a harbor filled with masts.

With thirty-some tall ships in the harbor for Sailfest250, one can expect to find more than a few masts, figureheads, boats, portholes and anchors.  Spent the morning in light air sailing from ship to ship, it was a treat.

 

tall ships

Out sailing with the tall ships today in the Sail250 Parade of Sail on the Elizabeth River.  Top photo by friend and former colleague Stephen Katz, Blue Angel photo by the Pilgrim.  A great time on the water!

 

gone sailing with the tall ships

Just back from a week-long sail on the SCHOONER VIRGINIA.  Along with the PRIDE OF BALTIMORE II and the OOSTERSCHELDE, a three-masted topsail schooner from the Netherlands, we went up the windy James River to Richmond for a nice tall ship festival.  There were a lot of tall ship festivals going on this past weekend on Chesapeake Bay as dozens of ships from around the world are gathering for SAIL250 this weekend in Norfolk.  

A different kind of sailing for me, a communal experience versus my usual solo small boat sailing.  Five-hundred pound anchors, thousands of feet of canvas, the scale of the ships can be intimidating.  Sleeping in a bunk (more spacious than the bunk on SPARTINA), anchor watches in the middle of the night, shouts from the captain saying "hands to the main!"  I confess it was hot and humid, it IS that time of year.  But a great experience with a lot of good friends.

I hope to sneak out on SPARTINA this weekend to sail with the tall ships.  

 

a shelf cloud

A shelf cloud rolls in over Pride of Baltimore II and the Schooner Virginia at the Richmond (Va) SailFest. 
 

an anniversary

 Sometime in the next week, I'm not sure of the precise day, it will be twenty years since SPARTINA was launched for the first time.  For a plywood boat built in a garage by an amateur, she seems to have held up very well.

How many miles sailed?  How many beautiful days with a crisp breeze?  How many storms along the way?  I can't even begin to count.

The surprise to me is the number of people I have met along the way, the friends I have made.  I am thankful for that.

Thank you, John Welsford, for a boat that has brought me a lot of joy.

The painting above is by artist Sarah Baskin.  She painted it on the waterfront in Oriental on the most recent cruise.

day five - windless

A booming voice calls out "Good morning, boys!"  My wake-up call as the ferry workers arrive before dawn.  Tuck away the sleeping gear and bring down the boom tent.  A windless morning, calm, light overcast.  Push away from the dock 6:25.

Motor out of Silver Lake following the channel that heads briefly south and then east.  6:40 decide to take the Nine Foot Shoal Channel, turn to the southwest.  

6:55 green "5" shows are are motoring against the tide as we run alongside a string of orange and blue crab pot floats.  Glassy calm water.

7:45 turn to port, leaving the channel to cross the shallows of Royal Shoal.  The sun begins to break through the overcast.

8:10 crossing the shoal, Portsmouth Island in the distance to the east and the Cedar Island ferry headed should to the west.  Thin overcast and the slightest hint of a breeze out of the southeast, not enough to help.  Stop to refuel the outboard.  

8:55 at marker "WR7" turn to West Bay.  9:10 the tree line of Cedar Island shows on the horizon to the south.  10:10 can see the entrance to West Bay in the distance.  10:25 no wind at all.  

10:35 see white dunes below the tree line on Cedar Island, houses along the beach and a ferry coming out of the docks.  

11:25 can see the channel markers to West Bay.  Jelly fish and cownose rays in the clear water.  12:10 entering West Bay and feel the caress of a breeze.  Sails up, making 2.1.  Suddenly hot and sunny.  Wind falters, motor sailing.  1:25 wind fills in from the east, sailing against.  The entrance to Old Canal in sight.  A few dark clouds and with the clouds comes more wind.  2.6, then 3.4, then 5.4.  Feels good.  

2:20 the wind carries us into the canal.  2:35 out of the west end of the canal, turn to port on Turnagain Bay.  

Anchor down 2:50.

31.37 NM

Late at night, jolted awake by a noise and the boat shuddering.  I listen, wondering, worrying what it could have been.  Hear large fish jumping in the bay.  Decide it was probably a good sized fish that hit the side of SPARTINA.  Go back to sleep.
 

day four - rainy morning on Ocracoke

Morning comes with a walk down British Cemetery Road to Back Road on the way to Ocracoke Coffee Company.  Iced tea and a mango/rasperry muffin on the porch as a sprinkling rain comes and goes.

Back to the National Park docks on Silver Lake before the rain arrive.  I sit under the shelter and the heavy rain gets blown by a strong south wind into the open back of my boom tent.  I know immediately that I have made a mistake by not tucking the sleeping gear away.  

Rain and wind persist.  I sit under the shelter as far away from the horizontal rain as I can, trying to stay dry.  A car ferry is loading next the shelter.  Once the ferry leaves, the poor guy directing traffic onto the ferry - now soaked to the bone - comes over and sits in the shelter with me.  

The rain ends just before noon.  I get my sleeping gear from the boat and spread it out to dry.  Fortunately enough wind remains so that the sleeping bag, bivy and inflatable pad dry out quickly.

An afternoon shuttle takes me to the Variety Store where I pick up a few supplies.  Then an afternoon walk around the village.

 

day three - the crossing

6:15 sails up with the rising sun.  Cool north wind.  Wearing the drysuit, adding a wool sweater at the last minute.  Single reef tucked in.  Making 3.0 down Juniper Bay.

6:25 jibe at red "4."  See a small flock of five ibises headed to a marsh, the a flock of a dozen or more.  6:335 shake out the reef, full sail and 3.8 on the gps.

7:55 see white stakes near the marsh ahead, check the chart and jibe around the shallows.  Check Navionics to see it is 17 NM across Pamlico Sound to Ocracoke.  I prefer a southwest wind for this crossing but the north wind will do.  Sailing at 3.8.

7:50 making 4.8 as we slip away for the marshy shore, compass shows ESE.  Wind and swell on the port quarter.  Sliding down a swell gps shows 6.0.  8:00 see a shape on the horizon.  Watch it for a few minutes, confirm it is a car ferry out of Swan Quarter headed to Ocracoke.  8:20 less wind, 3.6 to 4.0.  8:45 see another ferry well to the southeast, probably another ferry, this one out of Cedar Island.

8:50 making 5.4 to the southeast, tree line to the stern disappears, nothing but water all around.  9:00 pick out a shape off the bow, recognize it as the water town on Ocracoke.  Green water, blue sky, great sailing.  App shows 9 NM to the island.  Making 5.3 to 6.2 depending on the swell.  9:20 the lighthouse shows on the horizon ahead.  

9:50 see crab pot floats, must be sailing over the shallows of Bluff Shoal.  Making 4.5 with swells aft of beam.  10:10 markers for Big Foot Slough Channel and Howards Reef visible.  Getting warm so slip off the dry suit and sweater.  

Have come in a little lower than expected.  Harden up the sheets and point higher towards the channel entrance.  A car ferry is coming out of the channel while a passenger ferry out of Hatteras Island waits to enter.  Spill a bit of wind to slow down and see which way the ferries are headed.  The larger car ferry leaves the channel and heads to our port, the passenger ferry enters the channel well ahead of me.  10:55 plenty of room as we enter the channel, making 5.2.

Easy run south on the channel, no more ferries, just a couple of local boats.  Follow the path to red and green marker "SL," jibe to port and just one tack to line up for the narrow entrance into Silver Lake, the island's harbor.

Slip into the Silver Lake, known to locals and "the ditch" and do a lap around the sailboats anchored there.  Pass by the old lighthouse, turn towards the fishing docks. 

11:30 ails down and tied up at the park service docks.  $33 for a night at the dinghy dock.

Lunch at Dajio, then the wind is so good head out for an afternoon "day sail" in Silver Lake.  The wind has swung to the southwest, gentle sailing tacking back and forth on the harbor.

A blood-orange beer in the evening at SmacNally's.

 22.58 NM