This fall trip south is truly a gale-ridden ride. They keep coming at us. Wild wind, wet conditions. Trying to keep moving and making certain to have safe harbor when we need it.
November 14 – 20, 2019 Myrtle Beach – Georgetown, Isle of Palms, SC Days 32 – 36
Bald Head, NC to Myrtle Beach, SC
After three fun (but very wet and wild) days in Bald Head Island, we wanted to make tracks. The weather was not exactly cooperating, but it wasn’t stopping us either. When we got up it was 35 degrees. It would be a wet couple of days, but worse weather was on the horizon so off we went.
As we cruise, Bruce and I don’t always agree on what is a “good” destination or a “not so good” destination. This last stretch of North Carolina, to Swansboro, Surf City, Wrightsville Beach, Southport and Bald Head Island had some of each. And logistics scrambled our plans.
November 9 – 13, 2019 Swansboro – Surf City – Bald Head Island, NC Days 28 – 31
We don’t typically “plan” very much when we cruise. We have general intentions, but plans? No. On this last stretch of the North Carolina ICW, our lack of plans tripped us up a bit. We had to punt, and make some last-minute switches.
We love the charm and pace in the small North Carolina coastal towns, so we matched the pace with liesurely and lovely cruising through some of our favorites.
November 5 – 8, 2019 Belhaven to Oriental to Beaufort, NC Days 23 – 26
Our last morning in Belhaven was damp and drizzly. We walked the pups around the now-familiar residential neighborhoods. It is very quiet and peaceful, with just the occasional fellow-dog-walker out doing their thing and waving hello.
NYC Marathon Sunday. Looking for an easy day, we decided to try the Alligator River Marina for something new. It did not work out. And although we love Belhaven, Dinner at Spoon River was a terrible disappointment.
November 3 – 4, 2019 Coinjock, NC to Belhaven, NC Days 21 – 22
Sunday, November 3. Marathon Sunday, NYC. We planned an easy trip for the day. We are trying to run shorter distances so we can run a little slower, and enjoy the day more. So our plan was Coinjock to Alligator River Marina, which we had never been to before. We weren’t expecting anything more than a secure slip for the night, as we know there is nothing there.
Once again, our hopes for a bit of fall cruising in the Chesapeake were foiled by the weather, which compelled us to make tracks while we could. We took advantage of two glorious calm days to cover the miles down the open and potentially challenging Chesapeake, and into the protected ICW.
October 29 – November 1, 2019 Annapolis, MD to Solomons, MD to Portsmouth, VA Days 16 – 19
Making Hay While the Sun Shines
We picked two gorgeous days to run the 155 miles from Annapolis to Portsmouth, Virginia. This was a gift, as the Chesapeake can be a long, hard, uncomfortable slog if the conditions aren’t right.
After getting held up in Portsmouth, VA, by [another] gale, we had a beautiful day to start our trek in the ICW, getting through the Great Bridge Lock, snarfing prime rib at Coinjock, and watching the New York City Marathon while under way. Good stuff in protected waters – plus an a$$-hole reckless captain. There are real idiots out there, people. Heads up.
November 2 , 2019 Portsmouth, VA to Coinjock, NC Day 20
We had ourselves a gorgeous clear cool fall day to get started down the ICW. After giving the pups a nice walk around Portsmouth and making sure they got cookies from the marina manager at Tidewater Yacht Marina, we were on our way. It is always fun cruising down through the Norfolk naval shipyards, looking at the massive vessels hauled out and under repair. All the bridges were open for us: no problems.
Annapolis gave us a little bit of everything, as it often does. Lovely fall days, crab cakes, torrential rain, good friends. And we stayed a few days too long, thanks to Amazon.com.
October 24 – 28, 2019 Annapolis, MD Days 11 – 15
We normally don’t stay in one place longer than two or three days, unless there are circumstances beyond our control. We expected to stay in Annapolis for three days. That’s usually enough fun for us. However, both the weather and Amazon.com conspired against us and kept us in our slip right on Ego Alley for five nights.
