11/30/12  When we sail offshore (vs. Intracoastal Waterway) we can sure make some tracks!  From Oriental, NC to Fernandina, FL in 4 days!  The first 2 days we motor sailed the ICW to Southport, NC.  Here's a shot of a group of sailboats after we all waited for a bridge to open and went through together.

Bluejacket (at left) and others sail onto the next scheduled bridge opening.

We had plenty of wind as you can see in the picture and from the north.   We're sailing on the "inside", the ICW, instead of the "outside", on the ocean.  Winds were 20 - 25 gusting to 35 on the outside.  A little too much so we stayed inside.  In two days we arrived at the southern border of NC and SC where we anchored and checked the weather.  The winds were decreasing but still from a northerly direction.  The next morning while most of you started your Thanksgiving preparations we headed out at Cape Fear and aimed for Charleston, SC.  The seas were still a bit lumpy but settled down some.  With a decent forecast we sailed by Charleston at 2 am headed for Fernandina.  The winds died down and changed direction.  South!  Southwest!  Not exactly what we wanted, but we slogged on bashing into the waves.   Bluejacket bouncing around with us.  After sailing for 48 hours we were thankful to arrive in Fernandina and sit back and relax.  The relaxing included showers, laundry, and cooking a late Thanksgiving dinner.  Donna and Jerry arrived with stuffing, pie, and more to add to the 12 lb. turkey I wedged into our oven.  And then a board game (The Game of 99).  And then we all slept like logs!

Thanksgiving - Karen, Donna & Jerry Luh, (Jerry Skinner taking pictures)

Persephone was off the next morning to sail from Fernandina to St. Augustine.  A beautiful day sail, just enough wind to fill the sails and move us along.  The sun shining.   Our friends Chris & Amy drove down to visit in St. Augustine with 8 month old Andrew.  What a happy baby sitting in his stroller watching as we feasted on crusty bread with cheese, meats, and special sauces Chris brought at one of the decorative fountains.  A nice warm evening.
The next morning - off again to the ocean.  The sail from St. Augustine to Fort Pierce, 28 hours, with too much wind.  The forecast NE 15 was NE 20 - 25 going to East.  A bumpy ride with big following seas.  Into the inlet at Fort Pierce and down the ICW to Stuart.  The area where we're anchored is called Manatee Pocket.  Last year we spent a month or more here with our friends Arno and his daughter Benedict.  This year Arno is in NY working and Benedict is working on her dream of becoming a doctor and is doing residency in Reno.  Miss you Benedict!  We will see our buddy Dale this weekend when he drives up on his one day off.

11/29/12  I'll work on an update with more news - we just anchored in Manatee Pocket, Stuart, FL this afternoon.

11/23/12  Persephone & Bluejacket have arrived in Fernandina Beach, FL - we left Thursday morning at 6:30 and sailed down the coast arriving this morning at 7:00 am. 

11/19/12
Here's Jerry's movie of our sail on the Chesapeake Bay from Deltaville to Portsmouth, VA.

From one extreme to the other going from the Chesapeake Bay one day onto the Dismal Swamp Canal the next.....

A nice shot of our anchorage on Pungo Creek at the end of the day.  Lots of north wind = fast sailing.

We're now tied to the dock at Donna and Jerry's house in Oriental, NC.  A nice dinner in town with Donna & Jerry, Mary, Don & D, D's Mom Pam, Mike & Heather and then off to the Catholic Church for a Thanksgiving community service.  A quick visit with cousins Dick & Georgette and we'll be off tomorrow.  "Persephone" and "Bluejacket" will be heading south.

11/13/12

Sailboat Pie

We always leave home in the fall wondering what we’ve forgotten.  Nothing noted…until we arrived in Kingston and started digging out the parts to make Persephone into a sailboat – sails, blocks, sheets, halyards, battens….battens?  Where are the battens?  We have 4 battens ranging from 3 feet to 14 feet essential to the performance of our mainsail.  They were stored in Brian and Deb’s attic back in Pennellville in the spring of 2011.  Thanks to Brian who found and transported our battens to Albany and thanks to Vince of Hideaway Marina who loaned us his fancy truck to drive to Albany to retrieve the battens.  

Sailing the Hudson - Bear Mtn. Bridge around the next bend

Looking back on West Point

We're passed by a classic "Justice" on Havestraw Bay, Hudson River

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With the fully-battened sails up we sailed and motored the Hudson River from Kingston to NY City starting and finishing in the dark.  The high water from Sandy’s storm surge was evident.  Boats that broke loose from moorings or docks floated 8-10 feet above the river bank and were stranded on the banks when the water receded.  Marinas all along the Hudson had a mess of boats that were stored on shore and floated off their stands during the surge.  New York Harbor looked unchanged from our view other than a few new buildings. 

New York City

 

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The lack of ferry traffic buzzing around us made a smoother-than-usual transit through NYC to an anchorage behind Liberty Park.  The winds continued to howl most of the night.  

Verrazzano Bridge

 

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We had a spectacular view of the Verrazano Bridge from our anchorage.  The arches of the bridge lit up the night outlining tomorrow’s exit point to the ocean.  Off in the morning in the dark with NW winds at 20 knots – NW is a great wind direction when you’re heading south on the coast.  Great winds from behind to push and the waves don’t have a chance to build as we scoot along the NJ coast.  

 

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With binoculars we saw the wreckage of homes along the shore and the roller coaster at Seaside Park in the water on the beach. 

Sailing along NJ Coast

 

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Onto Barnegat to anchor for the night and then our sprint south to arrive in the Chesapeake before the next storm system arrives.  To Cape May, NJ then up the Delaware Bay where we smacked and pounded our way along.  Just doesn’t seem right to be sailing north when we want to go south.  The 50 pounds of apples in the v-berth may well have been applesauce if the Bay had been as rough the entire way as it was the first two hours.  We sped along making tracks – when Jerry hears snow in the forecast he’s on the move.  We dodged the storm.  Although the temperatures have been downright brisk we have not  had any snow on the boat.  Sailing south on the Chesapeake in blue skies, good NW winds,, and sunshine would have been perfect if it were a little more than 40 degrees out.

By the time we arrived in Deltaville, VA to visit our friends Ryan and Kari the temperature was up to 60 degrees.  And sunny!  Ryan and Kari live aboard “Valkyrie” currently in Fishing Bay at Chesapeake Boat Works.  Conversation, dinners together, reminiscing, games, it’s all good when we spend time with Ryan and Kari. 

Valkyrie on the left, Virginia on the right, Persephone in the background at anchor.

The excitement at the Chesapeake Boat Works was the arrival of the 115’ schooner “Virginia”.  The marina has a railway system to haul large boats.  Crowds gathered to watch the all day affair as “Virginia” was tugged ashore atop a platform on rails.  Divers assisted to arrange the blocking on the hull under the boat.  It was quite a sight.

Divers hammer supporting structures for Virginia

Halfway there!

Today is Wednesday, November 7th.  We're anchored in Selby Bay just south of Annapolis, MD on the Chesapeake Bay awaiting a couple inches of snow.  Sailing and snow just don't go well together!  We've had long days getting up early and pushing south to arrive in the Chesapeake before this predicted nor'easter.  In a few days we'll be in Deltaville, VA where we may be able to have better wifi for posting more news and pictures.  All is well.  Wishing you the same.

11/3/12  We're leaving Kingston this morning and heading down the Hudson.  No more posts until we have internet access again.