Allure of the ICW

We left Solomons, with the intention of anchoring on the West River, around 9am. The temperature was in the high 50s, and the wind picked up over the first couple of hours. Then it became misty and visibility began to deteriorate. No photos today, as very few boats were even on the Bay and the conditions were lousy. We sailed initially, making about 6 knots. Then we motored sailed, consistently around 8.5 and even hitting 9.2. Once we made it to Hartge Yacht Harbor in a damp 55° breeze and saw the mooring field, the First Mate made a quick call about catching a ball. When a slip was offered, with electricity to run the heat, we wisely opted for a slip. It’s a comfortable marina, and we have been invited to join slipholders coffee and donuts tomorrow morning before we leave. Kudos to Brad, the Harbormaster, for lassoing the piling for us as we tied up! We met our friends Larry and Lauren at the dock. They are JSO members and Hartge is their home marina. They kindly hosted us to dinner a...

 We expected a strong front to move through today with high winds and possible hail, based on recent predictions. It turned out to be a beautiful, sunny day - lucky for us! We walked around Solomons, and over to Solomons Island, where the tall ship  Pride of Baltimore had just arrived at dock. Fun fact : the distance between Solomons and Solomons island today is only 20 feet. At one time, they were separated by 500 feet of open water. Lunch was at La Vela , located at the parking lot of the marina. Captain Don had a bolognese dish that he has wanted to order for a few weeks now. It’s an excellent restaurant with a wine selection that pairs perfectly with Italian food. The marina has complimentary bikes… don’t get too excited, they are cruisers with slightly out of alignment handlebars and no tire tread, but they get you there and back. We biked 3 miles to AnnMarie Sculpture Gardens , and it was a lovely day to walk around the outdoor sculptures in the woods. They also have ov...

 Today was our first chance to really sail, on the way to Solomons Island.  Approaching Solomons Island We sailed for a few hours, achieving up to 6.5 knots on a reach. The skies were mostly clear and it got warm in the afternoon. Captain Don wanted to stay at Safe Harbor Zahnheiser , because we have heard all good reviews. It did not disappoint, and we borrowed bikes to ride to Calvert Marine Museum a few blocks away.  What a treasure this small museum is! Amazing exhibits that include three live sea horses, two otters, a display of and ongoing excavations of Calvert Cliffs that date to the Miocene Period, and an actual lighthouse on site that was built in 1883.  Drum Point Lighthouse is a screw-pile cottage style lighthouse, and it was moved to its current location in 1972.  We learned that a family of 7 individuals lived here for 20 years when it was at Drum Point. Captain Don rang the fog bell from the original lighthouse (play video)   We were so ple...

We left Cape Charles early with a chance of rain in the afternoon, and the further north we went the more cloudy, grey and overcast it became. We saw no boat trafic for hours, which on the Chesapeake Bay is unusual. Captain Don took this picture, but the distinction between water and clouds was even more difficult to see than the photo shows. The lower Bay is wider than you would think. To give a point of reference on the map: We are at the blue dot                        For the first time since SC, dolphins appeared a few hundred yards behind us. It was surprising that we did not see them around Norfolk, as we did on two prior trips.  We had a leisurely trip past the mouth of the Potomac, which is almost always a turbulent crossing but today the water was almost flat. Captain Don timed the trip so we caught the current northbound, and we averaged over 7.5 knots throughout the day, traveling over 70 miles total to our anc...

Bluewater Marina sits on the Hampton River across from the bucolic grounds of Hampton University , a private HBCU (Historically Black Colleges and Universities) that is highly ranked. The student population is around 3700, and there are 133 distinct programs offered, including nursing, pharmacy, journalism and engineering. We heard the bell toll from the clock tower at 8am this morning. As we left the marina in Hampton, Captain Don spotted a curious shape in the harbor. With the binoculars, it was clear that it was a “submersible,” the term used by the Navy escort boat that accompanied it. Look at the size of the escort boat on the left side of the photo to get a sense of the scale of the sub    In the afternoon, we walked around the cute town of Cape Charles. It’s a popular retirement community with locally-owned stores, restaurants and ice cream shops. Unfortunately, Monday is a common day for closures in the off season, so our options were somewhat limited. We didn’t have ...

We made a shorty trip of about 12 miles over to Hampton VA for a night, planning to head to Cape Charles on Monday. We did sail briefly, with just the jib out. Safe Harbor Bluewater is a comfortable marina, but there is not much more within walking distance of the marina than a Food Lion grocery store.  On the way, we passed a cruise ship in port at Norfolk. We were told that Norfolk is the largest port in the world, comprised of significant government and commercial activities. With the afternoon rain, it was a good day to catch up around the boat. :)

We decided to stay an extra day in Norfolk, due to high winds around Cape Charles VA. Fortunately, Waterside Marina could accommodate us, even with a Great Loop Rendezvous event starting on Sunday. On the way to the Chrysler Glass Studio, which was hosting a sale of pieces by artists in residence, we stopped at the Glasslight Hotel and Gallery . The collection of modern glass sculptures was incredible, and rivals any I have seen in a private gallery.  Here are a few of examples: This is a full- size dress with a mirror behind it Afterwards, we  toured the Victorian-era  Hunter House . Built in1894, it was the residence of the Hunter family. Their son, James Hunter Jr, was a physician trained at UVA who also obtained specialty degrees in medicine at Harvard University. He was one of the first cardiologists in Norfolk in the early 1900s, and the first radiologist. The display of his medical instruments includes a blood pressure device and an early EKG machine!  The hou...

Walking around downtown Norfolk today was a bit of a surprise: it’s very pedestrian friendly, clean, has little traffic, with some great places to eat. After eating an amazing breakfast at Crave on college street, we visited the Chrysler Museum of Art. It’s a gorgeous building architecturally, with an astounding display of glass works. The museum opened in 1933 as the Norfolk Museum of Arts and Sciences. But the museum changed entirely in 1971 when Walter Chrysler Jr., whose wife Jean Outland Chrysler was a native of Norfolk and active in acquiring the couple’s collection, donated more than 7,000 works of art. It was subsequently renamed the Chrysler Museum of Art , and it put Norfolk on the art world map. We then went across the street and spent over an hour at the affiliated Glass Studio, watching a glass sculpture demonstration. You could feel the heat from the ovens, and the artists are totally comfortable working around temperatures of 2100° F. We walked back toward Waterside Mar...

MM 0 Exactly four weeks after we left Vero Beach, we completed the part of the trip that involved the Atlantic ICW. In addition to the many cruisers we have met on our trip, we even saw a boat today from Osprey Point, our marina in Maryland! But we didn’t complete the ICW until after Captain Don found an oil leak this morning in the sail drive, basically the transmission for our propeller. It required topping off with fresh oil, and leaving Coinjock late for our timed bridge openings and transit through a lock.  This barge had to clear the lock before we could enter We had a “sporty” transit through the lock, encountering unfavorable wind and current but persevering.  After 45 miles today, we still had to clear the Gilmerton Bridge. We missed the earlier opening and were poised to go through at 5:30 (instead of 3:30 as planned).  The train bridge before the lift bridge, which is usually open, closed at 5:25 for a train to proceed across.  This resulted in a train p...

 MM 50 After a night of some intense bouncing from the wind of up to 20 mph gusts and 3 foot waves, we left our anchorage around 10am for the 8 mile trip to Coinjock Marina . We arrived about 2 hours before a rain storm that included pea-sized hail; it actually cleaned the boat deck off for us! We stopped here in September 2020 on our trip to Albemarle Sound with Dave and Rick (they were on Dave’s Catalina, Charis ). Anyone who has traveled the northern most part of the Atlantic ICW (from Norfolk VA to key West FL is 1,244 statute miles) knows, Coinjock Marina is a popular stop at MM 50.  This includes large and small powerboats, sailboats, and even the cruise ship American Independence that left the dock at 5 am today. In some areas, it’s only 90 feet across the canal from bank to bank. The Coinjock Marina Restaurant is also known for its prime rib special, either in a 16oz or a 32 oz portion. Captain Don has been waiting for tonight’s dinner for awhile! We dined with a coupl...

 MM 58 We left Dowry Creek Marina (DCM) early this morning. It’s a small, family owned marina with experienced staff, an on-site restaurant that serves decent bar food (dinners on the weekends only) and a loaner Ford that we used to drive into Belhaven NC yesterday. It’s also renowned for having the lowest fuel price on the ICW, and a heated saltwater pool that wasn’t open yet :(  One of the best features of DCM: clean, updated individual shower bathrooms with courtesy towels . It’s  the little things that make a difference. Today was a long one, with a 74 mile jog over 9 hours. It helped that motor sailing and sailing for a couple of hours could be worked into the route, with favorable winds and a crossing of the Albemarle Sound. We reached 8.2 knots a few times, allowing us to cover some ground faster than expected. Along the way, we passed an interesting swing bridge that had 2 lanes for passing through: Albemarle Sound is kind of like the Chesapeake Bay - an expansive...

MM 132 We departed our lovely anchorage around 9am for a marina just east of Belhaven NC. Perhaps because Blackbeard the Pirate sailed these waters in the 1700s, pirate ships are common: So this Captain is has been in the sun way too long! Once we reached the Pamlico River, it was a good chance to open the sails again. Winds were light, around 9 knots, and we reefed the main as we made adjustments. We deployed the jib fully, which is a 130% compared to our 106% on our former boat, the 409. (Jib sizing is based on the percentage of the triangle forward from the forestay support cable to the deck).  Needless to say, with the added size of the boat and the increase in the percentage, there is a lot of sailcloth out there. But an issue arose with the main sail, where the First Mate noticed that the sail was pulling away from the mast for the bottom 12 inches (ie. the bolt rope was not in the foil). The Captain moved forward on the deck, and the more he tried to secure the sail back in...

MM 160 We departed Beaufort around 10:30, after seeing Mom off at the marina parking lot.  The town is a significant base for the seafood industry, and we passed shrimp boats on the way out. We entered the Core Creek and proceeded through the narrow Adam’s Creek Canal where there were several homes with docks on the waterfront. We entered the Neuse River, which is surprisingly large and expansive, but fairly shallow like the Chesapeake Bay. We set the sails with a slow breeze and traveled at about 3 knots. It was a pleasure to kill the engine and finally sail, as the boat has basically been a trawler for the last 750 miles! We motor sailed to get on course and as we prepared to sail again, the wind picked up to 18 knots. We reefed the jib and still got up to 7 knots rapidly. As the wind continued to increase, we decided to reef the main but with such restricted depths, we chose to bring in the sails for the day. We chose an anchorage off of Bay River in Bear Creek in 8 feet of wate...

It was a wonderful day for spending time with my Mom, Matt, Becca, Charlie and Ella!  We walked around Beaufort NC and visited the local Farmers Market in the morning. There was a terrific selection of handmade items, produce and crafts. I purchased fresh micro green arugula, which is both tasty and nutritious. Charlie and Ella got tie dye shirts, Ella got arm warmers (?!) and looked very retro.  We shopped, and had lunch at Finz on Front Street. We spent the afternoon on the boat, relaxing and catching up on family news and events.  Someone managed to take a nap… We drove to Morehead city for dinner at Catch 109 . Morehead City is a well-known jumping off point for serious sport fishing. Charlie and Ella came back with us to the boat, while Becca and Matt picked up some items from the hotel.  Matt and Becca joined us, and after a quick trip to The General Store for ice cream, the sun set over Beaufort NC.

 MM 203 We left Mile Hammock early, in 51’ temps, for an 8am bridge opening. Later, we passed an area of “unexplored ordinance” on the ocean side of the channel. Evidence of Camp Lejeune target practice The wind crept up to 20 knots, and it was a chilly transit to Beaufort NC. Funny story: the dock master assigned us a slip in the basin, where mainly smaller boats were docked. Captain Don, not one to argue with an assignment, docked the boat stern in, to a tight corner in record time and totally impressed the dock hands along the way. Turns out, the dock master thought we were in a 36’ boat, not a 49’ footer!  The best part: my Mom arrived from Cary within an hour of docking to stay on Allure over the weekend. We walked around the waterfront shops of Beaufort. Purchases were made by all, and dinner at Aqua was spectacular. Matt, Becca, Charlie and Ella are driving down this evening and staying in nearby Morehead City. We will spend tomorrow together, which is really special t...

 MM 244 While we passed 4 four dredges today, two of which were operational with hundreds of feet of pipeline, our transit was uneventful. Dredging is necessary to maintain the channels for commercial and pleasure craft, especially where shoaling is prevalent caused by ocean inlets nearby. We also passed under a swing bridge and a drawbridge. Openings were timed, so we had to be mindful of the schedule and gauge our arrivals accordingly.  The highlight of the day started when we anchored at Mile Hammock, a bay used by Marines at Camp Lejeune for training. On occasion, the ICW is closed here for marine activities. We called in advance yesterday (the Marines provide a phone number, which seems a bit low-tech ) and we were informed that no closures were scheduled for this week. Our anchorage for the night We were able to observe divers in the water with chase boats for almost four hours. The divers are really impressive, swimming long distances underwater with small orange buoys ...