Hi All,
It has been a long time since we last posted. Since coming ashore we have moved into a house and resumed our shore side life. Pat has returned to work and picked up where she left off. Nice company that will let her do that.
I have become head chef and house man of Team Helios shore base. We finally got some furniture that we left with Pat's parents and bought a bunch of stuff from IKEA. Gotta love IKEA. Furnish your whole house for about a grand(boat unit).
We have had a few great dinner parties and have attended several dinners of our friends. Life ashore is going fine.
Do we miss the boat, yes. Do we miss the freezing temps, no. We just take it a little at a time. Slow and sweet. We may start the blog again. I don't know right now. Maybe a cooking blog. I could dig that.
We'll let you know.
Cheers,
James
7.15.2007
4.23.2007
Destination Deale
Once the storm finally blew itself out, it was an easy 45 mile trip up from the Solomons. We arrived at Herrington Harbor Marina in Deale, Md on a cold, rainy Thursday afternoon. It was surprisingly similar to the day we left 5 months before. I took to my bunk for an hour or so to collect my thoughts. Just a small panic attack.
In the evening my folks came to pick us up to drive us to Bob and Ann's, where we stopped long enough to borrow their brand new car, before heading off to Kevin and Lisa's to borrow a bed for the night. Great and wonderful friends and family.
Now it is time to reestablish our shore life. Early Friday morning we met with Sue Fitzhugh to start looking for a house to rent. We found one we liked and are waiting for all the usual background checks before we can sign a lease. To pass the time there is the boat maintenance we have been putting off for the last few months to keep us busy. Luckily since we are no longer traveling, the weather has turned warm and sunny. Nothing I love better than sanding and varnishing.
Since we didn't find Elvis on the waterways from Maryland to South Carolina and back, we will continue with a thorough search of the greater Washington DC area to see if he shows up. We will keep you updated on our transition to land life.
Enjoy,
P&J
In the evening my folks came to pick us up to drive us to Bob and Ann's, where we stopped long enough to borrow their brand new car, before heading off to Kevin and Lisa's to borrow a bed for the night. Great and wonderful friends and family.
Now it is time to reestablish our shore life. Early Friday morning we met with Sue Fitzhugh to start looking for a house to rent. We found one we liked and are waiting for all the usual background checks before we can sign a lease. To pass the time there is the boat maintenance we have been putting off for the last few months to keep us busy. Luckily since we are no longer traveling, the weather has turned warm and sunny. Nothing I love better than sanding and varnishing.
Since we didn't find Elvis on the waterways from Maryland to South Carolina and back, we will continue with a thorough search of the greater Washington DC area to see if he shows up. We will keep you updated on our transition to land life.
Enjoy,
P&J
4.15.2007
Tales from the Storm Front
The winds keep getting stronger. We hit 40 knot gusts overnight, now our highest gust stands at 48 knots or 55 mph. Interesting to see the NWS has finally lifted the Storm flags. The one good thing about storm force winds is that it really knocks down the pollen count in the air. James hates spring due to the evil yellow spores trees put out for the sole purpose of making him look like Ernest Hemingway after a bad weekend in Havana.
Man I hate pollen.
The howl of the wind is beginning to affect Team Helios. Stir crazy? Not us. James keeps telling me that the best way to fight out a storm is like Lt Dan from Forest Gump. Going up the mast with no legs just makes sense to you after 2 full days of wind.
You call this a storm?
Though the winds are gusting, the seas are not bad in our refuge. Back Creek does not have enough room to build any fetch. We have the lines doubled and tripled up and the fenders in all the right places. Every hour or so, James heads on deck to fiddle with the lines and then comes below to pronounce that everything is fine. But the next hour there always seems to be something else to fiddle with. Very strange.
Yesterday, about noon the first part of the storm calmed down and we both dashed up to the Holiday Inn for hot showers. There is a rather nice bath house and health club right at the end of the pier. James managed to find a Washington Post in the lobby, so I got to enjoy my Sunday paper in bed with my coffee. Today the boat is rocking and it is difficult to get off onto the dock. So James is camped out in the main saloon watching the food channel and I am on the computer in the back cabin. We have power, cable, Wifi, news, food and drinks. All the comforts of home.
It is somehow fitting that the worst east coast storm in 25 years pops up as the "Helios Frostbite Tour 06/07" is just about over. We are going to continue to hideout until we can make our final run north to Herrington Harbor in Deale Md. With a pot of chili on the gimbled stove and the fridge still making ice cubes, we are just fine.
Stay safe and enjoy,
P & J
Man I hate pollen.
The howl of the wind is beginning to affect Team Helios. Stir crazy? Not us. James keeps telling me that the best way to fight out a storm is like Lt Dan from Forest Gump. Going up the mast with no legs just makes sense to you after 2 full days of wind.
You call this a storm?
Though the winds are gusting, the seas are not bad in our refuge. Back Creek does not have enough room to build any fetch. We have the lines doubled and tripled up and the fenders in all the right places. Every hour or so, James heads on deck to fiddle with the lines and then comes below to pronounce that everything is fine. But the next hour there always seems to be something else to fiddle with. Very strange.
Yesterday, about noon the first part of the storm calmed down and we both dashed up to the Holiday Inn for hot showers. There is a rather nice bath house and health club right at the end of the pier. James managed to find a Washington Post in the lobby, so I got to enjoy my Sunday paper in bed with my coffee. Today the boat is rocking and it is difficult to get off onto the dock. So James is camped out in the main saloon watching the food channel and I am on the computer in the back cabin. We have power, cable, Wifi, news, food and drinks. All the comforts of home.
It is somehow fitting that the worst east coast storm in 25 years pops up as the "Helios Frostbite Tour 06/07" is just about over. We are going to continue to hideout until we can make our final run north to Herrington Harbor in Deale Md. With a pot of chili on the gimbled stove and the fridge still making ice cubes, we are just fine.
Stay safe and enjoy,
P & J
4.14.2007
Going North: Day 13 and 14
The start of a quiet night in Reedville
Spent one more day in port waiting for the winds to die down. Team Helios is sharing a cold, so the extra day of rest was very welcome. Plus it is never a good idea to travel on Friday the 13th.
.
We woke up this morning to the calm before the next storm. Headed out of port at 7:30 bound for the Solomon Islands in Md. The bay was eerily quiet. It looked like a lake as we headed north. We passed a few tugs pulling barges, but there was little other traffic. We always monitor channel 16 on the VHF and the Coast Guard would come on every 30 minutes with a weather notice, warning of the coming Nor'easter. We pulled into the Holiday Harbor Marina on Back Creek at 1:30 pm in a light rain and began to tie ourselves down.
Life in the Solomons looks pretty good. There is a Holiday Inn at the end of the pier with a nice health club. Around the corner is a Gourmet Market with all kinds of fresh produce, plenty of sushi, and a rather large selection of gluten-free products to make my life a whole lot nicer. A West Marine is about a block away and thanks to Jethro's Bar-B-Que we can be knee deep in pulled pork at the drop of a hat. We are not worried there is a "Perfect Storm" bearing down on us. Things could be worse, there could be powerpoint slides due in the morning. Yikes.
So keep your eyes glued to the weather channel and stay tuned for on scene accounts from the storm front. We will only worry if Jim Cantore is at the end of our pier.
Stay warm and safe and dry,
P & J
4.12.2007
Going North: Day 12
A warm and beautiful day here in the Northern Neck. Unfortunately the weather forecasters at the NWS didn't get it right today either. The 25 knot winds never did materialize and we could have traveled today. No worries, it was great to do our boat chores in shorts and read a book on the deck.
As the sun sets, I am sitting here typing and James is fishing off the stern of the boat. It really doesn't get any better than this.
Enjoy your day wherever you are,
P & J
As the sun sets, I am sitting here typing and James is fishing off the stern of the boat. It really doesn't get any better than this.
Enjoy your day wherever you are,
P & J
4.11.2007
Going North: Day 10 and 11
A very long two days on the Chesapeake Bay. In looking at the buoy data it was actually calmer in the open ocean over the last two day than in the Bay. It really is an amazing body of water.
Started out yesterday at the Ocean Marine Marina in Portsmouth. The plan was to make our way north for as long as we could stand it, but as a goal try to make Deltaville, Va. The wind was blowing 15 knots and wind chill was 34 when we started at 0730. It never did warm up much as the day went on. We were moving well through 2-3 foot seas in the southern bay and didn‘t have any tanker or military traffic to deal with as we passed Newport News. As we got north of Mobjack Bay, the wind picked up to 20 knots and the waves increased to 3-4 feet. All in all not very pleasant. I wasn’t feeling well, so James had to stay at the helm without relief for 10 hours. Here at Team Helios we have a saying to describe this kind of amazing display, “It would have killed a normal man” . We ended the day in Fishing Bay on the Piankatank River in Deltaville. Counting getting into the river from the bay, we went more than 60 miles. We made our goal, but were truly wiped out by the whole experience. After a bowl of stew to warms ourselves. it was early to bed.
The weather forecast has not been our friend this whole trip, but this week it is really starting to get on my nerves. First it is the coldest April in 107 years. Second, there is approximately 1 nice travel day in 4 to move on the water. Take the forecast for the rest of this week on the bay. This says we can travel again on Saturday.
402 PM EDT WED APR 11 2007 NWS Forecast
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT THROUGH FRIDAY AFTERNOON
TONIGHT SE WINDS 20 KT WITH GUSTS UP TO 30 KT. WAVES 3 TO 4 FT. RAIN. VSBY 1 TO 3 NM.
THU SW WINDS 25 KT WITH GUSTS UP TO 30 KT. WAVES 4 FT. SHOWERS LIKELY.
THU NIGHT W WINDS 20 KT WITH GUSTS UP TO 30 KT. WAVES 3 TO 4 FT.
FRI NW WINDS 15 KT WITH GUSTS UP TO 25 KT. WAVES 2 TO 3 FT.
FRI NIGHT NW WINDS 15 KT WITH GUSTS UP TO 25 KT. WAVES 2 TO 3 FT.
SAT NE WINDS 10 KT. WAVES 1 TO 2 FT. A CHANCE OF RAIN.
SAT NIGHT E WINDS 15 KT. WAVES 2 FT. RAIN.
SUN NE WINDS 20 KT...BECOMING NW WITH GUSTS TO 35 KT DURING THE NIGHT. WAVES 3 FT. RAIN...THEN A CHANCE OF RAIN AND SNOW SHOWERS.
MON NW WINDS 25 TO 35 KT. WAVES 3 TO 4 FT.
Today was forecast as a marginal travel day. There was a call for 15-20 knots and 2-3 foot waves with rain coming in after 2pm along with increased winds and seas. We wanted to move up the bay about 35 miles so that when we finally had a good travel day we could get to the Solomon Islands, MD in one day. So our goal for the day was Reedville, VA in the Great Wicomico River. We headed out at 0700 and made our way back into the bay. First thing we noticed was the winds were already gusting above 20 knots and the seas were at least 4 feet (wave forecasts don‘t include the swells so 2-3 feet can be much higher). The only way we could move comfortably was to tack our way up the bay, alternately riding into the waves and then surfing them toward the shore before turning again into the waves to make our way north. As the morning went on, the waves continued to increase until we were crashing through 6 footers. It was quite the sight with the spray coming off the bow and landing behind us on the stern of the boat. Did I mention that is was also cold. No umbrellas in the drinks on this cruise.
Team Helios was ready for the ride with gear stowed and everything tied down that could be secured . We had on multiple layers of poly and cotton under our foul weather gear to stay warm. James declared this morning that he has had on so many layers of clothes this week that when the trip is over he was “gonna have to reintroduce my thighs to each other”. The boy is a poet.
It felt great when we surfed down that final wave into the mouth of the Wicomico around noon and made our way up the river to Reedville. There isn’t much here, but we have a place to rest and wait out the storm. There was no one at the Reedville Marina and “Crazy Crab” restaurant when we arrived so James pulled the boat along side and did a flying leap to the dock to place the loop around a pylon. After tying up we strolled up the street for a little ice cream. In a town with no stop light, there are two ice cream parlors across the street from each other. Go figure.
Until we can move again it will be sleeping in late, reading books, watching movies and cooking at the dock. When we started this little adventure we were more worried about the time then the weather. Experience really is the best teacher.
Cheers for now,
P & J
Started out yesterday at the Ocean Marine Marina in Portsmouth. The plan was to make our way north for as long as we could stand it, but as a goal try to make Deltaville, Va. The wind was blowing 15 knots and wind chill was 34 when we started at 0730. It never did warm up much as the day went on. We were moving well through 2-3 foot seas in the southern bay and didn‘t have any tanker or military traffic to deal with as we passed Newport News. As we got north of Mobjack Bay, the wind picked up to 20 knots and the waves increased to 3-4 feet. All in all not very pleasant. I wasn’t feeling well, so James had to stay at the helm without relief for 10 hours. Here at Team Helios we have a saying to describe this kind of amazing display, “It would have killed a normal man” . We ended the day in Fishing Bay on the Piankatank River in Deltaville. Counting getting into the river from the bay, we went more than 60 miles. We made our goal, but were truly wiped out by the whole experience. After a bowl of stew to warms ourselves. it was early to bed.
The weather forecast has not been our friend this whole trip, but this week it is really starting to get on my nerves. First it is the coldest April in 107 years. Second, there is approximately 1 nice travel day in 4 to move on the water. Take the forecast for the rest of this week on the bay. This says we can travel again on Saturday.
402 PM EDT WED APR 11 2007 NWS Forecast
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT THROUGH FRIDAY AFTERNOON
TONIGHT SE WINDS 20 KT WITH GUSTS UP TO 30 KT. WAVES 3 TO 4 FT. RAIN. VSBY 1 TO 3 NM.
THU SW WINDS 25 KT WITH GUSTS UP TO 30 KT. WAVES 4 FT. SHOWERS LIKELY.
THU NIGHT W WINDS 20 KT WITH GUSTS UP TO 30 KT. WAVES 3 TO 4 FT.
FRI NW WINDS 15 KT WITH GUSTS UP TO 25 KT. WAVES 2 TO 3 FT.
FRI NIGHT NW WINDS 15 KT WITH GUSTS UP TO 25 KT. WAVES 2 TO 3 FT.
SAT NE WINDS 10 KT. WAVES 1 TO 2 FT. A CHANCE OF RAIN.
SAT NIGHT E WINDS 15 KT. WAVES 2 FT. RAIN.
SUN NE WINDS 20 KT...BECOMING NW WITH GUSTS TO 35 KT DURING THE NIGHT. WAVES 3 FT. RAIN...THEN A CHANCE OF RAIN AND SNOW SHOWERS.
MON NW WINDS 25 TO 35 KT. WAVES 3 TO 4 FT.
Today was forecast as a marginal travel day. There was a call for 15-20 knots and 2-3 foot waves with rain coming in after 2pm along with increased winds and seas. We wanted to move up the bay about 35 miles so that when we finally had a good travel day we could get to the Solomon Islands, MD in one day. So our goal for the day was Reedville, VA in the Great Wicomico River. We headed out at 0700 and made our way back into the bay. First thing we noticed was the winds were already gusting above 20 knots and the seas were at least 4 feet (wave forecasts don‘t include the swells so 2-3 feet can be much higher). The only way we could move comfortably was to tack our way up the bay, alternately riding into the waves and then surfing them toward the shore before turning again into the waves to make our way north. As the morning went on, the waves continued to increase until we were crashing through 6 footers. It was quite the sight with the spray coming off the bow and landing behind us on the stern of the boat. Did I mention that is was also cold. No umbrellas in the drinks on this cruise.
Team Helios was ready for the ride with gear stowed and everything tied down that could be secured . We had on multiple layers of poly and cotton under our foul weather gear to stay warm. James declared this morning that he has had on so many layers of clothes this week that when the trip is over he was “gonna have to reintroduce my thighs to each other”. The boy is a poet.
It felt great when we surfed down that final wave into the mouth of the Wicomico around noon and made our way up the river to Reedville. There isn’t much here, but we have a place to rest and wait out the storm. There was no one at the Reedville Marina and “Crazy Crab” restaurant when we arrived so James pulled the boat along side and did a flying leap to the dock to place the loop around a pylon. After tying up we strolled up the street for a little ice cream. In a town with no stop light, there are two ice cream parlors across the street from each other. Go figure.
Until we can move again it will be sleeping in late, reading books, watching movies and cooking at the dock. When we started this little adventure we were more worried about the time then the weather. Experience really is the best teacher.
Cheers for now,
P & J
4.09.2007
Going North: Day 9
We made it to Norfolk, Mile 0 on the ICW! It took us 9 days to come North vs. the 3 weeks to go South. Left the Coinjock Marina at 0745 and luckily made all the bridge openings to arrive before rush hour started. In the last 12 miles ICW there are 6 bridges and a lock to pass through. It made for a fast paced trip. The cold is really tough on us. We eat dinner and go to bed at dark. The wind burn has us both looking like Santa Clause with our rosey red cheeks.
Visiting our friend Brad tonight and of course doing laundry. I believe the hot tub is calling to James.
Tomorrow we are trying for Deltaville and on to the Solomon Islands on Wednesday before you guessed it the next storm. Otherwise we won't be back until Friday.
Enjoy,
J&P
Visiting our friend Brad tonight and of course doing laundry. I believe the hot tub is calling to James.
Tomorrow we are trying for Deltaville and on to the Solomon Islands on Wednesday before you guessed it the next storm. Otherwise we won't be back until Friday.
Enjoy,
J&P
4.08.2007
Going North: Day 8
As we warmed up with a bowl of soup, Team Helios came to the realization that today was the most unpleasant of our trip. The weather forecaster must have been hitting the bottle pretty hard yesterday. He actually forecast 15 knots of wind with 2 foot seas on the Albemarle Sound. As we rode out the Sound with 20 knots, gusting to 30 and 4-5 foot seas we thought that maybe Joe Weatherman might want to rethink his forecast. It was rough. Oh and did I say cold, so very cold.
After a two and a half hour transit of the Sound we made our way to the Coinjock Marina at MM49. It really is a nice little place with everything the way it should be. We had lunch at the restaurant and then took care of our chores around the boat before settling in for the night.
During our little adventure today, we began to daydream about a cabin in the mountains with a puppy on our lap and a fire in the fireplace. It is all about the need for warmth.
So tomorrow we are off to Great Bridge, VA and then to Norfolk. Life on the ICW is going along as planned.
Cheers,
P&J
After a two and a half hour transit of the Sound we made our way to the Coinjock Marina at MM49. It really is a nice little place with everything the way it should be. We had lunch at the restaurant and then took care of our chores around the boat before settling in for the night.
During our little adventure today, we began to daydream about a cabin in the mountains with a puppy on our lap and a fire in the fireplace. It is all about the need for warmth.
So tomorrow we are off to Great Bridge, VA and then to Norfolk. Life on the ICW is going along as planned.
Cheers,
P&J
4.07.2007
Going North: Day 6 and 7
The forecast was for 30 knots on the Albemarle Sound with 4-5 ft seas and snow! Now we could ride out that kind of weather, but why would we want to? So we decided to stay at the Alligator River Marina for two nights. It is nice to be in charge sometimes.
We arrived yesterday afternoon after a 50 mile day including a trip up the Alligator Pungo River canal, affectionately known by Team Helios as the 21 mile very boring, canal of death. We only had to share this narrow channel of very shallow water with 10 power yachts, a crazy 50 mile per hour bass boat and one very large barge going in the opposite direction. We arrived in the Alligator River and made it through the swing bridge with little trouble. We had a nice boat named "Sleep Walker II" follow us up the river as we talked by VHF. They were from Canada had spent the winter in the Bahamas. We shared our local knowledge with them and they told us about a few nice anchorages in the area. That is the nice part of traveling by boat, it is a community of folks just trying to help each other out. Then it was into the 7 foot channel that lead to the marina.
It is a very windy Saturday afternoon and we have had an absolutely lazy day of movies and music. James had never seen "Rock Star" so we got in a bit of 80's hair band time. I also spent part of the day listening to the new Nine Inch Nails album, Year Zero, which has been streaming online for the past few days in advance of it's official release. Thumbnail review is that Trent Reznor is back on his game. Well worth your time.
After a couple of loads of laundry and very hot showers, we retired to the boat for some TV and a little reading. Tomorrow it is off to the next adventure in a lovely little place named Coinjock.
Cheers,
J & P
We arrived yesterday afternoon after a 50 mile day including a trip up the Alligator Pungo River canal, affectionately known by Team Helios as the 21 mile very boring, canal of death. We only had to share this narrow channel of very shallow water with 10 power yachts, a crazy 50 mile per hour bass boat and one very large barge going in the opposite direction. We arrived in the Alligator River and made it through the swing bridge with little trouble. We had a nice boat named "Sleep Walker II" follow us up the river as we talked by VHF. They were from Canada had spent the winter in the Bahamas. We shared our local knowledge with them and they told us about a few nice anchorages in the area. That is the nice part of traveling by boat, it is a community of folks just trying to help each other out. Then it was into the 7 foot channel that lead to the marina.
It is a very windy Saturday afternoon and we have had an absolutely lazy day of movies and music. James had never seen "Rock Star" so we got in a bit of 80's hair band time. I also spent part of the day listening to the new Nine Inch Nails album, Year Zero, which has been streaming online for the past few days in advance of it's official release. Thumbnail review is that Trent Reznor is back on his game. Well worth your time.
After a couple of loads of laundry and very hot showers, we retired to the boat for some TV and a little reading. Tomorrow it is off to the next adventure in a lovely little place named Coinjock.
Cheers,
J & P
4.05.2007
Going North: Day 4 and 5
We decided to stay in port at Oriental, NC for another day. The weather gurus at the Morehead City NWS forecasted that Wednesday would have both thunderstorms and winds in the 28 knot range. A good day to stay in port. The day of course turned out to be sunny and warm. So much so that James went for a swim in the afternoon. Gurus? We did take time to go for a bike ride into town and had ice cream at a place called “The Bean”. All in all a really nice relaxing day.
Today started out at 730 on a much colder morning. We made our way up the Neuse River, around the bend , through the cut and across the Pamlico River to Belhaven, NC. The seas were 3 to 4 feet high with 20 knot winds. Reminded us of our trip down. We stopped for the night at the Dowry Creek Marina. This is the same Marina where we spent Thanksgiving. After a nice dinner of Italian sausage and Jambalaya, we took ice cold showers (no hot water to be had) at the marina and watched CSI until bedtime. Just another day in the lives of a couple of sailors.
Tomorrow we head for the Alligator River and more open water. Fun, Fun, Fun.
Cheers,
J & P
Today started out at 730 on a much colder morning. We made our way up the Neuse River, around the bend , through the cut and across the Pamlico River to Belhaven, NC. The seas were 3 to 4 feet high with 20 knot winds. Reminded us of our trip down. We stopped for the night at the Dowry Creek Marina. This is the same Marina where we spent Thanksgiving. After a nice dinner of Italian sausage and Jambalaya, we took ice cold showers (no hot water to be had) at the marina and watched CSI until bedtime. Just another day in the lives of a couple of sailors.
Tomorrow we head for the Alligator River and more open water. Fun, Fun, Fun.
Cheers,
J & P
4.03.2007
Going North: Day 3
We made it into the lovely little Whittaker Creek Marina at MM180 before 2pm with little fuss. The creek is about a mile north of Oriental, NC. It was a little tricky to navigate the entrance channel since the low water mark is 7 feet. Just in case you forgot, we draw 6 feet. After tying up to the pier, we went about stowing the various charts, guide books, and downloaded papers that allow us to live such a care free lifestyle. If you have never done a water born journey, you would be surprised at the amount of prior planning that goes into moving you boat from point A to B. It can be a bit of a challenge.
While we have one way of cruising. we met a very interesting older gentleman today who definitely had his own style to living his dream. He pulled up to the fuel pier in a 22' sailboat that had seen some action. There were no sails visible on deck. There was a full sized bike lashed to the starboard rail and an outboard motor with the top cover gone and a lot of black electrical tape holding together his rather elaborate steering mechanism. He motored up to the pier and threw a line over the pylon with ease. This skipper could have taught Captain Ron a thing or two about sailing. After pouring a couple of gallons of gas into his tank he wandered over to us to ask directions. His first question was "Where is the Intercoastal Waterway and how do I go north on it from here"? Of course James invited him on board and started showing him all of our charts and navigation literature. He looked over what we had and said thanks. He then said as he left our boat that he needed to get to New Jersey soon to see some friends. With that he was back to his boat and on his way. Just another person that you meet in the world of sailing.
It really is amazing how little it takes to sail the world. I guess it is all about your perspective.
Cheers,
J & P
While we have one way of cruising. we met a very interesting older gentleman today who definitely had his own style to living his dream. He pulled up to the fuel pier in a 22' sailboat that had seen some action. There were no sails visible on deck. There was a full sized bike lashed to the starboard rail and an outboard motor with the top cover gone and a lot of black electrical tape holding together his rather elaborate steering mechanism. He motored up to the pier and threw a line over the pylon with ease. This skipper could have taught Captain Ron a thing or two about sailing. After pouring a couple of gallons of gas into his tank he wandered over to us to ask directions. His first question was "Where is the Intercoastal Waterway and how do I go north on it from here"? Of course James invited him on board and started showing him all of our charts and navigation literature. He looked over what we had and said thanks. He then said as he left our boat that he needed to get to New Jersey soon to see some friends. With that he was back to his boat and on his way. Just another person that you meet in the world of sailing.
It really is amazing how little it takes to sail the world. I guess it is all about your perspective.
Cheers,
J & P
4.02.2007
Going North: Day 2
Leaving the marina this morning we knew that we had an interesting day ahead of us. This particular stretch of the ICW is very shallow, lots of shoaling, possibly full of Marines shooting real bullets, swing bridges to wait for and of course crazy boaters. Not to mention tons of houses.
As we made our way through the first draw bridge of the day we knew we must be looking good because we got a standing ovation from the local critics.
On their feet cheering.
As we passed through the shallow stretch we hit a couple of spots with just about 6 inches under our keel. We could only hold our collective breath and continue on. Yikes. Next we found that the Marine Corps finest were out in numbers. We had F/A 18 Hornets dropping bombs on targets about a mile inland from us. On both sides of the waterway there were old tanks and APCs that had taken their share of bullets and a company of leathernecks preparing to assault them one more time. It was just another day on the water.
Now it is time to let you in on a favorite Team Helios boat game. House spotting. You cannot believe the variety.
There are little houses
Round houses
And of course, really silly houses.
We arrived at MM229, Casper's Marina and decided to call it a day. After mooring the boat up tight, we walked through the town of Swansboro and found dinner at the Gourmet Cafe. It was a beautiful night and there is no finer way to end a day then with a full moon over the water.
Swansboro in the pale moon light.
So that is day 2.
Cheers to all,
P & J
As we made our way through the first draw bridge of the day we knew we must be looking good because we got a standing ovation from the local critics.
On their feet cheering.
As we passed through the shallow stretch we hit a couple of spots with just about 6 inches under our keel. We could only hold our collective breath and continue on. Yikes. Next we found that the Marine Corps finest were out in numbers. We had F/A 18 Hornets dropping bombs on targets about a mile inland from us. On both sides of the waterway there were old tanks and APCs that had taken their share of bullets and a company of leathernecks preparing to assault them one more time. It was just another day on the water.
Now it is time to let you in on a favorite Team Helios boat game. House spotting. You cannot believe the variety.
There are little houses
Round houses
And of course, really silly houses.
We arrived at MM229, Casper's Marina and decided to call it a day. After mooring the boat up tight, we walked through the town of Swansboro and found dinner at the Gourmet Cafe. It was a beautiful night and there is no finer way to end a day then with a full moon over the water.
Swansboro in the pale moon light.
So that is day 2.
Cheers to all,
P & J
4.01.2007
Going North: Day 1
As we sit in the cockpit with a nice cold sundowner, a calm sense of accomplishment settles over Team Helios. Starting at mile marker 315 we dropped the lines at 0750 and motored North. After a nice drive up the Cape Fear River we headed through "Snows Cut" and into the coastal Intercoastal Waterway(ICW).
The new turbo charger worked like a champ and we made an average of 7 knots over the 7 hour sail. At mile marker 268 we stopped at the Harbor Village Marina. A nice place tucked into a cove off the ICW.
As fate would have it the sailboat that we were racing up the Cape Fear River is now docked behind us on the pier. According to one of the two guys aboard the navigator made a wrong turn and should have been going the same way we did. There was much ribbing going on. It is a newly bought boat and they are returning it to Annapolis. They seem to think that they are going to get there by Saturday. Good luck guys.
We are shooting for Morehead City tomorrow but we may stop sooner at Swansboro.
Only the tide will tell.
Cheers,
P & J
The new turbo charger worked like a champ and we made an average of 7 knots over the 7 hour sail. At mile marker 268 we stopped at the Harbor Village Marina. A nice place tucked into a cove off the ICW.
As fate would have it the sailboat that we were racing up the Cape Fear River is now docked behind us on the pier. According to one of the two guys aboard the navigator made a wrong turn and should have been going the same way we did. There was much ribbing going on. It is a newly bought boat and they are returning it to Annapolis. They seem to think that they are going to get there by Saturday. Good luck guys.
We are shooting for Morehead City tomorrow but we may stop sooner at Swansboro.
Only the tide will tell.
Cheers,
P & J
3.31.2007
Go North Young Boaters
Underway again,
Here we go. With the new exhaust installed and the turbo charger rebuilt, we are once again heading out on our epic voyage to points unknown. Well, not really unknown, just up the way a bit to the Chesapeake Bay. We figured that leaving on April Fools day was a great idea. That way if something goes wrong...it wasn't us.
The boat is packed, the fridge is full, the rum is loaded and we are all set. Tomorrow we will set sail for the beach side town of Wrightsville Beach, NC. With a weather forecast of morning sun followed by afternoon rain and the chance of thundershowers it sounds like our kind of day.
Cross your fingers out there. We hope to be in Norfolk within 10 days. Then we can take our time going up the bay. We should be able to post daily with at least our position information. You never know what young teenager has left his home wifi signal unlocked.
Until next time, good night and good luck.
P & J
Here we go. With the new exhaust installed and the turbo charger rebuilt, we are once again heading out on our epic voyage to points unknown. Well, not really unknown, just up the way a bit to the Chesapeake Bay. We figured that leaving on April Fools day was a great idea. That way if something goes wrong...it wasn't us.
The boat is packed, the fridge is full, the rum is loaded and we are all set. Tomorrow we will set sail for the beach side town of Wrightsville Beach, NC. With a weather forecast of morning sun followed by afternoon rain and the chance of thundershowers it sounds like our kind of day.
Cross your fingers out there. We hope to be in Norfolk within 10 days. Then we can take our time going up the bay. We should be able to post daily with at least our position information. You never know what young teenager has left his home wifi signal unlocked.
Until next time, good night and good luck.
P & J
3.21.2007
AC/DC said it best,,,
We're "looking for a truck". We are waiting for a part that will make it possible for us to start up the engine and point the bow north. James asked our boat guy Pedro to please point out the person he had to sleep with to get this part faster and he replied that a rather large, hairy truck driver would be a good start. The jury is still out on that one.
So meanwhile back at the ranch, we have turned into every working persons dream; Slackers that sleep until 10; then play on the computer until lunch. After that, there is usually a trip to the store to buy food, maybe some reading, or a "Gilmore Girls" episode. James putters around the kitchen making snack plates with drinks, we grill out dinner, maybe a nap before the Daily Show and Colbert Report...all in 70 degree weather. You get the picture. And we have a slow hairy truck driver to thank for this. Maybe James should sleep with him?
I have been listening to a lot of music and have once again discovered my love of Nine Inch Nails. What a coincidence, I have extra time on my hands and there is a great viral campaign for the new NIN "Year Zero" concept album. In case you haven't been following along, it involves the end of the world; websites with detailed characters, organizations and events leading up to 2022 and leaked tracks of the disc. More fun than Lost. I also bought the "Beside You In Time" concert DVD the other day and we played it on the big screen with the sound blasting. OK, I played it while James had on head phones listening to his IPod full blast. A quick note to the uninformed, Jimmy Buffett does not drown out NIN even with the volume on full blast. Sorry Jimmy. We do tend to have different taste in music with some similarity in the middle.
Happy Pat.
Happy James.
Another interest that has raised its ugly head is the HGTV network. Everyone is rebuilding, remodeling, flipping, selling, and re-doing a house. You know that you watch to much of this stuff when the "True and Amazing" vacation home theme song is stuck in your mind. With all this new knowledge we are sure that we could buy a nice place in the Northern Virginia area and fix it up to make us millions. Its all in the crown molding, I'm telling ya.
Anyway, I am sure these obsessions will fade when we finally load the boat and head out onto the water. At least I hope so.
Say a prayer we get that part delivered , otherwise James might discover the QVC network and I will never be able to pay the Mastercard bill again.
Enjoy,
P&J
So meanwhile back at the ranch, we have turned into every working persons dream; Slackers that sleep until 10; then play on the computer until lunch. After that, there is usually a trip to the store to buy food, maybe some reading, or a "Gilmore Girls" episode. James putters around the kitchen making snack plates with drinks, we grill out dinner, maybe a nap before the Daily Show and Colbert Report...all in 70 degree weather. You get the picture. And we have a slow hairy truck driver to thank for this. Maybe James should sleep with him?
I have been listening to a lot of music and have once again discovered my love of Nine Inch Nails. What a coincidence, I have extra time on my hands and there is a great viral campaign for the new NIN "Year Zero" concept album. In case you haven't been following along, it involves the end of the world; websites with detailed characters, organizations and events leading up to 2022 and leaked tracks of the disc. More fun than Lost. I also bought the "Beside You In Time" concert DVD the other day and we played it on the big screen with the sound blasting. OK, I played it while James had on head phones listening to his IPod full blast. A quick note to the uninformed, Jimmy Buffett does not drown out NIN even with the volume on full blast. Sorry Jimmy. We do tend to have different taste in music with some similarity in the middle.
Happy Pat.
Happy James.
Another interest that has raised its ugly head is the HGTV network. Everyone is rebuilding, remodeling, flipping, selling, and re-doing a house. You know that you watch to much of this stuff when the "True and Amazing" vacation home theme song is stuck in your mind. With all this new knowledge we are sure that we could buy a nice place in the Northern Virginia area and fix it up to make us millions. Its all in the crown molding, I'm telling ya.
Anyway, I am sure these obsessions will fade when we finally load the boat and head out onto the water. At least I hope so.
Say a prayer we get that part delivered , otherwise James might discover the QVC network and I will never be able to pay the Mastercard bill again.
Enjoy,
P&J
3.11.2007
Culture shock DC style
Oh my goodness, we leave the world we know for a few months and it went kooky. Where did the extra 10,000,000 people come from on the DC beltway? I will tell you a secret, in a few months you can become a traffic wimp. Without our all important FastPass, I think we went through 100 quarters in a weeks time. Lucky for us our friends were gentle and took great care of us.
I don't remember the 495/267 intersection being this bad
We only had time to visit a few of our friends. The list would include:
Laurie, Layla the Brave, Kevin, Lisa, Larry, Sandy, Dan, Bob, Ann, John, Beth, Sue, Sue, Sue, Gary, Jen, Doug, Tom, Deb, Fran, and of course Sammy the Pug. If we didn't mention you it's because we are bad people with bad memories and we apologize.
While we had many tasks planned for the week, we did get to see some new things. We hit a great new restaurant downtown called Temperance Hall. Good brunch with a classy neighborhood bar feel. Doug worked on the menu and did a wonderful job.
3634 Georgia Ave NW is a great place to meet.
The gang having a little brunch.
In fact I think we gained 10 pounds from all the fantastic meals. We were lucky enough to be in town for a dinner party hosted by John and Beth. Beth created food to die for and John just kept opening incredible wines as a complement to the meal. James couldn't decide what he liked best; the food, the wine, the company or the gorgeous kitchen with copper pots everywhere. He was in culinary overload.
The weather was another story. From sunny North Carolina to cold, snowy, windy, Virginia. Who knew that a couple hundred miles could make such a difference. Our blood has thinned out quickly and horror of horrors, we had to find our socks.
Ole Blue with a fresh coat of the white stuff.
We had other more mundane tasks to accomplish on this trip north. Fun things like getting our taxes done, going to the DMV, getting our hair cut, making sure we still had jobs to come back to. You know little things like that.
We spent a good amount of our time trying to figure out where we would live after bringing the boat back north. Since we had downsized our lives, we could choose any kind of lifestyle we wanted. Did we want to buy something or rent? If we rented, where and what kind of unit? Way too many choices that made us nightmare clients for our realtor Sue Fitzhugh. She had seen our kind before and Sue was great to show us about 200 apartments and townhouses in just a couple of days. We think that Reston will be the where we hang our hat, but we have not yet pinned down the exact location. We will leave that for when we return.
For now, we have a boat to get ready. We need to resupply the food and drink, as well as give Helios a quick shakedown to check the idle systems. The trip north should prove to be a great time. With room for crew, we look forward to having some visitors. Hopefully the weather will be nicer to us then it was on the way down. Knock on wood.
Right now we are snug in our bed in NC reading the Sunday paper and watching HGTV. While there is a lot to do to get ready, you don't want to push yourself to hard.
Enjoy,
P & J
I don't remember the 495/267 intersection being this bad
We only had time to visit a few of our friends. The list would include:
Laurie, Layla the Brave, Kevin, Lisa, Larry, Sandy, Dan, Bob, Ann, John, Beth, Sue, Sue, Sue, Gary, Jen, Doug, Tom, Deb, Fran, and of course Sammy the Pug. If we didn't mention you it's because we are bad people with bad memories and we apologize.
While we had many tasks planned for the week, we did get to see some new things. We hit a great new restaurant downtown called Temperance Hall. Good brunch with a classy neighborhood bar feel. Doug worked on the menu and did a wonderful job.
3634 Georgia Ave NW is a great place to meet.
The gang having a little brunch.
In fact I think we gained 10 pounds from all the fantastic meals. We were lucky enough to be in town for a dinner party hosted by John and Beth. Beth created food to die for and John just kept opening incredible wines as a complement to the meal. James couldn't decide what he liked best; the food, the wine, the company or the gorgeous kitchen with copper pots everywhere. He was in culinary overload.
The weather was another story. From sunny North Carolina to cold, snowy, windy, Virginia. Who knew that a couple hundred miles could make such a difference. Our blood has thinned out quickly and horror of horrors, we had to find our socks.
Ole Blue with a fresh coat of the white stuff.
We had other more mundane tasks to accomplish on this trip north. Fun things like getting our taxes done, going to the DMV, getting our hair cut, making sure we still had jobs to come back to. You know little things like that.
We spent a good amount of our time trying to figure out where we would live after bringing the boat back north. Since we had downsized our lives, we could choose any kind of lifestyle we wanted. Did we want to buy something or rent? If we rented, where and what kind of unit? Way too many choices that made us nightmare clients for our realtor Sue Fitzhugh. She had seen our kind before and Sue was great to show us about 200 apartments and townhouses in just a couple of days. We think that Reston will be the where we hang our hat, but we have not yet pinned down the exact location. We will leave that for when we return.
For now, we have a boat to get ready. We need to resupply the food and drink, as well as give Helios a quick shakedown to check the idle systems. The trip north should prove to be a great time. With room for crew, we look forward to having some visitors. Hopefully the weather will be nicer to us then it was on the way down. Knock on wood.
Right now we are snug in our bed in NC reading the Sunday paper and watching HGTV. While there is a lot to do to get ready, you don't want to push yourself to hard.
Enjoy,
P & J
2.26.2007
Disneyland Paris: Our Pictoral Trip Report
We didn't want to end the reporting on our trip to Europe without letting you see some of our pictures from a truly Magic Kingdom. We jumped on the RER and headed for Parc Disneyland. It is just a 45 minute ride from central Paris. The train drops you right in front of the main gate. While there were many similarities to the other parks, it did have some differences. Some better and some worse.
Snow and the boys were there. Can you name them all?
Team Helios on the road.
First stop, Pirates baby!
A nice mound of booty.
My kind of bedroom.
Very cool with the mist of the morning.
A nice stern rail.
We had a great lunch at the Blue Lagoon inside the Pirates of the Caribbean.
Their version of space mountain. It was killer.
The castle was a little smaller then Orlando, but they did have a dragon in the basement.
Pet dragon keeps the crowds down.
The inside of the Castle.
Thunder Mountain railroad was faster then ours.
The Haunted Mansion is the Phantom Manor. We liked the graveyard.
Side view of the castle
Captain Nemo's quarters.
Cool piping.
The giant view port with giant fake squid attacking every few minutes.
Ship map.
It wouldn't be the boat without the organ
Snow and the boys were there. Can you name them all?
Team Helios on the road.
First stop, Pirates baby!
A nice mound of booty.
My kind of bedroom.
Very cool with the mist of the morning.
A nice stern rail.
We had a great lunch at the Blue Lagoon inside the Pirates of the Caribbean.
Their version of space mountain. It was killer.
The castle was a little smaller then Orlando, but they did have a dragon in the basement.
Pet dragon keeps the crowds down.
The inside of the Castle.
Thunder Mountain railroad was faster then ours.
The Haunted Mansion is the Phantom Manor. We liked the graveyard.
Side view of the castle
.
There was one thing that would make our friend Larry turn into a 10 year old kid again. A full size Nautilus from 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea. Now that was cool.
Sitting right next to space mountain.
Captain Nemo's quarters.
Cool piping.
The giant view port with giant fake squid attacking every few minutes.
Ship map.
It wouldn't be the boat without the organ
.
It was a great time. We hit just about every ride that we wanted. And of course we went on Pirates twice. Well, we are sailors after all.
.
The day came to a close and we retreated to our Paris hotel. With the Orlando, California, and Paris Disney under our belts we just have to get to Tokyo and China and we will have a clean sweep. Hmm, sounds like a good goal.
We have recovered from our jet lag and are hard at work preparing the boat to come north next month.
.
Enjoy
P&J
2.21.2007
A Fine European Vacation Continued
Once we made our way back to Munich, we caught another train toward the south of France. Our overnight destination was Nice via the town of Nancy. I wondered if the males there are called 'Nancy boys', but Pat wouldn't let me ask anybody.
The trains in France are a little different than the German ones. They seemed a bit crowded.
The line to the bathroom was ridiculous.
And the bartender looked familiar, but we couldn't place him.
It was one strong drink.
After a surprisingly good night sleep on board, we awoke to a wonderful view of the Mediterranean Sea.
Many sailboats enjoying the breeze.
We made our way through the town of Nice to the beach and got our first look at the Med. The weather was perfect 64 degrees and sunny. We sat on a bench and enjoyed a breakfast of cheese stuffed red peppers in olive oil and hot coffee. Feeling refreshed we walked to the top of a cliff near the beach and had a beautiful view of the city.
Nice in the morning.
The blue was unbelievable
On the quay wall.
James doing his Rocky Balboa imitation.
The view from our fifth floor balcony.
Just what a Pope dreams of
Just a little marker for prosperity
Just need to pick this lock and let the revolution begin
Great place to eat.
See any hunchbacks?
Again with the Rocky Balboa thing
The trains in France are a little different than the German ones. They seemed a bit crowded.
The line to the bathroom was ridiculous.
And the bartender looked familiar, but we couldn't place him.
It was one strong drink.
After a surprisingly good night sleep on board, we awoke to a wonderful view of the Mediterranean Sea.
Many sailboats enjoying the breeze.
We made our way through the town of Nice to the beach and got our first look at the Med. The weather was perfect 64 degrees and sunny. We sat on a bench and enjoyed a breakfast of cheese stuffed red peppers in olive oil and hot coffee. Feeling refreshed we walked to the top of a cliff near the beach and had a beautiful view of the city.
Nice in the morning.
The blue was unbelievable
On the quay wall.
James doing his Rocky Balboa imitation.
After strolling through the outdoor markets, taking in the smells of spices and fresh baked bread, we made our way back to the train station so we could continue on to Avignon. I must say that cruising along at 160 mph does leave you breathless. We reached Avignon early in the afternoon and found our way to our hotel. The hotel was in the center of town surrounded by cafes, shops, and plenty of moped traffic. You took your life in your hands by just going across the street. Our room was a very nice affair with a balcony and an outdoor shower. I thought that was rather interesting until I found out that the outdoor shower was a cold shower only. Yikes!!
Hotel de l'horloge is in the middle
The view from our fifth floor balcony.
We did the tourist thing and scouted the town. Apparently the Pope stopped by a couple of hundred years ago to avoid being killed in Italy. Since it looked like he needed to stay for awhile, he decided to build himself a little place to live. Being the Pope, he was used to a certain standard of living so the Palais des Papes (Popes Palace) was constructed. The next ten Popes lived here until it was safe to return to Italy.
Just what a Pope dreams of
.
After 3 days in Avignon, we boarded yet another train bound for the city of lights, Paris. We arrived at our hotel just a stones throw from the Eiffel tower. The room was a little run down, but twice the size of a normal room in Paris. The elevator was another story. Apparently a small closet had given its life to make way for the "elevator". Imagine stepping into a coffin standing on its side and listening to the wires squeak as it pulls you up at the speed of glue running down hill. Ya, something like that. We had to take it one person at a time to keep from going into a claustrophobic fit.
After breakfast we once again assumed the tourist stance. With umbrellas in hand we went in search of art and headed for the Louvre. It was a rainy day so everyone else in Paris was doing the same thing. Every language on earth was represented. We did catch some interesting pictures.
Shhhh....Mary Magdalene. Don't tell anybody.
Those taggers are out of hand in Paris
.
And finally someone came up with a grave marker that I would be proud to have as my own.
Just a little marker for prosperity
.
After leaving the Louvre, we strolled down by the Seine to the Pont Neuf and kissed in the rain. The last time we were here James asked me to marry him, so it brought back wonderful memories.
.
As we wandered along the sidewalks and looked through the shops James came upon a terrible sight. Gnome Prison. That's right Gnome rights activist everywhere must be alerted of this travesty of Gnomes justice. I plan to start a letter writing campaign.
Just need to pick this lock and let the revolution begin
.
After the great "Gnome Jail Break" we were hungry so we had lunch at a great little place called Le Pre Verre. With our sad attempt at speaking french we ended up with the special; grilled pork salad and a fillet of perch with a mango, ginger chutney. It was delicious.
Great place to eat.
See any hunchbacks?
Again with the Rocky Balboa thing
.
We have intentionally left out our trip to EuroDisney so we could do it all in one post, so stay tuned. With our stay in Paris concluded it was time to once again return home. After a quick cab, subway, bus and moving sidewalk trip we boarded our flight for the good old US of A. We were looking forward to getting back to menus written in English, bacon and eggs for breakfast and lawyers battling over where to bury the latest celebrity casualty. There really is no place like home.
After conducting our small search of Europe we came to the conclusion that Elvis is really doing a great job of keeping out of sight.
Enjoy
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