EAST COAST ICW – CT, NY, NJ, MD, VA, NC
Well, we’re back on the waterways again after spending the summer mostly in CT.
Back to shopping with backpacks, bicycles or our shopping cart with the big wheels. Sometimes
we are able to
borrow a courtesy car from a marina, and many times, kind strangers
that live in the towns along the waterways are happy to help out
boaters in exchange for a
waterway tale or two! Also, at least once in every state we have to remember to update our roaming cell towers on
our cell phones. But, the worst part is having to find yet another place
to have my hair done (I really miss Valerie) every 5 or 6 weeks! Mail
isn’t really a problem, as we pay all our bills online, but I still
need to have mail forwarded to wherever we are about every 3 to 4 weeks.
When we stay at a marina, we have all the power we need. If we cruise all day, then anchor at night, we have
plenty of power from the charged batteries, an inverter, and a generator if needed. ‘SUMMERTIME” has heat, A/C,
central vac, and a washer/dryer on board. We have Verizon cell phones with broadband access, so we have internet
wherever we are. We actually have everything we need, or I wouldn’t have lasted this long living on a boat!
9/8/09 – spent some time at Maryland Yacht Club (MYC) in Pasadena MD.
We visited Ray’s sister Jane and Paul in Derwood MD. Then their son Paul and his kids Stephen and Sara,
visited us at MYC.
9/15/08 – spent a few days in Baltimore at the Public Docks right in the middle of downtown.
We walked to the top of “Federal Hill” (see picture), and had lunch at the “Cross Street Market”.
Toured the circa 1930 Lightship “Chesapeake”, and the circa 1854 “USS Constellation”, the last Navy all sail warship.
Also toured the circa 1933 “Seven Foot Knoll Lighthouse” with
unique construction – built with iron boilerplate and cast iron pilings
screwed into
soft mud of the sea floor. Another day, we took the water taxi to “Fort McHenry”, most famous for the “Battle
of Baltimore” during the “War of 1812”. Later on, we took the water taxi to “Fell’s Point” and “Little
Italy” where we enjoyed excellent crab cakes brushed with imperial sauce at “Mo’s Seafood”.
Rock Hall MD was our next stop, then cruised up the Chester River (side
trip off the Chesapeake Bay) and stopped in the lovely town of Chestertown. Next
day, we went to Annapolis, then spent a few days in Saint Michaels where Jane and Paul visited us, and enjoyed the “Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum”.
9/27/08 – moved on to Oxford, then the next day to Cambridge the
following day.
10/1/08 – arrived in Solomons MD for the “Krogen Rendezvous” – we were one of 59 Krogen boats that attended.
We had seminars, parties, feasts, happy hours and a “Krogen Krawl” where you tour each others boats. We
had a wonderful time, and made many new friends! While in Solomons, we also found time to visit the cutest general store “Grandmother’s Store”, and tour the lovely “Annmarie Sculpture Gardens”.
10/13/08 – while cruising back down the Potomac River we stopped at the dock of Washington’s Mt Vernon, and spent the day there. It was fascinating! George
and Martha are buried in a tomb on the property. The next two nights were spent at anchor before arriving at Norview
Marina in Deltaville VA, near the bottom of the Chesapeake Bay.
We’re starting to see brown pelicans again. It’s been cold and windy, so we are putting the heat on in
the boat at night. Our last stop in VA was the Tidewater Marina in Portsmouth.
After the Dismal Swamp, we crossed the Albemarle Sound in NC,
which was nice and calm today, but can be a bear! It was only about 60 degrees today, but we were snug and warm in
the glass enclosed pilot house.
10/22/08 – we stopped at the “Alligator River Marina” in NC. The marina office is also a Shell gas station on the main road.
There’s a BBQ Restaurant inside that serves delicious NC BBQ – we bought some for dinner and had a feast on the boat!
Down to 38 degrees tonight L.
We spent the next few days at the delightful “Bellhaven Marina” (the
men’s room is decorated with WWII antiques and memorabilia!) in Bellhaven NC with our friends Dick and Lynne on “Lady Hawk”. “Bellhaven
Memorial Museum” was very interesting, and we feasted on shrimp and cornbread at “George’s Sport & Oyster Bar”.
Lynne and I also had fun at a local craft fair.
10/26/08 – In Oriental NC the owner of a local store insisted I borrow her car to go to grocery store.
When we returned, her dog was waiting in the parking lot. What a confused look on his face – should I bark
or not? Who are these people in my car? It really was funny!
Next was a side trip up the Neuse River to New Bern NC to the “Southern
Cruisers Rendezvous”. We’re stilling travelling with Dick and Lynne on “Lady Hawk”.
Between attending several good seminars, we found the local
stores quite interesting (especially Carolina Creations &
Mitchell’s Hardware and
Gifts), as well as visiting “Tryon Palace” (originally built in 1767 as
the seat of Royal Gov’t, completely restored now).
As we continued southward on the ICW, we passed through Camp LeJune
(hearing Navy warships on the radio advising boats to stay clear as
they conduct live firing exercises), and stopped at a few anchorages
on our way to SC.