New stop! New Bern, North Carolina

Having booked a week at the New Bern Grand Marina & Yacht Club for the crazy reasonable rate of $4.50/foot/week (plus electricity) we had plenty of time to explore, even with some crappy weather in the forecast! The dock we were on led right onto one of the main streets in old downtown New Bern which made it super easy to pop out for a walk in the morning. 

The sunset views from our dock were pretty nice!

The town has a rich history as one of North Carolina's colonial capitals (and the last one before the Revolutionary War) and celebrates that history with placards throughout town and via the North Carolina History Center at Tryon Palace. We spent an afternoon touring the replica palace, some of the original buildings, and the amazing gardens. We also explored some of the darker history of New Bern with a Ghost Tour! I know, I know...touristy...but it's also a fun way to learn some actual history among the ghost tales. It was super windy and a little rainy the night we went, but it was still fun! And we even visited the birthplace of Pepsi-Cola, “the taste born in the Carolinas.”

Tryon Palace and Gardens

Kind of neat to see where a global icon started!

I also stumbled across an event at the local Civic Theater while I was looking for things to do--Rock of Ages was opening the weekend we were in town! The Skipper and I went to opening night and had the most fun we've had on a Friday night in a long time! The venue was old and a little rough around the edges which worked perfectly for Rock of Ages, the music was awesome, and the cast was AMAZING! They can really sing and perform! We loved that the male lead was a local junior high science teacher...I love that community theater is neighbors coming together to put on a show. SO much fun!

We added to the fun factor by stopping at Beary the Hatchet for a night of axe throwing! It was actually "Broke Axe Monday" so an hour of throwing was only $15 each. There was great music, a really good beer lineup, and axes! What's not to love?

This town also hits some good food notes, and the portions are "13-year old boy approved." We went to Baker's Kitchen for their amazing cinnamon rolls and southern fare (a few times!), Captain Ratty's for a teenager-satisfying breakfast buffet, MJ's Raw Bar & Grille for super fresh seafood (a few times!), the Cow Cafe for a casual lunch stop, Bella's Cafe for morning coffee, and the Chelsea for a slightly more upscale southern evening. Yeah, I didn't cook a ton, and there are other places that we would like to hit on a return trip. There was also a really good farmer's market only a block from the marina on Saturday where we got some beautiful vegetables (and pork cracklins!).

I added lots of reviews to Google Maps while we were here! The Crabby Bloody Mary at MJ's was awesome; the farmer's market was lovely; and the cinnamon rolls at Baker's were HUGE and yummy!

This made a good "cruiser stop" for me for quite a few reasons. The marina was reasonably priced (actually, cheap!), had good wifi, had cable (WOO HOO, FOOTBALL!!!), everyone on our dock was really nice, staff was super helpful, bathrooms were clean, it was easy to get mail shipped here (we got some parts!), laundry machines worked (and took credit cards), they had pump-out options, and they had recycling. Only thing missing was fuel (but another marina had it). I was also able to get a grocery run via Instacart from Publix right to the head of our dock. The fact that the town was super walkable won me over instantly, but the fact that there were great businesses within that walkable area was really nice. There is a health food grocer just a few blocks from the marina that even had a live aboard  discount! And of course, the cultural offerings were great, too. Don't be surprised if we go "off the path" to stop by New Bern again sometime in the future!

~ Jo, 1st Mate

Where to hide? A coastal low is coming!

With an impressive coastal low creeping into the forecast models as we made our way through North Carolina, we again had to make a decision about how to keep our home and crew safe. We had hoped to head to Beaufort and hop outside for a run to South Carolina, but that definitely wasn't going to happen. 

Ugh...we don't do 30-40kts offshore! The wave forecasts were scary!

Options were:

1. Secure a slip somewhere in Beaufort, NC. This would put us close to the inlet and ready to jump offshore at the earliest opportunity without having to deal with bumper boats in a crowded anchorage. And we like Beaufort! Depths at some marinas are tight for us, but there are options if they have space.

2. Secure a slip in New Bern, NC. It's a little out of the way, but we've never been there and many friends have spoken highly of the town. Depths and prices were good and it seemed there would be plenty to do.

3. Anchor. We trust our ground tackle and technique, and there are plenty of creeks we could head up and be relatively protected (albeit possibly out of cell service coverage).

4. Secure a slip in Oriental or Bellhaven, NC. That would be back-tracking and visiting places we'd been before, but could work.

We decided to go after option #2--it was new, there was the hope of good wifi, and the town offered things we like to do. We made a reservation request and waited, continuing to look at our other options. As we dropped the hook outside of Oriental we received a confirmation from the New Bern Grand Marina & Yacht Club--we were booked for a week! 

It was admittedly a bit of a slog up the Neuse River in cold north winds today, but after slipping through the bridge we were guided into our slip and tied up in a jiffy. 

First impression--the town is cute! And the marina is great! The bathrooms/office are maybe 2 blocks from the boat, but I quite like the walk. The Dockmaster is very nice and clearly loves this town--he took the time to tell us all about things to do while we are here. The weekly rate is a bargain, restrooms & laundry are clean, trash is easy, wifi is pretty good, and we even managed to hook up to cable for the first time in 2 years. I think we will enjoy this stop and even better, we feel safe here.

This marina has some great protection from the forecast north winds.

The weather decisions are hard. We watched on various forums as other cruisers faced the same forecast and debated costs, schedule, and safety up and down the eastern seaboard. This could be an interesting few days for the cruising community. But this is exactly what cruising is about for us. We don't cruise on a schedule...we like the flexibility to deal with weather, but also to take advantage of experience opportunities when they pop up. And sometimes weather is what presents us with the opportunities!

New places...old friends. Our migration south begins!

You'd think after a few years of going up and down the east coast that we would do the same thing over and over or it would get boring. Well, you can certainly stick to a "path" (and revisiting favorites is fun!), but there are sooo many marina and anchorage options that you really can mix it up! Since we left Patuxent River we've hit quite a few "new" spots.

First up, Dividing Creek, VA. We were with a pack of boats heading down the Bay that first day and had though about hitting up Reedville (we've never been) or Deltaville (we like the anchorages there), but on a whim decided to try something new! We ended up spending the night completely alone in a beautiful spot. 

A beautiful day to cross the mouth of the Potomac ended in a beautiful anchorage.

Next, we had a bit of weather on the horizon to deal with and also had some friends that we wanted to see in a yard up Mobjack Bay. We'd never been there so we headed up the East River and bounced between two sides of the river over our days there to better position for winds. The anchorage was lovely with lots of bald eagle activity, but we also loved our time with friends! They helped us get a new TV, we had a lovely evening of sundowners, and our kiddos played. I did a little sewing for them and they made us a delicious dinner to take home with us. We may not see the crew of Kolohe again for some time, so I'm really glad we got these few days with them.

Cozy in the East River

So great to see the Kolohe crew again!

With weather and family/friend considerations again we booked a reservation at the Waterside Marina in Norfolk. We'd stayed on base in Norfolk and anchored out, but had not been to a marina in town. This allowed us to see some family and friends, get propane, knock out some laundry, and get groceries. The marina staff were awesome (they pay for your ride to the grocery store!), but we did have a crappy night when another boater hit our boat as he was docking, then proceeded to yell at our crew (some really horrible things, too) and refused to give insurance info. In the light of day we were able to see that the marks from the collision would buff out, but we were pretty disappointed that another boater would respond to the situation like that. Made for a bad mark on an otherwise decent stay.

Neptune, family, and my friend Jennifer from college--focusing on the good memories from this stop!

After a short, VERY busy trip through Great Bridge we were finally back to an old favorite spot--the Great Bridge free docks! I love the south side docks with the nearby hiking trails and nice parking area. We had Navy and hometown friends visit, saw mom again, and met three new boats that helped us regain faith in people after the previous night's encounter. One boat, S/V Freedom, was another Beneteau 393 and we really enjoyed chatting with the owners about the boat we love! And Trent made friends by sharing Halloween candy with everyone. 

Sooo many boats went through the locks with us--full house! But there was plenty of space at the docks and we had a visit from my old Master Chief and the Skipper's hometown crew. It was a wonderful stop!

And now we are back in a familiar anchorage south of Coinjock and looking forward to a nice crossing of the Albemarle Sound tomorrow. The new places and experiences have been a real treat! Can't wait to see how many new places we see this season. 

~Jo, 1st Mate

Project wrap-up, off-season 2021

Having finally cast off the lines after about four months at a dock, I'm taking a look back at some of the miscellaneous jobs we tackled over the summer around our travels and major projects! I've always said that this lifestyle isn't all cocktails and sunsets so I feel like it's important to note some of the less-glamorous aspects.

Water tanks were emptied, scrubbed, bleached, rinsed, rinsed, and rinsed! We hadn't done this before as water never really sits in the tanks for too long, but it was nice to wipe the slime off and know that we had a clean system.

Not such an easy task! Had to use some kitchen tongs to extend my reach.

Deep cleaned the cabins and fixing the headliner. Spending time in all sorts of climates and having four humans living in a small space can lead to some mildew and just general funk. I pretty regularly wipe the bulkheads down anyway, but this was a "pull-everything-out-and-clean-the-obscure-spots" effort that was conducted with a toothbrush, Spray Nine, and bleach. Our boat also has a known issue with the foam backing of the headliner/bulkhead liner degrading over time so I worked to remedy that, too. We have used 3M spray adhesive in the past and it holds for a few months. This time I used contact cement to adhere strips of stiff, yet flexible, plastic (from thick folders!) to the headliner to help lift it into place. It seems to be working so far, but time will tell.

This fabric...I hate it.

Cleaned the speed log which had been neglected for a bit, scrubbed the deck and waterline to combat some of the ICW/Chesapeake Bay growth and tannins, and paid a diver to clean the hull. This is part of the boat life work that just never goes away. I could still have more coats of wax on the boat, but...maybe soon! 

TONS of growth in this area.

The hull really needs a good wax, but it's tough when it's in the water.

And way back in the beginning of summer we freshened up the forward head! I had been wanting to hide where the water maker pump stuck out at the bottom of the door and took the opportunity to add some color, too. It's a little change, but I love it!

A little outdoor fabric and paint made a nice change.

And sure, there was the routine defrosting of the freezer, pulling dozens of jellyfish out of the a/c strainer, and bilge cleaning, too. I am happy we still have the energy and flexibility to pull off these tasks, and super happy that we kept up on chores and projects through a summer of fun. 

~Jo, 1st Mate

That’s a wrap! Boat Shows 2021

We came...we worked...we smiled...we shopped!

We worked every single day of the Annapolis Power and Sailboat Shows over the past two weeks, pre-opening to close each day! The Skipper even stayed on an extra day to help with show break-down. How was it? Well, having not worked a paying job together in nearly 20 years we are happy to report that both of us are alive and still speaking to each other! It’s been two years since these shows were held and you could feel the excitement! The booth we worked in this year was a combo of retail safety gear from Fawcett Boat Supplies and boats/motors from their other company, Annapolis Inflatables. It ended up being a great mix for us as we know a few things about dinghies after over a decade aboard and we actually personally use many of the safety items that were being sold! Though the days were usually crazy busy, it was quite fun and we enjoyed working with the FBS/AI team and reps from Highfield Boats, AB Inflatables, ACR, Viking, Gill, Mustang, and Tohatsu. We also managed to see old Navy buddies, college friends, old and new marina friends, cruising pals from our seasons in Bahamas, and cruising/homeschooling moms that I’d only previously “met” online, and we met TONS of new boaters and cruisers that we look forward to sharing an anchorage with in the future! And in addition to our tradition of boat show Painkillers I introduced Frank to pre-show Bloody Mary’s and bagels. He was a fan!

We worked nine full show days...we earned those Painkillers and Bloody Mary's!

YouTube channels and influencers featured more heavily at the boat show this year and while the Skipper still can’t pick any of them out of a crowd except for the two we shared an anchorage and hiking trails with in Maine last year, it was interesting to see the crowds flocking to meet & greets and getting excited about sailing and cruising! Frank even spent a solid 15 minutes talking about RIBs with one popular YouTuber and had no clue who he was (though figured he was “someone” when a guy ran up to him and gushed over him briefly), but I was happy to say hello to Carolyn Shearlock of “The Boat Galley” book fame and thank her for sharing her knowledge over the years. For the most part all the influencers we interacted with around the shows were really nice, genuine, and funny (one super popular one thought they had been left off of our meet & greet schedule poster, but was actually at the wrong booth…we had a good laugh together!), but…like with any group there may be some people you could do without. One influencer approached our team…needed to get photos with the boats at the request of the brand, but “my partner doesn’t want to spring for the ticket to get in.” My manager got the rest of their group into the show (for free), but since I know they cruise on a $1M+ boat I was a little disgusted…tickets are $20 folks. Another (who I didn’t recognize as a YouTuber initially) asked me all about one of our popular products then said, “you want to give me one?” I said, “sure, I can ring you up right over here,” to which he replied, “oh no, that’s not how it works for us.” Um…that’s how it works for your fellow cruisers and pretty sure A-list folks hit up marketing teams and managers for free stuff, not bottom-rung, cruising cashiers. So I’m happy that they inspire others and I love free stuff (who doesn’t), but I can’t get onboard with the begging for/expecting freebies at every turn. Just not my thing. To keep it truthful here we actually did get freebies/swag/lunch from some of the vendors we worked with over the shows…we never asked for it but were offered it in thanks for our work on behalf of their brands—that, IMO, is how it should work and we were humbled by their appreciation.

So…SHOPPING! We actually didn’t have a huge list of “needs” for the boat this year…just some spare parts, cleaning supplies, a little bit of line, etc. But one “want” has been on our list for years and much to our surprise, Fawcett’s had it in stock so we didn’t have to order and ship it! That’s right, we scored a 42” Lewmar Folding Wheel!!!! I can’t wait to enjoy more freedom of movement in the cockpit while we are at anchor. 

Trent was a SUPER shopping helper! And I am in love with the new wheel!

Will we do it again next year? If we are in the country and they need/want us we will! It’s just fun hanging out with so many like-minded folks and getting paid!

~Jo, 1st Mate