Merry Christmas

Murrell’s Inlet, SC at Wacca Wache Marina.

We loved this stretch of the Intracoastal on the Waccamaw River through the National Wildlife Refuge, with Cyprus trees coming straight out of the water. Lots of beautiful anchorages, but we decide on the Wacca Wache marina, where we tie up and enjoy an early Christmas Eve supper at Hannah Bananas, here on the dock.

Our heads are turned by Nellie D, a 37’ Lord Nelson Victory Tug (see photo) , a splendid trawler we could live with if we weren’t hardcore sailors. We enjoyed spending time aboard Act III with her owners, Dave and Bicki Howell, who shared their vast and varied cruising adventures with us. It was a most pleasant way to spend a holiday eve.

Today it’s raining and blowing, but temperatures are mild, so we’ll continue 20 miles to Georgetown. After this weather front passes, we’ll decide if we'll go outside to Charleston, or continuing down the Intracoastal.

I’ll copy Nellie D’s good example and include a lat/long with our blogposts.

33 33.75N, 079 05.19W

Happy & Merry

Happy and Merry from Act III in Southport NC, at the Cape Fear River. Movie buffs who recall Robert DeNiro in that film will understand why I kept looking under the keel.

It’s not quite swimsuit weather as we travel south relatively late in the season. (Note that our compass cover serves dual purpose as a yarmulke…I’m all set for the holidays!) We often wake to frost on the decks, but nothing like the northeast this week…sorry friends.

Our current plan is to stay in the Intracoastal until Georgetown, then go outside for some short runs down the coast when weather allows. We expect to stop in Hilton Head SC to visit a family friend; then will continue outside the Georgia coast.

While in Morehead City the other day, we passed up a visit to this restaurant listed in Skipper Bob’s guide:

“Tie up overnight at the Sanitary Restaurant for $10. No electric. Restaurant has reddish roof and is located on land on north bank where chart says “Submerged Pile.” Bill says he just wants a napkin from this place.

The Tiki Bar? Your guess is as good as ours.

Happy holidays to all you great friends and loving family. We’re incredibly lucky to have you all in our lives.

Doin' The Fan(belt)dango

I have a little time while waiting for the auto parts store in nearby Morehead City to call back telling me they're ready to deliver a couple of belts we need. We left Oriental yesterday morning and were cruising along nicely about 30 miles into our projected 50 mile day, when the alternator belt snapped. No problem because we threw out the anchor in the river, put out a "securitee" call on the radio for passing boats to know we were temporarily disabled, and reached for the pile of 10 belts we have stowed under our berth. Wouldn't you know NONE of them were the right size...Bill reasonably assumed that the previous owner's stash would be the correct belts, but NO.

After a bit, a passing sailboat offered one they had aboard and we did a neat passing of a belt using boat hooks...looked like a jousting contest, but that belt wasn't right either (nor was it a good time to take a perfect photo). Bill finally installed a belt that was a little too big but allowed us to at least make a little headway as long as we didn't accelerate at all...the current and wind were also favorable. We only had to go 8 miles to a marina, which we made easily before dark. Then a quest for a car and a store. A local shopgirl offered Bill her car, which he filled with gas and took to Morehead city to get a selection of sizes. Today we know the right sizes and I refused to leave until we at least had one spare of each belt we need (2).

Oh yeah, we eventually realized we had one correct belt all along...it just seemed too small until Bill moved some screw or such. Ahhhh, cruising life. We'll make a relatively short run to Swansboro today, then wait out the predicted snow/rain storm. We clearly left a little late in the season, but all is good and we have plenty of warm clothes and heater.

When we get to warmer climes, we'll have a yard (deck) sale featuring fuses, belts and bulbs. Probably will pay for our season.

Frost on the Pumkin AND Act III

We've been at Sailcraft Marine for 10 days, but there is frost on the decks this morning and it’s clearly time to head further south. We leave for Beaufort or Morehead City in an hour or so.

Bill was brilliant this week and (among other things) installed a new (Spectra) watermaker, an Air-X wind generator, and thru-bolted down the deck boxes he built at home. I waxed and caulked and stood by as first assistant. Act III is really ready for cruising now. We feel god-like after making our own water last night for the first time, and a blind taste test showed we preferred it over our bottled water.

We plan to continue down the Intra-coastal for awhile, unless we’re forced outside to avoid shoal water. Florida is looking better every day I put on my long-johns.

No pictures from here…we put in long 10-12 hour work-days and fell into bed at night. No time for frivolity :)

Frost on the Pumkin ABND

We’ve been at Sailcraft Marine for 10 days, but there is frost on the decks this morning and it’s time to head further south, for sure! We leave for Beaufort or Morehead City in an hour or so.

Bill was brilliant this week and (among other things) installed a new (Spectra) watermaker, an Air-X wind generator, and bolted down the deck boxes he built at home. I waxed and caulked and stood by as first assistant. Act III is really ready for cruising now. We feel god-like after making our own water last night for the first time.

We plan to continue down the Intra-coastal for awhile, unless we’re forced outside to avoid shoal water. Florida is looking better every day I put my long-johns on.

No pictures from here…we put in long 10-12 hour work-days and fell into bed at night.

Thanksgiving

I made slip reservations for Hampton Public Pier about 3 weeks before I left to meet Bill because I didn’t want to take any chances that we’d not have a place to meet Polly & Miles, Miles’ parents, Tammy Hitchcock and Robin Dreyer, and Miles’ grandmother, Donna Jean Dreyer. Then I called the day before our reservation date to say we’d be coming in early, was that OK. “Let me check,” said the girl who answered for the Public Pier. Yes, it was OK. So I felt a little silly when we pulled into the harbor to find we were the only vessel at the pier.

We can’t gush enough over how wonderful the holiday was with our 5 guests aboard. They were funny, competent, daring, interested and interesting, and instinctively knew how to manage the small quarters we shared.

Thanksgiving Day was predicted to be the mildest and warmest of our days together so we went out in the morning for about 5 hours of light winds and sunshine. Then had a Thanksgiving Dinner (buffet) that couldn’t be beat at the Crowne Plaza Hotel next door to the marina.

Friday morning weather report was for SW 35-40 kt winds, with gusts to 45. Bill described what we could expect if we went out and the team quickly voted “nay.” Later, though, the forecast was downgraded to 25-35 kt, winds, gusting 40, and the unanimous decision was to go for the adventure. Bill promised the seas wouldn’t be too bad; we’d be in the lee of land.

The forecast was accurate and we had a thrilling time going across from Hampton to Norfolk to view the navy vessels. Act III roared along under full genoa, then reefed jenny, at 8 to 9.5 kts. Through the rain squall with hail we sailed under deeply reefed jenny alone, and by this time we were a well-oiled performance team and daringly rescued a brightly colored beach ball floating all alone in the choppy sea.

Donna Jean particularly loved the fast ride and being heeled over 20 degrees, but nothing interrupted her teatime. (See photo.).

We were sad to say good-bye, but expect to see everyone in warmer climates before too long. Act III departed Hampton on Sunday, 11/29/09, and made a short day on the water, tying up at Great Bridge for the night. Next day we went on to Coinjock, where we met Captain Peter MacIntosh, who has been sailing virtually non-stop since he was 11 years old, and his crew Frieda. They are bound for Beaufort, NC, close to Oriental, where we’ll stop for a final haul before taking off for Southern waters.

Tangier Island

Milton Parks has been landing and launching boats from his marina on Tangier Island for 60 years; he tells you frequently, so you’d best listen to his instructions.

When we call ahead to inquire about space at Tangier, Milton thinks aloud about the large boats he already has tied up, then says come on in, he’ll find us a spot. He’s seems barely equipped to handle the 60’ length he lists for the cruising guide, but he’s game to try, and he’s fit us in both times, however messy the process.

This time, like last summer when we visited with Susan & Russell, Milton has 2 men who happen to be around on hand to take our lines. “Bring the bow in here,” he hollers over the wind as we approach. “No! I said HERE,” he says with gestures which are just as unclear. Bill brings Act III in as he sees fit and I toss a spring line, suggesting that Milton take a turn around a piling, but he seems to prefer muscling the boats into place.

So, with some adventure but no real problems, we tie up, hug Milton, greet our neighbors and the million cats hanging around. One sailing neighbor was towed in the previous night after losing halyard and engine; the other is on a big trawler, and his wife doesn’t like wind or waves, so they can’t go to the Bahamas. We change out of full foul weather gear and prepare to go out to eat. Milton wants to drive (golf cart) us the ¼ mile to Lorraine’s restaurant, after questioning why a nice lady like me is out on a raw, drizzly day like this, why I’m not home knitting and having babies, but we decline the kind offer and enjoy stretching our legs.

The next morning we’re up early to start a rather long day to Hampton VA, and Milton is already on the dock. He insists we cannot leave today. He gestures to the distance and says the island is completely fogged in, and the wind and tidal currents will keep us on the dock. We note at least ¼ mile visibility and Bill is confident he can move out safely, so despite his disagreement, Milton begins to take lines from our starboard side docking and plan our getaway. Naturally, Capt. Bill and Milton have different ideas about the best way to get off the dock. Milton: “I’ve been docking and undocking boats for some 40 years, so…”

Bill: “Have you ever sailed a long skinny sailboat?”

Well, no, Milton reluctantly allows he has not, so we agree that we’ll try Bill’s plan first, then Milton’s if it doesn’t work. Captain Rescued-man stands by with intense interest…he’s heard the whole morning debate and doesn’t have enough experience yet to know which man is right. Besides, he’s depending on Milton for his own rescue from Tangier.

As we done many a time, Bill springs off a fender positioned at the starboard bow, with me tending the line. On his word, I haul my line aboard, and Bill slides away neatly in reverse, clearing the trawler’s bow and lining Act III up nicely in the channel.

“He DID it,” squealed Capt. Rescued-Man, as I coiled my line.

“Of course he did,” I answered.

Now Milton could have gone either way, but I was pleased to hear him marvel, “He’s GOOOOD!”

And on we went to Hampton VA, to meet the family for the holiday.