Steve the Stowaway

The Nor’Easter had moved North so we were safe to move on.  As we left the docks in Beaufort, NC heading to Wrightsville out in the open sea, we had a guest board Jay Sea Dee and we named him Steve.  Our first stowaway of this size.

The Captain wasn’t too sure about Steve.  Since Steve wasn’t leaving any time soon and we could see that he was tagged, John called the division of wildlife.  Their recommendation for getting Steve to move on was to use the blow horn which we tried but it was SOOOO COLD that all it produced was a minor squeak (pretty funny) so Steve got to ride for a while longer and then moved on on his own free will.

A Short Day to Elizabeth City

Another early morning for the crew of Jay Sea Dee.  It was only 36 degrees out when we left the dock but we had to make it to the South Mills Lock by 8:30am.  It pays to get up early:

This lock was much busier as there were six boats wanting in…we all barely fit,  It is funny because first we had to get through a bridge and once all the boats are through, the bridge tender gets in his car and drives to the lock where he is also the lock tender.  This also happened yesterday except in reverse order.  Before getting to Elizabeth City you have to request an opening at the Elizabeth City Bridge.  Look how clear and calm the water is…the reflections are amazing.

 

At mile marker 51 there is a Free Town Dock with 14 slips offered for Free for up to 48 hours to transients.  We decided we could use a day off the boat and stopped early here.  We found the town to be very welcoming although we didn’t see our “Rose Buddies” today.  We did walk to the Food Lion grocery store which is a 1.5 mile jaunt through a questionable section of town but we needed to stretch our legs.  We bought too many cases of beverages and called a taxi for the ride back.

Do The Dismal…the Dismal Swamp!

In order to avoid “The Graveyard of the Atlantic”  better known as The Outer Banks,  the Admiral requested that we go through The Dismal Swamp (one of my favorite and very serene places on earth). 

But first we had to get through Norfolk, VA. which is a big Naval yard.  We got up extra early to make it through the lock openings in the Dismal Swamp.  Out of our hands, however, we were delayed a bit while a submarine arrived and docked.  The radio warned all mariners to keep a 500 yard distance or they could use force…even deadly force.  That is pretty intimidating.  The water was a bit rough heading through Norfolk…check out our faucet below showing how much we are heeling:

Then we were held up at the two railroad bridges that are normally kept open because trains were going across.  Here are some photos of our Navy equipment and Norfolk:  The Battleship was really cool!  The last photo is the Amphibious Transport Dock, the USS Mesa Verde and the first ship to be named for Mesa Verde National Park in Colorado. The ship is designed to deliver a fully equipped battalion of up to 800 Marines.

Before arriving at our destination, we had to enter Deep Creek Lock.

The water churning looks like coffee bubbling in a percolator.

We had local bystanders watching the action!

More beautiful photos of the Dismal Swamp:

At Mile Marker 28 we made it to the NC Welcome Station.  It offers Free Dockage but all the spaces were taken so we ‘Rafted Up’ next to a big powerboat called Serendipity.  It is a visitor center for autos off the Highway and also to boats off the Dismal Swamp.

The Aftermath of Sandy…Heading Back Down The Potomac

What do you do when stuck on a boat during a hurricane?

Due to Hurricane Sandy we are a bit behind schedule and want to get to Florida for our scheduled flight home.  So we left the day after the storm left our area.  We were forewarned about the debris that would be in the river but it really surprised us how bad it really was.

Leaving the Marina

The color of the water looked like Cappuccino

The cormorants liked the ride on a big log

The most dangerous ones are vertical ones…you just don’t know what lies under the water.

Many, many flocks of birds were heading South like us!

We heard much radio chatter about FEMA visiting areas nearby where people were told to put a white towel over their front door if they wanted FEMA assistance.

Last night we made it to Machodoc Creek where we found a very protected cove.  There were many white poles lined up once you get inside the creek.  A local coast guard auxiliary member hailed us and told us we would be fine on the port side of those poles which mark oyster bed boundaries of the owners that live there.  The water does get skinny in places so just have the alarms ready.

Today was a very early morning for the crew but we made it as far as Poquoson River.  This is a well protected anchorage with good holding.  Again, there are shallow areas so approach with care.

 

 

Surviving Frankenstorm “Sandy”

As a low pressure front was coming at us from the West, a Tropical Storm/Hurricane was predicted to turn West from the Atlantic Ocean and create this “Frankenstorm” when they merged.  I don’t know if they called it that because we are so close to Halloween but the name seems to have fit. 

The crew of Jay Sea Dee had enjoyed many museums and sights here in Washington DC and it was time to move on.  That was our plan as of Thursday morning.  We deposited our marina key in the overnight box and planned on an early morning exit…then we watched television.  Well it would take us two days to get back down the Potomac and if this storm changed at all we could be right in the middle of it.  Soooooo…we stayed.  At that point we were anchored out in the river.  By Friday morning the storm was more defined and predicted to head straight for us.  At that point we called and got our T-Head spot back at the docks of The Capitol Yacht Club at the top of the Potomac River.  Although it costs about 5x the amount spent to anchor…Safety First! 

On Saturday, we noticed much more air traffic (we are just across the river from Reagan National Airport).  We were told by the Dockhand who has been here for decades that we would know it was a Presidential helicopter if it was travelling in a threesome.  Then we noticed that Obama must be coming home to weather the storm from the White House.  We also prepared Jay Sea Dee to weather the storm by taking down all the canvas and put anything loose inside the boat.

Last night Hurricane Sandy finally hit.  The worst of the winds hit around 10pm and our wind gauge read 60 mph.  That is the highest wind Jay Sea Dee has ever seen.  The boat vibrated quite a bit as the dock lines held it taught to the dock.  The wind was noisy but not overwhelming.  We were some of the lucky ones as we didn’t even lose electricity.  Our thoughts and prayers go out to all those who were more personally affected, including those crew members on the HMS Bounty who had to get rescued as the ship sank and they lost the Captain.

Today, I got up and took a photo from the deck of Jay Sea Dee.  We could see The Washington Monument behind the office building ahead of us even though it was still raining.  They say we might even get snow today…amazing.

Today Jay Sea Dee is “dressed” again with the canvas back on and ready to go.  We will attempt to leave in the morning barring a lot of debris in the river or major flooding as predicted.

Gallery of Art, the Post Office, the Supreme Court, the Capital

Today was another marathon but extremely interesting.  We started off in the National Gallery of Art West.  As you enter the Gallery you walk through a massive rotunda.  We saw a lot of Renaissance Style work, a Leonardo Di Vinci, and a Section of American Artists.  There were artists painting reproductions…how I wish I could do that!

Moving on we trekked to the Postal Museum.  What a fun place with lots of interactive exhibits such as scanning mail and being a Truck Driver for the Postal Service.  Did you know that Benjamin Franklin was Postmaster in Philadelphia in the 1730’s? 

I learned about the Postal Mascot Dog, Owney who (in the 1880’s) walked with the Postman on his route every day in Albany New York until he moved away and then Owney followed the scent of the mailbag with other Postmen who would “tag” him with their route tag.  He became so popular among the carriers that when he died, they took up a collection to preserve him.  He has been in the Smithsonian since 1911.

As you can see they are doing some repair and cleanup work on the Supreme Court building.  There are two grand figures on the sides of the front stairway.  On the left side is the female figure representing Contemplation of Justice and to the right is a male, the Authority of Law.  We walked up through the Great Hall and into the Court House. 

Truly magnificent!

Last stop was The Capitol.  This is the center of the greatest Democracy on earth.  As you walk in, there is very intense security.  When they say no food, they mean it.  I had half of my Chipotle Burrito wrapped up in the bottom of my bag from lunch and they made me go all the way back outside, throw it away and start the process all over again.  I know, this is for my protection.  Once you get inside Emancipation Hall you must get a “Timed Ticket” for your tour.  Lucky for us we were able to catch the next tour which was just beginning.  All tours start off with a movie about the history of Congress.  Our first stop after that was to The Crypt Room where under the center of the floor is a crypt that Congress wanted to bury George Washington in.  His family had to produce a will entailing his wishes so he could remain at Mount Vernon with his wife Martha.  Throughout the Capitol there are marble and bronze statues.  Each state gets two statues to represent their state.  We found one of ours for Colorado, an astronaut.

Next stop, the room where John Quincy Adams died.  Our tour guide also demonstrated how there are specific spots in the room where the acoustics are such that you can hear what others are whispering from across the room…very handy in certain situations I’m sure.

Finally, the Rotunda.  This is an architects dream.  The painting in the dome and the frieze that surrounds the room took the artist 25 years to complete.