July 8th- Annapolis to Worton Creek, MD

We made our way further north on the Chesapeake Bay. The heat is oppressive. Our little fans and cockpit awning make life bearable. I can’t use the mains’l with the awning up but, then again, there isn’t much wind to fill the heavy sail.

Around 1:00 the tide began to ebb and the current started to turn against us. I didn’t want to battle my way up the C & D canal again. Off the starboard bow was Worton Creek and that’s where we ended our day.

It’s a nice hurricane hole. Maybe a bit too protected for these hot days. There are two marinas on the Creek which have many sailboats moored and at docks. We anchored in front of the Worton Creek marina for the night. It was a quiet evening. Mostly just jumping fish and Ospreys for company.

Worton Creek Marina.

Fish trap?

I believe this is a Bristol 35.5. We may be looking at a few of these up north.

July 9th and 10th- Worton Creek to Chesapeake City, MD

We woke to fog for the first time in a long time. I almost forgot about that particular weather state (very common to New England). We docked at the marina for diesel and were on our way up the bay to the C & D canal.

We had the current with us. This is the theme for the next few days. The C & D and Delaware both have strong currents. We’ll try to use the tide to move us along and stop for the night when it runs against us.

Tonight’s anchorage is Chesapeake City on the canal. Engineers Cove is a great anchorage for getting Ollie to shore. We stopped at the Tiki Bar on our southerly migration. The pizza is good. It was absolutely packed with people this time. Wait staff were clad in masks and gloves. Patrons were not. Did I say it was jam packed? We got pizza to go. The takeout window was isolated from the rest of the place. We had our first Chesapeake crab pizza.

C & D Canal.

Chesapeake City.

Today (Friday July 10th), we are spending an extra day in Chesapeake City. Tropical Storm Fay is skipping up the coast and dumping a bunch of rain on us. Catalpa is getting a good wash down. We are even washing our sailors’ slops (clothes) in a bucket.

July 6th and 7th- Solomons Island to Annapolis, MD

We hope everyone had a nice Fourth of July weekend. We did a little grilling, a little swimming, had a few beers, and watched fireworks over the harbor. Some were so close that we actually had paper fragments, from the rockets, on the deck. There were no official fireworks but many locals just launched pyrotechnics out of their backyards.

The Fourth at Solomons Island with an almost full moon.

On Monday we left Solomons early for the trip to Annapolis. Annapolis is one of the sailing capitals of the world. We had to cover a few miles to get there but I was determined. To start our day we had almost no wind and current running against us. It was looking like we were going to get there pretty late. Then, a small south wind came up directly behind us. I have this pole (reaching pole) that I almost never use. By using the pole the genoa sail has a better angle for picking up a following wind.

I once used this pole to attempt to sail through the Cape Cod Canal. Don’t attempt to sail through the Canal. It’s not legal. The Coast Guard will persuade you to turn your engine on. They actually chased us down in some sort of gun boat. I didn’t hear my radio but they had a bullhorn.

I set up the pole and Catalpa picked up some speed. The wind increased and we gained more speed. Our prospects for making it to Annapolis (in a reasonable amount of time) were looking much better. The reaching pole works great. I should use it more often. We sailed up the Severn river and grabbed a mooring in Spa Creek. I’m glad we were able to sail to the sailing capital of the Chesapeake.

Not much wind here. Later, we were plowing along at 6 knots.

Our mooring is right off of the harbor canal called Ego Alley. Big boats parade around. We are in the center of it all. I have to say that Annapolis is a terrible place to be during a pandemic. There is so much to see and do. There are restaurants, bars, tour boats, galleries, and shops. All easily accessible to the various dinghy docks scattered around town. We are trying to be careful and avoiding all of it. I’d like to come back someday and spend some time here. How often have I thought that since coronavirus has become a part of life?

Some scenes from Annapolis.

Ego Alley.

Ollie likes it. There are many ducks around that he would love to chase.

Maybe I could get a job chasing ducks?

This yacht was so big I couldn’t fit it all in the picture when it cruised by.

The mid day temperature has been close to 100 degrees Fahrenheit. We have a couple of fans to help move air around the cabin. We ate dinner in the rain to cool off last night.

Much appreciated rain approaching.

Sunset in Annapolis.

July 1st- Jackson Creek, Deltaville to Mill Creek, VA

We filled up with diesel, water, and ice at the Deltaville Marina and departed Jackson Creek. Today we planned on traveling a short distance due to a late start and the oppressive morning heat. This plan worked well. What started as a calm morning turned into a stormy afternoon.

Calm. Nothing but fog and haze.

Here we go again. Squall.

For us, this particular squall wasn’t bad. It was mostly a heavy rain event. Visibility was limited but even that improved in half an hour. Other portions of the Chesapeake must have been worse as there was a lot of communication with the Coast Guard over CH 16. The wind picked up after the storm and I was able to sail much of the way to our destination.

We headed up the Great Wicomico River to Mill Creek. This is a nice, secluded, anchorage with a convenient little beach to land Ollie.

Catalpa anchored on Mill Creek. Lynne hanging out the foul weather gear to dry.

July 2nd and 3rd- Mill Creek, VA to Solomons Island (Back Creek), MD

With Fourth of July weekend fast approaching I wanted to put Catalpa in a convenient harbor for the weekend. Even when we are up in Buzzards Bay, I very rarely go out on The Fourth. Too many alcohol fueled weekend warriors driving boats.

Today was forecast to have a light and variable wind. The wind gods decided to give me a North wind all day. We are heading north. It turned into a long, slow, day of powering into the wind and the choppy Chesapeake Bay. By the time we got to Back Creek, Zahnisers Marina (our destination) was closed. We anchored out in the Creek and moved onto one of their moorings in the morning.

Solomons Island is a sailors haven. Boats are everywhere. Zahnisers is a nice marina. We have easy access from our mooring. They have a big pool for Lynne. They also have a restaurant and poolside bar. Unfortunately both are closed due to covid-19. The bathrooms and showers are private and luxurious. We were greeted by the new dock master, Mary. She was the dock master down at Lady’s Island Marina, in South Carolina, when we were there. She just recently took the job up here in Maryland. She’s a dog person and was happy to see Olliver.

We are here for the weekend. Maybe we’ll have some fireworks tomorrow night. Coronavirus may have put a damper on that. We are seeing more people with masks. I often forget one and need to be more careful. We try to spray everything with sanitizer.

Some unsanitized scenes from Solomons.

The metal sheds all store boats under them.

The Drum Point lighthouse is getting some work done. It’s located at the Calvert Museum (closed).

Catalpa moored on Back Creek/ Solomons Island

Sunset at Solomons .

June 30th- Jackson Creek, Deltaville VA

We are still drifting around in Deltaville. I wake up in the morning and think about moving on but time goes by and we are still here. Maybe tomorrow. The weather has been hot and still. The living here is easy. Lynne has been spending time at the pool. We did manage to motivate ourselves to borrow the marina car today. A run up to the local fish market scored us some halibut and Key West shrimp for dinner. Another stop at the Deltaville market scored us some other fresh goods and beer.

That’s the news from Deltaville.

It’s too hot for a dog to go running so Ollie turns into a seal.

A nice sunset on Jackson Creek

June 27th- Hampton, VA to Jackson Creek, Deltaville VA

Hampton is a nice city. It would be easy to spend more time. We met a few cruisers that decided to make it their permanent land base. It was a lot quieter than it was in the fall. They have just started to reopen things. A few restaurants were open with well spaced outdoor seating. Employees all seemed to be taking precautions with masks and gloves. We haven’t been eating out but the smells enticed us. Per a recommendation, we went to Goodies deli and bar for a takeout lunch. I had a fantastic Ruben sandwich. Lynne had a BLT with about 10 pieces of bacon on it. We rolled ourselves back to the boat when finished. While in town we also picked up fresh donuts for breakfast. Not exactly health food but decadent.

Traditional fishing boats- I read something about the round stern being easier to drag nets over (by hand). In this case it’s probably aesthetic. I guess the third son didn’t go to Hampton University and decided to dredge for oysters.

Hampton- Laundry day is exhausting but the air conditioning is pleasant.

This was his perch while I was gorging myself on a Ruben sandwich.

Catalpa is a Cape Dory 28 sailboat. This Cape Dory 10 was the first boat they built in Taunton MA. The rower was a wonderful man who has done a lot of sailing in his life.

Departure from Hampton Roads. Onward! I specifically wanted to leave today due to a southwest wind and the prospect of actually sailing. Catalpa sails much better when she isn’t loaded up with so much cargo but we make due. At one point I was still able to get close to 7 knots. Ray, our autopilot, is overwhelmed at times like this so it’s all hand steering.

Our destination for the day was Jackson Creek. We like the Deltaville Marina. They have showers, ice, diesel, and just about everything else a salt brined pirate needs. I’ve got some electrical work to do. Ollie has a nice frisbee field to conquer. The boatyard has a swimming pool and Lynne is planning on anchoring in it.

Some scenes from Deltaville. This is a travel-lift. It’s used for hauling boats.

They’ve planted two big gardens.

Chesapeake fishing sharpie.

Catalpa anchored in Jackson Creek, Deltaville, VA

We are going to stay here for a few days. I realized that if I kept pressing on I’d be in NJ or NYC on the 4th of July. I’m still debating where we “should” spend that holiday. I’ve heard all of the fireworks have been cancelled, so maybe it doesn’t matter. We don’t have an itinerary for the Chesapeake. One possibility is Annapolis. On our fall migration we stopped at Solomon’s Island. Solomon’s was a favorite so that’s another possibility. Maybe both?

June 24th- Douglas Landing, Great Dismal Swamp to Hampton River, VA

We enjoyed our evening at Douglas Landing. There were biting insects but not as severe as the Alligator River. Ollie enjoyed the easy land access.

Another long walk before departure.

One more picture from the Alligator River.

Both of us are still fascinated by the Dismal Swamp Canal. Today proved to be a fun and educational day.

After a couple hours of motoring along we made it up to the northern extent of the canal. There is a drawbridge and Deep Creek Lock. The lock keeper operates both. We had about an hour and a half until the lock would open. We tied up to a bulkhead at the bridge.

The lock keeper at the South Mills Lock was a man of few words. Deep Creek lock is another story. Part of the whole Dismal Swamp experience is meeting Robert, the Deep Creek lock-keeper. Upon tieing to the bridge bulkhead, he informed us of the lock schedule and the location of a Food Lion (grocery) about 100 yards from the dock. Steak and ravioli marinara for dinner tonight!

Deep Creek Lock

Tieing to the bulkhead. The water is up. We have to “lock down” around six feet.

Going down.

Lock keeper’s shack. Conch shells everywhere. We’ll bring one back someday.

We were the only boat in the lock and not in any kind of rush. Robert has been working as the lock keeper for over 25 years. He gave us some ice cold bottled water. We talked about the conchs for a while along with the finer points of making a horn. Not only is he a very skilled conch horn player but he is a knowledgeable historian of the canal. I didn’t even know you can get different notes from a conch horn.

Robert: “Ask me anything about this canal.”

Normally the lock takes about 10 minutes. I believe we were in there for an hour. We learned about the history of the canal and the Dismal Swamp. The swamp was much larger and there were multiple canals criss-crossing the area. The canal had six locks before it was deepened. He gave Lynne a book about the old stone mileposts they’ve been finding. Eventually we had to depart but we have a list of questions for our next locking. We hope to see Robert again.

Our next portion of the trip was through Norfolk and the Navy shipyard.

Last drawbridge for a while.

This big ship went by. It had Moldova on the stern but it’s registered to Liberia.

More mothballed cruise ships. These were all Norwegian.

USNS Comfort. Mercy class hospital ship. Recently in NYC due to covid-19.

Next we crossed over Hampton Roads, then up the Hampton River to our anchorage. It’s good to be back in the Chesapeake. We’re going to get some R&R in Hampton for a day or two. It’s much quieter here compared to the Fall migration.

Catalpa anchored on the Hampton River.

Hampton Maritime Center

June 21st- Belhaven to Alligator River, NC

We had a productive few days in Belhaven. Squalls are still ripping through the area but they tend to last only an hour or so. We needed to fill our propane tanks. R & S 66 Services is the cheapest anywhere. Lynne ventured up to the Dollar General for a few food items. Before heading out we docked Catalpa at River Forest Marina for diesel and ice.

Belhaven Squalls.

Belhaven’s unique wooden seawall with River Forest Marina in the background.

We then spent most of the day on the Alligator – Pungo Canal. On the way south we transited this area with many other vessels. Today we saw only three.

This bridge seems to be in the middle of nowhere.

The Alligator River is beautiful. After completing the canal we decided to go off of the ICW and go further up the river for the night. It is surrounded by the Alligator River National Wildlife Preserve. Remote doesn’t begin to describe it. We anchored Catalpa in some charted deep water. As always, the choice was due to there being a boat ramp (down another crazy canal) somewhat nearby. In this case “nearby” was over a mile away. The rest of the banks are swamp so it’s a priority to find a spot for Ollie.

A buoy. We must be on the right track.

After hitting a few underwater stumps and being eaten alive by insects, a boat ramp.

A happy dog. Not that happy. The bugs drove us nuts. He was like a Tasmanian Devil.

A few morning scenes from the Alligator River.

Catalpa anchored on the Alligator River.

June 22nd- Alligator River to Elizabeth City, NC

Due to the remoteness of the location the stargazing was amazing. Unfortunately due to the shear volume of insects the stargazing lasted about two minutes. Even covered with bug spray, they still swarm. Sometimes they just bounce off of you. I’d need a space suit if I was living out here. We were going to anchor again on the Alligator tonight but the insect population won. We have to exit this river.

With Catalpa still being swarmed by bugs, we went down the river and out on the Albemarle Sound. The breeze came up. The sail was unfurled. The bugs left. We had a great crossing. Next up, the Pasquotank River.

I guess this guy didn’t make it.

I kept watching the clouds build and get darker. Catalpa raced up the river toward Elizabeth City. Eventually we realized we weren’t going to make it. We furled the genoa and got out our foulies, lifelines, and life preservers.

When the first squall hit, Catalpa heeled way over from the wind (with no sails up). What a gust! The rain came down. Eventually the wind wasn’t as intense but the lightning made up for it. Riding a lightning rod, in the middle of a big river, during a storm, can be intense. We made it up to Elizabeth City and a wet, rattled, captain dropped the hook for the night. We had more storms but were protected this far up.

One more storm around sunset.

Sunset and a downpour.

June 23rd- Elizabeth City, NC to The Great Dismal Swamp, Douglas Landing, VA

Coffee, curry egg rollups, start the diesel, up anchor.

We had a quiet, peaceful, night. We started the day with the Elizabeth City bridge.

A few more of Elizabeth City.

An old railroad bridge.

Further up the Pasquotank. Into the jungle.

Notice the chair.

The admiral on watch. Scanning the jungle for wildlife.

The lock at Smith Mills. We are inside of it. It’ll raise Catalpa 6 feet. There is some knotweed but it’s nothing as compared to the fall journey.

Onward to The Great Dismal Swamp.

We crossed into Virginia.

On our southern migration we spent the night at the Dismal Swamp welcome center. We’d heard about Douglas Landing from another cruiser. We decided to tie up there for the evening.

Lynne and Ollie getting some exercise.

Catalpa docked at Douglas Landing.

June 17th- Beaufort NC to Burton Creek NC

The rain stopped. We made a breakout from Beaufort. We had planned on staying for two nights. This turned into six nights due to weather. Plans change.

Today’s travel consisted of a slow run up a canal and creek. The latter half of the day was a nice sail down the Neuse River.

Our evening anchorage was in Burton Creek. We stopped here on the way south. It’s protected from most wind directions and has a closed marina for bringing Ollie in to shore.

Oliver’s commando raid lived up to its name. Someone is living in the marina now. There have always been “no trespassing” signs. I just don’t read them. We pulled into the little boat ramp anyway. It’s in a corner, not near the house. I brought Ollie across the street so he could commune with nature. When we got back to the dinghy there was a male hound dog checking it out. Muddy foot prints in the boat. Ollie can be a bit of a loose cannon when surprised (Scottish heritage). I made friends with the hound, got Ollie in the boat, and high-tailed it out of there. The next day we found a patch of dry land along Burton Creek.

June 18th- Burton Creek to Belhaven NC (Pantego Creek)

We had a calm night and woke to a sea of glass. Next time I’m in the area I need to find a better option for landing Oliver. There is a lot of wooded coastline but it’s not easy finding an open/dry spot to land him.

Neuse River. A sea of glass.

We were excited about stopping at R.E. Mayo Seafood again. Their dock is along a canal near the town of Hobucken. It’s a commercial dock for shrimp boats. Docking at it is great practice as it’s very rough. Shrimp boats are steel, Catalpa is not. We eased our way in and secured to the pier. Our large fenders were put to use. Grouper for dinner. Shrimp tomorrow. Their seafood is flash frozen and vacuum sealed. I’d fill the freezer if we had one.

Some scenes from the RE Mayo docks.

Catalpa at RE Mayo docks.

We continued on the ICW path to Belhaven and anchored in Pantego Creek.

Sunset at Belhaven.

June 19th- Belhaven NC

Rain. Hopefully it stops soon. We planned on bringing Catalpa over to River Forest Marina for diesel and water. We also need propane, groceries, and dinghy fuel (gasoline). Belhaven has a good hardware store and we have a list. The forecast changes daily so we’ll just have to keep an eye to the sky.

June 16th- Beaufort, NC

Rain. Lots and lots of rain. It’s raining cats and dogs. Buckets of rain.

We’re still in Beaufort. The weather has been consistently bad. Someone suggested to me a while back that I try the Windy App on my phone. This app gives you local weather with a graphic interface that emphasizes wind speed and direction. This is important to anyone on the water. Another feature is local satellite weather that shows exactly where the rain clouds are and where they are going next. When the rain let’s up I start checking the radar for weather windows where we can dinghy to shore and stay reasonably dry. Today we got in for a few hours of land based recreation.

I feel like I’m living in a fish bowl.

For recreation, we’ve been catching rain water. The water comes off of the awning, goes down the string, and ends it’s journey in the bucket. I then filter it through a Brita pitcher. We’ve filled our water tanks.

Make the rain stop.

It’s been nine months since we’ve left Dartmouth on Catalpa. We haven’t slept on land in nine months. It’s been a great time. I checked the distances last night. Taking the inside route (ICW, bays, Long Island Sound, etc.), from New Bedford to Boot Key Harbor is 1850 miles (1608 nm). By the end of the trip we’ll have taken Catalpa 3700 miles.

There might be a break in the weather tomorrow.

June 14th- Beaufort, NC

There seems to be no end in site to the current weather system that is stalled over the area. There are enough breaks in the showers that we can get to shore for some exercise. We could have left today but tomorrow (Monday) looks even worse. I’m not sure about our next stop. One possibility was Oriental but I was told the harbor is small and there might not be much room to anchor. Most boats are not moving at the moment so that could pose a problem. There are many other anchoring options off of the Neuse River. The problem is Monday’s forecast is counting the rain in inches.

We’re anchored in a pretty good spot in Beaufort. We look like we’re going to ground out on Carrot Island but Catalpa is sitting pretty in 12′ of water. Boats keep coming into the harbor but no one anchors near us. The Beaufort municipal dinghy dock is near. I guess what I’m trying to say is that we seem to be in a pretty good spot to sit out some lousy weather.

We’ve been entertaining ourselves. Lynne has found a few stores that sell food items (and beer). The town docks have ice and water. Ollie has also been getting in some recreation. When the weather is like this we try to keep him as dry as possible since we’re all cooped up inside Catalpa. This morning I decided to bring him over to a beach and let him go swimming. I think he was smiling. Later we went over to the town docks for a fresh water bath (less smiling). The rain stopped for a while so he was able to dry. The Captain tries to keep everyone happy so there are no mutineers aboard.

That’s the news from Beaufort. The weather isn’t supposed to improve much until next weekend. We’ll likely leave before then if I see an opportunity. Belhaven is about 70 miles away. The Chesapeake is around 200 miles. We’ll spend a couple days in Belhaven when we get there then push on up to the Chesapeake Bay.

The harbor is filling up. I hope the wind doesn’t get bad. Due to the current, things can get ugly as the boats start swinging around. We experienced this last Halloween!

View off the back porch. Carrot Island is part of the Rachel Carson Reserve. There are wild horses on the islands.