June 15-18 2014 West Bay and Ocarocke

 June 15, 2014

We were up at 8 waiting for the dock master to show up so we could buy fuel at the astounding low price of $3.59  He finally wandered in at 8:30 and helped us get our lines off so we could exit the slip.  Got out although the wind was strong and I had to use one of the slip pilings to leverage the aft end to get out of the slip without hitting any of the multi-million dollar sport fisherman.  Wouldn't that just be grand.

We moved out of the fareway and over to the fuel dock but had trouble getting the stern into the dock because of the wind.  We had a bow line out and I was using it as a spring but the wind was hard to overcome.  Much better to set a mid-ship center line to use a s spring line then trying to use a bow line. But we eventually got tied up.

Added 88 gallons which calculates out to about 2 miles per gallon.  Not bad for a 26 ton boat. 

Wind Horse

As we were leaving the marina I noticed Wind Horse, Steve Dashew's rather famous world-traveling yacht.  Neat to see something I've about several years ago.

Some of our dock neighbors speeding by us

Headed out into shipping channel and up the ICW.  We were passed by a number of these big Sport Fisherman.  Most slowed down.  The wakes they can throw at speed is enormous!  Made it out into the Neuse River after by-passing several potential anchorages.  Our goal was West Bay which is at the end of the Neuse River and actually in Pamlico Sound.  It’s a large shallow bay but is good shelter from east and southerly winds which we were fighting.  Heading to it we had beam seas, reminiscent of our past ocean jaunt a week ago when we were buffeted about by large beam seas.  But these were mild compared to the ocean.

Getting ready to anchor in West Bay

We arrived around 6pm and heading some previous cruisers warnings about bugs able to drag you off he boat, we anchored ½ mile off shore.  Once the swells calmed down it was wonderful.  Clear skies, bright stars but an annoying array of insect visitors we couldn't quite kill.  Viscous little beasts.  Had a few mosquitoes which were dragonfly –sized.

Sunset in the enormous West Bay

But before the insect battles we watched a few episodes of Boston Legal.  The stateroom was 83 degrees.  Too hot for me but we could only use one window to catch the breezes because one of our screens seems to have floated off somewhere.  Probably out the rear window in some of the strong gusts we had at Shackleford Banks.  Until I make a new temporary screen, it’s a single window for us.  And that means hot.  I had to sleep up in the salon where the cool air was. The bugs seemed to prefer the heat and Mary which was fine with me.

June 16, 2014

Batteries are back to normal keeping 12.5 volts after an overnight with no generator run.  We hoisted the anchor around 9:15 and headed out on smooth seas across Pamlico Sound to Ocracoke.

The sound is huge to the point where you can't see land in any direction.  Yet it's shallow, averaging between 12-22 feet in depth.   With its long fetch, the winds can rally whip the water into an unconformable frenzy.  Thankfully we didn't experience that this time.

Beginning of a long winding channel into Ocracoke

The channel getting into Ocracoke is well marked but shallow and any deviation from the channel will result in a grounding.  The markers are forever changing because of the constantly shifting shoals, but its passable.

The only warnings were to avoid meeting a ferry in the channel.  Good advice!  We, of course, met TWO in the channel and received some punitive rocking but nothing too severe.  Oh well. 

Narrow channel into Silver Lake at Ocracoke

Silver Lake is a small lake-like basin within the island so its well protected although the winds can still blow hard.  There are ferry docks on one end as you enter the lake through a rather narrow channel.  Along the shore are a couple of crumbly marina's and a few eating establishments followed by several condo's and a one or two homes.  Directly across from where we anchored is a crumbling dock and old fish shack.  We were the only power boat in the anchorage out of the 9 boats anchored.

The ferry that beat us in

Tomorrow we plan on leaving at 7am with the first ferry out.  I figured  that following a ferry out the channel would negate any opportunity for another ferry meeting us in the channel!  Logical right?  We'll see given our luck with this sort of thing.

Also we have a long way to go tomorrow and the Sound is supposed to roughen up in the late afternoon and we are anticipating taking the channel that runs between Roanoke Island and the barrier islands with a possible stop at Manteo.

We are the only powerboat in the anchorage 

But now maybe we’ll stay here a few days.  Its well protected and rather interesting.  Reminds me a little of Door County with all the vacationers strolling about or riding in golf carts.  Thursday does looks like a good travel day but Friday brings rain.  Tomorrow its fine in the morning but starts to get rough in the afternoon.  All these decisions…

Main drag in Ocracoke

And … yes, we are now staying until Thursday morning! Decision made!   But, of course with any decision comes consequences and ours happens to be on the our A/C electrical side.  The second, (220) bus circuits are all dead.  Looking at the breakers I found a crumbled wire, basically gone.  I don’t have enough knowledge about how that bus is wired so we'll need to consulate an electrician tomorrow.  Or, if we cant find one here we’ll wait until Elizabeth city.  The 2 of the 3 A/C units are dysfunctional (the forward cabin A/C works off a different circuit)  as is the water heater.  The engines will heat water while running, but for now as long as we’re anchored here, we’ll be in a situation of dwindling hot water supplies.  I mean really.  Is it that critical though?  The sea water is 82 degrees so a warm dunking is still possible.  

I find it interesting that we incur an electrical problem disabling our two main A/C units when the temperatures are forecast to be in the high 90’s and even a hundred.   Fate it seems, is not without a sense of humor.  At at least from  fates point of view.  Meanwhile we sweat and consume water.  Luckily we can still make water!

We met a delightful much younger couple at the (where else) ice cream store.  They are from the Chesapeake area who quit there jobs three years ago and went cruising primarily in the Bahama's.  I guess this cruising bug doesn't entice just us old couples.  They recognized us while watching us lower the dinghy.

June 17 2014

The forecast has changed a bit leaving us with a good window to leave here tomorrow, Wednesday.  And so that’s the current plan.

The electrical problem is a corroded and broken wire on one of two of them main power breakers.  I'm not sure though if the breaker is fried.  And I don't have a replacement 50 amp breaker.  So much for DIY.   On a long shot I called the Anchorage Inn and Marina and Robert, the manager there, went searching for a guy named Jimmy who does electrical work on boats.  This could prove interesting!

They sell ASS t-shirts ...  Albert Styron Store

We had planned on hopping a ferry to Hatteras for a day trip its a free ride!  The only problem is that it lets you off at the tip of the island, several miles from Hatteras, the village.  We have no car and the bicycle idea wasn't considered a wise idea by the locals I talked with about the ferry.   No Hatteras for us this trip.

Our favorite Ocracoke ice cream store

No call back from this guy here on the island so we’ll either get it this electrical issue repaired in Elizabeth City or somewhere up in Portsmouth.  The down side is the temperatures which are supposed to hit the 100’s and we’ll be in the dismal swamp.  Perfect combination.  No A/C in a swamp at a 100 degrees.  There are bugs in swamps so I hear.     They are sort of interesting though with big greenish eyes and this yellowish tinge and delta set wings.   Interesting maybe but I still hate the damn things. 

Rob?  You sold the Krogen for a sailboat?

Wind is blowing pretty good now, but the forecast predicts the Sound being subdued until late afternoon when we should be approaching the Reed Point anchorage which offers protection from southwest winds.

I spent most of the morning doing blog stuff in a glacially slow stolen internet connection.  Mary wasn't feeling well and slept until 1 today.  I took the dinghy in to the island for a long walk and returned to the boat around 4PM.  We waited until about 7:30 before I started the generator and we hauled the dinghy back aboard.

Another view of the main drag in Ocracoke

Engine room check revealed that annoying but small engine oil leak on the port engine.  My latest theory is there is a loose bolt.  So I’m going to check it again tomorrow and see what I find after running for another 70 miles.

Should be a good sleeping night tonight with the wind blowing as it is.  We’ll leave tomorrow with the first ferry around 7am unless the weather forecast changes yet again.

June 18, 2014

It was 84 in our stateroom and since we don’t have an A/C back there I had to sleep in the forward cabin where the A/C does work when the generator is running.  But the cabin does get cool and with all the hatches open it was pleasant.  The rear stateroom sufferers from the engine room bulkhead acting as a big old heat sink spilling its heat into the stateroom.   And it takes about 12 hours for the heat to finally dissipate. The forward stateroom has no such dilemma so when its too suffocating I sleep in there.  Mary on the other hand can sleep in that hot humidity.  

The down side however, is an army feasting bugs.  And I was the main course.  Ugh ...

I  never had so many bug bites before and I don’t know who’s attending the nightly barbecue.  Mosquitoes, Noseeums, deer flies, these little delta wing, piranha flies flies or something.  Not sure how I’m going to handle tonight.  I should note I never met an entomologist I liked.

Thanks for the splash of color , guys

We were attacked sometime last night by mud wielding birds.   Thankfully it was only mud and not the offerings of a flu stricken bird.  They fly around after skewering a tasty fish in the mud banks and I suppose decide its better to remove the mud before eating the fish.  "... Oh look.... wouldn't that dull white old boat look good with splattering of rich gray color"?  The sailboats weren't so lucky, only us.  Maybe I need to erect a tall mast ...

The local mechanic never called so I've discarded that as a viable alternative.  The repair place in Elizabeth City has a busy signal on their phone for most of day.    So I’m thinking that’s not going to happen either.  I’ll just start looking for other alternatives closer to Norfolk I guess.   Although there is a mechanic we dealt with last year in Coinjock who might be able to meet us in Elizabeth City.  Ken, I think is his name and I recall he was a particularly efficient and honest fellow.

I found out that the first ferry leaves at 6:30am.  This is important because we want to follow a ferry out the channel.  Besides the earlier we leave the less bounce we’ll have as the latest forecast has 1-2 foot waves in the morning turning to 2-3 in the late afternoon.  We have 68 miles to go.

Oh, but wait!  Did I mention we’re staying put again today?  Since I was up early the new forecast would be unpleasant in the sense we’d be rocking and rolling pretty good for all 68 miles.  Tomorrow will be better at least during earlier in the day.  Although there is the threat of rain, we should be tucked in a nice big anchorage by then.

So here we sit.  We put the dinghy up and I’m reluctant to manhandle it back down in these strong winds.  Besides, we really have no where to go aside from walking around the island again.  Well, there is ice cream, but really.  How much Ocracoke ice cream can one consume … Mary?

I gathered all my log notes and started putting them in the blog.  Took a break and re-caulked most of the forward hatch which had started leaking.  But one of these days it will have to be removed, and the opening cleaned and re-caulked.  But not today.

Looking out over the anchorage

Running the generator tonight to charge batteries, run the forward cabin A/C and make water.  Was hoping we could do laundry but with that 220 AC buss kaput we’ll just have to wear dirty cloths or …

I finally reached Ken, a mechanic we had dealings with last year at Coinjock. He operates Yacht-Doc.   He did transmission oil samples for us.  Anyway I called him thinking he might operate around the Elizabeth City area.  And he does!  But he also has a shop on Roanoke Island in Manteo near Shallow Bag marina.  Sounds like a funky place.  So he says he can get us fixed Friday morning if we stop there so I think we’ll do just that.

That's the sunset.  We rarely ever see a sunrise

The wind really started blowing hard later in the evening but our anchor held like a champ.  No worries.  The wind was so strong it actually cooled off the rear stateroom.  .