Saturday, December 31, 1994 - St. Augustine, FL

Another gray, damp, non-varnishing day. We're beginning to have
second thoughts about hauling out here. Roy was going to paint the bottom, but if this weather continues, he won't be able to, so there isn't much point in paying for a haulout.
I spent most of the day programming and printing stuff. Roy couldn't get at the things he wanted to work on, so he rode his bike around. Saw the downtown, tourist area. He went right by the Fountain of Youth but didn't stop for a drink.
When Roy got back, I rode my bike downtown and along the waterfront. Visited a park which commemorated the place where the first Spanish settlers landed in 1565, 55 years before the Pilgrims reached Cape Cod. I also went by the Fountain of Youth without taking a drink. It cost $3.50, and it was getting late in the day, so I figured I'd better be getting home.
Found a grocery store that had incredibly low prices, so I bought some cauliflower and stuff.

Friday, December 30, 1994 - St. Augustine, FL

Today was just wet enough to keep me from varnishing but not wet enough to put water in the tank. I kept wishing it would either pour or clear up completely, but it stayed gray and damp and warm all day.
I rode my bike to the Post Office, hoping my mail from Kathy would be here, but it wasn't. Hauled a big load of clothes to the laundromat. This turned out to be the wrong day to do laundry. It seems there's a superstition in the south that you mustn't let the New Year find you with dirty clothes in the house, so half the population of seven counties was there with everything they owned that was washable. I practically had to fight for machines, but I finally managed to get everything washed and dried.
Roy spent most of the day connecting the TV to the new inverter. He sold the old inverter to the radar repairman for $25. The radar repairman said the part for the radar would be here Tuesday.
It was after three when I got back from the laundry, and neither of us had had lunch, so we rode our bikes to Mom and Pop's Buffet for lupper. It was nearly as good as Stacey's. Got back to the boat just before dark.

Thursday, December 29, 1994 - St. Augustine, FL

Another warm, sunny day, so I got another coat of varnish on and still had a couple of hours to paddle up the San Sebastian River. St. Augustine consists of two narrow strips on both sides of the river. The boatyard we're at is at the southern end of the east side. We have to cross the river to get to stores. We're not sure exactly where downtown is, or even if there is a downtown.
Roy got his glasses repaired and picked up some groceries. The radar repairmen came while he was gone, so it was lucky I was here. They were two hours early, and I was just about to leave to go Royaking. Half an hour later, Roy returned, so I left. The radar man is going to phone Raytheon and see if he can get a replacement for the defective part. He'll let us know tomorrow.
The canvas woman came while I was gone. She only charged $30 for replacing the zipper. Prices around here are very reasonable. She's going to give us an estimate for making a canvas sunshade for the boat. We'll need it in the Caribbean.

Wednesday, December 28, 1994 - St. Augustine, FL

Another warm, sunny day. I wanted to paddle up the San Sebastian River, but it's varnishing time. I spent the entire day sanding and varnishing the upper part of the doghouse. Just got finished before dark. It's lucky it was such a warm, dry day, so the wood was warm and the varnish dried okay.
Roy installed the new switch on the diesel heater and the air pipe. After lunch, he took the curtain with the wrecked-out zipper to a canvas place about five miles from here and got lost several times along the way. The woman who owns the shop is the sister of the dock master in Morehead City. He had given us her phone number while we were there. She's going to bring the curtain to the boat tomorrow afternoon.
Roy also phoned an electronics repairman about the radar. He'll be out tomorrow afternoon also.

Tuesday, December 27, 1994 - St. Augustine, FL

The sun is shining, the sky is blue, the temperature's in the 60's. We're really in Florida at last!
After breakfast, we went over to the office and signed up. The prices here are very reasonable. Someone in Norfolk recommended this place as both good and economical, and he was right. Hauling, power wash, and return will cost us approximately $180. Days both in and out of the water are $12.75 (25 cents a foot plus $3 for electricity).
We plan on spending one week in the water and one week on land, unless, of course, Roy finds something radically wrong.
We put our bicycles together and rode over to the highway. Bought a few groceries at Winn-Dixie and a birthday present for Gina. I took the stuff back to the boat and wrapped Gina's present. Then I went to the post office to mail it. I had expected the nearby post office to be a small branch; I thought I'd have to go downtown to the main post office to get my General Delivery mail. To my surprise, this post office turned out to be the main one, so I was able to get my mail as well as mail Gina's present. And what an amazing stroke of dumb luck I had! While I was standing in line, I suddenly realized I'd forgotten to bring Gina's address. I was kicking myself for being so dumb and thought sure I'd have to go back to the boat to get her address. Then I got my mail and there was a Christmas card from Linda and Gina with their return address on it! How lucky can you get! So I was able to mail Gina's present right away. And Gina sent me her Fourth Grade photo. I was amazed by how much she looked like Linda at that age. At first glance, I thought it was Linda's picture.
We rode around some more and explored the area. It's very attractive here. Lots of water.

Monday, December 26, 1994 - St. Augustine, FL

Another sunny day with a light breeze out of the north. There wasn't enough wind to sail at a decent speed, so we had to use the engine as well as the sails.
Roy had the main and mizzen sails tied out to catch as much wind as possible and not flop around. When we approached the St. Augustine Channel, I furled the headsail, but I didn't want to tackle the others. Roy thought we could sail down the channel, as we'd have the wind abeam, but as soon as we turned into the channel, the wind really picked up. Roy went out to lower the main and mizzen sails, while I steered. Luckily, it was a nice clear day, so I had no problem seeing the channel markers. The St. Augustine Channel is tricky, because it keeps shifting. The channel markers aren't shown on the charts, because they're moved so often. Roy said something to me that I understood as "Head into the wind," which is what he often tells me to do when he's working with the sails. He thought he was telling me to stay on the windward side of the channel, which I was doing anyway. I was afraid that if I headed into the wind, we'd get out of the channel and hit a shoal. After ten minutes of yelling back and forth at each other, the miscommunication finally got straightened out. After that it was easy. For me, that is. Roy still had to wrestle with the sails. But eventually he got them down, and we got behind the break-
water and had no problem after that. We even arrived at the bridge just five minutes before opening.
We wanted to go to a boatyard that had been recommended to us. It's called St. Augustine Marine, so I tried to hail them on the VHF, but they were closed for the day. The guy at Sea Tow responded. His boat is tied at St. Augustine Marine, so he told us how to get there and said we could tie to an end dock. We had to go up the San Sebastian River, but it was well marked and plenty deep. The Sea Tow guy was waiting for us at the dock. He took our bow line and secured it. I was going to get off with the stern line as I usually do, but my toe caught on a line and I lost my balance, so I made a rather ignominious landing on the dock, but no harm done. First time I ever tripped getting off the boat, but the man from Sea Tow probably thinks I'm a clumsy nitwit.
This looks like a really good yard. We're out in the boonies, though. I hope there's a shopping center nearby or a bus that will take us to one. I walked around a few blocks and didn't see any stores, but it's a nice, quiet, residential neighborhood with huge shade trees that spread out a hundred feet or more.

Sunday, December 25, 1994 - St. John's River, FL

Even though we always tell Santa Claus not to bring us presents, he keeps bringing them. We had fun opening them after breakfast. Roy got a really nice down vest from his daughter Carol, and Carol gave me a nice long-sleeved top. Roy gave me a package of apricots and a book on ropes. I gave him a book on sail-handling.
The day couldn't have been nicer -- clear blue sky and sunshine. Roy was dismayed to find ten quarts of water in the lazarette, but after he took everything out and bailed out the water, no more came in, so apparently it was from the waves that washed over us the other day.
The weather was so pleasant, we decided to sail down the coast instead of taking the ICW. When we got outside, there was scarcely any breeze at all, so we had to motor all the way. Arrived at the mouth of St. John's River around 4:30 and dropped anchor near a lovely beach. We were going to paddle ashore, but the current was so strong, we decided we better not.
What a delightful Christmas day!

Saturday, December 24, 1994 -Fernandina Beach, FL

The wind finally died down a little and shifted to the southwest, bringing warmer air. By afternoon, the sun came out.
At first, we thought we'd head down the ICW towards Jacksonville, but we needed groceries and there's no place that we know of to buy groceries between here and St. Augustine (Jacksonville would be way out of our way), so we decided we better shop while we're here. We're glad we did, because when we got to the dinghy dock, the dockmaster wished us Merry Christmas and said everything was free. Usually, the dinghy dock costs $5 for more than six hours, showers are $1.50, and dumping trash is 50 cents a bag, so it was really nice getting all that for a Christmas present.
We walked the two miles to the grocery store. By the time we got there, it was nearly one o'clock, and we were hungry, so we ate a yummy lunch at Kentucky Fried. Then we bought the groceries and walked back. The store would have transported us back for free, but it was a nice day and it felt good to stretch our legs, so we walked.
After we put the groceries away, we took showers. The showers were good one, with lots of room and a bench. All tile.

Friday, December 23, 1994 - Fernandina Beach, FL

The wind picked up again during the night and shifted to the northwest. It was neat lying in bed, listening to the wind howling and the waves splashing against the hull, but I kept worrying that we might drag anchor or one of the other boats near us might drag into us, so I got up early to check. I could see by the lights on land that we were staying put, but it was too dark to see the other boats until dawn. Then I saw that even if they did drag, they wouldn't hit us, so I was able to relax, but by then I was wide awake and dressed, so I stayed up.
The storm has increased instead of decreased, so it looks as if we'll be spending Christmas in Fernandina Beach, which is fine. We're very lucky to be here. We're very glad we shot right down the coast, without stopping along the way. There's a raging nor'easter along the South Carolina coast, with winds of 55 to 70 MPH! Sure glad we're not in that. Even here in this protected harbor, the wind is blowing 30 knots. Roy had a hard time keeping the diesel heater going, due to the wind blowing down the stovepipe. He finally went outside and put the stainless steel bucket over the top of the stovepipe. Then the cabin stayed good and warm.
We were unsuccessful in getting the line loose. Going backwards or forwards didn't affect it at all, so Roy concluded the line is caught on the rudder pinion rather than the prop shaft. It doesn't seem to affect the steering, so we might just try to go to St. Augustine with it like it is. The water here is very murky, so Roy would have a hard time seeing anything if he dove on it.
It was too windy and cold to do anything outside, so we spent the day doing inside things. It was relaxing and pleasant.

Thursday, December 22, 1994 - Fernandina Beach, FL

We both slept late this morning. Guess we were worn out from yesterday. We decided to loaf around here today, instead of going on. We're only a day and a half from St. Augustine, and we're no longer in danger of snow and ice, so we can relax.
By morning the rain had stopped, but the icy wind kept blowing out of the north, and the sky remained overcast. Roy fired up the diesel heater, and we hung his wet clothes up to dry. When we get to St. Augustine, we'll have to take them to a laundromat and wash the salt out of them, but in the meantime, they'll at least be dry.
We took turns paddling over to some grounded boats. One of us had to stay on the Jofian to check the heater. Roy went first. There's a big old ketch not far from here that blew up on an island. Roy thinks it's been there about five years, but it's still in fairly good condition. It hasn't broken up, but I guess it would cost more than it's worth to pull it off of there and repair it. The other boat is around on the far side of the island. It's a small catamaran, and it's attached to an anchor. Its sail is in tatters, and it looks as if it might have had a fire in its galley. Maybe the owner plans on reclaiming it some day. It looked as if it could be repaired.
While we were paddling, we made the disconcerting discovery that the waves yesterday had washed the loose end of the headsail furling line overboard and it had wrapped itself around the propeller shaft! It's a wonder we were able to get here at all. Fortunately, it's a fairly light line. We weren't able to pull it off, so Roy might have to dive on it tomorrow, but first he's going to try turning the shaft in reverse while I pull the line to see if we can get it off that way.

Wednesday, December 21, 1994 - Fernandina Beach, FL

Really blowing today and rainy. We decided to head for Fernandina Beach, and it's a good thing we did. By afternoon, the wind was blowing 25-30 knots and the waves were really getting big. Sometimes, an especially fierce wave would wash right over the deck. One huge wave hit us broadside, flooded the cockpit, and even went through the closed (but not locked) porthole in the aft cabin, drenching the bed and Roy's clothes. It made such a loud crash that Roy thought we'd hit a buoy, and he came rushing up from the main cabin to bawl me out for not watching where we were going. He was greatly relieved when he found out it was just a wave.
We were doing 30-30's and better. A couple of times, we went over to fifty degrees! Roy and I were hanging on for dear life, but Jofian took it all in stride. What a good boat!
I came closer to getting seasick than I have in a long time, but I took an extra Dramamine and slept for an hour. Woke up feeling great.
The older of the two GPS's quit working altogether, but the other one took us directly to the St. Mary's Channel entrance buoy. Were we ever glad to see that!
The entrance channel to Fernandina Beach is ten miles long! We first spotted the outer buoy at twenty to eleven a.m. By the time we got to the harbor, it was four o'clock! Roy had had to do most of the steering; I couldn't deal with it. Going up the channel, we were broadside to the waves, which made steering difficult.
The radar worked intermittently. Fortunately, it worked at the most crucial moment, when we were trying to locate the first set of channel markers from the entrance buoy. They were considerably north of where we expected them to be. In the limited visibility, we might not have found them without the radar. The radar continued to guide us down the channel for a while. Then it went off, but we could see the next set of markers, so that was okay. From time to time, the radar worked again and then went off again.
Arrived in Fernandina in drenching rain and frigid gale winds. Welcome to warm, sunny Florida!
There are two marinas here, but they can't handle boats that draw more than 4 feet, so we anchored out. We're very glad we have the new diesel heater. It kept us snugly and also dried the bedclothes. Boy, what a relief to be at anchor in a safe harbor! It's hard to believe we're in Florida already.

Tuesday, December 20, 1994 - On way to Florida

We had a good northeast wind, so we zoomed along, pushed by the wind and waves. It was good to be out on the ocean again. Towards evening, though, the wind started getting stronger and the waves larger.
The radar kept intermitting, to coin a phrase. Sometimes it worked perfectly, but other times it didn't work at all. One of the GPS's began acting up. It was the Revolt of the Electronics.
We decided to pass up Savannah and Georgetown and Port Royal, and just make a run straight to St. Augustine, if the weather holds out, so we sailed all night again.
It was hard to sleep, sliding all over the bed and hearing the wind howling. About half an hour before time for me to go on watch, I decided I had better get up, because Roy would want to reef the main, and he'd need me to hold the wheel, but he's always too considerate to call me. He was glad I got up, because he did want to lower the main. When he got out in that raging wind, he discovered that the mainsail was caught on one of the spreaders. For a while, he thought he'd have to go up the mast to free it, but he had me steer into the wind, and after struggling for nearly an hour, he managed to get the sail down. What a relief! The boat was a lot easier to handle then.

Monday, December 19, 1994 - On Way to Florida

Walked over to the post office in the morning and then took off. The wind was blowing pretty hard, so it was difficult getting away from the dock. Roy had me stand on the stern with the boathook and catch a line, so I could pull the stern of the boat around. That part was easy; the hard part was getting the pole loose. The boat was moving, the hook was over the line, and I had a bunch of shrouds in my way when I tried to walk forward. I tried my best to get the hook off the line but couldn't, so Roy ran out and grabbed the hook.
It was a nice day, so we headed out into the ocean instead of going down the ICW. Will be a lot faster.
We had planned on going to Charleston today, but we got off to a late start and would have arrived in Charleston after dark, so we decided to keep going to Savannah. First overnighter we'd done in a long time.

Sunday, December 18, 1994 - Southport, NC

Light drizzle in the morning, but it soon stopped and the sun came out. A really lovely day. The water was totally calm, so we had no problem whatsoever leaving the dock.
The ICW is separated from the Atlantic Ocean by a narrow strip of sand. A lot of big hotels, condos, and fancy homes are built along the oceanside. A couple of times, we could look down an inlet and see the surf pounding on the beach.
On the inland side of the waterway, there are many large estates and lovely homes with private docks. They're in an excellent location, because the outer strip of sand protects them from the worst of the wind and waves, yet they're close enough to the ocean to get out there in a matter of minutes by motorboat.
At Wrightsville, we saw a school of dolphins swimming around and leaping out of the water. Sometimes they swam next to our boat or ducked under the bow. We were really surprised to see dolphins in an inland waterway.
The current here is very strong. When we approached closed bridges, we had to turn around and head upstream to keep from being washed into the bridge. As soon as the bridge opened, we zoomed through it, so we didn't lose much time at bridges.
We were very glad it was such a clear day when we got to the Cape Fear River, because channels went off in every direction. We had to keep a sharp lookout for the channel marker numbers to make sure we didn't take the wrong channel.
Arrived in Southport around two. We could have continued on, but we were afraid we wouldn't make it to another town where we could buy groceries, so we tied up at the Southport Marina. It's a nice one, but not quite as nice as Harbour Village. They let us use their courtesy car, so Roy and I and a couple of other sailors drove to a super market and stocked up. What luxury having a car to take the groceries home in.
When we got back to the marina, Roy and I went for a little stroll along the waterfront. Southport is a really nice place. It combines the charm of a lovely southern town with the beautiful scenery of a waterfront village. There are a great many huge oak trees that spread their branches way out. There are also some small palm trees. This is known as the place where "the palms meet the pines".

Saturday, December 17, 1994 - Hampstead, NC

current, but we finally made it. Drenching rain limited our visibility, but we managed to find our way down the ICW. I would have preferred to go outside, but there are gale warnings for tomorrow night, so Roy decided to stick to the inside channel.
The rain had stopped by 11, and the sun started to come out, but the sky remained overcast, with light drizzle off and on all afternoon. Visibility was adequate, however. "Adequate" meaning when we reached one channel marker, we could see the next one down the line, but just barely.
We had to go through the Camp Lejeune firing range, but this is Saturday, so no one took pot shots at us.
We zoomed along at 6 1/2 knots until we reached the Surf City swing bridge. Got there at 3:30 but found out they only open on the hour, so we lost half an hour hanging around waiting for the opening.
By then, we were seriously thinking about finding a place to spend the night. We had passed only one marina, and that was around noon. We were afraid we might have to anchor in the channel. Outside the channel, the water was only one or two feet deep, which was rather nerve-wracking. The technique I'd developed farther north continued to work well, fortunately, so we didn't go aground.
Passed a guy fishing from a dock. Asked him if he knew of a place nearby to tie up or anchor. He said we could tie up at the Exxon fuel dock a couple of miles down the road, so we kept going. Didn't find an Exxon dock, but we saw a BP dock and a sign that said "Harbour Village Marina." I contacted them on the VHF, and they said they had a vacant slip and the water was deep enough, so we went in. Boy, were we lucky! Got tied up just before dark, and this is a beautiful place. Everything looks brand new, but the dockmaster said it has been here 8 or 9 years. The restrooms and showers are beautiful! So we did get to take another shower this year after all.
They even let us use their courtesy vehicle -- an old beat-up pickup truck. We were going to drive into town to buy some groceries, but we had to make so many turns, we were afraid we'd get lost, so we turned around and went back to the marina.
We covered sixty miles today, in about nine hours! Really zooming.

Friday, December 16, 1994 - Morehead City, NC

At last -- blue sky and sunshine! The wind is still strong and cold, but the sunshine makes it feel warmer.
I took advantage of the lovely day to paddle my Royak over to Atlantic Beach. Found a harbor over there that went in maybe half a mile. No good marinas, however. The so-called marinas just had posts to tie to, no floating docks. In fact, Dockside, where we are, is the best marina in the entire area.
Roy went up the mizzen mast and checked the radar dome. Other than needing some lubrication, it was in excellent condition. The radar is still working, so we're hoping it continues to work.
It's supposed to rain again tomorrow, but we're going to try to leave anyway. We gotta get south!

Thursday, December 15, 1994 - Morehead City, NC

The rain quit, but the sky remained overcast, and the northeast wind continued to blow hard and cold.
The dockmaster here is leaving tomorrow for two weeks' vacation, so after today we won't be able to access the restrooms, shower, and laundry. I washed the rest of the dirty clothes, took a shower, and shampooed my hair. Might be a while before I get another chance.
Roy bought some heavier electrical cable for the new inverter and installed it. Now we get a lot more voltage.
Spent most of the afternoon writing Christmas cards.

Wednesday, December 14, 1994 - Morehead City, NC

Rained all day today. Not a downpour, but a steady, drenching rain. We filled the water tank and hung around the boat. I'm kicking myself for not going Royaking on Monday, when the sun was shining, wet waders or no wet waders. I sure hope I get a chance to go at least once before we leave. This is such a neat place to explore.
We might decide to go down the ICW to Charleston instead of out to sea. It would take a lot longer, but we'd see some new scenery and be safe from the big waves.
Roy changed the oil and filter today, and finally figured out how to do it without making a mess! This Perkins 4-108 engine has the oil filter upside down, so when you remove it, no matter how careful you are, some of the dirty oil spills. Roy has been muttering about it for a long time, but at long last he developed a technique for removing the filter without spilling any oil.

Tuesday, December 13, 1994 - Morehead City, NC

Much warmer today and somewhat less windy, but overcast with occasional sprinkles.
I walked to the post office and the closest grocery store. It's really hard to find fresh produce around here this time of year.
Roy rode his bike around a while and then worked on the boat. He checked out the radar again, and it still worked. Then he worked on the boat's exhaust system and found a piece of pipe that was about to fail. It could have gone out at any time and let water into the boat. It's sure lucky he caught it in time. He went to a nearby marine hardware store and found a good piece of bronze pipe to replace it.
I did a load of wash here at the marina. Most convenient laundry I've used in a long time, but there's only one washer and dryer, so I can only do one load at a time.

Monday, December 12, 1994 - Morehead City, NC

No rain today, but even though the sun was shining brightly, the cold wind continued to blow out of the north.
I trundled the blue wagon to a shopping center a couple of miles away and bought a bunch of stuff. Roy put his bicycle together and rode around, trying to find a place that could repair the radar. He found out the nearest Raytheon dealer and authorized repair shop is in New Bern, about twenty miles from here. Roy phoned but wasn't able to talk to anyone except the office clerk. She said they were extremely busy, but she'd have a technician phone him at the marina at five o'clock. No one ever phoned, however.
In the late afternoon, Roy tried the radar again, and to our amazement, it came on! Seems to be working perfectly now, so the problem is an intermittent one rather than a component failure.
I longed to go Royaking, but when I opened my Royak, it was full of rainwater, and my waders were soaking wet inside as well as out. I laid everything out in the sun to dry and sponged the water out of the interior of the Royak, but by the time my waders got dry, it was too late to go paddling.

Sunday, December 11, 1994 - Morehead City, NC

Last night, the wind shifted to the north, bringing cold air, rain, and strong gusts. We are very lucky we got here when we did; a few more hours and we'd have been caught in this storm. There are small-craft warnings all up and down the coast, with 35-knot gusts and 10-foot waves. This is a good time to be tied to a dock in a sheltered harbor, with dockside electricity to run our electric heaters and a sturdy doghouse to keep us dry and warm.
Roy relaxed for once and enjoyed a pleasant indoor day. I also stayed indoors, playing with my computer.
The rain let up in the evening, so we walked to a nearby restaurant for a buffet supper. Stacey's it wasn't, but it was okay.

Saturday, December 10, 1994 - Morehead City, NC

Pouring rain most of the day, which limited visibility. When we first started out, we could only see a few hundred yards. If it hadn't been for the radar and the GPS, we'd have had to stay put.
As usual, I lucked out. Just a few minutes before my watch started, visibility suddenly increased to two or three miles! And it's a good thing it did, because half an hour or so later, the radar quit working. Just a few days ago, Roy and I had been talking about how well the radar had been working ever since the old man at Half Moon Bay had repaired it. Now it's fried. Maybe it can be repaired, or maybe we'll have to buy a new one, but at least for now we can see where we're going. If it had gone out a couple of hours earlier, we'd still be sitting in Bay River. I was afraid the visibility would decrease again, and we'd have to pull over and anchor, but fortunately, it remained good enough to see from one marker to the next, but it was a struggle, especially the last stretch just before Morehead City, where the channel is surrounded by one-foot deep water. I was supposed to be on watch for that stretch, but Roy kept the wheel, because he can see so much better at a distance than I can.
What a relief when we finally got tied to the dock! The dock master, Graham, was out fishing, so we just tied to the fuel dock temporarily. The rain had let up briefly, so we walked to the grocery store and bought a few things. Just as we got back to the marina, it started pouring again.
When Graham showed up, Roy paid him $75 for a week. We had been talking about staying here longer, but Graham said he's going to be leaving Thursday and won't be back until January. During that time we wouldn't be able to use the restrooms or showers, so we'll just move on. Next stop, Charleston.
It's amazing how warm it is here. We feel as if we're finally in the south. The temperature's in the 70's.

Friday, December 9, 1994 - Bay River, NC

Very calm this morning. Cloudy, but quite a bit warmer. We got off to a fairly early start and ate breakfast along the way, so we were able to cover 65 miles.
Once again, I lucked out with the easy stretches. I had most of the long, straight, deep Pungo Canal and also the Pamlico River, which is deep enough and wide enough not to have to worry about. Roy got the shallow, twisty stretches.
When Roy came on in the Pungo Canal, he tried to turn the steering over to Charlie. Charlie immediately found the one and only bump in the entire canal. BLUMP! Fortunately, it was soft mud, so Roy got off right away, no problem. After that, he steered himself.
We reached the Fairfield Bridge at five past ten. Since the bridge only opens on the hour and half-hour, we figured we'd be sitting there for 25 minutes, but to our amazement, it opened for us at 10:15! That was very nice of the bridgetender. Then the same thing happened at the Hobucken Bridge. I guess there are so few boats going through this time of year that the bridgetenders are glad to have something to do to relieve their boredom. It was very lucky for us, because if we'd have had to wait, it would have been pitch dark by the time we reached Bay River. Instead, we got to drop anchor in the last faint glow of daylight.
Tomorrow we should reach Morehead City!

Thursday. December 8, 1994 - Cedar Ridge Point, NC

The weather finally caught up with the forecast. The wind is now blowing straight out of the North, bringing cold air with it. Today was at least twenty degrees colder than yesterday. Clear and sunny, though.
Even though the wind is blowing 25 knots, it's blowing in the right direction, so we left Coinjock and headed into Albemarle Sound.
I really lucked out on the watches; Roy got the watch when we were going through a shallow, twisty river; I got the straight shot across the Sound, where the water is 15 or more feet deep. I had to steer, because the following seas were more than Charlie could handle, but I didn't mind that as long as there was plenty of water under the keel.
We had planned on anchoring near the entrance to the Alligator River, but it was still fairly early when we got there, so we kept going and anchored farther down the Alligator River, near Cedar Ridge Point. Roy fired up the new heater, and we enjoyed a cozy evening.

Wednesday, December 7, 1994 - Coinjock, NC

We don't have shore-side electricity here at Great Bridge, so we walked to McDonald's for breakfast. By the time we got back, it was nearly ten o'clock, so we got off to a late start and then had delays waiting for a couple of bridges to open. The Sea Aura hadn't stopped in Great Bridge but had kept going yesterday, so she was well ahead of us. Roy began remembering more about the Sea Aura and her skipper. We first met him in Puerto Madero (see April 12 to 17th, 1993, of the Log). He had left ahead of us but went aground in the outer harbor and lost his anchor trying to kedge off, so he returned to the inner harbor but later went out with a friend and recovered the anchor. He left again the next day. Then, a day or two later, we caught up with him. He was becalmed but didn't want to use his engine, so he was just drifting and waiting for a breeze. We chatted for a few minutes, and then we motored on. How remarkable that we met each other again in the ICW!
The ICW is interesting. Parts of it are straight, fairly deep, man-made channels. Other parts are twisting, natural rivers. And there are also some wide sounds, especially the Albemarle, where you almost feel as if you're out on the ocean. We crossed the Currituck Sound today, which is much smaller and shallower than Albemarle. At times we were in less than six feet of water, which is scary, but apparently the bottom is soft mud, so we didn't ground. However, we heard part of a Coast Guard broadcast on the VHF. I couldn't understand every word, but I heard them say "Coast Guard Cape Hatteras" and something about a sailboat in Currituck Sound near some point. We wondered if it might be the Sea Aura; there aren't many sailboats on the ICW this time of year.
I finally worked out a method for navigating the shallow areas in the ICW. My crooked eyeballs won't let me gauge the channel the way Roy does, by looking at the channel markers. I even have a hard time figuring out if I'm in the middle by judging the distance from the banks. So today, I started keeping an eye on both depth sounders. If the one on the starboard side showed more water than the one on the port side, I steered slightly to starboard. If the one on the port side showed more water, I steered slightly to port. If they were both about the same, I held her steady as she goes. This worked very well and kept me from going aground. It should prevent a repeat of our first trip up the ICW when I had ten feet of water on one side of the boat and three feet on the other. That was not pleasant.
This was another unbelievably hot day for December. In fact, it set a new record -- 78 degrees! The forecasters keep telling us a cold front is on the way, but it sure hasn't reached us yet.
We arrived in Coinjock about four o'clock, and there was the Sea Aura, tied to a fuel dock! We talked with her skipper (whose name we don't remember) and found out the Sea Aura was indeed the sailboat that had gone aground in Currituck Sound. He's sailing without charts of the ICW, which is really a gamble. Roy had seen on the chart that you have to stay well over on the west side of the channel going through a very narrow stretch just before Coinjock, so we didn't have a problem. The Sea Aura was probably out in the middle. She sat there for an hour, and then the Coast Guard came and pulled her off.
Most of the so-called marinas here in Coinjock charge 80 cents a foot, so we went back to Tate's, where it's 50 cents a foot. (By "marina", they mean you can tie to the pilings on their wall.) The half-dozen friendly doggies who live here gave us a warm welcome. They seemed to remember us. Mr. Tate also remembered us. He's always pleasant and nice, and he speaks with a wonderful No'th Ca'lina drawl.
So we've finally gotten away from Norfolk and are in North Carolina, headed south! This time last year we were way up in Long Island Sound or someplace like that. This year we have a fighting chance of avoiding the snow and ice.

Tuesday, December 6, 1994 - Great Bridge, VA

Heavy fog was forecast for this morning, but in Little Creek where we were, the sky was perfectly clear, so we cast off. As soon as we exited the harbor, however, there was the fog, and it kept getting thicker. At times, we could scarcely see 100 feet. If the radar hadn't been functioning, we'd have dropped anchor and waited for the fog to lift, but with the radar, we were able to reach the Elizabeth River. It was pretty nerve-wracking even so. I'd go up to the bow and try to see buoys while Roy steered towards them. When it was my turn at the wheel, I realized we'd been following the wrong line of buoys and were half a mile off course, so I turned due east and found the right channel markers. After that, it was relatively easy. The fog began lifting, and by ten o'clock, we could see where we were.
This turned out to be an "It's a Small World" type of day. We passed a small sailboat that was being single-handed. Later, the boat caught up with us while we were waiting for a bridge to open. The guy on it struck up a conversation. He said he'd seen us before, perhaps on the west coast of Mexico at Puerto Madero, or maybe in Maine. He was from Los Angeles and had left there two or three years ago. During the summer, he had worked in Maine. We didn't remember him, but Roy remembered the name of his boat, "Sea Aura". He even recalled that Roy had invented the Royaks.
When we reached the Great Bridge Lock, one of the lock attendants came over and said something about the Royaks. Turned out he was a friend of Roy's from way back. They hadn't seen each other since 1976. His name is Chuck Haywood, and he's a very enthusiastic fan of Royaks. He had two of them, and they were both stolen. He's been trying ever since to get another one, but didn't know where to buy one. Roy gave him a brochure, so maybe he'll contact Steve and order one. Chuck is the guy who gave Roy the board with all the fancy knots on it. Roy invited him on the boat and showed him that the knot board was still hanging on the wall.
After we got through the bridge, we tied up at the fuel dock and filled the tank and five jerry cans. Then we crossed the channel and tied to the free dock for the night. Walked over to Farm Fresh and bought some groceries. After we'd taken them back to the boat and relaxed for a while, we walked to the Chinese restaurant and ate a buffet supper.

Monday, December 5, 1994

Hooray! We're back in the water! We really lucked out: the tide was high, the wind was calm, and the downpour and thunderstorm quit just before it was time for us to go in, so the launching couldn't have been easier. Now we're tied to the end dock, where we were three weeks ago when we first arrived.
The weather is unbelievably warm for December. Almost hot. The temperature went all the way up to 71! But a cold spell is approaching, so we're hightailing it south. Tomorrow we'll head for Great Bridge.
After lunch, Roy took off on his bicycle to buy a tube of tooth-
paste. I gathered up the dirty clothes, piled them in the wagon, and headed to the laundromat. On the way, I met Roy riding towards me with two full plastic bags. I said, "That's the BIGGEST tube of toothpaste I EVER saw!" Roy said, "It was so big, I had to borrow a hacksaw and cut it in two, so I could put half in each bag."

Sunday, December 4, 1994 - Norfolk, VA

Still warm! Light sprinkles predicted tonight, but nice during the day. Roy spent most of the day installing the new Sumlog cable.
A very pleasant woman named Nancy Jackson came by and visited our boat. She and her husband were in the process of buying a steel boat at the other end of the yard. Roy and I visited their boat, and then her husband Dennis came over and visited the Jofian. They live in Nova Scotia and invited us to visit them if we're ever up there.
For supper, Roy and I walked over to Stacey's. Found out there are Stacey's Buffets in Florida, so we might luck out and find another one.

Saturday, December 3, 1994 - Norfolk, VA

Another warm, sunny day. Cloudier than yesterday, but no rain, and the wind was still out of the south.
A fishing tournament started yesterday at five p.m. A never ending succession of trailered powerboats has been going by all night and all day to use the ramp. People must really love to fish to go out at night.
Roy finished painting the bottom -- and himself -- with black bottom paint. I finished charting our course to Morehead City. We're scheduled to go back in the water at 9 o'clock Monday morning, and we hope to leave for Great Bridge on Tuesday.

Friday, December 2, 1994 - Norfolk, VA

Someone tried to steal Roy's bicycle last night. He could tell because it had been pulled way back out of its normal position, but it was still firmly attached to the propeller shaft. Roy figures they'll come back tonight with cable cutters, so he's going to carry his bike up to the deck every night from now on. That will be a nuisance but a lot better than having it stolen. It will only be for a few nights anyway, because we plan on going back into the water Monday morning. Then, if the weather's favorable and the boat doesn't sink, we'll head south Tuesday morning. Warm air, here we come!
This was the pleasantest day we've had in quite a while. There wasn't a cloud in the sky, and the sun was bright and warm. Got all the way up to the low 60's.
In the morning, Roy rode his bike to Boat/U.S. for another can of bottom paint. In the afternoon, he just about completed the painting. I continued plotting our course to Morehead City (we're going to take the ICW after all; trying to go around Hatteras would mean opposing winds and currents all the way), and also did some programming.

Thursday, December 1, 1994 - Norfolk, VA

Sunshine, at long last. Cold, though. Wind blowing out of the north. Highest temperature in the low 50's.
Roy continued working on the hull. He's sanding and repainting. I went to "The Lion King" in the afternoon. Missed it last summer, so I figured I better see it on the second round. It wasn't what I expected, however. The critics have been raving about it so much, I expected something really great. From an artistic point of view, I guess it's a masterpiece, but it's too terrifying for children, it gives a totally distorted and absurd view of animal life, and the music's too loud. Maybe I'm the only person in the country who didn't think highly of it, but I just didn't like it.

Wednesday, November 30, 1994 Roy's birthday! - Norfolk, VA

Roy was really surprised to receive a birthday card at breakfast. His watch said November 29th, so he thought his birthday wasn't until tomorrow, but he finally agreed it was today.
At lunch, he remembered that Stacey's gives a free meal on your birthday, so we agreed to eat supper there. That sort of messed up my plans -- I was going to bring in a lighted cake and Roy's present after supper, but I didn't want to embarrass him in the restaurant, so I gave him his present after lunch. It was a warm shirt that actually fit, and he likes it! He wore it when we went to Stacey's. Then it turned out that Stacey's no longer gives free birthday meals, but we ate there anyway.
Talked with Dr. Sperling on the phone. He said I have bacteria in my colon, and he phoned in a prescription for Flagyl, which is what the doctor in Fairhaven had prescribed, and it had definitely helped, but then I ran out of it. Dr. Sperling also wants me to have a colonoscopy in the next four to six weeks. If we're not here, he'll recommend a doctor in St. Augustine.
I've been trying to figure out where I picked up the bacteria. The most likely place was the fountain in front of the Athenaeum in Providence. Pure, sweet, cool water has been flowing there from an underground spring for two or three centuries. I used to enjoy drinking the water when I was a kid, so when I was in Providence a couple of months ago, I couldn't resist taking a drink, but maybe the water isn't as pure as it was fifty years ago. Anyway, I'm going to write to the Health Department in Providence and inquire.
After lunch, I took the bus to Ward's Corner and got my prescrip- tion. Then I went to Farm Fresh and showed Monday's receipt to the manager I had talked with on the phone. She said she had checked the scales, and they were accurate. I went over to the cookie bin, filled a plastic bag with cookies, and weighed it in the produce department. As I expected, it weighed 1.5 pounds. I took it to the manager, and she weighed it at a check-out scale. Her eyeballs popped out when it weighed 1.5 pounds. She gave me the bag of cookies to make up for my being overcharged Monday. Now I feel much better.

Tuesday, November 29, 1994 - Norfolk, VA

Colder today. Only light sprinkles of rain in the afternoon. I went to Sears and bought a birthday present for Roy. Then I rode the bus to Janaf Plaza and saw a movie I'd been wanting to see ever since I saw the preview in New Bedford. It's an excellent movie that hasn't had any publicity, so it will be a commercial failure unfortunately. The title is misleading; it's called "The War", but it certainly isn't a "war" movie in the usual sense. It's about the futility of war, the waste of war, the uselessness of war. Most of the movie focuses on a bunch of kids building a treehouse, but there is also the father, a disturbed veteran of Viet Nam. The movie was well written, well acted, and well directed. The kids did a terrific job of acting like real kids instead of Hollywood wise guys. This is NOT a children's movie, but I highly recommend it for adults.

Monday, November 28, 1994 - Norfolk, VA

The wind shifted to the southwest and brought in warm air. It must have been twenty degrees warmer today than yesterday. The sky remained overcast, but there was no rain except a few sprinkles in late afternoon.
Roy had his hair cut. One of the worst cuts of his entire life, certainly the worst since I've known him. I took one look and ran off screaming. I could have done a better job of cutting it myself, and I can't cut hair for beans. I told him I'd give him a bottle of hair tonic for his birthday to help it grow out.
Bought a few groceries at Farm Fresh. I think the scale at the check-out counter was overweighing by a pound. I had three apples that couldn't have weighed more than a pound-and-a-half. The scale showed two-and-a-half pounds, so I refused them. A bag of loose cookies weighed nearly three pounds. I knew that was wrong, but I was in a hurry to catch the bus, as they only run once an hour, so I rather stupidly paid for them and left. When I got to the boat, I weighed them on our scale and had Roy heft them. Also compared them with the weight of a two-pound package of chicken, which definitely weighed more than the bag of cookies. Roy and I agreed the cookies weighed about one-and-a-half pounds. I phoned the store and talked with the Service Manager. She said they check the scales every day and they can't be off by one-hundredth of an ounce. She said she'd recheck the scale, and she also told me to bring in the receipt and she'd refund the two dollars I thought I was overcharged.

Sunday, November 27, 1994 - Norfolk, VA

Cold, wet, raw, rainy day. Not a good day to be outside, so we stayed in. Roy watched television, and I played with my computer. The new heater kept us cozy warm. Roy wanted to go to Stacey's for supper, but I talked him out of it. Once a week is often enough for me. Besides, who wants to wade through puddles in the dark just to get something to eat? We had a good supper on the boat.

Saturday, November 26, 1994 - Norfolk, VA

Cold and windy but dry and sunny. Tomorrow it's supposed to rain.
Roy started working on the hull today, and I went to the grocery store. Got some good buys. Nothing exciting happening.

Friday, November 25, 1994 - Norfolk, VA

Roy took his bike to a bike shop to get a new tire and tube. I spent three hours going down to the medical lab and back. It will be interesting to see what they find.

Thursday, November 24, 1994 - Norfolk, VA

What a nice Thanksgiving Day! The air was totally clear. Not a cloud in the sky. It was cold but sunny. A perfect day for a walk in the woods. But there aren't any woods nearby.
Around 2:30, we walked to Stacey's Buffet and stuffed ourselves with turkey and all the goodies. Didn't need any supper after that.
Roy phoned the Dickinson Company in Canada (where Thanksgiving is celebrated on a different day). They're going to send him the correct manual for the new heater and some replacement parts
The heater installation is essentially complete, except for some finishing touches. It works very well. We've stayed cozy by it three nights in a row. It uses about half a pint of diesel an hour.

Wednesday, November 23, 1994 - Norfolk, VA

I had another doctor's appointment today. By the time I rode down there and back on the bus, waited for buses, saw the doctor, and had some blood drawn, the day was practically over. On the way back, I copied the previous survey and bought a few groceries.
Roy rode his bike to a store and got a flat in his rear tire. Same one that went flat just before we left Fairhaven, so now he's going to get a new tire as well as a new tube.

Tuesday, November 22, 1994 - Norfolk, VA

Sunshine today, but cold. Roy has just about completed the installation of the diesel heater. Tried it out this evening, and it worked perfectly.
I did the laundry in the morning and bought a few groceries in the afternoon.

Monday, November 21, 1994 - Norfolk, VA

The wind shifted to the southeast, which warmed up the air but brought more wind and rain.
We got a message from West Marine that the stovepipe parts Roy ordered last week had arrived. I wanted to wait until tomorrow to get them, but Roy is anxious to complete the installation of the diesel heater, so I left a little after two. By the time I got to Hampton, the rain was coming down in a deluge. Streets and yards were flooded. Buses and trucks got through, but cars were bogging down right and left. One little car had tried to make a right turn and had slipped into a flooded ditch. It was listing 45 degrees to starboard, half submerged in the water. Another car was stuck in the entrance to a parking lot. It couldn't go forward, and it couldn't go backward. Many other cars were sitting along the side of the road, with water up to the tops of their fenders.
Fortunately, by the time the bus reached West Marine, the rain had let up. This time, I got off at the right stop.
When we were in last week, Roy had showed them the banged up piece of pipe and had arranged to exchange it, so I had assumed I wouldn't have to do anything but give them the old pipe and pay for the additional pieces. To my surprise, they gave me a hard time. Usually, West Marine makes exchanges without hesitation, but this time they said the piece of pipe was too beat up and had been used! Of course it hadn't been used; there was no way it could have been used in that shape. I didn't feel like arguing about it, so I said I'd pay for the new one. But then they went ahead and made the exchange.
The rain had messed up all the bus schedules. I had to wait forty minutes for the bus back to downtown Hampton and another hour for the Crossroads bus back to Norfolk. Half a dozen other people were waiting for the Crossroads bus. Some of them had been waiting for two or three hours! Traffic on the bridge was at a standstill, so the buses couldn't get through from Norfolk. When they finally arrived, three buses got there at the same time, but they were still on their way to Newport News, so we had to wait until they went into Newport News, turned around, and came back. It was pitch dark by then, and I was worrying that I might not make it home, but at long last a bus arrived and took me back to Norfolk. The #8 bus was sitting there waiting, so I jumped right on it. A group of people who needed to get home to Hampton had been waiting two or three hours for a bus. The bus I came in on was on its way to the garage. In fact, the last bus to Hampton was supposed to run at 6:45, and it was nearly 7:30 by then. I felt really sorry for those people; they were in the same situation I had been in, not knowing if they'd be able to get home. The driver of the #8 radioed the dispatcher and was told TRT was sending a last bus to take the people home to Hampton. That was good.
It was almost eight o'clock when I reached the boat. Roy had supper all ready, so I didn't have to do anything but eat, watch the news, and go to bed.

Sunday, November 20, 1994 - Norfolk, VA

Another clear, sunny day. We took the afternoon off and had some fun. At one o'clock, we walked down to Stacey's Buffet Restaurant and ate lunch. Then we rode the bus downtown to visit Nauticus, the maritime exhibition hall that was under construction last spring and has since opened. They had many, many interesting exhibits. We especially enjoyed a movie called "The Living Sea". It was terrific. We also enjoyed watching a moving model of a container loader.
Got back to the boat around 8:30 and watched the TV program about the Dionne quintuplets. We both remember their birth very well. Roy was eleven and I was eight when they were born. They were all over the news for years. It was interesting to see on tonight's news that three of them are still alive and well. My favorite, Emilie, died when she was only twenty, and another died at thirty-six.

Saturday, November 19, 1994 - Norfolk, VA

Sunshine! The wind is still blowing some, and the bay is still full of whitecaps and waves, but the rain has quit, the sky is blue, the temperature is climbing, and the sun is shining.
Roy continued working on the heater and the table. I took the bus downtown and strolled around the waterfront, enjoying the warm sunshine. How lovely everything looked! The grass is still green, the river is blue, the trees have leaves on them, the world is beautiful. Even the old junk boat that was there last spring is still anchored near the other side of the Elizabeth River.
Tried to phone Linda. Talked with her answering machine. Had better luck reaching Kathy. She told me Bill wanted me to phone him, so I did. Guess who's going to be a grandma again! Bill and Laura are expecting a baby in June!
On the way home, I ran off a copy of the last survey to send to a potential insurance agent. (The SSCA insurance underwriter is no longer permitted to insure boats, so we're trying to find new coverage -- so far without much success.) I also bought a bunch of groceries.

Friday, November 18, 1994 - Norfolk, VA

The storm abated considerably today. It was still windy, rainy, cold, and miserable, but not as bad as yesterday. Very strong winds were predicted for tonight, however, so Roy brought in everything that could blow away or cause a problem, and he lashed down the sails. Then, in late afternoon, Hurricane Gordon began losing strength and turned back towards the south. That's good news for us, but I hope it doesn't hit Florida again. Those poor people have suffered more than enough.
Roy continued installing the heater and relocating the table. It's nearly finished now; he just has to wait for some parts.

Thursday, November 17, 1994 - Norfolk, VA

The northeast gale continued to rage, especially in the morning, and the tide was exceptionally high, coming almost to the top of the ramp and nearly to the tops of the fixed docks. Jofian rocked back and forth during the thirty-knot gusts. I was afraid she might blow over, but Roy assured me she wouldn't. However, he did go down and tighten the stands.
A small trimaran blew off its stands but didn't seem to be damaged. It hadn't been very high off the ground and fell onto soft sand.
An even smaller motorboat that was tied to a fixed dock got trapped under the dock by the tide and tipped over. The boatyard workers fished it out with a crane and a metal frame. This is not a good day for boatyards.
Roy spent most of the day installing the new diesel heater, but in the afternoon, he rode his bike around, looking for some parts he needed. He finally found them, but had a real struggle pedaling back against the wind and rain. When he arrived, he looked the way I did yesterday.
Kent Glover, the man who surveyed the boat last spring, dropped by in the late afternoon and chatted for a while. He had been working on another boat here at Cobb's and saw the Jofian. He returned $5 that he said he owed us! What a surprise that was! He's very nice.
On the evening news, we watched rather terrifying scenes of hurricane Gordon advancing up the East Coast. We had always thought the hurricane season ended November 1st. The summer had had almost no hurricane activity at all, and now we get one in the late fall! Maybe we should have stayed behind the hurricane barrier in New Bedford. If Gordon threatens Norfolk, as it well might, we'll put the Royaks and the life raft on the ground, remove the sails, and take in everything else that we can.
A 64-foot ketch left here about the time we arrived and was clobbered 300 miles off the coast. The Coast Guard airlifted everyone on board to safety, but the boat is lost.

Wednesday, November 16, 1994 - Norfolk, VA

The trip to West Marine went almost flawlessly. We caught the 7:30 #8 bus to Elm and J, transferred immediately to the Crossroads bus, which zoomed non-stop across the bridge to Hampton, where we immediately transferred to the #1 bus to West Mercury Boulevard. By the time we got there, I was totally turned around and thought North was South and East was West, so we got off the bus too soon and started walking in the wrong direction. We soon became aware of my error and turned around. It was only a three or four block walk to West Marine, and we got there a few minutes before nine, so it was faster than going to Boat/U.S.
Roy was able to buy most of the stuff he wanted, and they ordered the piece of stovepipe he needed to replace the one that got bent out of shape in transit. The woman at West Marine actually remembered us and asked us about our trip.
There was a bus stop right next to West Marine, so we got back without walking. Reached Norfolk shortly before twelve. Roy returned to the boat, and I went to a walk-in clinic on Little Creek Road. I still have the ongoing problem I've had for over a month. The doctor gave me a prescription and told me to eat nothing but rice for two or three days. Yummy.
By the time I left the clinic, it was raining dogs, cats, and little fishes. The forecast had been 30% chance of rain late in the afternoon or evening, so I hadn't brought an umbrella or raincoat. Walked three blocks through the rain to a drugstore. Water was dripping from my hair, my glasses were so wet I could scarcely see through them, and my eyeballs were full of water. Luckily, I was dressed fairly warmly.
The drugstore didn't have all the ingredients for the prescription. They phoned some of their other stores, but they didn't have all of them either. Then they sent someone somewhere to get the missing ingredient! That was really nice of them. I bought a plastic rain hood while I was waiting for the prescription.
Went next door to a super market and bought a few groceries. The bus back to the boat should have gone by around five to three, so I started out to the bus stop about quarter to three. The bus went zooming by ten minutes early! I had to wait in the wind and cold and wet for half an hour plus the additional ten minutes, since the next bus ran at the proper time. What a relief when it finally came along!
Had to walk three or four blocks from the end of the busline to the boat. A passing vehicle splashed water all over me, as if I weren't already wet enough. By the time I reached the boat, I looked like a drowned rat. It was sure good to get inside and dry off and get warm.
The wind is blowing like crazy and the rain is still pouring. We were certainly lucky to have had that perfect weather window for getting here. I feel sorry for any little boat that's out in this.

Tuesday, November 15, 1994 - Norfolk, VA

This was sort of a wasted day. We took the bus to Boat/U.S., not realizing it would take two hours to get there and two hours to get back. And then they didn't have most of the stuff Roy wanted. But he got a few things.
Tomorrow, we'll take the bus across the water to West Marine. TRT has put in the bus route they were talking about last spring, so we can now get to Hampton. It will probably take less time to go across the bay to West Marine than it did to go to Boat/U.S. on this side.

Monday, November 14, 1994 - Norfolk, VA

The Cobbs were surprised and happy to see us. Everything's the same as it was last spring.
What a lovely, WARM day! It's 72! We shed about six layers of clothes. Roy put his bike together and went for a ride. I trundled fifty pounds of dirty clothes to the laundromat and washed them.
We were hauled out between three and four in the afternoon. First time I've been around for a haulout here. When we hauled out last spring, I was fast asleep, and when we went back in the water, I was at the doctor's with a fractured elbow. As it turned out, I didn't do anything anyway, so it didn't matter if I was here or not.

Sunday, November 13, 1994 - Norfolk, VA

What a beautiful day! The wind died down, so we had to motor, but the sun was warm and the air clear. We couldn't have asked for nicer weather. Reached Norfolk's outer buoy at sunset, and what a glorious sunset! The water was lavender, and the sky was a thousand shades of gold and red and orange and purple. Beautiful!
But it quickly became dark, so it was rather nerve-wracking going up the channel with freighters going in and out and tiny motorboats zooming around in every direction. We proceeded slowly and carefully. I was at the wheel until we were nearly at the bridge, and then Roy took over, to my great relief, since it's hard for me to see at night.
If we hadn't been familiar with the harbor, we would have anchored outside, but we know our way around Little Creek and there are lots of bright lights, so we came on in and tied to the end dock at Cobb's Marina. Home again!
We'd no sooner gotten tied up than we heard a guy on the VHF calling a Mayday. It turned out his powerboat had been rammed by another powerboat -- not surprising, considering the way the little beasts were zooming around. However, his boat wasn't sinking and no one was injured, so he really shouldn't have called a Mayday. Anyway, the Coast Guard went out and escorted him to the ramp here at Cobb's Marina, and the Harbor Police located the other boat and brought it here to the ramp at Cobb's Marina. One boat had a big hole near the bow but above the waterline. The other boat had a big hole in its stern, also above the waterline. Both operators were hopping mad. The one that did the ramming claimed the other boat didn't have any lights on. The other guy insisted he had all his lights on. So the insurance companies will fight it out.

Saturday, November 12, 1994 - On Way, Norfolk, VA

Reached the entrance to Atlantic City about six a.m. It would have been pointless to go in at that hour. The weather was still ideal, and we had the whole day ahead of us, so we kept going. Stopped briefly at Cape May for fuel. Other than that, we just kept going.

Friday, November 11, 1994 - On way, Atlantic City

This turned out to be a perfect day. Everything went right today. We left early and got through Hell Gate on a favorable tide. The wind was still blowing hard, but it was in our favor. We zoomed across New York Harbor and through the Verrazano Narrows. We decided to head for the protected marina at Atlantic Highlands and wait for calmer wind before heading out to sea.
When we got behind the breakwater, we dropped anchor and watched carefully. Even though the breakwater protected us from the waves, the wind was still blowing like crazy. Jofian began dragging! Then we understood what happened at Throg Neck. The bottom there was soft, as it is here, so even though we thought we'd set the anchor securely, it didn't hold in the strong wind.
We upped anchor and motored to a mooring buoy. I radioed the marina to find out which buoy we should tie to. I was told that all the mooring buoys were privately owned and we couldn't use any of them. The woman at the marina was very nice. She let us tie to an end dock for a few hours for free. Roy walked to town and bought a few things, while I took a nap.
The weather forecast indicated this would be an ideal night for sailing south, so we left around four o'clock. Rounded the Hook and headed along the coast towards Atlantic City, pushed by a 15-knot northwest wind.

Thursday, November 10, 1994 - Throg Neck, NY

What a terrifying experience we had today! And we weren't even under way.
The wind blew like crazy around two or three o'clock in the morning, but our anchor held. By five, the wind had died down, so we thought we might be able to head for Sandy Hook, but when we listened to the weather forecast, we decided we'd better stay put. Then, as the morning progressed, the wind was nearly calm, the sun was shining, it was a clear, brisk, beautiful fall day, so we decided to go a little ways. It was too late by then to go through Hell Gate on a favorable tide, as we would have been able to do by leaving very early. We figured we'd just go under Throg Neck Bridge and drop anchor. Then we'd be in a good position to leave tomorrow morning.
Around noon, we anchored off Throg Neck in eight feet of water. We let out plenty of chain and backed down on the anchor to be sure it was set. Then we paddled ashore to get some groceries. A very nice couple let us leave our Royaks on their private beach and told us how to get to the stores.
We were in a pleasant residential area of well-maintained brick homes and small shops. We walked a few blocks and ate lunch at a McDonald's. On the way back, we stopped at a little produce market and bought some fresh fruits and vegetables. Then we went to the poultry market next door and bought some chicken legs.
We'd been gone about two hours when we got back to the beach where we'd left our Royaks. They were sitting there, waiting patiently. We glanced across the water to Jofian's anchorage -- and saw water! There was nothing but water where the Jofian had been! We could scarcely believe our eyes. Our boat, our home, everything we own was gone! How could she have dragged anchor, when we'd anchored her so securely? Had someone pirated her? Those were probably the worst moments of our entire cruising experience.
We scanned the horizon anxiously. Then we spotted her, drifting aimlessly near the bridge, nearly two miles away. Roy jumped in his Royak and took off in hot pursuit. I followed as soon as I could get ready. Then we saw a small tugboat towing her! Although we were relieved that Jofian was being towed to safety, we were worried that the tug captain might claim rights of salvage. Luckily for us, the tug belonged to the SUNY (State University of New York) Maritime College, which is located at Throg Neck Bridge. The kids who were on her were happy to have a little adventure and to do a good deed. They didn't ask for a nickel. They attached Jofian to a mooring buoy and gave us permission to stay there overnight.
What a relief to be back on our boat, safe and sound. We're still puzzled as to how she managed to drag anchor. The wind has been blowing 25 knots, but she seemed to be securely anchored when we left. Anyway, all's well that ends well.

Wednesday, November 9, 1994 - Mamaroneck, NY

Had no problem leaving the dock this morning, but when we got out into the Sound, we had to slog against the wind and waves for several hours. As usual, the wind diminished by noon and then changed to the north, so we were able to sail for a few hours without the engine. That was really neat. But then the wind died to nothing, so we had to start the engine again.
Covered 41 miles. Dropped anchor in Mamaroneck Harbor right at dusk. Gale winds are predicted for tonight and tomorrow, so we might be here a while.
We can see the lights of Throg Neck Bridge from here. Pretty.

Tuesday, November 8, 1994 - New Haven, CT

Went for another bus ride this morning, while we were waiting for the tide to come in, so we could get out of here. We certainly didn't want to pay for another night at this place. The bus took us all the way to Milford, which is a lovely, rural New England town. We greatly enjoyed looking at the foliage and the white-capped ocean.
Got back to the boat a little after noon. The man who drove us downtown yesterday came by the boat on his lunch hour and chatted for a while. We gave him an old copy of "Latitude 38" as a token of our appreciation.
By then, the tide was high, and we wanted to leave, but first we had to get diesel. There were two other boats at the fuel dock, so we ate lunch while we were waiting. It turned out the boats weren't waiting for fuel; they were waiting to be hauled out. It took the dockmaster about two hours to attach one boat to the Travel Lift and raise it out of the water. That gave us a little room at the fuel dock, so we motored over there and tied up. Eventually, the dockmaster came by to start the pump. By the time we'd filled the tank and eight jerry cans, it was after 3:30 -- too late to go anyplace, so we were just going to motor out into the harbor and drop anchor. To our amazement, the dockmaster apologized for keeping us waiting and offered us a free night at the marina! So he isn't such a bad guy after all.
We tied up again at our old dock and then walked a few blocks to a grocery store for cereal and juice.
The wind has died down considerably, so we should be able to depart in the morning, especially since we've turned the boat around so she's facing out.

Monday, November 7, 1994 - New Haven, CT

A lovely, clear, brisk autumn day. Great for walking but not the greatest for swimming. Nevertheless, Roy had to get into his neoprene coveralls and jump in the water. He had noticed when we were in New Bedford that the perry-nut zinc was nearly gone, and he'd been trying to get up the courage to replace it ever since. This morning, the tide had gone out so far that we were sitting in less than four feet of water, so it was an ideal opportunity. He didn't really have to dive; he could stand on the bottom and squat, which helped a lot. But the water was so murky, he couldn't even see the propeller until he had his nose right on it. It was a struggle, but eventually he got the new zinc in place.
After breakfast, he walked up to the dockmaster's office to pay for last night and tonight. If the plunge into the icy water had been a shock, the rates were more so. TWO DOLLARS A FOOT! Unreal! And this is a long way from being a first-class marina. I'd classify it as less than mediocre. Usually we find out the rates before we tie up, but yesterday we couldn't because there was no one in the office, but there aren't any expensive-looking boats here, so we figured it would be $1 a foot a less. Roy managed to talk the dockmaster down to $1.50 a foot, plus $4 for the nickel's worth of electricity we'll use, but that's still outrageous. It costs as much for two nights here as it did for a month at the Gear Locker, but with 40-knot winds on the Sound, we don't have much choice.
After paying the king's ransom for the dock space, we started walking up the street to look for a bus stop. We'd only gone a couple of blocks when a guy in a car offered us a ride. He works downtown but comes out to the marina to eat lunch, because he loves boats. He had talked with Roy for a few minutes when Roy was going to the dock-
master's office and had admired the Jofian from a distance. Now he was on his way back to work, so he offered to drive us, and we were happy to accept. On the way downtown, he provided us with a lot of information about New Haven.
Even though Roy and I grew up in New York and New England, we had never been to New Haven, except passing through on a train or the Boston Post Road, so it was all new to us. We hadn't even known that Yale is right in downtown New Haven; we had assumed it was out in the country someplace. But the magnificent university, with its wonderful architecture, is adjacent to the Village Green, which is the heart of the city of New Haven. The buildings resemble medieval cathedrals. They are of varicolored stone, with towers and parapets and massive wooden doors and intricate stone carvings. We wandered around the campus, gaping in awe. Tuition at Yale is now $28,000 a year, and no wonder, with all these beautiful buildings to maintain. Later, a bus driver told us that Yale had been modeled after Cambridge University in England.
We ate lunch at a nearby restaurant that had been recommended by the man who drove us downtown. From the outside, it looked expensive, but it turned out to be remarkably reasonable. We both had crab-salad sandwiches and strawberry shakes for less than $10 for the two of us. The place had obviously been a popular student hangout for generations; every inch of the wooden table-tops and most of the wooden walls had names carved in them.
We walked around a little more and then hopped on the first bus that came along. Rode to the end of the line and back. Then we transferred to another bus that took us way out into the country. By then, it was getting dark, so we returned to downtown New Haven and walked around trying to find the stop for the bus that would take us back to the marina. Luckily, we found the stop minutes before the bus arrived. They only run once an hour, so we'd have had a long wait for the next one. The bus took us within a block of the marina, and we were back on the boat before 6:30.

Sunday, November 6, 1994 - New Haven, CT

Enjoyed a very calm night, but gale winds are predicted for tomorrow night and Monday. We'd like to get to New Haven today, but might have to pull into a harbor before then, if the wind kicks up.
Jofian had swung over towards a big rock and was in six feet of water, so we pulled up the anchor and took off before breakfast. Ate along the way.
The wind picked up as the day went on, but it was a favorable sailing wind, and apparently we had the tidal current in our favor, too, so we zoomed along at more than seven knots. Reached New Haven before three o'clock, which was fortunate, because we weren't sure where to go. If it had been dark, we'd have had to drop anchor wherever we were, but with daylight we eventually found a marina and tied to a dock. The marina office was closed, so we weren't able to get a key or hook up the electricity, but at least we have a sheltered place to stay.
There are no grocery stores within walking distance, so a very nice woman on the next boat drove me to a super market and back. She has lived on her boat for about six months. Her name is Ruth, and she's a pediatrician in residency here.

Saturday, November 5, 1994 - Fisher's Island, RI

Sort of a weird day. Had no trouble leaving the dock early in the morning, but right off we discovered the GPS receiver in the cockpit didn't work. Roy thought we'd have to send it back to the factory for repairs, but after reading the manual, I concluded it probably only needed new batteries. Roy didn't think that could be the problem, because we've been running it off the boat batteries. The Loran has needed a new battery for a long time, so it doesn't work either. Roy was about ready to turn around and return to Newport, but luckily the old GPS receiver still works, so we used it.
The wind was dead against us most of the way, so we had to motor. The waves were really slamming us, too. Slowed us down quite a bit, so instead of proceeding to the Connecticut River as we had planned, we dropped anchor in the cove at Fisher's Island. On the way around the end of the island, we passed three consecutive red buoys, all numbered "2". Not the least bit confusing, of course.
When we got settled down, Roy got out his handy-dandy volt-
ammeter and checked the batteries in the GPS. Sure enough, they were very low. He replaced them, and Bingo! the GPS worked good as new. What a relief that is! He also checked the batteries in the old GPS. They were on their last legs, so he replaced them also. It's a wonder the GPS kept running as long as it did.

Friday, November 4, 1994 - Newport, RI

We lucked out. Beautiful sunny day today. We left at quarter to six and reached Newport around three. Had a great sail part of the way, but then had to use the engine. We're actually on our way!
Frank's wife drove to Newport to pick him up. Roy wanted to take the new diesel heater that he'd shipped from California and that had been bent out of shape in transit to a West Marine store to see if they'd exchange it. Frank drove us over there and back in his wife's car. Sure enough, West Marine gave us a brand new heater without batting an eye. They certainly have an excellent exchange policy.

Thursday, November 3, 1994 - New Bedford, MA

Beautiful, warm, sunny day, but still windy. I took the bus into Providence and learned a few more things. Found out Frank Mauran bought the Dorr Mansion from the Providence Preservation Society, so apparently, Aunty Margarethe sold or gave it to the Society.
Also wandered around the beautiful, magnificent Brown University campus and envied the students. If it hadn't been for Aunty Margarethe, that's where I would have gone.
I'd been wanting to buy a book in French, so I could relearn the language, but I hadn't been able to find one at any normal bookstore. It occurred to me that the Brown University Bookstore would have books in various languages, so I went there. They had a vast assortment of books in French. I'd been wanting to read Proust's "Remembrance of Things Past" anyway, so when I found volume one in French, I bought it.
Also went to Swan Point Cemetery. Found out the dates and places of Aunt Mat and Unk's births and deaths. They were both born in Pennsylvania. Aunt Mat was born in Ringtown August 4, 1864, and named Martha Alvaretta Applegate. Unk was born in Shamokin, August 30, 1861, and named James Buchanan Klase, after the former president. Unk died April 2, 1950, and Aunt Mat August 11, 1953. They'd both been cremated, so there was no gravesite to visit.
Got back early, so I could go to the Post Office. Just one letter. Went to the super market and bought a few groceries.
Roy's bicycle tire went flat, so he borrowed Jay Jay's truck and took his bike to a shop and got the tire fixed.
Tomorrow looks like a go. We dismantled our bikes and put them away. Frank O'Neil, a very nice guy who's interested in buying the Jofian in a couple of years, will be going with us.

Wednesday, November 2, 1994 - New Bedford, MA

Blew like crazy all night and all day. Cold, too, even though the wind's out of the southwest. 40-knot gales on the ocean. Glad we're tied to the dock.
Roy continued working on the boat. Replaced his head. I stayed on the boat all day, bundled up in the warm winter clothes my kids gave me. I had hoped to go the Post Office and the grocery store today, but it's too cold and windy.
Looks as if we won't be able to get out of here tomorrow, either. Wind will still be strong and waves high.

Tuesday, November 1, 1994 - New Bedford, MA

I thought I'd gotten over my defugalties, but at three o'clock in the morning, here they came again. I had planned on going to Providence today, but I called it off. Walked over to the drugstore and made some phone calls. In the afternoon, I felt well enough to go to Dartmouth Mall and see a movie. It was a lot of fun, even though the plot was full of holes. It was a good kids' movie, called "Squanto". It was about a Patuxet brave in the early 1600's.
Roy spent most of the day mounting the anchor winch he bought in California. He mounted it in the stern, so we can use a stern anchor if we need to or winch ourselves off if we go aground. (Who, us? We never go aground!)
The wind finally made it into the inner harbor. It's been blowing like crazy out of the southwest. Tomorrow's supposed to be more of the same, but on Thursday it should shift to the northwest, so maybe we'll have a chance to get out of here.

Monday, October 31, 1994 - New Bedford, MA

We look at this totally flat water and wonder how it can possibly be blowing a gale on the bay, but every time we turn on NOAA weather, we hear the same thing: small-craft advisories, gale winds to 40 knots out of the southwest, seas 6 to 16 feet. The boat's ready to go, and we're ready to go, but Mama Nature says, "Forget it," so here we sit, wondering if we'll ever get away from here.
Did the laundry and went to the Post Office. Roy continued working on the boat. It was comfortably warm today. Thunderstorms are predicted for tomorrow.
At nine o'clock this evening, I had just gone to bed when I was startled by a loud noise. It sounded like a rock hitting the side of the boat. It WAS a rock hitting the side of the boat. A bunch of kids on the bridge were celebrating Halloween by throwing rocks at the boats in the marina. The boat next to ours had a window broken, but there doesn't appear to be any damage to the Jofian. Roy immediately popped up from the main cabin to the cockpit, and the kids took off. Roy grabbed a flashlight and went after them, but they were long gone.

Sunday, October 30, 1994 - New Bedford, MA

Back on Standard Time. This is a beautiful, clear, sunny, fairly calm day. It's hard to believe it's blowing 20 knots on the Bay.
Roy continued working on the boat. I rode my bike to the grocery store for a couple of things. A little before two, we walked to the Chinese restaurant for a buffet lunch. In the evening, we went for a little stroll.
I phoned my friend Marilyn to let her know we were leaving. She took me for a nice drive a few weeks ago. I also tried to phone Linda but only got to talk with her answering machine. Roy phoned his daughter Laura and talked with her.

Saturday, October 29, 1994 - New Bedford,

I've had a minor but annoying physical problem for two or three weeks. I knew I should see a physician, but I kept trying over-the-
counter remedies, hoping they'd work, and for a while, I thought they had. I felt great all day Thursday, when I went to Boston, and most of yesterday, but yesterday evening, here came my problem again, so I made up my mind I would definitely go to the doctor in the morning.
I'm always leery about walk-in clinics. I had a bad experience at one in Milpitas, and Roy went to one in Port Townsend that wanted $140 up front before they'd even talk with him, so he left. On the other hand, the walk-in clinic I went to in Morehead City was excellent, so I hoped for the best. Early this morning, I walked to the clinic in Fairhaven, hoping the doctor would speak English and have some vague notion of what he was doing. As it turned out, he was a native-born speaker of English and an excellent physician. He was about sixty years old, so I wasn't his first patient. He had a good sense of humor, took his time, and inspired my confidence. He gave me two prescriptions, which I filled on the way home. I feel better already.
Wow! What a terrific invitation we've received! "Crazy Eddie" Longo, the owner of the marina, has a waterfront vacation home in Aruba, and he's invited us to anchor in front of his house! We're really looking forward to that. Warm, clear water, excellent swimming and diving, a great place for our friends and relatives to visit us -- terrific! We'll probably spend several months there.
After our haulout was canceled, Roy and I had hoped to leave tomorrow morning, but the wind won't be favorable. It will be blowing 20 to 25 knots out of the southwest -- right on the nose. Roy has plenty to do on the boat, anyway, so he was busy all day, and I plotted our course to Newport.

Monday, April 12, 1993 - Puerto Madero & Friday, October 28, 1994 - New Bedford

(Still 3 weeks before Panama, but have also returned to New Bedford, so this is last post for now to Panama and also first post of preparing to sail in the Caribbean.)

We made it! We crossed the dread Golfo de Tehuantepec! And it was a piece of cake. Even the one little Tehuantepecer we ran into was a very mild one of short duration. Most of the time, there was either no wind at all or a nice sailing breeze. This afternoon was perfect. We turned off the engine and zoomed along at 6-7 knots. Boy, that felt good! So now all we have to do is dodge the pirates of El Salvador, Honduras, and Nicaragua, the papagallo gales of Costa Rica, the muggers and pickpockets of Colon, and the malarial mosquitoes of Belize. After that we're home free.
We arrived at Puerto Madero shortly after sunset. Unfortunately, a ship was coming out just as we approached the breakwater, so we had to stop and wait for him to get out of the way. That cost us 10 or 15 precious minutes of daylight. By the time we got into the harbor, it was too dark to find the yacht basin, so we dropped anchor in the outer harbor. I had a feeling we weren't supposed to be there, but Roy said we were in 12 feet of water, so there was no danger of big ships coming that way. I felt sleepy, so I lay down on the foredeck to take a nap, but before I could get to sleep, the sound of a motor roused me. An unlit panga with three guys in it pulled up next to the Jofian. It was too dark to see them clearly, so we assumed they were fishermen come to offer us fish. I asked, "Pescado?" (Fish?) That was a mistake. They turned out to be "Armada de Mexico", Mexican Navy, telling us we couldn't anchor there. They didn't speak English, but their Spanish was plain enough. I told them, "No podemos ver" (We can't see), but they didn't care. They knew one word of English and they used it: "Move! Move!" So we pulled up the anchor, and they zoomed off.
According to our chart, there were two basins off the main harbor, but it was too dark to see the channels that led to them. A brightly lit dredge happened to come in at that moment, so we decided to follow it, assuming it was on its way to the large ship harbor, but it only went a short way and dropped anchor. We couldn't see if there was enough room to squeeze by him, so Roy started going around in circles. We were afraid we might have to spend the night circling, but then the Navy panga came zooming back, shouting, "Move! Move!" Again I said, "No podemos ver!" They indicated we should follow them, and they proceeded slowly ahead of us. Since they had no light, I stood in the bow shining the searchlight on them, so Roy could see where to go. It was a pitch dark night; we had no idea where we were going. For a while, I was afraid they were going to take us outside the breakwater and make us anchor in the ocean, but soon we could make out the outlines of other sailboats at anchor. The Navy guys said, "OK aqui," and zoomed off, so we dropped anchor, still not really knowing where we were.
We'd no sooner anchored than two boys in an inflatable chugged up and asked if we wanted diesel. We asked how much, and they told us 1200 a liter, which works out to about $1.60 a gallon, which is pretty high. We said, "Manana," and they left.
Fortunately, Roy only wanted a light supper, so we ate some soup and canned peaches. Then I collapsed into bed and zombied out.


Friday, October 28, 1994

Hello again. Roy returned yesterday, looking hale and hearty. Hard work must agree with him.
He didn't have a clue that I was going to meet him at the airport. I wanted to surprise him -- and I sure did! But I was surprised, too. He was supposed to arrive at 3:02 p.m. on Flight 1234 from Denver. I got to the airport at twenty to three and looked at the Continental monitor. No Flight 1234 was listed, no flight from Denver was listed, no flight scheduled to arrive at 3:02 was listed. Panic thoughts flashed through my mind: the plane had crashed, the flight had been canceled, the plane had gotten in an hour early and Roy was already on his way to the boat. Naw, whoever heard of a flight getting in early!
The line at the ticket counter was a mile long, so I went to the First Class counter, which was only one deep. The clerk informed me that Flight 1234 from Denver had been replaced by Flight 1216 from Cleveland, which was due in at 4:10. She checked on the computer and found Grabenauer, so that was a relief. (Sometimes it helps to have a name that isn't Smith or Jones -- or Holt!)
At four o'clock, I rechecked the monitor. Flight 1216 was now due in at 4:27. Par for the course.
When the plane landed, I hid behind a big square pillar, where Roy couldn't see me. As soon as he walked past, I sneaked up in back of him and asked, "Do you have a feeling you're being followed?" Talk about a double take! He looked at me as if he'd never seen me before in his life; then he recognized me, and we both burst out laughing. Passersby must have thought we were a couple of escapees from the local loony bin. We were both very glad to see each other again.
On the way home, we got caught up on conversation. During our weekly telephone conversation last Sunday, Roy had asked me to make a reservation at Kelley's Boatyard for a quickie haulout. He wanted to inspect the hull, replace the zincs, and install the new cable for the Sumlog. So on Monday, I rode my bike over there and talked with the Operations Manager. Their prices were a little high -- $5 a foot for the haulout, including the return, $2 a foot for the pressure wash, and $1 a foot for laydays -- but we could live aboard, and Roy could do his own work, so I made what I thought was a reservation for next Monday. I wanted to set a specific time, but the manager said to phone him one or two days before the haulout to set the time. He assured me there would be no problem hauling out on Monday.
Today, Friday, Roy busied himself putting away all the tons of gear he had shipped back from California and figuring out where to install the new diesel heater. I pulled the wagon over to the Post Office and brought home the last of the boxes he had shipped. We also checked some other yards, but Kelley's was the cheapest, so I tried to phone the Operations Manager, whom I had talked with last Monday. It turned out he had the day off. The woman in the office said I'd have to talk with Mr. McLaughlin, but he was on the other line. I called back later, and McLaughlin was busy in the yard. Roy and I wanted to look the place over anyway, so we rode our bikes over there to talk with him in person. It turned out the Operations Manager had never said one word to McLaughlin about hauling out the Jofian, and they were booked solid for Monday. In fact, the earliest they could haul us was Wednesday, so we said, "Forget it." There's nothing urgent about hauling out here; the boat hasn't leaked a drop, so we'll just head south. We're going to haul out in Norfolk, anyway.
This evening, the wind died down. Roy wanted to take advantage of the calm to turn the boat around, so we'd be headed out. He got all the lines ready but forgot to cleat the stern line, so the boat nearly got away from us. Fortunately, there were a couple of other lines attached to the boat, so we were able to salvage the situation. Jofian is now tied to the outside of the dock, ready to leave as soon as we get a weather window.

Easter Sunday, April 11, 1993 - On way Puerto Madero

When I lay down yesterday, I thought Roy would wake me at ten, so we could eat supper and leave, but he let me sleep, bless his heart. I didn't wake up until after five this morning. That was quite a nap.
We got a favorable weather report from Port Control, so right after breakfast, we left.
As we were leaving the bay, another U.S. sailboat, the "Ossuna", hailed us on VHF. They had spent the night in Salina Cruz and were about 2 miles behind us. They're also going to Costa Rica, so they'll be following us quite a ways. They don't plan on stopping in Puerto Madero, however.
Delightful breeze this morning. Perfect temperature. Had all four sails up, but also used the engine for extra speed. Around noon, the wind died down, then shifted to southeast, so we were able to continue motorsailing.
Heidi on the Ossuna called us on the VHF and chatted for a few minutes. A very calm, peaceful day.

Saturday, April 10, 1993 - Bahia Ventosa, on way Puerto Madero

Motored peacefully all night. In the morning, a perfect sailing breeze came up--45 degrees, 15-20 knots. So we turned off the engine, raised the sails, and enjoyed the best sail we've had in quite a while.
The Gulf of Tehuantepec is one of the windiest places in the world. Northeast winds in the western Gulf of Mexico sweep across the isthmus, gathering momentum on the way. By the time they reach the Gulf of Tehuantepec, they're usually at gale force, 40 to 50 knots, and are known as "Tehuantepecers". The safest way to cross the gulf is by staying close to shore, having "one foot on the beach," as they say. The Tehuantepecers can come up at any time, without warning. Many boats have been lost trying to cut straight across the gulf instead of going the extra 30 miles along the coast.
We had been hugging the coast as we should. There was a freighter behind us, going the same speed we were. The land fell away to the west, so I was going to turn to port and continue following the coast. Unfortunately, just then the freighter turned to port. Apparently, he was going to cut in back of us and pass us on our port side. I didn't want to confuse him by changing course, so I kept going straight ahead, getting farther and farther from land. The wind is just as strong no matter where you are, but the waves haven't had a chance to build up close to land. The farther out you are, the bigger the waves, and they're what do the damage. Suddenly, we got hit by 30-40 knot winds from the northeast. We waited until the freighter had passed; then we dropped the sails, started the engine, and headed straight towards land, bouncy, bouncy. We rounded a point and anchored in Bahia Chipehua. It was so windy, it took me half an hour just to get the anchor ready. I had to practically crawl out to the bow on my hands and knees. Waves kept slapping over the bow, giving me a shower. By the time I was through, my hair looked as if I'd set it with kindergarten paste while standing in front of an electric fan, using an egg-beater for a comb. But that's ok; the beauty contest isn't until next week.
We could see a lot of people and palapas on the beach. A panga with about eight guys in it came alongside and asked us in English where we were from and where we were going. We told them, and Roy gave them a bag of candy, which made them happy.
We ate lunch and rested a while. Talked with Salina Cruz Port Control on the VHF and got the weather report: 25-35 knot northeast wind, as we knew. I wanted to stay where we were until the wind died down, but the anchor chain was being jolted violently and frequently, so Roy decided to head north to Bahia Ventosa (Windy Bay) to get out of the wind. Okay.
Expecting a long, rough trip, I went below to take a nap. To my surprise, when I woke up two hours later, we were already at Salina Cruz! I don't know how we got there so fast.
Salina Cruz is a hot, dry, dusty, ugly industrial port. There's an oil refinery there and a lot of tanks. It's the sort of place no one would live in unless he was born there. A person would have to be totally desperate for a job to deliberately move there.
We didn't want to go into Salina Cruz, so we went around the point and anchored in Bahia Ventosa, where it was relatively calm and peaceful. We could see a lot of people on the beach and hear music playing.
We got an update on the weather from Port Control. The wind would be dying down that night, so we decided to leave at midnight. Roy lay down in the main cabin to take a nap. I updated the log, washed the brine out of my hair, and lay down in the aft cabin to take a nap.

Friday, April 9, 1993 - Hualtuco, on way Puerto Madero

Passed Puerto Escondido in the middle of the night. Passed Puerto Angel right after breakfast. At one p.m., we dropped anchor in the harbor at Hualtuco. This is the last place to hole up before entering the Gulf of Tehuantepec. We expected a tiny fishing village. Instead, we found the hub of a grandiose resort development that will take 30 years to complete! Already there are several first-class hotels and an inner harbor that is well-protected by two sturdily constructed breakwaters and has an attractive promenade all around it. There are a number of clean, sandy beaches. Thousands of Mexicans are here for the Holy Week vacation. If I were a Mexican, I'd a lot rather spend my vacation in Hualtuco than in that crowded, noisy, expensive Acapulco.
We ate lunch, and then Roy replaced the impeller, while I stayed out of his hair by going swimming and paddling. It was a very great sacrifice on my part, but I managed to bear up under it.
When he was through replacing the impeller, Roy got ready to go paddling, too. There was a lot of dirt and goop on the hull from Cabo San Lucas, so he went to get a brush to scrub it off with. I was still in my Royak, so I got out my sponge and began wiping off some of the goosh. There were a zillion pangas and jet skis and skidoos and whatnot zooming around, churning up the water. I was leaning over the side of my Royak, wiping Jofian's hull. A bunch of waves came along and flipped my Royak, which was fine--the water was warm, and I had my swimsuit on. I righted the Royak, got back in it, and continued washing the hull. A couple of minutes later, the same thing happened again. Unfortunately, this time Roy saw it. He got all excited and started yelling, "Turn your Royak over! Turn your Royak over!", which made me mad--as if I didn't have brains enough to know I needed to right my Royak. Anyway, I turned it right side up, got back in it, and paddled after the cushion. After I retrieved the cushion and bailed the water out of the back compartment, I turned back towards the boat and was delighted to see a Royak that had pulled its line loose and was drifting merrily away on its own. So I had the last laugh as I paddled after and retrieved Mr. Royak's Royak. Yuk yuk.
There were three other U.S. sailboats here, so we paddled over and talked with some of the people. They gave us a lot of valuable information, especially that we could get weather reports from Salina Cruz Port Control in fluent English. We could contact them on VHF channel 16 or 6, or on single sideband, 8242.8 transmit, 8792.8 receive. We haven't been able to get the nets clearly since we left Puerto Vallarta, so it's good to know where we can get weather information.
Paddled around for a while. Then ate supper and enjoyed the delightful evening breeze. Around 8 o'clock, we pulled up the anchor and headed northeast into the Gulf. As we were leaving, Roy shone the searchlight on the water, and a thousand fish jumped into the air! Amazing sight!

Thursday, April 8, 1993 - On way Hualtuco, MEX

It's sure good to be back on the water again, away from the crowds and traffic and noise and dirt and hurry-scurry. Out here, it's so quiet and peaceful, and the air smells so good. Not much wind, though. Had to use the engine even when the sails were up.
We're making terrific time. Tomorrow we reach the notorious Gulf of Tehuantepec. There are usually gales blowing there, so we might have to hole up in Hualtuco for a few days.
This is all new territory for us. We've never been south of Acapulco before.