11/6/18

Greetings from Oriental, NC!  We had a long day upon leaving Hideaway Marina in Kingston, NY on the Hudson River arriving at Atlantic Highlands at 8 pm.  Saturday morning, 10/13, we head out for the ocean, 1 overnight, and then anchor at Hospital Point, VA on 10/14.  15 knots of wind from the NW and then N gusting to 25 zipped us down the coast.  We had talked about stopping in Cape May but the promise of low temperatures in the 30s and winds turning south next week spurred us on.  A humpback whale feeding along the coast passed us as we approached Cape Charles.  Our reward for not stopping – we woke up to a warm sunny morning!

Portsmouth, VA has public docks to which we moored making it easy for friends to stop by and visit.  Ryan and Harmony, Haley and baby Braxton all came for dinner and visits.  We hopped in Ryan’s Tesla to do some errands.  Jerry had the honor of taking the plug off the charger at the charging station and plugging it into the car.  

Jerry and Ryan at the charging station.

Here’s Haley using the charging station as a changing station for Braxton.

This is Zoe finding a good spot on top of a pillow pile onboard while Ryan visits one last time before we leave Portsmouth.

 

Portsmouth to Great Bridge the next day – 12 miles.  We stopped to buy fuel and water along the way before going through the lock at Great Bridge.  The weather forecast was calling for gusts to 50 knots the next day so we decided to stop here along the wall between the lock and bridge.  Jerry found a 39’ spot to dock our 39’ boat between a trawler and a 50’ catamaran.  Good thing he’s a professional!  One lady came out in the rain and kept saying, “How did you do that?”

Overnight and into the next day the wind howled!  We were happy to be tucked in for the blow before heading south.  Three more days of motor sailing the ICW and anchoring each night in some protected, crab pot loaded creek, smelling the NC pines, and watching the sun rise and set on a flat horizon.   We changed the engine oil before dinner one night on Goose Creek then arrived in Oriental, NC the next day.  Our home away from home.  The streets were lined with piles of soggy home  insulation, trees, and debris from Hurricane Florence.  Lots of damage here due to water and wind.  Mostly water as the Neuse River rose beyond flood stage.  We borrowed some bikes to get around and have been enjoying friends and family here in the area.  Some of you have sent e-mail wondering if we’ve already left for the Bahamas – nope.  Not yet.  Maybe in another week or so.

Sunset on the Alligator River.  (We’ve never seen an alligator here.)

Jerry, Donna, Ron and Deb come over for dinner while we’re at the town dock in Oriental.