Winds of Change

  Oct 21 Deep Creek to Horn Harbor Knowing this was going to be a long day, I got a very early start. I started raising the anchor at 6:30, a full half hour before sunrise. With all the marinas and town docks, I had not had to deal with a muddy anchor chain until now.    No problem, I have a salt water hose spray down system which is really a necessity for cruisers on the bay. I started out slow in the pre-sunrise darkness. The bridge that blocked my progress last night was open. I did get stuck behind a huge ship going about 4kts. It made sense to hang back and let that huge ship to lead the way.  Before I end my trip I am going to share my success with my solar power setup. My Honda has the ability to charge but only at a very low amp output…like 1-2 amps…not enough to keep my single 100 ah lithium battery charged. I have changed all lights on WOC to LED so lights draw very little power. The autopilot and the ecooler are my largest users. The autopilot power use is...

Oct 20 Lamb’s Marina to Deep Creek  I left at 7:30 AM which gave me plenty of time to make the 11:00 Dismal Swamp lock lift. It was a good thing as the fog was “thick as pea soup”. I zig zag back and forth on the Pasquotank River to avoid the center while finding the less foggy side. Where the sun was hitting the banks the fog was burning off so I used that to my advantage. By the time I was meeting the 8:30 lock traffic the fog had lifted.  I had a slight wait and found myself the only boat in the lock. This time of year most of the traffic is North. I planned to make the 3:30 lock on the other end so I had to maintain a steady 5kt speed. The duck weed was not as bad as 2 weeks ago but the random logs seemed worst. After every hit of the prop…I worried I would break a shear pin or worst…spin the rubber hub. A careful balance of avoiding what I could see and not running too fast was the solution. Once in the Deep Creek lock, the logs were every where but I was able to go slow ...

Oct 19 Plantation Marina to Lamb’s Marina My best sail of the trip! The wind was strong out of the WNW which was either a broad reach or a full run down the Sound. Wave were 2 - 3 ft which propelled me along at 6 1/2 to 7 1/2 kts. Not bad for a boat with a hull speed of 6 1/2 kts. The start of the trip had me heading way out into the Sound to avoid a CIA test restricted area. After a great wing and wing run East to the mouth of the Pasquotank, the fun was over with a sharp turn and the wind straight on the nose. With 16 miles to go, a pure sail with tacking that far was not an option. I dropped the main and tighten the mizzen. Using a moderate amount of outboard motor power and heading about 15 degrees off the wind resulted in good speed and a comfortable ride of about 4 to 4 1/2 kt…..these last 16 miles were not going to be fast. As I approached Elizabeth City I decide to pass up the free docks and pay for marina with power for heat. The night lows were going to be in the 30’s and Lam...

  Oct 18 Chilling at Plantation Marina This is going to be a rest day and time to talk about how I got here. I have sailed the bay my entire life from my uncle’s little 1935 13 ft wooden sneak box (which I still sail) to my last boat, a 1981 Alajeula 38, Grey Fox. That boat was selected as a safe and easy boat to winter 3 seasons in the Bahamas. Before that I sailed the bay in a Cape Dory 28 for 22 years, not quite large enough for me in the ocean. So how did I end up with a Sea Pearl 28. Well I am not going off shore in my own boat any more. I will do trips with friends but having an ocean going boat in the bay is an overkill. Grey Fox was both expensive to own and a physical challenge for my 68 year old body. It was time for a change. I live on a small cove with limited water depth and always wanted my sailboat at my dock. WOC (Winds of Change) allows me to do that will a draft of 19” with rudder and centerboard lifted. This boat has a trailer which will be her winter home in my ...

  Oct 17 Columbia to Plantation Marina The return trip to Plantation Marina was a wonderful sail on the beam out of the West. I was able to sail right up to the marina’s fuel dock. The reason for the return was to refuel and use of the free laundry…and they have very nice machines. JE, the dock master, offered me a golf cart for $25 for two days. I didn’t really need one but the price was right and the slip was free. This is a very nice marina. I ended up driving the cart within a block of a Dollar Store where I bought a case of drink water. While it was too cold for their pool I did try out their hot tub. The only complaint I could make would be their internet. At times it was ok but it is provided by Hughes Net (satellite) so if had a bad latency problem.  Everything else was really great- staff, restaurant, docks - one of the nicest marinas I have ever have experienced…. I stayed fora total of three nights - and paid zero for the slip. Just said I was doing the loop.  ...

Oct 16 Plymouth to Columbia Short trip with West winds. After motoring out of Roanoke River, I was able to run wing and wing down the Sound. It was such a gentle ride that I cooked a breakfast of sausage and eggs while under sail. I arrived in Columbia around noon. The docks are a bit old but functional…and fit me well. Larger boats might have a hard time with the short finger piers. I explored the town and found it pretty much shut down…it was a Sunday. There is a Dollar Store and a Food Lion about a mile away from dock. The single restroom for cruisers was large and clean. These rivers are fresh water with trees growing right out in the middle. Something you do see on the Chesapeake. Next page https://seapearl28woc.blogspot.com/2022/10/oct-17-columbia-to-plantation-marina.html?m=1