The Captain Jerry

Our intention was to tour Norfolk on foot yesterday. Unfortunately the anchor did not cooperate. We were unable get the anchor to set at our anchorage in downtown Norfolk. We stay for lunch on the boat, never went ashore. We did have a great sail down the channel and back between Hampton and Norfolk. The weather has been cold here 55 -60 degrees and breezy. Given that it was a holiday weekend and Corona virus coupled with cooler weather, we had the good fortune of sailing a reach at 7kts along Battleship Row right at dusk, it was truly a great experience!

We found an anchorage right outside the harbor I left from last October with ICW cruise. It was fun to pull into a place so far from yet felt familiar! It shaped up to be a cold night, good for chili and canasta.

We got underway on Friday morning to very rough seas to Cape Lookout. At least it didn’t rain, we had had enough of rain after 6 days so it was good to get out to sea regardless of the rough water. Once we rounded the turn the breeze shifted and we were able to stay a reach for most of the day. It was pleasant, but cool sailing.

The night was eventful with shifting winds and a few sails changes. We changed from a reach to run and back again during the night. The temperature was pretty cold or maybe we just aren’t used things being warmer. In the middle of the night we lost the wind indicator when it stopped working. Back to sailing the real way (if you feel the wind on both ears, your nose is pointing to the wind).

The next morning, dying winds and flat seas were the order of the morning. the day shaped up to be beautiful sailing until the early evening. The temperature inched up and we sailed along on a fine reach at about 7kts most of the day. We stayed 50 or so miles off the coast to use the Gulf Stream current which at times boosted us by as much as 2kts. It was interesting to look at the boat speed of 5 through the water but making way at 7 according to GPS!

As we made our way North, the traffic on the water increased. There is a lot more tankers and container ships as well as pleasure boats. It is annoying the amount of sport fishing boat on the water that don’t have anyway of seeing them electronically with no radar reflector or AIS. I guess I’m sounding even more like the crusty sailor believing that no else ‘gets it’.

We felt a sense of accomplishment getting to mouth of the bay. Unfortunately, the bay entrance was huge and the tidal current was against us on our approach, which meant it took forever to get to our anchorage. Along the way we rescued a pleasure boat that start and got them out of the channel to where they could anchor for the night and figure it out in the morning.

To top things off we anchored right in front Battleship Row. As we motored to our anchorage the bugle played signifying the flag coming down at dusk, it was quite moving. The day ended with difficulty getting the anchor to catch. It took us 2 anchorage points and 6 attempts to get the boat secured. At that point there enough energy for a hot shower and bed!

After 6 days of rain we are heading out of Morehead City with the tide. Feeling good to bid NC adieu. We have had nothing but rain here. We project it will a bumpy ride for at least the first half a day maybe more, but this is our best weather window for awhile. I will keep you posted!

We had to break up the team before we get to Hampton. Dennis had some family and business commitments he had to attend to and taking a few more days to get to Virginia didn’t work. We will carry on without him, not happily!

The rain continues, hopefully we can get out and around past Hatteras tomorrow, Friday. Meanwhile, we are continuing to do some boat maintenance mixed with reading. Our weather window now looks like Friday. We will keep you posted!

On one dramatic note, this morning we heard a loud horn right near us this morning. When I went up on deck to investigate I found a Coast Guard vessel right along side inquiring if we were in distress? Apparently, they have had a distress signal coming from the area and were trying find the source? Deja vu from my C-130 flyover from last fall. Anyway, we checked all of our EPIRBs and radios and assured the Coast Guard it wasn’t us.

We are now sitting in the harbor awaiting better weather to proceed. Our current plan is to head to just outside Lookout Point tomorrow afternoon/evening with the intention of making a run for it at early Thursday. Right now the winds are predicted to be 25-30nm on Thursday coming at us. That would mean we would sailing a close hulled reach until we round Cape Hatteras for about 10 to 12 hours. At which point we can turn north again toward Chesapeake Bay.

Yesterday we got some shopping and errands done. It felt strange to stand on land after 9 days on the boat. We hit the grocery store and Walmart for provisions. Walmart was a culture shock after the Caribbean, but I guess we have to get back to reality sometime! We are now fully provisioned up with fresh vegetables and fruits.

The temperature has dropped quite a bit with the front coming through and the rain. We did have an invitation to come over to one of the other boats a few coves away for cocktails. Given that everyone have been underway for so long, we feel it is a good quarantine risk, but we can’t take Yantina because that cove isn’t deep enough. We declined because none of us felt like taking a 45 minute dinghy ride each way in the rain.

We currently have a pesky leak in the front state room we are all working on given the down time. It is nice that the four of us to share the interest of sailing and boating in general to occupy the four of us.

We are now comfortably anchored in Morehead City awaiting Arthur. We are doing some maintenance and planning a trip to the grocery store for in between rain showers.

I guess pays to know people, Ian is a member of the OCC (Ocean Cruising Club of which Ian is a world member! And yes there are only 20 world members and there is a flag for that!). The OCC representative in Morehead City contacted us, we don’t know how she knew we were here? She claims to have seen our boat from the bridge near us on the way to work. She will pick us up at the nearest marina and drive us to the grocery and wherever else we need to go. This is better than a platinum card!

This morning we going to be joining the Gulfstream as we head north to Lookout Point.  We have already done a sail change this morning by putting the pole out for wing and wing.  We are currently discussing getting out the spinnaker with the light winds while looking for a kick from the Gulfstream.   The spinnaker is up and we have now successfully used all of the sails in Yantina’s portfolio. Unfortunately the current wind is making things less eventful than usual.  As we get closer to shore, we seeing a lot more sailboat and ship traffic. We just saw a US GOVT. ship pass within 6 miles, maybe it was Sean?

We are now in the Gulfstream, cruising along!  Dolphins welcomed us to the current, it reminded me of the sea turtles in Nemo.  They stayed with us for quite awhile, but refused to be photographed.  

We did have a Coast Guard all boats call this afternoon as we were 50 miles or so offshore.  All boats in the vicinity of a certain latitude and longitude were informed to keep a look out for a possible man in the water!!  Some of the boats traveling with us were very close to that area, we were happy to hear the call was not from one of ours. We did not hear how the situation resolved.  News like that is always hard to hear.

We are now 20nm from the beginning of the path into Lookout Point coming in the full sails flying wing and wing with the wind at our backs.  We had to motor a good part of the day through with the current until the couple of hours the winds shifted and can hang sails. We will be anchoring in the dark just outside of Beaufort North Carolina.  Apparently, the tropical depression we were running to get to anchor in front of is due to be named storm Arthur. We intend at this point to hunker down for Sunday and assess Arthur direction as to when we can resume the last 250nm to Hampton, VA in the Chesapeake Bay.

I awoke to a very different scene.  Ghosting along serenely at 6.5nts with the wind at our backs.  It provided a very pleasant morning of sailing. We did have a few clouds threatening to rain on us, which would have been welcome considering how much salt is on the boat from being on a 48hour reach a day ago. 

On a morale note, we are due to pass our 1000 mile mark for this trip in a few hours.  Amazing how the miles add up.

Well the 1000 mile mark has come and gone.  The afternoon has turned into a beautiful one for sailing!  Our Saturday morning leave to meet the right weather is currently paying off.  We cruising along at 7.5-8nts with the wind behind us. The sun is out and after 3 days of jackets and sweatshirts, we are now back in t-shirts!  The laundry is hung from the life lines and we can sit back and enjoy the ride. The plan remains the same, cross the Gulf Stream tonight and tomorrow with an arrival at Lookout Point on Saturday afternoon.  We intend to anchor the night and assess our best timing on the push into Chesepeake Bay.

My Friday night shift finished with a touch drama when at roughly 1:45 in the morning a 100 foot+ ship popped up on radar 2.5 miles off my port bow on a course to cross me at under a mile.  The AIS showed no information at first and then later gave me the ships name specifics. In trying to raise them on the radio to confirm they saw us, we were unable to get them to respond! Finally we phoned them directly through the AIS system to which they responded and confirmed being us.  Crisis averted? Nope. At that time another contact popped up on radar bigger than the first! While waiting for that ship to respond I noticed it was on a parallel course with the first contact and turn with it according. By that time it was a little hard to go to sleep at the end of shift at 2am.