Happy Thanksgiving from St Augustine

Nov. 30, 2001

I don't know why this didn't go thru on Nov 22, but I'm trying again. We're in Vero Beach, our cell phone won't work, but leave a message and I'll get back to you as soon as we get in range again.

Nov. 22, 2001

When last I wrote, we were in a slip in Cape May, wind out of the west at 25-30. Thurs., Oct 18, we got off the dock about 10 AM ( had to wait for slack tide to get out of the slip) and headed offshore down the DELMARVA Peninsula for an overnight to Norfolk. Had several hours of great sailing at 7-7.5 knots.

Ken and I took the first watch that night while Spenser and Dawn went below for a little sleep. We had an offshore lighted bell buoy programmed in for a waypoint, but it wasn't showing up. Finally, we decided the light must be out and changed course so we wouldn't get too close to it. Ken was below when all of a sudden this monstrous shape loomed out of the darkness about 50 feet away. After a few "expletives deleted" from me, ken shined the light on it and we saw our unlighted, # 6 buoy. I went below and called the Coast Guard to report the light out on a major navigation buoy. And I'm sure they got a chuckle when I said "and the bell isn't working either!!" Of course, the bell works by sea motion and isn't likely to be out of commission, but the wind was blowing and the seas were up, and I couldn't see why, being 50 ft away, I couldn't hear it. After that and a little confrontation with a tug and barge, the wind died and Spencer and Dawn took over for an uneventful watch. ON our next watch, when the light was out on another waypoint, I was sure it was a terrorist plot, but didn't call the Coast Guard again.

After a night's rest we left Mile zero of the ICW (Start of the Intra coastal waterway in Norfolk, Va.). You can be sure the Navy is taking things seriously, with armed guards standing on the bow of several vessels. All along the way, starting in NY, they remind boats not to approach any navy vessel closer than 1000 ft and don't make any sudden moves. They are particularly leery with any non US vessels.

Unlike our trip south 2 years ago, we're traveling with lots of boats. Even though we left a week later, we skipped The Chesapeake and are a couple weeks ahead. Also, with Sept 11, many boats postponed their departures. Also, the weather has been much warmer. We still spend many days in long underwear, hats and gloves, but we have not felt as cold continually as our last trip.

In Great Bridge, mi 12, we were behind several other vessels entering the lock. The dockmaster took our lines and asked Ken to call the last few boats on our handheld radio and tell them to move in. Of course, he handed the radio to me. As the dockmaster walked away, they started to call back with questions. Since he wasn't nearby, I started answering questions and giving directions. When the lockmaster came by, I told him I had been making executive decisions and directing boats. His only response was "Scary." I wonder what he meant!! Surprisingly, the lock drop was only 6 inches and only took about 5 minutes.

Dawn and Spenser only had a week left before they had to be home, and since we didn't know how far we would get, they couldn't make travel plans earlier. Now, it was getting difficult to make connections, so they planned to get off at Coinjock, mile 50. They were picked up by a big black stretch limo, driven to Norfolk where they picked up a rental car and drove home. It was great having them along for the first part of the trip. Not only did they provide extra sailing/motoring help, they also both like to cook and produced many excellent meals. Spencer also likes to take any leftovers and put them in an omelet the next morning. (Have you ever had a pasta omelet?) Oh, Spence, have you missed some great omelet opportunities since you left: parsnip omelets, veal marengo omelets, and especially sweet and sour sparerib omelets!!

Dawn and I also played many games of Scrabble. She even beat me once! I told her not to feel too badly since I spent 17 years in the fourth grade. Much of fourth grade life is spent in word games, so I'm pretty hard to beat.

We seem to be moving faster this trip, traveling 30-40 miles per day and stopping less to spend a day or 2. Also, if you remember, our last trip was right after Hurricane Floyd. The devastation was something and shoaling a continual problem. We've only run aground once, seriously. Of course, Ken was at the wheel. It was at dead low tide - in Georgia, where the tides are running 9-10 ft. It took us half an hour to get off even with a rising tide.

Some highlights of our trip have been:

Beaufort, NC with its Marine Museum and loaner car. Pegasus, from our marina in RI was there. We also had a call from Cavalier last week. We traveled to The Bahamas and back with them 2 years ago. Seems they were at a dock in Beaufort while we were there, getting repairs, but didn't know we were there until they saw where I had signed the boat register at the museum. Unfortunately, we had already left.

Next was Swansboro, NC, my father's home town. His sister, Daisy, once again treated us to a gourmet delight of steamed oysters, shrimp and hushpuppies. We ate until we couldn't move.

Ken had an adventure in Swansboro, also. He had lost a crown just as we were leaving RI and then a filling a couple of weeks later. Daisy got him an appointment with a female dentist who also teaches. When he hadn't come out after 2 hours, I thought I better make sure he was OK. He finally emerged about 30 minutes later. It seems she had a student also working on him and they were going all out. He also refused Novocain and said he never took any pain killer, a practice he may have come to regret. His dentist said he was her first patient to ever go thru this without a pain shot. When she tried to persuade him to stick around for a couple of weeks for more work, he passed!

In SC, we ended up in Prince Creek again. Last time I described how scary it was, deserted, narrow, boat covered with little spiders the next morning and reminded me of the movie Deliverance. I expected to get raped and pillaged in the night. This time was completely different. We entered from the north end of the creek and anchored near a house with another boat nearby. In the morning, I only found one little spider which I immediately squished.

For the next couple of days, every time I put on my yellow jersey, it kept scratching my neck. I even asked Ken to look at my neck and see if something had bitten me. HE SAID NO. Finally, as the jersey was bothering me again, I brushed at my neck and saw a little yellow fleck fall on the seat. As I looked closely, I saw it was on its back with legs kicking in the air. I immediately smushed it, but not until it had nailed me several times. Of course it was Ken's fault and I knew that one spider in Prince Creek must have had time to lay eggs in my jersey.

The day we left Beaufort, SC, the wind started blowing 20-30 out of the NE and continued for 10 days. t provided some great motor sailing. With wind and current, that first day we made 20 miles in 2 and a half hours - until our grounding. Even losing half an hour, we averaged 7.5 mph that day.

The biggest conversation on the radio during those days was where to find an anchorage with some wind protection. They're few and far between and the winds kept us from heading outside at all. It finally calmed down just before we got to St Augustine.

So here we are at anchor. The marina's full so no electricity to cook a turkey. We just had a turkey sandwich for lunch and will grill steaks for dinner. The weather has been great, up to 75 the last few days.

Hope you're enjoying your day, too.

Ken and Jane