Day 37-38

from Alligator River to Belhaven, NC

N 35 31.933  W -76 37.568

32 miles, 5 hours


Belhaven celebrated Halloween on Saturday- it's a small town, so they can do things like change the date of Halloween.  Some celebrated with blue crabs, but we weren't invited to that barbecue.  We ate at the diner, with Elvis.

Day 36

from North River to Alligator River, NC
N 35 40.039  W -76 01.804
41 miles, 7 hours

Day 35

from Blackwater Creek, VA to North River, NC
N 36 17.223  W -75 57.858
21 miles, 3.5 hours 

Day 34

from Pocaty River to Blackwater Creek, VA
N 36 35.785  W -76 03.785
5 miles, 1 hour 

We spent the day recovering from the tedium of yesterday- also changing the engine oil and fuel filters, which had some complaints.  To do this we reanchored a few miles south in Blackwater Creek, a spot we liked on the way north.  First a few inflatables filled with hunters went up the creek, in a rainstorm.  Then it cleared up, and a few swamp boats came by- fishing, maybe.  We went swimming (water seemed in the mid 60's) and had lunch.  Lots of wasps arrived.  At sunset, we took a dinghy ride up the creek, past a few duck blinds, then a hunting camp, then a small bridge and a gas station.  A few houses along the water.  Lovely, peaceful spot.

Day 33

From Willoughby Bay to near the Pocaty River, VA
N 36 40.233  W -76 03.810
32 miles, c. 8 hours 


This was the day we didn't go to the Dismal Swamp.  We came close!  Lorenzo was enchanted by the whole idea, and got much positive feedback online from other cruisers.  Lovely in autumn, wild animals and birds- but also a shallow draft and muddy bottom.  Most of these guys are sailors- so not used to hitting bottom in a hunk of steel.  But they got the idea.  Finally, someone just emailed him 'LORENZO-  DON'T GO!'


Instead we spent the day clearing the ton of minor bridges and locks in the first few miles of the ICW.  Each has a unique schedule- some open on the hour, or the half hour, or not during commute hours.  Here we are, waiting at one behind all these lovely sailboats.

Day 32

From Deltaville to Willoughby Bay, VA
N 36 57.981  W -76 18.659
42 miles, 7.5 hours 

Day 30-31

From Patuxent River, MD to Deltaville, VA
N 37 32.536  W -76 19.414
55 miles, 8.5 hours 

Day 29

From Galesville to Patuxent River, MD
N 38 18.000  W -76 27.618
39 miles, 6 hours 

Day 27-28

From St Michaels to Galesville, MD
N 38 50.430  W -76 32.121
24 miles, 3.5 hours 
Lovely small town with a marine hardware store, post office, and not much else.

Day 26

From Annapolis to St Michaels, MD
N 38 47.237  W -76 11.730
25 miles, 5 hours 
Went to the Crab Claw for dinner here at St Michaels, a cutesy little tourist town up a creek, off season, no tourists, great food.

Oysters were loverly

Cheerystones were fab

Steamers were great 

Softshell crab was to die for.
(-in the lobster roll style:  the fried crab is sandwiched between two pieces of Wonder Bread with no garnish whatsoever.  Divine.)

We are slowly working our way down south crossing the Chesapeake back and forth gathering data for Lynn on this new weather station she installed topside.

Day 25

Annapolis:  Jane, Pippa, and Bridget

We finally caught up with Bridget after her second day of racing here.  They race in Annapolis, but take the team back to Baltimore at night so they aren't distracted (by loving family members trying to cook them dinner).  We saw Bridget off, strolled around the town, and had lunch at Greg's favorite deli, which was worth searching for.

Day 22-24

Annapolis

Friday afternoon Lynn Sparling and her husband Joe came out to the boat.  They brought a weather station, so we can measure wind on the Chesapeake for her classes (they love data).  Much fun installing weather station; will need future visits.  Later Pippa and Jane arrived for the weekend.  They discovered a mutual friend- one of Lynn's students- and immediately went on line to send him evidence of the meeting.

Day 21

Annapolis
just looked outside and realized we're surrounded by young sailors.

Day 20

From Magothy River to Annapolis, MD
N 38 58.698  W -76 28.694
14 miles, 2.5 hours

Day 19

Magothy River MD

Day 18

From Sassafras River to Magothy River MD

N 39 04.810  W -76 29.749
33 miles, 6 hours

Day 17

From Delaware River to Sassafras River, MD

N 39 22.956 W -76 01.293
65 miles, 8 hours

Day 16

From Atlantic City, NJ to Delaware River (Maurice River Inlet)
N 39 07.190 W -75 05.567
58 miles, 10 hours
Anchored in a quiet (!) spot on the Delaware so we can go through the C&D canal at the right moment.

Day 15

 

Atlantic City

Day 14

From Sandy Hook to Atlantic City, NJ
N 39 23.022 W 74 25.293
80 miles, 12 hours
Elle- this is the most glamorous picture I could find of Trump Plaza, which we did not visit.  We didn't even go ashore!
As for their mind-boggling art collection-

 

Day 13

From World's Fair Marina, Queens to Sandy Hook, NJ

N 40 28.042  W 74 00.998
28 miles, 3.5 hours

Day 12

There's a good chance we can leave Sandy Hook on Wednesday- so we spent today food shopping in the rain.  Got lots of produce from the Asian markets in Queens, and deli stuff from Zabar's.  

Everywhere in the subway system you come across these great mosaics.  The New Year's revelers are from Times Square station.  The snail is at the station near the Natural History Museum.

Day 11

.

Queens.  Went to Quaker Meeting- they have a very old (pre-revolutionary) meeting house here.    Had some good Indian food.  It's clouding over now

Day 10

In Queens.  Grocery shopping.  Chinese food (Hunan again).  Saw The Social Network- it's everywhere.

Day 9

Had dinner in Chelsea with Judy Mortlock-  at Carbonara, good neighborhood Italian restaurant.
Some mild shopping.  Much nicer weather.

Day 8

In Queens. Nonstop rain and WIND.  We didn't set foot outside.