Time has moved on swiftly, leaving only scattered memories of a summer visiting family and friends in Ottawa. By the end of June, Jim had rented a car with the intention of driving us home and providing us with transportation while in our hometown and the return trip back to Bock in about 6 weeks time. At the final hour, these plans were changed as our dear Beaufort friends insisted we use one of their vehicles.
Thus we began a leisurely drive home; however, to our horror, when we reached the border, officials informed us that, as Canadian citizens, we could not enter Canada with a vehicle displaying US license plates. We were now faced with the dilemma of car storage and an alternate mode of transportation for the final leg of our trip. We drove back to Watertown to find a motel where Jim spent hours on the Internet studying every imaginable method, short of hitch-hiking. The end result was that the following day, we drove to Ogdensburg, N.Y, parked the car at the local airport and were taken to Ottawa by taxi (approximately 45 miles) for $100!
It was joyful to see family again. It is the one part of travelling that always leaves an ache in my heart. I am fortunate to have an incredibly loving daughter who is married to an equally amazing man. Together they have created my four munchkins whose open hearts and endearing ways make it so hard to say goodbye each time we return to our boat. We embraced numerous visits filled with laughter, excitement to see one another, new good times together and gratefulness at the wonder of the unconditional love we enjoy. Our border, keeper of the house and dear, dear friend, Harold continued to play a huge role in our lives by adding to the daily pleasure of our homecoming. After twelve years of living upstairs, he is more family than friend. Our calendar was filled daily with get-togethers with family and friends, some we had not seen for six months, others a full year, a few, much, much longer. We met up with David and Sue, Jim's brother and sister-in-law from Toronto by rendezvous in Picton, Bay of Quinte in Prince Edward County, sampling some of the wines of the region and enjoying the local restaurants. On our way back to Ottawa, we stopped for a pig roast at the home of Jim' s friend, Rudy. We were glad to be in town when Jim' s son, Mark performed with the National Youth Orchestra which was on tour across Canada. We also enjoyed his daughter, Tamsin's performance playing Oboe in an open air concert in Lebreten Flats, sponsored by the National Arts Centre Orchestra. In the weeks to come, we drove Olivia to Montreal in order for the three of us to have lunch with Tamsin and stroll the streets of beautiful Old Montreal. It was a very full summer.
Jim with his daughters, Tamsin and Olivia
My Monkey with her youngest: Jasmine Laura Simone Diab :)
A trip to Prince Edward County with David and Sue
(Jim's brother & sister-in-law)
A pig roast at Rudy's
Jim doing the lawn dance!
Sandy, one of my favourite former colleagues at Foreign Affairs
About mid-August, we were driven back to Ogdensburg to return to our borrowed car to continue our trip back to Bock Marine where Montamarol was under-going repairs and equipment updates. We expected to be there a week or two, but surprise, surprise – it turned into a month! In the meantime, Jim and Jean had taken our suggestion and had brought their boat Windsong to Bock for annual maintenance and equipment updates also. Therefore, this month was a very enjoyable time of trying new restaurants with our boating friends together with get-togethers with our Beaufort friends, Kathy and Eddie.
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| Jean, preparing for Earl |
Jim taking a break
Sunday, September 12
We left Bock Marine this afternoon and sailed to South River, a brief 18 miles away. The following morning, we crossed over to Oriental and did the required pump out, anchoring overnight in the harbour. Prior to our departure this morning however, we had an unpleasant incident well known in the sailing community, but seldom admitted: Jim was working with the anchor locker while I slowly drove the boat in the various directions required. This entailed shifting gears between forward and neutral while Jim was weighing anchor (raising the anchor and hosing the mud off the chain). In the meantime, between forward and neutral, the boat must have drifted backwards onto the dinghy line, resulting in it being tangled around the propeller when I again put the engine into forward. Of course, the engine stalled. The end result was poor Jim having to strip down to his wedding ring and goggles to dive into the dark, murky waters to free the line. It took numerous diving attempts because the water was so black. At one point, running out of air, he attempted to surface, but found himself instead below the dinghy – a very unpleasant and frightening experience, to not have air and to not be able to see a way out, albeit, briefly. It was many weeks later while having a conversation with a native of this area we learned that these waters are home to a large number of alligators.
Tuesday, September 14
Gum Thicket Shoal, off Broad Creek mile 174 on the ICW) was our final destination today. Balmy weather stayed with us and we enjoyed one of my rare attempts at vegetarian cuisine complimented by a delightfully cold chardonnay. The cockpit was our dining room as the evening was too beautiful to miss.
Thursday, September 16
From the Neuse River, we motored up Goose Creek to Pamico Sound, crossed Pamico Sound to the Alligator River-Canal. It's another glorious evening of warm breezes and beautiful sunsets. Together we prepared an amazing dinner of jumbo shrimp (purchased fresh from a local fish monger) sauteed in olive oil, onions and garlic, poured over a bed of citrus-flavoured rice, nestled next to a lemon and olive oil dressed salad, flavoured with hints of blue cheese and chestnuts. A cold bottle of chardonnay made this delightful dinner a gourmand's delight. In fact, it was such an amazing dinner that we decided to enjoy a second bottle to compound our gay spirits of the evening.
Sunsets on Alligator River-Canal
Friday, September 17
We continue on the Alligator River-Canal today. These water passages are so huge! Yesterday we were hailed by a trawler going South, warning us of a strange and annoying insect that plagued their boat the previous night. Because of their warning, we ensured that the screening on our companionway was zipped up securely; this morning we found the cockpit completely covered in this unknown bug. In appearance, it could be mistaken for a mosquito, but was only a look a-like in mass numbers that simply limped around our boat, making no effort to escape when we brushed them off or killed them (leaving an unpleasant green slime)
The weather continues to be perfect. The only negative aspect of this part of our trip is that this extremely isolated area has no population and therefore no Internet access.
We arrived in Elizabeth City in the early evening. It had been a very long day and we were glad to anchor and relax for the evening. We had Internet access, and like a couple of kids in a candy store, we devoured our mail from family and friends back home, eagerly keeping in touch again.
Elizabeth City SunsetSaturday, September 18
Our destination today is a welcome center on the Dismal Swamp Canal. It has been an interesting day of motoring. The Dismal Swamp reminds me of a movie set. Trees and vines hang over the water, while green algae covers everything. Turtles warm themselves in the sun as they rest on logs. There does not appear to be other wildlife (later I learn there indeed is many forms of life in this area, including black bears, fox, etc.).
There is no Internet in this wilderness tonight; otherwise I would be studying the inhabitants of this swamp. As part of our trip today, we entered the locks and waited as our area was filled with water. While Jim maneuvered our boat, I secured lines and threw them to the officer on shore. I imagined how dreadful it would be to lose footing and slip into these strange waters. It was all quite fascinating and difficult to stop taking photos at every bend in the canal.
Target Practice!
Our trail through the algae
Sunday, September 19
It's a gloriously beautiful morning tied up to the dock at the welcome center on the Dismal Swamp Canal. Jim has calculated that we have time to spare, and therefore will remain at our present location until this afternoon, giving him time to make some repairs (isn't that what boating is all about after all?). Although there is no Internet here, we do have battery power, enabling me to work on this blog in Word. I have also come to the realization that if I do the same thing with responses to my friends' emails, perhaps I will stop being so behind.
Monday, September 20
What happened to my beautiful day? We're in Norfolk, anchored in a bay off the main waterway. It has been very windy all day and our passage was extremely unpleasant and unnerving for both of us. Lately, it seems a daily event for me to do the wrong thing, or misunderstand instructions or forget what I should now know how to do. Usually, I become angry with myself or Jim, but today I just feel so stupid and incompetent and miserable. I need to be alone to cry it out of my system. In my next life, please Lord, give me a better brain. As always, Jim has a heartwarming way of making me feel better and of assuring me that I am of value to this planet, and in particular, great value to him. He is truly one in a million.
Thursday, September 30
The past 10 days have centered around preparing for and enjoying Jim's son's visit, followed by a few days of down time after his departure. Mark flew into Norfolk Wednesday, September 22 and returned to Ottawa on the 27. We sailed and motored into the Chesapeake Bay, our furthest destination being Fishing Bay adjacent to the town of Deltaville, Virginia. It also became the highlight of this trip. After setting anchor in the bay near Fishing Bay Yacht Club, two men came along side Montamarol in their dinghy. Temple and his son, Tom Bayliss, offered us information on the local restaurants in the area. Shortly, they returned to our boat and informed us that when we were ready to leave, if we would bring our dinghy to their dock, they would be pleased to drive us to the restaurant of our choice. We were delighted to take them up on their offer, and after a repast of enjoyable seafood fare, Tom returned to the restaurant, driving us back to his parent's summer house, where we were offered wine and dessert, together with a stimulating and entertaining conversation with both father and son and their respective spouses. Later, we returned to our water home, the three of us amazed by such a display of hospitality.
The following morning we began our long trip back to Norfolk, and unfortunately good weather was not our companion. It was a windy, wet day, leaving us all weary by the time we set anchor that night.
Jim's son, Mark |
| Jim noticed that this boat appeared to be sinking |
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| He was right! |
October 10
An "Oh Shit" Moment ..... or.... an expensive mosquito: Jim and I were enjoying a romantic dinner in the cockpit overlooking a perfect sunset, when the mosquitos decided to join us. In annoyance, Jim flicked one off the corner of his head.....forgetting that his reading glasses were perched there. I don't think the fish appreciated the $200 addition to their habitat.
October 11
(excerpt from one of Jim's emails):
We are at anchor again in the Hampton river after spending three nights tied to the dock. And do you know both Laura and I prefer the anchor to the dock if for no other reason than the quiet. Mind you, when the wind starts honking at 40 knots and we get dragged across the harbour because our anchor doesn't hold under that kind of a load, a nice secure dock is a comfort. tonight the wind is blowing at 3 mph and the current is weak. tomorrow we shall set off for a little excursion towards Tangiers island. We were supposed to do this last week but instead I focused on the generator and watermaker the latter for which the part that arrived was in doubtful condition for install. I have since heard from the company and they assure me that it will be ok...well they answered my questions about its utility and I guess I shall go with their response.
We managed to make a short trip into the town nearby walking the streets and stopping for lunch in a delightful little tearoom where the waitress gushed over the fact that we came from so-o-o-o far away... Canada!! This followed by a visit to a graveyard in the oldest Anglican Parish church in America. One tombstone I remember was dedicated to a Lt Colonel who first served with the USN (until 1860) and then with the CSN until 1864. He died in 1867 or thereabouts. If I am not mistaken the CSN is the Confederate States Navy and USN is the United States Navy - so he fought against his former shipmates. Imagine! The church was burned during the civil war when the town of Hampton was burned to prevent it from falling into the hands of US soldiers. It was also bombarded by the british in the war of 1812 and I think previously in the revolutionary war of 1756. The church has been restored and is still in use today. How about that. We had a cultural outing.
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| Countless Beautiful Sunsets |
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| Heavy Southbound Traffic |
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| A Peaceful Evening at Anchor |
More than two months have passed since I have written in my blog; this has been mainly due to my frustration at the change in format on this site. It seems that now, when I attempt to introduce a photo into my blog, instead of it appearing where I place my cursor, it automatically jumps to the top of the first page. I do regret however my disdain for continuing because one quickly loses track of the countless interesting and exciting events that have transpired.
We are in St. Maarten, preparing to fly home in a couple of days. It took us quite awhile to recover from our 12 day passage, but now it is just a bad dream. When we first arrived in St. Maarten, I thought to myself “never again”. The trip gave us a few days of calm, leaving us no choice but to motor; we then experienced gale force winds of over 30 mph; we were tossed about at times so badly that it was like being inside a clothes dryer (just a slight exaggeration here!). Sleeping was a continuous challenge and some nights simply impossible. Twice we went four days without seeing a single boat; this would be broken by a day of seeing a barge, then nothing at all for another four days. For the entire 12 days, I suffered from both a head and stomach ache (no nausea). Jim was seasick a few times. Food preparation was quite the challenge. Fortunately, I had made about half a dozen one bowl meals before leaving Beaufort, because cooking in such conditions was extraordinarily difficult and dangerous. The other six nights, we settled for french bread frozen pizzas heated in the oven. I can still see us each holding onto our plates, digging our heals into the floor so as not to fly across the room, and in the meantime, seeing the au jus on our plates race across the table and onto the floor! The best part of this trip was reaching our destination. The immense relief was indescribable.
Also mentionable is that we left Beaufort with the knowledge that our watermaker was again out of commission. However, our tanks gave us a supply of about 100 gallons, and we both had become accustomed to carefully watching our usage.
Jim had naturally hoped that we would be able to sail the entire 1490 nautical miles, but of course, there were the inescapable windless days where motoring became our only mode of transport. After about our first 20 hours of motoring, the engine died. The middle of the ocean with no motor and no wind. Our spirits sank. Jim discovered that our fuel was 'dirty' and there certainly were no shops in the neighbourhood to fix this! Two good pieces of news at this point: Jim was able to put some of the fuel through a new filter, thus making it clean enough to get us going again, and the wind finally picked up!
Notes from the Captain:
By the time the Cape Lookout Lighthouse had receded into the distance, the sea temperature had risen to 22 degrees C, a clear indication that we had begun crossing the Gulf Stream. The Cape Lookout lighthouse warns mariners that they are approaching the infamous shoals extending from Cape Hatteras and the Outer Banks of North Carolina, “Graveyard of the Atlantic”. I worried that although we had been sailing for more than 10 hours since leaving Morehead City, the depth sounder was still showing only 80 feet. I wanted it to be a lot deeper before I felt comfortable leaving the cockpit and an opportunity to attempt sleep.
Despite a departure from Morehead City harbour at slack tide early in the afternoon, we nevertheless faced several hours of rough seas, stirred up by the south westerly that had been blowing the previous few days. The harbour channel exits for several miles, past the Shackleford banks adjacent to Beaufort, where wild ponies graze in and around the salt water marshes to the delight of locals and tourists alike. On either side of the channel are found dangerous sand bars and on our departure they could be easily detected by the surf breaking over them. A local fishing boat provided an unintentional escort for both us, on Montamarol, and Two Loose, another sailboat bound south west, seemingly toward Charleston.
It was mid-November, and our route was East then South for the North East Caribbean. The paid weather routing service proposed a passage for crossing the Gulf Stream and making way for Sint Maarten, our planned destination at roughly 18 N, 63W:
“1) Suggest leaving midday Wednesday and aiming for waypoints 30n/65w then 28n/63w to set up for NE to E trades (you may see rougher conditions if you leave earlier).
2) If you were to be a little farther to the S, you may see winds turn more into the ENE to E for Mon
3) Enter Gulf Stream near 34 15n/76w and exit near 33 40n/74 25w”
However, before we left, a friend who has familiarity with the route recommended leaving “with the first high tide after the last low pressure has passed right after Thanksgiving and then just keep going east”.
Soon we entered the deeper, warmer water that I was seeking. The wind had shifted more to the west and strengthened slightly as we turned east south east so that we might cross the ‘stream’ as quickly as possible. With a forecast calling for 15 knots diminishing overnight, a full main and genoa set, I retired with instructions to Laura to wake me if the wind grows stronger or things ‘seem scary’. Later, under a nearly full moon and star filled sky, when I checked the GPS log I discovered that while I slumbered we had achieved 11.4 kts in a vessel with a theoretical hull speed of 7.5 knots! It must have happened as we slid down the back of one of the 6 to eight foot waves that joined us galloping like the wild horses of the Schackleford Banks.
Morning light brought us to the other side of the Gulf Stream, close on to 32’ 20” north. I felt relieved to have safely crossed this river in the ocean where, if you are caught out with a strong north easterly, you will be facing not only a beat to windward, but one with steep, sharp, confused seas where the current opposes the wind!
To get to Sint Maarten from Beaufort the recommended route is to cross the Gulf Stream as quickly as possible and then continue east (or as near east as you can) in order to first pick up, with luck, a nor’easterly that will carry you south east towards the 63rd meridian and 22 degrees north where the easterlies will carry you, on a beam reach, 720 NMs to the Sombrero Island Light, guarding the Anageda passage and the entrance to “Paradise”.
What seems to have been simple instruction became more complicated as I regarded the black clouds to the North West gaining on us in their march, like us, to the East. We shortened sail in anticipation of the pending squall. The Eastern end of this black monster showed blue sky, so a slight turn Northwards placed us on a new course away from our destination but one which would allow the storm to sweep below us. The seas were left in a sloppy state before the wind died away to less than 8 knots leaving us to motor as we pitched and rolled south once again.
36 hours later, we finally picked up the North East Trades at 31-41.55N / 067-51.33W close on to the island of Bermuda, which lay little more than 100 miles to the North East. As we continued South Easterly the winds increased and slowly swung to the East as we moved further south. Six days out of Morehead city and at 29-04.39N / 065-01.27W we logged a speed 6.5 knots – sailing at last! And a promise in the air of more to come. As the wind began building above 15 kts we reduced sail even further to the point where only a partially exposed genoa was doing the work. Still we continued on a beam reach (the perfect point of sail!) at speeds in excess of 8 knots slowly following the arc that was our course, slowly curving through East South East, East, South East and eventually due South, 180 degrees along the 62nd Meridian.
Due south along the 63rd degree on Longitude would have brought us to the front door of Sint Maarten. However, there is the matter of the Northwest Equatorial Current which flows above the Leeward Islands of Anguilla, Sint Maarten and the British Virgin Islands, sometimes with a drift of as much as 2 knots setting to the West. Consequently, we chose a slightly Easterly course to offset the possible drift towards the BVI’s, ranging just west of 62 degrees of Longitude. As things turned out, the current was virtually non-existent.
It was during these last few days of “Southing” that we had some of our best days’ runs, posting an average of 133 NM per day over the 3 days that brought us within sight of Anguilla to port and the Sombrero light to starboard. Sombrero Island is so named because of its shape when seen from space, or on a chart. In fact it was during these days of advancing towards Sint Maarten that our plotter logged a top speed of 13.4 knots! We must have been sliding down a wave!
Sint Maarten’s Simpson Bay was well within sight, but the Easterlies were not going to make the last fifteen miles easy. Despite a course that brought us in an Easterly direction into the lee of the Island, the wind persisted out of the East and on our nose at 20 to 30 knots.
Enough! Finally, a few miles out of Simpson Bay we started the engine again and the anchor was down a short while later. Paradise was regained.
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| Marigot Harbour, the best croissants EVER! |
Christmas home was another season of craziness - shopping for gifts, visiting family and friends, doctor and dental appointments, ironing out problem areas, such as taxes and health insurance, that are nearly impossible to handle from a boat - all in a matter of three weeks. Again, it was good to see everyone, but extremely exhausting. Most lunches and dinners were spent with these special people who we are unable to see the rest of the year.
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| My dear son-in-law, Fadi and granddaughter, Jasmine |
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| Jim, enjoying a moment with the baby munchkin |
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| Alex, Joel and Ariana entertaining family and friends |
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| Dear friend and former hubby, Richard, with his lovely wife, Terri |
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| Auntie Claudie and Uncle Harold |
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| Mark and Olivia, two of Jim's three children |
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| Jim's oldest daughter, Tamsin, with 'best boyfriend ever', Lee |
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| Mark, with his very lovely lady, Natalie |
January 6, 2011
Jim and I flew from Ottawa to Ft. Lauderdale to embark on our first cruise the following morning. From January 7 to 17, we spent time on Celebrity Equinox with my sweetheart of a niece, Karen and her darling partner, Shawn. We started cruising with them in December, 2006 on Freedom of the Seas and now, our year just wouldn't be right without their company on a cruise ship! The four of us love anything to do with boating and, in spite of an age span difference of more than 20 years, the vibes are just right!
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| Karen and I, on Formal Night |
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| A bar in St. Thomas |
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| St. Kitts |
We sadly bade farewell to Karen and Shawn, but the emotional edge was taken off their departure knowing they would return to us in St. Maarten for one last rendezvous on February 2 while on their second cruise.
Now began a new anticipation; Sharon, a friend of mine from Calgary, whom I had not seen for more than 45 years, was boarding this ship today with her husband, Gerry. Sharon and I had known each other as kids, up to the age of 16; then we each went our own way in life. Sharon married Gerry and moved to a farm in Saskatchwan, while I moved to Winnipeg, then Ottawa and we lost touch. It was the wonderful world of Facebook that re-united us, and, quite on impulse, we decided to take this cruise together.
What a blast! The four of us connected like a nail to a magnet. Laugh? My stomach still hurts thinking about it. It was magic. We shared 11 days of continuous adventure, relaxing more and more as we grew in our comfort with one another. I felt 16 again, being in the company of this wonderful couple! If I could close me eyes and make a wish, it would be that I could have every moment of those 11 days on video - to re-capture, over and over, every tender moment, every joke, every sweet sharing of words that, like a fine wine, becomes better with age - our aging, but seeing each other - both as young girls and as the woman that young girl had become, with all the life's hardships, bittersweet moments, joys and disappointments, losses and new found wisdom, lines and wrinkles, a few extra pounds, all tossed into this huge pot - to be able to look at the person you knew so long ago and say, with heartfelt passion: "you're wonderful"!
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| Sharon and Gerry on Formal Night |
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| Lunch in Cartagena |
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| It's a canon....what can I say? |
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| A sample of our 11 days with laughter |
