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.