The morning was bright and sunny but cool. We left the Alligator River to head across the Albemarle Sound. I am so glad that we waited for the winds to die down. It was a beautiful trip across the sound. We had heard reports of those that didn't wait and how uncomfortable their trip had been. The sound is very pretty but wide open. I can only imagine what it would be like in a hurricane.
We entered the North River that leads to the Virginia Cut. We stopped in Coinjock, NC. The marina here is a long face dock in front of the Coinjock Restaurant. When you make your reservation for dinner, they ask if you are going to have the prime rib. The prime rib choices are the Captains Cut, 32 ounces or the First Mate Cut 16 ounces. I ordered the mate cut. It is tender and mouth watering. I have enough left over for two lunches. Yum!
Tomorrow, we will head north up the Virginia Cut to the base of the Chesapeake.
Monday, May 8, 2017
Sunday, May 7, 2017
5/6 and 5/7 Winds and Pig Pickin in Dowry Creek
Finally, about mid day on 5/6 the winds died down to about 15 MPH. It felt as if we had been becalmed after the strong winds of the last few days. It turned chilly though. Time to get the jeans back out. Everyone was doing errands. I did two loads of laundry. We noticed that the AGLCA burgee of the boat Happy Happy was in tatters. Terry was on the bow trying to salvage the part that said AGLCA. I took our old white looper flag over to them. We wrote Hydrophilic down the side and Terry and Pat are now flying it from the front of their boat!!
Neal, the new owner of Dowry Creek Marina, made sure all of us knew we were invited to a pig picking at the club house that evening. Meanwhile, it was chore time. We did a lot of cleaning. I opened one of the cabinet doors under the sink and the door came apart in my hand. No one will pick a fight with me. John took the rest of the cabinet off and I went to the office to ask if there was a carpenter in town. The same thing must have happened to one of our other cabinets and it needed wood glue and some brackets on the back. Neal and his staff looked at it and after a short discussion said, "Don't worry, we will take care of it." One of his sons was told to get brackets when he went to town to get his sister. I left it there.
Meanwhile, some new boats came in. We met the crew of Sauvy B, and Joe and Pat Apicella who are well known gold loopers on Glory Daze. On one of my trips on the docks, Neal told me the door was ready. It was perfect!!!! You could not see that there had been any issue at all. He told me the part was $1.47 and that is what we owed him. Well, we added some to that with a thank you note and promised a 5 star review on Active Captain. Talk about service!!!
Dinner was terrific, true Carolina barbecue. Terry from Happy Happy timed this picture of the crews from Sauvy B, Happy Happy, Glory Daze, Overtime, and Hydrophilic. Look at that view.
Good food, lots of sharing and great conversation. But by 9 PM, boaters' midnight, we were all snug in our boats and ready to head out in the morning.
Overtime was first out of the marina and we were second. It was bright and sunny but still chilly. We headed up the Pungo River to the Pungo Alligator canal. The canal is very straight and protected and was easy cruising. As we entered the Alligator River, the waters broaden and the wind increased. It wasn't too choppy but the winds kept the sun from warming us too much.
Tonight, we are docked at the Alligator River Marina. We are positioned to cross the Albemarle Sound tomorrow. The winds should be from the west so it should not be too bad. I hope. Last year, we took the Dismal Swamp north to the Chesapeake. It is closed due to damage from Hurricane Matthew and continued high waters. So we will be taking the Virginia Cut and will be heading to Coinjock where the restaurant at the marina is famous for their roast beef. I have had it once before and am looking forward to it.
Neal, the new owner of Dowry Creek Marina, made sure all of us knew we were invited to a pig picking at the club house that evening. Meanwhile, it was chore time. We did a lot of cleaning. I opened one of the cabinet doors under the sink and the door came apart in my hand. No one will pick a fight with me. John took the rest of the cabinet off and I went to the office to ask if there was a carpenter in town. The same thing must have happened to one of our other cabinets and it needed wood glue and some brackets on the back. Neal and his staff looked at it and after a short discussion said, "Don't worry, we will take care of it." One of his sons was told to get brackets when he went to town to get his sister. I left it there.
Meanwhile, some new boats came in. We met the crew of Sauvy B, and Joe and Pat Apicella who are well known gold loopers on Glory Daze. On one of my trips on the docks, Neal told me the door was ready. It was perfect!!!! You could not see that there had been any issue at all. He told me the part was $1.47 and that is what we owed him. Well, we added some to that with a thank you note and promised a 5 star review on Active Captain. Talk about service!!!
Dinner was terrific, true Carolina barbecue. Terry from Happy Happy timed this picture of the crews from Sauvy B, Happy Happy, Glory Daze, Overtime, and Hydrophilic. Look at that view.
Overtime was first out of the marina and we were second. It was bright and sunny but still chilly. We headed up the Pungo River to the Pungo Alligator canal. The canal is very straight and protected and was easy cruising. As we entered the Alligator River, the waters broaden and the wind increased. It wasn't too choppy but the winds kept the sun from warming us too much.
Tonight, we are docked at the Alligator River Marina. We are positioned to cross the Albemarle Sound tomorrow. The winds should be from the west so it should not be too bad. I hope. Last year, we took the Dismal Swamp north to the Chesapeake. It is closed due to damage from Hurricane Matthew and continued high waters. So we will be taking the Virginia Cut and will be heading to Coinjock where the restaurant at the marina is famous for their roast beef. I have had it once before and am looking forward to it.
Friday, May 5, 2017
5/3 to 5/5 The answer my friend
We left Mile Hammock Anchorage with the plan to stop after Morehead City for the night. It was a beautiful day and the cruising was so nice. We passed a sailboat who had serenaded us on his guitar the night before in Mile Hammock. The name of the boat was "The Answer My Friend". We did not know how prophetic it was.
We checked the weather and saw that the winds were going to pick up. We decided to cross the Neuse River, as it is a fairly long crossing that is unprotected. We crossed without incident. R. E Mayo Seafood is a working dock in the river. Although we arrived after they closed, we called ahead to get permission. No water, electricity or wifi, but at 40 cents a foot, we were safely tucked in. When they opened in the morning, John paid for our dockage and bought some newly frozen shrimp and scallops for dinners to come.
The winds were starting to rise. We left the river to cross the Pamlico Sound. Winds were about 15-20 sustained. The crossing of the Pamlico was not calm. The winds continued to increase and so did the waves. Finally, we turned north into the Bay River heading toward the Pungo River and Belhaven, NC. The predominant waves were at our back but it was not calm, for sure. Dowry Creek Marina was our plan for two nights. We have stayed at Dowry before and always liked their pool and club house. About 5 miles before it, the Pungo River turns east and the rocking and rolling started again. As we got closer, we called in. The dockmaster suggested that we stern in to the slip to give us a more comfortable ride for the coming storms. Well the winds and waves were already up and try as John might, the Hydrophilic could not be made to bring her stern in. Finally, we docked bow in. It was only a little after noon and we were both beat. We were the last boat tucked in for the day.
The winds were pushing the 5 to 6 foot waves on our stern. The winds were sustained in high 20's. All loopers were tucked in and planning extra nights. Walking on the docks, I was sure I would blow away. At 5:30, there were docktails at the club house. Overtime and her crew, that we had met in Chattanooga near the start of their loop, were there as well as Aurora B that we had met at Joyner, and about 7 other loopers. The courtesy car was available for a really nice dinner at Spoon River Market and Restaurant. They are known for their farm to table menu and the food was great. We pushed through the wind to get back on the docks. Now the winds were up in the 30's gusting to the high 40's. That lasted through the night. John and I were both surprised that we slept as well as we did. That is not to say that were weren't awakened several times with particularly stiff rocking of the boat.
Today, Friday morning, we woke to continued wind and waves. Around 9 a.m., the heavy rains came in with tornado warnings, thunder and lightning. The rain is scheduled to decrease about 3. The waves are down some so we are rocking less now. We have scheduled another day here at Dowry Creek to let the winds die down some more. Then we will head up the Alligator River to position to cross the Albemarle Sound.
We checked the weather and saw that the winds were going to pick up. We decided to cross the Neuse River, as it is a fairly long crossing that is unprotected. We crossed without incident. R. E Mayo Seafood is a working dock in the river. Although we arrived after they closed, we called ahead to get permission. No water, electricity or wifi, but at 40 cents a foot, we were safely tucked in. When they opened in the morning, John paid for our dockage and bought some newly frozen shrimp and scallops for dinners to come.
The winds were starting to rise. We left the river to cross the Pamlico Sound. Winds were about 15-20 sustained. The crossing of the Pamlico was not calm. The winds continued to increase and so did the waves. Finally, we turned north into the Bay River heading toward the Pungo River and Belhaven, NC. The predominant waves were at our back but it was not calm, for sure. Dowry Creek Marina was our plan for two nights. We have stayed at Dowry before and always liked their pool and club house. About 5 miles before it, the Pungo River turns east and the rocking and rolling started again. As we got closer, we called in. The dockmaster suggested that we stern in to the slip to give us a more comfortable ride for the coming storms. Well the winds and waves were already up and try as John might, the Hydrophilic could not be made to bring her stern in. Finally, we docked bow in. It was only a little after noon and we were both beat. We were the last boat tucked in for the day.
The winds were pushing the 5 to 6 foot waves on our stern. The winds were sustained in high 20's. All loopers were tucked in and planning extra nights. Walking on the docks, I was sure I would blow away. At 5:30, there were docktails at the club house. Overtime and her crew, that we had met in Chattanooga near the start of their loop, were there as well as Aurora B that we had met at Joyner, and about 7 other loopers. The courtesy car was available for a really nice dinner at Spoon River Market and Restaurant. They are known for their farm to table menu and the food was great. We pushed through the wind to get back on the docks. Now the winds were up in the 30's gusting to the high 40's. That lasted through the night. John and I were both surprised that we slept as well as we did. That is not to say that were weren't awakened several times with particularly stiff rocking of the boat.
Today, Friday morning, we woke to continued wind and waves. Around 9 a.m., the heavy rains came in with tornado warnings, thunder and lightning. The rain is scheduled to decrease about 3. The waves are down some so we are rocking less now. We have scheduled another day here at Dowry Creek to let the winds die down some more. Then we will head up the Alligator River to position to cross the Albemarle Sound.
Tuesday, May 2, 2017
5/2/2017 Hydrophilic is back on the water
Nature came out to great us. We saw fish jumping and many dolphin.
We anchored at Mile Hammock Bay, at the start of Camp Lejeune. We saw both regular and osprey helicopters then. This one came in close.
Another looper boat came in. They are from Tennessee. They are the Ellis Family and their boat is Ellis Island. We had a good chat about the crab pot hazards to look for and to plan to eat the roast beef at Coinjock on the other side of the Albemarle.
Tomorrow, we plan a 50 mile day to a small marina. It is nice to be back on the water.
Sunday, January 15, 2017
1/15 The Hydrophilic crosses her wake in Wilmington, NC
Today, we crossed our wake at MM 295. We are now Gold Loopers!!!
April 27, 2016, the Hydrophilic cruised past Mile Marker 295 on the Intracoastal on a voyage of a lifetime.
This morning, we welcomed our last sunrise of the loop.
As we entered the mouth of the Cape Fear River, the reality of completing the Great Loop hit. What was our favorite part? It was special to have some family come aboard. Passing the Statue of Liberty in New York, passing the Arch in St. Louis, cruising the Chicago Sanitary Canal were all exciting. In Canada, cruising through the locks of the Trent Severn, especially the Big Chute, and anchoring in the North Channel, and eating butter tarts were all memorable. Did I mention cherries in Michigan and oysters on the Gulf Coast?
The best part of the loop was being part of the looper cruising community where you never meet a stranger. As we approached a new dock, someone would call out, "John, Ann Marie, I will get your lines." We would discuss where we have been and the next place we wanted to go. We thank all of you who shared your lives and your loop with us. You made our voyage so special.
I have three people that I have been thankful for on this trip. My husband, John, became interested in the Great Loop first and we got to share this voyage together. Alan Lloyd's Navigation Notes were out the whole trip and we really appreciated his way points on long crossings. Lastly, Rocna, our anchor, held each and every time we dropped him overboard, so I could sleep well at night.
Some of John's colleagues from UNCW, came out to meet us on the Cape Fear. They took pictures of the Hydrophilic with her gold burgee flying.
Then, we were escorted up the river.
We passed MM 295 for the official crossing of the wake.
Here we are coming into our dock.
Finally, we opened the bottle of Gentlemen's Jack that we had etched with our names and the loop at the Jack Daniel's Distillery in Lynchburg, TN to celebrate.
Here's to our voyage and all our friends. Cheers!!
April 27, 2016, the Hydrophilic cruised past Mile Marker 295 on the Intracoastal on a voyage of a lifetime.
This morning, we welcomed our last sunrise of the loop.
The best part of the loop was being part of the looper cruising community where you never meet a stranger. As we approached a new dock, someone would call out, "John, Ann Marie, I will get your lines." We would discuss where we have been and the next place we wanted to go. We thank all of you who shared your lives and your loop with us. You made our voyage so special.
I have three people that I have been thankful for on this trip. My husband, John, became interested in the Great Loop first and we got to share this voyage together. Alan Lloyd's Navigation Notes were out the whole trip and we really appreciated his way points on long crossings. Lastly, Rocna, our anchor, held each and every time we dropped him overboard, so I could sleep well at night.
Some of John's colleagues from UNCW, came out to meet us on the Cape Fear. They took pictures of the Hydrophilic with her gold burgee flying.
Finally, we opened the bottle of Gentlemen's Jack that we had etched with our names and the loop at the Jack Daniel's Distillery in Lynchburg, TN to celebrate.
Saturday, January 14, 2017
1/14 We cross the North Carolina Border
We took a right turn out of Osprey Marina and headed for the North Carolina border. It was low tide on the Waccamaw River and the exposed tree roots were visible coming out of the shiny black water.
Another new 64 foot bridge is going up to help with the traffic over the waterway. Even on a Saturday, the workmen were busy high atop the span.
Next, we came to the Socastee Swing Bridge. Most of these old swing bridges are being replaced. They are beautiful, iconic pieces of Americana though. I particularly like this bridge. First of all, you must hail the bridge tender by calling on channel 09, "Socastee Swing Bridge, Socastee Swing Bridge, Socastee Swing Bridge..." Well just try saying that three time fast! But this bridge is particularly pretty. As the pictures progress, you will see the span swing open and how it looked as we passed through.
Heading north, we passed through Myrtle Beach. One can tell when you are at Myrtle Beach because there are golf courses along the waterway on one side and T-shirt shops and attractions like go carts and mini golf on the other side. I enjoyed passing this business that has a huge whale and many buoys on shore for sale.
The only hard part of cruising today is going through an area known as the "Rock Pile". The Rock Pile is a narrow area of the Intracoastal that was created by breaking through rock. The sides of the channel are lined with rocks that remind you to stay well within the channel. After being in Canada, one might think that we got more comfortable cruising above rocks We haven't.
Eventually, we cruised past Little River, South Carolina and crossed the border into North Carolina. We are almost home. We have stopped at Ocean Isle Marina for the night. It is a chillier day and the high is only 59 degrees but at least it is bright and sunny.
Lat 33 degrees 53.40 North
Long 78 degrees 28.35 West
Heading north, we passed through Myrtle Beach. One can tell when you are at Myrtle Beach because there are golf courses along the waterway on one side and T-shirt shops and attractions like go carts and mini golf on the other side. I enjoyed passing this business that has a huge whale and many buoys on shore for sale.
The only hard part of cruising today is going through an area known as the "Rock Pile". The Rock Pile is a narrow area of the Intracoastal that was created by breaking through rock. The sides of the channel are lined with rocks that remind you to stay well within the channel. After being in Canada, one might think that we got more comfortable cruising above rocks We haven't.
Eventually, we cruised past Little River, South Carolina and crossed the border into North Carolina. We are almost home. We have stopped at Ocean Isle Marina for the night. It is a chillier day and the high is only 59 degrees but at least it is bright and sunny.
Lat 33 degrees 53.40 North
Long 78 degrees 28.35 West
Friday, January 13, 2017
1/13 North to the Waccamaw River
What a beautiful morning!!! The full moon was reflected in the waters of Jeremy Creek by the shrimp boats. I took these pictures about 10 minutes apart.
We crossed the North and South Santee Rivers. The dolphins were very numerous. The reflections in the water of the marshes were so peaceful.
We passed Minim Creek where we have anchored in the past. This fire lookout stands at the entrance to Minim Creek.
After Minim, we entered Winyah Bay that leads from the ocean to Georgetown, SC. Crossing the bay, we saw this eagle on a green marker. The eagle did not seem too concerned as our boat passed fairly close. Because we were on the fly bridge, we were right at eye level.
Next, we cruised into the Waccamaw River. I love the Waccamaw. The river has deep dark water from all the tannins from the leaves. Along the way, we saw this large steel sailboat at anchor. The name of the boat is Steel Away.
Osprey Marina was our planned stop for the night. The fuel here is well priced so we filled up. We have stopped here in the past. The reason I wanted to stop here again is because they give you a bag of goodies. Their goodie bag includes the best red pepper jelly you have ever had. In addition to the jar that came in the goodie bag, I bought two more jars. We met a nice couple from Charleston who have just started cruising. It was so nice to talk with them.
Tomorrow, we will cross into North Carolina.
We crossed the North and South Santee Rivers. The dolphins were very numerous. The reflections in the water of the marshes were so peaceful.
After Minim, we entered Winyah Bay that leads from the ocean to Georgetown, SC. Crossing the bay, we saw this eagle on a green marker. The eagle did not seem too concerned as our boat passed fairly close. Because we were on the fly bridge, we were right at eye level.
Next, we cruised into the Waccamaw River. I love the Waccamaw. The river has deep dark water from all the tannins from the leaves. Along the way, we saw this large steel sailboat at anchor. The name of the boat is Steel Away.
Osprey Marina was our planned stop for the night. The fuel here is well priced so we filled up. We have stopped here in the past. The reason I wanted to stop here again is because they give you a bag of goodies. Their goodie bag includes the best red pepper jelly you have ever had. In addition to the jar that came in the goodie bag, I bought two more jars. We met a nice couple from Charleston who have just started cruising. It was so nice to talk with them.
Tomorrow, we will cross into North Carolina.
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