Starting The ICW (Finally we have decent Internet!)

Welcome to our Blog. Our latest entry always comes up first... 
Click this link if you want to start at the beginning:
FIRST BLOG ENTRY
If you want to start at the beginning of our trip:
START OF TRIP
If you want to see the story of our trip from South Carolina
(where we bought the boat)
 to Lake Ontario Click this link:
  SOUTH CAROLINA

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Yesterday we started our journey down the Inter Coastal Waterway.  Buoy #1 is in Norfolk VA.  Since our last entry we have been to New York City, Atlantic City, New Jersey, and Norfolk, Virginia.

Taking on water in Yonkers NY

New York City

Lady Liberty

The BIG Apple

Our day in New York started early when we stopped for fuel about 20 miles north of NYC.  Then we stopped in Yonkers NY to take on some water and pick up a few supplies.

Then the fun began... Our boat is equipped with something called AIS, which is an electronic device that identifies other vessels also equipped with AIS and gives us information like the vessel's name, it's vessel type, its direction, speed and a bunch of other interesting stuff...  As we approached NYC it started going CRAZY!  There are SO MANY boats in the New York Harbor the poor thing just went NUTS!...  we spent 5 hours dodging everything from stupid power boaters (sorry Mike), to ferry's, to some of the biggest ships I have ever seen....  If you EVER want to test your skills as a boater, this would be the final exam...  You really have to know who has the right of way in what situation, and a mistake could end with a big problem...

In the end, we made it through.  Exhausted, both physically, and mentally... Even though I was at the helm, Shelley needed to keep her eyes and ears open relentlessly, until we finally came to a small bay just on the back side of Coney Island where we spent the night at anchor, looking at the beautiful Brooklyn Bridge...

The boardwalk - Atlantic City

Testing our Mustangs....

At 4 am the next morning we set off for Atlantic City NJ.  We were able to sail all day and arrived at an anchorage beside the Golden Nugget Casino.  Setting the anchor was really tough.  For the first time since we left, I felt the need to dive on the anchor to check that it was set properly.  I am glad I did.  Only one fluke was set and after re-setting it, I re-dove it so we could sleep without worrying.  We were in a very small anchorage with lots of boats and a 4 knot current.

The next morning we got up and took a local bus into town and explored a few places we have been before, including a few casinos where I am happy to report we left with $15 more than we arrived with, so after lunch at McDonalds, we broke even for the day...

While in Atlantic City we met a family from Germany who were just finishing up a year long cruise from Europe to the Caribbean, then up the eastern seaboard.  They will be selling their boat in NYC and returning to Germany later this summer... What a wonderful family....  We are really starting to enjoy meeting such neat people along the way...  We also met another couple heading north... not many people heading south... hmmm... do you think they know something we don't?

After 2 nice days in Atlantic City we headed out in crappy rainy weather into the ocean with 6-8 foot seas and 25 knot winds and a forecast that things would get better in a few hours...  Fortunately, they were right and by mid-day we were having a beautiful run down the coast until we came to a little cove just over the Maryland boarder where we anchored for the night.

On the 21st we headed out from there and did a 24 hour run to Norfolk were we arrived at 7 in the morning just past the first entry point and found some shallow water, through out the hook (anchor) and slept until noon, when we completed the last 14nm to Norfolk/Portsmouth VA.

Another tough day at the office...

We felt REALLY safe

We stayed 2 days in Norfolk/Portsmouth and have had a ball.  we blew out the furler line on the way in so we found a small marine store where we bought a replacement line for 15 cents a foot (we needed 100 feet).  Cheap you say?  the next day we went back to get another 60 feet to replace the davit lines, and the manager assured us it was 45 cents a foot, and that the  clerk that sold us the first 100 feet made a big mistake...  I should have bought the whole spool when I knew it was really cheap the first day... Oh Well, live and learn...

Yesterday, we set out to find a post office and buy some stamps to mail a few post cards.  Shelley has been trying to mail these post cards for 3 STATES! no one around here seems to sell stamps and the post office seems to ALWAYS be closed... no wonder the US postal service seems to be in trouble....

As most of you know I have been in the people business most of my life....  Today as Shelley was buying stamps, I asked a man who was coming in to check his post box, where we might find a grocery store...  The man, Mike, not only helped us with directions, but DROVE US, not only to the grocery store, but the bank, Starbucks, and back to the marina where we had left the dinghy...

What an INCREDIBLE experience... Mike is a married father of three children and 6 grandchildren who not only taxied us around, he also gave us an amazing tour of his home town (Portsmouth).  We learned so much, and had a wonderful morning, and an experience we will never forget...  It is so wonderful when we meet people like Mike in this world!

We went to Norfolk in the afternoon and had hotdogs and the same place we stopped on our way to Canada in 2010...  They seem to be the tastiest hotdogs ever...

Laundry Day!

Even Laundry is FUN!

We did some laundry later in the afternoon and enjoyed yet another glorious sunset... A perfect end to a perfect day!

Yesterday we began our journey down the ICW and only went about 10 miles before we stopped to buy fuel and take advantage of the cheapest fuel ever!  The price so far has been between $4.25 and $4.85 per gallon.  These folks sell the same fuel for $3.59 and offer a free dock if you buy dinner in their restaurant and spend $75.  SUCH A DEAL!  we really wanted a night with a dock, fresh water, shore power and most of all, INTERNET! As it turned out we got everything except internet...  the thing that does it, was broken, so we spent one more night without... At 6:30 we met up with Mike and his wife pat and went out for dinner...  What amazing people.  Our lives are so blessed....

Today, we will tackled the realities of the ICW in a boat with a 7 foot draft.... We only ran a ground half a dozen times, but none serious enough that we had to call for help...  Early this afternoon we arrived at Coinjock NC.  tonight we will try their restaurant...  This should be FUN!

Cheers!