Oriental, NC to Charleston, SC Oct 17-28, 2017

Oriental, NC to Charleston, SC   Oct 17-28, 2017

A first for Pepromenon! OCEAN SAILING!
We sailed out the inlet in Beaufort, NC and anchored overnight at Cape Lookout, which is at the southern tip of the Outer Banks.  Beautiful protected bight. Dinghied all around and went ashore to the lighthouse. We left next morning at 4am and sailed in the ocean down to the Masonboro Inlet at Wrightsville Beach. 12 hour trip. It was gorgeous with long rolling waves.

  


Bob with his lifejacket on for offshore sailing.



We stopped in Southport, NC to visit with Bob's sister, Randee and husband, Dave, and friends Liz and Ray. They fed us a wonderful seafood dinner and even loaned us a car to get to the grocery store.  It was so warm this year, we were able to play games on the beach!

In Myrtle Beach, SC we stopped to visit cruising friends.  Tammy had us for dinner, but Michael was off in the Pacific delivering a boat.

While traversing the swampy Wacamaw River, we spied 2 alligators.  Thought they were logs in the water, then they ducked down as we approached! These are cypress trees.



Great to be back in Charleston!  We are halfway now to Miami! Stayed at the City Megadock this year.

  

So many restaurants!  Such culinary delights!

  


And I just had to take this picture of the boat that pumps out the holding tanks!

Portsmouth, VA to Oriental, NC Oct 10-16, 2017

Portsmouth, VA to Oriental, NC Oct 10-16, 2017

We moved from Portsmouth, VA to Hampton, VA to explore a new port, wait for our friend's boat to be repaired, and get out of some weather. There is a Naval Museum and IMAX theatre as well as The Cousteau Society. Rode bikes to reprovision.
Then returned to Portsmouth to meet our buddy boat, Blue Sky, Cherie and David LaPenta and start down the ICW.  We did the Virginia Cut this year, as the Dismal Swamp route remains closed.
We have now crossed the Albemarle Sound (a bit rough with following seas) and most of the Pamlico Sound (nice and calm).  My brother told me great white sharks come into this sound in the fall to feed on drumfish. No swimming from this boat!



We met another cruising couple from Delaware, Bob and Geri, sailing on Promise. And we have met up with some couples on boats we have known from previous years.

At the end of one long day, Bob had to go up the mast to repair our wind indicator- always something to fix!  And its working now- Yay!

   

We are relaxing today at River Dunes Resort Marina in Oriental NC!

  


We enjoy boat names and speculating on meanings.  We have noticed quite a few boats are named after favorite songs, as our friends is.  Blue Sky was an Allman Brothers song.  Here are some interesting boat names we have come across-

Cool Beans
No Tan Lines
AfterMath- met up for dinner with this couple- the wife is a retired high school math teacher
First Snow- this couple leaves at the first snow of the season
Spill the Wine
CAVU- owner a retired air traffic controller explained this is an abbreviation for "Ceiling And Visibility Unlimited"
Shoestring- a young couple Bahamas bound living on a tight budget

Chesapeake Bay Oct 4-9, 2017

Chesapeake Bay Oct 4-9, 2017


Hello from Portsmouth, VA!  We made it down the Chesapeake Bay in 3 1/2 days!  Bob saw a weather window, so we kept moving south.  Wind on our nose most of the time, but at least a lighter breeze and waves not too uncomfortable.  Love using our self-tending staysail!
We are excited to be living aboard again and this will be our third trip south.  Fingers crossed, we hope to get to the Abaco Islands in the Bahamas.
The bay was beautiful and we saw some lovely sunrises and the full harvest moon.  Our first pelican flew by near Solomons, MD,  and our first dolphin sighting was Deltaville, VA. Went swimming one evening after anchoring off Langley Air Base by Hampton, VA.  Nice clear water, as the ocean is straight across the bay.
Passed through Norfolk and the busy commotion of freighters, Naval ships, and shipyards! Now resting at the free dock in downtown Portsmouth.  Checking out the restaurants and our favorite movie theatre- The Commodore.  Norfolk has recently opened up Waterside Park with lots of events. Just a short ferry ride away.

 

  

   Our dock in Portsmouth


We are reflecting on being liveaboards!  The good and the bad!
Good-
Mother Nature- Watching sunrises and sunsets, wildlife
Living a simple life
Waterfront view everyday
Problem solving together
Meeting other cruisers
Exploring new ports

Bad-
Mother Nature again- its amazing how fast the weather can change for the worse
Something always broken and needs fixing by you!
Water conservation. Its a valuable commodity.  A boater's shower is this- Get wet, turn off water, lather up, then quick rinse. Luxury is a night showering at a marina!
Head issues- need to manually pump the toilet, then need to pump out the holding tank at a marina.
No convenience stores out on the water.  You get creative and make due with supplies on hand.
Everything gets covered in salt.