fog, friends and waiting out the weather

 

In Stonington for an iced tea (and WiFi)    Wind filling in and heading west.

the first few days

Excellent sailing so far. Launched Monday evening (after finding a trailer tire flat at 4 am leaving a hotel outside of Boston) and spent the night at a mooring at the boatyard.  Sailed Mt. Desert Narrows the next day, then over to Swans Island.  A weather day there, wind rain and fog, in tiny Toothachers Cove.  Yesterday sailed to Southwest Harbor (tacking along the way at Sunken Money Ledge…the story of my life).   Having iced tea and a bagel this morning before heading to Frenchmen Bay. 

 

Maine tracking URL

 I believe I have a decent weather window for the drive to Maine.  I don't like trailering and rigging in the rain, so will head up a day or two earlier than expected.  Here is the link for the SPOT track, or copy and paste the link below.

https://maps.findmespot.com/s/9RWG/3B#history/assets

a cheat sheet

 I made up this little cheat sheet this morning to tuck into my logbook for Maine cruise.  I've done the same in the past, particularly with the sounds South Carolina and Georgia, sjust o that I can wrap my head around the local geography.

These are the larger rivers between Casco Bay to the west and Penobscot Bay to the east.  On last year's cruise I did sail on the Sheepscot River.  I anchored one night just around the corner from the Kennebec River, and I also spent a night just below the mouth of the New Meadows River.  On this trip I hope to spend a little more time exploring the rivers.  It will be interesting to see what the tides are like.  The scenery, I suspect, will be beautiful.

packing

Very hot and humid here these days so spent yesterday inside packing for the Maine cruise.  Above, the sleeping gear.

Those are breakfast and lunches.  In the grey tubs are 16 gallon bags, each with breakfast/lunches for one day.  Below that are two one gallons bags, each with canned tuna, RxBars, meat sticks and bags to build six daily breakfast/lunch kits.  So all together, 28 days worth of breakfast and lunch.

 Above are 30 freeze dried dinners.  I won't take all of those, will leave a few behind.  I'll end of with breakfast, lunch and dinners for 28 days.  I won't consume all of those as there will be some meals on shore along the way.

hitchhiking, handsome and five perfect sails

The all-knowing internet confirmed that the crab and the jellyfish I saw on Cedar Creek have a symbiotic relationship.  More precisely, they are demonstrating commensalism.  This is where one organism receives a benefit and the other organism receives neither benefit nor harm.  The crab gets a free ride at no cost to the jellyfish.  Seems like a good deal.

--------------------

 

While tied up in Beaufort on this past trip, a man passing by on the boardwalk said "That is a handsome boat!"  Handsome, yes, I like that.

--------------------

I ended the Spring trip a few days early.  Weather apps showed there was a lot of moisture over the mid-Atlantic coast which means humidity, rain and thunderstorms.  Coming back to the dock at Potters Marine was the right thing to do, there were a lot of storms the next five days.  I don't mind sailling in rain, but thunderstorms can be dangerous.  

Even though the cruise was a bit shorter than planned, I look back now and realize that I enjoyed five days of almost perfect sailing.  Here they are...

Day One, North Creek to Juniper Bay

Rigging SPARTINA at Potters Marine I was protected from the wind and had no idea how much it was blowing out on the Pamlico River.  Good solid south wind on the beam.  11:25 tucked in a reef and spent the rest of the day sailing east, first across the mouth of the Pungo River and then skirting the marshes and islands near Swan Quarter. A lot of sailing at 5+ kts and the gps touching 7 kts in a gust.  Turned downwind into Juniper Bay and was greeted by a flock of ibis.  

Day Three, Juniper Bay to Ocracoke

It was unusual north wind sail to Ocracoke.  I believe I have almost always done it with a southwest wind.  But this was fine.  Making between 4.5 and 5.5 knots, a bit rolly in the cool wind and waves coming down the Sound.  Just as the tree-line to the stern disappears the first towers on Ocracoke become visible off the bow.  Made the crossing easily, had to work around a ferry into Big Foot Slough and then a couple tacks into Silver Lake.  Ideal small boat sailing.

Day Nine, Beaufort to Cape Lookout Bight

A lovely sail from the Beaufort waterfront past Pivers and Radio Islands to Beaufort Inlet.  An unusual west-northwest wind on the stern once out of the inlet, tacking downwind to the Bight.  White sand and blue water,  Cape Lookout Bight is a special place.

Day Eleven - Shackleford Banks to Beaufort

The shortest sail of the cruise and the lightest wind.  And I loved every minute of it.  Sailing at less than a knot, against the tide into the wind, and the sails with the orange morning tint.  (I suspect I enjoy light wind sailing more than anyone I know.)  Then through the shoals back into Beaufort, a favorite town.

Day Thirteen, Oriental to Mouse Harbor

A day with much better wind than I expected.  A south wind, blue skies, sailing north from Oriental past Piney Point, the Bay River, Jones Bay, Middle Bay, Big and Little Porpoise Bays and then into Mouse Harbor.  I've been sailing that stretch of water for almost 20 years, and each point, bay and river along the way brought back memories.

So it was an excellent cruise.  Starting to pack now for Maine.

day seventeen - back to the ramp

Dawn comes grey and thick with humidity.  I check the weather forecast on my apps.  A lot of moisture over the mid-Atlantic for the next five days. That means days and days of thunderstorms and showers. I decide to head back to the dock.

Sail off anchor past the unmanned ketch KISMET at 6:50.  My goal is to get back to the ramp and haul out before any rain.  Several tacks to work my way out of Durham Creek.  On the Pamlico River at 7:45 with a nice long tack east.  Making 4.2 under the low overcast.

8:45 Indian Island to the southeast, 3.3 kts and a haze covers the river.  9:50 tacking towards North Creek.  The wind shifts and falls off, motor sail the last stretch towards the creek.  10:25 in North Creek.  10:55 docked at the marina.  The trip is done.

13.41 NM

 

day sixteen - a hard rain is gonna fall

Wake to a morning thick with humidity.  Check the weather apps.  Thunderstorms rolling across the Pamlico River beginning late morning.  I don't mind sailing in the rain, but thunderstorms are another story.  Not going anywhere today.

Check the weather one more time, maybe see if I can make it to Washington.  The forecasts show me getting caught out on the river.

Hot breakfast and tea.  A morning nap, then the first storm arrives with a driving rain.

Moisture all around the mid-Atlantic.  More afternoon thunderstorms.  I read, relax, nap.

 

day fifteen - down the Pungo, up the Pamlico

A rally night on SPARTINA.  Wind, waves and tide from different directions.  Sail off anchor at 7:15.

Light southwest wind and blue skies.  2.3 on the Pantego River.  7:30 through the wooden breakwater and on the Pungo River.  Pleasantly surprised by the nice wind.  7:55 making 4.7 and then 5.2 in a long steady gust.  

8:10 passing Woodstock Point.  9:50 tacking near Wade Point where the river opens up onto the Pamlico River.  10:45 struggling to get out of the Pungo, maybe it is the tide.  11:10 past Wade Point, finally on the Pamlico, 3.0.

11:30 tacking upriver, 3.2.  12:15 wind falls off, motor sailing.  1:30 wind returns, 4.1.  

A tug with a barge coming down the river, plenty of room and stay well outside the marked channel.

Wind comes and goes, getting hot.  A few clouds move in and glad to be out of the sun for a while.

3:00 tacking to the entrance of Durham Creek, a narrow cut that it hard to see with all the trees along the shoreline.  Finally pick out the red channel market, then a quick tack to port and in the creek.

A few more tacks and then anchor near the ketch KISMET out of Lewes, Delaware.  No one aboard, seems like the ketch has seen better days.  3:45 anchor down, boom tent up for some shade.

 30.9 NM

day fourteen - north to Belhaven

In the middle of the night, the hum of mosquitoes.  Reach up on top of the centerboard trunk, find the Thermacell bug repeller.  Click the starter button a couple of times, wait til I see the glow of a flame the size of a pinhead, the quiet hiss of the repeller.  Soon mosquitoes are gone.  Back to sleep.

Wake to the calmest of mornings, the sounds of birds in the marsh.  Look over the side to see jellyfish below, one hosting a small crab for a ride.

Sail off anchor at 7:00 with just the hint of a breeze out of the south.  A slow pleasant slow drift, less than a knot, just off the marsh.  A favorite kind of morning.

 

7:30 out on the open water of Southward Bay, 1.9.  8:10 across Mouse Harbor, making 3.4 rounding Pamlico Point.

8:25 on the Pamlico River, 4.1 with wind aft of port beam.  9:10 less wind, 1.8.

9:35 cross the sailing track from two weeks earlier, and just north of that enter the Pungo River.  Making 2.0.  

10:40 sailing at 0.8 with Persimmon Point just ahead.  Motor sailing.  11:05 under power, sails still up but they are of no help in the windless heat.

11:40 some wind, sailing at 2.5 wing and wing.  12:10 3.4.  1:00 jibe to the wooden breakwater.  1:35 slip through the breakwater and onto the Pantego River.  1:40 sails down.  2:00 tied up at the public docks on Wynne's Gut in Belhaven.  

Paying for my slip at the marina, I realize it is Monday.  The little town is mostly closed down.  Two nice restaurants, a steak place and Spoon River, both closed.  The brewery, closed.  I get an iced at Farm Boys,  a burger stand, and sit in the shade at the marina porch.  Bad timing for a visit to Belhaven.  It is hot, I'm tired.  Early dinner at Fish Hooks.  A salad. Still hungry so I order a second salad.  Back to SPARTINA.  Cast off.  Anchor out on there river.  Set up the boom tent and relax in the shake.

 18.24 NM