I Wasn't Made For Winter - Let's Go South

Beaufort    

When we left Beaufort on Tuesday morning, Crossroads was secured with every dock line and fender available. Our arrival in Richmond was planned for the warmest part of the day, but the snow was still there to greet us. A thin layer of powder covered the sheet of ice that was our driveway. We carefully brought our bags up the hill and unpacked as the house warmed. The deck and back yard get more sunshine, but were also still covered with snow.    

When we awoke Wednesday morning, we noticed that our rental had slid down the driveway. Oh, yes, welcome to winter in Virginia. At least we had unlimited water. Long hot showers and laundry were high on both of our lists. News then came that the Richmond area was under a boil advisory. With nowhere to go and nowhere to be, we settled in for the long haul. Both puzzles we received for Christmas were assembled and I watched Wicked more times than I can remember. I had grand plans to get up leaves and do some yard work. Thwarted, I will have to wait for spring for that cleanup. Friday evening we finally had reason to leave the house. We loaded up gifts and headed to my mom's house to celebrate our belated Christmas. When everything was combined it was apparent that it was going to be a long night.  

It was a good evening catching up with my brother-in-law Robbie, my sister Lisa, and my mom. By the time we got home, new snowfall had already covered the cul-de-sac. Saturday morning revealed a fresh blanket of white. 

The deck cap rail showed and additional three inches had fallen. The major excitement was watching the rental slide down the driveway ... again. Photos taken at 2:30, 4:30, and 5:30 tell the story. Once we got off our driveway, the roads were clear for another trip to my mom's. As we were packing up this morning, the weather report confirmed why we must head south. Sheets were changed, floors vacuumed, a final load of dishes washed and put away, water was turned off, and our bags were packed. 

News from our home marina arrived, noting that the creek had frozen over. Longing for any sign of color or hint of spring, I finally ventured out to the backyard. The camellias were blooming, but the birdbath was frozen over, and the rhododendrons were looking pitiful. The ring will be left for the peony to grow through before we get home.  

Overall, the backyard didn't look bad. It just looks incredibly better in the spring.  

The last cold weather task was to scrape the ice from the windshield. We pulled out of the driveway at 10:00 as Ozzy Osborne's Crazy Train fittingly played on the radio. We made a final quick stop at mom's before hitting 95 South. It was an easy trip back to Beaufort. I have come close to completing my primary task of purging photos from my phone. It has been fun walking down memory lane while trying to free up some memory so I can install the new software update. We stopped at Walmart for the usual perishables -- milk, bread, deli meat, fruit, and veggies. The full moon was rising over the Town Creek Marina office as we brought two full dock carts to Crossroads. She was in perfect shape and seemed to make it through the blow without issue. As I packed away our purchases, I watched through our starboard window as the sky turned orange. 

The sunset was simple and dramatic at the same time. The reflection in the pilot house window offered an interesting perspective. The orange glow of another beautiful Beaufort sunset remained for quite a while. It was nice to visit home, but its also nice to be back onboard. Now to check the weather and plan our escape from Beaufort to points further south.  

Ahhh ... This Is The Beaufort Weather I Remember

Beaufort    

What a difference a day makes. The Beaufort weather we became accustomed to last year arrived overnight. Although the temperature remained mild, the morning's cloud cover was thick, and the wind was increasing by the hour. I did my stretching between checking television reports of the winter storm's effects both here and at home. At 11:30 we left the boat to go meet our Uber driver who took us to pick up our rental car. The marina's palm tree that suggested warmth yesterday was telling a different tale today. While waiting for our car to be cleaned we checked in on the cameras at home. Ugghh. White is not a good look for my back yard. White was also the color of our rental which came with Oklahoma tags. With that plate, there is no chance that we'll blend in with the rest of the traffic between here and Richmond. 

We made a few stops along the way back to Crossroads. The first was at The Friendly Market to scout out possible purchases before we cast off from Beaufort. Oh, my. The selection of prepared foods and locally-sourced treats was incredible. We'll definitely be back in a few days. We also crossed the bridge over the ICW to revisit Atlantic Beach. The flags on the street lights were both wrapped around the poles and flying stiff, indicating a change of direction and intensity of the wind. It was no surprise that we pulled into a front row parking space at the community beach lot. Conditions were bad and deteriorating. I settled for a distant photo of the lifeguard station set against the rolling surf ...

and took the selfie in the parking lot. I'm hoping we'll also get to revisit this stretch of sand next week. The large flag at the traffic light gave its best effort to separate from the pole. Barry and I both noticed how the water had taken on an odd turquoise cast. The sunlight filtered by the heavy clouds was playing games with us.   

The walk to Crossroads was an adventure. Wind-driven chop splashed over the floating dock and the wind had its own idea for how my hood should be worn. I made sure Barry carried his favorite Spanish Wells hat to keep it secure. We added a few more dock lines and fenders then retreated onboard to await the arrival of the rain. The wind held steady at mid-20 knots all afternoon. The rain did come, moved out, and took some clouds with it. Taking advantage of the rental car, we went to dinner with Pat and Tom on Front Street. Our return walk down the dock at 7:30 required a bit more effort. Checking the instruments, the wind had indeed strengthened and changed direction (and the tide went out). The wind forecast combined with our experience from last year makes us a little wary. At the same time, we think we learned some lessons from That Dark and Stormy Night. We'll find out in the morning.

Now for the rest of the story ...

I alluded to a crazy period leading up to our departure from Deltaville last week. We picked up the rental car so we can drive home for a short visit. Yes, we know the route between Beaufort and Richmond very well. My mom went into the hospital just before Thanksgiving and was in rehab over Christmas. Now that she is home, we will return to share our belated Christmas with her, my sister, and brother-in-law. I will pause the blog until we return on Sunday evening. The long-range forecast looks promising for an opportunity to jump offshore and make quick progress south. Fingers crossed. 

I Love It When A Plan Comes Together

Beaufort    

The Plan was hatched in October at a Panera in Durham, NC. Over lunch, my friend Ellen and I realized there was a very good chance both of us would be in Beaufort on this very day. She and her husband Brian would be in the area on vacation when Barry and I arrived on Crossroads. I was so excited yesterday when we were able to put the final details together. Brian and Ellen picked us up this morning and we enjoyed catching up over brunch in Morehead City. Afterwards, they joined us aboard Crossroads for the nickel tour. The ceremonial selfie was taken on the docks under the bright sunshine of a beautiful afternoon. Following final goodbyes, Barry and I set out on a walk into Beaufort. The marina's palm tree set against the bright blue sky made it look like a warm summer day. Not quite. It was chilly, but not cold. There was a breeze, but it was not windy. Overall, we couldn't complain too much about the weather. A walk down Turner Street carried us over Town Creek and terminated at Taylor Creek. The "welome" sign also channeled thoughts of warmer days.

Along Front Street, however, signs of Christmas and winter were still all around. The town Christmas tree was positioned in a waterfront parking lot. The grand front porches of historic homes were even more beautiful with the addition of elegant holiday greenery. We spotted several camellias, but none were prettier than the one loaded with deep red blooms. Not far away, more mixed signals came from the presence of the flowering narcissus. Hurry up spring! At the end of Front Street we spotted Ellen and Brian's condo across the inlet on Radio Island. 

We continued our loop back along the boardwalk and admired the Beaufort mural as well as the boats on Taylor Creek. While much of what we saw was comfortably familiar, signs of development and further commercialization were also very apparent. 

I don't really want to think of Beaufort having a Margaritaville property. We love Beaufort for all of its quiet charm and natural beauty that can be seen from atop the Turner Street bridge.

Once back to Crossroads we could see Slip Away docked across the creek. It was good to know that Tom and Pat had made it in during high tide. As the sun continued its descent, the sport fishers behind us glowed in the warm sunlight. In contrast to yesterday's chop, this evening the water was still and cast perfect reflections. 

Back to the main event, the day closed in spectacular fashion. I'm still smiling while thinking about how our plan actually came together. It was a fortunate coincidence of time and place.

Back In Familiar Beaufort

Beaufort to Beaufort  |  1 Hour  |  5.5 Miles   

After five straight days of early departures and long days, things fell into place and we were able to take the morning off. First off, it was just plain cold. Ice had formed on the finger pier where the marina had left a hose dripping. The wind was still a concern, but was supposed to calm later in the day. High tide was to occur at 11:40. We only had to travel one hour to our next (and very familiar) destination of Town Creek Marina. We did make good use of those extra hours of free time. I was thankful for the opportunity to pull out the yoga mat and do some stretching. Barry and I both did a little straightening up and cleaning ... and dozed off while watching Wicked one more time. Barry called the marina and got our slip assignment then we had lunch. At noon we pulled straight out of our slip by the travelift and were on our way, following a shrimp boat toward Beaufort Inlet. The gulls and pelicans circled Crossroads thinking we were also a fishing boat loaded with treats. A few turns later we entered Town Creek where the familiar stiff Beaufort breeze blew us into our spot on the T-head. Cleaning continued through the afternoon and I even washed the salt spray from all of the windows.

We borrowed the marina's courtesy car and went to Front Street for dinner. I missed capturing the sunset under the bridge, but we returned in time to catch some of the evening's final glow. We're looking forward to brunch tomorrow with some dear friends. We will stay in Beaufort for a while before continuing our winter cruise. As of today, we have made it as far south as we did all of last year. Barry and I are both anxious to cast off and head out of Beaufort Inlet for points warmer and bluer. 

A Calm Day on the Neuse

Belhaven to Beaufort  |  8.5 Hours  |  52.8 Miles   

The quiet Belhaven anchorage provided us a peaceful and restful evening. Although the outside temperature was quite chilly, we were toasty inside and slept well. I was on deck as dawn broke. Thanks to increasing cloud cover, this morning's colors were the most vibrant we've seen on this trip. As expected, the anchor and chain were caked in mud and took some time to get cleaned up. My new snow pants kept me nice and warm (thank you, Santa). The good side of being on the bow is always having an unobstructed view of the sunrise. The feathery gray clouds added nice contrast to the solida orange at the horizon. 

Multiple species of waterfowl dotted our path through the Pungo River. The ducks didn't get much rest as they were either flying away from us or trying to avoid the hunters cleverly disguised in their blind, with decoys cast outward. We instinctively jumped every time we heard gunfire, not quite sure of the shooter's intended target or skill level.

Time passed quickly and soon we were cruising through Hobucken. The Coast Guard station was the first point of interest, although not interesting enough for me to go outside to take the photo. The resultant image was, however, more a comment on our salty windows that the two docked Coast Guard vessels. The reflection of the high rise bridge was interestingly distorted in our wake. Eight fishing boats were tied up along the entire length of the R.E. Mayo Seafood dock. 

It was an excellent travel day with very little wind and close to no waves. Pamlico Sound was enjoyed with a little warm sunshine, although the cloud cover was growing. The Neuse River was as docile as imaginable under thick clouds. We definitely lucked out with these conditions. The marine weather broadcast continually announced that gale warnings were in effect offshore for the entire state of North Carolina. 

We turned into Adams Creek and were greeted by several different pods of dolphin. At one point there were eight playing in our bow wave. We commented on houses we remembered from previous trips and on all the new construction taking place. Boat traffic of all sizes increased. We passed sailboats, and were passed by motor yachts, center consoles, and sport fishers. We held station for half an hour so a tug towing 1000-feet of dredge pipe could work its way through a bridge. Once clear of the tug, we arrived at Safe Harbor Jarrett Bay. Barry backed down the fairway into the same slip we occupied last year. We tied up and connected our electrical without assistance, so we tipped ourselves. High gusts are expected this evening, but we are well protected in the travelift basin. Something about this story is beginning to sound familiar ... 

Making Good Time

Coinjock to Belhaven  |  10.1 Hours  |  76.4 Miles   

The alarm sounded at 6:00 and we were feeling good about being on the deck at 6:30. We knew it was going to be a long day that would push the limits of daylight. Daggone it. Tom and Pat on Slip Away beat us off the dock. We said our "good mornings" across the water and watched as their beautiful 53-foot Selene passed by our position. It only took us about five minutes to free Crossroads from the dock and be on our way as well. Yesterday's gusty winds were gone and it was a calm and chilly morning. Without a cloud in the sky, there was no spectacular, awe-inspiring sunrise. Morning broke with a gentle glow-up that revealed dozens of cormorants floating in the reflections on the water's surface. 

The forecast for the Albemarle Sound was spot-on with wind from the west on our beam and two foot waves. The challenge for most of the day came from driving into the sun line. We were appreciative of the warming effect the sun created in the pilothouse, but were often frustrated from squinting and seeing spots. We found ourselves "battling" for the thin areas of shade provided by our windshield frames. It was welcome relief when we changed course even slightly. The wind and chop increased as we approached the Alligator River Bridge and we took a few sizable walls of water on the pilothouse windows. The bridge tender opened the swing span at the perfect moment, allowing us to pass right through. This bridge tender is historically the most accommodating on the ICW. Off to the side we could see the first pilings for the new high-rise bridge being built. It will replace this 65-year-old bridge that carries US 64 over the Alligator River, connecting the Outer Banks to the mainland.

After clearing the bridge we had one focus: pass Island Girl (a tug pushing a barge) before we reached the entrance to the narrow Alligator-Pungo Canal. Since we had a full load of diesel, Barry opened the throttle to about 90%. In deference to Space Balls, we joked that we had reached the "Ludicrous Speed" of 8.5 knots (approx 10 mph). We did in fact finally overtake the barge before entering the canal. We had an easy run right down the middle of the 21-mile long ditch. We exited with only a short distance to reach our destination of Belhaven. The sun was low in the sky, but not setting, as we dropped anchor in "our" spot. We had made good time. Tonight, the generator is running and pumping out the heat. It will be a chilly night and I'm already cold just thinking about bringing up the anchor in the morning. 

Note: Slip Away stayed out in front of us all day and pulled off into Dowry Creek Marina just shy of Belhaven. 

Finding Friends in Coinjock

Great Bridge to Coinjock  |  4.9 Hours  |  32 Miles   

Happy New Year, Everyone! We departed the courtesy dock in Chesapeake just as the sun rose over the trees. After a quick U-turn in front of the Great Bridge bridge, we had reached our first destination of the day -- the fuel dock at Atlantic Yacht Basin. Within 30 minutes we had topped off our tanks with 300 gallons of diesel and dropped our first B.O.A.T. Unit of 2025. The day was bright as we restarted and headed south down the ICW. Since today was a holiday, the Centerville Turnpike Bridge opened on demand as we approached.    

A short distance later we passed through the North Landing Bridge and had nothing but clear water in front of us for the rest of the day. We weaved our way through the quiet isolation of pine trees and wetland grasses without seeing another boat. Once in Currituck Sound the only boat we saw all day passed us (probably on its way to a fuel dock). This stretch of the ICW is very familiar to us. Without even looking at the chartbook, I now know that once we pass Marker 61 we have entered North Carolina. Again reinforcing the craziness of the past week, it was exactly one week ago that we crossed into North Carolina via Interstate 85 in our "sleigh" loaded with Christmas gifts. Today's winds were much stronger and we saw gusts to 30 knots as we crossed the Sound. Our stabilizers tamed the chop and we had a comfortable ride. The sound of gunfire echoeing across the water signaled that we were nearing Coinjock. We soon saw several camouflaged duck boats that charter out of Coinjock Marina. The landmark stump is a feature I always look forward to seeing. This year, it has the addition of a bird's nest in its upper branches. The flag in front of the Piney Island Lodge was showing the effects of the stiff breeze. Once in the cut, the wind diminished. I prepared the docklines and fenders as Barry brought Crossroads gently into the dock. Friends Pat and Tom welcomed us and helped tie us up. We took a short walk along the boardwalk and found the many poses of the decoys on the duck boats to be interesting.    

After a few hours of relaxing (and football watching) Barry decided he'd rather have Coinjock Marina's famous prime rib for dinner than the leftover chili and cornbread from last night. The sun was setting as the waxing crescent moon was doing the same. The combination of clear sky and the light wind made for a much cooler evening. Warm sunshine was still abundant in the restaurant, however, as Pat and Tom joined us for a beverage. It is always great to spend time with our Deltaville Selene friends. We will both depart tomorrow morning and cross the Albemarle Sound on our way further south.