Leaving New Bern, Morehead City NC

Tuesday 10/28

The temperature this morning was 44 degrees, I was not a happy camper, however I had the morning grumps to soon. It was still out side, sun shinning bright and hot in a blue forever sky. Not bad weather, Tom and I put on sweatshirts but no coats :) 

Then I received a message containing a smiling picture of my Granddaughter Laura, dressed up for her school photos.

Tom Merritt woke early to help cast off lines and off we went for a very pleasant day of traveling. All the Motor yachts slowed as they passed, no bumps or near bumps, bridge opened with out a protracted wait... we saw dolphins... Tom got to relax after he re-calibrated our auto pilot. 

This was a totally non-grumpy day

I could not believe the gathering of gulls all along the rivers

Bridge in New Bern 

Waterfront park in New Bern

This is how still the water was, great reflection of the bridge

someone building a fort ??

this house was so cool. Don't know if I could live with the color
but it was fun to see

Captain Tom made another great back in slip maneuver
We are here for the night 

Visit with Friends in New Bern NC

Tuesday 10/28 part one

We left Alligator River Marina on Friday Morning. We had a brisk light wind, but nothing to compare with the weather we had when we arrived. Checking the maps, and not having a schedule we decided to go on through to the Pungo River side of the channel and call it a day. We had a chilly night at Dower Creek, woke to pleasant chilly weather and set off again. We realized our good friends and sometimes traveling companions Joy and Tom Merritt in S/V Kokopelli were in New Bern. It has not been a stop over for us, but  what the hey so we went a little out of our way up the Neuse River and spent the weekend with friends.

Tom helped Tom with our electrical problem and WHOOO HOOO it is finally fix. It took the two of them all day Sunday and several trips to West Marine and Lowe's, boat stuff scattered below, grunts and groans and cusses but CHT is fixed. Today the batteries stayed charged.

Tom M bought a new main sail, so we stayed Monday so Tom E could help take off the old one and install the new. That project also had hitches in the giddy up with both Tom's admitting the luft rope on the sail was not large enough to stay in the track.

Joy and I took a walk into town, a very historical place with place signs, wonderful old buildings, Spanish moss draped trees. We had a love lunch and purchased a few things. I did not know this was where Pepsi started. They were test marketing a new drink named after the founder  Caleb. It is just mineral water, kola nut extract and spring water.  Expensive at 2.00 a bottle. I own two, tried one.....

yuk... sorry but it is the color of watered down Pepsi and taste like salty cola ginger ale. Tom tried it... he gave it a thumbs down also. 

At  Texas Steak house

Great New Bern Marina

They have Bear statues all round town

n

Welcome to the Pepsi Store!

The Birthplace of Pepsi, located in historic New Bern, North Carolina, is the actual site where Pepsi-Cola was first invented by Caleb Bradham in his pharmacy in 1898. The Birthplace of Pepsi is owned and operated by the Minges Bottling Group located in Ayden, North Carolina, and first opened the doors to the Birthplace of Pepsi Store on the 100th Anniversary of Pepsi-Cola in 1998.

Pepsi, Caleb Bradham, and modeled after his original 1893 formula, Pepsi is showing investors that it’s not giving up on the soda business any time soon. Pepsi isn’t oblivious to the fact that a growing number of Americans, especially those picky twenty-somethings that seem to be throwing the whole consumer goods industry for a loop, just don’t want to drink conventional soda. So it’s capitalizing on the popularity of all things artisanal—from craft beer to handmade soap—and betting on this: People still love sugary soft drinks.They just need a new story to go with them: Et voilá, Caleb’s Kola is here with a trendy blue label, on a classic glass bottle, and with a short list of earthy ingredients. Well, actually, the ingredients list isn’t that short. Though the marketing materials emphasize a simple trio of sparkling water, fair trade cane sugar, and kola nut extract (augmented with spices and citrus oil), the full list includes caramel color, caffeine, and additives such as gum arabic.Caleb’s Kola is being sold in select Costco stores in New York, Maryland, Virginia, and Washington, D.C.

1

Albemarle Sound, Alligator River, Pungo River...

Our first night out in Coinjock was uneventful, surrounded by Power boats. Jade E a 42’ Sealine was the power boat we rafted with, her owner taking her south for winter. 7 am came with a rumble, rock and grrrr of bow thrusters, the race was on for the power yachts to see who could get away first. It was a little amusing as we were cheek to jowl on that dock. One 60’ boat hit a 54’ yacht the captain shouting as he sped away “let me know how much the damage is and I send you the money”. The person on the boat (we think a delivery crew) did not even look, to busy trying to make their speedy escape. Now here is my expertise showing, one of the metal sticky up poles with the wires that kind-of looks like a silly version of a fishing pole was bent. As we all know if it is a boat it will cost $1000 to fix.  All these boats created wakes and “oh by the way” we are still rafted to a boat. Simply amazing.

The day started out cool with a brisk breeze but when we got to Albemarle Sound, the weather got rough. Tom took a good soaking when several waves broke sending water into the boat, yes I got a little wet also, but I was cowering in a corner. I tried going below but the pitch and roll were so extreme I was starting to feel a little queasy. I had to cope with the cold wind, waves and being tossed about in the cock pit with Tom.  We finally made it to the Alligator River and safety in the Alligator River Marina. This is the marina where we waited out Sandy with Hass and Dotty Royer. We were greeted by Ms. Wanda and staff, fond memories, good fried chicken, candy and chips stocked up, even got some shells for Laura.  We stayed over an extra day waiting for the wind to get reasonable again. There were two sailing vessels from New Bern waiting for a weather turn and we gathered in the captain’s lounge Thursday night to swap stories, information, good food and some football.

Friday we had bright orange sunrise, and only a light wind. Chop in the Alligator River was reasonable so lines cast off, we made a clean get away. The day was strange, colder that it should have been, the sun hiding behind thick high clouds. We decided to stop in Dowery Creek Marina, just outside of Belhaven off the Pungo River. Tomorrow we have the Pungo River, Pamlico River, Goose Creek, Bay River, finally the Neuse River stopping in Oriental NC.  We may go outside once we get to Morehead City… who knows…. It’s a boat. 

Not the first loaf of bread, but the first good loaf
of bread

You can see how windy it was... trying to take a photo
of the Christmas stocking I finished... it became
a wind sock

replica of light house at Alligator River Marina

this is how choppy it was out in the sound

Alligator River Bridge opening for us

advertisement for the Dismal swamp.... but it is facing the wrong way

Dowery Creek Marina

Going South.... again

Tuesday 10/21- going south

We had a wonderful, way too short of a visit with the Battle family, daughter Patty, granddaughter Laura and son-in-law Shawn. We had some sad news – Tom flew to Kansas City, Topeka-Salina, his sister passed. She had been ill but this was a very sudden turn that caught everyone off kilter.

We received mail from home, a lovely purse from Daughter Meghan, necklace from Patty and her family, b’day presents we finally caught up to.  Patty had an extra two slice toaster that I found room in a cupboard. I replaced throw rugs in salon and Jennie sent me a bread maker.  A few additions to turn our ship into a home. I have tried to pan fry bread, not the same as toasted. I did try toasting in the broiler, but black toast has never been my thing… I love my new toaster. We have lived on our boat(s) for two years and I am amazed how I thought of “what I wish I had” but had neither space nor power to actually bring on board. I never thought I would “really “use a microwave oven; tonight I cooked our complete dinner in one. Of course a lot depends on shore power vs anchoring out, we do have options now. As for my bread maker…. The smell was heavenly and when we go to the Bahamas I can make bread when we are in port and freeze.

Today a short spit rain, one errant cloud tried to call a halt to our leaving, nevertheless we persisted and Scott helped toss off lines. Our first bridge opened at 9 AM and we soon joined the parade of boats heading south.

One bridge down, several more to go then the Lock, The Great Bridge Lock- powerboats starboard, sail on the port side. We went up a whole 2’, it compensates for tidal surge. Until we get to Morehead City we will not have to deal with tides, just wind chop.

Happy to report no excitement even when we rafter to a power boat at Coinjock Marina… well Tom did step on the key, bent, cussed, we have spares.

Dinner in the microwave, knitting then early to bed for an early start.

Interesting co-winks-dink… we left Norfolk on 10/22/2012 when we made our first journey south. We are hoping to stay at Alligator River Marina tomorrow night. Also no huge tropical storms on the horizon.

L & T

On CHT

Lovely Granddaughter Laura at the wheel

Toasted English muffins, coffee and knitting

finished knitting this hat, Laura liked it and now
it will keep her warm this winter

Scott Creek Marina is a hidden gem... Docks may not seem like much
but staff is great, Laundry free, store has supplies, showers clean and
price is great

we will will miss our neighbors... makes you feel safe

Captain Tom at the helm

sunset at Coinjock Marina.. rafted to a power Sealine

we ended up in the middle coming out of the Great Bridge Lock

We are almost there

One day without WiFi. yikes. 

We left River Dunes marina which is north of Oriental NC and I lost all ATT signals. This part of the ICW traverses the Alligator River, Pungo River and the canal that connects them, across the Albemarle Sound and over to the Carolina Cut. We are resting at the Coinjock Marina where the restaurant is famous for its Prime Rib. 

There is a point where there is nothing around but water and a faint shadow of land on the horizon. It is hard to believe we are in a river.  This is also the time for the exodus south, more than a dozen boats have passed us, some shouting that we are going the wrong way. 

We have been doing over 50 NM each day, but last night we ran out of light and had not arrived at a suitable anchorage. We just dropped the hook in the canal, There was NO ONE around. The quite was disconcerting, there wasn't the sound of water running past our haul, birds, nothing. Then the planes. For about an hour we had some military planes flying close over head.... then the quite. 

This morning was cool with a good wind up and again miles of river water. We decided not to try the Dismal Swamp.... we have bumped bottom enough and I could not find any information as to what they dredged the canal to. 

Tomorrow we should finally be in Norfolk... or more accurately Portsmouth. We are staying at a Marina there, weekly rate, less expensive. We plan on staying until around the 20th ..... but then 

we live on a boat.

Finished this scarf..

leaving River Dunes

old log cabin on shore 

sunset in the Alligator River /  Pungo River Canal

Full moon .... quite,   spooky

Alligator River Marina... where we spent hurricane Sandy