Off the Beaten Path....

First, our location: New Bern, NC..........

http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hl=en&msa=0&msid=102224145462847302635.0004771abf8cc5270ffa9&ll=35.104058,-77.038858&spn=0.005152,0.013036&t=h&z=17

We're about 25 miles off the Intracoastal Waterway up the Neuse River in North Carolina. This is a cozy little town that is growing very fast--something different form a lot of other towns along our southerly route. It's clean, has good medical facilities, shopping and tons of history. We have not checked out the housing situation yet. New Bern was founded in 1710 by the German Baron Christopher DeGraffenreid. He was from Bern, Germany, hence, New Bern. In German, Bern means Bear, so the bear is the towns mascot. Just like Bern is the capital of Germany, New Bern was North Carolina's first capital. Retirees are the principal new inhabitants here. Fishing and sailing are also very popular here, being located at the juncture of two rivers--the Trent and the Neuse. We're currently docked at the New Bern Grand Marina located at the Hilton Hotel and Conference Center. It used to be a Sheraton property, and all the tourist info still labels it as such. But it's not.

Steve and Di Koch were aboard for a couple of days. We always enjoy having them aboard--loads of fun and laughs. And, Steve completed a few maintaince items that have been nagging Norm for a while, including the installation of a digital TV antenna. Here's Steve crawling out of the bilge--he was not doing anything related to the TV here. But, with the new antenna, Vicki is now assured that if ABC is receivable, she won't miss her favorite show "Dancing with the Stars". We found a great Thai restaurant last night. It is called "Thai Thai". It was unaminous amoung the four of us that it was truly the best Thai food we have every tasted.

We got some time today to do a bit of touring. We saw the Firemans Museum. It was great. At one time, just after the Civil War the northern's that settled here started up a volunteer fire dept. Not to be outdone, the southerner's started one two. So, at one time there were two. When a fire broke out they both would respond and get into fisticuffs to see who would actually put the fire out. Of course, the place was burning down while this skirmish took place.

Did you know that New Bern is the birthplace of Pepsi Cola? It is and we visited the pharmacy soda fountain where it all started.

Inside the "Outer Banks, NC"

Friday, October 21, 2009
Manteo was great! Next time we’ll stay longer. Manteo is on Roanoke Island in Pamlico Sound between the North Carolina mainland and the Outer Banks. We’ve seen so many struggling port towns – it’s nice to see one that’s prospering. We hooked up with Dave and Penny Stormont, friends of Bob and Steph, who keep their DeFever at the Manteo Waterside Marina. We had a wonderful time at dinner with them, they loaned us a car to tour and run errands, and Dave gave us filets of the striper (rockfish) that he’d caught that morning. We’re hoping to spend more time with them when they travel south later this year.



We went to the Monument to a Century of Flight and the Wright Brothers Memorial at Kitty Hawk. Both were very

impressive.










But the real thrill was lunch at “Bob’s, Eat and Get the Hell Out” Grille. Yes Folks, you can’t make this up. In the end, the name of the restaurant was the real attraction—not the food.










If you have been following our blog, you know that Norm has been under the weather the last couple of weeks. He hasn’t had much of an appetite and lost a few pounds. We really didn’t notice it till we took this picture of him. He has since gained a couple back and is feeling much better.








Ocracoke was our next stop. Ocracoke is 66 statute miles south of Manteo and not far from Cape Hatteras on the Outer Banks. It was another crisp, cool, sunny day with calm winds and seas less than 1 foot in the Pamlico Sound. The Sound is quite shallow (averaging 15 feet) and easily stirred up in a blow. So, we were lucky to get such beautiful cruising weather. We saw tons of cormorants migrating. Look at this shot.


In Ocracoke, we docked in Silver Lake at the Government Docks where Norm’s U.S. Parks Senior ("Geezer") Pass got us dockage for $32/night, including electricity and water. Another great geezer deal! Norm grilled up the striper Dave gave us and it was scrumptious. We owe Dave, big time!!!

Ocracoke is “Blackbeard the Pirate” country. He anchored often just off the Ocracoke inlet in Teach Hole, named after him (Edward Teach). After a few years of pillaging and plundering, with a fleet of ships and a crew of over 700, he was killed just outside Silver Lake after a bloody fight with English war ships led by two Admirals. He was decapitated and his head hung from the halyard. (No subtlety in the piracy business.) His booty was never found; but, his sunken ship “Queen Anne’s Revenge” has been located, according to experts in the salvaging business. Thousands of artifacts have been recovered—but not the “mother lode”.

The pirate flags were not very subtle either… The most common designs included an hour glass (your time’s running out), a downward arrow meaning imminent death, a heart (again, death), a skeleton like figure, and the ever-popular skull and cross-bones (death, death, and more death). Blackbeard wasn’t content with only one symbol – his flag showed the skeleton figure thrusting the arrow downward into the heart (lots of death there). And, the skeleton figure was depicted with horns meaning that he was in league with the devil. With all that mojo going for him, Blackbeard often didn’t even need to fire a shot to capture his prey.

We were hoping that Ocracoke would be a good place to pick up a scary pirate Halloween costume, but no such luck. Could have bought an eye patch, but not a peg leg or hook to be seen. Too bad.

The more we walk around town, the more this reminds us of Key West. So, we have renamed her O-key-croke. No, it’s not the same but there are some real similarities. For example, one of the old historical streets, Howard St., is a dirt road that is lined with small bungalows on heavily treed lots. It was there that we found Zillies. Zillies is almost a duplicate of the “Taste” store we visited in Urbana, VA. It has all those really neat coffees, beers, spices, wines and gifts. Then there is Howard's Pub. Howard's has 200 beers in stock at all times. We can’t forget the Flying Melon Cafe. We stopped there for brunch on Sunday. Great sweet potato pancakes, grits, crisp bacon and also a smoked salmon omelet. We shared, of course. We asked the waitress how the name of the café came about. She said that the owner/cook has a big head that is sometimes referred to as a melon. She doesn’t know about the flying part. Norm doesn’t have a big head, but it’s been flying a couple of times. He “beaned his melon” twice snowboarding. Now he wears a helmet. (We've been know to digress a bit.) O-key-croke is also similar in that it has a strong fishing history, tourism, surfing, beaches, lighthouses and all the great folks that like that stuff. Another thing reminds us of Key West--the grave yards. Again we did not see any stones that said "I told you I was sick", like in Key West, but we did see very old graves of seafaring men and women, including the British Graveyard of several seamen that went down with an armored trawler that was torpedoed by the the Germans right off the coast here. One observation we did not see in Key West. It appears that here, the pickup truck or SUV with the most fishing rods attached to it---WINS! I counted sixteen of them on one truck sitting in rod holders attached to the front, rear or both bumpers sticking straight up. If they are on the front, the driver has to look through the rods to see where he’s going. Sometimes these holders are attached to one of those extended platforms (again either front or back or both) that campers use to carry extra bikes and coolers. Weird!

So, if you are ever in the mood for a cooler (temp-wise) Key West, head for here! And don’t forget the rods.


Monday, October 26, 2009
It was our intention to leave for New Bern, NC today. But conditions are such that…well, it would not be safe for our mental states. NOAA says winds are 15-20 MPH with frequent gusts to 25; seas 2-3 ft; slight chance of rain. That forecast has been repeated for the last 3 days. Actually, those conditions aren’t that bad, but, it feels much worse than that and we are getting periods of horizontal rain. So, our instincts tell us to stay snug as a bug in a rug. A fellow boater left yesterday morning—got out just beyond the tricky, shallow, skinny channel and returned. He told us this morning that his anemometer read 25-30 with higher gusts and seas much more severe and getting worse the further he went in Pamlico Sound. So, maybe our instincts are correct; we’ll stay here another night and see what tomorrow brings.

Body in the Water!

Yikes! The coast guard was hailed on the radio today by a boat that found a dead body in the water. The boaters reported that there was an anchor strapped around the body! Double yikes!! (Norm was off the bridge when this came over the radio - initially, he thought I was making it up. But really, life is just as entertaining as fiction.) The coast guard tried to get the boaters to haul the body on board, but the boaters were a bit resistant. The coast guard said their ETA was over 2 hours to get to the body, so asked the boaters to stay there and tie a float to the body if it started sinking. Ick, ick, ick. Personally, I wouldn't be touching it. We immediately took turns at watch for pirates or worse....the mafioso. And Norm just finished reading a book about the mafia, so he was especially vigilant on watch. Fortunately, all we saw were sea gulls and crab trap buoys all the way to Manteo, NC on the Outer Banks.

Aside from the reported "hit", this was a truly wonderful voyage today. The air was a crisp 67F, the winds were calm and the seas in the Albemarle Sound were less than one foot. There were a good number of crab traps though after we left the Intracoastal Waterway.

This is our first time to Manteo. Actually, this is our first time to the Outer Banks. Our friends Bob and Stephanie aboard September Song recommended it to us. And, we had a nice warm welcome from the marina staff and fellow Defever Cruiser Dave Stormont, who lives not far from here with his wife Penny. They keep their boat here at the same marina. We plan to get together later with Dave, then with he and Penny tomorrow. Our location today:

http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hl=en&msa=0&ll=35.909734,-75.668169&spn=0.652902,1.668549&t=h&z=10&msid=102224145462847302635.00047676e91bfe9b4a084

The Leaves are Turning

It was another Monday night of Dancing With the Stars. That's two in a row - a record for this season. The ratty lounge at the Atlantic Yacht Basin had a television - miraculously, no Monday night football fans showed up to commandeer the TV. Ten competitors left - Vicki is rooting for Donny Osmond. Mya also looks like a tough competitor. And, yes, Norm did partake of the viewing even though he's not a fan of the show (wink, wink).

Heading to Coinjock. The prime rib is reserved. It's a pretty cruise in the ICW - the leaves are starting to turn color. We'll arrive around 2pm - time to do some laundry and cleaning.

During the recent rainy spell Vicki worked days on the computer to ready two applications for health insurance. She submitted them yesterday and should receive a response within the next month. One company wanted health history from the last five years, the other one wanted the last ten years! Fortunately, her medical records are onboard, but it was still a grind to sift through them. And she's been healthy!

Our New Location: Coinjock, NC.

http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hl=en&msa=0&ll=36.350216,-75.949892&spn=0.002536,0.006518&t=h&z=18&msid=102224145462847302635.00047662b6a7f2b3220a5

A Short Run Through US Navy-Land

First, our new location:Just click on the link below. It will take you to Google Maps and a "balloon" will mark our exact GPS location. Sometimes the map shows up too close and sometimes too far. So, just use the zoom (+) and (-) buttons on the left side to zoom in or out as necessary. We like to zoom out to see where we are in a bigger picture. Also, sometimes the screen shows up as a "MAP" view and sometimes as a "SATELLITE" view. We like the satellite view best, but both are good.

http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hl=en&msa=0&t=h&ll=36.723338,-76.233659&spn=0.020192,0.052142&z=15&msid=102224145462847302635.00047652181b71bd6b218

It was a short cruise today. Due to the lock at Great Bridge VA closing for parts of the day and the boat traffic backup, we decided to wait out the "jam" and leave Portsmouth early afternoon. We also decided to use a marina tonight because the temps were going to 41F. OR, was it because Vicki didn't want to miss her favorite TV program--"Dancing With The Stars"?

Passing through the Norfolk Harbor is always a treat. It's a huge seaport with big Navy war ships being maintained. We always see old aircraft carriers, guided missile frigates, hospital ships and various cargo and troop transport vessels.

Because of the Navy presence and the commercial port; and also because there are a half dozen bridges, locks etc to open on a tight schedule, we have to stay quite focused. We time our cruise to "jive" with the openings; and, that is sometimes not easy. Anyway, we completed the short 13-mile run today averaging just under 5 mph--that's good! Here are some more shots of Norfolk Harbor.

Again, we have davit-envy. I'm beginning to know what it must be like to be Doug on Gypsies in the Palace. This "davit" is bigger than the davit on Tide Hiker (see ours at the bottom of the photo). Ours is rated for 900 Lbs. I'll bet anyone that that big one in the Navy Shipyard is at least double that!!

Do you think they do any real heavy lifting in this ship yard?

Give us heat!

We're at Portsmouth Boating Center for the night. We were going to try the free city dock here, but read a posting on Active Captain that the water was over the dock at high tide and since the new moon is raising tide levels a foot above normal, decided to forego the free dock. Glad we did because it's a night that demands heat - cloudy all day, threatening rain, windy and in the mid-50's, in the 40's tonight. So, it's good to be plugged in!

Kingsmill was fabulous. Too bad Norm was sick and couldn't take advantage of it much. The outstanding marina manager, David, gave us a half-price "sick" discount, so we paid $55/day. Wow! Unfortunately, Norm is still under-the-weather, but his sinus infection is gone. We need some sunshine and warm weather to really cure him. On to Coinjock tomorrow for the famous prime rib - maybe that will do it!

Our new location today. Just as a reminder here are some hints on how to find us:

Just click on the link below. It will take you to Google Maps and a "balloon" will mark our exact GPS location. Sometimes the map shows up too close and sometimes too far. So, just use the zoom (+) and (-) buttons on the left side to zoom in or out as necessary. We like to zoom out to see where we are in a bigger picture. Also, sometimes the screen shows up as a "MAP" view and sometimes as a "SATELLITE" view. We like the satellite view best, but both are good.
http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hl=en&msa=0&msid=102224145462847302635.00047628eee5d8bce0338&t=h&z=19

Quiet Day (Revised w/picture)

Thursday, Oct 15:

Quiet day today. Overcast and cold - in the 50's. The perfect day for Vicki to start online applications for health insurance. She spent 4 hours applying on the AARP site - just a few more details to secure from doctors before submitting. Then applications to one or two more providers.

Norm is feeling marginally better. He took a walk today and brought back carrot cake for dessert. Yum!

Friday, Oct 16:

Still overcast and cold. Our heat has been on for a few days so we're comfy inside. The water is calm here but Norfolk is predicted to have 4-5 footers. Seas are supposed to lay down a bit tomorrow so we're planning to head to Portsmouth early PM on the falling tide. Norm is feeling a lot better each day--the drugs are working and this rest stop was very beneficial.

This eagle arrived yesterday and took a rest stop here too on the pylon close to Tide Hiker. Cool, huh?

We have a new moon on October 18, but we're already seeing the affects. Remember the "sea wall that isn't"? Here's another shot of it at high tide two days before the new moon.