Atlantic Yacht Basin - Life in a Boatyard

 Atlantic Yacht Basin - Life in a Boatyard
 A brief word of explanation:  please forgive any weird spacing in this post.  Google's blogspot program has been unusually recalcitrant, and since this entry is already way overdue, we decided to post as is.  If any of our readers know this program, let us know. We'll take any help we can get to make creating the posts easier and the final result better.

Nearly a month ago, on Thursday, May 1st, we arrived at Atlantic Yacht Basin in Chesapeake, VA and settled in for repairs. Because our fuel injector pump was being rebuilt, we had to be towed from the dock to the work shed. Russell, at the helm of the tug, delivered us with ease and expertise. This little workhorse moves boats far larger than our 38' trawler and makes it look easy. 

Russell at the tug's helm

We spent 18 days in the shed, protected from the wind and rain. The drawbacks?  It’s gloomy, and the wifi signal can’t penetrate the corrugated metal, so we hung out in the Marine Store “lounge” when it was hot or raining or at the picnic table on pretty days to do our internet surfing.  And when the South wind blows hard enough, it pushes enough water into the shed and the work barn in front of it to create a three inch deep wading pool, covering the walkway to the boat.  Midas didn’t mind, but Mike and I would rather not wade bare-footed through water that may be contaminated. We invested in rubber boots for both of us on one of our trips

Wading to the boat, pre-boots

to Walmart and will find more uses for them along the way.   

The repair work is done, and the various craftsmen – no, artisans – at AYB have Midas Touch looking better than she did when we bought her.  Dave, the canvas guy, installed the new bimini top, and the workmanship far exceeds the original. AYB and its various contractors have now installed a new VHF antenna, replaced the broken section of windscreen, and added the final coat of trim paint along the port side rail.  Mike and Marian's tasks:  clean, clean, and clean some more.  The outside of the boat had a fine coat of dust from fiberglass sanding and reflected our general lack of routine “boatkeeping” while it was in the shed, so we devoted most of last Wednesday to getting Midas Touch truly shipshape before we started cruising again. We also cleaned the top of the aft deck roof, scrubbed the aft deck, and cleaned the windows. And there’s always vacuuming, using the small shop vac, Marian's favorite boat accessory.

So what do you do when you’re stuck in the boatyard for repairs?  From May 

5 – 8, we attended the Spring Rendezvous of the AGLCA (America’s Great Loop Cruisers’ Association) in nearby Norfolk, where we learned tons about the territory we’ll travel over the next several months and met fellow Loopers – past, present and future, and we toured the area between boat projects. 

Norfolk - Mermaids Everywhere

Norfolk is known as the Mermaid City.  
This is just one of the

The Duck - Chrysler Museum

dozens of mermaid statues we saw. 

The Chrysler Museum of Art re-opened while we were in the area, and the 40' duck in the pool behind it was part of the celebration.  We had to see it in person.

 There's always something interesting to watch at AYB,  like resetting a mast that had been "stepped," or to admire, like the classic boat "Scout," one of our shed neighbors. 

Scout - beautiful mahogany

Up in the bosun's chair

Bosun's chair in action

Washington and Jefferson worshiped here - Bruton Parish
Episcopal Church in Williamsburg

Williamsburg - mustering the troops

                                           

We visited the Historic Triangle of Jamestown, Williamsburg and Yorktown, but in reverse historical order.  

Just one of 40+ models by August  and Winifred Crabtree

Another Crabtree model

We spent one Saturday at the Mariners’ Museum in Newport News and still didn’t see everything this superb historical site has to offer. We recommend adding it to your must see list if you plan to travel to eastern Virginia or the Washington, DC area. (http://www.marinersmuseum.org/)

Then there were the days devoted to laundry and running errands, shopping for the round fenders we’ll need when we travel through locks, provisioning the boat, adding a high water bilge pump, replacing the flushing mechanism for the aft head toilet, rewiring a “pigtail” so that we can plug our 30 amp shore power cord into a 110 volt outlet, straightening and stowing items to reduce clutter…. there’s always work to do on a boat. 

Jamestown sailor 

  

Our fold-up little red wagon

We thought that Memorial Day     
Weekend would not be the time 
to resume cruising; seasoned 
Loopers tell us it’s best to travel 
during the week and stay anchored 
or at a marina during the weekends, avoiding all the recreational small boat traffic.
But the work was done, and we were ready to get back on the  water.  
Friday we cleaned the outside of Midas Touch, washing off the dust she had accumulated in the shed and getting the aft deck better organized. Since Midas wouldn't use his potty patch, we discarded it, moved the big ice chest to a spot behind the starboard bench on the upper helm, and secured our folding tables and two wooden chairs to the inside of the aft deck rails. Mike had bleached the chairs and Marian treated them with teak oil; they don't look new, but they look much better.  Big improvement! Saturday: one more trip to Walmart for miscellaneous items and provisions, including a folding cart that will be especially useful when we walk to grocery stores, a trip to West Marine, then rental car return.  We had decided to leave Sunday and head north through the Chesapeake.

Sunday morning:  we were up early, had a quick breakfast, backed out of the shed, swung by the face dock for a pump-out, said good-bye to Dockmaster Ed, then joined the line of five other boats waiting for the 7:00 AM opening of Great Bridge and our first lock.  The Great Bridge lock lifted us about two feet, and we were on our way through Norfolk, passing industrial areas, the Navy Base, and the downtown area where we had attended the AGLCA rendezvous the first week we were here.  

Leaving Great Bridge Lock, #5 of 6

Industrial side of Norfolk, approaching downtown

Ships in a Portsmouth boatyard

Still in line as we reach Norfolk 

Sheraton Waterside, location of the AGLCA Rendezvous

Just one of many BIG ships

The weather was gorgeous, the winds were light, the water was calm, and we reached our anchorage in East River, off Mobjack Bay, by 3:00. We launched the dinghy and took Midas ashore to "get busy," then settled in for a quiet Sunday evening on the hook.  While Mike grilled chicken and chatted with a local friend of fellow Loopers Beth and Ray, who had anchored there the night before, Marian prepared our favorite salad.  We ran the generator long enough to watch the PBS Memorial Day broadcast, then turned in early.  On Memorial Day, we reached Deltaville, where we took advantage of a door prize from the Rendezvous to spend a free night in a town that the veterans say is a must see stop.  
Instead of spending a second day in Deltaville, we were "off the dock" by 6:55 on Tuesday, taking advantage of clear skies and a light breeze to continue north along the Chesapeake's western shore. The Bay had only a light chop for most of our trip, and we had reached Smith Point, our planned destination on the south shore of the Potomac, before noon. With a light southerly breeze at our stern, increasing our speed to 8 miles per hour, we decided to cross the mouth of the Potomac while we had ideal weather, knowing that storms were predicted for the next two days and that the Potomac can be treacherous.  We reached the excellent Point Lookout Marina, six miles west of the Bay, by early afternoon, and Midas made another new friend, Jasmine, whose people run the show.  Her sister Carmen is not as friendly, so her treat came later.

New friends; "Sit" = "treat"

The engine had cut off several times as we moved north, and we didn't want to push further until we diagnosed the problem. The weatherman was correct about the storms, but wrong about their arrival time.  After a hot afternoon, a swim and a shower on the dock for Midas, and dinner aboard, the promised thunderstorm and wind arrived at dusk.  We felt the impact of the wind, but thanks to boat neighbor Dave's advice, our bumpers are tied to the dock pilings, not the boat, and the wind and rain did no damage.  We're settled in here for Wednesday night, with another storm threatening, waiting for replacement fuel filters to arrive tomorrow. Mike, with a few phone calls to Yacht Doc Ken, figured out that it was time to replace the fuel filter. Depending on what time FedEx arrives, we'll stay at Point Lookout one more night or push on toward the Solomons, at the mouth of the Patuxent River. 

                                                                                                                     Osprey nest at the end of our dock, including the daily delivery of lunch from local fishermen in the top picture and a close up showing the eggs in the bottom view.

       

                   

Notes from the Captain: Life in the underworld

You gotta learn to love the smell of diesel to keep this old gal going. Let me make it clear that I’m talking about the Ford Lehman here.  So, when you hear loud and clear the words, “HOLE IN THE DECK,” you’ll know Mike has put on his knee pads, pulled the cover and is crawling down below in the engine room to talk sweetly to Betty, my name for the engine.  That’s the Ford Lehman 120.  If you treat her well, give her clean fuel to drink, cool water to take the heat away, and change her dirty oil on a regular basis, she’ll take you any where you want to go, as long as you have at least four feet of water under the keel.  If you don’t, she’ll get very moody, stubborn, and sometimes, like crossing the Potomac, she’ll just quit and refuse to talk to you.  (I told Marian I might try to find a job as a diesel mechanic after the Loop because I’m serving my apprenticeship here on the Loop.)

The Midas Touch has two fuel filters and you can switch from #1 to #2. I have always run on #1 fuel filter, because when I switched to #2, the engine quit. While we were in the yard for repairs, Yacht Doc, who replaced the bad injector pump, recommended that we upgrade Betty’s #2 to a newer, drop in cartridge fuel filter.  We ordered a new fuel filter and I installed it.  However, I didn’t have the chance to switch to it and test it until the clogged #1 fuel filter caused the engine to conk out as we cruised up Chesapeake Bay and into the Potomac River.

Once we were docked at Point Lookout Marina, I could do some diagnostic work, and discovered that #1 filter was very dirty. On Wednesday, since we had to wait on #1’s replacement fuel filters the boatyard here had to order, I decided to get Betty running on the new #2 fuel filter.   The plan was to clean out the old #1 fuel filter so I could get her running, then switch to #2 to run on it.

New fuel filter installed by Mike

   

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You see, when you change the fuel filter, you have a chance of getting a little air into the lines. Betty does not like air in her fuel, doncha know.

So, here we go. “Marian, hit it!” She would crank the engine; it would run a while and then die. We repeated this process over and over, hoping the air would work its way out of the lines, with no luck.  I finally crawled back out of the hole, called Ken, the “Yacht Doc,” back in Chesapeake, and we talked it out.  To help Ken visualize the situation, I suggested sending him a photo of the filter hanging on the bulkhead in the engine room.  When he called me back, I was frustrated and about ready to call in the troops (code for calling the local mechanic for help). Ken said, “Go back down and take a look at the #2 filter.”  I crawled back down once again, this time with my phone. He said, “Take a close look at the #2 filter and see if you can read where the fuel line goes into the head of the filter.” I looked closely at the line coming from the supply tanks and it read “OUT.”  He said,  “Captain, you’ve got your filter installed backwards.”  The only word that I could think to say was “Doofus.” A quick turn around and Betty was running on #2 and purring like a kitten. Ken and his family will be receiving a two pound box of assorted goodies from Dahlonega's Fudge Factory.

Comments are welcome.  Please let us know what you think. 

Rain, rain, go away

Rain, rain, go away/come again another day...

It’s raining, it’s pouring/the old man is snoring.

I’m singin’ in the rain, just singin’ in the rain/what a wonderful feelin’/I’m happy again.

You get the idea.  Tax week in Eastern North Carolina was wet, rainy, dreary, and cold. After waiting out predicted bad weather in Hobucken, Midas Touch spent four days docked in “Little Washington” waiting for good cruising conditions.  We had enough decent weather while we were in town to hike to Piggly Wiggly for provisions and to do a bit of exploring.  The town docks, a very reasonable $1/foot including power, made a great base. Just one block off Main Street, we could walk to several restaurants.

Saturday morning, the day we had planned to head back down the Pamlico River to the historic town of Bath, was drizzly and rainy.  Midas and Marian were happy to stay in the boat and “veg out” with a Ken Follett book and a comfortable place to snooze. Mike got cabin fever and set out to find something to do; at a local art co-op, he found a group jamming to bluegrass, and later moved on to the Coffee Caboose, where we finally joined him. 

One of many crabs in Washington

Sunday, April 20^th,  was equally rainy, but we dodged showers long enough for the six-block walk to the Wash House.  Mike and Midas were the advance party, then called Marian to report they had found a good laundromat. Thanks, Grandma Martha, for your luggage cart. With a couple of bungee cords to secure the load, it made the trek with two big bags of clothes an easy, if somewhat soggy, walk.  Once the clothes were dry and folded into the bags, the next challenge was the walk back, through a light but steady rain. The Wash House attendant had disappeared, but another customer overheard our garbage bag discussion, went to his car, and returned with one. Two bags of clean clothes secured in the garbage bag and on the cart, we headed back to the boat. Our benefactor spoke little English, but understood enough of our conversation to offer help, with a smile.  Kind people are everywhere; all you have to do is look.

Monday was sunny and clear, and after a holding tank pump out at the town dock and a new supply of ice, we turned back East to the historic town of Bath and a night at the free town dock.   

 

Town Dock at Bath - we had company

Founded in 1705, Bath is North Carolina’s first town and the home of the first public library in the colony. That library is now up-to-date, and we took advantage of the wi-fi to catch up on emails, Facebook, and bills.  Another plus: used paperback books are free for the taking, and our on-board library has four Nora Roberts novels to keep Marian entertained.  She would have donated Dangerous Fortune, acquired at Harborwalk Marina’s book exchange and finished the day before, but the library’s copy is in much better condition.   

Embroidered Altar Cloth

We strolled on to St. Thomas Episcopal Church, founded in 1734 and the oldest existing church in the state.  It is truly a gem, both inside and out.  How many towns do you know where a church can be left unlocked so that anyone who wants to visit can simply walk in?

Churchyard in Spring

Banner above the altar - He

Interior - the peace that surpasses all understanding

Back to Main Street, where Midas made a new friend, a huge Golden Retriever aptly named Creek, since his house is on the banks of Bath Creek.  We also met Debbie, who with her husband owns the local marina/motel, and enjoyed a glass of wine and homemade pita bread and pizza at their home.  Midas scarfed up several slices of pepperoni, thanks to Paul, and we returned to the boat with fresh spinach from their garden, homemade strawberry vinaigrette in a Bath Marina mug, and a new ball cap for Mike.

As we cruised slowly out of Bath Creek toward the Pamlico River, Mike at the helm and Marian securing the lines and bumpers, Mike spotted what we first thought was an osprey swooping ahead of the boat.  As the huge bird approached, we realized it was a bald eagle, fishing for breakfast.  He dove to the water, extended his talons, and the Pamlico River had one less fish. We saw, live and in person, a National Geographic moment, and it happened too fast for our cameras.  Bath is a charming town, with beautiful homes, lovely gardens, azaleas and dogwood in bloom, and warm, friendly people: everyone from the librarian to Debbie and Paul to the owner of Country Kitchen, where we enjoyed spinach omelets and huge biscuits. It was worth the half-mile walk along Highway 92.

Belhaven was our next destination, and soon after we turned north into the Pungo River, our friends from R.E. Mayo Seafood Company, Beth and Ray on S/V Anastarcus, hailed us on the radio.  They had stayed at Hobucken to wait out the weather that kept us in Washington and were also bound for Belhaven.  They joined us at the town dock, which has power and water at $1/foot, but no facilities.  After we walked to the municipal center to sign ourselves in, we decided to have a late lunch/early dinner and got our fill of fried food (shrimp for Beth and Ray, flounder for Mike, and chicken for Marian) on the deck at Farm Boys, across the street from the dock.

Diana, the town’s self-appointed greeter, had introduced herself as we were docking and offered to take us to Food Lion later that afternoon. Beth and Marian gratefully accepted the offer, leaving Mike and Ray to reminisce about their Navy days.  An experienced sailor, Ray suggested we reconsider our plan to go all the way up the Hudson River to the St. Lawrence Seaway.  He pointed out that we would be traveling up river, against the five-knot current, and that we would be surrounded by large commercial vessels on this route.  Our single engine 120 HP engine chugs along happily and we average 7.5 – 8.5 miles per hour when we cruise with the current. Fighting the current would make for a very slow voyage and burn fuel at a much faster rate.  (So far, we’ve used 174 gallons of diesel.)  It looks like we’ll probably be taking the Erie and Oswego canals instead, but we’ll still use the Trent-Severn lock system to get from Lake Ontario to Georgian Bay.  We’ll save Montreal for another adventure.  Ray and Beth generously shared their cruising guide for the NY state canal system, and we’ll purchase our own at the Spring Rendezvous in Norfolk.  Since reconnecting with Ray and Beth, we’ve met other cruisers who’ve offered other options.  The Spring Rendezvous in Norfolk will include sessions on cruising Canada, and we’ll decide based on all the information we can gather.

Later Tuesday evening, Mke ventured to The Tavern at Jack’s Neck for wi-fi, coffee, and, after Marian joined him, dessert:  lemon chess pie and tiramisu.  Once again, we met terrific people: owners Doug and wife Jimmie Southerland.  They opened The Tavern recently, after gutting and restoring an old building within sight of the dock, and they are enthusiastic boaters, with a wealth of knowledge.

Wednesday morning, we met Beth and Ray for breakfast at Gingerbread Café and Bakery. We had an even better omelet and hash brown casserole almost as good as the one our daughter-in-law makes at Christmas, then returned to our respective vessels for a cruise up the Pungo-Alligator canal to an anchorage that feels as if we’re in the middle of nowhere.  The wind had picked up, and the waves were too choppy to launch the dinghy, so we settled in for another evening on the Loop, listening to waves lap against the hull and enjoying the quiet – no TV, no Facebook, and minimal phone service.  Instead, we were treated to an air show – four jet fighters (F-4 Tomcats, perhaps) zooming around and around and around and around the area where we were anchored. The planes were silhouetted against a beautiful sunset, and we saw some Top Gun flying. 

Dawn came early Thursday morning, along with a brisk wind and waves in the two-three foot range. The sailboats that had anchored near us stayed put, but after running the genset long enough to make coffee, we raised the anchor and motored on, arriving at the Alligator River Bridge/US Highway 64 much earlier than expected. It’s a swing bridge, and we again stopped traffic while the bridge master opened it to let us through. We counted at least four cars eastbound to the Outer Banks (Kitty Hawk, Kill Devil Hills, and Nags Head) and about six cars and three big rigs westbound to sparsely populated eastern North Carolina.  Midas was delighted to see Stanley, his Golden Retriever friend from our stay at Harborwalk Marina in Georgetown, SC and we were happy to see more Loopers.  Stanley’s people, Gale and John, joined us at the convenience store/marina office/restaurant for lunch, and we watched three other Looper boats arrive.  Boat cards exchanged and more new friends made, including a beautiful Cocker Spaniel with the longest eyelashes we’ve ever seen on a dog.  

Killdeer eggs at Alligator River

 Friday, April 25^th, with a favorable weather forecast, we turned west into Albemarle Sound to visit Edenton, another historic town. Wanda, owner of the marina, had warned us to ignore the charts as we entered the sound.  The channel markers have been moved as shoals developed on the west side of the river, but the Garmin 740S chart has not been updated to match. In hindsight, we should have checked ActiveCaptain.com, as another of the Loopers we’d met at Alligator River Marina had done. Instead, while Mike followed the markers on the chart, Marian went below to brush her teeth.  Engine slowed, boat stopped, and we were aground.  TowBoatUS arrived from Manteo in about an hour.  With Captain Harry at the helm and able assistance from his helper, the tow boat attached a line to our bow, pulled it around to face the deeper water, then applied full throttle. Its prop wash created a tunnel under Midas Touch, and we were underway again after 20 minutes.  Fortunately, this was a “soft” grounding, and our unlimited towing coverage with BoatUS came through.

Despite the delay, we decided to continue to Edenton.  Once again, the weather forecast was wrong. Instead of diminishing winds, dark, ominous clouds built in the west, the wind blew harder, and the waves grew larger. We finally reached Edenton Harbor, the city docks, around 4:30, only to learn that the alongside dock we had requested (also called a face dock or T-dock) was already occupied by a 42 – 44 foot boat. With a strong wind blowing us away from a slip and little room to maneuver, we simply could not get Midas Touch into a slip. Finally, with help from the harbormaster, another city employee and a couple of willing volunteers, we were tied to the eastern wall of the harbor, near the pump out station.  It was a long jump for Midas from the boat to land, but he gathered his courage and made a mighty leap, welcomed by Looper friends from Alligator River, John and Pat. They had passed us while we were aground and went on to Elizabeth City, then rented a car to visit Edenton. 

We enjoyed drinks and a delicious dinner with them at Waterman’s, a block from the boat, but lingered too long.  When we left the restaurant, raindrops were falling and lightning flashed to the West; the wind was even stronger than when we docked.  We got Midas aboard, and thought we’d settle in to ride out the storm.  Mike donned his rain gear and went back on deck to add more bumpers, hoping to protect the boat from the short pilings along the wall that is not intended for mooring. He was outside in the downpour when a huge lightning bolt struck a magnolia tree only 30 yards away.  Minutes after he was back inside, we felt a surge as the boat lifted, then slammed into the pilings.  Mother Nature wasn’t done with us; she took a deep breath, then blew the bimini top off, slamming it into the antenna for the upper helm VHF radio and bending one of the support bars. Good-bye, two year old bimini top and side curtains.  We should have taken it down before we went to dinner, and would have, if we had known that the area was under a tornado warning. The wind we experienced was a microburst, a precursor to the tornado that skipped from Edenton to Elizabeth City, leaving a swath of destruction.

Rub rail damage

And more damage

 Saturday morning was bright and sunny, and we found a nearby coffee house, with great pastries and friendly townspeople.  We learned that the storm had blown the roof off one of the historic homes on the waterfront and damaged others.  Later that day, we also learned that an eleven-month old baby had died when his mom, trying to protect him from blowing debris, fell on top of him. The storm had continued east, with damage to Elizabeth City as well as Edenton. Mike took many pictures of the boat damage, and we then called ACE Recreational Marine to report the damage.  The weekend representative said that the company would assign an independent adjuster and that he would call us on Monday.
Between an “Easels in the Gardens” tour and a 5-K run, it was a busy morning in Edenton, and the city park where the marina is located was a popular spot for visitors.  One of them, a county commissioner and boater, stopped by to offer help and check out our Weaver Lever davit system for the dinghy.  He also insisted that we attend a Garden Party at Cupola House later that afternoon.  After a day of putting the boat to rights, as best we could, and contacting our insurance company about the damage, we were ready for a break.  Midas, as usual, was a perfect gentleman and made many new friends at the event.  The gardens at Cupola House, filled with iris, tulips, wisteria, and thousands of other spring flowers, had survived the storm with no apparent damage The beauty of the setting and the warmth of the townspeople lifted our spirits and once again proved that the best part of the Loop is the people you meet along the way.

We went to the garden party...

We stayed in Edenton through Sunday, recuperating, doing laundry (thanks to the loan of a city of Edenton truck to drive to another Wash House laundramat), and doing boat maintenance with the guidance of more new friends. Orville and Teresa had docked Saturday on their way home from Florida.  The boat at the face dock left Saturday, and Orville helped us move Midas Touch to a spot where it was much easier to get on and off the boat.

Monday was supposed to be a favorable weather day, and we were “off the dock” by 9:30, heading east on Albemarle Sound toward the Pasquotank River, Elizabeth City, and the Great Dismal Swamp.  We called ACE before we left to let the adjuster know that we would not be staying in Edenton, then emailed pictures.  (Connie later confirmed that ACE will not need to assign a surveyor; they can work from the photos and estimates.) Mother Nature wasn’t finished with us yet; the waves got rougher the farther east we traveled.  Marian took the helm for a couple of hours while Mike tried to rest below, then returned with a can of ginger ale, hoping fresh air would calm his queasy stomach.  (The fajitas he had at Mamasita’s on Sunday while we did laundry in Edenton didn’t help.)  The sky darkened as we made slow progress against the wind, hoping as we approached the turn north into the Pasquotank River that the water would smooth out a bit.  We didn't find out.  The engine began to cough, we were able to re-start it a couple of times, but it finally quit. Our only option: another call to TowBoatUS, then an almost two hour wait for help to arrive. The BoatUS skipper is based in Coinjock, farther east on the Elizabeth River, and Captain Eddie prudently waited for a helper to arrive before setting out in rough seas and darkening skies. When we tried hailing him from the VHF radio at the lower helm with no response, the Coast Guard responded.  The chopper overhead was able to see TowBoatUS about a mile away, radioed to let us know and to make sure we were not in distress (meaning life or limb in danger), then left when we assured them that we were OK.

Securing the tow lines in the wind and rain was difficult, but Mike did it, after pulling up the anchor (and losing one of the guide rollers in the process).  Twenty minutes after the tow boat arrived, we were on our way to Coinjock. Eddie told us that he knew there was dock space available and that we would be better protected from the wind there than in Elizabeth City.  At 2:00 AM on Tuesday, we crossed under the bridge over the North River, after riding through a nasty squall.  We had been warm and relatively dry in the cabin, helping steer to keep our boat behind the tow boat. Eddie and Danny were out in the rain and wind.  They are truly our heroes. When we reached the dock at Midway Marina and Motel, we had to cut our lines to separate Midas Touch from TowBoatUS because the knots were wet.  Eddie then tied the tow boat along our starboard side and carefully pushed us to the dock, with Danny, who had climbed aboard, directing him.  Marian and Mike had the lines ready, and Danny secured us. Eddie then joined us inside for a ginger ale and the inevitable paperwork. Midas was very glad to get to land and to gobble down a very late dinner.  He usually snoozes as we cruise along, but he was alert and clearly uneasy for most of a very long, very stressful day. 

Mark at the marina office suggested Yacht Doc to determine what had gone wrong with the engine, and Ken arrived Wednesday morning.  He diagnosed the problem in about twenty minutes: a bad fuel injector pump. Since the Ford Lehman diesel engine is no longer manufactured, new parts are not available, but Ken works with a man who rebuilds pumps. Ken used to work at Atlantic Yacht Basin and recommended them. One of the boaters we met at the Edenton garden party had also recommended AYB, and our ACE claim representative confirmed that this is a reputable shop and that they do excellent work.  Mark also recommended a canvas repair contractor, and he’ll begin the work after measuring for a new top.  This can’t take place until AYB straightens the support bar, so we may be topless for a few weeks or so.                                                                                                                                                                                                         

Eddie was back on Thursday to tow us from Coinjock to Atlantic Yacht Basin, and this trip, under mostly fair skies, was uneventful, except for a southbound cruiser (whose boat carried the AGLCA burgee, but whose name we could not read) that did not slow down as it passed us.  We hailed him on the radio to make sure he knew we were under tow, but to no avail.  His wake came close to swamping the BoatUS center console vessel, with its low freeboard, but Eddie skillfully navigated across the large wake.  Common courtesy, as well as the navigation rules that most boaters follow, dictates that when you meet another boat, you hail it on VHF Channel 16 to confirm on which side you should pass. All of the other boaters followed this practice on our trip from Coinjock to Chesapeake, and we are as grateful for their consideration as we are disappointed with the blatantly thoughtless action of the one apparently ignorant cruiser we met.  

Under Tow - Eddie led the way

When we reached AYB, Eddie turned his boat’s bow to our stern and tied the two together, then with great care and skill, pushed us into dock space that had looked impossibly small.  Dockmaster Ed was waiting, ready to catch our lines, and he was right:  we had enough room to fit between two other boats. As usual, Midas was eager to go ashore, and Marian climbed off. Midas jumped – about a four foot drop. Ed later brought a set of sturdy steps to make it easy to get ashore and for Midas to “load up boat.” John and Pat, our friends from Edenton, were here when we arrived, and we were happy to see them again and to meet other fellow Loopers who are going to the Rendezvous.  We were not the only Looper boat that had come to AYB for repairs, and we all commiserated with one another. 

Sunset over Great Bridge, Chesapeake

Being docked in Chesapeake has its positive sides - a beautiful sunset and a visit to the 

USS Wisconsin - a mighty ship

Hampton Roads Naval Museum, where the USS Wisconsin is now docked. Just across the river from us is the Great Bridge Battlefield memorial park. Midas and Mike have visited, and with a good nature trail along the water, we'll all be back.

Barges travel this river day and night

Welcome news: AYB manager John took a look at the boat Thursday afternoon and confirmed that it is not necessary to haul her out of the water to repair the hull damage.  Instead of moving to a motel, we can stay aboard, even in the shed.  He told us on Saturday that Midas Touch will be moved into one of the work sheds on Monday, where we’ll still have shore power and a set of steps. 

It’s now May 5^th, a beautiful Monday afternoon – sunny, clear, and 64 degrees, with a brisk breeze.  Laundry is done and put away, Mike has the bilge pump working again and added a high water pump.  To quote our friend Kelly, the job's not done until all the tools are put away, and we followed his maxim, then brought out the mini shop vac and removed at least a week’s accumulation of Midas’s hair and general dust and dirt. 

This afternoon is registration for the Spring Rendezvous, followed by three days of seminars and presentations that will make us better boaters.  While we’re in meetings, Midas will be living a dog’s life at Happy Tails Resort, a doggie day care center near Old Dominion University.  It has an indoor swimming pool, and his trial run Saturday, while we found a great barbecue place, was a big success.  We don’t know yet how long the boat repair will take, but there’s plenty to do and see in the area until then.  Despite the setbacks, we’re determined to finish the Loop and to have a wonderful time, making new friends, seeing new places, and living our dream.

Good night, Mrs. Calabash, wherever you are...

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Today is Tuesday, April 15th, a day all FairTaxers hope will soon become just another beautiful Spring day. We mailed our income tax check to Uncle Sam from Bucksport Plantation on April 7th (a week earlier than our FairTax tradition of dropping the envelope in the mail on the deadline and no sooner) since we knew that mail would be picked up at the marina, and we weren’t sure we’d have access to a mailbox on TaxDay.  It’s a good thing we didn’t wait, because today we’re docked at R.E. Mayo Company in Goose Creek, between the Neuse and Pamlico Rivers, waiting out a predicted few days of rain, high winds, and colder temperatures, and paying only 40 cents/foot. We have shore power, an area across the road where Midas can run, and we’re tied securely to a sturdy dock.  The wind is brisk, the sky is cloudy, and the rain is blowing against the windows – a good day to stay inside, defrost the freezer, read, and work on our blog.  Thank you, Richmond Hill boat neighbor and friend Kelly, for recommending that we buy a heat gun.  It quickly melted a six week accumulation of ice, and we have more room in the freezer.  

The predicted storms that kept us at Bucksport two extra days had blown themselves out by the time they reached the Waccamaw River, but they were productive days.  Mike did a great job of trouble-shooting the wiring problem

Mike found the break

It was hidden in the sheath

that prevented the deck lights from working, Marian cleaned, and Midas played Chuck-It, swam in the Waccamaw River, and had a bath.  

We were off the dock and on our way at 2:00 PM on April 8th and soon found ourselves in “The Ditch,” the long, straight channel from the Waccamaw River behind Myrtle Beach to Little River and the North Carolina state line.  Quite a contrast: from cypress trees and birds to one gorgeous home after another, getting bigger and more elaborate the further north we went.

We dropped anchor in Calabash Creek, (http://tinyurl.com/kwmca4o)not sure if we were in North or South Carolina, and launched the dinghy to take Midas ashore and have dinner. Our intrepid boat dog is becoming an expert at going down the steps to the swim platform and up again.  The outboard was unusually hard to crank, and about 50 yards or so from the boat, it quit.  In our haste to go ashore, we had forgotten the paddles, so we rolled up our sleeves and “swam” the dink back to the boat.  “Let me try the motor one more time,” said Mike, and this time it started easily and purred smoothly to the shrimp fleet dock. After a good (not great) dinner, we returned to the boat, and Midas decided to sniff the air and look around instead of hunkering down in the bottom. We returned the next morning for breakfast at George’s Pancake House – delicious. While Mike talked to the customers at an adjacent table (FairTax, of course, and the trip), the tide was going out; when we returned to the boat, the depth gauge showed 2.6 feet, and we feared we’d have a long wait.  

Midas waiting on a bench outside

Luck was on our side, and we were able to wiggle free for a cruise up the Cape Fear River to Carolina Beach State Park Marina. (http://tinyurl.com/mevxg72 ) In a demonstration of skillful seamanship, Mike was able to maneuver us into a slip instead of an alongside tie-up, and we spent a restful night in the protected harbor.

As we prepared for departure on Thursday, Marian in the aft cabin and Mike in the engine room, Midas took the opportunity to make an unauthorized, off-leash visit to the marina store, where he knew he’d find “puppy cookies.” We realized he had gone AWOL about the time one of the employees was laughingly escorting him back to the boat.  Backing out of the slip in the fairly small space between two docks was tricky, but we managed.  
On to Sneads Ferry to meet Mike’s North Carolina cousin Phil and his wife Barbara.  They had left Raleigh early Thursday morning in two cars, dropped one in Beaufort, then drove on to Sneads Ferry and what turned out to be a very basic marina, arriving while we were in the marina store to pay for our one-night stay.

Barbara and Phil Warlick

Unlike most marinas, which have floating docks, this one has fixed docks and large pilings. Mike quickly converted several of our fenders from vertical to horizontal, and one of the employees contributed a 3’ x 6’ piece of OSB to provide a ramp from the dock to the boat.  Midas was able to jump off, but unwilling to attempt the jump back on.
 We all took turns at the helm on our cruise from Sneads Ferry (http://tinyurl.com/lxp6xpf) to Beaufort, through Camp Lejeune.  We heard mortars and artillery in the distance and helicopters swooped overhead, but the Marines were not on maneuvers that required shutting down the ICW.   North of Camp Lejuene, we traveled through another area of miles and miles of

Semper Fi, Marine

gorgeous homes - one that can only be described as garish, and one with yard art that left us puzzled - all part of the Emerald Coast.  We reached Town Creek Marina in Beaufort (http://tinyurl.com/ksys2dx) by early afternoon. The gentle breeze Friday morning had become a strong wind by afternoon, and we were glad to be tied at the dock.

Pepto Bismol pink

A visit to Fort Macon, a trip to Walmart, and a delicious dinner with great service at the Ruddy Duck Tavern in Morehead City capped off a beautiful day on the water and an enjoyable time with Phil and Barbara.  We had all skipped showers after seeing the none-too- clean restrooms at Sneads Ferry, so we really enjoyed the showers at Town Creek, venturing out despite the strong winds that continued after sunset.

On Saturday, we were sorry to say good-bye to Phil and Barbara, after

a delicious breakfast at Beaufort Breakfast Café and a quick run to Piggly Wiggly, CVS, and ACE Hardware for provisions, a new turbie twist towel for Marian, and a larger, better ice chest. We had left a similar one in Richmond Hill, thinking the smaller wheeled one Mike had bought when he brought the boat up from Palm Coast would work. It doesn’t, and we were glad to donate it to Town Creek boat neighbor Rick, who had offered Mike the use of his truck for a trip to Walmart to pick up a prescription on Sunday morning – just another example of the willingness of boaters to help one another.  Rick is restoring a boat that’s a sister ship to one he owns, and he was hard at work from sunrise to sunrise. 

We ended our visit to Beaufort with a bike ride from the marina to town on Sunday afternoon, Midas trotting alongside Mike, lunch at the Dockside Café, ice cream cones, a visit to Scuttlebutt to purchase two Skipper Bob guides, and another land-based shower to start the week. Of course, Midas made many new friends as we walked along the waterfront, and he may even end up in a wedding video.  As we ate our ice cream, we had noticed a young couple strolling hand in hand, following a videographer who was walking backward.  When we saw them sitting on a bench taking a break, we asked about the video, and the cameraman sprang back into action as Midas made friends with the bride and groom.

Monday morning was clear and breezy for our cruise up the creek that connects Beaufort and Morehead City to the Neuse River.  Like Myrtle Beach, this was a straight shot, houses on both sides, until we reached the mouth of the creek, ready to cross the Neuse and make our way to the western shore of Pamlico Sound. Before we entered the rougher open waters, we stopped to help a couple of high school kids who waved us down.  The battery on their SeaDoo was dead, and of course he had to help.  As one of the guys held on to a rope they’d tied to the side rail of Midas Touch, Mike handed over our portable jump starter while Marian took the helm, keeping us away from the shallow water nearer shore. The SeaDoo was soon underway again, and so were we, down the Neuse toward open water, then a turn north to follow the shoreline past Bay River, into Jones Bay and Goose Creek. Soon after entering the much calmer waters of Goose Creek, we found ourselves at R.E. Mayo Company. (http://tinyurl.com/kqw6ra3 )  After securing the boat behind a 100 foot fishing vessel docked here for an overhaul ($800,000 so far), we went to the office to pay for dockage, and returned with scallops for dinner, plus, for a $1 donation to the Carteret County Relay for Life to benefit cancer research, a Congo bar and piece of strawberry cake for dessert. We split both, and plan to make more donations during our stay.

Mike’s turn:

It's raining today and we're tied up at our R.E. Mayo Co.'s dock waiting for the storm that probably most of you have already had. The temperature will drop to the 40's with expected wind gusts up to 40 or 50 miles an hour. We're quite content in this protected place on the ICW. The boat you see below is a 100 foot fishing boat, capable of handling 20 - 30 foot seas. These boats come out of here and go to the North Atlantic, bringing back scallops, flounder and shrimp. They stay out for a month or more and come back in to Hobucken, NC to unload the seafood we love to eat. Mike Ireland owns this boat and he was telling us about the limitations the federal government places on just how much they can catch and how many days they can fish, the cost of insurance on the boat and repairs. For instance, he just completed $800,000 in repairs on the boat, and he's still working on it to get the boat back into shape. Fortune Hunter has been through the Panama Canal into Alaskan fishing waters.  I enjoy talking with these fishermen and staying at this place more than a fancy marina.

Next on the agenda, after the storms pass, is a side trip up the Pamlico River to “Little Washington,” then on to the Great Dismal Swamp after crossing Albemarle Sound and visiting Elizabeth City. According to John, at NOAA, we should sit tight tomorrow and wait until Thursday for a better cruising day.  

Charleston to Georgetown

From Charleston to Georgetown and beyond…

We’re way overdue on updating this blog, so we’ll hit the high spots, with more photos.  With our first ten days as “Loopers” behind us, we’ve worked out some of the trickier spots of running the boat: docking, getting underway, stowing the lines and fenders, setting and pulling up the anchor, and we’re getting better at remembering where we’ve put things.  We’ve seen beautiful marshes, spectacular waterfront homes, bald eagles, ospreys, and even a couple of mallard ducks. 

Sunset over the marsh - one of many

After a night “on the hook” on the north end of Hilton Head our first night out from Hinckley Marine Services, Midas was happy to go ashore when we launched the dinghy before settling in for the night in Fishing Creek, off the South Edisto River.  The ladder from the aft deck to the swim platform and the dinghy is almost vertical, but with a little help and lots of encouragement, we made his way down and into the dinghy.  We motored over to a boat ramp and dock, and Midas found the grass he needed.                                                             

 We reached Charleston City Marina early Saturday afternoon.  Time to do laundry, take long showers, and enjoy a delicious dinner ashore.  We burned off some of the calories we consumed by hiking the quarter mile from the end of the Megadock to the central dock several times. 

Dessert was on the house, and we couldn't resist.

 The staff at Charleston City Marina goes out of the way to help, and the facilities are top-notch.  Midas’s favorite new friend was Brandi, a Golden Retriever/Cocker Spaniel mix who has just qualified to be a therapy dog.  We also met another Looper couple, Rick and Anne Davis on Assisted Living.  Dinner at the restaurant and breakfast Sunday morning were both as good as we remembered from our 2007 visit in "They Say."

 The plan for Sunday night was to anchor out in Charleston Harbor, still within sight of the marina, among about a dozen or so sailboats.  The brisk wind that made getting off the dock a bit of a challenge was supposed to diminish by late afternoon, and we had planned to take the dinghy ashore to meet one of our FairTax buddies, then attend a screening of Unfair – the Movie. 

We got the boot - and it rode to Georgetown.

As the hours passed, the wind blew faster and the waves grew bigger – too much for the dinghy.  The new plan – cancel the movie and hunker down for the night – would have worked, if the anchor had not impaled an old rubber boot with one fork instead of catching the bottom. When we realized we were adrift, it was time to crank the engine and head for the ICW on the other side of Charleston Harbor.  It was a rough ride, but we made it, with nothing in the cabin broken or damaged.

The section of the ICW between Charleston Harbor and Isle of Palms has no good place to anchor, but we spotted an open space at Isle of Palms Marina.  By the time we reached it, the office was closed, but Neptune was smiling on us again.  James, Kris and son Jamie saw us circling the area, radioed that they would help us tie up, then did a great job of pulling us in as the wind did its best to keep us away.   After a great spinach salad, with crab cakes for Mike and grilled chicken for Marian at Morgan Creek Grill, we settled in for the night, by now a windless one.

Monday morning, after a hearty breakfast at the Marina Market, which has a little bit of everything, from souvenirs to clothes to fishing gear and batteries, we were underway again, this time to a beautiful, quiet anchorage in Five Fathom Creek, near McClellanville.  As we moved slowly up the creek recommended by a passing fisherman, we spotted a bald eagle perched atop a channel marker.    

Bald Eagle - King of Five Fathom Creek

 The cruise from Five Fathom Creek to Georgetown was an easy run, with Marian’s tendency to oversteer the boat improving with practice as she “manned” the helm most of the way to the Sampit River.

First Mate Marian

We docked at Harborwalk Marina with able assistance from Dockmaster Chris.  Midas was again very glad to go ashore.  We broke out the bikes for a ride to Georgetown Hardware to purchase a chain and padlock to secure them and a few miscellaneous items.  What man can go into any hardware store and not see an "I've been meaning to get one of those"? Midas trots very nicely along- side Mike, and of course we carry water bottles to keep everyone hydrated. 

Georgetown was the place to find an excellent boat mechanic to help troubleshoot what we thought was a bad connection to the radar feature on our Garmin Chartplotter.  More important, John knew exactly why the steering seemed mushy: low hydraulic fluid and air in the lines from the helm to the rudder control, located under our bed in the aft cabin.  If you’re traveling this area and need just about anything electrical, electronic or mechanical done to your boat, John at Jake’s Marine Systems is your man.  

Approaching downtown Georgetown

Georgetown by night

 We can’t say enough good things about Harborwalk Marina.  It’s smaller than many, and if you want extras like use of a golf course, you won’t find them there.  You will find immaculate restroom/showers and laundry facilities, and friendly folks like Captain Rod and his wife Fran, who live on their trawler docked at the marina.  We should have made time to take the Lighthouse and Plantations tour, but we spent the time working on the boat:  washed, vacuumed, mounted fender cages, re-attached a loose rub rail strip, and organized, organized, organized.

With three productive days in Georgetown and laundry done, we turned north again on Friday, traveling the beautiful Waccamaw River and looking for a protected spot to drop the hook. With the correct amount of hydraulic fluid, steering is much better, and Marian was at the helm for most of the trip.  We paused at Bucksport Marina to ask about possible anchorages, and found a perfect place behind a stand of cypress trees less than a mile farther along. We dropped the hook, launched the dinghy, and headed back to the Bucksport.  Midas knows that when we open the back gate to the dinghy and swim platform, he's going ashore, and he's getting braver about the almost vertical ladder with each trip. Mike guides him down, step by step, until he can hop in.  Once underway, he curls up in the bottom, head under the seat, until we reach the dock.

View from our Waccamaw River Anchorage

After two nights at anchor, listening to ducks and geese as well as passing boats Friday and Saturday night, we pulled up the dinghy and anchor, and Marian drove us back to Bucksport Marina, where we're staying tonight and tomorrow while the predicted rain and storms pass through. Bucksport Marina made us an offer we couldn't refuse - $1/foot including power and water, much lower than most of the marinas.  It's not fancy, but it's clean, the facilities are good, Captain Seagrass's bar and grill has good food and friendly folks, and there's a big field where Midas can run.  We couldn't ask for more, and we have the transient dock to ourselves on a quiet, cool night, relaxing after Mike solved the problem of non-functioning deck lights.  Two wires, buried deep in the support beam to the aft deck roof, had worn through and shorted out, so DC current was not reaching them.  Mike found the site of the break, re-connected the wires, and we have deck lights again.  Tomorrow promises rain, so it will be a day to work inside, polishing the teak walls and troubleshooting another nonworking light, this one in the forward cabin where Phil and Barbara will be bunking in a few days.

An osprey surveys the world from her nest

Mike:  We have heard for the years leading up to this trip that it’s about the people you meet, both fellow Loopers and people in the towns and marinas you meet as you stop along the way. I have found this to be absolutely true. Oh, you still have the discourteous boaters who are clueless about their wakes, like Maverick, who passed us in his 40+ foot sport fisherman this afternoon without slowing, but then you meet the real gems, the people who are happy in their lives and who were put on this earth to make a positive effect on humanity.  John, the guy who worked on our boat’s steering in Georgetown, SC, is one of those individuals.  The waitress at Seven Hundred Modern Grill and Bar (formerly Zest) in Georgetown, who talked about rebuilding their restaurant after the September 2013 fire destroyed it and many other businesses along the water front is another.  Fran, who offered to take Marian along on her almost daily outing to Walmart and who made it a point to wave good-bye as we left the dock on Friday, just shines with inner goodness.  

Mike & Midas after a round of Chuck-It

Dusk on the Waccamaw

Midas Touch at the dock