From NY to Norfolk - Plenty of wind from the NW when we left from Sandy Hook, NJ! When the wind died down we had to motor sail down towards the Chesapeake. We were entertained by a couple of birds that hopped onboard for part of the trip. They must have been blown out to sea with the high winds..
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| This bird hopped all over the boat inside and out! |
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| We've never had a Yellow Flicker onboard before. |
After a brief stop in Norfolk we continued south.
The Albemarle Sound was like glass -
After crossing the Albemarle we anchored at East Lake at the top of the Alligator River.
Nothing here except trees and birds….or so we thought.
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| Sunset at East Lake, Alligator River |
Just before dark the boat was covered with some kind of bug. Not a biting bug just a nuisance bug! They covered the screen over our aft hatch and we could hear the flutter of their wings as if a fan were on! In the morning the decks and bimini were covered with green spots where the bugs died and left a stain. So as Jerry got the sail up and headed down the Alligator River I worked on cleaning the boat.
On to Broad Creek to Donna and Jerry’s………..
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| Wing on wing on the Neuse River down to Broad Creek |
We’ve had a fantastic time, as usual, here at Donna and Jerry’s. Time to visit and spend time with Jerry and Donna. And plenty of time to work on projects (cleaning winches, changing the oil in the engine, repairing our wind instrument (you know - the cuppy spinny thingy on the top of the mast), cleaning, stocking up on supplies, rebuilding a water pump, making a new cover for the dinghy, replacing our toilet base, working on outboard motors, and more. Persephone has had more TLC this summer/fall than ever!
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| Jerry and I in the cockpit cleaning winches. |
We always try to find ways to help out with Donna and Jerry’s projects if we can. They're preparing Bluejacket to sail south to The Bahamas for the winter. Our first winter in some time where we won't be together!
My sister Susan flew in from Maine and we’re patiently waiting for a weather window to head to the Virgin Islands.
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| Susan focuses on cracking nuts........ |
Susan and I picked up pecans from the tree near the town dock in Oriental. It takes a long time to crack all those nuts! We got out the cheese, crackers, and wine while we sat cracking nuts. We ended up with almost 3 pounds of pecans that we vacuum packed to keep them fresh.
Our friends on SV Ada, Dustyn and Brandon with Rita the black lab arrived here at the Luh’s. (Dustyn performed the wedding we attended in the Ragged Islands - you can see the ceremony on SV Delos' Youtube Channel Here's the link).
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| Playing cards aboard Ada with Brandon and Dustyn |
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| Our hostesses with the mostest! Donna and Jerry host a dinner when Ada arrives. |
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| Susan in the kayak with Luh's dock in the background. Look at all the boats! Persephone, Ada, Hi Flite, Bluejacket, Dyad. |
And another boat from our time in the Ragged Island, Hi Flite, arrived with Cori and Dale aboard. We’ve been so fortunate to be able to keep in touch and even meet up with the boats from our “covid crew” we quarantined with down in the Ragged Islands!
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| Our social bubble group at Luh's - each couple at the table has a boat at the dock. |
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Jerry and Brandon work on Brandon’s Torqeedo - his electric outboard motor. |
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| The resident blue heron landed on the dock between Persephone and Ada! Jerry and Cori have the best view - they're standing on the dock about 8 feet from where it landed. |
We are patiently waiting for a weather window (with no east winds!) to head out across the Gulf Stream and to the Caribbean. Maybe Thursday or Friday next week? You'll have to keep checking SPOT to see if we've left. We love to hear news of what's going on with you and your family!
PS. Please make sure your contact list shows me as kpakk25 or kpack8888 at yahoo. As you already know, someone used my contact list to send out requests for money. Sorry for any troubles it caused.
