Adventures of Mischief

The next morning we once again under sail leaving the anchorage and headed for York River Yacht Haven in Gloucester Point, VA.

At York River Yacht Haven (YRYH) friends of our,Kevin and Hope DeNicola, from Kemah and TASS, were there waiting to great us. How cool! They were very gracious hosts and advisors on where to go and what to see. One of the joys of traveling on a sailboat is when you run into (not literally) some old friends and catch up. At every port it seems new friends are made only to say good bye to but every time you cross paths again it reminds you how small the world can be.

While at YRYH Kevin and Hope took us for a sail on their Valiant 42 Fidelity. A gorgeous boat that is fun to sail. Also we met another couple, Libbi ad Jeff Ellis, who were almost retired and preparing to go off cruising in warmer waters. (They did manage to leave at the end of November – fair winds)

YRYH is near Yorktown and has sooo much history. We enjoyed visiting the National Park and driving around the battlefields. The internet has made it so much easier to do. Just download an app the as you approach a place the app starts telling you about the history. In Norfolk we visited the Chilean barquentine Esmeralda which is a training vessel for their navy. It is a beautiful tall ship.

We flew back to Houston for a short stop to play with the Grandchildren and the rest of our family, check on the house, etc. But eventually we returned to YRYH and prepared to move on.

Coinjock Marina was our next destination. This is a popular marina on the way to the Chesapeake that use to be family owned. It has been recently bought out by a marina company but they are hoping little will change and steal the quaintness of the place. There is a restaurant on site that is famous for its Prime Rib meal. Therefore we had to give it a try. We split the 16 oz prime rib, that’s their smaller size, and it was excellent.

The following day was planned to be a short day. The Great Lock had an electrical issue this spring causing a curtailing of operating times. Back ups had been reported earlier in the year and we needed to go through. The distances between bridges that needed to open and the lock were almost too far to do leisurely. So pushing the engine we and another sailboat rushed to make all the bridges and the lock in a timely manner. Otherwise we would have been delayed for 1 to 2 hours. Thankfully one bridge the operator did wait about 5 minutes for us to get through. The good news is that we just made the Great Bridge and Great Lock for their assigned opening times. The 2 sailboats were the only ones in the lock. The lock master was very friendly and helpful. After that is was a short trip to Portsmouth/Norfolk.

After tying up at Tidewater Marina we took a ferry from Portsmouth to Norfolk to go exploring.

In Norfolk there is an Episcopalian Church that has a cannonball stuck in an outside wall that we went to see. Supposedly the ship Liverpool fired the shot in anger as the last Royal Governor of Virginia was fleeing during the American Revolution. The funny part of the story is that the cannonball fell out of the wall later and in 1830 was put back in.

Also in Norfolk is the MacArthur Memorial. An interesting museum about General MacArthur. Norfolk has a large naval presence and it was fascinating to see all the ships.

Being in no hurry Mischief went west. On a Chesapeake Facebook group there was a reference to the Albemarle Loop. This is where several marinas around the Albemarle Sound will allow you to dock for free for a couple of days to see their towns.

The first town on the Southside is Columbia, NC. This a neat little small town with a thriving art community. There is a small museum about the history of the area, 1 restaurant open during the week and a coffee/gift shop during the day. There are other small businesses, hardware stores, welcome center, clothing store, pharmacy, etc too. A nature preserve is close by to hike through and enjoy. We spent a pleasant couple of days there.

The next stop going counterclockwise around would have been Mackey’s Marina. It looked like a nice stop with a restaurant but we gave it a pass. Plymouth, NC is next but our mast was too tall to go there. Continuing around is Edentown, NC a town with a lot of history and things to do. Unfortunately we would have had to go under a 65′ bridge that boats with 63′ masts reported losing their wind instruments and stuff on top of their masts. Since we conservatively say we are 62′, according to our best guess and the user group for our boat, we decided not to risk it. Later that day locals told us the water level can vary several feet depending on the wind. Without local knowledge we made the right choice. But we still would like to go visit Edenton someday.

Our final stop on the loop was Albemarle Plantation, a golfing and marina community. This was the perfect place to stop for 4th of July celebrations. For almost nothing we rented a golf cart for our 5 days there. This allowed us to tour the community, go to the pool, restaurants, carry laundry, etc. Everyone was so friendly and helpful. The grounds were beautiful.

There was a spectacular firework display on the 4th. Even though it lasted later than our normal turn in time we rose early the next morning to continue on our way.

After spending a week in Raleigh for a Syzygy Plasmonics field trial we went to Columbia, SC for a short visit with my Uncle Ron. When we made it back to Osprey Marina south of Myrtle Beach we prepared to move on. Our plan was to go out Little River Inlet and sail to Beaufort Inlet and that’s what we did. It was a good sail and the tides were timed correctly for getting in. There was a fishing tournament going on that weekend and the wakes were terrible. We spent a couple of days exploring Beaufort, NC before moving on.

From Beaufort we sailed to Oriental and tied up at one of the city’s free docks. No electricity or water but the right price with a coffee shop right across the street. There is a great provisioning store a block away that had free bikes to lend. That really helped getting to West Marine and back. Yes it’s a boat something always needed to be fixed…

New Rain Gear bought in Oriental. John looks like an New England fisherman on some fish food box!

The next stop was Belhaven Marina. A nice locally owned marina that is very welcoming. They also have a golf cart free to use to go the grocery store in, very helpful. It is a quaint little town with some new businesses that are revitalizing the area and good restaurants that understand gluten-free within walking distance. The freeway has diminished the importance of the town as a way to move goods via water but its beauty and nice people will keep it alive.

A few days later we went to TJ Marina and Boatyard in Belhaven to get Mischief hauled out of the water and replace a ball valve. Mischief had a thru hull that would not close and we (I) decided we could sleep better if we knew it worked properly. It also gave a chance to look at the bottom of the hull for the first time in over 1.5 years. She looked good but every bit of Prop Speed on the propeller is gone. They were reasonably priced and very conscientious about hauling the boat out. It was a little dicey getting in to the boatyard due to very skinny water but it is well marked. Can’t believe we forgot to take pictures!

By the time the boat was in he water again there wasn’t much time to go very far so we went Drowry Creek Marina. Very nice facility, great dockhands willing to help, pump out at the slip (the little things make us happy) but it was a very lively place, lots of waves, to dock.

The next morning we left to head farther north. On the north end of the Alligator river we bravely dodged crab pots and found a place to anchor. It was very pleasant and peaceful, for a little bit. The weather predicted some wind, but surprise not nearly as much as we saw. The wind reached 40 mph for a while but the Mantus anchor held. Yay!

Once we spend sometime in place it gets harder to leave. You make new friends and just get comfortable not worrying about weather, depth and all the other concerns when moving.

Towards the end of April Mischief finally left St Augustine going north on the ICW to make sure the engine was really fixed. It was, yeah!!! Pine Island was a nice anchorage for the first night making for an easy day going to the Jacksonville, FL. There are some really nice free docks there with room for about 4 maybe 5 boats. We stayed there for 3 nights waiting for a weather window to go offshore. There was no electricity and very questionable water. The algae coming out of the faucet quickly clogged our water filter. Thank goodness for the filter. Being free also means no security. On our last night there someone boarded our boat at about 12:30 in the morning. When the hull was pounded and I shouted at them, they quickly hopped off the boat saying I scared them. Probably just kids but still scary.

We went out the St John River Inlet for an overnight sail to the St Marys Inlet. We arrived before sunset so slowly did circles until the sun was thinking about rising and the tides would be favorable. A mooring ball was taken at Fernandina Beach for a couple of days. Fernandina is nice little town for a short visit.

Again the weather was not cooperating so we finally decided to take the ICW to Lady Island Marina near Beaufort, SC. This is a very nice marina and there were some really friendly and helpful sailors there. We took Duber (dinghy) off the boat and checked out the area. The river has a strong current and the Torqeedo (dinghy engine) really had to work to get us back. John wanted to get some work done so we then moved to Beaufort’s mooring field for a few days. This gave a chance to explore the historical area of Beaufort. There was a “taste of Beaufort” festival going on with some really great music.

From Beaufort we continued north to just south of Charleston, SC. Most of the cruising guides warn against anchoring anywhere near Charleston. Supposedly it has been used as a nautical trash disposal site for the last 300 years and anchors often come up fouled or they don’t come up at all. This caused us to decide to go to St John Yacht Harbor for the night. A first class marina. A little pricey but it was nice. We did not get a chance to visit Charleston, we have to save something to do when we go back south.

Next we arrived in Georgetown for a short stop. There are some really neat old houses there. On many of the old houses there is a placard that states what year the house was built. And just like the Florida Keys they had chickens wandering around loose.

Our short term goal was to get to Osprey Marina south of Myrtle Beach. We made a reservation there for a month so that John could spend at some time Raleigh, NC for work and we could sneak a trip back to see family. This is a nice well protected, fresh water marina off the ICW that was very reasonably priced. Thank goodness, Florida prices were crazy high in some places.

First photo is on the ICW in South Carolina showing some old rice paddies. This picture reminded me of a scene from “Where the Crawdads Sing”. Second photo was a sign seen as we were nearing an area of shoaling (shallow water). In one way it was nice to know they were ready to help. on the other hand a little worrisome about how they knew someone might need it about then.

On our way there we were 1 day early so we anchored on the Waccamaw River. It took us 2 tries to set the anchor even with our Mantus anchor but once set it held well. If you were a frog this is exactly the most perfect place you could live. It was very serene. I was going to say peaceful until I remembered how the frogs would periodically start croaking for several minutes only to erupt again a little while later.

That’s an old saying about a boat because they require constant maintenance but sometimes things get old and need more care than usual. Our 24 year old boat has decided that she needs some extra love, all at once.

First was a leaking, slow flushing head (toilet) that required replacing a 10 ft hose and new connecting pieces. But the head smell is still coming from under the settee so the search for other places air can escape but fortunately not liquids continues.

When we left Marathon the boat seemed to be having a great time finally getting to move again. The original plan was to stop and anchor at Rodriquez Key for the first night but the winds were perfect so we decided to keep on sailing. The next morning we turned on the motor and steam or white smoke was coming out of the exhaust. John changed the impeller but only a little improvement. And of course the temperature gauge stopped working. We stopped at North Palm Beach Safe Harbor Marina for a couple of days to catch our breath and have a real bathroom. The next hop was to Ft Pierce, a really nice marina where we had the engine looked at by a Westerbeke expert. The good news was that the white was steam (not good) but not smoke (really bad). He told us the engine needed a new water pump. Hmmm the current one wasn’t that old but a new pump was put on. Then we left taking the ICW for 3 days to St Augustine. Mischief had more steam coming out than before. Huh? In St Augustine another Westerbeke expert came scratched his head because the now working temperature gauge did not show overheating, but there was not enough water cooling the engine. He flushed the heat exchanger, which looked clear but obviously wasn’t because a lot of gunk came out. The engine is working well but the temperature gauge has stopped working again, It’s always something and at least we have a spare water pump now. Oh yeah we also lost the upper batten for our mainsail. The velcro wore out and it went flying. Another something to repair/replace.

In St Augustine Mischief had new windless installed. The old one worked but sometimes acted up. Since we’re planning on anchoring out a lot it was a worthy upgrade for the peace of mind.

The expenses added up fast in a short period of time. They say to budget at least 10% a year for maintenance/repairs/upgrades. We were lucky for a 1 1/2 years with hardly any cost. Well we are back on track plus some. But it’s all worth it.

In St Augustine the old town was an easy walk across the bridge from our marina. The St Augustine Distillery and San Sebastián Winery had fun tours and tastings. Better yet they didn’t care if you showed up more than once!

Well a lot has happened since the enthusiasm of our kids helped to start this site. Now it’s time to try and add to it ourselves. Mitzi has been chastising me for not keeping it up. So here it goes…

Living on a mooring ball is interesting. The rules of the harbor say you can only leave your boat unattended with someone else keeping an eye on it for 7 days, 10 in a pinch. Well John had flown home the same day the girls arrived which was wonderful. Later the plan was for me to fly Southwest Airlines home to celebrate the holidays with everyone. Early Christmas Day before the sun was up my flight was cancelled. Oh no! The time allowed away from the boat was counting down! Found a United flight but would miss everyone for the Christmas celebration. It still turned out to be a great trip.

By the way, I still like Southwest, they increased the number of flights, at least what I could see, to get from Houston to Sarasota before Hurricane Ian so boat owners could prep their boats. A big Thank You for that.

Boot Key Harbor in Marathon, FL is a great place to stop. Some people get there and stay much longer than planned. It’s the sticky bottom affect. They have a great cruisers net where they welcome new arrivals, questions can be asked, help can be requested and usually found, and the local community going ons are announced. Also the place has so many things going to do… corn hole, pickle ball, bocce ball, community garden, local plays, fishing seminars, cooking classes, bikes to borrow, a great workshop area, jam session night, weekly happy hour and more. No wonder it was hard to leave. But we finally did at the start of March.

Sandy and the boys came to visit us in January which was a real treat. So back to Key West to see the 6 toed cats at the Hemingway house. again. The boys were really fun to have around. It makes going to the beach and anything else you do seem that much more exciting. They even got to see a real Cuban Chug boat that was used for some refugees trying to get to the US.

To emphasize that cruising is NOT an endless vacation and an escape from everyday drudgery. We had head issues that plagued us for about a month. For you landlubbers, that’s the toilet. Yuck! John say that’s a green (money) job, but I said, “I can fix that”. Hmm it was gross, stinky, and I only improved the situation slightly. Finally after the head completely stopped working the day before we were planning on leaving it we decided to call in the professionals. Did you know there aren’t many people willing to replace head hoses even if you dangle lots on money in front of them? Therefore it was a poo bucket for the trip, even more yuck. We finally got the hoses replaced in St Augustine. It was amazing our head worked as long as it did.

One a more polite note, the Sunday before we left Marathon some manatee, a sting ray, and jellyfish came for a visit. These are some of the things that make traveling on a sailboat worth it.

For the first time we’re on a mooring ball for an extend period of time. We’ve had to learn how to manage our energy and water demands. It’s amazing on how much we waste when on land.

Mitzi has taken to the life away from land very well, but she does look forward to her trips to land. She has learned how to climb in and out of the dinghy if it is close enough, and will stand at the front of the dinghy to lookout for any sea monsters or whatever is lurking out there, maybe a manatee…

Baby steps have been taken to install solar on Mischief. So far we have 200 W of solar panels that is allowing us to run the refrigerator a few hours each day. Yay! We still need to make the installation more permanent, add some fuses and more panels. But the proof of concept is working.

About a week ago there was a bloom of mold in the aft cabin. John and I both started coughing horribly. It was against the hull of the boat where condensation had occurred and there was very little air flow. That meant empty the cabin out wiping down, washing every surface, spraying anti mold stuff, lots of laundry, etc. I think it is finally gone or really just under control waiting for the next opportunity to plaque us again.

Mischief is a boat, She floats; on water. She has sails, but can also use a motor too. It’s like water camping, but also really good for racing. #RaceTent

She is white and blue with minimum algae build up. She is closely followed by her dingy, Duber.

John and Nancy pretend to own Mischief, but we all know Mitzi the Maltese is in charge.