Life on Lailia

Tilghman Island to Annapolis City Marina, Annapolis, MD (docked)

July 21 and 22, 2022

(We haven’t posted for a long time because we have had a lot going on)

We had a short hop to Annapolis from Tilghman Island – pretty much just across the bay.

We took advantage of the wind and got both of our sails up for a bit. We slowed down but since we didn’t have far to go, this was not a problem. The quiet when the motor is off is wonderful.

I think that when we slow down we also have more of an opportunity to interact with nature. I had a Snow White moment when this dragonfly landed on my outstretched hand and hung out for a couple of minutes.

Boat traffic built up as we got closer to Annapolis, with all kinds of boats heading in and out of the harbor, including a boat from the Naval Academy. We had to weave around a lot of folks who were on small sunfish-type sailboats.

We docked in time to beat the afternoon showers that look like they’re coming our way. Thunder was rumbling and the clouds were moving in but it was time for us to get off the boat for a bit and walk around. Annapolis is a very walkable place with lots to see.

There’s a brewery within walking distance of the marina; we haven’t been to one togther since we were in Florida.

After dinner at the brewery we walked through town. There is a memorial to Kunta Kinte and his descendent, Alex Haley at the head of the City Dock. This is where Kunta Kinte landed when he was sold into slavery – the statue pays tribute to Alex Haley telling his ancestors’ stories to the next generations.

We plan to stay in Annapolis for another day before we head to a marina that is closer to BWI airport where I will fly out on Sunday morning.

Corinthian Yacht Club to Tilghman Marina, Tilghman Island, MD (via Slaughter Creek Marina) (docked)

July 20, 2022

We knew we had to leave early to get to Slaughter Creek Marina – we were looking at a good 50+ mile trip, so it was going to be at least 7 hours of movement.

The Chesapeake was dead calm, really flat and glassy. This makes for an easy, but boring time, since we can’t sail but we don’t have to fight waves and winds without our autopilot.

This also meant that lots of little flying things were able to get around. We had a visit from what might have been an alien being. We flicked it away because it probably stings or bites.

We also found that brown pelicans live in the Chesapeake. This was news to us.

After traveling 50 miles and about 7 hours, we got to Slaughter Creek and found that the water was not deep enough for us to proceed into the marina. It’s an odd feeling to bump the bottom and try to get off. John is pretty methodical with this – when the water is getting shallow (we were using both the Garmin and channel indicators) he slows Lailia down to a crawl. We watch our depth finder carefully but there’s that moment when we bump to a stop, no matter how gentle, that just feels awful. John backed up and moved around to try to find a way through, but we just couldn’t do it.

So…we canceled the slip in Slaughter Creek and started looking for another place to stay that wasn’t too far. Rural Maryland in the Chesapeake basin does not have awesome T-Mobile coverage. We eventually found a place to tie up at the Tilgman Island Marina, which was another 10 or so miles (about 2 hours).

We got there after they closed so we had no wifi passwords but we were able to tie up for the night and get some air conditioning. The showers were open which was a plus – it had been a hot day on Lailia and because of our water line issue, we only have really, really hot water at the end of a day of motoring.

After 10 hours on Lailia, we also needed to take a walk. We were on the tip of Tilghman at the end of the day, so there wasn’t a lot to see.

For entertainment, there are ospreys whistling as they flying around their nests and a jellyfish parade right off our starboard. It’s a simple life here.

We are closer to Annapolis than we originally planned, which is good. We’ll have a very easy 20 mile trip tomorrow so we don’t have to rush around. That’s going to feel decadent after days of getting out of our slip by 8:00 AM.

Deltaville to Corinthian Yacht Club, Ridge, MD (docked)

July 19, 2022

In some ways, the part of the Chesapeake reminds me of the Bahamas: there’s a lot of shoreline but there isn’t an abundance of places to stay. We found the Corinthian Yacht Club but had to travel for about an hour along the Potomac River. This means that we will have to travel an hour out tomorrow.

The Chesapeake has eleven lighthouses in or around it. The ones that are in the water are pretty interesting as they must be fully automated. Wikipedia says that the site of this lighthouse, Smith Point Light, has been lit one way or another since 1802. A private owner purchased it in 2005 for $170,ooo with the agreement that the US Coast Guard can have access to it. It’s powered by a three-mile long submarine line that runs to shore.

The water is so flat today. It’s muggy and hazy, too.

The Corintian Yacht Club is on Jason Creek off of the Potomac. It doesn’t have marina staff; a member helped us dock. There’s not a lot going on in Ridge, Maryland. We walked up the road from the marina and saw some small houses and lots of farm land.

We are happy to have power for our air conditioner and clean bathrooms for showers. We’re at a very protected spot so there’s no wind or waves.

Tomorrow we will head back into the Chesapeake and continue north to the somewhat eerily-named Slaughter Creek Marina. We are a bit ahead of schedule getting to the Annapolis area in time for me to get to BWI on Sunday morning, but having some padding is a good thing!

Portsmouth to Deltaville Marina, Deltaville, VA (docked)

June 18, 2022

While John was getting Lailia ready to push off, I was able to bird watch on the docks. There’s a flock of mallards who eat the stuff growing on the pilings and floating docks here. I also saw my first juvenile night heron – night herons are all over our home dock where they hunt every night, but I have never seen a juvenile one.

The Portsmouth/Norfolk area is really busy with really big ships. We passed numerous cargo ships and a cruise ship. Most of the cargo ships have tugboats meeting them to help them navigate the area. To me, it feels like being on a scooter passing by tractor-trailers.

It’s no secret that I admire Snow White and her ability to call animals. Today I had a dragon fly land on my outstretched hand and stay for a while. I am ready to sing and have more animals come to me!

We managed to get our headsail up for a bit today. We’re looking for just a little bit more wind so we can get some speed when we sail.

Deltaville has a many, many boatyards and marinas. We chose a marina on the southern part of Deltaville that had a courtesy vehicle we could use to get us to a hardware store and a grocery store. The hardware store did not have the t-connector we need but it was good to get some more groceries. Having a vehicle means that we don’t have to think about the weight of our groceries; when we have to walk or take public transportation, weight and bulk of what we buy are factors to consider.

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There’s a nice trail from the marina to the Deltaville Maritime Museum and Holly Point Nature Park. The museum was closed when I got there but there was a lot to see in the park including a displays on oyster farming and Chesapeake “buy” boats. The grounds of the museum were lushly landscaped, too.

While we were waiting for our laundry, I walked the trail again and was rewarded by seeing a herd of deer, including a buck with velvet covered antlers. His antlers will continue to grow; when the antlers are fully grown, the velvet will dry up and the antlers will harden. (Yep, another Snow White moment – two in a day!).

Tomorrow we will head further north and dock up in the Potomac River.

Coinjock Marina to Tidewater Marina, Portsmouth, VA (docked)

July 17, 2022

Leaving Coinjock was easy today – we just pulled away from the dock and heading up the river. It’s another 50 mile day with a bunch of restricted bridges and a lock that may slow us down.

The US Coast Guard does frequent announcements via VHF but they often speak very quickly. Lailia’s motor is a bit rumbly, too, so we don’t always hear everything. Today we heard about an issue with the North Landing Bridge which is on our route, so we telephoned the bridge tender. This bridge has one span that does not open so the passageway is narrow, but not too narrow for Lailia!

There’s often odd things to see along the way. Today it was a cannon in someone’s yard facing the river. We have no idea why it’s there.

We also had to go through the Great Bridge Bridge right before we went through the Great Bridge Lock. This bridge is timed so that boats going north will arrive at the lock together.

I was getting pretty excited about getting to through a lock!

There were three boats in the lock – Mighty Aphrodite was in front of us and a barge was on our starboard, tied to the other wall.

Once we were all secured, the lock gates were closed. I assumed that water would rush in and we would rise and it would so cool.

It was pretty disappointing. We probably moved up a foot but it was barely perceptable. This lock doesn’t raise boats over any obstacles – it’s used to help protect the salinity/fresh water on the two sides of the lock.

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As we got closer to Portsmouth and Norfolk we began to see much more industrialization, traffic, and huge shipyards. The Norfolk Naval Yard is huge, stretching for miles along the river.

My dad was a welder in the Philadelphia Navy Yard just prior to his enlistment in the Army Air Corps during World War II. With all the technologies that exist today, there are still welders doing the same type of work that he did all those years ago.

The naval ships require even more clearance under bridges so there’s lift bridges along this stretch. These bridge have sections that are elevated the middle.

The Portsmouth/Norfolk harbor is huge and filled with so many types of boats.

Arriving here means that we are at mile marker (MM) 0 – we crossed over to the Bahamas from No Name Harbor at MM 1096.

We’ve gone well over 2500 miles when we add in our Bahamas adventures. We’re definitely not finished traveling.

This marina has a restaurant in it. Apparently folks get mixed up trying to get to it, so they had special signs made.

The best part of the day was having dinner with Jack Lynn. I have known Jack since I was a college student. Jack’s one of the good guys and John and I were happy that Jack drove from Williamsburg to join us.

We are working our way north towards the Annapolis area since I will be flying out of BWI airport next week to lead some workshops in Austin, TX. Tomorrow we plan to go to Deltaville, VA, which is a small boat-oriented town. They call themselves “The Boating Capital of the Chesapeake” so maybe they will have the part we need for our water system.

Alligator River to Coinjock Marina, Coinjock, VA

June 16, 2022

(We haven’t had great bandwidth for several days, so this is being posted on 7/20…maybe…).

We had an easy departure from Alligator River Marina after we ate breakfast from the gas station. The breakfast sandwiches were wonderful because I did not have to cook them or clean up dishes afterwards.

It’s a hot and hazy day with really calm water. We have a relatively short trip of about 35 miles. We’ll be in the Albermarle Sound for a bit and then in the Virginia Cut which is a narrow canal.

We also exited North Carolina and entered Virginia today.

Coinjock Marina is another seawall style marina where we tie up to the wall instead of at a finger pier. This can be really helpful when we leave because we can just untie our lines and get out.

After dinner in the marina we talked to the captain of the boat behind us. S/V Transit is an older wooden sailboat and she needs a lot of work. She was donated to an organization in Florida that prepares high school students to enter the Merchant Marines. In the 1960s, she was used by Prince Phillip and she’s circumnavigated the world a couple of times.

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Our water pump had been running for a minute or two at night but we didn’t think much of it. When we got back on Lailia tonight, John heard a hissing noise under the galley sink. The t-connection under the sink sprung a leak and water was spraying all over.

John managed to rig up a bypass so we can still use our faucets. The bypass system should hold us until we can get a replacement part.

Tomorrow we will get to the northern end of the ICW at Norfolk/Portsmouth. We’ll also get to go through the Great Bridge Lock, which should be pretty cool.

Belhaven to Alligator River Marina, Columbia, NC (docked)

July 15, 2022

When I saw the bunny at Belhaven Marina, it felt like an omen of the wildlife we were going to see on the Alligator River.

I also thought that the red sky we saw last night meant that we would have a delightful weather day. I was wrong on both counts.

It was gray and cloudy most of the day with a few showers mixed in for special seasoning.

The Alligator River is pretty interesting – there’s a lot of tannins in the water, so it’s dark brown like tea or Dr. Pepper. There’s no waves at all and the dredged part is a very narrow ditch down the center of the river. Tree stumps poke out of the water on both sides.

There were few houses (although we saw a large flock of wild turkeys in the mowed yard of a home) and a lot of foliage. I find this landscape so beautiful – but it started to get pretty monotonous, especially since we were on this stretch for over 20 miles (which is over 3 hours at the rate we travel).

Aside from turkeys and a couple ospreys, we saw two bald eagles. That’s it. I was looking hard, too.

The Alligator Marina was another seawall style place (no slips). It’s behind a gas station that serves food and ice cream. There’s a replica of the Cape Hatteras lighthouse on the property which is right next to Lailia.

The dockmaster told us that a few years ago a black bear got on a docked boat and ate some blueberry muffins that were in the cockpit. While I want to see a bear, that would be far too close! The Johns Island raccoons trained us well to never, ever leave food in out cockpit.

Tomorrow we will travel about 35 miles to Coinjock, which is along the Virginia Cut. The alternate route through the Dismal Swamp has two locks on restricted openings (only four times a day) takes longer; it also is more shallow. The one lock on the Virginia Cut is used to control tide heights between the Albermarle Sound and the Chesapeake.

Oriental to Belhaven Marina, Belhaven, NC

July 14, 2022

The Bean in Oriental, NC had a good breakfast and good service. It seemed to be a place for locals since the woman who waited on us greeted most of the customers by name.

This was another long day – we traveled about 51 miles and much of it was gray and drizzly.

Belhaven Marina and the small town around it was surprising. We tied up along a seawall rather than in a slip. The tiny marina has a bathroom that is decorated with WWII era naval memorabilia from the dockmaster’s uncle. This is one of the nicest and most “homey” marina restrooms I have seen.

We were able to walk through the two blocks of town to find The Mad Batter (a bakery) open. Two of the three restaurants were closed until 5:00 but we found a small outdoor seating restaurant that was open. Marcus, the bartender, picked fresh mint for our mojitos (which were really good).

We wil be traveling the Alligator River tomorrow. I have read that it’s possible to see bears, deer, raccoons, turkeys, bald eagles, and alligators along the way. I am very hopeful!

Wrightsville Beach to Church Street Town Dock, Swansboro, NC (docked)

July 12, 2022

We often have to wait for things – bridges mostly. Today was about making sure our timing was right – we had two bridges at the beginning of the trip that only opened once an hour as well as a chance that we would have to wait for Camp Lejeune to finish firing practice.

I misremembered when John wanted to leave and set my alarm extra early. This meant that left the anchorage early enough to get to the first bridge before 7:00 AM. We learned that the bridge opens on demand prior to 7:00 AM, so there was no waiting.

We made it to the second restricted bridge with about 10 minutes to wait, which isn’t bad considering this bridge only opens once an hour.

Camp Lejeune did not have live firing exercises today so we were able to keep on trucking up the ICW. The signs and the shot-up vehicles lining the route indicated what we were lucky to have missed.

The weather was gorgeous and breezy and that makes our slow ride a lot more enjoyable.

The Church Street Docks in Swansboro are used by folks who boat in for lunch AND by folks who are tying up for the night. Although we had been assigned a specific slip for the night, a small day boat was there. We decided to tie Lailia to the T-head (the end of the dock) because there was a strooooong current running through. Once again we had great timing – the other boat on the T-head was one that used to be at St. Johns Yacht Harbor. Mona and Nolan grabbed lines and helped us dock.

We walked a mile to the Piggly Wiggly and stocked up on some fresh food. After dinner we joined our former marina neighbors for a drink in a small spot near the dock. They’re on their way south back to Charleston so it’s serendipitous timing that we crossed paths with them.

We’ve got about 45 miles to go to Oriental tomorrow.

Southport, NC to Wrightsville Beach, NC (anchored)

July 11, 2022

Cloudy, gray weather is both a benefit and a challenge. Clouds help keep the temperatures from getting too high, which is a benefit when we are traveling in the open air of our cockpit. The challenge is how it feels like it sucks up all of our energy.

Experiencing a familar place from a different perspective is interesting. In past years, we’ve traveled by ferry from Southport to Fort Fisher and to Wilmington and have watched cargo ships navigate the Cape Fear River as we ate at the Provision Company. This year we had a Lailia-level view.

Out of the mouth of the Cape Fear River we were back in the narrow ICW ditch. As we got closer to the Wrightsville Beach area, we saw more people and boats. Unfortunately, we also saw several sailboats who had run aground probably due to past severe storms and seemed abandoned.

We were unsuccessful with finding a slip in a marina tonight. Fortunately, there are some spots off the ICW for us to anchor. While boats can anchor anywhere out of the main passage of the ICW, there’s not always enough depth (or width) for this to be practical. We also have to consider how well the bottom will hold our anchor and what the currents are like in any place. It’s really helpful to find a known anchorage (on our app or in our guide).

This is a nice, wide anchorage that gets great ocean breezes. There is a public dinghy dock we can use if we get motivated to go ashore.

Those lovely ocean breezes died down as the evening fell so we decided to run the generator so we could have air conditioning. Unfortunately, we didn’t think about running the generator earlier in the evening to get our boat batteries to the float level, a level that requires nominal amperage to stay steady. Our inverter charger (Xantrex)prioritizes the battery level when there is an external alternating current such as when we plug into shore power or the generator. Since our Honda generator has a 2000 watt limit it is unable to both charge the batteries and run the air conditioner at the same time. If the batteries are already charged up, then it can maintain the batteries at the float level and run the air conditioner at the same time. This is a very long explanation of why we had to forego the a/c for the night. Our little fan is circulating the air and it’s not terribly hot – but it’s not awesomely cool, either.

We need to get up early tomorrow so we can get through two restricted bridges that only open hourly. We’ve got about 50 miles to go to get to Swansboro and don’t want to deal with too many delays. We also are hoping that there is no firing range practice at Camp Lejeune: that can close the ICW for three or more hours.