Full Moon Rising

Many of you may be wondering what, where, why, and with whom our journey continued and ended. Well it's been quite a trip - but ending not exactly the way we expected. We left Oriental on March 28, spent three days traveling. First day we bumped bottom leaving Oriental, the water is skinny and even if you don't cut corners, that's buoys, you can end up in heavy mud. I told Dave that if we got stuck on the mud without even leaving it means we would stay longer. The river gods were on our side for we crossed the Neuse, Pamlico, and Pungo rivers as well as Bay River and Goose Creek. We arrived in Belhaven (birthplace of the Inter Coastal Waterway) in the afternoon. Tied into the River Forest marina, great showers, helpful dock master and nice small town. In the morning we left before sunrise because it was going to be a long day, cruising at 8 knots took eight hours nonstop. We headed Northwest and into the Alligator River and the Alligator / Pungo Canal. This is a strange place, a ditch dug by the Army Corp to provide access from one waterway to the next and kept open for barges and commercial traffic. It's important that the boat stay in the center as much as possible except when passing or meeting another boat coming in the opposite direction. There are huge stumps from downed trees just below the water. The ones you can see are enough for any boat owner to know that a sharp lookout needs to be kept. We had to wait for the Alligator Swing Bridge to open, which it does every half hour and then pass into the Albemarle Sound, a large body of water that is well marked with red triangles and green squares each numbered so that your exact location is known. Dave likes the electronic charts provided by NOAA, I prefer the paper, to open a chart book that I follow as we go along, much like the old fashion road maps that gas stations gave out free of charge. Remember those? So onto Coinjock, the only stop with a marina, store and restaurant between Belhaven and Portsmouth VA. Most boater stop there. We had a good supper, the best crab cakes and enough prime-rib to last three more meals. A fellow tied up in back of us and we introduced ourselves and told him a bit about the Richard & Arnold. To our surprise he said, "I looked the boat up, you guys are famous." I had to laugh at that, not the reaction I expected. I think David Dunlap must have something to do with that because of his book Mapping Provincetown.
Next stop Rebel Marina, Norfolk, VA. One of the best places we've ever visited, minus the helicopters that flew close over head, but hey thank God they are there. The Briggs family was so helpful, kind, and knowledgeable that I can't say enough about them. For the week we spent at the marina the wind continued unabated, 20-30 and higher with gusts to 50, and then it turned and blew from the north 20-30-40-50. What a week. Now that I look back I believe the wind gods were looking after us. Dave was not well, he had been complaining of rib pain for weeks (refusing to go to a doctor). Well our son, the master mariner with a BS in Navigation told his dad that he shouldn't take mom off shore until he got checked out because holy moly what would she do if something happened to him while we were voyaging? So Dave and I borrowed a car and went to the Urgent Care office, from there we were sent to the ER at the DePaul hospital where he was admitted. Three days later, totally exhausted, we stepped onto a plane that flew us up up and away. Three planes later, that same day we landed in Provincetown. The medical news is not good. Three broken ribs (Pathological fractures) and some serious lung problem. We are glad to be home. I can look out the kitchen window and see a full moon coming up over Truro. I imagine the same moon over Oriental. We plan on beating it, rising above, and fighting every step of the way. I probably won't be writing much in the coming weeks, but I will let everyone know how the captain is doing. He's actually watching 'Deadliest Catch' as I write. All prayers are welcome. Thanks for your support. Nothing like coming home to family and friends. God Bless you all. Fair winds.

Update from Willoughby Bay

I'm sitting in the club house at Rebel Marina. Dave is in the shower and I thought I'd take a few minutes to update. We are still attached to the dock and waiting for the wind to give us a southerly flow and calm enough to take us safely up the coast to our next port of call, either Ocean City MD or Cape May, NJ all depends on the wind. Never thought I be so dependent upon what direction it came from, but here we sit. I'm not complaining, we have it pretty good here, a car to use, showers, internet and lots of nice people. Dave and I went to a get-together Monday night and had a feast with many other boaters, travelers and dock masters.  Food was great, company fun and talk lively. Im just getting a bit homesick and I have lots of catching up to do when I get home. Cleaning and getting the beach point house ready to rent. That's going to take time and I have guests coming in on June 11, so I'll have to hustle when I get home. Painting, rug cleaning, windows, curtains, the works. And then there is our house, I can just imagine what the yard looks like, there will be lots of raking and picking up. Moving from the boat to the house shouldn't take more than one day. There is the cleaning up, but that can wait - I can do that after we move back in. Dave has had a bit of a problem, seems he pulled muscles in the lower rib area and maybe even cracked a rib, but he's a trooper and is actually getting better. Two weeks ago he couldn't even move, taking lots of Ibuprofen, but now he's moving, less pain and less Ibuprofen. So this being tied in and waiting for the wind to let go  has helped Dave heal, a blessing in disguise. We are getting better, hope all is well with you. Fair Winds.

Rebel

Rebel Marina. We couldn't have chosen a better place to sit out the wind, waiting for a weather window. Last night it blew a gale, west at 50-60. Today its North 15-25.  As cruisers we get used to waiting for the right wind from the right direction. With today's technology we have the tools at our fingertips, literally on IPhone, to get a very accurate forecast of everything we need to know before setting out on the next leg of the journey. David Briggs along with his brother Steve gave us a quick tip on a really good APP called Sail Flow. Not only does it give us wind speed and direction, it gives wave height, wave direction, seconds between crests, temperature, cloud cover and all free. Dave and I have been checking it out as it gives a ten day outlook and right now the outlook doesn't look so good for traveling up the outside of MD, DE, NJ. I'd say we are here for a week. That's what cruising is all about: stop, wait, and meet new friends, hear their stories, and tell a few of ours. We have been welcomed here, even had the opportunity to go to a chili cook-off yesterday for lunch in the rain. The club house has all kinds of get togethers. Yesterday's get together was to help raise money for the local sailing club. There we met a couple who has lived aboard their sailboat for 13 years, they're from Australia now heading south to the Virgin Is. I got to be part of their conversation with another couple who are preparing their sailboat to head to Sweden, they have to be in Newfoundland by June to make the crossing without running into icebergs. We've invited them to stop in Provincetown Harbor and use our mooring if they get that way. Sounds like they might. Today Dave brought a man aboard who along with his wife bought a sailboat after only sailing on small lakes. They retired and wanted to try something different, so they set sail and went from Arkansas on the Gulf of Mexico around FL to the Bahamas and then up the east coast to here, an eight month trip for them. They are from Kansas and have decided that boat life isn't quite what they had in mind, their boat is for sale. We talk to sailors and cruisers daily, long distance blue water sailors and folks like us who wanted to give it a try. No matter what your experience, how much training you've had, or how expensive your boat, everyone has a story, that's part of the fun.
David Briggs who runs this marina along with his brothers has some of the best stories. He and my Captain Dave spend hours talking and swapping tales. Briggs has done it all, barge towing and salvage with his family, boat survey, scalloping and fishing in Alaska, hook fishing for Swordfish up and down the east coast, he teaches U.S. Coast Guard safety training classes and runs the marina. A true mariner and lover of all things boat related. His brother Steve works professional tugboats. He gave us a tour of the tugboat that belonged to his father that he is restoring. It's a tugboat/ schooner called Norfolk Roller, what an interesting little ship. He is fixing it for live aboard and for use with tall ships as tug, towing, helper and education. The boat is really beautiful, he's doing a great job.
We couldn't have picked a better place to lay low for a few days, thanks to Perry Davis owner of the Schooner Alert from an island in Maine who told us to try and stop here if we were in the neighborhood.We met him, his wife and little girl in Oriental.  Then we found out that our friend Gwen Wells who is married to Richard Quest and came to visit us with Jeff Parker all from Willmington, NC - worked here at Rebel Marina as a teenager, and Grassy/ Francis Santos has stopped in here many times, and Robert Harris who is sailing up from the Virgin Islands as I write, is planning on stopping in.  Small world this cruising business.
I can't wait to get home but I've so enjoyed meeting so many interesting, adventurous people. Fair winds ye mates.

Rebel Marina, Willoughby Bay, VA

March 31, 2016
In like a lamb, out like a lion. We are tied in at Rebel Marina in Willoughby Bay, Norfolk VA and the wind is expected to blow SE 15-25 with gust possible to 40. We are tucked in and safe, slept like babies. The owner's here, the Bragg family, couldn't be more welcoming. David Bragg was here at the dock to take our lines, he's fisherman, charter captain, marine surveyor, and dock master - and many other things I imagine.  My Dave and he were able to swap sea stories when we arrived. It would have gone on for hours but I had to tell the Captain that his crew was tired and needed supper and sleep. This morning Captain Dave has gone to have tea at the marina lounge and to check out the local color. There are some really beautiful boats tied up here and our old dragger somehow fits right in. She may not be as polished but she sure is unique.
We are planning to scoot up the outside coast of Maryland and Delaware then on to Cape May. We are waiting for a weather window, but according to my IPhone weather channel it doesn't look too promising for the next few days. This seems to be a nice protected marina, just across the bay from the Navy Station. I feel so very protected. Last pm there were helicopters, jet planes, and car traffic to listen to as we fell asleep, didn't seem to bother us one bit. My internet connection is not the greatest, we are too far from the marina office to pick up a signal, so I'm using my hot spot on the IPhone. Now I really miss Keith Smith, I know he'd have us set up with internet in no time. We were saddened to learn of the passing of Bob Andrews, the early bird at the Bean, he'll be missed all over Oriental. At the same time we learned that Jimmy Morgan turned 92, that old rascal of a fisherman out of Menemsha, MVI, Happy Birthday old salt. Yesterday was my grandson's birthday, Alex is 8 and my son Jackson celebrated his on the 27th, I hope they had the best birthday yet, hope to be there to celebrate with him next year. Love those kids and grandkids!!!!!!!!
This morning we listened to revelry being trumpeted out across the bay while our little cabin rocked with the wind and incoming tide, warms the cockles of my heart. Thank you to all the service men and women who stand ready to serve and protect. God Bless and fair winds.

March 29, 2016 Hey all you mates, we're at it again. In our case it means that we're rolling on the river: the Neuse River, the Alligator River, the Pungo River, the North River and a couple more I can't remember. It's been a busy, yet somehow a slow two days of travel. We've covered 126 miles in two days, so yes slow would be the word. Doesn't sound like much but steaming five hours the first day and eight hours today is tiring. The wind has been from the north so the rivers are up. For those of you who don't understand the southern river system it seems that when the wind blows from the north the water in the rivers rise, but from the south - the levels fall and when you are plowing through skinny water it's a good thing the wind has been northerly. Had a bit of spray on the wheelhouse windows crossing the Albamarle Sound, ten mile across and blowing 10 -15 N. so a bit of wind on the bow. What I have found amazing in this our first two days of traveling northward to Provincetown Harbor, is that so far we have passed miles and miles of uninhabited woods, wilderness and swamp. There's so much land, at least it looks like land, without a house or any sign of a human touch. It's great to see. There isn't much boat traffic yet. We passed two sailboats and two power cruisers passed us. Last night we stayed in Belhaven at the River Forest Marina. It was a tight fit, took a bit of maneuvering from the captain, but he got us tied in just like a pro. They have great showers there, if you ever get a chance to stop. We were the only boat tied up there last night. Hank the manager said the northward exodus doesn't start for a few more weeks, peaks in May, but he gets a lot of local boat traffic in June as well. The wind blew hard but we had a good safe berth. We left at 6:30 just before sunrise. Beautiful. Today was uneventful, just the way we like it. The Richard & Arnold is currently tied up in Coinjock. It's the only stop between Belhaven and Portsmouth VA unless you are up for anchoring and this spoiled crew woman likes to put the lines around poles. I sleep better. We are going out for supper, Dave remembers having a really great crabmeat supper here on our way down.
We are looking forward to home, family and friends and deep water. I am missing our berth in Oriental and all the wonderful people I can gladly call friends. We are hoping that life will be kind and we will be able to return to the Bean for morning tea.

Water Water Everywhere

It was a water day. When I was living at home I just took it for granted that if I turned on the tap water would come out and if I flushed everything would disappear. Not so on a boat. Water means work. So today in order to take care of the water business, we first had to go look for Jerry, who works for the DPW and ask him to turn on the pump-out station. They had to close the station a couple of weeks ago because of the freezing weather. So Jerry spoke to his boss who said yes, turn it on. Then we had to move the Richard & Arnold, not far, just across the harbor. Tie her up, pump out and then go back to our nice berth at Styron's- Garland / Fulcher Wharf.  Great, we're good to go for about another month. When Dave built the foc'sle for me, he put in a septic tank that would hold about 150 gals. We've only had to use the pump out stations on our trip about five times, but it's good to know that those stations are available all along the waterway. Our next job - when we were back at our spot on the wharf - was to put water aboard. Another tank, in the bow, holds about 100 gals. We ran a hose from Mr. Styron's off loading building, to the boat. This process involves hooking up three sets of hoses and pulling it across an open stretch of water. That water is fresh, but only used for cleaning. We have a hot water tank under the sink that produces very hot water. It runs on electricity when plugged in at the pier or heats up the water from the engine when we are underway. I wash dishes, the boat and our bodies with that water.  Drinking water is a different process. We buy gallon jugs for cooking and tea. We buy cases of 16 oz bottles for straight water. Last week we ran out of the gallon jugs and I couldn't find any in Oriental so we had to drive about 25 miles to the Food Lion in order to stock up. We bought 10 gallons, I use about 1 gal a day for cooking. Then today I noticed we were out of the 16 oz bottles - I have two bottles left and I drink at least one a day. I think we'll be able to buy these in town at the Dollar General just up the street.  It never ceases to amaze me how important water is, how necessary, how precious. It even makes a difference in how the boat feels. Really. With the tank in the bow full of fresh water and the holding tank mid-ship empty, the bow comes down just a little and  I can tell the difference when I'm lying in the bunk. It's level. As the water tank goes down and the septic tank fills up there is a change in how the boat sits in the water. We are surrounded by water, but you couldn't drink a drop of it. It looks like chocolate soda. I wouldn't even swim in it. When we are back home at the wharf the water is salt, but that water I can't wait to swim in again. This all leads me to what I've been reading about in the news, poisoned water in Detroit, Flint, and other areas of the country. 70% of uranium mining is done on Reservation (Native American) owned land and the water supply around these operations are contaminated, undrinkable. What a disgrace. This resource is our most precious, without it there is no life. I can't help but think about what water means to us, it is not something I can take for granted here onboard the Richard & Arnold.

In more upbeat news I am working on my next Provincetown mystery. The title was supplied last year by Emily Bunker, who edited the Fishermen's Ball. "Dead Low Tide"  -  Chief Crowley is faced with another murder. A body is found on the beach with no identification.  After discovering who the man is, the chief puts together a picture that points the finger at a man who is suspected of betraying his country during the pre- WWll days in 1939. There is a fishermen (of coarse) who comes into the picture because of his relationship to the prime suspect, but Crowley along with help from Boston Detective C. Shiff soon learns that there is more to the story. Some of the characters have returned to the story, but I hope you won't be disappointed not to see the Diogo's or Davy Souza. James Crowley takes the lead and is the protagonist who must solve the crime.

I don't know when it will be finished. I'm about half way through a first draft. I have the story in  my head but not complete on paper. Hopefully out by summer, in time for beach reading.
From the Richard & Arnold's crew "Fair Winds, stay safe, warm and dry."

Valentine's Day on the Richard & Arnold

It may be frigid, but my thoughts of home and family warm the cockles of my heart. Here in North Carolina it is 30* with a wind chill to 20*, the sun is out and it will warm to 35, in two days it will be 50 degrees and then wow - 60. Spring will come to Oriental sooner than the Cape and if Dave and I time it right, we may get to see two springs this year. On our daily walk along the Neuse River I noticed that Daffodils are peeking out of the ground 8 inches.  I know Cape Cod won't see them until next month. We are planning on heading north sometime in March, most likely toward the end of the month and with travel upon the water it all depends on wind and tide. It will be with mixed feelings that we head home. We've met some really terrific people here and this experience has opened our eyes to all that we are still capable of. Perhaps we will be fortunate enough to be able to return next year. We know it won't be with the Richard & Arnold. She's too big, too deep for the inter-coastal waterway. But we thinking about different arrangements.  Today being Valentine's day I wanted to tell so many people how much I appreciate their friendship, support and kindness over the years. I won't name names, the list is too long, you all know who you are. Listen to me - You All. Love the way the people say that here, with just a little southern inflection. I have worked out how to drop a picture into this blog, sometimes these things are easier when you don't know what you're doing, this one just happened. Nice. I thought you might like to see what our lifestyle is like. It's a little smaller than my kitchen table in Truro, but we have everything we need. I keep a list of books I've read this past four months, I count 18 so far. Dave and I have computer CD's and now we are streaming Netflix - Dave has discovered Facebook -  sometimes I have to tell him to turn it off. "I can't believe how much stuff is on here!" he tells me. I catch him laughing at the jokes and grumbling about some of the stories, but it is entertaining.                  Roses are Red, Violets are Blue
                                                                If it wasn't for Facebook
                                                                We wouldn't see you
                                                                So keep up the posts, the jokes and the pics
                                                                And we'll follow you're food, your pets and your flix's.
                           
                                        Y'all have a  Happy Valentine's Day- from the crew of the Richard & Arnold