troops fired on the fort, resulting in the surrender of the Union troops.  This marked the beginning of the Civil War.  The South held the fort for the duration of the Civil War until it was finally evacuated in 1865.

Fort Sumter

Arthur J Ravenel Bridge

We carried on past the peninsula where the old city of Charleston sits and made for John's Island where we docked at the John's Island Yacht Harbour.  This was a wonderful marina, with really nice washrooms and a great laundry room!!  The dockmaster and his assistant were great young men!!  Very helpful and friendly.  We decided to take a cab in to Charleston so we could see the sights at our leisure.  There was a courtesy car available, but only for two hour windows, so not long enough to linger in the city!!  Once downtown, we caught one of the numerous free trolleys that follow four different routes throughout the downtown and got off at South Battery.  This is a residential neighbourhood that holds the original  houses that made up the colonial city of Charleston.  Wandering through the streets and admiring the signature antebellum mansions with their piazzas, pocket gardens, gas lanterns, and hitching posts, we were reminded of downtown Kingston, only on steroids, maybe!!!  It really was lovely wandering under the amazing live oaks that line the streets and fill the gardens!  They are called live oaks because they stay green longer than all the other deciduous trees in the area, so look 'live' longer!  The streets themselves were also interesting.  There were still cobblestone roads, made from the ubiquitous ballast from the ships coming and going out of the port of Charleston, and slate sidewalks!  We wandered through South Battery and in to the French Quarter, admiring a lovely seaside park, and then made our way through the numerous art stores to a lovely little restaurant where we ate under the canopy during a soft rain and enjoyed a local specialty...She Crab soup!  Delicious!!!

After lunch we made our way to the Market District.  Here we strolled through one of America's oldest public markets and tasted dried okra!  Not bad!!  Although I have to admit, its probably like eating potatoe chips and saying you've eaten potatoes......Finally, we made our way back to South Battery where we had met a woman and her daughter who were making the local craft for which the area is famous...woven sweetgrass baskets.  This skill was something the slaves brought with them from Africa and now, 300 years later, the skill is proudly passed on through the generations, starting in childhood. The slaves were stolen from the Sierra Leone and Angola regions of West Africa, and their descendants still have the nickname 'Gullas'.  The Gullas now make the baskets from the sweetgrass, marsh reeds, and palmetto fronds that are abundant here in the low country of South Carolina.  The basket we bought was actually made by the woman's 14 year old son.  These baskets have actually been designated South Carolina's official state handcraft!  Anyway, they are lovely and I am so glad we were able to buy one!

'froggy went a-courtin'!

Daughters of Confederacy Open Air Market

The following day we borrowed the car from the marina and went in to town to do some re-provisioning and look at the famous Angel Oak!  This is an absolutely AMAZING live oak tree that is 400 years old!!  Wandering under it's branches that stretch over the ground for around 50 feet!, one felt a wonderful peace and awe for such a magnificent tree!!  The trunk was 25 feet in diameter and the tree itself was about 65 feet high.  We felt so fortunate that we had docked close enough to such a natural wonder that we had been able to enjoy it!

Finally, on our last day, we borrowed the car again and made our way over the bridge to next door James Island, where we spent an enjoyable morning drinking lattes at a great coffee shop, 'How Art Thou?'.  We were sorry that we would not still be here for the live jazz sessions that they hold weekly on Thursday nights, but it was a great spot to work on my blog and write some letters to family!!!

Tomorrow, we move on through Low Country SC, where we will see lots of marsh country as we wind our way along the myriad little rivers that lead to Beaufort (this one pronounced 'Bewfort') SC, where we hope to enjoy a day or two there exploring!

The Great Dismal Swamp

It's official!  We have now started the next leg of our ever-changing trip!  We have started the ICW!

For those of you who are not familiar, the ICW is the intra-coastal waterway which makes it's way from Norfolk Virginia to Miami Florida.  It is a popular route for boaters heading south, as it allows you to stay inland and off the open ocean if you wish.  As the hurricane season technically lasts to end-November, it provides some safeguard in that respect as well, as many boats work there way south in November.  We have opted for this route for a couple of reasons.  Firstly, we have been enjoying 'gunk-holing' our way down the east coast of North America, absorbing the history and culture of the various regions we have sailed and are looking forward to continuing doing the same. This is hard to do when you are offshore!  Secondly, the Gulf Stream is a powerful flow of water heading north, so you are more likely to use that to your advantage heading home in the spring if you choose to go offshore.  That said, we are planning some offshore passages of 1 to 2 days, weather permitting, as there are some good, large craft inlets along the coast.  If you sail offshore, but reasonably close to the coast, you can avoid the current flowing north.  So, if all the stars line up, we hope to have a mix of inside motoring and outside sailing en route to Florida.

We left the Sunset Creek Boatyard in Hampton at 0700, as planned, waved good-bye to our new friends, Earle, and Bill and Lydia, and headed out to Hampton Roads Harbour.  Our timing was excellent, as the normally busy harbour was very quiet, with only a couple of other 'snowbirds', two fishermen, and a tug sharing the waterways with us!  Passing the huge naval base in Norfolk, we entered Elizabeth River on the south side.  Gradually, traffic increased as we travelled through the city of Norfolk, with more south-bound cruisers, ferries, tug boats, and cranes, all slowly coming to life in the early hours of the morning!

Norfolk Naval Yard

Ooops!

ICW mile marker 0.0

At 9:15 we passed ICW mile marker 0.0, and raised our coffees in a salute!  All was going according to schedule as we approached our first bridge that would have to open for our passage.  The guide book had said it was closed between the hours of 0600 and 0800, but neglected to say that afterwards it only opened on the hour!!  We had decided that we wanted to take the Great Dismal Swamp Canal to Albemarle Sound, as opposed to the 'main' route (the Virginia Cut), and we knew that the next opening for the lock which would put us in the canal was 11:00, so waiting for the 10:00 opening of the bridge was going to make things a little tight!  Oh well, 'c'est la vie'!  We had decided on the Great Dismal Swamp route because, although it is somewhat shallower, with a controlling depth of 6', and a little slower (speed limit of 7 mph), it was also supposed to be prettier, and, as a result of the depth and speed limits, quieter.  Although we have accepted that we are now part of a large crowd of boaters heading south, we had hoped, by choosing the alternate route, to 'take the road less travelled'!  While we were waiting for the bridge to open, we heard on the radio that the lock on the Virginia Cut was broken down, and now ALL boaters heading south were going to have to take the Dismal Swamp route, or wait for possibly two weeks for the repair of the Great Bridge Lock!!  Oh No!!  So much for 'the road less travelled'!!!

As we passed under the Gilmerton Bridge, we all swung right and headed toward the Deep Creek Lock, which would take us to the Dismal Swamp.  We radioed ahead to the lockmaster that there was a whole herd of us approaching, so he waited for us, leaving the lock open until it was full!  Three abreast, and four deep!  All things considered, everyone was in good humour as we rafted up to each other for the 9' ride up to the canal height.  All this traffic made for a late lock-through, so three of us decided to take advantage of the free dock immediately past the lock and before the next bridge, and stay the night, hoping to wait out the crowds. (At that point, we still didn't know how long the Great Bridge Lock would be down).  As the day progressed, more boats came through the canal, and by evening, four more boats had pulled up for the night.  One of the boats was a couple from Napanee!!!!  We've travelled thousands of miles, only to tie up beside someone who lives 30 minutes from us!!  They are a very nice couple who had come down through the Erie Canal and were also heading for the Bahamas.  We took advantage of our early stop and went for a walk on the trail of a park right beside the dock.  The fall colours are in full swing here, so it was pretty in the woods, and nice to anticipate a pretty drive down the canal tomorrow!  We learned of some of the new flora on our walk, trying to spot water elm, sassafras, loblolly pine, american holly, and fraser magnolia!  There was also a very old and neglected gravesite surrounded by a decrepit iron fence.  It looked like a family plot, but the stones were almost all broken and worn down by time.

locking through at Deep Creek...the start of the Dismal Swamp

dock at Deep Creek lock

park at Deep Creek lock

Loblolly Pine

Fraser Magnolia

The next morning dawned sunny and we all enjoyed our coffees, chatting to each other from our boats and on the dock, waiting for the boats in the 0830 lock to come out so we could join them as they progressed to the bascule bridge.  We were now 12 boats travelling the canal together, and as we headed under the bridge, I felt like a bunch of ducklings, following the mother duck down the canal!!  It continued sunny all morning as we motored our way through the dark, tea-coloured water.  There are so many trees and logs in the water and lining the shore, that the water has been stained from all the tannin.  The canal is beautiful, and not 'dismal' at all!  In fact, the name comes from the old term for a swamp, which is a 'dismal'.  As we travelled along the canal, fall leaves drifted down from the trees surrounding us, landing in the water and on the boat.  It really was a lovely ride!  The lockmaster had advised us to travel at about 5 knots and we would make the second lock in time for the 1:30 opening.  In fact, we arrived at the South Mills bridge and lock at about 12:30, but here again, the lockmaster was accommodating, and opened the bridge early, allowing us all to pass under and enter in to the lock early!  As a result, by 1:40, we were out of the canal and on the winding Pasquotank River.  We were also now in North Carolina, having passed the state line just before the Visitor Centre on the canal.

waiting for the Deep Creek bridge to open

Pictures of the Dismal Swamp Canal
 

NOW we felt like we were in a swamp!!  Still lots of trees growing out of the water, but a large number of them appeared to be dead.  It was also clouding over, which added to the whole 'dismal' quality about it!!  There were a few possible anchorages on the river, but we had decided to try to make Elizabeth City, as the weather was going to make a turn for the worse, and we felt we would rather be 'stuck' in Elizabeth City than in an 'iffy' anchorage on the river!  Elizabeth City if well-known for it's friendly reception to boaters travelling through.  We felt this town deserved some time and exploration!

Upper Pasquotank River photos

We missed the 4:00 opening of the bridge at the town, and were a bit concerned, as the bridge was supposed to be closed until 6:00, when it would be well and truly dark and hard to find a dock!  Once again, the bridgemaster accommodated us by opening the bridge at 4:30 and again at 5:30 for the stragglers!

Tying up was our final adventure of the day!  Fortunately for us, a wonderful gentleman stopped to take our bow lines while George and I tried to 'lasso' the posts at the stern of the boat with our stern lines!!  Essentially we had to tie the boat in between four posts, bow in to the town dock....two bow lines on the two forward posts, and two stern lines on the two stern posts!  After successfully 'catching' our final stern post and securing the boat, our 'mystery helper' went on his way, and we realized that '16' was not the number of the slip, but the width of the slip, so a little wide for us!  Next time we will aim for the slip with '13' on it!!  We went for a quick walk, but decided things looked like they were shutting down, so headed back to the boat for supper and an early night!  The next day we woke to rain, so spent the morning reading and writing on the boat and enjoyed a 'leisurely' breakfast and a full pot of coffee!  After the rain stopped, we walked up to the town museum which gave the history of the town.  Here again, we are in the heart of 'Civil War' country, with Virginia and North Carolina being among the last group of states to join the Confederates.  This part of the country was comprised mostly of 'subsistance' farmers who essentially grew enough to provide for their family and traded what they had left over for other essentials they couldn't provide for themselves.  As a result, most people here did not have slaves, and in fact a number of blacks that lived here were 'freemen' who had earned their freedom.  The minority of people were the plantation owners that we typically associate with the south, who did have up a large number of slaves.  Their crops were, of course, tobacco and cotton, but there were also flax crops to weave in to linen, corn, rice, peanuts, and sweet potatoes.  Pig farming was also very important here, as a pig could be slaughtered in the winter, the meat salted and dried, and then it would feed the family throughout the winter.  The smokehouse became a very important structure on the farm and was often locked, as it could make the difference between surviving the winter or not!

We also learned about the shad boat.  This was a boat designed locally to ply the many canals and rivers in the area.  It was a shallow draft with sails, and was used to transport goods from place to place.  The canals made a big difference to the people here, as they could bring commerce back and forth between the larger cities and smaller towns without having to confront the forces of the Atlantic!

Shad boat display at the museum

Afterward we wandered in to town, looking for something to eat.  We found a nice little bistro cafe, but otherwise, the town was very quiet, with lots of closed buildings.  There was also an art store, The Arts of Albemarle, that was very nice which highlighted local artists, so we were able to pick up a couple of items!

On our return to the boat we were invited for the famous wine and cheese party sponsored by the town on the dock and roses were handed out to the ladies on the boats!   This is a nod to the famous 'Rose Buddies', two gentlemen who used to greet the boats as they arrived in town with roses for the women! The mayor spoke and welcomed us to the town and pointed out some of the highlights.  The people here really have been very friendly, and you can't beat the price of the dock!!  But the town itself did not impress us too much, as it is really looking a little run-down.  However, that said, they are working hard to improve and are promising bathrooms, showers, and laundromat by next spring!!!

 When we were in the museum, we learned about the James Adams floating theatre that used to ply the waters here, and would come in to town and tie up to the docks that we were sitting on!  The book and then the movie 'Showboat' was based on Edna Ferber's experience riding on the boat for four days one summer!  The town still has a strong theatre community and puts on lots of local productions on the stage above the Arts of Albemarle.  Wandering through the town, we both thought wouldn't it be fun to have the showboat still here!!

Finally, the Visitor's Centre also provides free bicycles, so we took advantage of those on Thursday, as the winds were predicted to be strong and there was a small craft advisory out for the morning.  We will stay here one more day, and then head across the Albemarle Sound on Friday.  Our bike ride took us along the Pasquotank River and past some lovely homes.  Upon our return, I did another quick trip to the grocery store and then we both visited the fabulous book store right across from the Mariner's Wharf park!  Good way to finish the day!!

the Pond House Inn.....beautiful spot!

Chesapeake Bay

SO, after enjoying our visit in beautiful downtown Cape May, we arrived back to the boat, groceries in hand, to find that while we were away, Wyvern had been hit by another boat trying to dock at the marina!!  Fortunately, no 'serious' damage was incurred, in that she remains seaworthy, as her pulpit suffered the brunt of the hit, but she is now permanently pointing to port!!  As a result, we spent an extra day in Cape May to have it looked at but no joy (however, this did allow us to enjoy another one of their wonderful showers!!!...best bathrooms on the Eastern Seaboard by far.....and we haven't even done the whole coast yet!!).

We got away the following morning at daybreak, held our breath as we glided under the 55' bridge with our 53' mast (!!), and entered the Cape May canal, essentially saving ourselves about 2 1/2 hours by not sailing around the Cape.  As we entered the Delaware Bay, the day was dawning cloudy with 10 - 15 knot west winds and the flood current in our favour, so enjoyed a fast sail up the Bay towards the C and D (Chesapeake and Delaware) Canal which links the top of the two bays.  It may have been due, in part, to the cloudy, rainy weather we experienced sailing up the Delaware, but neither of us was really too impressed with the Delaware Bay.  It is a wide, shallow bay with low-lying land to the east and west of it, so not a lot to see.  The only thing we saw, actually, was a nuclear plant just before the C and D canal, which did nothing to change our perception of the Bay!!

The only other thing we really noticed that day were all the other 'snowbirds' sailing and motoring toward the canal with us!!!  We had met a couple in Cape May, and seen a couple of others anchoring in the entrance to the harbour, but today we saw probably 10 to 15 other boats, all going the same direction we were!!!  We had originally planned to stay the night on the canal at Chesapeake City where there was a free dock, but we started to get a little 'gun shy' as a result of all these other boats, most of them traveling faster than us, so decided to stop, instead, at Summit North Marina, about five miles east of Chesapeake City, but still on the canal.  We were concerned about our time, as there were heavy winds and small craft warnings out for the next day on the Chesapeake and there didn't appear to be any marinas or anchorages outside of the canal on the Chesapeake side that would offer the protection we were going to need if we couldn't stop on the canal, so decided discretion was the better part of valour, as we didn't want to risk finding 'no room at the inn' at Chesapeake City!!  As it turned out, Summit North was a huge, but very quiet marina, sitting on the edge of a state park, so a nice place to stop, wash down the boat, and go for a walk in the woods!  There was a 10 mile path that stretched on either side of the marina, and with the cool air, sunny skies, and fall colours it made for a nice walk!

Fall colours and relaxing vultures (!!) at Summit North

The next day didn't really blow the way we expected it to, but the forecast was bumped forward to the following day, so we decided to hang tight yet another night.  Sure enough, the next day was really windy, even on the canal, so we were glad we held on.  However, the following day, the SAME forecast again!....high winds with a small craft advisory 'tomorrow' with lighter winds 'the next three days'....this was now our third day in a row of that forecast where everything kept moving to the right!  So we decided to leave the next day anyway, as the winds were going to be northerlys, which would push us in the right direction anyway!

The next morning, sunny and cold, we set off to finish transiting the canal and headed in to the beautiful Elk River, out toward the Chesapeake Bay.  The winds did not disappoint!  They started out at the predicted 10 - 15 knots, gusting to 25.  The Wyvern likes a strong wind and sails well in it, so we made good time to our planned dockage in Tolchester, on the east side of the top of the Chesapeake.  The winds had picked up to 20 knots by the time we arrived, and the shallow waters of the Chesapeake blow up to steep, short, choppy waves with the wind, so taking down the sails and then entering the breakwater to the harbour was an adventure.  We christened the keel of the Wyvern on the Chespeake mud going through the breakwater entrance, as the troughs between the waves were more shallow than the the six foot 'low water' charted depth.  Fortunately, we just touched, so were able to continue to plow through without actually getting stuck, and then once in the harbour, all was quiet, as far as the water was concerned!  This was our first marina without floating docks, so we brought out the fender boards we had been lugging around since clearing all the locks (and I had been cursing as yet more stuff on the deck I had to work and clean around!!).....and they worked GREAT!  We ended up staying in Tolchester two nights, as the second day was blowing almost 30 knots, so by the time we left after our second night, the fender was pretty beaten up by the dock posts, but the boat was unscathed!!

Here are a few pictures transiting the C and D canal.

We made sure we left Tolchester at high tide, as the winds and waves were high again the morning we left, but not predicted to blow more than 15 knots, and other than getting thoroughly soaked a few times as we headed in to the waves, we made it through without touching the bottom!!  The local sailors are pretty casual about plowing through the mud but this was a bit of a nervous first for us.  By noon, the sun was out, and the wind and waves were down and we were finally enjoying the famous Chesapeake Bay and it's 'protected' waters!  We sailed over to the west coast of the Bay, passing Annapolis,  and headed toward Solomons Island at the head of the Patuxent River (just north of the Potomac).  We nosed our way past a number of other south-bound sailors, and dropped anchor on the Mill Creek in Spring Cove, in time to enjoy a drink and the sunset in splendid isolation in flat calm water!!  It was a lovely little spot!  So quiet.....for the first time in about a week, no wind!!

Submarine and sailboats outside of Annapolis

Spring Cove anchorage

The next day we made a leisurely exit and planned a second anchorage on a second Mill Creek, this one off the Great Wicomoco River.  However, en route, we heard a Pan-Pan (an 'I need help, but not in any immediate danger' call over the radio) involving a boat south of Tangier Island.  Where is that we wondered???  We looked it up, and we were just a few hours away,  it sounded quite inviting as we discovered it was one of the few remaining 'watermen' crab fishing villages on the Chesapeake!  Well, we couldn't resist, so changed plans in mid-stream, as it were, and headed east again, toward Tangier Island.  We arrived at Parks Marina where owner/operator Milton Parks helped us tie up and get our fender boards on (another fixed dock).  Milton is 82 years young and has lived on Tangier Island all his life!  After securing the boat, George and I went for a walk to explore the village and work up an appetite for the famous blue crab of the Chesapeake.  Unfortunately, all the restaurants but one are now closed for the season, and that one was closed the night we were there!!  All the same, we had a lovely walk around the village, where there are virtually no cars....I counted two trucks and a van....and everyone drives electric golf carts and/or bicycles!  The harbour is a working harbour and the watermen of the village harvest blue crab, oysters, and we even spoke to one young man who was getting his traps ready for 'conching' in the southern end of the Chespapeake and just off the Virginian coast.  There was lots of activity in the streets as people made their way home or to the post office; young kids playing football and basketball, or riding their bikes or scooters.  The streets were all about the size of a large path...big enough for two golf carts to pass carefully!, and lined with houses surrounded by picket fences and chain link fences (a pastor of days gone by put in a 'modern' chain link fence and the faithful followers followed faithfully!  Although, the picket fence is enjoying a return in popularity!!)   We passed one building that told the story on a sign outside, of the town's only murder!  Apparently, the town's  deputy sheriff was sitting having his lunch, when someone shot and killed him through the window!  The murderer was never found!  We found that very strange, as this is a small, quiet village on a very small, otherwise uninhabited island.  We continued to walk through the town, and found a second sign outside of a second house.  This one tells the story that this was the home of the town sheriff.  One day, he tried to enforce the town law of 'no loitering' on store fronts or porches on Sunday morning (this was, and still is, a Methodist community).  He shot and injured a young man who stated he was buying ice cream for his sick mother!  The sheriff admitted to shooting the boy and spent a couple of years in prison, then went back to Tangier Island as the deputy sheriff!  Mystery Solved.  No wonder the murderer was never found!!  Anyway, the town was very pleasant while we were there, and everyone waved from their golf carts as they drove by!  If anyone has access to an old National Geographic (1975??) magazine, there is an article about the village which you may find interesting!

Entrance to Tangier Island and Parks Marina, on the right

 

Crab shacks along the entrance.

Crab seats!!

Tangier village street scenes.

Unfortunately, we could only spend the one night there, as the weather was forecast for rain and high winds in two days, and we were two days away from the bottom of the Chesapeake and the entrance to the Elizabeth River and the Intra-Coastal Waterway, so we had to keep moving.

The next day we had light winds behind us all the way to Mobjack Bay on the west coast, where we found an anchorage in the Severn River (not the one Annapolis is on).  It was a lovely, quiet anchorage, and the next morning we headed out for Hampton, Virginia.  Hampton is a town on the Hampton River, on the north side of the Hampton Roads Bay, where Norfolk and the Elizabeth River are on the south side.  This is the juncture of the Chesapeake Bay and the Atlantic, so it is a busy port with lots of maritime history associated with it!  This area played a pivotal role in the Civil War, as Norfolk was controlled by the Confederates, and Hampton was controlled by the Unionists.  There is still a large and impressive fort here, Fort Munroe, dubbed the 'Freedom Fort' by the slaves of the south.  The commander at the time, Major General Benjamin Butler, had declared that three runaway slaves who had sought refuge at the fort from their owners, were 'contraband' for the unionist, taken from the confederates, like any other property, and if they wanted their 'property' back, they would have to join the Union.  The owners refused, and the word quickly spread to the other slaves that they would be allowed to stay at Fort Munroe if they could get there.  Many arrived and served the Union Army in many capacities, from actually signing up as a soldier, to working the land and the sea to provide food to the armies.  Their descendants still live here today.  As for the war itself, many important battles were fought, including the first 'ironclad' naval ship battle, fought in Hampton Roads Harbour.  The Confederates were doing a good job at keeping the Union Army at bay with their ironclad ship, however, Lincoln finally got fed up with the stalemate, and essentially, ordered his men through the 'back door' where he ordered his men to land at Ocean View, where they broke through the confederate ranks and finally took Norfolk, leaving the entire Hampton Roads region under Union control.

These are some views of Fort Munroe and surrounding buildings as one enters Hampton Roads

These are a couple of homes along the Sunset Creek, where we docked.

We had made arrangements for dock space at the Sunset Boating Center at the end of the Sunset Creek, just off the Hampton River.  We were greeted by two friendly staff; Cindy the manager, and Valerie.  This is a working marina, but as you may have gathered by previous stops, we like working marinas!  Often they are more relaxed and they have always been friendly and accommodating and Sunset did not disappoint!  It is situated at the top of a quiet creek that runs alongside a lovely neighbourhood, where we started spotting new varieties of trees...a sure sign we are making our way south!  It is an easy and pleasant walk in to the Old Town of Hampton, and we spent an interesting day at the museum, had a lovely dinner, (Seafood fettuccine for George and crab stuffed shrimp for me!), and then walked back to the boat and enjoyed all the little ghouls and gremlins that were out trick-or-treating!  Also managed to get myself 'spooked' by a zombie who snuck up behind me while I was taking pictures of the great Halloween decorations at his house!!!

crepe myrtle tree

rhododendron tree??

No crabbing allowed George!!!

more crepe myrtles, downtown Hampton

All in all, this has been a good stop to do some final engine checks, change fan belts, re-provision, and start to plan our trip down the ICW!  Meanwhile, we have met an English couple who have been sailing their boat around the Pacific for the last five years,and are now on the Atlantic, heading to the Caribbean and have been sharing some of their stories with us!  Also met a lovely man from Chicago who is in the process of getting his boat ready for he and his wife to sail south in a couple of years.  They have been great company during our stay here.  Wouldn't it be great to see them while we were in the Bahamas, or while plying our Great Lakes 'home' waters!