Hard Aground Chapter 1

PM's Perspective

Let's face it, smooth sailing through crystal clear water along scenic countryside visiting idyllic quaint villages with unique boutiques, charming architecture and lovely informative museums is boring, so I will not bore you but will provide you with the more exciting moments of our Velomer adventure!

To quickly catch up, from Annapolis we cruised to Summit North Marina on the Chesapeake and Delaware Canal.  We planned to stay a week, but the weather forecasts became more and more ominous with bad weather extending for more than a week.  Based on the impending forecast, we decided to take advantage of the current fair weather and high tail our way to New York Harbor where we would visit with Phil and Bettina in Brooklyn.  The trip was to take four days.  Day 1 from the C&D Canal to Cape May, NJ; Day 2 from Cape May to Atlantic City; Day 3 from Atlantic City to Manasquan, NJ; and Day 4 from Manasquan to New York Harbor, exact location to be determined.

Day 1, May 28, was one of our longer cruise days, but quite doable.  We departed the dock at the crack of dawn and arrived in Cape May with daylight to spare and time to walk around the area and buy fresh fish for dinner.  Day 2 began again at the crack of dawn as we left the dock.  With such an early departure, we were scheduled to arrive in Atlantic City by 11:00 AM.  This left us just too much time in Atlantic City, not our favorite spot.  Bob and I just looked at each other as we approached and simultaneously came to the conclusion that we were Manasquan bound.  We arrived in Manasquan by 6:00 PM having done 86.6 nautical miles, a new record for us for one day's cruise.  Best of all, we avoided Atlantic City with its artificial glitz and downwardly spiraling economy!

Manasquan in the morning

The next day we woke up to clear skies in our immediate vicinity but could see thick fog out on the ocean.  Bob, in his optimism, said, "It will burn off in no time."  We departed by 7:30 AM exiting the Manasquan inlet into the pea soup fog on the ocean.  We figured few if any sport fishing boats would be out in this fog, but used the radar system to make sure we wouldn't run into anything.  This was the first time we really had to use radar for serious navigation but were able to make our way without ramming into anything (just yet)!  My main concern was our approach to New York Harbor and the main shipping channels, but fortunately, the fog did burn off just as we entered the harbor.  Initially we were going to find a marina on Staten Island, but Phil recommended we find something closer to Brooklyn.  We found our ideal spot at Sheepshead Bay Yacht Club directly behind Coney Island.  The neighborhood offered everything we could want including Cherry Hill Gourmet, a grocery store deli with the most wonderful fresh prepared foods imaginable; easy access to the subway; and incredible people.  We arrived strangers and left adopted family members!  Our week in Brooklyn was spent not only eating fantastic food but visiting with Phil, Bettina and Bettina's parents, and of course our grandpuppy, Otto.  Our one trip into Manhattan was to visit with our dear friends Sam and Suzie whom we get to see all too infrequently.

Phil, Bettina and Otto at
Croton-Harmon High School

On Saturday, June 6, Phil, Bettina, Otto, Bob and I headed north on Velomer to Half Moon Bay marina in Croton-on-Hudson, my home town.  Unfortunately, blustery north winds and incoming tide made for a very rough ride, the longest sustained rough seas we have ever experienced.  Velomer is a mighty boat and could take the pounding, the folks aboard not so much.  Even poor Otto, all decked out in his personal flotation device, looked a bit green around the gills.  Bettina, who is prone to motion sickness, took a good dose of Benadryl and was able to sleep through much of it.  Once docked at Half Moon Bay, the winds calmed down.  The next day and after a solid night's sleep, we all took a walking tour of downtown Croton where I indicated the three schools I attended, my favorite haunts, Senasqua Beach, the railroad station, the former Grand Union grocery store, the intersection where my dad was a crossing guard and the like punctuated by childhood stories. That afternoon we walked to Croton-Harmon Station and bid Phil, Bettina and Otto farewell as we put them on a train to New York and Bob and I returned to Velomer to continue the Great Loop.

Hudson River Valley

The next morning we bid Croton adieu and headed up the Hudson again.  The Hudson River Valley is definitely eye candy with the majesty of West Point, the prominence of Bear Mountain and everything in between.  One of my favorite features of the river are the lighthouses.  We overnighted at Riverview Marina in Catskill and arrived in Waterford just north of Albany.  Waterford is the starting point of the Erie Canal for west bound vessels.  The town has a very welcoming waterfront with a long wall where boaters may tie up for as many as two days, a tourist info center, showers and restrooms.

Albany from the Hudson

Restaurants, laundromat, grocery store, and hardware store are within an easy waking distance.  Most boats take advantage of the town's hospitality and stay at least two nights and sometimes more depending on the weather.  In stark contrast to our last Erie Canal experience, we passed through the locks without major mishaps.  No boat hook lost, no hull slamming against the lock walls.  We made it as far as Brewerton when we received the news that the Erie Canal

Bob, PM, and Brian

was closed until further notice due to heavy rains in the Finger Lakes region creating flooding and a great deal of debris in the canal.  We, along with many other boaters, made the most of the situation.  Some took the opportunity to travel home to touch base with family, others did work on their boats, others rented cars to explore upstate New York.  We did a variety of things like get our teeth cleaned, discovered the joy of food shopping at Wegman's, and nurtured a fast friendship with Dede and Jim McGuire, aboard the good vessel Hope, whom we met at Little Falls.  We also used the time to touch base with Brian Burns, my high school classmate who lives in Syracuse and his partner, Doris.  Friends who knew you way back when are quite special.

After eight days, the canal reopened and we took advantage of the situation by heading out on

Visitor on Velomer, a 2" water bug

Tuesday, June 23 along with Dede and Jim aboard Hope.  We had eight locks and 30 miles to negotiate to get to our destination of Oswego, NY on Lake Ontario where we planned to spend two nights to prepare for entry into Canada.  In the second lock, the bow thruster died. Again!  The remaining six locks were a testament to Bob's boat handling skills and my line handling skills.  The situation was made even more challenging by the fact that it was quite windy and Velomer's flybridge enclosure tends to catch the wind and act like a sail.  Despite some tense moments, we made it into Wright's Landing International Marina in Oswego.  Bob was able to repair the bow thruster that had shattered a shear pin by replacing the pin, not an easy task, but not impossible.  The next day the four of us enjoyed visiting Fort Ontario in Oswego and exploring the town by bicycle.

Lighthouse on Oswego breakwater

In the early afternoon, Bob went to enter our course across Lake Ontario and into Canada where we planned to go through customs in Trenton.  The only problem was that the chart plotter wouldn't load the Canadian charts.  After an hour on the phone with Garmin, the tech at Garmin decided the plotter had a defunct chip reader.  "This is an easy fix," he said.  "Send the Garmin back to the factory, we'll fix or replace the reader and send it back to you."  "How long and how much will that be?" I asked.  "Well, let's see.  Once we get the unit, we can have it back to you in 10 to 14 days.  Too bad your warranty ran out last month, so it will be about $500 plus shipping."  This timing was absolutely not going to work as we had reservations at Peterborough, ON for June 30 and July 1 for Canada Day (their Independence Day).  The problem was solved by calling West Marine 45 miles away that happened to have a new chart plotter on sale and would deliver it to the boat that evening! Yeah, West Marine, our hero.  That night we had a potluck dinner on Hope saying our goodbyes as Dede and Jim were going in another direction.  We will sorely miss traveling with these lovely folks!

Welcome sign at entrance to the
Trent-Severn Canal

The next morning we left the marina at 6:15 AM and headed out across Lake Ontario.  By this time, the high winds of two days prior had calmed down and the crossing fairly uneventful.  Our main concern at the time was Canadian customs.  While at Wegman's and charmed by all the fresh fruits and vegetables, we really loaded up on these items.  After putting away all these great foods, I googled what we can and cannot bring into Canada.  Among the forbidden items were fresh fruits and vegetables.  Determined not to have any of these confiscated by customs officials, Bob and I were eating as many of these as humanly possible.  "What's for breakfast?" Bob asked.  "Fresh fruits and vegetables," I replied.  "What's for lunch, snack, dinner?"  The answer was always the same.  Fresh fruits and vegetables.  Stir fried, sauteed, roasted, salad, every imaginable form.  Oh, for a potato chip!  When we finally reached our destination of Trenton, ON, Bob went ashore to clear customs (I had to stay on Velomer during the process as only the captain is allowed onshore).  One of the first questions the custom's official asked was, "Do you have any fresh fruits or vegetables, any meats, any alcohol?" "Yes to all the above."  Bob was prepared to list all contents of Velomer's larder when the official asked, "Are they intended for consumption aboard the boat?" "Yes, Sir." To which he replied, "Welcome to Canada.  Your customs number is ...." So all that worry (and eating) was unnecessary.  Live and learn.  Next time, we'll know.

Velomer in Lock 1 of the
Trent Severn Canal

The next day we started the process of locking up the Trent Severn Canal, a waterway 240 miles long with 44 locks.  We didn't leave the dock until early afternoon.  We had a light day ahead of us intending to go through six locks over 12 miles and spend the night at the bottom of Lock 7.  The locks are very well maintained and have at least two attendants if not three.  The fills are very gentle and more often than not, you travel through the locks with other boats, often the same boats lock after lock for that particular day.  Often locking through is a social event with lots of conversation and merriment.  In our first lock we met up with a number of other loopers, a few of whom we first met at the

View from suspension bridge of
Ranney Falls in Campbellford

conference in Norfolk.  Our first day was quite pleasant and enjoyable.  That night we moored along the lower wall of Lock 7 with the folks on Chimera, another 36' Monk.  The following day was equal in quality as we made our way through the next six locks and 15 miles to Campbellford, located between Lock 12 and 13.  The community has town docks on either side of the canal, a recreation trail, restaurants, grocery store, liquor store, and most importantly a chocolate factory.  The most outstanding feature of the town is a huge sculpture of the toonie, the two dollar coin, in the downtown park (see below). Due to inclement weather forecasts, we decided to stay here for two days and enjoy what the town has to offer. Our second day included a hike in the rain to Ranney Falls and across the suspension bridge, restocking supplies, and visiting with other loopers.  Our good times, however, were not to continue indefinitely! To be continued.

HANGING IN VERO BEACH

(Note that the publish date far beyond when I wrote this as we have been totally absorbed by travel )

It was a warm and gentle time at Vero Beach Municipal Marina where we picked up a mooring ball just off the marina dock (we were there for the second time, having arrived January 31) and this allowed us to reconnect with Phoebe, the twins, Bobbee and Erik here in Florida.  After an unscheduled  two week trip back to Maine for John Larsson's memorial service, our travels continued and both PM and I were chomping at the bit to be moving again.  Our time in Vero Beach as moored residents at the marina allowed us to re-provision, refit (correcting for the last time, I hope, the idle adjust screw, and changing fluids for the genset and main) and review our cruising plan for 17 cruising days to Norfolk VA.  We are scheduled to attend the AGLCA (America Great Loop Cruising Association) Rendezvous at Waterside Marina for 3 days in early May.  But first we need to get there.

The community of Vero Beach is known as Velcro Beach to some and this is apt.  The services there are really top notch: free municipal bus service, a world class art museum within walking distance of the marina, really good grocery and wine stores and (PM's favorite service) several greasy spoons and some not so greasy breakfast joints.

The biking there is really good as well as the roads all have off road paved paths or wide on road bike lanes.  Bobbee's home at The Anchorage (named that as the gated residential development looks like an anchor from space) is a bit over 7 miles from the marina where we stayed and was very doable in under an hour.  We made that journey many times as well as explored the community on both sides of the ICW while we were there.  (I defer to PM to describe the reason we were here so long in her blog entry).

Well, we finally dropped the mooring pennant March 10 and headed for a north bound inside passage up the ICW to the Georgia line making between 30 and 40 miles (nautical) per day and selecting to anchor as often as opportunities presented themselves for a safe overnight.  Our first stop after the 71st cruising day since departing our home-port in South Portland, Maine last July was Au Gollie and our last stop in Florida five days later Fernandina Beach.  PM and I had kept a watchful eye out for the Florida Marine Patrol as, due to the unexpected delay for a trip back to Maine, we had overstayed our legal cruising days in Florida by 10 days. I do not recall any thing unusual about this route as no mechanical problems and no weather issues arose for our inside run north.  The weather was pleasant, the days gentle and we found convenient stopping places each evening. We had a "daily dose of dolphin" seeing them play in our wake or bow wave several times a day.  Our fuel burn averaged just under 2 gallons an hour.  We cruised generally between 30 and 40 miles, 4-6 hours, each day but had one day of 62 miles, just under 10 hours, Our favorite stop was in Saint Augustine, where we delayed a day to take in some of the local sights. As we have been travelling along a narrow passage line, we have seen many familiar boats and have spent pleasant time with several of the crews.  Most who do the "Great Loop" comment that it is the people they meet that are most memorable and we are beginning to agree as well.

The Florida portion of the ICW is very placid, passing million dollar homes and well tended lawns, well marked and recently dredged canals, and some open water.  When we moved south in the fall, we had calmer weather and had taken outside passages along the Atlantic between safe inlets for several days, so much of what we saw going north were new vistas. Given the choice, I would go outside.  Most of the ICW in Florida seems to be developed with marinas, homes of the uber- and not so uber-rich, retirement villages, towns and some cities, unlike what we discover as we move into Georgia, South and North Carolina and particularly Virginia.

We pulled into Brunswick Landing Marina, Brunswick, Georgia on March 15 and breathed a quiet sigh of relief.  We had escaped Florida and a considerable fine for being scoff laws.  The next couple of days, we anchored the first night at New Teakettle Creek, one of if not the favorite anchorage we have discovered, and the second night at Sapolo Island behind Thunderbolt, Georgia, The next eight days we stayed at docks as the currents and available safe anchorages made this a more prudent option.  Our passage was again interrupted for a few days in Savannah, where we stayed at a dock on the very industrial river front, enjoying exploring this incredibly beautiful city, likely the most efficiently laid out municipality we have ever seen.  I discovered in a town park a monument to my great great grandfather, Nathaniel Green, who had been a revolutionary war hero leading military operations along the southern coasts and lands under Washington and successfully defeating the British mercenary troops attempting to stifle the economy of the American colonies.

We arrived in South Carolina at the little town of Beaufort (pronounced Buford) after spending five days in Georgia and started to be challenged by the lack of recently dredged channels and well marked routes through these bucolic lowlands.  The funds made available to the Army Corps of Engineers (ACE) have been significantly reduced by the economic woes in Washington so to avoid groundings, these areas take considerable attention to our charts and the many temporary visual navigation aids.  Although there were many many references to OMGs (Oh My God moments) and NDEs (Near Death Experiences) made in the cruising guides and on Active Captain, we successfully transited the state without incident.  Both PM and I have concluded that most of the problem areas noted are such because captains slave their auto pilots to the chart plotter.  We found the charted passage line often took us over dry ground.  We always use common sense in areas prone to shoaling and depend on our most valuable navigating tool, our eyes.

The North Carolina border was reached March 27 and the Virginia line by the 31st.  We anchored in the Alligator River at another of our favorite spots on March 30, made a perfectly calm ideal passage across Pamlico Sound and Albemarle Sound  the next day and made Coinjock Marina on the Alligator/Pongo Canal, which stop provided us some delectable pickled artichoke, highly recommended.

Passage up the canal to Vining's Marina, Norfolk took two days, stopping at the free canal wall at Great Bridge for haircuts and some surprising good local food at the park adjacent to our wall. We stayed a month or at least VELOMER stayed a month at this convenient marina in Little Creek, as this was time we used to refit, re-provision, catch up on bright-work, thoroughly clean inside and out and return to Maine to spend a few weeks with the Greenleafs (see PM's blog for this description).

As we continue along the waters of the east coast and soon the inland waters of the "Great Loop", we have adjusted our cruising style to take advantage of cheaper rates for longer stays and to explore the stops more than we had last year.  This has given us a much more thorough appreciation of the history of this country, particularly the maritime history of the 17th and 18th century, and also allowed for a much less tiring journey.  Perhaps we may make the decision to take even longer to do this trip, although the current plan to is be back in Key West for Christmas.

Well so much for catching up.  Next we head north after the Rendezvous and return to unexplored stops in Chesapeake Bay (Annapolis here we come), the C&D Canal, Delaware Bay and the dreaded lee shore of Jersey.

Stay tuned you passionate voyeurs.

Tooth 19 and Annapolis

PM's Perspective

Much water has passed under Velomer's hull since my last entry.  In late January while still in Key West, we received word that John Larsson (our son-in-law's father) passed away.  Although not unexpected as he had been valiantly fighting stage 4 melanoma for almost two years after being given a two to ten months remaining life span, the news was still quite unsettling.  He passed peacefully at home in Vero Beach, FL surrounded by family and under the care of Hospice.  From Key West, we cruised to Vero Beach in as short a time as possible stopping only for the night.  Six days later, we arrived in Vero Beach to lend logistical and moral support to the family, particularly with our grandchildren, Annika and Trygvy.  Within the week, Velomer was securely docked and we all flew back to Maine for John's memorial service.

You learn a great deal at someone's memorial service, about the person, about the family, about relationships.  John and I didn't always think along the same wavelengths to put it mildly.  I found that John had many different facets to him that he did not necessarily express to either Bob or me as his employees, friends and family members spoke of him during the service.  The one very memorable statement that is a "Johnism" is "It comes with the suit," meaning that life is a mixed bag whether in business or personal life and just deal with the downside while you enjoy the upside.  I have since incorporated this ism into my favorite adages.

Due to the timing of the service and Maine school winter break making flights back to Florida very pricey, we stayed in Maine for two weeks using the time to visit with friends, play with grandchildren and organize our self-storage unit while trying to stay warm in below zero temperatures. During our visit, we also learned that our dear friend, Kath Greenleaf, was diagnosed with cancer, a very disturbing moment.  Kath's entire family has been such a large part of our lives as we muddled through parenthood, our professional lives, our children's college years, and personal trials and tribulations.  They have always been there for us and we want to be there for Kath as she faces one of her most difficult challenges.

Upon returning to Florida, we found Velomer exactly as we left her.  She is home to us, and a very

Norfolk has multiple mermaids
around the city.

comfortable home indeed! After letting the dust settle, we decided to head north, making Norfolk, VA by the beginning of April where we planned to stay a month.  The trip north was accentuated by delightful dolphin encounters and visiting places we had not yet explored, the best of which is St. Augustine, FL, a city with a European flare, 1600's architecture, and a thriving economy.  We pulled into Vinings Landing Marina in Norfolk on April 2, the perfect choice for our stay! For two weeks we cleaned, repaired and maintained Velomer as we would leave her for two weeks to return to Maine to spend some quality time with Kath and Peter Greenleaf while Kath  undergoes two of 16 weeks of chemotherapy.

Kath with grandsons Peter (right) and Harrison

Our two weeks with Pete and Kath were very precious.  I took over much of the cooking and thoroughly enjoyed creating juice cocktails, smoothies and meals for fighting cancer and promoting health.  Kath was quite willing to be engaged in these endeavors, Pete not so much.  He just wasn't very keen on the beet, carrot, red pepper, kale, apple, orange, strawberry and ginger super juice.  Our time in their home also gave us the opportunity to get to know their son Robbie, his wife Becca and son Peter who are living with Pete and Kath lending a helping hand.  Pete has been dealing with MSA (multiple systems atrophy) for about 12 years.  This disease has many of the same symptoms as ALS (aka Lou Gerhig's Disease) and is quite debilitating.  His condition will never get better, only plateau or worsen.  Amazingly, he has dealt with his situation with grace and fortitude and displays a phenomenal acceptance.  He has lost most speech and balance and gets around in a motorized wheel chair. However, his spirits are other worldly, his mind remains sharp as a tack and he is able to communicate some spot-on zingers that bowl you over.  When she was first diagnosed Kath dwelt in a very dark place for several days.  Concluding that this was not very helpful to her condition, she did an about face with a fierceness I have never seen.  She is a supermodel of how to stare the tiger right in the eye.

Velomer hauled in Deltaville

Once again, we returned to Velomer and moved her to Waterside Marina near the Norfolk Sheraton.  We stayed here a week while we attended the spring Great Loop Rendezvous sponsored by America's Great Loop Cruising Association during which time we meet other boaters planning, in progress or who have completed the loop.  The camaraderie was inspiring, the information extremely helpful, and even the food was good.  From Norfolk we headed north once again landing in Deltaville where we hauled Velomer out of the water for a good bottom cleaning and painting only to discover a small crack in one of the blades of the propeller.  Fortunately, the boatyard at the marina was able to complete a quick repair and we were on our way once again.  We left heading for Solomans Island under sunny skies and calm seas.  But all that changed once we got out into Chesapeake Bay proper.  After being tossed about for more than two hours, we came to the conclusion we weren't having a good time and made the decision to head into the nearest harbor which happened to be Smith's Point, a very protected marina on the Little Wicomico River.  We spent two days here waiting for the weather to calm down, biking, and visiting Reedville Fishermen's Museum.

Once again we headed north toward Solomons.  While underway, as I was biting into a Larabar, the cap on tooth 19 popped off.  How utterly frustrating! "Fuck a duck," I exclaimed as I pulled the cap out of my mouth.  I do tend to talk like a sailor when underway.  "What is it?" Bob wanted to know thinking something dreadful such as a hole in the hull had occurred.  As soon as we landed at Spring Cover Marina, I googled dentists in Annapolis, out next port of call, to see if I could get an appointment to get the cap recemented in place.  There was only one dentist within walking distance of Annapolis Harbor and fortunately he was able to take me the following Monday.  Not only that, he received rave reviews on Yelp.  That Monday, Bob and I walked to the dental office and I was taken in right away, my cap in hand.  I explained that this was the third time this cap has popped off.  Dr. Speckler looked at the cap, then looked in my mouth, poked about a bit as only a dentist can do, and said, "I don't like what I see."  Now that is not what you want to hear from a dentist as he is looking in your mouth.  He continued, "You have a cavity in the tooth behind the capped tooth and a cavity under the cap.  That's why the cap keeps popping off.  It's sitting on mush.  I'm going to clean and fill the cavity in the rear tooth and try to do the same with the capped tooth.  You may need a root canal."  This is also not what I wanted to hear!

To make a long story short, the cavity under the cap was so deep, I needed a root canal along with a new cap.  Dr. Speckler said, "Don't worry, I've done thousands of root canals."  So I resigned myself to the procedure which was made a bit better by the fact that he looked a tad like George Clooney, so I didn't mind him looking in my mouth. Root canals have been given a pretty bad rap.  They aren't that bad.  Modern dentistry has taken the pain out of the procedure.  I also couldn't be more pleased with my new cap.  We did need to stay in Annapolis for several extra days while my new cap was fabricated but we made good use of the time by exploring the area, touring the US Naval Academy and visiting several museums.  So, we're still loving this life!