November 8th- Carolina Beach NC to Bird Island SC

Rhiannon caught up to us in Carolina Beach after getting repairs to their vessel in Virginia. We shared “sea stories” and had an enjoyable evening. In the morning we acquired more bacon and egg sandwiches from the North End Cafe and headed out for the Cape Fear River. We crossed into South Carolina, made a left turn down Little River and anchored near Bird Island for the night. Rhiannon moved on to a marina in Myrtle Beach.

We followed our track from last year into the Bird Island anchorage and dropped the hook. Ollie was very happy about the beach access. Unfortunately he was very unhappy later on as he was covered with sharp burrs from the beach grass. Lynne spent around an hour picking them out. The next morning we were very careful and didn’t spend much time on land.

Some scenes from Bird Island.

I found this grave marker on a hill.

Evergreen anchored at Bird Island.

Sunset.

November 9th- Bird Island to Thorofare Creek SC

The ICW through Myrtle Beach really reminds me of a ditch. I think this every time I pass through here. The nickname for the entire ICW is “the ditch”. There are many different bodies of water that make up the ICW. In Myrtle Beach, it’s a ditch.

After going through the Socastee Swing Bridge we were on the, much more scenic, Waccamaw River.

Looking like fall around here.

We anchored for the night in Thorofare Creek. It’s a big sand dune in the middle of the swamp. We had a nice evening EXCEPT for the swarm of mosquitoes that stormed Evergreen at sundown. We need to have all the screens up before sundown.

November 10th- Thorofare Creek to Dewees Creek SC

Lynne brought Ollie on the morning commando raid. There are trails to walk on at Thorofare.

The morning light was just right for taking pictures leaving the anchorage.

Spanish moss.

We had good current in the morning so we swiftly made it down the Waccamaw to Winyah Bay. At times we were sailing at 8 knots down the bay with a big speed boost from the current. The rest of the day we had a mix of current going with and against us. The big southern tides push a lot of water through the inlets. Today we traveled 57 nautical miles to Dewees Creek. This was to set ourselves up for passage through Charleston Harbor which is complicated by 2 bridges and the strong current through Elliot Cut.

Coffee and multiple navigation devices get me through the day.

We had this guy performing for us.

We anchored for the night on Dewees Creek and I managed to get Ollie on “shore” after sundown. Shore was a pile of oyster shells in the middle of the salt marsh. We could hear dolphin sounds late into the night.

November 11th Veterans Day- Dewees Creek to Steamboat Creek SC

Today was a cold grey day. It rained occasionally. We were both bundled up in sweaters and foul weather gear. Lynne made hot meals, hot coffee, and hot chocolate at various periods through the day (and the next).

We anchored for the night in Steamboat Creek. It’s a good storm anchorage. This doesn’t really qualify as a storm for us but it’s still a good place to stop, light the wood stove, and dry out.

November 12th- Steamboat Creek to Beaufort SC

I thought today the weather would be better. I was wrong. It was colder with more wind and rain. Thankfully I have two sets of foul weather gear, multiple sweaters, and wool socks. Parts of the day we actually had some decent motor-sailing. The extra exercise keeps me going.

Finally Beaufort! We grabbed a mooring, lit the lamps, the stove, and had big bowls of chili for dinner.

November 13th- Beaufort SC

We can’t pass Beaufort without spending a little time. There is a park along the river that Ollie really enjoys. People sit in the adjacent restaurants and film him dashing for his frisbee. He’s probably on YouTube somewhere. We washed some laundry and picked up a few cans of diesel fuel before heading into town.

The trip into town was “all about” picking up things for tonight’s dinner. First stop, Low Country Market for a tomato pie. Next stop, Olive The Above for a bottle of Coratina olive oil. Then on to Chapman’s Grocer for a loaf of rosemary ciabatta bread. We can’t pass Beaufort without a tomato pie! Lynne prepared a feast when we were back on Evergreen. After a couple of tough days a little luxury was much appreciated.

Some scenes from Beaufort South Carolina.

Lynne and Ollie getting ready to raid Chapman’s Grocer.

The mooring field. The boat in the foreground looks mostly abandoned. It does have a resident. The “ball” at the top of the mast is a sleeping pelican. He spends his evenings up there.

Close up. Amazing that he/she can stay balanced while sleeping. The rest of the boat is a pelican toilet.

Our Beaufort feast!

November 2nd- Belhaven to R.E. Mayo Seafood/ Hobucken NC

Our last day in Belhaven was chilly. Outside temperature was 34 degrees F in the morning. Inside Evergreen it was 40 degrees. I quickly pulled on a heavy sweater, deployed the “Buddy” propane heater, and lit the wood stove. Soon the boat warmed up. We still have a bunch of firewood packed away so we ran the stove all day.

We were also waiting out a particularly windy day before making our exit from Belhaven. After a full day of 30 knot gusts we were thinking about going out to dinner somewhere. Evergreen’s anchor hadn’t budged all day but it picked this moment to slowly drag down the creek. We reset the hook and decided to stay onboard until the wind was done. The next morning the wind died out and it was a few degrees warmer.

We decided to leave a little later this morning and stopped at River Forest Marina for fuel. River Forest is now Grand Manor Marina with new owners. They are upgrading the docks and facilities. They also have loaner golf carts for shopping excursions. We filled our diesel tanks and put this marina on the list of possible future stops.

Today was just a short trip to R.E. Mayo Seafood in Hobucken. We are not sure if there is anything else in Hobucken. RE Mayo has fresh, flash frozen, vacuum sealed, seafood. It’s docks are for shrimp boats and are very rustic. Besides the great seafood, the other attraction is the dock price ( 40 cents a foot). We filled Evergreen’s cooler with shrimp and red snapper!

R.E. Mayo Seafood

November 3rd- R.E. Mayo to Morehead City NC

Evergreen had a great sail on the Neuse River. Last season we got beat up on the river but today made up for it. It was choppy but the wind was blowing us in the right direction.

We passed Beaufort (NC) and decided on anchoring at Morehead City. I had high hopes for this place but was disappointed. The well protected harbor was mostly full of permanent looking sail boats. When I finally thought I found a spot to anchor we went aground. Not a good spot. Luckily we were able to power through the muck to deeper water. We anchored outside of the harbor for the night. I was able to get Ollie in to shore but we were in a location that was exposed to wind and wakes from passing power boats.

At least there is a Sandy beach.

Evergreen anchored off of Morehead City.

November 4th- Morehead City to Topsail Sound NC

Today we pushed further south on the ICW to Topsail Sound and the “Sloop Point” anchorage. There was one other boat anchored. Not many use this spot but we like it. At night you can hear the surf pounding on the beach at Surf City.

Passing through Camp Lejeune.

November 5th- Topsail Sound to Carolina Beach NC

We tried to get a mooring in Carolina Beach but after several phone calls it wasn’t going to happen. The harbor master felt we’d have plenty of room to anchor so that’s what we did. We’ve had problems anchoring in here before but this time we got the perfect spot. The decision was made to stay here for a few days and get some shore leave in.

November 6th & 7th- Carolina Beach NC

Carolina Beach has a great beach (obviously) and Ollie is electric with excitement. He really enjoys this place and seems to remember it. We needed to get laundry done and stock up on the usual necessities ( food, fuel, and booze). The North End Cafe is near the dinghy dock and we stopped in for bacon and egg sandwiches along with good coffee. The owner recognized us from past years. Today we’ll head back over again to pick up some banana pudding for dessert. Then, on to the beach so Ollie can get some Frisbee action in. Maybe a trip to the local fish market. We’re still eating fish from RE Mayo but you can never have too much shrimp.

Some scenes from Carolina Beach.

First palm tree (maybe).

Dolphin tail. So hard to catch them on film.

Evergreen anchored in Carolina Beach.

It’s been about a week since my last post. We’ve been putting some miles under our keel and taking pictures along the way.

October 24th- Solomons Island MD to Fishing Bay/ Deltaville VA

Today we woke to fog. We were really ready to get going since Evergreen had been sitting in Solomons for a while. Patience. Eventually the sun burned off enough of the fog that we had better visibility. The day turned out to be sunny and warm for our trip down the Chesapeake.

Foggy Solomon’s Island

We had an uneventful trip down to Deltaville. There wasn’t much wind so we ran the diesel engine all day.

We are right in the middle of a large pack of boats migrating south. This will be a common theme over the next week or so and an influence on where we anchor. In past years we have tried to stay ahead of the pack for some of the trip. Basically, many of these boats go to the Annapolis Boat Show. The Annapolis show is one of the largest on the East coast. We haven’t been to the show since we’re on a fixed (low) budget. Why look at expensive stuff we can’t really afford? Maybe someday we’ll stop at the show but we haven’t yet. I try to get ahead of it. We were ahead of the migration but it caught up to us in Solomons. We’re all moving about the same time due to the weather. The plus side of this is you have a lot of like minded individuals heading in the same direction. The negative side is all of these boats are filling the anchorages and marinas at the end of the day.

Normally when we go to Deltaville we anchor in Jackson Creek and dinghy in to the Deltaville Marina. We like both the marina and the adjacent restaurant. We could see a forest of boat masts in the creek with many vessels anchored outside the entrance. It just looked too full. Further up the Piankatank River is Fishing Bay. It probably added an extra hour to get up the river but the bay is big and well protected. There is a conveniently located marina for Ollie’s evening commando raid. Around 25 boats were anchored in the bay but there was enough room for us to drop the hook.

Some scenes from Fishing Bay.

Evergreen anchored on Fishing Bay.

October 25th – Deltaville to Old Point Comfort/ Hampton VA

We traveled down to the end of the Chesapeake today. What little wind we had, was “on the nose” so the engine did most of the work. We had a few choices for destinations lined up but after consulting with Rhiannon we decided that the anchorage at Old Point Comfort was big and we’d definitely find a spot. The sun was shining and Fort Monroe is a nice place for a walk.

S/V Rhiannon moving along at the entrance to Hampton Roads.

Fort Monroe.

Big fields make for an ideal Ollie exercise area.

October 26th – Old Point Comfort VA to Dismal Swamp Welcome Center NC

We had a nice night and had a couple of good walks on the point. Both boats crossed Hampton Roads and went up the Elizabeth River adjacent to the Norfolk Naval Base. While passing through we saw a huge navy ship being moved into a berth. They radioed me to stay clear. We stayed clear!

Big Navy ship on the move.

Less intimidating.

After passing Norfolk we had a choice of routes. We could take the canal at Great Bridge and Coinjock or go the Dismal Swamp route. We’ve been on the Dismal three times and have enjoyed it. Rhiannon has done it once and usually take the Coinjock route. We collectively decided to take the Dismal Swamp. I hope I didn’t over sell it. It did not go well. Evergreen had no problems but it was a different story for Rhiannon.

Lynne, on the lookout for logs.

The day went well for us. We saw lots of turtles and followed a great blue heron for a while.

Great Blue Heron.

Turtle. This picture was not enhanced. It’s just the reflection of the fall foliage on the water. It reminds me of Monet.

Along the way we hit a few under water logs and avoided others. We’ve hit logs before and Evergreen hasn’t sustained damage. There was no duckweed growing, which has been a problem in the past.

With only a mile or so to go, Rhiannon radioed us. They had hit a log and lost steerage. The rudder would barely move. We tied to the dock at the Welcome Center and prepared lines and fenders to “catch” Rhiannon. With great effort they were able to turn the wheel a little and tied up to us for the night.

October 27th – Dismal Swamp Welcome Center NC

Rhiannon found a diver to check out the rudder. The diver found nothing stuck on the rudder so that ruled out one possibility. We brainstormed different ideas and disconnected auto pilot and steering to try to isolate the problem. The rudder itself was completely jammed and may be due to a bent rudder post. Big problem. The boat needs to be hauled and the rudder removed in order to effect repairs. After a bunch of phone calls, Rhiannon found a towing service that would bring them back to a reputable yard in the Norfolk area (Atlantic Yacht Basin). Unfortunately, that is back up the canal to the north. We’re going to continue south and hopefully we’ll meet up later.

We spent the remainder of the day walking trails. Later we had them over for Chicken Parmesan and had a nice evening on the dock.

Evergreen and Rhiannon rafted up.

October 28th- Dismal Swamp Welcome Center to Elizabeth City NC

We untied from the Dismal dock around 10:00 to catch the lock at South Mills for 11:00. We said farewell (temporarily) to Rhiannon. Their Tow Boat would be at the dock in a couple of hours and bring them north to the other lock at Deep Creek. Unfortunately the string of bad luck wasn’t done yet.

We locked through at South Mills and continued down the Pasquotank River to Elizabeth City.

South Mills lock.

The Pasquotank

Our day was uneventful BUT Rhiannon literally ran into more problems. The canal is narrow so the tow boat had to side tie with them to keep control since they had no steering. One of the crew was on the bow of Rhiannon spotting logs. Rhiannon’s mast hit a tree causing a large branch to come down on the lookout’s head and shoulder. She had a large lump on her head and a possible broken shoulder. In addition to that problem, they were unable to get to the Deep Creek lock before it shut down for the day. A call was made in to the Coast Guard and a local Fire and Rescue squad met them at a dock to get her to a hospital for X rays. Some of what transpired we found out from a brief phone conversation. Later we heard a Coast Guard “Pan Pan” announcement on VHF 16 for a medical emergency on the Dismal Swamp. We felt so bad for our friends and helpless to actually do anything to help.

Evergreen anchored for the night at Elizabeth City. There are free docks but most looked full and the captain didn’t feel like hunting for a spot. Later we had good news. There was no broken bones or concussion. Injuries were limited to bruises and battered ligaments. Boats can be fixed but people repair is more difficult.

Some scenes from Elizabeth City.

Evergreen anchored off of Elizabeth City.

Sunrise. Another day.

October 29th- Elizabeth City to Alligator River NC

Evergreen continued down the Pasquotank River to Albemarle Sound. The Albemarle can be a cantankerous body of water but today it was sedate. We ended the day at the top of the river in a very remote spot. Did I mention remote? It was remote except for the 30 other vessels anchored around the area. We continued another couple of miles up the Alligator to our even more remote spot which is near a boat ramp. There was still another boat anchored near by. It was the first time we’ve seen anyone.

Some scenes from the Alligator River.

Ollie enjoying his evening commando raid. We watch for snakes. I wear big sea boots.

Evergreen anchored on the Alligator River.

Moon rise. The other little dot in the picture is Jupiter.

October 30th to 31st – Alligator River to Belhaven NC

The snow bird armada was up in the morning and proceeded down the Alligator Pungo canal. There was lots of communication on the VHF radio about various things. We had a south west head wind on the Pungo River but it wasn’t too bad.

We found out that Rhiannon made it to the boat yard and repairs were being scheduled. Hopefully they are back on track soon.

We ended the day in Belhaven. There are boats everywhere. We wanted to stop for fuel at River Forest Marina but all of the space on the fuel dock looked full. We anchored and decided to get fuel another day. The next couple of days look questionable so we’re going to stay here for a bit.

Today (Halloween) we went into town for a while. They have a large hardware store so I picked up a few things with a focus on combustibles. Propane, stove alcohol, charcoal briquettes, and lamp oil topped the list. It’s supposed to get cold so we’ll get the heat going in Evergreen. We then stopped at a bakery for lunch and had a bowl of beef vegetable soup. Good to have on a cool fall afternoon. Happy Halloween –

Happy Halloween.

October 16th- Chesapeake City to Wharton Creek MD

We left Chesapeake City around 11:00am to catch the current in the canal. Since we were getting a late start I planned for a short day. Next stop – Wharton Creek, about 25nm away. Today was a cold and grey day but the sailing was great. We managed to shut down the diesel and were able to make 7 knots under reefed main and full genoa. Evergreen really takes off when the wind is blowing in the right direction. While sailing along today I noticed a tear in the sail (genoa). I’ll have to get the sail down and make a repair when we get to a good location.

We pulled into Wharton Creek Marina for diesel and water. It seems like lately when I go to a fuel dock there is always a big power boat already on the dock and I have to maneuver Evergreen into a tight spot. I guess it’s good practice. Upon leaving we had to make a 90 degree turn to avoid the big boat. While we were able to completely avoid the big boat we did manage to have one of our new solar panels hit a pole on the dock. Lots of screeching noises but no harm done to the panel! We anchored for the night and enjoyed the peaceful spot.

Some scenes from Wharton Creek.

Evergreen anchored on Wharton Creek.

October 17th- Wharton Creek to Rhode River MD

We are going through fire wood and propane at an alarming rate. Hopefully the temperature warms up soon. Funny thing to say with winter approaching. 

Today we had another really good sail for much of the day. Later in the afternoon the wind died out and we fired up the diesel engine. Soon we’ll be in the ICW with less opportunities to actually sail the boat.

I have a new phone and the camera seems much better than the old one.

People ask, “What does Ollie do during the day?”

At the end of the day we anchored on Rhode River for the night. It’s mostly a nature reserve owned by the Smithsonian Institution. We were the only vessel at anchor.

October 18th- Rhode River to Solomon’s Island MD

We headed further south down the bay. Not much wind but we were able to ride the ebb tide which gave us an extra knot of speed.

We grabbed a mooring at Zahnisers Marina on Back Creek. Zahnisers is now owned by Safe Harbor. It’s a big company with marinas up and down the coast. Unfortunately they are raising all of the prices for moorings and dockage. This mooring is a little pricey but Solomon’s Island is a big stop for us. We’ve been away for almost a month and have a prodigious amount of laundry. We’re also low on food and booze. Zahnisers has a great laundry facility. They also have a shuttle that runs to the store. More importantly, they have luxurious showers. We will take many steaming, hot, showers while here!

October 19th through 21st- Solomon’s Island MD

The marina still has an old time feel but has upgraded it’s facilities. The laundry pile has been conquered. While working on that onerous task Lynne and Ollie met most of the people that live at the marina. The extra socializing makes for a very tired dog at the end of the day. He has also staked out an area for ball and frisbee.

Groceries/ beer/ wine= done.

I also made stops at Captain Smith’s Seafood and West Marine. Capt Smith’s has some of the best crab cakes we’ve had. I also bought tilapia and shrimp for future meals. West Marine provided a new rope block to replace the one that blew out and some sail repair tape.

Sail repair at Solomons

We’ve completed our projects but are staying in harbor for a few days to wait out some adverse wind. S/V Rhiannon has caught up with us and we will likely move down the coast together. Today we’ll head over and visit the crew. Ollie will be absolutely ecstatic to see them again.

Some scenes from Solomon’s Island.

View off the back porch.

October 10th and 11th- Atlantic Highlands to Cape May NJ

We finally have a weather window that is good for us to get down the NJ coast. The combination of tropical storms and fall/winter weather make for a balancing act. Add into the mix – there is less daylight every day. We’ve been into Barnegat Bay a few times but the inlet can be challenging if conditions aren’t right. Atlantic City is easy to get in but we’d have to leave Atlantic Highlands in the dark to make Abscon Inlet (AC) before night. Our choice was to do the NJ coast in one night. We’re not big on the “over night thing” so this choice was not made lightly. I’ve often said that we are day sailors, and I’m not kidding! Our next Port of call will be Cape May, down at the southern tip of NJ. This is roughly 115nm.

Atlantic Highlands. Breakwater in foreground. NYC behind.

We prepared Evergreen for the voyage and left Atlantic Highlands around mid-day. Traveling with us would be S/V Clara. We met the crew of Clara during our stop in the Highlands. Traveling with a “buddy boat” provides for mutual moral support and extra sets of eyes in the night.

The weather was perfect rounding Sandy Hook. It almost looked like we’d have some nice sailing down the coast. ALMOST. The wind died. Then it picked up and was coming from the southwest, which is the direction we were trying to head. The wind increased and the sea state worsened. We had all checked the various weather models and this wasn’t in the predictions. Making any headway was difficult. Evergreen has a lot of weight in the bow and has difficulty pounding into rough seas.

Clara pounding into the headwind.

Eventually, I tacked towards the shore looking for flatter water. We tried sailing but again had problems leading to a small tear in our genoa. Luckily by night fall the predicted weather models took over and the wind and sea calmed down. The conditions were clear and the rest of our trip down the coast was uneventful. This was our second over night sail and I think we’re getting better at it.

We arrived in Cape May around 9:00 am. Anchor down. Dinghy hoisted off deck and lowered into the water. Ollie to shore. Sleep. Later on we woke for eggs and potatoes before catching a little more sleep.

Sunset off the NJ coast.

Wildwood Crest. Good sign! We are approaching our destination.

Ollie prefers the beach over the North Atlantic Ocean.

October 12th- Cape May NJ to Cohansey River NJ.

Feeling somewhat rejuvenated, we got an early start to head up the Delaware Bay. In the past we have brought Evergreen up the Cape May canal and entered the bay. This time we decided to follow Clara around the tip of NJ. Last year we had a close call with a bridge and decided to try something new.

Heading out of Cape May inlet.

Cape May light.

Delaware Bay can be a rough patch of water but was beautiful today. We couldn’t make it all the way up to the C&D canal due to the tide reversal and opposing current so we stopped halfway up at the entrance to the Cohansey River. We’ve been here before and I know of a spot for Ollie’s evening commando raid.

Calm day on Delaware Bay.

Sunset at the Cohansey River. Seems like this place gets great sunsets. Maybe it’s due to the big nuclear power plant that’s near by!

October 13th- Cohansey River NJ to Chesapeake City MD

We had a quiet night at Cohansey. A few others were anchored in the area. We watched a couple of boats nearly go aground on the way out. The entrance isn’t tricky but the charts aren’t right about the depths. There is one safe way to get in to the river. Venture outside of the marked channel at your own risk.

Today the Delaware Bay was in a state that I have become used to. We traveled up the bay with the current but with a north wind opposing us. This makes for a choppy, wet, ride due to the wind against the tidal flow. We’ve seen it worse. It was unpleasant. It only lasted a few hours. Once we made it into the protected C & D Canal everything calmed right down and we were back to having a perfect day.

Flat water on the C&D canal.

We anchored for the night in Chesapeake City, right off the canal. It’s a calm, protected, spot with great shore access for Oliver. I think we’re not more than 25 yards from a dock.

October 14th Chesapeake City MD

Today is a grey and rainy day. It’s getting cold so I dug out the propane heater and prepared the wood stove. We were feeling like we needed some extra rest so today is a good day for it. To ward off the dampness Lynne just cooked up a batch of “everything soup”. This consisted of our leftovers in a broth. Heat up the broth enough to kill the mold and weevils. It’s a great lunch! Clarification – no mold or weevils were harmed in the making of this story.

View off the back porch in Chesapeake City MD.

October 2nd- Old Saybrook CT to Port Jefferson NY

Easy day today. The flood tide carried us up the sound. Some sailing in the morning then motoring in the afternoon. We anchored just inside the entrance to Port Jefferson harbor, near a nice beach. We didn’t go into town.

Some scenes from Port Jefferson

Ollie posing, Evergreen anchored in the background. Port Jeff

October 3rd- Port Jefferson to Port Washington NY

We traveled further up Long Island Sound to Port Washington. Today turned out to be a hot day. We’ve been racing to get away from the cool fall weather. Tried to get diesel but the fuel dock had a line. Grabbed a mooring for the night and we all went in for a walk. Normally we try to plan a few extra days in Port Washington but we’re trying to get down to NJ so we can meet up with some family.

Sunset. Port Washington NY

October 4th- Port Washington NY to Atlantic Highlands NJ

We left around noon time to catch the current down the east river. This is our 5th time on the East River. I am still mesmerized by NYC. We are often moving faster than the traffic.

Every time we go down the river I photograph this building. It started out as a shell of the factory.

Big barge going by.

Brooklyn Bridge

Liberty

There was a evening regatta in Sandy Hook bay.

We ended the day and anchored in the harbor at Atlantic Highlands. We’ll be here for a few days. We want to visit with family. We also have some weather blowing in so we’ll stay here until a window opens to get down the NJ coast.

Ollie is hiding. He does these things occasionally. Sometimes he’ll hide behind a tree.

October 5th to 9th – Atlantic Highlands NJ

There has been some challenging weather but we have enjoyed our stay in Atlantic Highlands. We met up with my Aunt and Uncle and went to visit my, 99 year old, Grandfather. He has followed this blog and we’ve often discussed the places that Lynne and I have sailed to. 

A visit with Pop.

On our Anniversary we got drenched with rain. Lynne and I went to shore with light rain gear and were completely unprepared for the amount of rain that was about to fall on our heads. Ollie didn’t like it either.

Upon our return to Evergreen we found our neighbor’s boat was entangled with another unmanned vessel that had drifted down on them. I kind of used the dinghy as a tug boat/ battering ram to help out. Eventually everything was sorted out and no damage was done.

Definitely a bad situation when a boat drags it’s anchor. Photo from S/V Clara.

Weather is improving. Time to move.

October 1st- Block Island RI to Old Saybrook CT

The last couple of days have been difficult. It was a constant onslaught of cold rain and wind. We spent most of our days in Evergreen. Every once in a while the rain would lessen. Ollie and I would bail out the dinghy and go on a quick commando raid. Generally it would start raining again during the process and we’d high-tail it back to the boat. 

We woke today to wind but no rain. Time to move! The forecast called for the wind to calm in the afternoon so that was a plus. Anchor up. Two reefs in the mains’l. Just a scrap of the Genoa out. We shot out of Great Salt Pond doing seven knots. Normally we are fair weather sailors but it felt great to get moving again. The wind was off the beam and our sails were well balanced. The autopilot,  Ray, did most of the steering. 

We didn’t quite make the fair tide at The Race. The Race is the entrance into Long Island Sound and there is a lot of water moving through on the ebb and flood tides. Around the same time the wind started to slow. The sails were unburdened and we pushed into the sound. By the time we were near Old Saybrook our sails were furled and we were moving along under power. We had some problems with our Yanmar diesel last season but all is well now. There was a lot of debris in the water due to the recent weather. We made it into Old Saybrook around sundown and grabbed a mooring.

Moving along.

September 27th – Dartmouth to Cuttyhunk Island MA

We spent the better part of the day shutting down the house and packing food into Evergreen. I also needed to replace our mooring ball with the winter stick. We made it through the Padanaram Bridge at 3:00 and decided Cuttyhunk would be a good destination for the evening. It was a brisk sail over. We anchored in the pond around 5:00. The evening was spent sorting gear before dinner and sleep.

September 28th – Cuttyhunk Island MA to Block Island RI

The wind kept up all night but the harbor is well protected. Oliver and I went for a quick walk on the island before hoisting the dinghy up on deck and cranking in the anchor. It’s going to take me a few days to get used to the additional morning exercises. Lynne and I eventually develop a routine, it just takes a little while.

The sail over to Block Island could best be described as “salty”. The wind was behind us and we charged along with the waves. Since we were running downwind we sailed with just the Genoa up. We also had the diesel running for speed and control. The wave heights increased the closer we got to Block. We pounded through some of the largest waves we have encountered in the vicinity of Block Island’s North reef. I’d be willing to bet that a lot of ships were destroyed on that reef during winter gales. After rounding the reef the seas calmed down.

Block Island North Light

Exercise time at the beach.

We pulled into the harbor at Block Island around 3:00 and anchored. During the trip over, every loose item in the boat was thrown around. Ollie wedged himself into my berth and was happy to be back in calm water. Besides getting various cuts and bruises I managed to hurt my back. It’s happened often enough that I should see it coming. Perhaps if I exercised more and stretched, when not sailing, I’d be less damaged. We all went in to shore for some R and R on the beach.

Evergreen anchored in Great Salt Pond, Block Island

September 29th – Great Salt Pond/ Block Island RI

Last night we started off with an almost full moon but later on clouds and rain moved in.

We consulted with our weather sources and realized a few things. The wave heights would most likely increase today (Friday) and Saturday. The forecast also mentioned 100% chance of rain, measuring inches. In addition to those challenges, my back is sore and could use a little time to recover. We made the decision to stay in harbor for a couple of days. Things will likely clear up on Sunday and we’ll continue on to Connecticut or Long Island. We didn’t make it very far this week but at least we are moving.

September 25th- Dartmouth, MA

We poured a lot of sweat equity into Evergreen over the summer. The major fuel problems we had on the last trip were addressed. More thru-hulls were replaced. Wood was painted or varnished. The bottom was painted and our waterline raised. Lynne conquered the enormous task of sewing a new canvas dodger. When not working on Evergreen projects we worked on house projects.

Fuel tank removed.

Access ports installed.

Evergreen sporting new bottom paint and a new dodger (grey canvas).

We didn’t get any summer sailing in as Evergreen was hauled out of the water for most of it. We hauled at Bayline in New Bedford which is right next to the new windturbine terminal. It was interesting to watch all the giant parts arriving and being assembled for placement offshore.

Wind turbine parts.

Last but not least my Father gave us a new outboard motor for the dinghy. Lynne has always had a problem with our old one and the new motors seem easier to start. The old one served faithfully for 13 years and I hope the new one does the same.

New Honda motor.

On our last two trips we departed our home port on September 15th. This year the plan was to leave earlier but life got in the way. Then weather got in the way. As soon as the weather improves we hope to embark and start making some progress south.

On another note- WordPress tells me this is my 200th post. I didn’t think I had it in me. This blog has always just been one long conversation with friends and family.

June 17th- Cape May to Atlantic City NJ

The trip along the NJ coast always produces a little anxiety. Perfect weather is the goal but it can be difficult to find a good weather window that lasts for a few days. Today was supposed to be one of those LESS-than-perfect days but once we got out on the ocean it felt great. Evergreen soared along with a reefed mains’l and full genoa.

We anchored for the night in Absecon Inlet near Atlantic City. It’s not one of our favorite anchorages but it will serve it’s purpose for tonight.

Some scenes from Atlantic City.

June 18th- Atlantic City to Atlantic Highlands, NJ

Big day today. 81 nautical miles along the NJ coast to Atlantic Highlands. Both boats have been watching the weather, for days, to plan for this passage. We were up before dawn and underway by sunrise.

The day went well. Winds were light and we were able to motor sail. We had baked ziti for dinner underway. We dropped the hook in Atlantic Highlands just before sundown.

Atlantic Highlands.

June 20th- Atlantic Highlands, NJ to Port Washington, NY

We stayed in Atlantic Highlands for an extra day. Autumn Bourne had taken on an crew member for the transit up the NJ coast. He was catching a ride home from some family members. We also wanted to get together with them since after departing Atlantic Highlands we’d be going separate ways. They’d sail up the Hudson River to Catskill NY and we’d be making a starboard turn up the East River and on to Long Island Sound.

Today was cold and grey. At least it would be a short day since we’d be catching a fast current up the East River. We said our farewells to Autumn Bourne.

Goodbye Autumn Bourne.

East River, NYC.

Port Washington is usually a provision spot for us. We get a mooring while there and the water taxi carts us over to the town docks. This is the second time we’ve managed to get a mooring in “the cove” which is well protected and near a beach. We had to spend a couple of days in Port Washington due to high winds.

The weather forecast looks pretty bleak for the next week. My foul weather pants had sprung some leaks so I purchased a new pair.

Some scenes from Port Washington.

June 23rd- Port Washington to Port Jefferson NY

First priority today was to get deisel and water for the rest of the trip. Unfortunately two large yachts were sitting on the fuel dock. Eventually they shoehorned us into a slip and we were able to fuel up.

Today was another grey day with an easterly wind “on the nose” all day. Our deisel engine started having issues again. The RPMs would drop down if I pushed the engine too hard. I’m convinced it’s junk in the fuel tank. When we filled up the tank, sludge got churned up. Tonight I will be changing Evergreen’s fuel filters before evening wine and dinner.

Evergreen anchored in Port Jefferson NY.

June 24th- Port Jefferson NY to Old Saybrook CT

I got to try out my new Grundens rain pants today. It poured. I stayed reasonably dry. The wind swung a little to the south and we managed to get some sail out. The engine ran well with it’s new fuel filters and some kind words. If kind words don’t work, threats are next. We need to get home.

We grabbed a free mooring by the town docks. It’s a great place to walk Ollie between rain showers.

June 25th- Old Saybrook CT to Block Island RI

Dense Fog. Really dense fog. When we left Old Saybrook we could see 100 yards or so but that soon ended. We ran our radar and navigated by GPS. We had to play “dodge em” with vessels on the Connecticut River. I used my air horn so much that it went dead. Out came my Bahamian conch horn. I blew that thing for about four hours straight. It was very stressful to soar through “The Race” at 7 knots with at least three barges nearby. They’d blow their loud ship’s fog horn and I’d blast away on the conch horn in reply.

Block Island. Finally some visibility.

We are anchored in Great Salt Pond on Block Island for the night. Captain and Admiral are having a celebratory Dark N Stormy. The sun actually made an appearance and I brought Ollie to shore for a swim.

The weather has been difficult on this trip north. Very rarely did we have southerly winds. It seemed like the sunny days were in short supply. Tomorrow looks like a decent travel day. Tuesday and Wednesday are not so good. We will continue on to our mooring in Padanaram harbor tomorrow. We have a lot of work to do on both Evergreen and our house. Hopefully there is no fog.

Evergreen anchored in Block Island.