Set sail at 8:30 am on the 26th for the Great Dismal Swamp. Weather was breezy with rain. The previous night had lots or rain and gusty conditions.  The mut mixer was canceled due to weather Spinny was really disappointed. Sailing out of the river the banks are lined with war ships an cargo ships of all types. Repair facilities for ships are everywhere. There is also plenty of cruising traffic  in all the ports and on the river. Cruisers are headed south to the Bahamas, Florida and the windward islands.  All are very friendly and helpful with travel tips. The sailing community is truly a community unto itself. Sailing out we heard calls to get out of the way of the incoming destroyers and aircraft carriers or be subject to deadly force. We reached the first lock on the swamp canal at 1:30 pm. The locks only open four times per day. Just south of the lock we stopped for some provisions and to let Spinny off the boat. Heading south for the Swamp visitor center to spend the evening we found the canal to be shallow with lots of bumps from sunken longs. Most times the canal was 6 to 10 feet deep in the center of the channel. We never really had any great concerns about depth but the canal was up due to recent rains. I would nor recommend any boat having a draft over 6 feet using the swamp canal. Having said that the canal was beautiful and relaxing. No bugs while we were on the boat either. As we exited the canal after exiting the last lock we entered the river. The vegetation changed and the cyprus forests dominated the landscape. We went from 40 ft wide canals to 500 yard wide river and much deeper water. The landscape is extraordinary and worth seeing. The swamp is anything but dismal. We all enjoyed the trip and found it very relaxing. But now on to Elizabeth City. Elizabeth city offers free docking for 48 hours. No water or electric but a very comfortable city wall dock close to everything. We went to the Laundromat and the hardware store. Did our wash and picked up bolts for the prop shaft. Tornados are all around tonight and some high wind expected. 10/28/10 we set sail for Cape Hatteras weather permitting.

Went to West Marine to pick up a water pressure regulator they picked us up. Walked around town and did some more work on the boat. Tomorrow we will head for the Great Dismal Swamp weather permitting. Had several different opinions on the trip from other boaters some good some bad. I guess we will find out. We will let you know.

Hampton is a nice town but many businesses are out of business. We have found this to be the case where ever we go. I wish the town luck it is very pleasant and friendly here.

Departed Tangier Island at 8:04 am at low tide with a 6 ‘ draft. Mr. Parks warned us to be careful. Staying in the cannel we were ok but you must stay to the south side of the channel and stay well within the markers when outside the harbor.

No wind so we had to motor the whole way, boring.  Pinkem kept us company and did a Hula dance to make the time go by faster. A fair number of large and small craft as we approach the hampton river. Over all a very pleasant journey.

1. Pinkem Hula Dance

1. 

   ships at sea

   

   enter Hampton river

   

   Lighthouse at fort

   

Arrived at port at 5:32 pm. Kate the dock master helped tie us up at the city docks and greeted Spinny , she met her at the boat show. Spinny was invited to Mutt Mixer tomorrow night with drinks, appetizers and a social gathering for all the mutts. We will let you know how it goes. Walking around Hampton we found the people to be warm and friendly and the city clean and inviting, for a Sunday night.

We pulled anchor at 8:30 am and set sail for Tangier Island. the weather is clear and breezy 15 to 22 knots. The sail was great and the bay is beautiful. I can see why so many love to live around the bay.

We arrived at the island at 5:32 pm and docked at Parks Marina. Mr. Parks, the 80 yr + owner of the marina greeted us and helped tie up.   After securing the boat we took a walk around the island. This is a fishing and crabbing island going back to the 1800’s. The people speak with an unusual but pleasing accent and are extremely friendly. We were made welcome at every turn.

Cats are everywhere, a real cat lovers paradise. We had dinner at the only open restaurant, tourist season is over, we had a cream of crab bread bowl and crab cakes. Very very fresh and good.

Day two, 10/23/2010 we stayed over and made repairs, a leaking hatch cover and installed led mooring and anchor lights, cleaned and organized the boat. We still do not have everything installed or ready for longer passages so we do as much as we can while we can. It is a beautiful day and we took a bike and dinghy ride around the island a very unique and pleasant place to spend the day. Mr. Parks secured fresh picked crab meat for us for the evening dinner. Nothing is better than fresh bay crab meat. Thank you Mr. Parks. If you ever have the opportunity to stop here it is worth the trip.

We left Annapolis, Md 10:27 am after spending two days at Kent Island, Castle Harbor Marina waiting for a shipment from the boat show including an epirb. It is good to be on our way again. The folks at Castle Harbor Marina were terrific both the management and the the resident boaters. We arrived at Solomon Island, Md at 6:19 pm and anchored in Back Creek in 10″ of water for
the evening. We took the dinghy to the Holliday Inn dinghy dock and visited the organic food store and the Chinese restaurant for take out. The Chinese was great.

Target ship

Target ship

Target ship

After a visit in Ohio to tie up loose ends we took the cube back wit the help of a neighbor (Frank) Thank You, and started our trip again. We miss Emily very much and hope she will join us again later in the trip. She needs rent money, Christmas is coming send, money to Emily. Emily is replaced by her surrogate, Pinkem look for the adventures of Pinkem in future blogs.

Horizons in Downtown Annapolis

Pussers Landing, Annapolis

Hello all! Miss my blogs?

This won’t be a frequent thing, but seeing as I’d gotten word as to where in the world the Krasnoskys are, I thought I’d share it with you.

Tangier Island, VA!

Follow this link to Google maps to see the island. They’re still in the Chesapeake Bay, having left Annapolis recently.

Sorry, no pictures as I am sadly no longer on the boat. Now I’ll be following along with all of you, living vicariously through the adventures of Horizons and her crew.

-Emily

October 12, 2010

Today we were busy cleaning the boat, picking up the rental car we would drive back to Ohio in, and shopping for boat parts in the outer parts of Annapolis.

When we walked into our first store stop, the salesman there smiled as we walked in with Spinny (Annapolis is a very dog friendly city). “Is that Spinnaker?” We laughed. This was a question many people had been asking at the boat show yesterday. Spin was famous! No one remembered us, just the dog. She loved her new fame, and quickly made friends with our salesman, laying down under his desk at his feet.

We ran around town in our new little car, the cube. The Nissan Cube. While Kris, Gary and I visited Bacon’s for extra boat parts, Carol took the cube to Kohl’s.

After shopping, it was time to take the boat over to Kent Island, where she will stay for a week until Gary, Carol, Kris and Spinny return to take her further on her journey.

Tangled anchor problems put us behind in taking the boat over, but we finally pulled in at 7:00. Tired and exhausted, we undertook some last minute preparations, like laundry and cleaning and organizing things to go home.

I’m very sad to be leaving soon, but I’ve had an absolute wonderful time!

Look for more posts by Kris when the journey continues.

October 10 – October 11, 2010

Only two days to see the boat show and there is so much to do!

Day 1: Kris and I explored as many different boats as we could, from little handmade wooden sailing dingys to the huge Gunboat catamaran. Kris was most impressed with the Gunboat as well as some smaller Gemini and TomCat catamarans and the Dragonfly trimaran. I couldn’t pick a favorite. Gary and Carol were all about the Shannon but by the end of the day they had changed their minds. They had spent most of their day looking at parts and supplies in the booths, and so couldn’t pick a new favorite.

The Gunboat

After a full day, we headed back to our boat. Another beautiful sunset stretched across the sky as we left.

Day 2: We rode the dingy in once again and tied it up with all the others at the free dock. There’s so many dingys and some are pulled ontop of the one it front of it. It looks as if it’s dingy mating season!

Time to last minute shop for supplies! We rushed from booth to booth, looking at survival kits, anchors, boat lights, foal weather gear, and more (Carol and I peeked in at re-sail and other sail bag booths). After looking, we took a break to think about what we would need to get and get a bite to eat – pizza!

Spinny made a friends all day, including over lunch.

Then it was back to the show. We came away with two bags full of new things (even Spinny got two new harnesses, one from Paws in town). After shopping, we had just enough time to show Gary and Carol the Gunboat, as well as the two smaller catamarans Kris liked. Then the closing gunshot rang in the air. It was 5 o’clock and the bridge crews were out and about, organizing to loosen the docks that held in the boats. It was time to find a spot to watch the breaking of the bridges!

We went to the dock just below Pussers (Carol got her painkiller) to watch the motor boats Push, Pull, Yank, and Tug help move the loosened docks around and let the sailboats motor out into the bay. People cheered as the first boats began to leave. One Beneteau couldn’t resist a last minute show off as he turned 360s on a dime in his spot.

As the last of the boats began to leave, we headed over to town for cheeseburgers and fries. The very last Island Packet left just a little after dark. The sailboat show was over, but the power boat show would soon begin. A few of the power boats were headed in already as we prepared to leave for our boat. Tomorrow will be packed with action again, this time getting our rental car, walking about town, taking the boat over to the marina on Kent island where it will wait for the Krasnoskys to return in a week. Our first leg of the trip (and my only leg of it) is coming to a close.

October 9, 2010

We awoke at 5:30am, ready to be on our way down the Delaware-Chesapeake Canal. When we reached the canal, the sun began to rise behind us. This was hopefully our last day of cruising before reaching Annapolis, MD.

Once out of the Chesapeake Bay, driving the boat became a strange game of dodge the crab trap buoys. Some hid just above the water line, sunk slightly into the water because the fisherman had not attached enough line between the trap and the buoy.

After several hours, the Chesapeake Bay bridge appeared on the horizon. We were close! As we got nearer to the bridge, sail upon sail began to appear on the horizon.

As we went under the bridge, an amazing sight stretched out before us. The water was filled with white sails. Big ones, small ones, tall ones, short ones. White triangles gliding gracefully across the bay. We were definitely close to Annapolis, the sailing capital of America.

We turned and weaved through the white sails until we came to the city. I’d never seen so many masts pointing up to the sky in my life! Colorful flags waved from one group of masts. This was the boat show.

The docks and anchorage’s were filled to the brim. We tried to find a spot near the city, but wherever there was a gap, the water was too deep. As we tried to find a spot, boats came constantly in and out of the harbor.

The woodwind schooner giving sailing tours.

Little thistles weaving in and out of the anchored boats, coming back in from a race.

We finally headed in to Eastport just south of Annapolis. Here was found wonderful harbor up Back Creek. All along the water are marinas, and boats were anchoring out in the middle of the creek. It’s a nice quiet spot and Annapolis is only a short dingy ride away.

We took the dingy in to the city to explore and grab some dinner. Pizza! The best pizza in town. Now, I’m very proud of the pizza I serve at Amato’s Pizza in Delaware, OH, but this pizza took the cake (or the pie). The best pizza I have ever eaten. (Excuse the bite in the slice…I told you it was good!)

We’re off to the boat show tomorrow and are so glad that we’ve made it here just in time.