Has it really been that long...

Salt Ponds, VA

So, have you ever had one of those weeks...or two, when you feel like not much has been going on, but then when you really think about it you realize that's not the case, you were just too lazy to make a blog post? Well, that's how its been around here. When we last checked in we were almost getting ready to enter the Dismal Swamp. We spent our last night on the Chesapeake in Salt Ponds, VA. it was a nice little anchorage, and I mean little. There were two marinas there, but only room for 1 or 2 boats to anchor. We spent the afternoon exploring and fishing and headed to the marina restaurant for dinner. Now, we don't make a habit of going ashore for dinner, but this was the first restaurant we came to since my birthday, so we splurged! The next day we were out early and heading for Norfolk, VA, past the Naval Base and down the Elizabeth River. Finally to the Dismal Swamp.

Deep Creek Lock

Don't let the name fool ya, it was a pretty cool place. Not too far in we entered our first lock. Robert the lockmaster was extremely knowledgeable and not only did he give us a quick history of the canal and tips on surviving our first cruise, he also played us an entire song on his conch shell. Then he proceeded to drive 1/2 mile down the road and open the bridge for us. Right after the bridge is where we spent our first 2 nights in the swamp. Now, when we had exited the lock we noticed another Gemini tied up to a dock. We don't see many of these boats in Jersey, so when we do see one it stands out. Not long after we tied up to the wall beyond the bridge we saw a couple (obviously cruisers because of their backpacks and smiles) walking towards us. We knew they must be on the other Gem.  It turns out their boat is not only the same year, but we are only 8 hull #'s apart! Tim and Jill, on Links, are officially our first cruiser friends, and immediately proved themselves invaluable. They have had their boat for 12 years, so Bud didn't waste any time picking Tim's brain about every little thing he ever wondered about SeaQuest.

The Beautiful Dismal Swamp

Even though it was beautiful where we were, there was some weather coming in, so we took our time down the swamp. We spent 2 nights at the North Carolina Welcome Center, which was a great place. There was fresh water, restrooms, hiking and biking trails and, oh yeah, "rafting" which was one of the strangest things we've seen so far. There is only room for about 4 boats along the dock, so after it is filled up boats just pull up alongside, throw bumpers out and tie onto your boat. Not just one boat, 3 or 4! Everybody proceeds to hop from boat to boat until they make it to shore. Strange, but a great way to meet people.

Rafting

From there we moved down the swamp about 4 miles (closer to provisions) and sat out the weather for another 3 days. When we finally decided to leave, Mother Nature decided to rain on us...all...day...long. But, we made it to Elizabeth City and met up with our friends. Elizabeth City was great for one reason...LAUNDRY! Of course it was still raining, but that's what Hefty bags are for.

Paula & Noble of Abigail, us, Jill & Tim of Links

The next day we departed with our buddy boat Links and had a great sailing day (despite the yucky weather) to the Alligator River. After that we headed through the Alligator River - Pungo River Canal. Not a beautiful day, but at least it wasn't raining. Things were going along just fine until our gauges started jumping around and going off. Bud went below to check the batteries, so I was at the helm. Of course that's when the engine decided to crap out! Dead in the water. Luckily we were in a wide enough canal that boats could easily get around us. We threw out 2 anchors, and Links came back to help. Within a few minutes we were up and running again and to make a long story short, when we arrived in Belhaven a few hours later things were worked on, checked out, ordered, bought and changed. We ended up sitting out some more weather in Belhaven, and stayed 4 days. Links left after 3 (and we are still trying to catch up!).


Links

SeaQuest

 Bye Bye Belhaven! Although it was nice having a free dock and being close to any store we would need, it was time to move on. We traveled 50 miles along the Intracoastal and ended up in Cedar Creek. We came an extra 10 miles because I read in the guide book that you could sometimes get shrimp or crabs at the commercial dock there. By the time we anchored and made the dinghy ride to the dock, they were closed. Go figure. It was almost dinner time so I started boiling water for pasta. Bud took the ding out to try a little fishing. I guess he was craving some fresh seafood as much as I was. I was in the galley trying to figure out how I was gonna make frozen meatballs go with linguine and white clam sauce, when I heard Bud come back to the boat. Low and behold he had a fish! He was only gone 10 minutes, I think that was some sort of record! We're still not quite sure what it was, but it was delicious. Much better than meatballs with clam sauce.

Sea trout??

 We had looked at our Skipper Bob's cruising guide and knew that the following day would be a short 23 mile trip. Before we left in the morning we took another ride over to the shrimp dock. We literally bought the shrimp right off the boat, and headed on our way. The sun actually came out and we had a beautiful day out on the water. We anchored around 1:30, and by 2:30 we were enjoying lunch/dinner - spicy shrimp taco salad! Let me tell you, I'm not a fan of beheading the little critters, but I got over it. Tomorrow, moving on down the line.  I'll try to post more frequently!
~ Jen & Bud

Southbound

 

Checking things out before leaving Middle River

Although we hated to leave friends and family in Middle River, we had to keep moving. We did manage to take on a stowaway for a day though. Our daughter Elizabeth joined us for a spectacular sail to Kent Island. Not only was it a great sail, we finally caught some fish - 2 nice stripers! Since we left our net on the dock in Middle River, we were pondering how to bring the second and bigger fish on board...then it hit me! Our friend Kyle had given us a couple of spears for fishing in the Bahamas (if we make it there), so I went below and grabbed one. There was no line attached to the spear, so of course I had visions of throwing it, losing it, losing the fish and having to face the Capt'n, but luckily we kicked into survivor mode. Bud reeled it in close and I speared that sucker and brought it in. Of course all of the proof of this is on my camera with a dead battery and I can't unload the pics! But when we settled into Goodhands Creek, the 3 of us enjoyed a delicious fish dinner! Tim and Stephanie came to pick up Liz shortly after and we had our final round of goodbyes. Now we were on our own with many miles to go before seeing some familiar faces.

The next day we headed for Brooks Creek, Little Choptank River, on the eastern shore. A quiet little creek with nothing but a few houses and Danny Windsor's Crab Shack. Danny was another nice, regular guy. We picked up some ice, and he (Mom, you might want to skip this next sentence) even drove us down the road to fill our jugs with fresh water. That night we realized how amazing the stars are down here!

The following day we headed back to the western shore and checked our notes from our conversation with Roy. We met Roy in Middle River and he gave us some suggestions for places we might want to stop on the Chesapeake. We picked a spot...Point No Point, St Jerome's Creek. Perhaps we should have paid more attention to our notes from Roy, WATCH THE CHANNEL! Well, I know I heard somewhere that if you travel the Intercoastal and don't run aground, you're lying. In our defense, the markers were really confusing and the chart wasn't marked correctly either. Luckily there was a local guy fishing about 20 yards away. Ray Cyrus quickly became our new friend! Before I knew it, Bud was in waist deep water pulling SeaQuest off of the shoal (that's why we love this boat!) and Ray was leading us through the correct channel. We found a nice protected spot to anchor and knew we would be there for a few days because of the weather blowing in.


anchorage

The town on St. Jerome's Creek was Ridge, MD. Not so much going on here. We brought our bikes on shore at Buzz's Marina, run by Mike and Chrissy. What a great spot! We explored by bike for the next few days. We rode about 5 miles just to get to a place for lunch. Our other travels consisted of the gas station/market, hardware store and interestingly enough our new friend Ray's house! He was kind enough to share with us his secret for catching rock fish (stripers to us). The DC minnow. Unfortunately we haven't had any luck with it so far, but we're still trying! I can still hear him "Fish on!" 

Buzz's Marina


Kaya, not thrilled about her life vest. We tried to take her for a dinghy ride, but she wasn't up for it.

Sept. 30th. Happy Birthday to me! My first birthday at sea! It was another beautiful day and our original plan was to head to Tangier Island. Well, our plans changed, not once but twice. Onto plan C.  The weather was so nice we decided to keep going and ended up in Wicomico Church. Which was fine with me, because there was a winery there! What a nice birthday dinner that would be! Unfortunately I didn't call ahead. Their Fall hours were in effect. Oh well, our pina coladas and nachos were just as good as any old winery could have served, right? In such a beautiful setting, how could I really complain. And again, the stars were breathtaking.

This may have been where we ran aground...the channel is to the left of that marker, who would have thought?

On the move again, early. Still very strange to be up with the sun and in bed by 9:00, but I like it. Our plan today was Horn Harbor, about 30 miles south. The weather was beautiful and the winds were light, but we were anchored again by 2:30. After exploring by dinghy and filling up our gas/diesel tanks at the one and only marina here in Horn Harbor, we set out to go clamming! Wet suits on, we were ready! The only problem was, there weren't any clams! The water was so clear it was like dinghy-ing through an aquarium. We were lucky enough to get some fresh oysters though. It turned out to be more work than it was worth, but we enjoyed them just the same!

Just one more stop on the Chesapeake before Norfolk and heading into the Dismal Swamp!YAY!

~ Jen & Bud

The first week

Anchored in Brigantine

 

Okay, I know it's been over a week now since my last post, but living this life of leisure is exhausting and we are still adjusting. We had a couple nice days sailing from Barnegat to Atlantic City and then down to Cape May. We had friends and future Gemini owners sail with us from Atlantic City to Cape May. It was a little swelly, but a beautiful day.  We were going to drop them off at a marina in Cape May and let me just say that our approach was less than stellar. Lesson learned, we need to keep a pad and pencil near our VHF for directions! After dropping our friends off and filling up with a whopping 8 gallons of fuel, we left the marina, anchored off, and set out in the dinghy to explore. One of our intentions for this trip is to explore new places and meet local people. And so far we are succeeding. I believe we found the Cape May equivalent to our Broadway Bar and Grill! We actually met a scallop boat captain who has been to the Broadway for the fisherman's happy hour at 7:00am!

 

Anchored in Cape May

 The next morning we were up with the sun and headed through the Cape May Canal and up to the Cohansey River. What a beautiful spot! It was hard to believe we were still in New Jersey. According to Bud's mom we are not supposed to talk to strangers, but we like to call them characters. And boy did we meet a character, his name was Charles. He was a neat guy with great stories. He even offered us his truck to explore and since we already had dinner plans, offered to make us breakfast the following morning. We were at a dock with fresh water and Bud wasted no time washing the boat. I've never seen any man so excited to see a hose! Although I must say I was equally as excited to see bathrooms with a shower. So after the boat, Captain and 1st mate were squeaky clean, our guests arrived. It was the Smith clan! Our son-in-law Dave came with his parents and his brother, sister-in-law, nieces and nephew. What a great dinner and visit!

The Smith clan

 

The next day (I think it was Friday, but to be perfectly honest we have already begun to lose track of the days) we were up and out early to catch the tide leaving the Cohansey. The weather was beautiful, but no wind. We traveled 20 miles up the Delaware Bay, and then caught the flood tide through the C&D Canal. After the canal we traveled 12 miles down the Chesapeake and tucked into the Sassafras River for the night. Another beautiful spot. We explored a little by dinghy and attempted fishing (again, skunked), but the birds were amazing. We saw a few bald eagles and a few thousand ducks. Apparently it's duck season, as the shots that rang out the next morning proved.
 

Anchored in the Sassafras River

C&D Canal

 Saturday we continued down the Chesapeake, heading for Middle River, MD. Second lesson learned, read the right compass rose heading so that you don't end up in restricted waters off the Aberdeen Proving Grounds! My bad. Nobody came after us, so I guess we weren't that much of a threat. Oh, have I mentioned all the crab pots in the Chesapeake? What a pain in the rear. I guess I should be thankful that I'm exercising my eyes and have become an expert crab pot spotter.

Docked in Frog Mortar Creek, Middle River - Thanks Dani!

 

Middle River has been a welcome break. We have good friends that live here, and have had seen family and friends every day. We will be leaving Wednesday morning and I have a feeling we will miss all of the company we've had the past few days. Not sure exactly where we will head from here, all I know is that it will be SOUTH!

~ Jen & Bud

The Adventure Begins...

 

    OK, so we didn't get that far...but we're on our way!  We had a nice breakfast with family, and quickly departed. Quicker than I thought it was gonna be, but I'm probably better off. I didn't even have time to bawl, and Bud didn't have to pry me off of the dock.

 

    The kids escorted us to the Mantoloking Bridge, and after a few more waves goodbye to family, we were on our own.  After talking about this trip for years, Bud confessed that he never really believed it would happen, but...here we are. Ready for the adventure!

 



 

~ Jen & Bud

 

Shakedown Cruise

 

June 22....That was the day.  For many months now, we knew it was coming.  "You guys should come to Block Island!" That's what our friends Don and Lisa said many moons ago. "Sure, sounds great!" That was our reply.  Sounds all well and good, but as the days passed and it grew closer, my apprehension increased.  Bud was still very excited, but I was trying to think of people we could drag along with us.  After all, this would be our first big cruise, not to mention our first overnight sail.  A few weeks before we were to leave, it was apparent that it would be just the two of us...alone.  I decided to embrace it. We could do this. We were going with a buddy boat, so that was comforting. When we met with Capt'n Don a day before the trip, I was expecting some direction, some chart plotting, some tips, SOMETHING....Nope. "Out the inlet, heading of 75 degrees to Block Island." THAT WAS IT?  Not so comforting.  Oh well, here we go! 

 

 

Saturday, June 22 turned out to be a beautiful day. We left the inlet at 10:00am and headed, you guessed it, 75 degrees.  The ocean was beautiful. No turning back now.  We saw a bunch of dolphins, a sun dial and even a shark! Smooth sailing. Catamarans are notoriously fast boats, but when you live aboard it's a different story. We have so much weight on this boat, not to mention a dirty bottom!  We did OK keeping up with our buddy boat for a while but lost sight of him some time after sunset.  Not a problem, remember... 75 degrees.  We made it through the night under a beautiful full moon.  We took 2 hour watches which seemed to work out well.  By the way, we love love love our autopilot! (We call him Otto... get it, Otto Pilot!)  We spotted our buddy boat right before heading into Block Island, perfect timing. I think he was afraid he lost us in the fog! Did I mention Capt'n Bud caught a nice blue fish! (and proceeded to slaughter...I mean filet it right in the cockpit) We managed to season and marinate the filets and have everything cleaned up before heading into Great Salt Pond, Block Island. By 9:00am we were moored and enjoying breakfast. Twenty-three hours...we did it! And apparently we made good time!

 

 

Block Island was beautiful. It was Race Week, so there were tons of boats and sailors, and we met some great people. We even rented scooters and toured the island with some good friends.  It was nice to relax for a few days, but Wednesday came and we were off again.  Headed for Old Saybrook, CT. Unfortunately the wind was out of the south and it was a day of motoring. As was the next day to Southport, CT.  But that's OK, they were two really neat towns. One nice thing about traveling in our home is that we also travel with our garage.  We have 2 really convenient fold up bikes which allow us to see more in less time. Friday we headed to City Island, NY.  Nice long showers at the yacht club, and a walk into town for an outstanding dinner. After a drink at the club it was early to bed. We left City Island at 5:30am in order to have an easy time through Hell Gate. What a cool ride through the city and down the East River.  It was a bit choppy in the NY Harbor, but SeaQuest handled it with ease.  We passed Sandy Hook at 9:30am, and the seas grew. There were swells about 10'...I swore they were bigger, but I think I exaggerate about the seas like Bud exaggerates about the size of the fish he caught! We made it home and anchored at Treasure Island for the night. I'm not sure why I say we made it home, we are always "home". That's what we love about living aboard!

 

What a great trip! It was definitely a good shakedown cruise...broken Windex, radar tripped out, saltwater in the bilge, high seas....the important thing is we handled it all in stride, and it was the confidence builder we needed. Confidence in our boat, and confidence in our crew.

 

I know I haven't mentioned the other two members of our crew, Bud thinks it's best to let Kaya have a say!

 

That's right, I think I deserve a say! My furry little life was turned upside down 10 months ago, but I must say, I think I settled in on the boat quite nicely. I love living here at the dock, and I don't even mind my annoying little brother Chase much anymore. We love going out at night and hanging out topside.  Yup, the dock is nice. But then came the sailing! Not a big fan the first few times. I couldn't even keep my lunch down.  Then all of a sudden last Saturday my Mom tried to feed me this really nasty tasting pink pill...I think she called it benadryl. I heard her talking to the vet about it last week. Well, I did not appreciate that. I thought I did pretty good , I made it almost all the way to Block Island before I tossed my cookies. It was nice to relax for a few days, but once we started to move again my tummy started to rumble.  I guess my Mom noticed (could've been the drool dripping from my usually adorable little face), because she scooped me up, wrapped me in a towel and brought me outside with her. I actually started to feel a little better.  She held me almost all day and made sure I was OK.  I even sat by myself for a while.  The next day Mom didn't even need to hold me, though I did like to be covered with a towel. By the last day, I became quite comfortable in the little cubby you see above. Mom tried to shove me in there a few days before, but I wasn't ready.  She had the right idea though, it was way comfy! Mom knows best!  So now I think I am a true sailing kitty, out on the open sea, the wind blowing through my fur... As for my little brother, he's a wuss, he doesn't leave Mom and Dad's bed until we dock or anchor. Oh, and I think there's something you should know! There were a lot of times during our sail that Mom and Dad BOTH walked away from that steering wheel! They say this pilot named Otto is driving, but I don't see him. I think I might have to learn how to drive this thing!

 

 

 

Home Sweet Home!

There she is!

 

Well, It's been a crazy 6 weeks, but we are settling in!  Since my last post, we have had our survey, made our purchase and brought our new "house" home, but not without incidence.  We were very excited after the closing, and couldn't wait to bring our new boat home!  Unfortunately, when we went to pick her up, there were problems with the motor and after a day of troubleshooting, we decided it was bad gas.  The next week we tried again...with external gas tanks, and we were off!  Unfortunately, there wasn't much wind, so it was a long motor home. We made it from Atlantic Highlands, around Sandy Hook, down the coast, into Manasquan Inlet, under the train bridge and the Brielle bridge, and through the Point Pleasant Canal.....well, almost through the canal!  About 100 yards from the end of the canal our fuel pump failed and there were a few minutes of OH NO!  But, thanks to a quick thinking Capt'n and crew (and a guy who jumped off the work barge to help us) we were able to secure the boat to the the side of the canal and fix it right up.   After settling into our slip at the marina, the to-do list began to grow, and it hasn't slowed down! 

 

At this point we are counting down to our closing on the house at the end of the month. Very exciting, and very scary. You don't realize how much stuff you have accumulated until it's time to scale down. It's actualy been pretty cathartic though.  I'm gonna keep plugging away and we'll see how the next few weeks go!

 

 



How time flies...

I can't believe it's been 16 months since my last post. Boy, did we get off track. Life, work, projects, all seemed to get in the way.  Well, look out...we are on the fast track now!  As of last year we were trying to accomplish our to-do list to sell the house.  Bud's business was keeping him as busy as ever, and my job took me to California for most of last Summer. When September rolled around we bought a project house with a friend of ours and spent the Fall and Winter renovating it. What a great learning experience and an overall fun job for me!  After the sale of that house we decided to get a move on!

We are not putting the house on the market. Our son Pete will be moving in so we can keep the it in the family for a while.  And the boat search...well, we checked out 10 boats, in 6 states over the last month!  Of course the one we decided was for us is right here in New Jersey.

Our survey and sea trial are in a few days, so hopefully everything will work out fine. 
                                                                                                                                     We love this boat!

We will keep you all posted on our progress!