Thursday 10 August 2017

DAY 97 - FARLEY STATE MARINA, ATLANTIC CITY, NEW JERSEY

DAY 97 - FARLEY STATE MARINA, ATLANTIC CITY


Wednesday, August 9, 2017 ~ It was a beautiful sunny day.  We had a late breakfast at the Harrah Casino and then purchased some tickets for the 8:00 pm show ‘Legends in Concert’ featuring various artists - Prince, Madonna, Elton John and Michael Jackson.  Our afternoon was spent poolside, however the pool was closed because they were adding chemicals to it.  


The beautiful flowers in front of the Harrah's Casino

Cleaning the dinghy.


DAY 96 - CAPE MAY TO ATLANTIC CITY (45.6 Mi.)

DAY 96 - CAPE MAY TO ATLANTIC CITY (45.6 Mi.)


Tuesday, August 8, 2017 ~ It is always calmer in the morning so we left Canyon Club Resort Marina at 6:50 am for our cruise on the Atlantic Ocean to Atlantic City.  It was a cloudy day and the ocean had long swells of about one foot.  We were at the fuel dock a Farley State Marina at 9:00 am.  After getting registered we took the Jitney to the Boardwalk and enjoyed the sights and the beach.  When we returned to the Golden Nugget we played in the casino for a few hours before calling it a night.


The Atlantic Ocean from Cape May to Atlantic City

Atlantic City skyline.

Farley State Marina, Atlantic City, New Jersey.

The beach in Atlantic City.

Atlantic City Boardwalk

The old homes just off of the boardwalk.

Our Jitney and mode of transportation to and from various
casinos.


Monday 7 August 2017

DAY 95 - CANYON CLUB RESORT MARINA, CAPE MAY, NJ

DAY 95 - CANYON CLUB RESORT MARINA, CAPE MAY, NJ

Monday, August 7, 2017 ~ It is a rain day.  We had intermittent rain in the morning followed by heavy showers in the late afternoon and evening.  


This sports fish boat 'Book Ends' is into some serious fishing.

Captain hard at work.

Torrential rains this afternoon

DAY 94 - CHESAPEAKE BAY, MD TO CAPE MAY, NJ (68.0 Mi.)

DAY 94 - CHESAPEAKE BAY, MD TO CAPE MAY, NJ (68.0 Mi.)


Sunday, August 6, 2017 ~ It was nice to wake up this morning to the sound of birds chirping.  We left the dock at 6:30 am for our final few miles on the C & D Canal before entering the Delaware River and then Delaware Bay.  We are following ranges (Reedy Range, Baker Range and Liston Range are just a few) today and the chart gives us our course heading which makes navigation easier.  The Delaware River is a good fishing area with silver perch, gray sea trout, striped bass, blue crab and many other fish species.  There is very little wind today so the bay just has ripples.    Our biggest wakes were from boats passing us.  This area is a freighter channel with depths of 40 plus feet, but on either side of the channel are numerous, numerous shoals.  We are docked at Canyon Club Resort Marina, Cape May, NJ at 9:40 am.  We used the shuttle service the marina provides to take us across the bridge into town. We then boarded an historical tour trolley for a 45 minute ride.  Cape May dates back to 1812 and the entire town has been proclaimed a National Historic Landmark.  It has the largest collection of Victorian period houses and small gingerbread houses nestled between them.  This was followed by a walk through the Washington Mall with its quaint shops and then a stop at the the Cape May white sandy beach area.  
Sunrise over Summit North Marina, Chesapeake Bay.

Ship John Shoal - this is one of the more dangerous shoals
and it is well marked.
A barge being pulled by a tug.
Delaware Bay with the sun sparkling on the water and
our wake splashing up droplets.

Entrance to the Cape May Canal.
Canyon Club Resort Marina, Cape May
This marina is full of sport fish boats.  A white marlin
tournament started on Monday.  Last years prize money
was over 4.5 million dollars.

The unique gingerbread architecture in Cape May.



Washington Street Mall, Cape May - This outdoor mall runs for
five blocks with cafes, boutiques, souvenir shops,
jewelry stores and galleries.

The Cape May beach and Atlantic Ocean.
You have to buy a pass to use the beach - daily,
three day, weekly or seasonal.


DAY 93 - ANNAPOLIS TO CHESAPEAKE CITY (65.5 Mi.)

DAY 93 - ANNAPOLIS TO CHESAPEAKE CITY (65.5 Mi.)

Friday, August 4, 2017 ~ It is an overcast morning with moderate winds when we left the dock at 7:00 am.  Today Chesapeake Bay is not as flat as it was yesterday.  We are in 2 to 4 foot waves with white caps for the first 1.5 hours.  Once we reached Abbey Point where the channel narrowed and there was protective land on both sides the conditions greatly improved and the sun came out.  Upper Chesapeake Bay is well buoyed and we had a lot of ranges to follow.  After the bay we enter the Chesapeake-Delaware Canal (C & D Canal).  The 14 mile long canal is a shortcut between the Delaware River and the Chesapeake Bay.  Our 3.25 hour cruise today ends at Summit North Marina at 10:15 am.  It was a perfect morning to wash the boat and catch up on some laundry.  The restaurant on the property, The Grain had live music and a bustling crowd all afternoon and evening.  

The yachts around with AIS in the Yacht Basin
Marina, Annapolis.

The U.S. Navy Academy with hundreds on boys working out
at 7:00 am in the morning.

Annapolis Bridge

Welsh Point and the entrance to Back Creek and the
C & D Canal.

Entrance to Summit North Marina

Summit North Marina and the Grain Restaurant in the foreground.
The zig-zag walkway that you see is made of concrete and allows for
wheelchair accessibility from the docks.



DAY 92 - PORTSMOUTH, VA TO ANNAPOLIS, MD (159.8 Mi.)

DAY 92 - PORTSMOUTH, VA TO ANNAPOLIS, MD (159.8 Mi.)


Thursday, August 3, 2017 ~ Sunrise was at 6:13 am and we left Tidewater Yacht Marina at 6:45 am.  for Annapolis.  We have a route on the GPS for our travels on Chesapeake Bay.  Using auto navigation we have a nice smooth run.  There is almost no visible land and we only know our exact location when we pass a buoy.  At 12:45 pm we arrive at the fuel dock at The Yacht Basin Company, Annapolis, MD.  

Our charted route on the GPS from
Portsmouth to Annapolis.

Passing a green buoy and now we can get our exact
position on the chart.

Chesapeake Bay meaning 'great waters' covers an area of
4,479 sq. mi..  It is 200 miles long and 30 miles wide at its
widest point.


Smith Point caisson lighthouse channel marker
at the mouth of the Potomac River on Chesapeake Bay.

Cove Point LNG Terminal is an offshore liquid natural gas
shipping terminal with a capacity of 14.6 billion cubic feet.
It sends out 1.8 BCF per day onto tanker ships for export to
various locations around the world, including Trinidad, Nigeria,
Norway, Venezuela and Algeria.

The Yacht Basin Company Marina, Annapolis

A street in the historic district of Annapolis.


Thursday 3 August 2017

DAY 91 - COINJOCK TO PORTSMOUTH (51.9 Mi.)

DAY 91 - COINJOCK TO PORTSMOUTH (51.9 Mi.) (Mi. 50 to Mi. 0)

Thursday, August 3, 2017 ~ What an exciting day to get up early!  To-day we will get to mile zero - Norfolk on the Atlantic ICW.  In essence this is considered the beginning of the AICW from Norfolk to Florida.  We left Coinjock Marina at 6:45 am. cruising in the northern portion of the North Carolina Cut towards the North Landing River which runs for 18 miles.  The river is wide but shallow so we have to stay in the channel which is very well marked.  It is overcast this morning and 70 F.  After the North Landing River our journey today consists of many low clearance bridges and one lock in the Southern Branch Elizabeth River.  As we approach Norfolk and Portsmouth who share a common river we see an active seaport with a hub of activity.  The old town of Portsmouth on the south side of the river is one of America’s historic seaports.  We are docked at the Tidewater Yacht Marina, Portsmouth, F18 at 11:00 am.  We need fuel and are feeling quite spoiled because for the last three fill ups the marinas bring the fuel to our dock.  The visitors guide advertised a theatre with lunch or dinner while watching a movie.  So we went to the Commodore Theatre for the 2:00 pm matinee.  We picked up a phone to order and then sat back in our plush seats to watch Dunkirk, a movie about the 1940 evacuation of 300,000 Allied soldiers.  After the movie our walk through the town allowed us feel the ambiance of the old city.



A tug passing by us this morning in Coinjock.


Entering the Great Bridge Lock (Mi.11.5) with the
Great Bridge Bridge open.  These two coordinate together.
The lock is only a 2.7' drop.  This is a Tidal Guard Lock to prevent significant tides
from here to just above Moorhead City, nearly 200 miles south.

The Old Virginia Railway Bridge Mi. 3.6 (Vert. Cl. 10')

The Industrial Skyline of Norfolk and Portsmouth  with the
new Jordan Bridge (Vert. Cl. 145') in the background.

Tidewater Yacht Marina, Portsmouth, Virginia
An historical monument and old church on one of the
streets in Portsmouth.
Florida to Norfolk....all done!!!

I am going to miss this chart book.
It was my bible for the last three weeks!












Wednesday 2 August 2017

DAY 90 - BELHAVEN TO COINJOCK (88.6 Mi.)

DAY 90 - BELHAVEN TO COINJOCK (88.6 Mi.)  (Mi. 202 to Mi. 136)


Wednesday, August 2, 2017 ~ We left the dock at 7:30 am on a calm but cool morning (59 F) for a 10 mile cruise on the Pungo River.  We then entered the Alligator River-Pungo River Canal for 20 miles.  This is a scenic, heavily wooded but relatively narrow canal.  The waters were extremely calm today, almost without a ripple.  At 9:00 am we entered the 25 mile long Alligator River.  Here we saw a lot of playful dolphins.  After the Alligator River we are in the Albemarle Sound (14 mi.).  There are numerous crap pots to watch out for, but 99% were not in the channel if we stayed on the magenta line.  Only Albemarle Sound and the North Carolina Cut are left before we reach our destination.  At 11:30 am we docked at Coinjock Marina, Coinjock, NC. (Mi. 50). This was our fastest run so far, averaging 22 miles per hour.



Homes along the North side of the Pungo River.

Entrance to the Alligator River - Pungo River Canal
and the Wilkeson Bridge in the background.

Calm waters in the Alligator River -Pungo River Canal.

Years ago there was a forest fire so there are a lot of dead
trees  and tree stumps but the secondary growth is starting.

Look at the reflection in the calm water of the canal.

The Alligator River Bridge (vert. cl. 14') at mile 84.2 opening.
The Alligator River was also very flat.

Our location on the ICW at Coinjock, mile 50.





DAY 89 - BEAUFORT TO BELHAVEN (73.3 Mi.)

DAY 89 - BEAUFORT TO BELHAVEN (73.3 Mi.)(Mi. 202 to Mi. 136) 


Tuesday, August 1, 2017 ~ We left the Beaufort Dock Marina at 10:00 am.  After leaving the dock we continued north on the Newport River, a very wide river with good depths (15’) before entering the 5.5.mi. long land-cut at Adams Creek.  These land-cuts average a width of 200’ with a maintained depth of 12’.  There are rocky shores and pine trees on both sides.  Our next body of water was the Neuse River.  Here we had 1.5 to 2 foot waves with some white caps and the going was fairly choppy.  There are limited buoys in the Neuse River, usually only marking shoals - Garbacon Shoal, Gum Thicket Shoal and Maw Point Shoal.  Our second large body of water today was the Amlico-Pungo River (11 mi.) were we could travel at speeds about 20 knots per hour.  We docked at 2:15 pm on a tee dock at River Forest Manor Marina, Belhaven and got fuel and a pump out.  This beautiful fully renovated marina is our first marina with fixed docks.  When the tide is less than 3’ floating docks are not necessary and too expensive to install.  They provided golf carts for us to take to get into town.  As a note of interest Belhaven was the final connection that completed the 1,090 mile Atlantic Intercoastal Waterway in 1928.  The town is claimed as the ‘Birth of the ICW’.


Beaufort shipping docks.

Adams Creek Canal with rocky shores and forests
in the background.

Homes and docks along Adams Creek Canal showing
the fixed docks.

Our rooster tail in the Neuse River.
If you look at the back sides of the picture you can see how
choppy the water is.

Entrance to a pretty unnamed land-cut.

Goose Creek is picturesque with seas of grasses and
numerous fishing boats.

One of two break walls before entering the channel into
River Forest Manor Marina which is on the far right.

Our golf cart in Belhaven used to tour the town.

River Forest Manor Marina, Belhaven sunset.