Category: Sailing

Life in the fast lane!

We worked right through the weekend and I didn’t even realize it was Tuesday!

My first thought is to slow down a bit but I really want to cut this so called five year plan, well four now, down to just a couple of years.

That and I am looking at something real special this weekend, I don’t know if I should tell. Superstitious people would say you will ruin it.

Oh well, my second thought is I really hope the 39 foot sailboat we look at on this Saturday is worth it. If it is and we get it this so called four year plan can be trimmed.

I guess I shouldn’t say too much so tune in next week and see what the outcome is!

Have a great week
Wolfbernz

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Tags Life

Chesapeake Bay New post

Overnight Fun!

Yesterday we finished up early, we have been working pretty hard lately.
My first thought was what the heck we can jump on the boat and head to our favorite anchoredge!

So off we went yesterday afternoon, it was so nice out. Chips and a few beers on the way.
The place we head to is usually crowded during these months, yes they were all there too.
As we arrived we headed to our own little spot where no one knows it is ok to anchor here.

My second thought as I woke up this morning… There is nothing like being rocked to sleep and waking to a beautiful sunrise!

I told Trina “we could just keep going!” She laughed and said we need to head back we have work to do.

Have a great Tuesday!
Wolfbernz

Tags Sailing

Atlantic ICW Chesapeake Bay Farm New post Sailing Top Sites Tuesday

Home Sweet Home

Last Friday around 11:45am we decided to make the jump from Norfolk, Virginia, to Cambridge Maryland. It’s about 150 miles and usually takes three stops. We filled the tanks full of fuel just in case we decided to skip a stop. The wind was screaming from behind us, gusting 25 to 30 mph as we headed into the Chesapeake. The prediction was for the wind to calm as the day went along with a wind shift after midnight. Later in the day about 3:30 the wind

We decided to skip our first stop at Deltaville, Virginia, and head to Solomans Island, Maryland, but this meant sailing into the night. Well rested we decided to go for it and make time, arriving in Solomans at 4:00am. So far this had become a long haul with Trina and me trading out for a turn at the helm to go below to warm by the heater. The heater did make it a bit more tolerable though. After checking the weather, wind conditions and fuel we decided to catch a short nap and go onto Cambridge. The weather had moved in a bit quicker, it was now to rain on Sunday with snow in the afternoon, the bay is not the place to be in these conditions!

Trina and I both had our turn of falling out, going below to rest while the other took over. Finally Saturday afternoon the sun came out, we made the right choice because it was a bit warmer. I raised the pirate flag and Conch Republic flag from the Keys as we made the last five miles into the marina.

We ran twenty five hours and crossed the bay, about 155 miles or so. Tired and hungry we were picked up and taken to eat, now I was much more tired. They were right about Sunday it never really got above freezing. The sun came out for a short time so we headed back to the boat. Some how the boat was parked in the wrong slip… Missed it by that much lol

It was an adventurous trip to say the least but I am glad we made the right decisions and got here before the storm blew in.

My first though when we arrived at the farm was… Holy Crap, it’s still winter what happened to spring? I thought I was seeing things, it was just a joke when I said get out the snow shovels we are almost home!

My second thought after watching the news and seeing the big picture was… It won’t last the sun comes out tomorrow with a warming trend and I really don’t want to be on the water for the April thunderstorms that come up the East Coast.

It’s good to be home spending the rest of the week with the the son and grandson Jacob and getting back in the swing of things. The shop will be opened for business this week and its time to fire up the tractors for another adventure on the farm 🙂

Have a great Tuesday
Wolfbernz

Atlantic ICW New post Sailing Top Sites Tuesday Vacation

Weather Predictions

I woke up this morning in Elizabeth City. It was foggy and drizzling. I’ve been through here before but it’s always been pretty nice… sunny, warm… the forecast for today was sunny – no mention of fog. My first thought was to make the next weather window we have to keep moving north so we have to go North through the Dismal Swamp today.

It’s foggy and drizzling and we’re in the swamp with logs and trees and floating debris. It’s an eerie feeling to be in the swamp like this.. maybe that’s why they called it the Dismal Swamp, the fog and drizzle really help it live up to it’s name.

My second thought this morning is I need a job like the weather men have. Where I can be wrong 50% of the time, make lots of mistakes and still have a job! It would be cool to just throw out a prediction of what the weather might be and just sit back a pull in the paychecks. I could do that.

So here we are making our way. We arrived early for the first lock and we’re waiting for it to open so we can pass. Once again, not sunny. Not 67 degrees. It’s cloudy. It’s windy. It’s cold. In the Dismal Swamp.

Any day on the water in the boat is a good day though, even if it is foggy and the weather men are clueless 🙂

Wolf

Atlantic ICW New post Sailing Top Sites Tuesday

Faith in Humanity

Sunday we had a great run, the A4 (atomic four inboard motor) ran like a beast. Pushing us through some wind swell and current beautifully. We made Beaufort SC. By 2 or 2:30 pm that afternoon from Thunderbolt Georgia. The free dock was taken, but it was early so we kept going.

Lady’s Island bridge is off restriction on Sunday (if you don’t make it by 7am you will wait until 9 during the week) We headed up to Brickyard Creek, it looked good on the charts… It said to anchor on the 11ft on the charts… Ha ha – not much room at all shoaling everywhere. It was too late in the day to leave we were committed.
I circled many Times found the best spot I could. With the opposing wind and current the boat kept laying up on the anchor line so fast we couldn’t even try to get a second one out.

All of a sudden we had to do something or end up cutting our own anchor line on the keel. We went on deck to see a blond lady waving her arms and yelling… We thought at first it was the “get your stinky sailboat out from in front of our house” but we were wrong.

She was waving us down to come to her dock for the night telling us that’s a bad spot to anchor many and most end up on the bank.She was watching us with binoculars and saw we were in trouble, this lady was an Angel worried we would end up like others in the past.

We tied to a dock warm and cozy, slept like a baby.

Thought #1: Our faith in Humanity is restored 🙂
Thought #2: Life is good

Atlantic ICW New post Sailing Top Sites Tuesday Vacation

The Oldest City In America, are you sure?

Post author By Wolfbernz
Post date February 26, 2013
3 Comments on The Oldest City In America, are you sure?

As we sit here riding out the storm for the last few days here in Saint Marys I have met some wonderful people. We even went to the local Christ Episcopal Church on Sunday and loved it.

Christ Episcopal Church Saint Marys Georgia

I am glad we are tied to a dock, it is a rough storm bouncy and noisy but safe. A sailboat close by hit the beach this morning, Yikes!

It has been brought to my attention by some local people that Saint Marys is the oldest city in America not Saint Augustine? When I asked I was told that St. Augustine was owned by the Spanish not the American colonies… Hmmmm my first thought was, I wonder if this is true. We’re the American colonies together then?

We have been walking around the small city of Saint Marys and there is a lot of history here. Some in fact that dates back to the same time as St Augustine. In the very early 1500’s Acorrding to Wikipedia, It says St. Augustine was the oldest but it shows St. Marys town not listed… My second thought was how could this old historic town that included so many people important to America’s history. The battles fought here, and not a word, hmmmm. I wonder why? This was obviously a town in the early 1500’s so what happened, I found this…

St. Marys, Georgia is the second oldest continuously inhabited city in the United States … Established by an act of the state legislature on December 5, 1792
Noted as a town almost 300 years after it was settled.

Here are a few photos of the town from the last few days ( taken between raindrops lol)

Fountain in the Saint Marys Georgia town park

Historical Marker for Washington's Pump and Oaks — Historical Marker for Washington’s Pump and Oaks

Washington's Pump - the only source of fresh water in Saint Marys Georgia until the Tidal wave of 1818 — Washington’s Pump – the only source of fresh water in Saint Marys Georgia until the Tidal wave of 1818

Me sitting on a Bench in front of the old Grocery Store - now an empty restaurant — Me sitting on a Bench in front of the old Grocery Store – now an empty restaurant

Sanford Goodbread House - really liking the pirate and cannon on the front lawn — Sanford Goodbread House – really liking the pirate and cannon on the front lawn

Our Boat, PT26, sitting on the City Dock in Saint Mary

Have a great Tuesday,
Wolfbernz

Atlantic ICW New post Sailing

Hard freeze in America’s oldest city!

Post author By Wolfbernz
Post date February 19, 2013
3 Comments on Hard freeze in America’s oldest city!

We were in such warm weather here in Florida, we had the right wind so we blew north. It didn’t take long and we had sailed into St Augustine, America’s oldest city. We have been here before but decided to stay a few days, it’s a fun city.

I do watch the weather but didn’t realize it was to be so cold. When the dock master said it was going to be in the low thirties my first thought was oops we went north too fast! After watching the weather it didn’t matter too much where we were it was to be cold.

The first night wasn’t to bad it was cold but tolerable, we marched around the city checking out the sites and going over the Bridge of Lions to the fresh food market. The lions are carved from the same stone quarry in Italy that the statue of David was carved.

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Later in the day the sun started to drop and get cold,I mentioned we should get back to the boat. After being in such warm weather twenty eight degrees on the water was reallllly coldddd. My second thought the next morning was we should stay a few more days until it warms up! This is a great opportunity to use the cruisers lounge and do laundry and watch mindless TV.

St Augustine is a very cool city, full of history, great architecture and a really cool fort. I managed to talk the Admiral into getting us a pirate flag for the boat, it must be the kid in me that refuses to grow up lol.

Have a great Tuesday
Wolfbernz