After launching Odissea xx in September from the Deltaville Boatyard in Deltaville, Virginia, we have returned from home to begin our sailing adventure. Odissea xx has been tied up on a slip at Dozier's Regatta Point Yacht Club. They have treated us very well there and it started to feel as though we lived there. We are restless now as most of our prep work is complete. It is time to leave.
Andy and Isabella Gauster on Southern Cross IV arrived at Dozier's last week - it was fun to catch up with them. Gary and Lina Gratton on Rum Line II are also in Deltaville getting ready to launch. They were really kind to us - picked us up at the airport in Richmond. Blair dove in and helped them out by assisting in the painting of the bottom of their boat. Andy and Isabella had us over for dinner - delicious meal - on our arrival. They headed out Thursday morning for the Great Bridge where they will tie up and wait for us.
In the meantime, Blair and I ran around for all the possible last minute items, using the courtesy car whenever we could to race into town. We moved the boat around to the transient dock on Monday morning in preparation for our own departure - it was a good idea as we would never be able to get an early start from our slip with the low tide as we pretty much touch the bottom when the tide is out. We said our goodbyes to the Dozier's crew - Margie, Martha, Wayne and Jimmy; went to bed early to be fresh for our 5:30am departure. However, by the time we woke up all ready to go on Wednesday, November 10th at 5:30am, it was so dark - we couldn't see a thing. We waited it out and finally left by 6:15am.
As if to prepare us for the trip, we touched the bottom just before we got into the channel outside of Dozier's. There were a few swear words and a couple of tense moments, but Blair managed to get us off, and away we went. It was freezing cold and we are all decked out in our foul weather gear - hats, gloves, and a couple of layers of clothing. Our sailing plan?: to get as far south as quickly as we can in order to shed our winter clothing!
The trip to the Great Bridge was fairly easy going. We passed through Norfolk - tons of naval ships, one that actually turned in the channel getting ready to dock. Imagine our surprise when we turned our heads toward Odissea's stern to discover this enormous ship on our tails. It was just a little disconcerting as we turned around to get out of the way with the navy crew aiming their guns at us - quite certain that we were target practice! Not a threat really, but intimidating nonetheless. By the time we arrived at the last bridge (the Steel Bridge), it was 3:59pm - and the bridge operator closed the swing right in our faces - the nerve! - for two hours. We had to drop the anchor and wait for the bridge to reopen at 6pm. Of course, by now it would be dark for our arrival and we begin fretting about this now (given that we aren't really sure how we will tie off after the Great Bridge). Fortunately, Andy and Isabella are on their boat, Southern Cross IV, waiting for us after the bridge to help us tie up on our 7:30pm arrival. Andy had saved us some leftovers for dinner which we were so grateful for. Blair has taken to calling their boat the "Floating Deli"!
We head out early the next day for our trip down the Intracoastal Waterway (ICW). It has finally warmed up a little more. The parade of snow birds on their boats following the marked channel down the ICW is quite a sight to see. Before too long, we tend to be the trailers of the pack, but that is ok with us. We head through Albemarle Sound to the Alligator River and then we are into the Alligator River/Pungo River Canal. It is a beautiful day - warm, sunny and relatively quiet - no more of the powerboaters chattering on the radio as they request "a slow pass on the port side"! It is here that we encounter "Boundless" - a Morgan 462 with a captain who is sailing south solo. Even he manages to pass us!
We end the day in a beautiful anchorage just outside of the Alligator River/Pungo River Canal in Bellehaven, North Carolina. There is a striking red sunset in a peaceful and blissful setting. Andy and Isabella invite us for dinner AGAIN - he says that he needs hgelp finishing up the turkey he bought and has prepared a million different ways. Between the four of us, we drink the last bottle of wine we have - yikes: time to reprovision!
Bright and early, we begin again and move on through Pamlico River - past Hobucken - to another anchorage in Adams Creek, North Carolina. We all have a quiet night, getting ready for another early departure.
By the time we head out in the morning for Morehead City, North Carolina, the fog is very thick. We are hoping to arrive by around 10am to secure the two inexpensive places on the dock outside of the famous Sanitary Restaurant - which we manage to do. There is no water or power hookup, but the weather is outstanding! Finally warm enough to shed our coats. We have some repairs to make - the running lights and anchor light gave out at the Great Bridge - and Blair wants to climb the mast to fix tyhe wind indicator. We unwrap our bicycles and tour around a little, enjoying being on land for now. Andy and Isabella have some visitors from home who are driving to Florida. They very kindly loan us their truck so that we can get groceries. I was worried that nothing would be open on Sunday, but everything is. At last, we have food and drink for a while. We plan to stay here until there is a weather window for an offshore passage. If the weather is favourable, there is talk that we will go straight to Jacksonville, Florida. We end the day with a nice dinner out at the Ruddy Duck (one of the waterfront restaurants) before packing it in for the day.
Andy and Isabella Gauster on Southern Cross IV arrived at Dozier's last week - it was fun to catch up with them. Gary and Lina Gratton on Rum Line II are also in Deltaville getting ready to launch. They were really kind to us - picked us up at the airport in Richmond. Blair dove in and helped them out by assisting in the painting of the bottom of their boat. Andy and Isabella had us over for dinner - delicious meal - on our arrival. They headed out Thursday morning for the Great Bridge where they will tie up and wait for us.
In the meantime, Blair and I ran around for all the possible last minute items, using the courtesy car whenever we could to race into town. We moved the boat around to the transient dock on Monday morning in preparation for our own departure - it was a good idea as we would never be able to get an early start from our slip with the low tide as we pretty much touch the bottom when the tide is out. We said our goodbyes to the Dozier's crew - Margie, Martha, Wayne and Jimmy; went to bed early to be fresh for our 5:30am departure. However, by the time we woke up all ready to go on Wednesday, November 10th at 5:30am, it was so dark - we couldn't see a thing. We waited it out and finally left by 6:15am.
As if to prepare us for the trip, we touched the bottom just before we got into the channel outside of Dozier's. There were a few swear words and a couple of tense moments, but Blair managed to get us off, and away we went. It was freezing cold and we are all decked out in our foul weather gear - hats, gloves, and a couple of layers of clothing. Our sailing plan?: to get as far south as quickly as we can in order to shed our winter clothing!
The trip to the Great Bridge was fairly easy going. We passed through Norfolk - tons of naval ships, one that actually turned in the channel getting ready to dock. Imagine our surprise when we turned our heads toward Odissea's stern to discover this enormous ship on our tails. It was just a little disconcerting as we turned around to get out of the way with the navy crew aiming their guns at us - quite certain that we were target practice! Not a threat really, but intimidating nonetheless. By the time we arrived at the last bridge (the Steel Bridge), it was 3:59pm - and the bridge operator closed the swing right in our faces - the nerve! - for two hours. We had to drop the anchor and wait for the bridge to reopen at 6pm. Of course, by now it would be dark for our arrival and we begin fretting about this now (given that we aren't really sure how we will tie off after the Great Bridge). Fortunately, Andy and Isabella are on their boat, Southern Cross IV, waiting for us after the bridge to help us tie up on our 7:30pm arrival. Andy had saved us some leftovers for dinner which we were so grateful for. Blair has taken to calling their boat the "Floating Deli"!
We head out early the next day for our trip down the Intracoastal Waterway (ICW). It has finally warmed up a little more. The parade of snow birds on their boats following the marked channel down the ICW is quite a sight to see. Before too long, we tend to be the trailers of the pack, but that is ok with us. We head through Albemarle Sound to the Alligator River and then we are into the Alligator River/Pungo River Canal. It is a beautiful day - warm, sunny and relatively quiet - no more of the powerboaters chattering on the radio as they request "a slow pass on the port side"! It is here that we encounter "Boundless" - a Morgan 462 with a captain who is sailing south solo. Even he manages to pass us!
We end the day in a beautiful anchorage just outside of the Alligator River/Pungo River Canal in Bellehaven, North Carolina. There is a striking red sunset in a peaceful and blissful setting. Andy and Isabella invite us for dinner AGAIN - he says that he needs hgelp finishing up the turkey he bought and has prepared a million different ways. Between the four of us, we drink the last bottle of wine we have - yikes: time to reprovision!
Bright and early, we begin again and move on through Pamlico River - past Hobucken - to another anchorage in Adams Creek, North Carolina. We all have a quiet night, getting ready for another early departure.
By the time we head out in the morning for Morehead City, North Carolina, the fog is very thick. We are hoping to arrive by around 10am to secure the two inexpensive places on the dock outside of the famous Sanitary Restaurant - which we manage to do. There is no water or power hookup, but the weather is outstanding! Finally warm enough to shed our coats. We have some repairs to make - the running lights and anchor light gave out at the Great Bridge - and Blair wants to climb the mast to fix tyhe wind indicator. We unwrap our bicycles and tour around a little, enjoying being on land for now. Andy and Isabella have some visitors from home who are driving to Florida. They very kindly loan us their truck so that we can get groceries. I was worried that nothing would be open on Sunday, but everything is. At last, we have food and drink for a while. We plan to stay here until there is a weather window for an offshore passage. If the weather is favourable, there is talk that we will go straight to Jacksonville, Florida. We end the day with a nice dinner out at the Ruddy Duck (one of the waterfront restaurants) before packing it in for the day.
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