BRIDGES OF THE HUDSON

WE MADE IT HERE

The last few days have been very emotional for me. In Cape May, I was thrilled to meet with friends from long ago, eat at the Lobster House again and tour the lovely victorian city again. The following day we were able to attend a wonderful graduation party with family that I haven't seen in over 20 years--what fun! On Sunday we cruised up the Atlantic Ocean, passing all the old familiar Jersey Shore cities.

We spent the night at Manasquan, New Jersey, arriving there on Sunday afternoon just as all the fishing tournament participants and week-end vacationers were coming back to their various docks. Ya know, we should have guessed what a major inlet on the Jersey shore on a beautiful Sunday late afternoon in June would be like!!! We made it into our slip in spite of rocking and rolling and without getting stuck on the rocks , as some poor fool did. Things did calm down though and we were able to get a good nights rest. I spent some time getting myself prepped for another emotional day, as Monday we will enter New York Harbor and cruise under the Verrazano Narrows Bridge. Going under that bridge (in my own personal boat) was one of my imagined high points of our Great Circle Trip. Over 40 years ago, I used to drive over that bridge often. By the way, I also walked across the Brooklyn Bridge --9 months pregnant! Did anyone except Tansy remember that I lived in Brooklyn!

I MADE IT UNDER THAT BRIDGE. As the song goes "if you can make it here, you'll make it anywhere" sure hope that applies to boating as well 'cause we made it here! Does that mean the rest of the trip will be as smooth and fun?

As we passed by the Statue of Liberty in our small cruiser, John and I contemplated what it must have been like for our own German ancestors passing her generations ago. They were apart of those poor, huddled masses. We continued up the Hudson and docked at Half Moon Bay Marina which is as calm and pretty as the name implies. Tomorrow we will continue up the Hudson. It really is as wonderful as the painter's painted it.

SHIPS OF THE CHESAPEAKE

Yes that tiny blip to the left of the ship is a 30 ft sailboat!!

HISTORICAL CHESAPEAKE BAY

Cape May Sunset

We finally departed Deltaville on June 20, due to weather and water pump failure. I must admit we had a great time though, visiting Jamestown (the first permanent English settlement-1607 ) and Yorktown which hosted both a revolutionary and a civil war battle. We had planned to stay overnight and actually stayed 12 days.

The tower is a photo of the original church in Jamestown. They only discovered the site in 1994 and have been doing extensive excavation of the area ever since.

We met some very wonderful boaters at Doziers Regatta Point Marina and expect to share stories with them for years to come. Su explained to me what an actual lump crab cake was and I eventually had one in Herrington Bay. She was right, once you've had one you'll never go back.

We proceeded up the Chesapeake,cruised under the bridge and through the C & D canal to Delaware City. The C & D canal connects the head of Chesapeake Bay with the head of Delaware Bay and enables ships to go from Norfolk, VA to Philadelphia, PA without ever going into the ocean. The canal was first proposed in the mid 1600's and completed in 1829.

This morning we departed Delaware City prepared for a potentially rough ride down the Delaware Bay to Cape May. As it turned out we had a relatively smooth trip and are now enjoying the fabulous NJ sunset.

Tomorrow I get a chance to visit with some dear friends I haven't seen for years and go to the Lobster House which I haven't eaten at for a long, long time. Did anyone remember I used to live in Jersey!

VIRGINIA

Almost midway through the Dismal Swamp we entered the state of Virginia and almost upon exiting the last of two locks (which raise and lower us into and out of the canal) we enter Portsmouth/Norfolk harbor. It's a busy place with lots of ships which we cannot go within 500yds of and armed patrol boats to make sure we don't. What a contrast from the primeval forest we just came from.

John, of course, was in heaven looking at all the military ships . Directly across from us are a couple of America's largest warships. Shipyards stretch as far as we can see. Ahead we see the glass and concrete towers of Norfolk's business district. As early as 1620 the area caught the interest of shipbuilders and in 1680 Norfolk got the nod to build one of the 20 official ports which the Virginia House of Burgesses decreed that all the Colony's business was to be conducted. It became a town in 1752.

Norfolk is the home of the world's largest naval base. Long before the arrival of the English Colonists in Chesapeake Bay, the Chesipean Indians had a settlement here. Everyone must agree it's a good spot.

As we entered the Chesapeake Bay things appeared to be going well. NOT SO!! Captain John went to the engine room to do his normal engine check and the port engine was leaking water and anti freeze. The good news is that we were within range of the marina that we had planned to stay overnight in. The bad news is that it took one week to find a part and a mechanic who could repair it. As we lounge here today, we realize it wasn't so bad. We got to meet some really great people and visit some wonderful historical sights!

DISMAL SWAMP

Elizabeth City, NC

John and I departed Elizabeth City in the beautiful morning sunrise on June 8. The day before we had a wonderful cruise from Belhaven up the Alligator River through the Albemarle Sound and up the Pasquotank River. We had been warned that the Albemarle could be rough in surprisingly little wind, but fortunately, we had smooth water until we were docked. Toward late afternoon, however, a fierce wind kicked up. Once again that old adage held true "early to bed and early to rise" makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise (nor sea sick either). The drawbridge in Elizabeth City doesn't open between 7AM and 9AM due to "rush hour" traffic. It's all relative I guess.

We had decided to take the Dismal Swamp Canal route to reach Virginia because of the history and uniqueness of this primeval forest cut. In 1763, George Washington first proposed draining the swamp, harvesting the timber and then farming the land. He purchased 40,000 acres and supervised the first digging for the ditch. Disenchanted with the business venture, he sold his interest to his friend "Lighthorse" Harry Lee, 30 years later.

The swamp route was indeed swampy and primeval and very shallow. It's often closed for periods of time due to lack of water. All together the trip was very slow, we're glad we did it once and obviously the folks here have never seen Kentucky streams. We also wondered what George would have thought about the cell tower right in the middle of it!

SIGHTS ALONG THE NC SOUNDS

Lots of Shrimpers

Only One Pink House

Lots of Beachers Having Lots of Fun

Lots of Campers

One Terrific Posing Osprey

CRUISING PART TWO

TO BEGIN AGAIN!!





When last we blogged in September, John and I were leaving the Lady in Wilmington, NC. We did our best to snuggle her into a secure hurricane hole off the Cape Fear River. All went well, although we think she got colder than we expected. Like almost everywhere else in the US this winter, Wilmington got the snow that it NEVER gets.

USS North Carolina WWII Battleship

We arrived back in Wilmington on May 25, 2011 to prepare for the next phase of our adventure.

AND ARE WE EXCITED.

This year we will get to lands and seas that we have never cruised before. With all the Lady's systems polished and ready to go, we said goodbye to our dock mates and headed out through Snow's Cut to the Rivers and Sounds of North Carolina on our way to Virginia and all points North to Canada.

Our first stop was Morehead City , NC then on to Belhaven, NC. The water here is very shallow immediately outside the channels. Almost as thin as Georgia. We did hit a shoal or something the first day,which caused the port engine to shut down. Captain John, however, was able to do a little thruster movement and things worked out well without getting SEATOW involved.

There are lots of osprey nesting everywhere and it's very fun to pass right by them and be able to look directly into their nests.

There's also lots of reasons why you should stay in the channels here.

On our way to Belhaven we saw more dolphins than we have seen anywhere at one time--pods and pods of them feeding in the river. Alas, I could get NO pictures. They were just too hungry and wouldn't pose. Tonight we have a chicken roast on the dock in Belhaven , but we will make it an early evening--tomorrow is Elizabeth City and into the Dismal Swamp on Wednesday.