EIDER 03-30-18

NEWPORT, RI

Left Port Jefferson at sunrise headed up Long Island Sound. Originally we planned to stop at Point Judith for the night but we had excellent favorable current and reasonable conditions so we carried on to Newport RI.  The last 2 to 3 hours were a bit rough but not too bad and the weather tomorrow looked much worse so glad we carried on.  I would not have liked to spend much time at Point Judith, thank you very much.  We put the anchor down in good light, always a plus.  Not much to take a photo of today- just water.  There was a large boat that looked like a car carrier coming out when we were headed up to Newport but it was getting dark.

We will take a break here for a week and then carry on.  There is snow in the forecast so good to slow down.  We have friends here and a marina nearby that actually has their moorings ready and it is reasonable.

Latitude/Longitude: N41°28.691' / W071°19.510'

EIDER 03-29-18

Port Washington

Latitude/Longitude: N40°57.982' / W073°05.994'

Today we motored up the East River through New York City.  This is a thrilling thing to do in your own boat and I was really looking forward to adding pictures.  Well, it was foggy and drizzly!  I did post photos on the trip south in the fall so am very happy we have done this trip through the city before or I would have been hugely disappointed.  When we cleared Hellgate , a section of the river that has to be done at slack tide as the current can reach 8 knots, it was still very foggy so we pulled into Port Washington to take a break and have lunch.  The fog lifted enough for us to carry on so we did and went into Port Jefferson for the night.  

EIDER 03-28-18 

 N40°35.063' / W074°00.352'

The Big Apple

We left Atlantic City this morning at first light to go offshore to NYC. We had light southerly winds and gentle ocean swell so a good trip. Arrived by 7pm - good current so in before dark. We are anchored off a beach on Coney Island with a great view of the Verrazano Bridge. There was a parade of 5 large ships going out the main channel as we came in from sea. Very fun to see them   

Anchor down near the Verrazano Bridge.

EIDER 03-27-18

Latitude/Longitude: N39°22.831' / W074°25.188'

Atlantic City anchorage

 The bridge that wouldn’t open

I always think we are going to hit

We woke up this morning still securely tied to someone’s dock. Looked like it belonged to Inlet Social and Athletic Club and not much of either of those activities happening.  Not that this gave us the right to tie up but we were desperate and usually one boater will always help another. We called the bridge referred to in the last post only to find out after calls to other bridges that they are not opening at all until April 1 unless you give a four hour notice. Well in four hours it would be dead low tide and we can fit under with the extra height provided by low tide. Problem was we would then be facing one of the worst sections of the NJICW at dead low.  STRESS and mud. So we waited until we could slide under the bridge and went to plan C. We went around the corner, anchored near the inlet and we will go out to sea tomorrow up to NYC harbor. No more shallow water and weather report looks good. Earlier today with the binoculars I could see someone surfing in the waves that break near all of these inlets - seriously.  Much less surf right now. A good sign. 

Susan Meyer

4 hrs ·

Although our adventures in boating are tamer these days they still occur. As you know, we missed the last bridge of the day and anchored just off the channel. Well we did notice that we were very slowly drifting around in very soft mud until we looked out , dark of course, and could see we were close to a big mud bank now visible at dead low tide. We figured by morning we might well DRIFT under said bridge. So we re-anchored kind of IN the channel and put on our deck lights to be more visible. No boats anyway. Holding was worse and driving more apparent. So we gave up, pulled the anchor and sashayed over to tie up to the pilings on this “nobody is using it now” dock and finally went to bed at midnight.

 EIDER 03-26-18

Said goodbye to our dock mates!

The New Jersey section of the ICW is much more intimate and much more shallow than its southern cousin. We plowed mud several times today. 

Ventnor City, NJ

Love this little bridge and yes we had to go through it. 

This morning we pulled away from our cozy spot at the Miss Chris Marina where we have been for a week waiting out bad weather. Cape May was pleasant and we were able to get propane and water topped up. Also a laundromat and hair salon were nearby.
We reluctantly decided to head up the New Jersey ICW which we have said twice that we would never do again - haha. We plowed mud a few times and we missed that this bridge nearby closed at 3pm for the night . We arrived at 4.  This changes April 1 so guess we really are traveling early. So we poked around and found a spot off the channel to drop an anchor and will carry on tomorrow. Gotta do your homework.
Latitude/Longitude: N39°22.519' / W074°27.392'

Susan Meyer added 3 new photos.

1 hr. ·

We are still in Cape May, NJ. Walked to the beach and town today. Touristy but nice. I wanted photos of all the pretty gingerbread houses but my phone died!

EIDER 03-19-18

N38°57.015' / W074°54.482'

Cape May, NJ

 Had a very pleasant ride down Delaware Bay. We had originally thought we would anchor in Wildwood  but after reading the weather report decided to find a marina. Not much open but we found this gem. Caters to fishing boats and seasonal tour boats so not at all fancy. Perfect. Also tucked way up a creek so totally protected from this round of ugly weather. Plus we can walk to everything here in Cape May. Will just need to bundle up!!

This is our home for quite a few days. Gotta love it. No showers or laundry but open ( many marinas are closed now) , cheaper than others and very protected .

Susan Meyer Sure wish the Atlantic was this calm! The offshore report is crazy and the weather is going to be horrible for days. We are actually going to stay in a marina in Cape May instead of anchoring in Wildwood.

EIDER 03-18-18

N39°31.566' / W075°48.539'

Put the anchor down last night at 10:30pm in Chesapeake City, MD.  Would have liked to stay a day in this very attractive small town but the weather is favorable for a run down Delaware Bay.  It will be great to have that behind us as it can be a bear. The trip from the Solomons started out rougher than expected so we had actually turned back but conditions moderated and we did a second u-turn to head back up towards Annapolis.  By the time we went under the Bay bridges it was calm .  It was an experience when we got to the large ship channel that leads to the C and D Canal.  We saw 6 large tubs , 2 moving the largest barges we have seen.  It was dark at that point and they pass us very close which makes it all loom bigger.  One tug had a barge piled high with ship containers.  I wondered if they were salvaged .  During the first of the recent series of winter storms s freighter lost 70 containers overboard off the coast of North Carolina.  It is like a millpond in here so a very comfy night at anchor.

03-19-18

Dawn in Chesapeake City

 Leaving Chesapeake City, MD on the C and D canal.

Headed down Delaware Bay to Cape May where we will wait out the next winter ‘event’

EIDER 03-17-18

Solomon Islands

N38°19.262' / W076°27.286'

Hi Jim,  we left early this morning and with calm seas, favorable currents and not much wind and we had our longest day to date.  90 miles.  We anchored at sunset in the Solomon Islands in Chesapeake Bay. Quiet day so nothing to report really.  

03-18-18

Moving dirt! 

This is our chart plotter near Annapolis. Eider is on the center line. The dark triangles off to the right are freighters.  Some are moving and some at anchor waiting to go to Baltimore.

EIDER 03-16-18 

Point Comfort, VA

Hi Jim, yesterday afternoon and this morning showing signs of spring but think this will not last!

We do have what looks like a 3 day window so we will head up Chesapeake Bay and hope to go across the C and D canal to Chesapeake City by Monday to wait there for a chance to go down Delaware  Bay.  It is looking like more bad weather coming by Tuesday. We left the comfort of the city dock and moved over to this Anchorage near the mouth of Chesapeake Bay for an early start tomorrow.  It was calm when we left but quite a rough ride over.  Anchorage is fine however.  Chicken .Alfredo for dinner.  We were traveling with a tanker, a war ship, several tugs and a tour boat on the short trip over here but just too rough to go below and get the camera!!! Getting wimpy I think. Happy St. Patrick's Day to you all. 

EIDER 03-13-18

Sunrise in Norfolk, VA

03-16-18

This is a Light Ship used by the US Lighthouse Service. It would have been anchored in a strategic spot to guide ships at sea away from danger. They were manned and one could be stationed there for several months through all kinds of storms. Just cannot imagine it. At least with a lighthouse assignment you would be on some kind of land. 

EIDER 03-11-18 PORTSMOUTH, VA

Latitude/Longitude: N36°50.299' / W076°17.765'

Hi Jim, we are at the town dock in Portsmouth, VA.  Think I forgot to send this yesterday.  We had to wait for an hour for a train bridge to open but still got here before noon.  It is rainy and cold - predicted to be 38 degrees tomorrow- so no photos yet.  This is a very busy port so our main source of entertainment is watching the ferries, tugs and barges go by from the comfort of our cozy cabin on Eider.  Most boats have to go to a marina and plug in to have heat so we are fortunate.

03-12-18

It is actually snowing. I think we are in the south and it is almost spring???

Snowing in Portsmouth, VA. There is actually enough snow on our very slippery deck for a snowball fight

Tonight

                           

Snow before midnight, then a chance of snow showers, mainly between midnight and 2am. Low around 33. Northwest wind around 17 mph, with gusts as high as 26 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80%. Total nighttime snow accumulation of less than one inch possible.

STAY SAFE UP THERE! Jim

EIDER 03-10-18 GREAT BRIDGE, VA

 N36°43.229' / W076°14.244'

 Cormorant Klatch

 

This was much prettier than the photo suggests. Tall grass and calm water.

0063 Hi Jim, we headed out early this morning just to get moving.  The predicted westerly wind was actually an easterly so we bounced a bit at anchor.  We crossed Albermarle Sound which can be bad but it was tolerable.  Then back into the protected waters of the ICW.  We stopped to fuel up and are now at a free dock in Great Bridge, Va.  We will go through the lock tomorrow morning and then a short run to Portsmouth, Va.  I suspect we will be there for almost a week waiting for these cold temps and north winds to moderate.  We knew it would be chilly but did not expect it to be so quite so cold.  There is actually snow predicted in the Chesapeake for Tuesday and night time temps in Portsmouth in the high 20's.  We could not do this without our espar heater.  Thank you Captain Paul. 

A very Happy Birthday to your wife and friend, Pattie.  S

EIDER 03-09-18

Latitude/Longitude: N35°54.670' / W076°00.694'

0062 hi Jim, well we made it through the bridge (see previous post!) about 6:20pm. Fortunately there is an acceptable place to anchor just north of the bridge and the conditions have moderated considerably.  So time for a beer and a late supper.  Some of the other boats were getting pretty antsy but we have anchored on the dark many times so all is well here on Eider.

It is cold but Captain Paul installed a diesel heater three years ago so we are cozy.

So we arrived at the Alligator River Swing Bridge at 3pm only to discover it is only opening at 12pm and 6pm. So here we are with other boats anchored and waiting. One sailboat is just wandering around??! Fortunately there is an anchorage just after the bridge so we can anchor just at sunset. Other good news is that March 14- 20 they are closed altogether so we are early enough to get through.

EIDER 03-08-18

BELHAVEN, NC

N35°26.836' / W076°35.608'

0035 We left Oriental after lunch so that we could go across the Pamlico River before strong West winds arrive tomorrow. It was choppy manageable. Anchorage tonight just a spot off the waterway. Very pleasant. We had a great time in Oriental. The folks who live there are very friendly and interested in whoever lands on their docks. A photographer/writer for their online paper, Shipping News, came by yesterday. She took lots of photos and asked lots of questions. We will be featured in the ‘paper’ next week. Weather is mice but cool

 

The sailboat on the dock with us left today. The young man at the helm is a member of the NC State sailing team

Later on the day when we left Oriental we saw our ‘neighbor’ 

Pulled into R.E. Mayo to buy shrimp

EIDER 03-07-18

Oriental, NC Town Dock

http://towndock.net/harborcam

EIDER 03-06-18

ORIENT, NC

Latitude/Longitude: N35°01.485' / W076°41.730'

0145 Hi Jim,  we left Mile Hammock early this morning - wanted to make the 7am opening of the Onslow Beach swing-bridge.  We planned a fuel stop at Swansboro but when we got there they said they were out of diesel! That was a surprise.  So we carried on and had a pleasant run to Oriental.  We're able to get a spot at the town dock.  We love it here so are happy to be right in the center of things.  Oriental has a webcam so you either Google harbor cam, Oriental NC or you can go to town dock.net and click on harbor cam. You will see Eider at the town dock.  If you click on the photo and then scroll, it provides a few different shots of the boat.  Fun.

Passed this freighter at a dock on Moorehead City and wondered what the cargo was.   As we got closer we realized it was carrying windmill blades. They are massive.

http://towndock.net/harborcam

I scrolled to the right and saw you at the dock. Looks cozy!

I had to copy & past this link to my browser to find Eider.

EIDER 03-05-18

MILE HAMMOCK BAY

N34°33.069' / W077°19.489'

0034 Anchored tonight in Mile Hammock Bay. This is an anchorage attached to Camp Lejeune. You are not allowed to go ashore and there is always the possibility you will be asked to leave in the night!  Think this is rare. It is peaceful and worth the risk. We started early , 6:30am to transit the Cape Fear River with good current and before the wind came up. Worked!!  We also had to time three bridges that are on a schedule and that we have to ask for an opening. Then we were boarded by the Coast Guard for an inspection. So all in all an interesting day. Cheers 

Mile Hammock Bay Near Swansboro, NC

Our passage up the Cape Fear River was calmer than expected. We had favorable current and not too much wind against it

Boarded by the Coast Guard today near Wrightsville Beach for a routine inspection. Pleasant experience actually. This is the first time in the USA. We were boarded by the Coast Guard in St. Kitts in the Caribbean when we were there on Sereno .  Have, of course, had customs and immigration aboard many times over the years  .

We see many miles of beautiful homes when traveling on the ICW. This one is a personal favorite and always brings a smile to my face. We noticed they were adding a small section and also noticed a man on top of the little lighthouse, maybe a new roof. Gotta love the color!!!