Albemarle Sound 2013

Friday, September 20 - Tuckahoe Anchorage

We left Jordan Creek at 9:15, motoring. We were behind a barge at Belhaven which was going about as fast as we were, so there was no getting around him. We made Wilkerson Bridge at 12:00, and passed the barge in the cut 40 minutes later. Not many boats traveling today: 2 barges, 2 sail, 2 power boats. We arrived at the end of the Alligator Cut and at Tuckahoe Point anchorage at 3:30. We dropped the anchor at 40.477 N and 05.983 W, just past the tree at the end of the point. Lots of crab pots to avoid here. Only one other boat came in after us and he anchored close to the channel. He appeared to be single handing his sailboat. Weather is pleasant and not at all buggy, the advantage of traveling in the fall. I had roasted a chicken and bought some potato salad before we left, so supper was an easy fix. From the cockpit, we watched the moon rise red over the water. Bob and Sue, and dogs Norman and Sophie, are settled in at Alligator River Marina after their long run from our dock.

Saturday, September 21 - Columbia

We are up and into the channel by 7:30. Anchor came up easily. We found the water to be consistently deeper than the gps chart showed. Lowest was 8 ft., and a lot of 12 ft. This was good because I came a little too close to the point as I was finding my way through the crab pots with the sun in my eyes. Still 5 ft. Whew!

After going through the Alligator River bridge by 10:30, we made our way into the marina to get some fuel. It was $3.70 a gallon. We got 15 gallons since we would be motoring more than we wanted to, and headed to the Sound. We had some rain and then a few sprinkles, so we kept the raincoats close by. We were able to sail once we were closer to Bull Bay. We cut across the danger area and sailed at 5 kn for about an hour and a half, until about 3:30. We figured we had better get on to the Scuppernong River, so we started the engine and got to the first green around 5:00. We heard from Sue that the dock was full so we rafted up Ceibo to Colleen Mae around 6:00. We were tired, so it was good to be invited to Colleen Mae for Sue's delicious brunswick stew for supper. We walked around the little town of Columbia to get some exercise before turning in for the night. We were pleased to find that they have a shower facility for cruisers. A hot shower before bed made us happy sailors.

Sunday, September 22 - Edenton

The engine wouldn't turn over this morning so we walked Ceibo to a spot in front of Colleen Mae where a small boat had been the night before. Turns out it was an easy fix so we headed out the Scuppernong River in a morning mist and light rain. Colleen Mae motored past us, and we were out in the bay around 11:30.

The wind was behind us so we sailed the Sound to Edenton Bay, where the wind had changed to the North. We motored in and got there about 4:00. We docked in slip 5, after calling the marina on the phone due to their not answering the radio. Sue had already responded to our hail and told us where to dock. Colleen Mae was on the end of the dock because there was a boat in the slip that Sue had requested. Seems one of the local politicians had told the owner that he could stay as long as he liked, causing a headache for the dock master. A power cruiser was tied up to the breakwall. He seemed to be quite self-sufficient with his solar panels, but we wondered why he didn't try to go into a slip. I set up the iPad in the cockpit to stream America's Cup and Bob came over and watched one of the races with us, then the app crashed. We watched the sunset with S&B. Comfortable weather for sleeping. Free wifi in Edenton, no pass code and easily picked up on the dock. Bathroom code still the same as 2 years ago.

Monday, September 23 - Edenton

I woke up early to the sound of ducks and seagulls. Sue and Bob fixed a big breakfast, then we walked around downtown. We stopped in several gift shops and bought a few things. Elaine and Mike McClure drove over for lunch with us at Bistro 309. Everything was good, and so much food that we had leftovers for supper. The sun came in and out, and it was breezy but comfortable weather.  Sue took Elaine shopping at the hardware store gift shop and we toured the Barker House, the historic home on the waterfront that was built in in 1782. Penelope Barker organized the Edenton Tea Party in 1774 in protest of British taxation. The house has a beautiful parlor and furnishings. Its porches look out over Edenton Bay. The house was originally located 2 blocks off the water but was moved to its current location in 1952 and restored. The Edenton Historical Commission is now located in the house. The boat owner who overstayed in the slip Sue reserved came to move his boat but his battery needed charging. At first he did not realize that the dock power was not working, so he could not leave until later in the day. The boat is a classic wooden boat, a 1929 Richardson. He left later in the day. That afternoon, we rode our Mobikeys around the historic district and out to the Food Lion, a pretty good ride in the traffic. We weren't real sure where it was so we went out busy Broad St. Coming back we cut over past Walgreen's and returned to the waterfront on a residential street with restored homes. We had planned to stop in the wine shop but he was closing. We were setting up the chairs to sit on the dock and have a few beers when the fire chief and police chief came to visit us. They were in a council meeting nearby and had been asked to leave when the council went into closed session so they hung out with us awhile. Soon after, Madison Phillips, the volunteer keeper of the lighthouse, came by to see if we wanted to go inside. He agreed to meet us at 8 am for our personal tour. The historic lighthouse is located just inside the breakwater and we had been looking at it since we had arrived, wishing it was open.

Tuesday, September 24 - Edenton and Columbia

We toured the lighthouse, which is not yet restored inside. It is believed to be the last remaining square screw-pile lighthouse in the world. It was commissioned in 1886 and sat in the Albemarle Sound at the entrance to the Roanoke River near Plymouth. It was one of 15 screw-pile lighthouses in NC. Decommissioned in 1941, it was vacant until Emmett Wiggins bought the lighthouse and transported it to Edenton. He lived in the house until his death in 1995. The Fresnel lens is gone, as is the bell, and the house needs a lot of repairs, but it is in remarkably good shape for being so old. It is quite sturdily built. They are currently seeking bids for its renovation. We returned to the dock to prepare to leave. We helped the power boater move into the slip vacated by the classic boat. Colleen Mae came around to the pump out station, where she drew an audience because she is quite large to be coming in that close to shore. She had been getting all the attention the whole time we were there as she is a magnificent looking Shannon ketch, and larger than most boats that dock there. Sue and Bob headed out, then we left around 11:30. The chatty power boater helped us with our dock lines when we left. He was from Maryland and glad to have David to talk to. We had no wind, so we had to motor all the way down the sound to Columbia. We were inside the markers by 2:45 and rafted up by 3:30. Once again the dock was full, so we had to double up. We all went to Mike's Restaurant and ate really good Chinese food.

Wednesday, September 25 - Tuckahoe Point

Ceibo headed out of Columbia at 7:30 and passed the last green at 8:30. Albemarle Sound was smooth as glass. Seems it is all or nothing here. Last trip too much wind, this trip, not enough. We got to Alligator River Marina at 12:45 and fueled up. The dock attendant said things were picking up, but it would be another week or so before the many snowbirds would be coming down the ICW. We were pleased to find that diesel was now $3.60, 10 cents cheaper than just a few days ago. We got 25 gallons, and headed south on the Alligator River. We didn't have a lot to do while motoring so David tried to see if he could get the autohelm to work. It wouldn't, but it did show depth. Since our depth finder has become increasingly hard to see, I was ecstatic. Sure makes my life easier, as I am the one navigating the skinny waters of anchorages while David manages the anchor.

I called Melinda and found that she had spent the night anchored in the Little Alligator River and was planning to anchor before the cut, as we were. She was on her way home from her big adventure in the Chesapeake Bay. She anchored opposite Deep Point because she thought Tuckahoe might be too rough in the northeast wind. She attracted some company - 2 sails and a power. We went on a little further to Tuckahoe and anchored close the same spot as last time, 40. 400 n, and 05.907 w, 8.8 ft. of water. We were anchored by 4:13 and ate leftover moo shi pork for supper. Not doing much cooking on this trip! We enjoyed the quiet evening and were glad we didn't stop at the other anchorage where we would have had other boats close by. Most cruisers are very social people, which is a good thing most of the time, but when we are in a natural and beautiful place like the Alligator River Refuge, we prefer to savor the peacefulness.

Thursday, September 26 - Jordan Creek

We enjoyed our coffee the next morning as we watched the boats from Deep Point head out for the cut, then we fell in behind them. We left around 9:00 and entered the cut about 30 minutes later. We hadn't been traveling long when we spied Colleen Mae in the binoculars. They had left ARM 7ish and were already catching up to us. We motored through the cut and got out of it around 1:00.

Wind! Sail time! We put up the sails and had a lovely sail home.

Coming out of the cut, but too far for me to get a photo, was a 1938 Trumpy. I got the binocs and saw her heading into Belhaven. We heard the captain on the radio calling Belhaven Waterway Marina. Her name is Sea Tabby, web site: http://www.toddmichaelglaser.com/seatabby/. (I googled her as soon as I got home.) This is our second classic yacht sighting of the season. There isn't much about the Alligator River Cut that would make you want to own waterfront property there, but it would be a great place to watch boats of all kinds traveling the ICW. It would be something to see yachts like Sea Tabby or Honey Fitz from your rocking chair, not through binoculars. Had I thought of it, I would have detoured up to Belhaven on the way home to see her at the marina.

We got in around 4:00, and docked pretty easily considering that the wind had really picked up. Melinda and Bob and Sue were already enjoying a reunion drink, but we decided to unload before we started drinking. It took us a long time even though I had packed things up while David motored through the cut. Note to self: Don't take so much food!!!

We had a really good time in spite of not getting to sail very much. Bob and Sue were great to travel with, and their company made the trip even better.

River Dunes with River Rats, August 2013

Thursday, August 15

We left Jordan Creek in the rain, attempting to sail in light wind. After 2 hours to the PR Marker, we finally picked up some wind so we headed around by the bombing range instead of taking the Hobucken Cut. Rain picked up but sailing was good. Love the new canvas, but could have used a gutter today! We arrived at Broad Creek and dropped the anchor at our usual spot, this time in 9 ft. of water. Lots of small fishing boats zipping around, speeding by in the dark of the early evening. No rain and a pleasantly cool evening at anchor.

Friday, August 16

We spent a leisurely morning before heading into River Dunes around 11:00. The weather was cloudy but comfortable. We docked on the tee and headed to the clubhouse for some coffee and to check in. The new dock master, Rich, was friendly and welcoming. We washed the boat, not what we had planned, but once we got started we kept at it. Afterwards, we headed for the luxurious showers. Rats started arriving, first Intimate, with Sandy and Landy and Gary and Debbie, then Tryumph with Ken and Amy, and Greg and Anna, then Tryumph II with Jeff and Pam. We enjoyed drinks and hors d'oeuvres on the dock.

Saturday, August 17

We borrowed bikes from River Dunes and rode around most of the development. We noted that many of the new houses were much smaller than the original ones. We had a really good lunch in the clubhouse - huge sandwiches. Still cloudy but warm, so we went to the pool where all of us spent most of the day. We tried out stand up paddle boards, with Jeff. They were not easy to turn, and they were too slow for us kayakers. As Jeff said, cross that off the bucket list. The Rats gathered at the pool and Ted and Donna and Sue and Bob arrived later. That evening we dined together at the club.



Sunday, August 18

Time to head home. Beautiful day and wind to sail, although not as good wind as trip down. Soon after Maw Pt. we saw the Honey Fitz on the Bay River. She is a former Presidential Yacht, first used as a tender to a bigger yacht by Roosevelt and Truman, then all presidents used her until Nixon sold her. JFK, who used her the most, named her after his grandfather. She is now privately owned and used for charters. We were leaving the cut at the Pamlico River when we saw Jeff and Kay on Argonaut heading south. Wish they had been able to join us for the weekend. We had such a fun time together and River Dunes treats us so well, and all for a $1 a foot.

Ceibo Gets New Canvas, Fall 2012

 Ceibo at River Dunes, awaiting her first visit from Dave at Custom Canvas.

At Washington, getting her new dodger and her bimini frame.

Ceibo back at her home on Jordan Creek with all new canvas

Cape Lookout 2013

Sunday, June 23

9:00 - Left Jordan Creek, motoring with wind from the south. Lots of sailboats on the Pungo, traveling together and chattering on the radio.

The Neuse

Maw Point - motoring with mainsail up and a thunderstorm hits. Another storm at Piney Point, unable to sail so motored to Cockle Pt. then sailed under thick gray clouds. 4:00 - Garbacon Marker, doing 5 to 6 kn under sail when we were whacked by another storm close to the Adams Creek marker. We could barely see and control the boat. Saw 2 large, classic-looking yachts coming out together, then the Potash barge. Rain stopped, several shrimpers were working in the cut. We anchored at Cedar Creek by 5:30, among the crab pots and a little further in than last time, past my yellow sign, at 34.55.95 N and 76.38.67 W, in 6.8 feet of water.  It was pleasantly quiet, the sky was clear and the moon bright. 

Monday, June 24

7:00 - Raining. Brief break in rain so David decided to leave immediately, around 8:00. We fall in behind a shrimper.  Heavy rain begins. I can barely see so I try to keep him in sight to lead me. Another shrimper behind me. It clears a bit when we get to the Newport River, but radar shows more storms so we decide to anchor in Town Creek rather than try to make it out of the inlet on the wrong tide. We drive around looking for a spot among the abandoned boats and scruffy looking liveaboards. We come back out to the front side of the marina but decide it is too deep so we head to the back again and anchor close to the public dinghy dock next to the boat ramp. By now it is only 12:30. At 34.43.49n and 76.39.17 w. We start with 7 ft. of water but it drops to 5 by low tide. Abandoned boats become beached, and one that was almost sunk appears. Next to us is a pontoon boat full of junk and covered with a tarp. We watch the goings on for the afternoon, and met 3 young guys, who we named the Ambassadors of Town Creek because they were very friendly and went from boat to boat, and knew the deal on every boat there. They welcomed us to the anchorage and told us they had bought a big sailboat on salvage and were cleaning it up. That explained the pile of plastic bags on the deck. We watched them repeatedly pull on their dinghy motor, each taking turns. They finally got it going and when we met them they told us it was a 1972 motor. We saw a shrimp boat pull up by scruffy looking liveaboard's boat with a fleabitten dog, and pick up the owner and a woman who had been dropped off there by a couple of liveaboards from another boat. Quite a few characters in this anchorage made for an entertaining afternoon of people watching. The fridge had knocked off again so we grilled the chicken.  I had my first hot shower since we got the boat and washed dishes with hot water. Finally, the water heater had been installed. We talked to Nelson and Ondra who were on their way down Adams Creek from New Bern. They planned to dock in Morehead City and go to Lookout early in the morning, too.

Tuesday, June 25

5:45 - Up so we can make the bridge opening at 6:30. Next opening won’t be until 8:00 and we need to make the tide for going out of the inlet. I managed to find a shallow spot and bumped ground on the way out of Beaufort. It is a twisty and confusing channel. Note: Get over to the wall, even though you think you shouldn't. At the same time, we saw a sailboat very much aground on Shackleford Banks, just outside the channel. The inlet was choppy and rolling. There was a dredge boat to port, and we heard that marker 12 was out of place from a dive boat passing the other side of it. By then, we were already going around it with another sailboat. We left the channel before 8:00 and were at the Bight at 9:15. Nelson caught up with us and we followed him in and anchored behind him at 34.37.313 and 73.32.969 in 22 ft. of water. The weather was beautiful but windy. Nelson, Ondra and Jackson dinghyed over and invited us to Last Boat for cocktails. I napped after lunch and David got the dinghy ready. We went to the beach and walked, then came back to the Bight for a swim before going to Last Boat. We saw a turtle pass in front of our dinghy. Another couple who are also at Blackbeard’s Yacht Club were there also. Their boat is Dragonfly. Ondra and I caught up with Rat news and her family news. Jackson entertained himself well and also told me about Lizard Fish and showed me photos on the iPad. We went to bed fairly early, but the wind was strong and waves banged the hull. The wind died down and the sky cleared not too long after. Our new bed sleeps really well, and it is so much easier to lift to make it up. 

Wednesday, June 26

View from the  Cape Lookout Lighthouse

8:00 - Up and fixing the fridge, running the generator and getting packed up to go to the lighthouse. When we left the dinghy by the docks, there were no other boats, except for a ferry full of kids from a science camp. David climbed the lighthouse at 10:45 and took photos while I waited at the Keeper’s house. It was getting hot and the beach was crowded so we drove the dinghy along the shore to the beach access. We had to dodge a bunch of kids playing in the water to get the dinghy going and get on our way. We saw Nelson’s dinghy at the beach access so we went over to join them, but they left because Jackson was fussy. We ate lunch and I fed a skimmer who was quite good at catching food on the fly. We went back to the Bight to swim because of rip currents in the ocean. We looked at the weather report and decided to pack it in and head home Thursday as the wind was increasing and so was the chance of thunderstorms. David cleaned the hull from the dinghy, Nelson came by for a visit, then we took the dinghy apart and prepared to leave the next day. We counted 9 sailboats, a houseboat and the Coast Guard in the Bight for the night.

Me Waving from the Keeper's House

Thursday, June 27

Us, Nelson and other Blackbeard Marina boat, Freedom, left early, all out by 8:15. The windlass worked, didn’t work, and David had to pull the anchor up in 22 kn wind. It was in good. Last Boat was first out, then us, then Freedom who had tried to rouse Dragonfly with an air horn, but no activity from them. Freedom came around us and sailed closer to shore than we are comfortable with. Ocean was a roller coaster ride. We entered Beaufort Inlet at marker #10 on a rising tide. We made 9.2 kn surfing the ocean with a reefed main and motoring. We continued with the tide up the Newport River and Adams Creek Cut. The other 2 boats were well ahead of us so they had to deal with the Potash barge and rain. We did 7 kn up the cut, motoring at 1500 rpm and with the main up. Wind was behind us. We sailed the entire Neuse on a broad reach and made 7 kn. We turned into the Bay River and the wind kicked up to 22, gusting to 27. We saw a storm over Gale Creek so we headed to Bonner Bay to anchor. Big flies plagued us, making it hard for me to concentrate on steering the boat through some thin water. We headed to Spring Creek where the entry is very narrow but deep enough. We anchored in 7 ft. of water by 5:10 at 08.487 and 35.766, just before the turn where we could see a house on the opposite shore. The flies seem to leave when we stopped. We had light rain and a pleasant breeze. Very quiet. We both felt icky, salty, and windblown so we showered and felt better. Wanted so badly to go for a swim but the circling jellyfish made me come back up the ladder. We were tired and ate then went to bed. We had a thunderstorm in the night and had to close the hatch. Other than that, we had no rain all day in spite of it being all around us.

Friday, June 27

8:45 - Up and out of the creek by 9:00. We passed a couple of men fishing from a boat as we motored out. We entered Gale Creek by 9:30 and it took us about an hour and a half to get out into the Pamlico. We were lucky to be just ahead of a bad storm on the south side of the river. The C.G. came on the radio and warned of bad weather on the Pamlico Sound. We sailed back to the Creek and got in around 1:30. We spent the rest of the afternoon unloading and cleaning the boat.

Albemarle 2011

Sunday, October 2 - Tuckahoe

Up at 6:15, left Jordan Creek at 8:15. Winds 10-15. Made Wilkinson Bridge by 11:30 sailing in light winds. Started motoring at 3:40, around MM 110. Anchored at Tuckahoe Point by 4:40.  2 sailboats and a trawler were anchored further in, we were just before the point in 8 ft. of water. Windy and cool evening. Soon after dark a long dredge came by with pipes and living quarters attached. Eerie to see their lights pass so close to us.

Monday, October 3 - Columbia

Up at day break, anchor up at 7:25. Low sun in my eyes, moving slowly due to poor visibility. Through the Alligator River Bridge and sailing by 9:45. Wind on the sound starts off at 15 but builds to 24 by 1:30. Tacking all day, also dodging crab pots which are hard to see in the chop. Cold and windy, waves over the bow and occasional wave in the cockpit. Sun in and out of clouds. Bob Dawson calls to tell us that his engine won't start so he can't leave the dock, and that Nelson and Ondra hit something in the Alligator Cut on the way, and Ondra fell down into the cabin and needed medical care. We get to Bull Bay and the channel into the Scuppernong River late in the day. Water gets shallow here, you have to stay close to the markers. The river is secluded and pretty, wide in spots, and cypress trees on the banks. We could not get a spot at the dock in Columbia so we anchored behind red #10. By now it was almost dark. We were so tired after fighting the Albemarle  that we were in bed by 8:30. It was a calm night, very quiet except for barking dog in the distance.
Columbia Navigation:  Steer to the left of the big tower. Channel is to the right of the house with the red roof.

Tuesday, October 4 - Edenton

Up at 8:00, anchor up at 9:45, nice and clean. We were out to the point at Bull Bay and turning towards Edenton at 11:40. Amy called to check on us after hearing about the problems the other two boats were having. Got to the bridge at 1:30. Less wind and waves, but gusting to 20 and choppy, wind on our nose. After much tacking, finally got to Edenton Bay. We followed the channel to the breakwater, went left and turned back to go behind the breakwater. We had a good slip with a wide dock. We were unable to raise the centerboard. We were settled in by 4:45, and tired after another day battling the Albemarle. We ate spaghetti on the boat.  The dockmaster was welcoming and friendly. We were the only ones staying on the dock so it was quiet. We had a nice hot shower and walked around downtown before settling in for the night. The city wifi did not work but I was able to get on the office supply store's wifi.

Wednesday, October 5

We ate breakfast at a cafe that looked like it would have a better breakfast than it did. The coffee was good. The weather was nice, sunny and breezy. We rode our Mobikeys around the historic district and over as far as Walgreens. We asked someone at the office supply store named Kermit where we would find a travel lift. We rode the bikes out to a marina, but no one was around and it didn't look like the travel lift was used much. We stopped at the hardware store to see if there might be something we could use to get the centerboard up. Everywhere we went people were interested in our Mobikeys. The woman at the office supply said she had seen us earlier on our "funky little bikes." We spent the rest of the day trying to get the cb up. We had a good supper at Bistro 309.

Thursday, October 6 - Columbia

We hung around Edenton waiting for Layton Marine to call us about hauling us to fix the centerboard. We never knew for sure if they could haul us. We decided to go ahead and leave around 10:30. The wind changed, so now it is on our nose again. It took us until 5:00 to get to Columbia. We docked at the same spot. -  35.55.27n and 76.15.569w. We had called the town to see about dockage but they were not obliging due to the Scuppernong Festival they were planning on having the next day, however there was nothing going on when we got there. Also asked about a place to haul and she told us to call Cypress Cove Marina, but we could not get into it as it had a narrow and shallow channel.

Friday, October 7 - Tuckahoe Point

Anchor up at 7:15, out of Scuppernong River at 8:15. Morning mist on the blue water, cypress trees, all make for a beautiful scene. Motoring into the wind at 4.5 kn. 11:00 marker WA, 2nd to last, sails up but had to motor most the way, running low on diesel. We were heading into Alligator River Marina when David saw his neighbor's tug, Miti Mo, and hailed him on the radio. The marina store was busy with lots of bicyclists from an organized ride using the bathrooms. The marina owner was not in a good mood when we docked, maybe that was why. Diesel was $3.75. The cb bumped when we were leaving. At this time the depth was only 6 ft. in her channel. We went down the river with several other boats and were glad when they stopped at Bear Point so we could have our pick of spots at Tuckahoe.

Saturday, October 6 - Belhaven

Left at 8:00 and motored to Wilkinson Bridge by 12:00. We anchored in Belhaven harbor and attempted to get the centerboard up with ropes and winches, but failed. We left the boat and went to Raleigh so I could work the election. We left the dinghy behind Andy Fisher's building.

Thursday, October 13- River Forest Boatyard

Went aground going in, had to get JR to come guide us in. David had me go out on the mast, but it only served to make us laugh, not to help us get moving. David worked on getting the centerboard to release all day, then JR came over and forced it down using a piece of wood as a lever.

Friday, October 14 - Back to Jordan Creek

Finally got Axon to put us in the water around 2:00, meanwhile the sky was looking stormy. We got back to Jordan Creek without any more problems.