Sunday, August 27, 2017

Maiden Voyage

We departed Northwest Creek Marina in New Bern, NC at 7:55 AM on August 21, 2017, and headed North away from the path of the solar eclipse.  The eclipse was a non-event for us, more like heavy cloud cover - but that's OK - we were starting our live-aboard adventure!  There will be other eclipses!  


We passed our first Intracostal Waterway marker in the Neuse River and headed across the Pamlico Sound, a large body of water in fair winds and following seas.  We continued to follow the ICW into the Pungo River.  We stopped and bought tuna steaks and shrimp from the dock at R.E. Mayo & Company, a spot seriously in the middle of nowhere. (wish I took a picture!  I'll get better, promise) we continued up the Pungo and dropped the hook for our first night at anchor at Deep Point.  

Pods of porpoises circled us, their exhalations sounding like great blasts and birds swooped and sang.  It was magical as Jerry grilled steak kabobs and roasted potatoes on the stern.  We enjoyed dinner on the foredeck.  The temperature was perfect, the sunset beautiful, the stars came out, we saw the Milky Way, a satellite, and 3 shooting stars - honest!  Here's a 360 video of the anchorage.  
August 22, 2017.  Continuing our journey we enter the Pungo-Aligator Canal, which seems to be only about 100 feet wide, and keep an eye out for logs and other obstacles while "Iron Mike" (auto pilot) kept the heading.  Jerry gave me the helm and went below.  Inside of a minute, I saw a log rolling straight for our bow.  I put Mike on standby and took the wheel to maneuver hard to port, avoiding certain disaster and then got back on course in the center of the canal.  
Down below Jerry felt the motion, looked out a porthole, saw the erratic motion and came running back up to ask if everything was OK.  (It was.  I had avoided certain disaster, I was quite happy with myself).  We got good old Mike back on a good heading and continued to look out for objects in the water.  There was nothing else on this long stretch of the canal except a big gator, and s/he got out of the way without our help.  

We anchored out at Sandy Point for another perfect night under even more incredible stars (there was even less light pollution at Sandy Point than Deep Point).  

During this leg of the journey we saw no other vessels, only a car or two driving over the two bridges we passed under and started to wonder if we were the last two people on earth.  Just before the end of the canal, Dayo came in and the spell was broken.

August 23, 2017 We "polished the props" (that's boat slang for a "soft grounding") leaving the Sandy Point anchorage.  I guess those shoaling warnings on the chart should be made wider!  We're getting back into civilization as we go through lots of nice rivers and canals.  We decided to buy a night at the Midway Marina and enjoyed air conditioning while it stormed outside.  We enjoyed a nice dip in their pool and met another "new to him" boat owner Mark, who was given a sailboat.  

August 24, 2017.  We awoke to find the port side of the boat covered with green, gloppy bugs.  We used the raw water wash-down to power wash them off before they were tracked everywhere.  Today we entered a medium-sized body of water, the Currituck Sound.  There was a lot of fetch and wind, which combined created some larger surf and a few whitecaps here and there and Tanuki handled it beautifully.  We encountered more bridges, including those we had to hail and those we had to wait to open (some have a schedule).  

We also went through our first lock!  Didn't think that would happen so fast!  It was easy, once you understood what was going on.  (nope - no pictures of that - you'll get one on another lock).  We had to wait about 30 minutes for the Norfolk-Southern #7 train track to swing open - yep, had to wait for a train crossing!

We saw more and more civilization as we made our way to the High Street Dock (a free dock with no electricity) in the heart of Portsmouth, VA.  As we tied up to the dock, John and his small son Teddy watched.  Teddy, about 3 years old, was simply fascinated with Tanuki.  We invited them aboard for a tour and Teddy cried "I want to stay" as his daddy took him ashore after their time aboard.  


We stayed at the High Street Dock two nights and explored the town's shops and restaurants.  If you want to learn more about the shops and restaurants we explored, visit Trip Advisor and look up GrammieSammie.

August 25, 2017.  We visit a Light Ship Museum, shops and restaurants in Portsmouth.




Saturday, August 26, 2017.  We're underway after visiting the Farmers Market and buying produce, eggs and breakfast sausage from the folks who grew them.  

We passed restricted naval areas, huge coal and container ship loading facilities and barges.  There are also lots of pleasure boaters - and that's the what we expect on the weekend.  It's getting really busy in here!  





Out of the congestion and on our way up the Hampton River, we were hailed on the VHF radio as "the N37 entering the Hampton River, this is Lou Codega".  Jerry recognizes the name, responds and switches to a working channel to talk to the Naval Architect that designed Tanuki for Mirage Manufacturing in Gainesville, FL that built our boat!  We tied up to a dock at the Hampton Public Marina where dockmaster Tom walked us through our first pump out.  


We think we'll stay here for 4-5 nights, waiting for the big blow to calm down before we cross into the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay.  Other boaters are doing the same thing, including sailing vessel Pegasus (their stern is in the photo above).  Mary and Ron have been living aboard Pegasus for about 3.5 years and are transitioning back to land this winter.  (they gave us our first boat card!)

We visited the City Museum and learned about the town's 400-year-old past (Hampton, VA claims to be the oldest continuously occupied English speaking settlement in the country).  At the museum, we also learned that during the Revolutionary War slave owners didn't trust their slaves enough to arm them.  Instead, the slaves sided with the British who gave them freedom afterward.  Britain had recently outlawed slave ownership.  

We met Helen who works at the Museum and recommended Venture where we enjoyed fried pork rind nachos and came back to the boat to hear an alarm sounding!  "High water alarm," Jerry said.  I opened the engine room door and found the bilge pumps dry, the entire floor was dry.  He looked at the alarm a bit longer and saw the batteries were desperately low.  Jerry spoke with Joe (the previous owner) on the phone, and after lots of head scratching remedied the situation.  He cranked the generator, shut down non-essential systems and began to recharge the batteries.  

Turns out the shore power hook up here was different from the previous one, and required a different way of using shore power than before.

We strolled off to a block party in downtown Hampton, listened to a great band, then shared a pizza at a restaurant next to the marina.  Great day!  


Who knows, perhaps I'll spend some time tending the Boaters Garden at the Hampton Marina.


August 27, 2017.  I'm finally catching up on the blog and we took a Harbor Tour on the Miss Hampton II this afternoon.  Yesterday we bought a discounted Seas to the Stars pass that includes entrance to the Hampton City Museum, the Harbor Tour, the Virginia Air and Space Center Museum and the Historic Carousel.  All for $39 each!  Such a deal.  

The Navy's biggest base is here, as well as a container ship company that promises to get cargo anywhere in the US inside of 2 days.  Amazing!  Here are some photos from that cruise.  








Looks like weather coming in...I'll go ahead and post this blog.  We'll stay here until the weather is good enough to cross the Chesapeake Bay.  We'll make our way up to Mears Point Marina for the MTOA Fall Rendezvous early-September.  We promised to not inundate you with posts, so we'll lay low until something interesting happens.  If you have any questions, just text, call or email us and we'll fill you in.  TANUKI!!



Sunday, August 20, 2017

ReChristening


Renaming a boat means registering the change with the US Coast Guard, the insurance company, the sea tow company and others.  But most important is letting Neptune know about the name change and imploring his continued help for her safety.

Craig, our Captain's Stay B & B host was available to attend the rechristening ceremony and lend a hand with photos.  Here he is sitting at the navigation station and chatting with us.

He had a trawler near Hampton, VA and is excited about our adventures.

The best way to get on Neptune's good side is by sharing a drink with him.  Using his top secret formula, Jerry made four Old Fashions and we went top side to the fore deck where Jerry read the ceremony.  We adapted it from "Leap of Faith: Quit Your Job and Live on a Boat" by Ed Robinson.  

"Mighty Neptune, King of all that moves in or on the waves, and mighty Aeolus, guardian of the winds and all that blow before them: We offer our thanks for the protection you have afforded this vessel in the past, but now we submit this application. That the name by which this vessel has previously been known, Carolyn Ann, be struck and removed from your records. In consequence whereof, and in good faith, we seal this pact with a libation offered according to the hallowed ritual of the Sea. 

"Oh mighty and great ruler of the seas and oceans, to whom all ships and we who venture upon your vast domain are required to pay homage, we implore you in your graciousness to take unto your records, and recollections, this worthy vessel hereafter and for all-time known as Tanuki, guarding her with your mighty arm and trident and ensuring her of safe passage throughout her journeys. 

"In honor of your greatness, we offer these libations to your majesty and your court. I offer a toast. To Tanuki and all who sail upon her; may they enjoy calm seas and gentle winds."  

Where upon we clinked all four glasses and I poured Neptune's portion over the starboard bow (want to get on his right side too!).

Tomorrow - our maiden voyage.  We plan 40-50 miles, then drop anchor for the night and continue slowly into the Chesapeake Bay and the MTOA Fall Rendezvous. 


Don't the letters look sharp? (Thank you Boat US & the Rickshaw typeface).  Miracle of miracles, we even put them on with very little squabbling!

Thursday, August 17, 2017

Promises

The pickup truck sighed as we unloaded it and moved onto the Great Harbour N37, Carolyn Ann, on August 15.  It was a busy day as Punk and Joe moved things off and we moved things on.  

After hours of unpacking, we decided to quit and take a late dinner out (we still haven't provisioned fully).  The sky darkened quickly and we jumped when a deafening thunder clap sounded overhead.  

Knowing a deluge was imminent, we dropped everything and headed to the truck.  The rains began.  And it poured.  Raining cats, dogs, ponies and the occasional giraffe.  By the time we got to the restaurant the blinding rain was over.  Two rainbows lit up the freshly washed sky.  

Was one a bright promise for our future and the other a reflection of the bright past enjoyed by Punk and Joe aboard Carolyn Ann?  We hope so.

Rest was easy and deep that first night, and last night too.  We're still dotting "i"s and crossing "t"s.  Our boat cards and the boat lettering will arrive soon.  

After the renaming ceremony, we'll cruise up to Mear's Point Marina in Grasonville, MD for the MTOA Fall Rendezvous.  (that's Motor Trawler Owners Association)



Saturday, August 12, 2017

Poking and prodding

Meet Carolyn Ann.  She's sixteen feet across (beam), 37 feet long and drafts just 3 feet (the part of the hull that's underwater). 


After Walter (the mechanic) and Rob (the Marine Surveyor) had poked and prodded her insides, it was time to haul her out so they could do the same to her outsides.  

Walter spent a few minutes in her engine room, came out and told Jerry, "I have two words for you: I'm impressed".  He spent the rest of the day in the engine room trying to find something that needed to be fixed and found a couple of easy to correct issues.

Samples have been sent to the lab and Walter and Rob are working on their reports and so far everything looks, well, ship shape.  We hope to have all the final reports by Tuesday or Wednesday at the latest.

While she was hauled out, the owner, Joe, cleaned a few barnacles from her propellers and replaced some zincs.  

Zincs attract stray electrical currents in water and sacrifice themselves so that the metals that make up important parts like the propellers, rudders and bow thrusters don't get eaten up.  Sort of like trap crops planted next to a garden to draw the bad bugs away from the crops.  

Punk (Kathy) and Joe, Carolyn Ann's owners, invited us to stay with them in their New Bern home for a few nights while the Inspection and Survey were taking place.  After two wonderful days and nights with them, we've relocated to Captain's Stay B and B to wait for the survey and lab reports.

While we were with Punk and Joe, we learned that Carolyn Ann's "birthday" is August 6th.  That's the same day we left our home empty with our truck jammed full of every earthly possession we didn't give away or sell.  

They oversaw her construction in Gainesville, FL in 2007, maintained her with extreme diligence and lived aboard her for about 10 years.  They took her around the Great Loop 3 times, up and down America's great rivers and into Canada. 

It's easy to see that it's difficult for Joe and Punk to let her go, and we're so grateful they dragged their feet when it was time to sell her.  Had they not delayed, we wouldn't have been ready to buy her.  

Provided there are no fatal flaws in the reports and lab samples, we'll have big shoes to fill as the second owners of a well-loved trawler. We'll keep her birthday the same and rename her Tanuki with a home port in St. Augustine, FL.

Tuesday, August 1, 2017

From Limbo to Go

We're working really hard to become homeless and have no food! The thought made me laugh out loud. 

"What's so funny," Jerry asked as we left the office supply store with colored dot stickers to mark the price of things for the Moving Sale.  


"This is so unAmerican!" I explained, "No one gets rid of this much stuff!"  


We have to pare everything down to the bare essentials.  I figure if it fits under the tonneau cover of our GMC Canon and in the back seat, it will fit on the boat.


Tuesday, July 25 we got an offer on our house in St. Augustine.  By the next day, we all agreed on a price and the house was under contract.   It's a cash offer from people who are currently couch surfing.  So a quick close.  Can you say less than 2 weeks?  Can you say, Monday, August 7?


Why, oh why did we stock up on all those wild-caught salmon fillets on sale for $10 a pound?!


Monday, July 31, Jerry reconnected with the owner of the Great Harbour N37 "Carolyn Ann" and negotiated a deal that everyone likes.  


Friday, August 4, we'll pack up the truck and enjoy a visit next door.  We were thrilled to accept an invitation for appetizers and cocktails.  That solved the salmon problem!  Patty will be gifted with the frozen salmon fillets.  She's a professional chef and will do them justice.  


Our current To Do list includes making a Declaration of Domicile (Florida) and changing our Voter Registration and Driver's License records; visit Starke one more time, tend my box at the Community Garden, and work like crazy to put on the world's best ever Moving Sale on Saturday, August 5 from 8-5 at 1501 San Rafael Court (please tell your friends).


Sunday, August 6, the kids will be here to pickup the things they want as well as the watermelons that volunteered then ripened in our yard.  


Since we won't have a thing to sit or sleep upon when they're done, we'll give them a hug, throw our backpacks in the back seat and head somewhere (the destination will become clearer in the next few days).  


Next Thursday, August 10, Carolyn Ann will be taken on a sea trial by a Marine Surveyor, surveyed, hauled, poked and prodded to make sure all systems are go.  Oil will be sent for lab work, reports will be written and provided all goes well, we'll wire the money and it's done - we'll be Cruisers!  


We hope our first cruising destination will be to see the Solar Eclipse on August 21, somewhere on the waters of South Carolina.  Ironic - because we tried to get a room, but they were all booked!  We weren't too disappointed, as we knew things would work out.  We just never know how things will work out.  


We did a lot of studying and planning.  We did a lot of little things and we were flexible.  Even in all the chaos, it feels like we have fair winds and following seas for our new adventure!