Welcome to Wendy on the Water! I have created this site to chronicle our adventures of buying a sailboat and learning to sail in midlife. Join me, my husband Charro, and our two pups in our search for fair winds and following seas.
Day 1 Complete!
Our first day was a great success! We departed Northwest Creek Marina with no issues just after 8:00 this morning, and made it to our first stopping point on the Bay River (North Carolina) right around 2:30 pm. We are currently anchored here for the night, at a depth of 16 ft. We just finished what I feel were very well- deserved grilled cheeseburgers and are now settling in for an evening of relaxation and decompression. I sense a celebratory cigar in Charro’s future.
The weather today could not be more perfect. When we left Fairfield Harbor this morning it was 51 degrees and sunny, and now here on the Bay River this afternoon, it is sunny and 66. I spent the majority of the journey in jeans, a fleece jacket, and a hat. Charro (of course) was comfortable in shorts and a tee shirt.
Water conditions were very good the entire distance. I am still learning about wave action, but I would say there was just a light chop. We motored at a speed of about 6 knots the entire way, and we even put the sails up for an hour or so early on.
Once we got close to the Pamlico Sound, we fell in line with three other boats headed the same direction. The each kept on toward Hobucken, while we chose to anchor. There is currently one other vessel at anchor nearby.
Right now, winds are currently coming straight out of the south at 5-10 kt. The forecast for the nearby Pamlico Sound calls for S winds 10-15 kt tonight, becoming 15-20 kt with 25 kt gusts. We are in theory more protected here in the Bay River, however, so hopefully it won’t get too rolly. A little bit rolly is all right by me. Good for sleeping.
Overall the dogs did pretty well. Laurie is a complete nut job when he’s on the boat and gets extremely anxious. He requires a lot of close contact and reassurance. I really hope this voyage will help him develop his sea legs. Ruby slept for most of the trip and she even used her grass potty mat once! I’m sure we’ll face some resistance to using it this evening, as they are going to expect to be able to get off the boat. Here’s hoping they become more accepting of their current situation.
Wednesdays Goal: 28.2 nautical miles
Tomorrow morning we will depart from where we are currently anchored on the Bay River. We will travel north up Gale Creek, past Hobucken, NC to the Pamlico River and then into the mouth of the Pungo River. The plan is to anchor on the west entrance to the Alligator River Canal.
Here’s to a (hopefully) uneventful night!
Fair winds,
Wendy
T-Minus (less than) 24 Hrs.
The butterflies have truly set in. Until now, our upcoming journey has been all planning, preparation, and talk. But with less than 24 hrs. till departure, stuff’s getting real! We’ve made our lists and checked them twice. Now it’s time to find out if the voyage will be naughty or nice.
In case you are not familiar with the Intracoastal Waterway (or what in the world we are getting ready to do), the ICW is a “3,000-mile (4,800 km) inland waterway along the Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico coasts of the United States, running from Massachusetts southward along the Atlantic Seaboard and around the southern tip of Florida, then following the Gulf Coast to Brownsville, Texas. Some sections of the waterway consist of natural inlets, saltwater rivers, bays, and sounds, while others are artificial canals. It provides a navigable route along its length without many of the hazards of travel on the open sea.” (Wikipedia) In short, it’s a way for boaters to travel up and down the East Coast without having to risk their lives on the Atlantic Ocean. We are thankful for that!
Currently, our boat is docked at Northwest Creek Marina in Fairfield Harbor, NC (New Bern). Though we have thoroughly enjoyed the time we have spent here the last five months, it is now time to take our girl north to our home marina – Regent Point – in Topping, VA. Our total journey, marina to marina, is 235 nautical miles.
When traversing the ICW, there are two options. For reference, if traveling south, this “fork in the road” appears around the I64 bridge in the Hampton Roads area of Virginia. One of the routes is called the ‘Virginia Cut’. It is a deeper water route, so basically it’s faster and the one that all of the commercial traffic uses. Think of it like an interstate for boats. The other is called the ‘Dismal Swamp’ route. It’s akin to the Blue Ridge Parkway or Route 66. A lot quieter, slower, and very scenic. The downside is that you must have a very shallow draft (5 feet or less) and it will likely be buggier. Let’s just say that I have cornered the market on bug spray! If traveling south, the two routes converge again in the Albemarle Sound.
So, what does preparation for our 5+ day journey look like? Well, our boat’s water tank capacity is 100 gallons, which means that Charro and I will each be able to take our (FAST) morning and evening showers. We will also be able to flush the toilet with fresh water as opposed to seawater (when we flush using seawater, the boat’s holding tank fills up faster). We are planning to use all disposable plates and cutlery, as washing dishes is a water suck. We will cook all of our meals on the grill or in the oven by wrapping our food in aluminum foil. The goal is to not have to use any dishes, pots, or pans that require washing. We plan to eat well, though, even with the restrictions! Hamburgers, hot dogs, steak, pork chops, fajitas, loaded baked potatoes, fruits, and vegetables are all on the menu. I have also stocked us up with an ample supply of peanut M&M’s to boost morale!
Just in case, we are also carrying four extra jugs of water that in total, hold 21.2 gallons, plus 4 jugs of distilled water and 24-16 oz. bottles. I think we should be fine, even if we never stop at a marina to fill up our tanks along the way.
Our boat holds 40 gallons of diesel, plus we are carrying an extra 10 gallons. Charro says we use around .6 gallons per hour, so it’s likely we won’t even have to top up with the reserve.
Right now the weather looks absolutely wonderful! We do have a generator, however. Just in case temps soar, we will be able to run the AC for a few hours at night as needed.
I think one of our greatest challenges is going to be getting Laurie and Ruby to potty on their grass mat. We have practiced at home, but for some reason, they stubbornly refuse to use it on the boat. It becomes a battle of wills, and I’m ashamed to say that sometimes they win and we just go to the yard. Once we are at anchor, though, they aren’t really going to have a choice! Heaven help us with that one.
Today is going to be a full day as we finish off our checklist. I need to make a last grocery store run for produce and dairy and I will need to wash laundry. Charro has to fill the two reserve diesel tanks and the boat needs a wash. Today is also pump-out day, so our holding tank will be nice and empty. And Monte the diver might be coming by to clean the boat’s hull (hope he doesn’t forget). Oh, and it’s my birthday!
Tuesday’s Goal: 35.9 nautical miles
The plan for tomorrow is to leave early in the morning (going to shoot for 6 or 7 am). We will depart from Northwest Creek Marina and travel to our Waypoint #1 where we will anchor in the mouth of the Bay River.
If I have cell phone signal, my plan is to write another update tomorrow evening.
Fair winds,
Wendy
Wendy on the Water 