Sep 30 to Oct 9 2012
Port Kinsale to Osprey Marina, Myrtle Beach, SC
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| We left Sunday Sep 30 from Port Kinsale. We had the boat hauled last month and painted the bottom and did a few maintenance chores. | ||
| Sep 30, 2012 | Hospital Point, Norfolk, VA | |
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Here is our last look at Port Kinsale as we left Sunday morning. Kathy and Ross Jebson helped us get our car back to the farmhouse and also helped us untie the lines for our departure. Thanks to them. Josie settled in for her first long term trip on the boat. She did very well all day and has learned to "do her business" on the bow of the boat. Although we have a dinghy we don't have to use it every day. We left this morning at 9 AM and headed south to Norfolk traveling 91 miles at 8.5 knots. We finally dropped the hook at 6:30 pm at Hospital Point in Norfolk VA. after traveling on the Chesapeake Bay that was beautiful and flat. A great day on the water. Tomorrow we go thru the bridges of Norfolk and head to Coinjock, NC |
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Oct 1, 2012 |
Coinjock, NC | |
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We were up and underway by 7:30 am. We headed thru
Norfolk towards the Great Bridge Lock and then on to Coinjock in North
Carolina.. It was a cloudy day with rain. We ran with 4 motors
and 1 sail as the bridge operators call us ... 4 power boats and 1 sailboat.
We were third in line and moving at a comfortable pace. Carey had the
binoculars to her eyes as she really enjoys just looking around.
Later in the day, you see below, a view from the conning station. Still cloudy and cool, but really a fairly nice day to travel on the water, Carey took Josie out to the bow for an afternoon constitutional. She appears to be taking to the boat. We tied up at Coinjock Marina at 3:30 just 50 miles from Norfolk. Carey is fixing a pork roast in the crock pot. We'll relax and enjoy a great dinner then sleep peacefully until the morning when we're en route Dowry Creek Marina. |
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| Oct 2, 2012, | Dowry Creek Marina, Belhaven, NC | |
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Underway at 8 am for Dowry Creek. It was cloudy and
rained off and on all day long. As we moved away from the Coinjock
marina we noticed an old houseboat against the trees ... an inexpensive way
to live. Josie sat on her favorite couch at the conning station, ready
for the day. I started out driving and the first part of the trip was the
waterway after Coinjock, a dredged canal that contains many old tree stumps. The waterway started to open and finally landed us in the
Albemarle Sound where we traveled 15 miles across what can be a treacherous
piece of water. Today it was quiet. Carey enjoyed driving
through some of it and a good part of the Alligator River.
The 4th row of pictures under this discussion show the Alligator River Bridge at the bottom of the Albemarle Sound and at right the Alligator River and Pongo River Canal. It appears to go on forever. It is a boring part of the trip and lasts for over 15 miles. But we made it thru the canal and moored at our favorite marina, Dowry Creek at 4 pm. We joined the crew and other boaters at the club house for drinks and swapped sea stories. We're now aboard the boat eating a delicious meal of pork fixed by our chef Carey. Tomorrow off for Moorhead City. |
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| Oct 3, 2012 | Sanitary Restaurant, Moorhead City, NC | |
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At the end of the day we are at Moorhead City, NC after a 70 statue mile trip and have stopped at the Sanitary Fish market and restaurant. We ate at the restaurant and the owner gave us a free nights stay. The pictures below show part of our trip to Moorhead City. First, a shore line view and the Dowry Creek marina office building. The second row of pictures show a couple views of Dowry Creek Marina, with very few boats this day. Most of the marinas along the way so far have said that traffic is up, but this day at Dowry Creek did not bear this out. Apolonia was the only boat at the large face dock. Along the way we passed a host of fishing vessels moored at numerous marinas. But, now safely at Moorhead City, we relax and head towards New River Marina tomorrow... the cheapest fuel on the waterway. |
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| Oct 4, 2012 | New River Marina, NC | |
| We were underway at 8 am and headed for New River Marina. Bogue sound, which we traveled, is flat as you see below. As we passed Swansboro, NC we got a chuckle out of a USCG boat having to be towed. A sight you seldom see. We had a short day stopping at New River Marina, just 45 statue miles from Morehead City. We refueled ... the cheapest fuel on the waterway ... and settled in for the night. The marina is really just a bulkhead on the ICW with a campground and 7-11 type store for the campers. We berthed near a shrimp boat at a very inexpensive price. We always stop here. We love it. Next to our boat is a camper protected by an Indian Chief. It did not effect Carey and Josie as they relaxed on the back deck. The marina updated its services this year by adding one 30 amp service for the first boat that comes in each day. In the past you did not have water nor electric. A real bare bones place. We'll be back because the people are great, the diesel price is the best on the ICW, and the tie up price is cheap. Tomorrow we're off for South Port. | ||
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| Oct 5, 2012 | South Harbor Village Marina, NC | |
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Underway at 8:30 am we headed for Southport, a 65 mile trip.
We passed the pink house, a three story place along the waterway that is
owned by a person that really likes it bold and pink. And although we
do not fish we almost stopped at the bait shop because it was so
unique. Josie was catching up on her sleep with her favorite toy, as
a small pirate ship replica joined us on the waterway. Once near Southport we noticed a 29' Ranger tug "pleasure"
boat that is also trailerable. A nice looking boat. In the picture
you see a view of the marina we stopped in from our back deck.
As we sat on the back deck a large 65'er came into the pier. I did not recognize the boat but it was pretty and the owner had all the toys to make the docking easy ... bow thrusters and remote engine controls. All this while Josie sat in her chair on the back deck watching the world pass by. It was a good day and we moved 65 miles to land in South Harbor Village Marina in Southport, NC. Tomorrow off towards Osprey Marina in Myrtle Beach. |
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| Oct 6, 2012 | Osprey Marina SC | |
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Underway about 8:30 for a 64 mile trip to Osprey Marina in SC
where we will leave the boat until after Christmas. Homes along the
way were great. We also saw many trailer park communities on the
waterway. And we found a great marina we could probably buy ... see
picture below. We might have a problem getting rid of the one large
commercial boat docked at the main dock ... but we could work on that. We also saw the largest boat we've seen on the ICW
... a cruise ship that was going up the ICW. We stayed away from it. And of all the homes we've seen on the waterway we voted the
one you see below the ugliest we've seen.
Anyway, we're at Osprey marina now and it is a great place in South Myrtle Beach. Gary and Pat are coming tomorrow to pick us up for the trip home. We'll probably party a day or two here before going back for the holidays. After the holiday's we'll come back, pick up the boat, and move on towards the Bahamas. |
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| Oct 7-9, 2012 | Osprey Marina | |
| Sunday morning we got up and cleaned the boat, getting it ready for its 2 1/2 month stay at Osprey Marina. Hopefully the weather will be warm enough in late Dec and early Jan for us to travel comfortably from here to the Bahamas. The marina is nearly full, run by professional and friendly people and neat as a pin. Gary and Pat arrived about 4:30 pm and we were planning the rest of the day and Monday as a sightseeing day in the local area. We toured some local housing areas and viewed the ICW from land. We found some great places to eat and enjoyed good food. Gary and Pat brought us back home to Virginia on Tuesday. We'll stay here for the holidays and some activities. The boat is secured in South Carolina. We'll return to the boat in late Dec for the rest of the winter trip. | ||
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