October 14th- Deltaville, VA to Old Point Comfort/ Hampton, VA

We get a pretty good workout in the morning on travel days. When living on land my morning exercise routine consists of walking from the bed to the couch and grabbing a cup of coffee along the way. At sea we walk Ollie and prepare the boat to leave. Hoist the dinghy on deck. Lynne packs up the interior so things don’t fly around if Evergreen’s going to be rocking. Then it’s on to raising the anchor and chain with our manual windlass. Finally coffee!!

We had to get fuel before leaving Deltaville. I was hoping the big tri-maran on the fuel dock was going to leave but it wasn’t to be. The Admiral suggested that we might not fit in the remaining space on the fuel dock. We wedged Evergreen in and stopped a few feet short of the tri-maran’s bow.

Happy about getting on the dock without mayhem.

We started the day with a decent north wind. There were some sloppy waves due to the bay current but it was fun to be under full sail for a while. A couple hours later the wind died and we were left with the sloppy sea. We motored our way down the bay and up Hampton Roads inlet. We anchored near the Phoebus Channel and Old Point Comfort. This is part of Hampton VA. We’ve also anchored up the Hampton River in the past but this was a better option as it was late in the day and we were bailing out in the morning. The anchorage is between a highway and the point so it’s more functional than aesthetic.

Evergreen anchored off Old Point Comfort.

October 15th- Hampton, VA to The Great Dismal Swamp/ Deep Creek lock, VA

Evergreen crossed Hampton Roads into Norfolk. We heard something about a submarine on the VHF radio but never saw it. We avoided the various war ships and commercial traffic. The whole area seemed much busier last trip. Maybe there is just less commercial traffic on Saturday.

Some scenes from Norfolk and Portsmouth.

Gilmerton bridge. First drawbridge of the trip not counting the Padanaram Bridge (Our home port).

Shortly after the bridge we made the hard starboard turn up Deep Creek to the Dismal Swamp. We love the Dismal Swamp. It’s not dismal!

We locked through the Deep Creek Lock and tied up to Elizabeth’s Dock for the night. Robert, the old lock keeper passed away but the new guy was great. I was going to ask about the duckweed situation but I could see it was already going to be a problem. Duckweed is a plant but it looks algae and clogs the engine raw water intake filters. I need to keep an eye on the filter.

Ollie is very happy about the dock as it’s adjacent to a park.

Deep Creek Lock

Up.

Evergreen at Elizabeth’s Dock.

October 13th- Deltaville, VA

The weather today was better than expected. We had some rain in the morning but most of the day was ok. Ollie got plenty of exercise on shore leave. He also met several other dogs at the marina and was polite and well behaved (not always the case due to Pirate/ Scottish heritage).

We managed to borrow the marina car today. It’s always an adventure when I haven’t driven in a few weeks. We made the trip to another hardware store and the fish market. Shrimp for dinner tomorrow.

We had dinner at the Deltaville Tap and Raw Bar. The service and food were very good. I had Hatteras clam chowder and an exceptional Reuben sandwich along with a few brown ales. Every region seems to have their own version of clam chowder and I enjoy them all.

Oddly enough, after filling up at the restaurant we were looking at the marina bikes. Neither one of us has ridden a bike in the past 20 years. We went for a bike ride. We survived without injury and may try to do that more often.

Some scenes from Deltaville.

We took this same picture, in front of the same boat, on the last trip.

Evel Knievel getting ready for a big jump.

October 11th- Solomons Island, MD to Mill Creek, VA

Our last day in Solomon’s was extremely productive. The boatyard shuttle transported us and most of our treasures. We filled up with food and booze. West Marine and True Value were also on the list. Most important, was a stop at Captain Smith’s Seafood Market. We procured some red snapper, crab soup, and the best crab cakes we’ve had (so far).

The trip down the bay to Mill Creek was uneventful. Since we had some miles to cover we hoisted the dinghy up on the fore deck. Evergreen cuts through the water better when not dragging the dinghy. Our speed is better and I imagine our fuel usage to be lower. The down side: there is more weight in the bow where the boat doesn’t need it. I believe the pros outweigh the cons. We’re still working on our “dinghy hoisting” technique but it’s working out.

We crossed the Potomac river and entered Virginia.

Point No Point Lighthouse. I believe the little building is the outhouse. Just imagine that on a January morning.

Mill Creek is ridiculously peaceful. Eagles hunting jumping fish. Great Blue Herons doing whatever Great Blue Herons do. Lynne saw two foxes playing on the beach during the morning commando raid. There is a little peninsula with a beach that we bring Ollie to.

Ollie has fully utilized every berth in the boat.

Evergreen anchored in Mill Creek.

Admiral dodging wildlife on the morning commando raid.

October 12th- Mill Creek, VA to Jackson Creek/ Deltaville,VA

This trip down the Chesapeake has been so different from the whole New Jersey/ Delaware part. Calm winds, warm days, benign weather. We’re still having cool nights but nothing compared to a week ago.

We had a short ride today. Captain and crew were up early and finished the day around noon at Deltaville. Jackson Creek has a tricky entrance but we have experience with it so the navigation wasn’t problematic. We were coasting in with a very low diesel tank so I was planning on docking for fuel. Both a huge catamaran and a tri-maran were tied up to the fuel dock, filling the whole pier. We gave up on fueling and dropped the hook. We’ll get diesel before leaving.

Rain and an unfavorable south wind are predicted for tomorrow. We are going to stay at the Jackson Creek anchorage an additional day. We’ve contracted with the Deltaville Boatyard for use of their facilities. It’s a nice yard with good showers and laundry. We may go on an adventure in the loaner car. There is a good fish monger in town. On site is a restaurant and brewpub which is open tomorrow. I really like a good sandwich with a dark beer! We are prepared for a rainy day.

We have been seeing pelicans for the past couple of days. Today I saw my first pair of dolphins.

We learned a few things about living in cold, damp, rain drenched weather. Bashing our way up Delaware Bay introduced saltwater into Evergreen where it could find entry. The following few days were cold and rainy due to the effects of hurricane Ian. Record cold temperatures and several inches of rain made life on Evergreen complicated. Condensation began to form in our clothes lockers. It was particularly bad in my lockers. Eventually I was storing sweaters in garbage bags to keep them dry. Any trips to shore involved bailing out the dinghy in full foul weather gear.

Before leaving Chesapeake City we burned- half of our lamp oil, half of our propane, and 3/4 of our fire wood. We were definitely feeling like we needed to escape the cold damp weather. Onward!

October 5th- Chesapeake City to Wharton Creek MD

I was getting tired of trying to think of novel ways to dry out the boat. The wood stove was the winner but we were going through combustibles at an alarming rate. Time to leave. The weather wasn’t really great but the gusty wind was out of the north and would blow us toward our destination. South.

The Admiral spying the entrance to Wharton Creek. The chart is wrong. The buoys are right.

The rain stopped. The moon came out. We could hear Canada geese migrating late into the night. It turned out to be a beautiful night anchored in Wharton Creek.

The next morning we fueled up with diesel and filled our water tanks. Ollie got a short tour of the surroundings.

October 6th- Wharton Creek to West River MD

SUN!!

There was no wind on the bay but the sun was out and the weather dry. Every clothes pin was employed in the endeavor of drying our stuff. Our transistor radio appeared out in the cockpit and a local rock station enlivened the day. Evergreen’s diesel chugged along happily. It’s amazing how a change in weather can improve morale.

Cargo brick.

Thomas Point Lighthouse.

West River was the choice for an anchorage at the end of the day. There were a few marinas around and we were thinking about getting a mooring so we could use the showers. We got there a little late and decided to anchor out in the river. Ollie’s evening commando raid was at the Chalk Point Marina. The neighborhood was a nice place for a walk.

Sunset at West River

October 7th- West River to Solomons Island MD

Another day of (mostly) motoring in warm, dry weather. We made good time to the Patuxent river. The last hour or so we were able to hoiste all sail and actually sail up the river. The sails needed to dry out too.

Solomon’s Island is a favorite of ours. It’s filled with cruising sailboats and we enjoy the whole vibe. Plan “A” was to eat at the marina restaurant. When we arrived the mooring rates were much higher than our last visit, with a change of ownership at Zahnisers Marina. We opted for dinner at home. I grilled up the last steak and Lynne made pasta and olive marinara.

We’re spending a few days here. The marina has nice showers. A good laundry facility. Ollie has a small field he’s laid claim to for daily ball fetching exercise. The marina also runs a shuttle to the grocery store so this will be a big provisioning stop for us. We need food. Maintenance must continue.

Moonrise on Back Creek at Solomons Island. Almost the Harvest Moon.

October 3rd- Chesapeake City, MD

We’re still anchored at Engineers Cove in Chesapeake City. We had one neighbor but are now the lone boat anchored here. Every once in a while the rain stops for a bit and we get to land. Today’s shore run included hot showers at the marina. Luxury!

We saw this big ship coming down the canal yesterday. Glad we weren’t in the canal.

We’ve put up all of our cockpit canvas to deflect some of the heavy downpours. The temperature has been from the mid 50s F during the day to mid 40s F at night. With wet foul weather gear and a wet dog things are getting very damp. Today we had a lot of hull condensation. We had the same issue on Catalpa when outside temps got cold. Ollie dries off but nothing else does. We started the day off with hurricane lanterns lit. Progressed to firing up our Little Buddy propane heater. Eventually I dug out the wood stove chimney and some fire wood out of the lazarette. I installed the wood stove last winter, replacing an ailing diesel stove. We haven’t had an opportunity to test it yet but I packed in a bunch of wood to burn before we departed. Being a woodworker, I have an almost unlimited supply of scrap wood. The stove was lit. We’re happy with the new wood stove. It puts out a decent amount of heat and Evergreen’s salon is drying out.

The rain and wind looks like it’s going to continue for another day or two. If the weather isn’t too bad tomorrow we might travel a little further down the C & D and anchor up a river. Both the Bohemia and Sassafras river look interesting and we need a change of scenery.

Evergreen anchored in Engineer’s Cove, Chesapeake City.

September 30th- Cohansey River, NJ to Chesapeake City, MD

Last night the wind died down and we had a nice sunset. The morning brought steely grey skies and a northeast wind. It was unnecessary for us to leave early due to tide and current. We had coffee, a light breakfast, and got Evergreen ready for another day of pounding up this damn bay.

Today we had some of the same problems. The big difference was the wind velocity was less. After leaving the Cohansey River we set our genoa and made our way up the bay. It was a wet ride but the sea conditions were less threatening.

Permanent frown stuck to my face.

Eventually we had to point up directly into the northeast wind and fired up the diesel engine. We took some water into the boat due to pounding against the waves but much less than yesterday. The prize for all of this wet work was the C and D canal and Chesapeake City.

The waves and spray stopped as soon as we entered into the canal. 15 minutes later we were peeling off wet foulies and having lunch.

Calm water in the canal.

There are many cruisers moving south right now and many were dealing with the bay and taking the C & D canal to the Chesapeake Bay. Chesapeake City has a small anchorage along the canal. It’s a great spot. We were pretty sure it was going to be full so we had a plan “B”. To our surprise, there was only one boat and they were leaving! We anchored right in the middle and let out a bunch of chain with our anchor. We’ve sat out some bad weather here on our last trip and it worked out well.

There is supposed to be a bunch of wind and rain for the next few days due to the effects of Hurricane Ian. The coast is getting heavy winds but it’s much less in this big ditch that was dug between the bays.

The admiral has contacted a marina and secured hot showers for us. There is a tiki bar with good pizza. Ollie likes the dinghy dock and has had some freedom. He’s also had plenty of ball catching action. We brought a few tennis balls with us but he finds them everywhere we go. We build up a surplus over time.

We’re going to rest here for a few days. We all need a break.

Some scenes from Chesapeake City.

September 29th- Cape May to Cohansey River, NJ

Today a difficult decision had to be made. Our options were to stay in Cape May for several days and deal with stormy weather and 30 knot winds. We’d probably be anchored without good shore access. Option #2 was to leave today with a north wind gusting over 20 knots. I’ve been told to never go up the Delaware Bay with any kind of heavy north wind. There is a strong current in the bay and to get from Cape May to the C & D canal, a mariner needs to ride the flood tide up the bay. A heavy north wind opposes the tidal flood in the shallow bay and big chaotic waves form.

We took option two.

I’m going to start by saying it is very difficult to sail up Delaware Bay with a heavy north wind. We were both deeply disturbed by the days events.

When leaving Cape May I decided to take the the Cape May canal to avoid having to go around the tip of NJ. There are 2 low bridges. I thought they had 55′ of clearance. I measured my mast from the top to the waterline using a loggers tape last year. I came up with 51′. I read somewhere online that the Bristol 355 has a mast height of 53′. I got to the bridge and it read 52′. The Admiral mentioned something about King tides this time of year. I couldn’t turn around quick enough due to speed and current. We fit under the bridge with only inches to spare.

The Delaware was malevolent. I’ve been in two other instances that were similar but I think this was the worst. Clear for action! Life preserves – tethers – jacklines – foul weather gear. Load the guns!

At times Evergreen jumped over the tall peaks at seven knots, beating into the wind with a portion of her genoa out. Occasionally we’d slam into a wave the wrong way and our speed would jaringly drop to 3 knots. The Admiral manned the chart plotter to point me in the right direction. I was too involved with steering to look. Eventually she had to man the bilge pumps as Evergreen was taking on water through our anchor locker (more investigation needed). The first hour was the worst. We got into a groove. By the end of the ordeal I was exhausted but feel it was an accomplishment. Maybe I should just give Neptune the entire bottle of tequila.

The salt encrusted, wind burnt, mariners anchored in the mouth of the Cohansey river. Eventually they launched the dinghy and an unhappy dog got some land time on a small island.

Sunset on the Delaware bay.

I am reading a book about the 1996/97 Vendee Globe race, “Godforsaken Sea.” The race is the most extreme, single handed, race there is. It’s the Everest of sailing. Basically it’s a circumnavigation of Antarctica in the Southern Ocean. The men and women who sailed that race are a different breed of human.

I know that the NJ coast is a cake walk compared to the Southern Ocean but for us it’s the most stressful part of the trip. On one side is the wide open North Atlantic. The other side is a barren looking coast with a few dangerous inlets to enter for refuge from the sea. Ok, New Jersey isn’t barren by a long shot but it looks that way from a few miles out. Since our journey has only just begun our sailing muscles are out of shape. We’re both sleep deprived. The days are short and we have to make a lot of miles between stops. I’m in a rush before the next batch of bad weather rolls up the coast.

Shore leave in Port Washington was very relaxing. This portion of our adventure is not. The other night I dumped a shot of tequila in the sea. This was to share a drink with Neptune so he might send me some good wind and flat seas. For some reason we seem to be sailing/ motoring upwind regardless of forecasts or what direction we are going.

September 27th- Atlantic Highlands to Barnegat Bay, NJ

Up before first light. Ollie to shore. The night before we worked out a method of hauling our dinghy up on Evergreen’s foredeck with a block and tackle, then tied her down, and proceeded to hoiste anchor. I had much difficulty extracting the anchor. We managed to get the anchor close to the surface. It was hooked on an abandoned chain which was obviously attached to something else. I was able to dislodge our anchor with a long boat hook. ONWARD!

The wind was forecast to be west. It veered south west shortly after rounding Sandy Hook. An East wind or a South wind will tend to create problems for transiting the NJ coast. Eventually the wind increased in velocity. We pounded into the wind and waves all day with Evergreen’s diesel.

The entrance to Barnegat Bay is shallow and can have breaking waves in the rocky inlet. Today it did. I surfed Evergreen over the waves. We almost broached (dangerous forced sideways turn). We almost slammed into the bottom between waves with just inches under the keel. In the end we got in and had a quiet evening. The Captain had some tequila and shared with Neptune.

September 28th- Barnegat Bay to Cape May, NJ

Up before first light. Ollie to shore. Barnegat has a really nice beach. Hoist dinghy on deck. We get to the inlet again where there are, thankfully, no breaking waves this morning. There is a heavy tidal current going against us. I push our diesel up to 3000rpms to get through it. The engine RPMs start to drop. The engine then almost rattles to a complete shutdown. Rocks and shallow water are everywhere. Shortly, before I had an anureism, the RPMs shot back up to 3000 and we drove through the current. My theory is, during yesterday’s violent entrance to the inlet, we sucked some air into a fuel line. Some engines would just shut down completely. Yanmar makes a good engine.

We actually had some great sailing in the morning. Evergreen soared with her full genoa out and a reefed main. The west wind helped us along for the first part of the day. Unfortunately the predicted northwest wind never came out in the latter half of the day and the wind changed to west southwest. The diesel ran well for the remainder of the day as did the autopilot. We traversed 62 nm and made it in to Cape May before dark.

Barnegat Light just after sunrise.

September 26th- Port Washington, NY to Atlantic Highlands, NJ

Over night we had another heavy squall. One of the windows leaked so I have another project to keep me busy. We had good protection in the Cove.

Today we headed down the East River through New York City. As usual it was an exciting ride down the swift current. Evergreen topped 9 knots through Hell Gate. Another reason for spending an extra day or two in Port Washington was we were waiting for the UN to wrap up their big meeting. When in session the Coast Guard shuts down parts of the river, making transit difficult. The only security zone was around the aircraft carrier, HMS Queen Elisabeth.

Much of the day had a gusty wind blowing between the sky scrapers. We get a little stressed out about the passage through NY and down the New Jersey coast but the day went well.

1st bridge. Throgs Neck

Rikers Island prison ship. Looked empty. Last trip we saw people walking around.

United Nations

HMS Queen Elisabeth

Last Bridge. Verrazzano

Goodbye NY

We anchored in Atlantic Highlands at the end of the day. Tonight we are preparing for the trip down the NJ coast. We hope to make it half way, to Barnegat Bay. The inlet is tricky but we’ve done it twice. We practiced hauling the dinghy up on the fore deck of Evergreen. Tomorrow we’ll haul her up on deck after I take Oliver on his AM commando raid. We plan on doing all this around sunrise. Should be exciting. I do not like towing the dinghy when we are off shore. So far it has worked out but problems can arise and it slows you down.

September 25th- Port Washington NY

Due to the effects of Hurricane Fiona we’ve been experiencing quick shifts in the weather. After the rain came winds gusting to 30+ knots. We spent a night and part of a day bouncing around in the middle of the harbor on a transient mooring. It must have been my lucky day because the owner of the Port Washington Water Taxi (Matt) suggested we switch to another mooring he had in, “The Cove”. Flat water in the lee of the land. What a nice spot!

On Saturday (the 24th) we spent much of the day picking up necessities. We’ve been starting our days with coffee at the Mediterranean Marketplace. Then it was on to the park for some frisbee. Next stop, the farmers market. Later in the day we hit Stop and Shop, West Marine, and the hardware store. In the middle of all that, Oliver and I were sitting on a dock waiting for Lynne. A large wedding party showed up to take pre-wedding photos. Ollie was the center of attention for 3 or 4 little Hispanic girls in purple gowns. Lots of hugs and kisses were given and received. A day later he still smells like perfume. He loved the attention and was (thankfully) completely exhausted afterward. In the evening a tired captain and admiral settled down for a fantastic fresh meal consisting of scallops, buratta and red pepper ravioli with vodka sauce, along with olive ciabatta bread (Madeira wine for dessert). Thank you Pt Washington farmers market.

Happy shoppers.

Today’s big accomplishment was the repair of the door to the head (bathroom). While I was unable to acquire the right sized set screw, a drill and a cotter pin did the job.

We’ve been preparing for the NJ coast and the trip up Delaware Bay. It looks like we have a weather window next week. We are watching the tropical depressions and model predictions. We feel that the Chesapeake Bay is a reasonably safe place to wait out stormy weather. Looks like we’ll be heading out tomorrow.

Some scenes from Port Washington.

Evergreen moored in Port Washington.

A very tired pirate after a busy day.