Tanks, everyone!

Yep....that's what it says!

In case you missed the sign...

Yes, that sign says what you think it does... although I've not yet seen one crossing yet in over 15 visits, I'm ever hopeful. So far, the closest I've gotten was seeing tank treads in the mud, and once watched several tanks cross over the Onslow Beach bridge a few miles north.
I was at Camp Lejeune, the military base south of Beaufort NC. And although I've yet to see any tanks, I have seen all sorts of other military gear - lots of helicopters, jets, VTOL aircraft, big inflatable boats with 50 cal machine guns...oh, and once they had live fire exercises going on. All boats were stopped at Swansboro, and even from 15 miles away, you could hear the thunder of the cannons. It was awe inspiring and gave me a new appreciation for what men like my father faced during WW2.

So what else is unique on this segment of the trip? Well, there's also the 'pinkest' house in, I suspect, the entire world.... this house is seriously pink. But dahling, the owner needs lessons in colour co-ordination - his pickup is bright red, simply NOT the best colour with pink....scandalous, we shriek!

Some other neat stuff - well, here's what's probably one of the more unique pieces of yard art you'll ever see... a life size giraffe.

Now you gotta realize, we're in North Carolina, still more than 1000 miles from Key Weird - er, West. What's it going to be like in another 5 or 600 miles? 

Ok, I admit it, I'm getting cabin fever today - it was pouring rain and the winds were howling as a front moved in, and I'm staying here on the boat, trying to work and being way more successful at playing here.
Tomorrow, weather permitting and that's looking doubtful, we'll be off to journey down the Cape Fear River to Southport. I'll hang there for a day or so, as I'm doing a Google hangout on Wednesday, and then on into South Carolina the following day.  Here's the link for the Google Hangout - there will be five or six speakers all told, and we'll be discussing what it takes to get ready to cruise. The formal title is "Preparing To Voyage Google+ Hangout with Teresa Carey and Guests" and Teresa is a well known sailor and videographer who along with her husband did 'One Simple Question', a video about icebergs. 
There will be a lot of great information for all, and the opportunity to pose your own questions via skype, facebook, etc. Check out the page - Preparing to Cruise and I'll look forward to seeing you there.

Dolphins on the Port Side

Who doesn't love dolphins? As usual, I saw my first dolphins coming in to Beaufort NC, as happens almost every year. I've heard of them as far north as the Neuse River, near Oriental, but I've never seen them there. So I always approach Beaufort with a sense of anticipation, and I've yet to be disappointed in the last ten visits.
From here on, dolphins will be a regular sight on the ICW, feeding in the shallows. Most people think of dolphins as peaceful creatures, and by and large they are - but they ARE a carnivore and to see them on the hunt is actually quite fearsome.
A group of dolphins will occasionally corner a school of fish, circling it to keep in under their control and then suddenly, they start attacking the school. The first time I saw this, I thought it was sharks in a frenzy - teeth flashing, splashing everywhere as they dove and surfaced over and over again.
Let me tell  you, I have a great deal more respect for dolphins now.
Even more fascinating is the intelligence of dolphins. One pod of dolphins has developed a unique method of hunting - trapping their prey within a ring of muddy water. Rather than tell you about it, watch this video - it's absolutely amazing...
 
Tomorrow, I leave Beaufort, destination Mile Hammock, an anchorage beside Camp Lejeune Marine Corps base. It's not unusual to see tanks roaming around, and aircraft of all types flying above the anchorage. An interesting stop.
Stay tuned... 

I Wanna be a Weatherman!

Seriously, I do. What other job is there that allows you to be 100% wrong as often as you wish, without being penalized? Ok, outside of working for the government, or being Mitt Romney's political adviser in last fall's US election that is? And I suppose some of you are sitting here chuckling again at my election night prognostications, aren't you? Well, I didn't get paid for that one so it doesn't count!
Yesterday's winds were, to be kind, schizophrenic. The forecast was for 15 - 20 N, changing to 10-15 NW in the afternoon. So leaving Belhaven at 8 am, there was a light NW wind that quickly died off. Then making the turn towards Goose Creek, they went into the SE at about 10 with an occasional gust to around 15. Then entering Goose Creek, they went north, then west, then died. 
Several hours later, entering Pamlico Sound, the winds went from nothing, to east, to west, back to north, briefly into the south, died, west, east, back to north and then, two miles from Maw Point Shoal light, they went into the SE with a vengeance. 
So can you guess what direction I was headed? Got it in one, didn't you?
Of course, making the turn at Maw Point put the SE winds onto the beam and made for great sailing....for about an hour, and then the winds went flukey again, finally dying off to nothing....and then, FINALLY, the forecasters get it right - NW, 10 - 15. 
Care to guess what direction I was headed? Yep, I can see you're paying attention.
So - I wanna be a weatherman. Where do I apply?

Today's update - I'm in Oriental NC, a very attractive town with a free dock - have to like that. It seems that my alternator may be acting up, so today's mission is to check it out and, if necessary, replace it.
If you'd like to watch me - or see where Gypsy Wind is tied up today, go to the Oriental Harbour Cam and check it out - make sure you click on the button to get the slide show rather than a static image. And since the other boat at the dock is also red, GW is the one on the right. I'll stand on the foredeck and wave.
 

Music from the Space Station....

Ok, so this has nothing to do with sailing whatsoever, but if you've got three or four minutes to space - er, spare - during lunch, this video features Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield playing along with the Chieftains Orchestra - now Chris happens to be on the Space Shuttle, and the Chieftains are in Texas...a very cool video.
Enjoy your lunch.

I'll huff, and I'll puff....

Oh man - the winds they are a blowin'....fortunately, I'm nicely tied up to a dock in Great Bridge, VA, rather than out on the hook. That's three days of 20 knot+ winds - they're supposed to die down tomorrow, and I'll head for Coinjock - if anyone wants more information on that, check out the Southbound Escapees Association webpage for my post and a chartlet there.
I'm sure you've noticed a couple of changes on the blog - like, ahem.....advertising. Yes, we've gone commercial in an effort to purchase a 68 foot Swan and hire a crew of HooterGirls so that I can sit back and drink wine in comfort. Here's the deal: I'll give a free download of Sailing South - First Timer's Guide to the ICW to the first person who can identify why that comment is BS - this ought to be interesting...leave your answer in the comment box below.
Seriously however, a number of people have asked me to find deals and discounts and that's what I'm hoping to do for all - so if you shop at West Marine online, linking from here at BloggingtheICW - you get $15 off on a $200 purchase and, let's face it, it's not hard to spend $200 on your boat.
Also, be watching for the opportunity to save money on your Boat US tow package and on Boat US boat insurance, coming soon.
Since most of you with boats have a towing package, this ought to be a no brainer for you! Save money, promote LiveBlogging, help Wally get his new boat (ahem!)....
Also, new posts will have a twitter and facebook share link on them - if you're too frugal to buy something from West Marine (or you don't own a boat!), you can help out by sharing the blog to others...
Tomorrow, it's back underway, to Coinjock (where to they GET these names) and from there, onto the Albermarle Sound and on to Belhaven. The temperatures are picking up and will be into the mid to high 60s this weekend, making for a nice sail to Oriental, and then Beaufort NC.
Remember, tell me what's bogus about the second paragraph up above, and win a copy of Sailing South. 

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Where's Wally?

Hello everyone - did you miss me? Sorry to have been out of touch, it's been a busy two weeks, finishing off my writing chores and getting some work done on the boat. I now have a lovely new anchor roller (I know, real exciting stuff)....the fun part to installing it was that I'm too big to fit into the forepeak and so had to find someone tiny enough to do that part of the job. A friend of a friend, nicknamed 'Half Pint', helped me out. I am not kidding - Half Pint. And that's about the size he was.
So - where am I? Tonight I'm in Chesapeake City VA, at Great Bridge Bridge, right beside Great Bridge Lock. This is the Virginia Cut, which runs parallel to the Dismal Swamp Route, and is north of Currituck Sound and Albermarle Sound.

Tug moving naval warship in Norfolk Harbour

Had a great sail out of Hampton today, blew by the Norfolk Naval Base at around 5 - 6 knots, bright sunny day, but cold. It's been a while since I actually sailed the boat rather than powered, or motorsailed, it was a great feeling - especially as the waves were down, so the boat was really able to move along.
Faithful readers (and I don't mean those who went to church on Sunday, bless you!) will remember all the complaining I did about the weather coming through the Great Lakes - getting held up for two weeks in Tobermory with high winds, four days in Goderich, four more in Sarnia, then Hurricane Sandy....I've never had this much bad weather coming south ever.
So tell me why the weather, which has been pretty benign the last month or so, takes a turn for the nasty now that I'm underway again. Predictions for the day after tomorrow are 28 - 40 - and that's not the wind, it's the wave heights offshore. The wind, you just don't wanna know. I'll try to record the forecast tomorrow and post it for you, just so you can get an idea of what it's going to be like on the ocean.
It won't be like that here on the ICW of course, but it's still going to be cold and unpleasant, so rather than move on tomorrow, which would leave me holed up in a distant anchorage 20 miles from the nearest town for three days with 20 - 30 knot winds and gusts to 40, I'm going to remain here, tied to a nice solid dock, with internet and grocery stores, and wine stores, a convenient place to walk the puppy....  and heat! And protection from the wind, did I mention that?
For those who want more details on doing the ICW, check out my new Facebook page, SouthboundEscapeesAssociation, which is being written for those interested in taking their boats south from the Great Lakes. It's somewhat more technical than this blog, i.e. more detail oriented on the actual trip, but with my trademark® humour and wit! Did you expect any less?
$15 Off Orders Over $200 from WestMarine.com! Use Promotional Code: WMAFF (*Restrictions Apply)Tweet

 

An Important Message on Valentine's Day

Folks, this is undoubtedly the most important video I have ever uploaded and it may well be the most important video you will ever watch, particularly if you enjoy wine. The reasons are obvious...and don't panic if you don't speak French, the video is quite comprehensible on its own. The only requirements are a bottle of wine, and your shoes. One of them anyway...  
Enjoy...
 

Birthday boy!

Yes, you read it here first: it's my birthday. No speculation allowed as to which one! So far, it's been great. Worked on some writing, worked on the boat, took Aduana for a walk, coffee and cinnamon bun at the coffee shop, wild gorilla sex.....ok, busted on that last one, darn it all! But the day isn't over yet...
This year marks the beginning of my tenth year cruising full-time. Yes! Now bear with me, because this is going to get interesting.
I used to be a regular member of the Yahoo Single Sailing group back when Maggie was running it - she's been gone some years now, but back in the day, we had a lot of fun with it. If you were a member, you'll recall the fun and outright silliness of the group. It was a pretty special bunch actually. 
I decided that to celebrate my 50th birthday, we'd have an X-0 party, somewhere warm, everyone invited from the group and whoever else wanted to show up. 
Now bear in mind, almost none of us knew any of the others offline - we were a group of sailors in cyberspace. I'd met one other group member, CJ from Annapolis. She had met one other, perhaps two, whose names don't come to me now. But that was about it. We were all strangers.
But...one member, John Verdun, offered to host the party at his place in the Keys. Several more decided that they'd sail on in, and then we had folks planning on showing up from British Columbia and around the USA. This party was starting to build and when the day arrived, over a dozen folks had arrived on John's doorstep or his dock. I had been joined by Peter Cumminsky (Cocoa, FL) and my best friend Glen from Canada, and his 80+ year old father Louis. 

Gypsy Wind racing John V's Imagine, in a guys vs girls format.
Being gentlemen, we of course let the ladies win...
...and yes, this battle is still being fought ten years later!

Well, to make a long story short, we had a blast. All strangers, but fellow sailors, and we partied that entire weekend, raced the boats, had a grand time. Lots of friendships were made that continue to this day, I'm pleased to say.
Well, if it was good once, it ought to be good a second time, right? Sure was. This party was held again for several more years, although I never made it back for the reprise unfortunately - but I saw the photos.
Now it's time to get ready to do it again....the (X+1)0 Party for my next birthday, in 2014. I have no idea where we'll hold this one, but we've got lots of time to think about, and you've got lots of time to plan on attending.
I'm thinking someplace where there's a charter base, and we'll set it up so everyone has a boat to stay on and make the party last a week - you'll need that long to recover anyhow. Won't be as cheap as hanging out at John's place was, but it will be lots of fun and you've got a year to get ready for it. 
So everyone, pitch in with your suggestions and let's get ready for the (X+1)0 Party. The countdown begins.....(x+1) 0 - 365...and counting!

Guest Blogger Adds Perspective....

My good friend and fellow sailor Al, from Melbourne FL, has provided an important viewpoint on my last post, which I'm quite pleased to reproduce here.

THE SAILING LIFE...

I liked your article. Nonetheless, I do offer a counterpoint, just to keep everyone from jumping on their boats and sailing off into the sunset.

I guess that for some reason or other, most people, at some point in their lives, think the Tom Sawyer or Henry David Thoreu lifestyle seems much more appealing that their current lifestyle. I think I may have dreamed those dreams myself at various crossroads in my life. Everyone cannot live that Tom Sawyer lifestyle for any number of reasons. Those that do, as you have chosen to do, are enriched by multitudes of friends, beautiful experiences, and so forth, as you mention in your writing. The "Tom Sawyers" , however, are enabled by those who remain in their daily routines and create, produce, teach, protect, build..... you get the drift of this, I'm sure. My early jobs of delivering newspapers, and clerking in soda fountains were mundane, but necessary for society to function. My professional jobs as a chemist helped to create more reliable US Navy shells for ships guns (stopping unplanned explosions) aboard ships. Just about everyone that is productive in our job-oriented society is "enabling" those in our society that are unproductive. 

I do not mean that 'wanderlust' in unproductive.. it is not. Unproductive members are those that sit on their lazy rear-ends and live off the rest of us. We all know who those are. 

Your writings and friendships are productive in that they teach those of us that can learn from you. You are actually an educator, speaker and an activist of sorts. You enrich folks lives. Many who have gone before you years ago, still today provide us with writings and tales to learn from. 

I have chosen to remain a landlubber but I take great satisfaction in helping my son achieve his goals. I like helping... its a good feeling, as you surely know. A couple years ago, we went and painted a friends house while he was fishing in Alaska. It needed done, but he was not of a mind to undertake the project. His wife, who stayed home from the fishing trip, supervised the job. There are a lot of support people living the landlubber life that provide services to those 'full-time' cruisers. From medical professionals to marine professionals... those are the people that "enable" the "Tom Sawyers."

Look forward to seeing you.

Regards,

Al

One of my greatest concerns is my 'karma'. Now before anyone thinks I'm going all TM on you, what I mean is that I am constantly the beneficiary of the kindness of folks such as Al and his wife Joyce. I figure I am so far behind on my own 'good deeds' that I'm going to have to live nearly forever to catch up. 

This blog is, in fact, a 'payback' of sorts. I hope to share, help, inspire, encourage, entertain, even enable and otherwise educate people about this lifestyle, and I often wonder if it counts in my favour at all as I enjoy doing this so much. 

If it's good for you, does it count in your favour, or does it go in the credit column and you have to work harder still? Talk about an existentialist conundrum!

Meet Al Harmon, helping me with some work on my boat at his home in Melbourne FL last winter

Anyhow, Al and his wife Joyce are 'helping' people, or, as he says, 'enablers', although that does make us 'Tom Sawyer' types sound like we have a problem, doesn't it? If the truth were known, there are many enablers out there as any cruising sailor can tell you. 

In fact, this lifestyle would be so much more difficult without the folks who - in no particular order - loan their car, truck, offer up their washing machine, shower, warm bed (keep the minds out of the gutter please, lol), tools, and much, much more. 

At some future point, I'm going to dedicate a post to the folks like Al and Joyce, who provide the grease (and margueritas) that lubricate this lifestyle. Margueritas? Oh yes, Joyce makes a fabulous marguerita, and I'm looking forward to enjoying one in the fairly near future.