The Traveling Begins

Finally Traveling South

After spending 5 days in Cambridge we finally left the Marina and really started our trip although Bill stated that he is going to miss having a Domino’s Pizza store so close by!

But the sun came out and off we went but not before Bill took a side trip to Wal-Mart to purchase an electric blanket for me. A friend on another boat found that you could run it off the boat battery and was I ever thankful. Although we had sun we still had very cool to cold nights.Even Simon knew enough to get warm.

It took 3 days to get to Norfolk,Virginia where Mile 0 starts the Intracoastal Waterway. Once again we had many boats going through the first (of many) opening bridges but it seemed always to work out without hostility. There were 8 sailboats and 8 powerboats in our group and we traveled with them throughout the day. We never usually see powerboats again but at times we run into boats that we saw days ago since we are all traveling on different schedules. Some go 50 miles a day and then maybe stop at a city to sightsee for a couple of days. We do the same thing so we often meet up with someone we met in another harbor days ago. There is a marked difference between this trip and our previous one. We are traveling with many more boats in a group. I think the weather held everyone up and when it was a good travel day many boats left at the same time.
We started out with 16 boats at the first bridge and today at the bridge in Wrightsville, NC there was a group of 10 boats who traveled about the same speed as well as our small group of about 5 who raced to through the bridges.

One reason I haven’t written earlier is the schedule our captain has set. Up before dawn, anchor up and off we go at first light. Yuck…..After boat handling, studying charts (maps), and trying not to find ourselves aground where there is no water under our keel we are exhausted. But not so exhausted that we can’t visit with our friends for the traditional cocktails before dinner.

Our stop at Oriental, NC was particularly lovely (unfortunately the weather wasn’t) since we were with friends and had a slip in the Oriental Harbor Marina with amenities such as free ice, showers with shampoo, towels and hair dryer in a calm, protected spot. And last night we were anchored off of Camp LeJeune (marines) where we were (I think) target practice for the marines learning how to fly exceptionally noisy helicopters. They flew overhead until about 9 pm well past our bedtime.

Speaking of nighttime - it’s 9:23 and I must get to bed so we can be alert for tomorrows journey. I have more photos but haven't figured out how to share them...

The Waiting Game

Hi everyone, it seems that this awful weather may be coming to a close and we are hopeful that Tuesday will be a traveling day. We haven't come far from Annapolis but have been staying at the Generation III Marina in Cambridge, Maryland. We are the only livaboards here but we have plenty of available services. There are restaurants, hardware stores, automotive shops, and groceries within walking distance. Of course, we had to walk in the rain with layers of warm clothing but it wasn't so bad. At an early walkabout we found a hair salon and I made an appointment to get a hair cut which led to a recommendation from Shannon to eat at 'Ocean Odyssey'.

Our friends Bill and Sherry came down and we thought it would be fun to go to the annual Crabtober Festival. Unfortunately it was pouring and the outside events were cancelled. However, there were authentic dress contests (photos will follow), lots of lederhosen, German food, beer and of course cooked crabs.The music was loud and the food did not look appetizing so we decided to go somewhere else for dinner. But first we had a CAR which resulted in stops at the Dollar Store and Wal Mart. According to the captain 'Interim' is topped off with everything needed for our trip -except for several more visits to the hardware store!!! We went to 'Ocean Odyssey' - good food at a reasonable cost and wonderful company . Tonight we are having pizza from Domino's Pizza just a short walk away (Bill is doing the walking - I'm keeping warm)and watching a movie.

We also lucked here in Cambridge when we noticed that Simon was doing a great deal of shivering. We understood that he needed to be covered when we were outside while traveling but he continued to shiver even when it was warm. Thanks to the internet I found the Choptank (the name of the river we are on) Animal Hospital in walking distance and they told us to bring him right over. The staff was wonderful. They checked him out and even though the doctor we saw looked like a teenager she gave him a complete workup. She took bloodwork and suggested that we might want his teeth cleaned but really couldn't find the cause of his shaking. Because the shaking might be due to some pain he was experiencing she gave us a pain medication to see what would happen. The receptionist gave us a lift back and picked Bill and Simon up the next morning to see the doctor who owned the practice. Once again they found him in the best of health and couldn't explain his shaking. I know Simon has been having some difficulty jumping up and off the furniture ( we even have purchased rugs to help him get securely on and off)and he demonstrated the shaking last year when the vet thought he had some pain in his neck. So after a few days of pain meds he seems OK. I can't explain how difficult it is to see him hurting - even Bill had a hard time. I am feeling positive that we might have solved this problem.

I hope the next installment will be filled with sunshine, warmth and the real start of our adventures south.

ANNAPOLIS

We are getting closer to the day when we will be leaving Annapolis on the second leg of our journey south. Bill and I are so very grateful to Tony and Bruce for making the trip from Mamaroneck to Annapolis in only 40 hours. Of course Simon was on board to stand watch as well. Annapolis, once again, has been a wonderful place to stop. We have had a variety of different weather systems come through but no matter how hard the wind blows during the day when we are ready to go to sleep the water is calm with absolutely no wind during the night. We have met new people and have met up with 'Dana' and 'My Whim'. Jim and Bonnie and Bill and Sherry may be traveling with us for part of the trip south. We've shared experiences that included a wonderful time at the naval academy before the Air Force vs. Navy football game. All 4000 + navy cadets in dress whites and in their platoons marched to the stadium while their band was playing "Anchors Aweigh". An awesome sight.
Bill decided that Sunday would be a good day to go to the top of the mast to install a light and antenna. We are so very lucky to have Jim and Bill(O'Malley) to help. I watched and took photos to keep me busy. Bill spent almost 3 hours doing the work and when he came down he slept about the same amount of time. Now we just have to see if they work when he installs the cable connections!!!
We went to the boat show on Friday, gorgeous and hot, hot. We know that won't last but it sure felt good.
During the boat show we met up with the Dan, Joli, Hank and Max , Franklin and Esther, Janet and Mike and Bruce. Thanks again to Bruce for helping us obtain more storage by taking home stuff we don't need (until we need it and won't have it).
It's Columbus Day and one of the chilliest yet.
Even Simon curled up under the covers. However it warms up a little during the day. We are all looking forward to finding the sun and the rum.