It’s so hard to believe how quickly time goes, but, although we have not moved since our last post, we have been busy! Our days have been filled with holidays, family, boat maintenance, and a couple of trips to the gulf coast of Florida. Today is a good time to catch everyone up on all of our happenings during the last month because it won’t be too much longer before we are again on our way.

Many days, John has had to be on the boat while the crew at Lamb’s Yacht Center worked on Aftermath. While he does the work he can, he is also able to watch and learn from the amazing people that work here. For our boating friends, if you ever need work done and are anywhere near Jacksonville, please check out Lamb’s. Every single person we have met here has been wonderful. They are knowledgeable, skilled, fair, and very, very nice.

Madison loves gymnastics.  And she loves leotards!  Photographing a two year old while she moves and bounces is tricky business!

Carter’s Christmas program.

The touch tank

Trying out the new underwater camera for the first time.  It’s a little scary putting your camera in the water!!

Learning how clouds are made at the science museum.

Madison loves every Disney princess!

Only Madison wanted to visit with the Claus’.

St. Augustine at Christmas time

On the horse and carriage ride with Carter helping the driver out.

Christmas morning

Several days, while John has worked on the boat, I have been able to spend time with Kelly and the kids. I’ve been able to watch Madison and Carter at gymnastics, help Michaela with homework, go along to pick Carter up from school, watch his Christmas program, go to the science museum, have a truly amazing trip to the zoo (a day I will never forget!), and have lunch with Kelly and the kids. John and Craig haven’t been left out of all of the fun, though. We all spent an evening together at the Jacksonville Zoo which was decorated with thousands of lights the week before Christmas, we went to St. Augustine on my birthday to see the famous light display there and to take a horse drawn carriage ride, and, of course, we spent Christmas Eve and Christmas day at Kelly’s house so we could see first hand if Santa managed to find his way there with presents.

We also had a very special time in December when our niece, Karen, and her husband, Josh, were in Florida from Michigan for Josh’s work. We all met for dinner in Neptune Beach and then, the next day, while Josh worked, Karen, Kelly and I had a wonderful day catching up. We loved having them here and hope to see them again soon.

Ned and Anne at Arts & Eats

John celebrating – but do those glasses really say 2016?  They do!!

Back to the house!

New Years Eve found us driving to St. Petersburg so that we could continue our annual tradition of celebrating with Ned and Anne. We went to one of our favorite restaurants in Bradenton, Arts and Eats, where we had dinner and rang in 2016. We stayed at Ned and Anne’s house until the 2^nd. It was wonderful to see them, to enjoy the view of the water from their back yard, and to be back in southwest Florida again. Sadly, we said goodbye and headed back to Jacksonville as AfterMath was to be taken out of the water on Monday, January 4^th, to have her bottom painted, her props checked, and her transmission worked on.

Susan and Dick 

All went well with the haul out Monday morning, so John and I hopped back in the car and started back west, this time to Sarasota, to stay with Susan and Dick while we took care of annual doctor appointments. I was so excited to see my buddy, Susan, who I hadn’t seen since we stayed at their house in March when we started our adventure. On both trips, Jake and Kirby rode with us and stayed at their favorite resort, K9-Kampground, where they always boarded when we lived in Bradenton. We had a great time at the Busby’s and again, after three nights, hated to leave. John also got to visit with his friends, the Brielmans, as well as his collegues at Sarasota Yacht & Ship.

After arriving back in Jacksonville, we stayed at Kelly and Craig’s house until the boat was back in the water. It felt so strange to be off of the boat all those days, as it is so much our home now, and although we had a wonderful time and appreciated everyone’s hospitality so much, it was nice to be back on.

Now it is time for our preparations to go offshore, first heading to the Bahamas. The boat is really getting in great shape; it has undergone 45 days of maintenance to prepare it for a 2-year offshore trip. This included bottom painting, new zincs, cutlass bearings, tune up on the diesel engines, attention to the windlass, the water maker, the stabilizers, and the engine cooling systems, some fiberglass touch up (all those locks put a few nicks in the finish), as well as stocking the boat with a considerable number of spare parts. We have now installed a new washer/dryer combo, for which I am very thankful – I really hate laundromats, and the dining area will have its new upholstery project completed on Monday. We bought a new coffee table and some teak furniture for the cockpit, too. Also, we are doing what it takes to get the dogs and their paperwork ready to take to various islands along the way. For example, the Bahamas require an import permit, rabies certificate, and other paperwork to prove that they are healthy before they are allowed on shore in the country. They had an appointment with Kelly on Thursday where all of their vaccines were updated and where the staff at her office spoiled them rotten!

So, by the end of this week, we hope to have the boat completed and be ready to be on our way. The future is exciting for us! We will miss being so close to our family, but we know we will see them somewhere soon. We will head south along the coast of Florida before we head to the Bahamas, thereby shortening our crossing and catching the Gulf Stream rather than fighting it. Updates will be posted as soon as possible. In the meantime, we hope you all have a wonderful year in 2016 and that you are living your dreams.

Home, they say, is where the heart is. Our home is on AfterMath, of course. The boat feels like home: it is familiar and warm, we are comfortable there and we have a routine just the same as you probably have in your house. But entering Florida on this section of the trip really felt like we were returning home; entering the state brought warm feelings and happy memories – and we are already making the most of it.

Jake used to relax and sleep on the bow as we traveled, but recently he has spotted dolphin swimming past the boat.  Now he is on the constant lookout for his sea living friends.  He spends hours watching for them and is so happy when he sees them every day.

My first catch of the trip!  Finally, success!!

We headed for Brunswick, GA on December 2^nd, and what fun that was! We found a very small marina that was actually called a yacht club, but which didn’t really fit that description. However, the people there were probably the friendliest yet. We were met at the dock by a couple who made us feel like we were the most important guests they had ever had. Bobby (a lady) and Alan welcomed us and the dogs with open arms, made sure we knew that we were invited into the lounge, told us where great fishing off the dock was, and just couldn’t have been nicer. Of course, with my previous fishing failures, I had to get out and try my hand at catching something. I guess that, between the new lures Jason brought to me in Beaufort, and being at the right spot, my luck finally changed. On the second cast I brought in a nice big sea trout! What a joy! I yelled for John who didn’t hear me, but Alan came quickly and got him, making sure there was a camera to document the event. Alan also got us a bucket and took the fish off my hook. (I will never get used to that part!). A few casts later landed me an even bigger sea trout, which, again, Alan took off the hook for me. Then, as we are both pretty much fishing novices, Alan offered to do our filleting! We had plenty of fish for dinner so I stopped the fishing and watched the process. Not one I loved, but those trout were delicious!

A golden sunrise.

One of many great white herons that sat on the trees near our dock.

We hated to leave our dock in Brunswick the next morning. It was so beautiful there (and the fishermen were catching trout again!). The trees beside the docks were lined with great white herons waiting for their day to start, the sun rose bright and golden, and Bobby and Alan were busy inviting us to come back again, but it was time to go. Heavy winds were predicted for the next few days and we wanted to get to Fernandina Beach in Amelia Island, FL. before the bad weather started.

It is always amazing to see how many different kinds of boats and ships there are along the way.  Here is a nuclear submarine at a 16,000 acre base near St. Mary’s, GA

A dragon sailboat!

Cumberland Island, GA.  Can you see the wild horses?

I love watching the birds that swarm the shrimp boats.

Fort Clinch.  Florida at last!!

The first sight of Fort Clinch was wonderful. When traveling south on the Intracoastal Waterway, this is the first you see of Florida. It is pretty much directly across from Cumberland Island, GA. Fort Clinch is in Fernandina Beach and is a wonderful destination that I have visited with Kelly and the grandchildren. When Jeff and I did this trip down the Intracoastal several years ago we were happy to learn that the fort meant we had made it to Florida (really happy, but that is another story for another time!!) and on this trip I had been anxiously awaiting seeing those walls and cannons again.

While I know this is for loading and unloading cargo, I can’t help but think it looks like a giant’s chair.

A Victorian home

After passing Fort Clinch, we arrived in Fernandina Beach. The winds were already picking up and we were glad we had made reservations for a dock instead of going with our original plan of using a mooring. Soon all the docks were full while boats made their way to the safety and comfort of the marina. The next day, Friday, December 3, was a joy. Because Amelia Island is close to Kelly and Craig’s house, Kelly came with Madison and Carter to have lunch and spend some time walking around the little town there. The kids loved checking out the shops, all decorated for Christmas, and playing with the oversized chess set next to the visitors’ center. I was so excited that they could come see us! Michaela was in school, so I missed her, but knew I would see her soon.

Fun in Fernandina Beach

Fernandina Beach is a Victorian town and we were lucky to have arrived during their Dickens weekend. The streets were beautifully lit, people were dressed in Victorian clothes, caroling was taking place in the closed off streets, and there was even a dog parade/costume competition. I took Kirby to view it, but we did not participate, as we didn’t have any Christmas outfits for him to wear. He was very excited to be there, though, and happily socialized with all of the passing contestants.

Friday night John’s brother, Rich came to have dinner with us on AfterMath and on Saturday he and his girlfriend, Kathy, who had just returned from visiting her son and new grandson, came to visit. They own a home on Amelia Island and we love spending time with them. After catching up on the boat we found a great little Italian restaurant and enjoyed dinner together.

Making our way down the St. John’s River

This small cruise ship seemed to be everywhere we were.  It is docked now in Jacksonville for a winter time refurbishment.

Pedicures for the girls

Sunday morning we left early and started on our way to Jacksonville. We headed down the St. John’s River, through the city and the past the Landings there. Our plan has always been to get the boat’s annual maintenance done when we got to Jacksonville so we scheduled time at Lamb’s Yacht Center, a working marina with a stellar reputation. Here we are preparing for our trip to the Caribbean. We are having the water maker serviced, the engines will be tuned up, the stabilizers will be serviced and the bottom will be painted. There have been people on our boat all week and it will be hauled next week for the bottom work. In the meantime, I have been able to spend some time with Kelly and the kids. Wednesday we had lunch together, did some shopping and then Kelly, Michaela, Madison and I went for a pedicure. It was 2-year-old Madison’s first time in the salon and, although she really was just getting her toenails painted, she loved the whole process and made sure to put her feet in the water and have her little legs rubbed with lotion too.

Madison was having way too much fun to pose for pictures!

Kelly and Craig lent us one of their cars for our time in Jacksonville and that is making our lives so much easier. Friday I was able to go meet Kelly and Madison and attend Madison’s gymnastics class. She looks so cute in her little leotard and she loves swinging on rings, walking on the balance beam, jumping on the trampoline, tumbling, and all that there is to offer at the gym. Afterwards we again had lunch and did a little Christmas shopping. Tonight we had dinner at Kelly and Craig’s house. It’s so much fun to be close to family.

Christmas time on AfterMath

Because the boat will not be out of the water until the end of the week, I made it my mission to make it look like Christmas. I bought a little artificial tree, which we decorated with tropical and sentimental ornaments brought from our house, and I picked up a few other decorations to give AfterMath a festive spirit. While the boat is out of the water we will stay at Kelly’s house. We are looking forward to that time and we have lots of plans for fun activities while we are there. We will spend Christmas with them and we are looking forward to seeing what Santa brings!

Now that we are in Jacksonville FL (our 2015 destination), we have completed our first year leg:  Connecticut – Canada – Jacksonville.  All told, we have traveled, since May, 3,470 miles, traversing 9 states and two Canadian Provinces – all without a single mechanical delay. We have loved every minute of it and are looking forward to our 2016 travels. We invite you to join us via our blog, or better yet, for a visit.

Here is where we are today.

Thanksgiving week finally arrived! But where we would meet up with the kids was a mystery until just a couple of days before the event. We considered Charleston (too close), Savannah (too far) and Beaufort, SC (just right!) So, after many changes in plans, we made reservations at the Downtown Marina in Beaufort and started on our way.

Fort SumterCharleston, SC

We always enjoy seeing the military aircraft fly overhead, and this one was low and slow.You never know what you will see on the water.I think this is what “America the Beautiful” means in the phrase, “From sea to shining sea”.Sunrise time at Rock CreekMonday brought us through Charleston, SC. Unfortunately, we just passed by the city this trip and continued on our way south. We anchored for the night and got an early start the next morning, continuing on our way to another anchorage on the Rock Creek. Both nights we were all by ourselves in secluded areas and the low country that surrounded us was gorgeous. The grasses stand tall at low, but when the 6-foot tide comes in, what previously resembled an African savannah becomes flooded until only the tops of the grasses are exposed. The morning and evening sun both cast a golden glow on the land and water that makes it seem that all must be right with the world.Moon rise over a small cruise ship in Beaufort

We arrived in Beaufort (pronounced Bew-fort) on Wednesday and began preparing for Jason and Lisa’s visit. I borrowed the courtesy car and went to the grocery store while John worked around the boat. Jason and Lisa arrived after traveling from New Port Richey, FL on Thursday morning. We had time to relax before heading out to a Thanksgiving buffet on Lady’s Island, just a few miles from Beaufort. After dinner we enjoyed visiting back on AfterMath, but soon everyone was tired and we all called it a night early to get some rest for the next day.

Friday, Jason drove John around town running errands while I was lucky enough to have Lisa color and cut my hair. We all finished our projects around the same time and the rest of the day was spent walking around town and then celebrating Lisa’s upcoming birthday, which is on December 1.

Our horse and carriageDon’t you wonder what these two are saying to each other?

Beaufort, SC is a beautiful city with trees draped in Spanish moss.A typical home in the historic district

Saturday we all thought it might be fun to learn the history of Beaufort while riding in a horse drawn carriage, and it was! Beaufort has been the setting for many movies including The Prince of Tides and The Great Santini (both were books written by Pat Conroy who lives in this town) and many parts of Forrest Gump. Our guide was quick to tell us that Tom Hanks and Nick Nolte were very well liked in Beaufort, but Barbra Streisand wasn’t quite as popular here.

The Chapel of Ease on St. Helena Island.  Built in 1744, it was destroyed by a forest fire in 1886.  These are the ruins.

Jason and Lisa

Fort Fremont, also on St. Helena Island, built in 1898

After our carriage tour I asked Jason to take us on a ride to see some of the other islands that are part of this area. It was fun to explore while we had a car available and we appreciated him driving us around.

Too soon, it was time for Jason and Lisa to leave and make their way home, but our fun wasn’t over yet. Kelly, Craig, Michaela, Carter and Madison made the 3-hour drive from Jacksonville to spend Saturday night and Sunday with us. Kelly came armed with mashed potatoes, green bean casserole, vegetables, and stuffing and we had a turkey, cranberries, pumpkin pie and whipped cream ready. We all wanted to eat Thanksgiving leftovers, and, because there weren’t any, we made them! After a delicious dinner we watched the Gators unfortunately lose to Florida State and then settled in for the night.

We all thought this swing was wonderful!

A spider web that twirled made a big hit – especially with Kelly and Craig running around to do the spinning.

Michalela always finds the horses nearby.A lovely home on the water in BeaufortWhat a wonderful family!What could be better – gelato in one hand and a lollipop in the other

Carter’s lollipop was as big as he is!

Sunday was lots of fun with the kids as we went to the playground, bought lollipops in the candy shop, and gelato in the store next door. We ate more leftovers and walked around town to make sure everyone got time to stretch their legs and burn off a little energy before heading back to Jacksonville. It is always sad to see the kids go, but we will be seeing them very soon!

Daufuskie Island, the actual location of Pat Conroy’s. “The Water is Wide”.  I guess you can tell I am a Pat Conroy fan.This is the graveyard that is featured in the book, “Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil”.Fishing along the bank of the graveyard.

John and I pulled out of Beaufort yesterday, Monday, and made our way to Isle of Hope, which is in Savannah, GA. It was a gorgeous day to be outside, as was all of our weather in Beaufort. We will probably be back in Florida this weekend. We left Florida last April and we have missed it, so we are excited about crossing into the Sunshine State again!

Here is where we are now:

Each day of our adventure I marvel at the sounds one hears on the water. The lapping of the gentle waves, the seagulls crying as they fly about, the wind as it blows, the church bells playing tunes in countless towns, and, of course, the steady rumble of the engines as we move. But as we move farther along, we hear new sounds to add to the familiar ones. Dolphins now splash and spout water through their blowholes, fighter jets fly overhead rehearsing their maneuvers and, in Camp Lejeune, guns, mortars, and helicopters keep our Marines trained and ready. Sights change too. Shrimp boats are commonly seen with their huge nets, beautifully spread out in the water and amazingly colorful when hanging above the boats. The towns along the way often have Victorian homes lining the streets and now, as far south as we are, we are finding palm trees, huge live oaks, and Spanish moss. We are moving south and we are excited to be doing so.

Sunrise

Sunset

We left our anchorage just north of the Alligator River early on Thursday, November 12 to take advantage of the calmer seas the mornings bring. Up while still dark, I was able to get a few shots of sunrise before we hauled anchor and headed out. We arrived in the Pungo Canal in the early afternoon and at sunset we were treated to a spectacle of nature that will long be remembered. The sky changed from gold to orange to deep red and purple over about one half hour’s time bringing an end to a beautiful day on the water.

Bellhaven, NC

The next day brought us to Bellhaven, NC. It was a windy afternoon and more wind was predicted for the evening so we chose to dock in town. River Forest Marina in Bellhaven is part of a lovely resort that includes an old restored mansion, now used as an inn. They offer free golf carts for boaters to run to town for errands or dinner or just a little sightseeing. We enjoyed riding around and visiting downtown.

Jake really loves the boating life.

Oriental, NC

Aftermath is dwarfed by these boats!

Saturday we moved along to Oriental, NC. This is a working fishing village and the fishing and shrimp boats there are huge! The town provides free docks for boaters and we pulled into one right next to a big red ship. AfterMath looked so little there! I was able to get some delicious fresh shrimp in Oriental and John and I had a feast for dinner.

Do you see what I found so exciting about this house and the one below?  PALM TREES!!!!!  The first we had seen for a long time!

And this house has the tropical spirit, so I loved it.

Beaufort, NC

The biggest tourist attraction in town is this graveyard from the early 1700s.  It actually was beautiful and interesting.

This is a grave of a little girl who died in the early 1800s on her way to America.  Her father promised her mother she would make it here, so he refused to have her burial at sea.  Instead, he bought a barrel of rum and put her in it to keep her.  He then buried her in the barrel in this cemetary.  

Our next stop was Beaufort, NC. Both North and South Carolina have Beauforts, but they are pronounced quite differently. The North Carolina version is pronounced BO-fert and the South Carolina one is BEW-fort. We went to Beaufort, NC with the plan to have an engine checked as it has an oil leak. We arrived on Sunday and had mechanics scheduled for Monday afternoon. This worked out wonderfully for me as I had time to take the dogs for a walk, borrow one of the marina’s cars to go to the grocery store, and then set out on my own for some photography time. All went well and the kindly mechanics told John not to worry about the leak until we get to Florida. They didn’t even charge for the visit, saying it was just a courtesy call.

The first white pelican I have seen since Florida.

Scenes along the Intracoastal Waterway

Entering Camp Lejeune

Again we left our dock very early in the morning. With the recent time eliminating daylight savings time, John likes to get up and be on our way to assure that we arrive at our destination before dark. I have to say that I’m not always as excited to get up and get going as he is, but it does make sense and I try to be a good sport about getting up while it is barely twilight outside. Tuesday proved to be a very interesting day as we made our way through Camp Lejeune. Along the way signs are posted warning of the danger of explosives, and firing ranges. There are abandoned tanks and trucks in the grass and the water, and an Osprey helicopter/airplane was constantly flying overhead. We anchored in Camp Lejeune and it was quite the experience! It was noisy as guns were fired and that never-ending chop of the Osprey circled us. All of the time we were in the anchorage a security boat kept watch. At night a Sikorsky helicopter joined the fun and I really wondered if we would sleep at all, but, at around 10:00 it quieted down and we had a great night’s rest, safe in the hands of the Marines.

This is my third time I have taken pictures of this sea creature and the giraffe below.  The first was several years ago on Jeff’s boat heading south, then last year on Jeff’s boat heading north and now on our boat.  It’s a tradition now!

What a great dog!!

Southport’s shops are wonderful – especially this Christmas store.

Such good friends and such wonderful times.

We put in a long day on Wednesday the 18^th as the weather for Thursday was predicted to be stormy and uncomfortable. We were anxious to get to our next destination of Southport, NC because there we would be visiting with Vera and Rolf Redin and Jan and Don Kirk. We have been friends with those two couples for almost 40 years. We all lived in Bethel, CT and our children all grew up together. Both the Redins and the Kirks now live in Bolivia, NC, near Southport. We were exhausted on Wednesday, but they all came to the boat Thursday for a visit before we went to dinner at everyone’s favorite restaurant that happens to be at the marina. Rolf brought us a car to use Friday to do errands, which was incredibly wonderful. We used it during the day and then drove to the Redin’s house for dinner where the six of us again had a wonderful time visiting and catching up. We really loved being with them and hope to see them all again soon.

This boat has seen better days!

Can you believe how high this stack of boats is?

Myrtle Beach, SC

Leaving yesterday, Saturday, we made our way down the Intracoastal through Myrtle Beach, SC. This is a very different sight at this time of year than it is in the summer. During the warm months, boats, jet skis and anything else you can think of are on that narrow stretch of water, but yesterday it was quiet and wonderful. The weather was warm and sunny and I really began to feel we were making progress toward my goal of an endless summer. We docked in a little town called Bucksport and had an enjoyable happy hour with a couple we met while we were in Southport.

John spotted these birds today.  I’m so glad he did!  I ran out with the camera and got a few shots.

How serious are these duck hunters?  

Because we have always done the Intracoastal in a sailboat in the past we could only see the edge of grass.  This was from the fly bridge.  It was fun to see what is out a little farther.

A tiny church in McClellanville.  I was taking this picture and a gentleman came along who I assume was the priest.  He invited us in, including the dogs, and told us the church is never locked.

There is AfterMath out in the distance.

Today we continued our travels to McClellanville, SC. Along the way, over the last two days, we have really been noticing the high water on the rivers. All of the rain from the storm Joaquin a month or so ago still keeps homes flooded and docks close to underwater in places.

We are docked in a quaint marina tonight and shrimp boats are right near us. In fact, I waited for a while after one shrimp boat had docked and walked over to ask if he could sell any shrimp from his boat. He told me he could not as he sells them to someone in town. I understood and asked him if he had a good day. His answer was, no, his engine had broken down twice. I came back to our boat to work on my pictures and before long we heard a “hello”. It was the gentleman I had asked about the shrimp with a huge bag full of just caught shrimp for me. I asked what I owed and he would not let me pay. He was worried that he had sounded rude when I went to his boat, which he had not. Needless to say, we had a delicious shrimp dinner tonight and there is a bagful in the freezer to cook when Jason and Lisa come later this week.

We will leave early again tomorrow to make our way to Beaufort, SC where we will spend Thanksgiving. I have always wanted to stop in that area so I am happy to have time to do some exploring while we are there. I bought a South Carolina fishing license today so hopefully I will change my luck when Jason is around!

Here is where we are today.

It’s a long way from Cambridge, MD to Jacksonville, FL when you travel at six or seven knots. Jacksonville is our next long stop. There we will spend time with Kelly and family and have more work done on AfterMath before we leave for the Bahamas and then the Caribbean. While we would have loved to have more time cruising in the Chesapeake Bay, we know that we need to get to a warmer climate as soon as possible. If anything were to happen to the boat, we don’t want to end up in a cool weather climate where we could get stuck for the winter. We are a little behind the crowd that makes its way south each year, but the time we spent with Jeff and family, as well as the installation of the electronics, the new floor, and other work now complete, was so worthwhile.

Skipjacks dredging for oysters.

Obviously the pelican population is thriving in Virginia.

A typical fall scene

We pulled out of Cambridge around 8:00 in the morning on Friday, November 6^th, after taking a minute to say goodbye to the men who were so much a part of our daily lives during our time at Mid-Shore Electronics. We then crossed the Chesapeake Bay and made our way to Solomons Island where we anchored for the night. It was a bumpy ride so I really didn’t take many pictures, but I did manage to photograph a couple of skipjacks oystering on the bay. They are a beautiful sight and, now that I have learned so much more about them, I was thrilled to see them under sail dredging for their oysters.

Menhaden fishing boats

The last remaining smokestack in Reedville

The processing plant at night

Saturday, we anchored in Reedville. While we never went to shore, we found it was an interesting place to be. The first sight we saw was a fleet of large blue ships that had two other large fishing vessels on the back. I quickly went to Google to find out what they were. It turns out that they are boats that fish for menhaden, better known, to those of us who cruised Long Island Sound, as bunker. The blue boat takes the two others out as a transport ship. The smaller boats stretch a net between them and scoop out huge quantities of these fish. They are taken back to the processing plant where they are largely used to make Omega 3 supplements. It seems that this is a rather controversial topic in the area as some people think menhaden is over harvested and, as a result, populations of birds and other fish that feed on them are compromised. All I can think of is those years in Connecticut when there were so many bunker in the water that my kids would snag fish as fast as they could pull them in. They then used them for bait for blue fish, another fish that seemed overabundant to us. Some years there would be so many fish in the water that they would end up dying off and floating all over Black Rock Harbor where we kept our sailboat, Solitude. It was not a pretty sight and I have a true aversion to that particular species of fish! Menhaden fishing in Virginia is limited now, but at one point there were lots of processing plants in Reedville. Each had it’s own smokestack. The only one left now is the one pictured here, and it has been made into a monument of the town’s past.

The next two days on the Bay were days of wind, rain, and waves. Kirby was very nervous and spent all of both days travel time huddled up in his crate. Jake didn’t like it either; he prefers to be outside, but it was too wet so we kept him in. He settled down, but it was difficult for him for a few hours. As for me, thankfully I had scopolamine patches on board to prevent seasickness. John was fine, which was a blessing, as he wasn’t getting any help from me. I learned that the shorter the wave period, the more uncomfortable the ride. Normally a period of eight seconds is acceptable, but yesterday those three and four foot waves had a period of only three seconds and I felt tossed and turned by the time we anchored.

While we are usually trying to travel about 40 miles each day, we motored less than 30 Sunday to Deltaville, mostly due to the uncomfortable wave conditions. We stayed in a peaceful anchorage along with only one other boat.   Monday we got up early and made it to a huge anchorage at the entrance to the Elizabeth River. There we were in front of the Norfolk Naval air station where a lot of action was taking place. A security boat was keeping an eye on us while helicopters were doing training runs; it seemed their low circles were directly around the boat much of the time. I questioned John over and over to make sure we were in a legal anchorage. Also, on the VHF radio, there were almost constant calls from Naval war ships reporting their plans to be leaving for sea. It was a little unsettling, as besides the Navy surrounding us, the winds picked up strongly, leaving us swinging around the anchor. All was well, though, and yesterday morning we headed up the Elizabeth River for Norfolk.

Scenes from Norfolk

A Naval warship heading out to sea

Note the Coastie ship on the left

     Norfolk is the actual Mile 0, or beginning, of the Intracoastal Waterway. It is also a boat and ship lovers delight. There are more kinds watercrafts in this area than you can possibly imagine. We have been through Norfolk a few other times by boat, but each time I have been fascinated by the huge military ships, the colorful container ships, the monstrous cranes loading and off-loading boats, and the brightly painted tugboats pushing barges. Yesterday was dreary and foggy, but Norfolk was not a disappointment. To make it even more interesting, we saw some of the Navy war ships heading out to sea with their crew lined up on the stern.

The entrance to the Dismal Swamp

Construction on a bridge

Almost immediately after leaving Norfolk, the Intracoastal becomes serene. As we traveled, we passed the entrance for the Great Dismal Swamp, which is one of my favorite places on the waterway. We were not able to “do the Dismal” this time as we wanted to get fuel in Chesapeake, VA and the swamp would have taken us out of the way from what probably is the cheapest diesel fuel on the Intracoastal. We bought 500 gallons at $1.93 a gallon and would have bought more, but we are keeping the boat as light as possible until we get to Jacksonville. The waterway is known for its shallow depths and we want AfterMath to float as high as she can until we get to deeper water. With four fuel tanks aboard, we can move fuel around so that the stern will sit high and the bow low. We do the same with our three water tanks to further enhance the draft of the boat. This worked very well when we cruised the Rideau Canal in Canada which has a controlling depth of 5’0”. Aftermath has a draft of 4’9” but with the above approach we never once ran aground (yet).

Locks again?????

Do you think they really mean it?

On our way to the marina where we bought diesel fuel, and stayed for the night, we encountered a lock. I remembered doing locks before this trip and I always was a bit terrified of them, but after the number we traversed over the summer, this tiny one-foot lift lock was as easy as could be!  We have now transited 219 locks since June.

Coinjock, NC

A Veterans’ Day Celebration in Coinjock

Pleasant fishermen

Along the way

Sunset tonight

Today we entered North Carolina and are now anchored in the North River just south of Coinjock, NC. When we get close to the South Carolina border we have plans to visit with our good friends, the Redins and the Kirks. Then soon after will be our Thanksgiving visit with Jason and Lisa. It is so hard to believe it is almost the holiday season again and equally hard to believe that we have now lived on AfterMath for almost seven months. Time goes so quickly. Remember to live every day to its fullest as we never know what tomorrow might bring.

As promised, here are pictures of the new helm chair.

The new helm chair

A comfortable captain

Here is where we are today.

Our stay in Cambridge has been a time of contrasts. Each weekday, for almost two weeks now, we have been up early, as the crew at Mid-Shore Electronics begins their day at 8:00 AM. AfterMath has been pulled apart, had wires run everywhere you can imagine, and had up to three gentlemen at a time climbing in holes, under beds, and over a once again dropped mast. John worked along with the crew, so he stayed busy every day. Kirby had tons of fun greeting the workers when they came aboard, and Jake maintained his relaxed posture of a furry rug that everyone needed to step over countless times. Meanwhile, I have had time to relax and read, to walk around with a camera in my hand, and to sew a seat cover for the dinghy and new covers for the fenders. I’ve loved learning about the history of Cambridge and of its boats, and I have really enjoyed watching the watermen on their commercial crab and oyster boats passing us by both mornings and afternoons.

The doors of the courthouse where once a free black man was convicted and put in jail for owning a copy of the book, Uncle Tom’s Cabin.

Along the Historic District are large and small homes.

This is a replica of a lighthouse that was once about two miles out in the Chesapeake Bay.

From the balcony of the lighthouse.

The town marina at Long Wharf.

A lovely fall day on High Street

The refurbished downtown area.

  This mural truly sparkles!!

From the water.  We took AfterMath out for a ride one day.

The bridge right next to us.  These are the nicest bridgetenders around.  They open the bridge quickly and immediately whenever a boat calls them.

Cambridge is a small city on the Choptank River with a population of about 12,000. It was settled in 1684 and is one of the oldest cities in Maryland. In the past, it was a home to large plantations, and its pier was a trading center for slaves. With the help of Harriet Tubman, Cambridge became an important stop for the Underground Railroad. The city developed food-processing industries in the late 1800’s and became home to Phillips Packing Company, which employed 10,000 workers. Eventually, that business declined and unemployment began to cause many social problems. With the desegregation movement, large race riots took place in Cambridge in the 1960’s, partly contributed to by the social unrest that was already present in the city. The state of decline continued until 2002 when the Hyatt Regency boosted tourism with a new resort. Now Cambridge has a revitalizing downtown, a lovely wharf with a lighthouse replica that is opened for self-guided tours, and a beautiful historic district. I thoroughly enjoyed my walks around these districts and to a local market in downtown. In fact, after doing some shopping, rain started to fall and the owner offered me a ride back to the boat, which I gratefully accepted.

Offloading crab bait

Waiting for tomorrow.

To be filled with crabs.  Although, really, crab season is ending soon!

The workboats here have really caught my attention. Maryland is famous for its crabs and oysters, and every day the boats on Cambridge Creek, where we are docked, leave to get their catch. I have loved watching them return in the afternoon, but I really hadn’t been able to see what they were bringing back. One day I hurried down the creek as two returned, quickly putting some cash in my pocket hoping to buy some fresh-from-the-sea goods. When I got to the boats, though, I saw bags of a clam I have never seen in a grocery store. It turns out that the clams these men had are sold to crab fishermen as bait. According to one oysterman I spoke to, the commercial buyers meet the crab and oyster boats out at the wharf. They must sell to the commercial buyers first according to state laws, so I never ended up being able to buy from the boats.

The dinghy on the skipjack

An interesting boat in this area is the skipjack. Of the hundreds that were present in the late 1800’s only 35 of the originals are left. Skipjacks do not have an engine to propel the boat, but they do carry a dinghy that can push or pull them to the oyster beds. There are strict laws on oyster fishing in Maryland: a boat with a motor can only take 24 bushels of oysters per day, but a skipjack can take 150 bushels each day. There is a catch, though. With the skipjack being pushed by the dinghy, fishing can only take place on Mondays and Tuesdays. All other times, the boat must only be under sail to dredge for oysters, although the dinghy is allowed to move the larger boat to its fishing destination. There are two skipjacks next to us at our dock. One, the Virginia W, was built in 1904 and is designated a Maryland Historical site. The other, Fortune, is a replica that is so accurate it has been granted a dredge license. The men on these boats seem to work non-stop. We have only seen one of the boats leave the dock so far, and, in talking to them, they said they got 50 bushels that one day.

As for the electronics, we now have a new autopilot, chart plotters (one on the fly bridge and one in the pilot house), a new VHF radio, a new radar system, an anemometer, a camera in the engine room and one to view the stern, a Rogue wave antenna to help boost Wi-Fi power, an LED light on the mast, and a digital TV antenna. The chart plotters are really interesting in that you can control them from your phone or iPad. We are happy to have all of these new tools and we are thrilled that they will help to free John up to use the fly bridge, which previously did not have autopilot, and also allow him to head outside on the bow with a remote in his hand. The other big addition is a helm chair. It’s in the process of being installed today, so pictures of it will have to wait until the next post.

Don’t you just love little boys in their pajamas?

We were happy to be visited, on Sunday, by Jeff, Sarah, Walt, Rush and Sarah’s mother, Susie. Cambridge is about 40 miles away from Annapolis, so they decided to come down and see us and give Susie a tour of the boat. I snapped a quick shot of Walt and Rush having a wonderful time playing with light switches that were just at their level, but somehow I missed Susie. We were thrilled to have her here though!

Tomorrow we will leave Cambridge and continue our trek south. We are not yet sure where we will be and when, but Jason and Lisa are going to come to AfterMath for Thanksgiving this year. Jason hasn’t seen the boat yet and we are as anxious for him to see her as he is to be aboard. I’m also hoping he will change my luck with my fishing pole! He’s very knowledgeable about fishing, so I will finally get some good instruction and maybe actually catch a fish!

It has been a long time since we have posted, and you will find that much of this blog entry is best explained by the photos here.

On a beautiful evening we all took a sail on Prerequisite, Jeff and Sarah’s Cape Dory.  I left without a camera, so iPhone pictures had to suffice.

Jeff in his element.

Bop and Walt doing some horsepower calculations.

Trying out all the horsepower they added up.

The littlest sailor of the bunch, Rush.

  The next boat trip took place aboard AfterMath.

The giggles taking place here were priceless

Walt and Rush love our dogs so much.  Here Walt and Jake have some bonding time together.

Of course, Annapolis is Navy territory.

Company while having my morning coffee.  This guy was so obliging that I have a huge series of pictures of him posing in every angle and pose imaginable.

And more morning company that day.  I know it wasn’t for me!  The fish were jumping wildly on the creek.

Little boys and dirt and bare feet.  What could be more fun?

Snack time for Rush.

And poor Walt took a tumble while playing with a “sidewalk truck”.

There is nothing like a new box of crayons.  Here Walt placed them all in a truck as some really colorful cargo.  

Watermelon eating is serious business for Rush!

Another iPhone day, but who can resist shooting a picture of Walt and Kirby cuddled up in the back seat of the car after a fun day at school.  I was so happy to be able to do the pick up.

  Next stop after school was downtown Annapolis for some chocolate oreo ice cream.  The cone was huge!
Sarah gets some amazingly sweet greetings when she gets home from work.

Off to show Walt the dinghy.  He says his is faster, though!

The “before” pictures of the couch and carpet.  Jeff adopted the table you see here.  It’s very pretty, but it wasn’t what we wanted for the salon.

And the “after” images.  We are really happy with the change.

We stayed in Annapolis for over three weeks. Our time there was filled with laughter and fun with Jeff, Sarah, Walter, Rush and their au pair, Doris. We participated in play, boating, mealtimes, baths and bedtimes with the little guys; wonderful always, but made even more special during this visit because in the past we have never seemed to have enough extended time with them. We were also very busy! John and I attended two boat shows in search of upgrades and items we wanted for AfterMath. We shopped for new flooring to replace the carpeting. John and Jeff undertook some construction, building a hatch to the engine room, in preparation for the new floor that has now been installed. I worked on re-upholstering the couch in the salon. We also took advantage of the use of a car for some serious provisioning.   The freezer is full now and we are all set for a while with groceries.

Mill Creek in Annapolis, where Jeff and Sarah live.

That house you see with the fence is Jeff’s.

Looking from our dock to Jeff’s boat.

Cantler’s at night.  We were one dock away from the restaurant.

Staying near Jeff and Sarah was made extremely convenient for us. Although Jeff’s house is on the water, on Mill Creek in Annapolis, and he has a large dock in his yard, AfterMath was just a little too wide to fit between the pilings. However, his neighbor, Steve, just two houses away had plenty of room at his dock and offered us its unlimited use. It was really wonderful to be able to run up the stairs and over to Jeff and Sarah’s house at any time of the day or night and we simply cannot thank Steve and his wife, Luanne, enough.

Gail and Michael.  We were so happy they came to visit us.

Cantler’s by day.

While in Annapolis, we were thrilled to be visited by our friends Michael and Gail Pecora. We became friends in Bradenton, but they also have a home in Baltimore, where they are currently living while Gail is taking daily care of their brand new granddaughter, Nora. After a tour of AfterMath and some catching up, we went to Cantler’s, a locally famous crab restaurant just two doors down from our dock, where they treated us to a delicious lunch made even better by such good company.

A quick family shot as we were leaving.  We really did a great family shoot at the beautiful St. John’s College campus in Annapolis, but those photos shall remain secret until after the Christmas card using them is out.  We had so much fun!

Jeff, Sarah and the boys getting ready to set sail as they followed us out onto Chesapeake Bay.

Prerequisite under way.

Jeff spotted this submarine and pointed it out to us.

The family that sails together.

It was a glorious morning and a wonderful way to leave.  Thanks for boating with us, Jeff and Sarah.  It was amazing.

On Saturday, October 24, it was time to leave our snug dock on Mill Creek. It was hard to say goodbye to Jeff and his family. We had such a wonderful time with all of them. The last time we saw them was in April and the boys had grown and matured so much in the past 6 months. Always, we love Jeff and Sarah’s company. To make our departure more fun though, they hopped on Prerequisite, a 33 foot Cape Dory sailboat they own, and they followed us out of the creek and into the Chesapeake Bay. In the past, we have flown together, Jeff in a helicopter and us in our airplane, and now we have boated together. These are forever memories.

Entering Cambridge, MD, we were lucky to see the schooner parade that was taking place.

The boats here are so interesting and the town, settled in 1684, is one of the oldest in Maryland.  The creek we are on is loaded with crab boats and skipjacks.  While work is being done on the boat I plan to get out and have some fun with photography here.

We are now in Cambridge, Maryland where we will spend a week while new electronics are installed and then we will start our journey southward again. While here, John will also install a nice new helm chair on a sliding track. This is a very big deal to me as, up until now, the helm chair was a tall wooden director’s chair that was not bolted down to the floor and felt very flimsy. The track will allow the chair to be pushed out-of-the-way of the dining table in the pilothouse, which is where we eat most of our dinners.

John and I are both anxious to get back to our cruising life style when we start to make our way down the Intracoastal Waterway once again. We have traveled the waterway before, but we are looking forward to taking AfterMath through it. Along the way we expect to have a visit from Jason and Lisa as we progress to our next destination of Jacksonville, There we will spend about a month near Kelly and family while we continue with boat and home improvements.

Here is where we are today.

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So much has happened since we left Catskill on September 26^th! The trip from Catskill, NY to Annapolis, MD has been filled with excitement, adventure, fun, and family, with a mixture of waves and weather thrown in to keep it even more interesting. This has been the most unusual part of our journey yet!

Scenes along the Hudson River

As we described in our last blog post, the trip off the coast of New Jersey was to be a challenging one. We waited in Catskill for over a week, as the offshore waves in New Jersey were bigger than we wanted to deal with, but it appeared there would be a break on Wednesday, September 30^th. Our son, Jeff, planned to join us for the crossing and we were ready to get underway. John and I started down the Hudson on Saturday and made it to Poughkeepsie Yacht Club where we picked up a mooring and settled in for a nice night. It was a beautiful warm day with calm waters and it was difficult to believe that we might soon be in large uncomfortable waves.

Along the way, we spoke with Jeff, who agreed to meet us at Liberty Landing in New Jersey. I came up with the idea that I might like to leave the offshore navigation to John and Jeff and drive Jeff’s car back to Maryland where I could spend time with the grandchildren, Walt and Rush, and with Sarah, our daughter-in-law. While I thought everyone would criticize me for taking the easy way out, it actually seemed that this plan made it easier for Jeff, who was having trouble finding a rental car that could be dropped off near the marina. Jeff and I really love being on a boat together, but the thought of being seasick for the planned 12 hours stretch really overshadowed the fun.

Sunday morning began with a little more excitement as the men conferred about the trip. It was apparent that the Wednesday weather window they were hoping to catch was no longer going to be safe. Jeff asked how soon we could make it to New Jersey, and he and John agreed that we would be there the next day, Monday. I became increasingly happy I would be off the boat as the waves were predicted to be 4-6 feet building to even more as they were out there. They were convinced it would be safe, though, and they agreed to try to make it all the way to Annapolis by Wednesday going almost non-stop. This meant they would have to go from Liberty Landing Marina, right behind the Statue of Liberty, to the Chesapeake Bay before stopping for a night’s rest.

Culinary Institute of America

Kingston, NY

The sun’s rays through the leftover fog

Company along the way

Mount Saint Mary College (Hi Jess!)

Cold Spring Harbor

West Point

A gray day is still beautiful

A new milestone for us.  Over 2000 nautical miles now!

From our mooring in Nyack.  It was just beautiful there.

Shortly after moonrise, Nyack, NY

The eclipse

We continued our trip down the Hudson River Sunday, again with the river calm and beautiful, and arrived in Nyack, NY where we picked up another mooring at a boat club. I was thrilled that the skies were clear, as I had anxiously been waiting to photograph the super moon and its eclipse. Ideally, I would have been able to set up a tripod on land, but the current and winds were not conducive to a night time trip to shore on the dinghy, so I handheld my camera, set the timer to go outside every ten minutes, and I shot away. Except for the time of the full eclipse, I was able to get some pretty good shots. This was great news as it will be over 30 years till this event happens again!

The George Washington Bridge

New York City

Preparations for the crossing began on Sunday with John taking down all of the canvas on the fly bridge and tying down dinghy to be sure it was safe. Monday morning, as we made our way from Nyack to Liberty Landing, I scurried around and made sure everything that could possibly tip over or fly about the boat during heavy seas was secure. This meant taking lamps off of tables, putting away decorative items, and finding spots for small appliances that are usually on the galley counter. Under normal conditions, nothing moves around much inside AfterMath, but we had not had her on big waves yet, and wanted to make sure nothing broke and no one was hurt during the transport. Once everything was safe, I enjoyed the scenery re-entering New York. I loved seeing the city again, but the skies were gray and hazy. By the time we reached New York Harbor, it was rough and not pretty enough for me to grab a camera to photograph the Statue of Liberty or Ellis Island, so I was really happy that I had gotten good shots at the beginning of our adventure.

We pulled into Liberty Landing around 12:30 P.M. and made the quickest crew change in history. When John called to ask the marina if we could stop for Jeff to get on and the dogs and me to get off, he was told it would be $3.50 a foot for the dock. Although he explained it would just take a few minutes, the dock person was not impressed. We really didn’t want to pay $175 for a matter of minutes! Jeff came up with the good idea that we could pull up to the fuel dock and buy something if need be, which was the perfect solution. John tooled around the busy harbor while we waited for Jeff. When we saw him walking down the dock we stopped, tied up, I hopped off with the dogs, Jeff helped me to his car with my bags, he went back and hopped on the boat and off they went. The whole process took just a few minutes.

Kirby, Jake and I traveled back to Jeff and Sarah’s house and arrived around 6:30. I was so happy to see Walt and Rush! It had been almost 6 months since I last saw them and they had grown so much. The boys loved having the dogs to play with and the dogs were happy to have a fenced yard to run around in.

Walter and I love to bake together.

Rush has grown from a baby to a truck loving little boy!

AfterMath in Mill Creek, Annapolis, MD

Sarah and I kept in close contact with John and Jeff while they were offshore. They did amazingly well, but, unfortunately, they didn’t take any pictures at all.  The waves were big, they said, but they were more rolling than pounding, and the stabilizers on AfterMath apparently made a huge difference in their comfort level. Taking turns at the wheel and sleeping, they traveled 34 hours without stopping. Then, in Town Point, MD, they anchored, grilled a good dinner, and got a great night’s rest before leaving again early on Wednesday morning. It was such a wonderful sight to see AfterMath entering Mill Creek, the waterway on which Sarah and Jeff live here in Annapolis. They made it back just 5 hours before bad weather arrived here. On Wednesday morning as they were making their way to Annapolis, there was news of an upcoming hurricane that might strike the area. So, instead of a restful return, preparations for that event started taking place. We brought in all of the furniture from the patio, Jeff and John took downs sails and added lines to Jeff and Sarah’s boat, Prerequisite, and plans were made to take his ski boat out of the water. As soon as Jeff got home from work Thursday, the boat was driven to a boat ramp, placed on its trailer and brought back to the house. Thankfully, the storm has now gone out to sea, but it has still been very windy and rainy here. Jeff and family are off to a wedding in Connecticut this weekend so John and I will watch over the house, the boat, and their dog, Ally. It’s been an eventful week since we left our quiet dock in Catskill, NY!

So, now John and I, along with Kirby and Jake, are staying on AfterMath during our visit here, but we have had lots of time to be with the boys and to share mealtimes with the family. We expect to be here a couple of weeks and we hope to tear out AfterMath’s carpet and replace it with wood flooring. Other projects include making a fiberglass table for use when we sit on the seat at the bow. It’s wonderful to have time together with the family and to still be in our home. As Jeff says, “It’s very nice to have visitors that bring along their own house!”

The geometry of bridges

Along the way, I can’t help but noticing the beautiful geometry that goes into the bridges

Sunset at Catskill Marina from our boat.

I had to laugh when this gentleman went by.  I’m not sure if he got the idea of sailing!  (And, yes, there was a breeze.)

What the predictions have been looking like.  One day it was actually 10 foot seas!

This is just a quick post to keep you updated as to where we are.  We have been in Catskill, NY for a little over a week now, but we are leaving this morning.  As I mentioned in our last entry, the weather off the coast of New Jersey has been rough and will remain so until at least Tuesday.  Wednesday is looking pretty good, with seas of only 3 – 4 feet and it seems  we have waited it out.  While we were here, John got lots of big projects done, so he felt our time was definitely not wasted.  I was able to get the dogs off for walks each day and keep up on laundry, and other tasks.  Jack and Jean were especially helpful as they came here on Monday and took me to the store for a major grocery shopping event.  It was wonderful to be able to shop and have a car to transport all of our goods.  They also bought us lunch and we were able to get in a nice visit with them that day.

Today we leave and head south again.  Jeff is planning to meet us for the New Jersey off shore leg and we are so excited that he will be along.  Besides enjoying his company, Jeff has a lot of knowledge and experience and will be a great help if the seas kick up and become nasty again.

We have enjoyed Catskill with its friendly little marina, pretty grounds, and WiFi that worked so well, but it is time to move on.  We will write again soon to let you know how the waves were!

It’s hard to believe all we have done in the past four months. AfterMath truly feels like home and our life on board doesn’t feel the least bit strange anymore. We handle the boat easily now; John pilots her competently and I find that many times, when someone offers to help us dock, I would really rather toss my own line around a cleat, but I accept because they are trying to be helpful. We love our traveling days and our days when we decide to stay put. Our lives on the water have settled into comfortable rhythms that suit us well.

Passing all kinds of tugboats along the way.

Beautiful scenery along the way.

Urger, the tugboat.

Urger’s engine.

We left Utica and traveled to Little Falls, NY Monday the 14^th. At the small marina there, we docked in front of a beautiful tugboat called “Urger”. When John was a young child, he wanted to be a tugboat captain and he still loves looking at them to this day. As it turns out, Urger is the flagship boat owned by the New York Canal Corporation. Built in 1901, it is one of the oldest working vessels in the country that is still afloat. Originally a fishing boat, it was sold to New York in the 1920’s. The engine was originally steam, but it was replaced with an Atlas Diesel in the 1940’s. That engine still powers the boat today. She was used as a tugboat into the early 1980’s and was put back to service in the 90’s as a teaching boat. Now Urger travels to cities along the canals to festivals and to schools. Fourth grade children at many schools tour the tug and learn about the Erie Canal. Urger is beautifully maintained and we enjoyed getting a good look at this historic vessel.

This lock is unusual in that one end is a guillotine door that drops down and lifts up.

You have to love the originality of this bench.

A little tug!

The park at our dock in Canajoharie.

Around town in Canajoharie – note Peruzzi’s Meat Market.

How about those lamps?

On Tuesday we set out for a twenty-mile trip to a little village of Canajoharie. John remembered passing by this town when he traveled for work and always wanted to get there by boat, so we made sure to stop on our way east on the Erie Canal. Docked at a little waterfront park, we were able to walk to the center of town in just a few minutes. We had been told of a little meat market in town that had wonderful homemade sausages, so we decided to pick some up to add to our freezer. We arrived at Peruzzi’s Meat Market and were surprised to see that, not only did they carry great meats and sausages as well as other groceries, but they also sold furniture in their store! We had a great time deciding what to buy and pretty much bought one of every type sausage there was along with whatever else Mr. Peruzzi suggested. We had a great meal that night and I went back in the morning to buy even more. Until everything froze solid, my freezer had the strong aroma of well-seasoned sausage!

Canajoharie has a population of about 2700. According to Mr. Peruzzi, the town really came to being as a hunting town. People came to hunt and many industries made furs and leather products. As hunting became more regulated, it lost most of those businesses, but in the late 1800’s Beech Nut Baby Food was founded. Until 2011 when it relocated, Beech Nut was the largest employer in the town. I walked around Church St, the main street in town, Wednesday morning and took some pictures, and I promised Mr. Peruzzi that, when we got as far away from his store as we could get, I would post a picture on his Facebook page with a sign saying how many miles we were from this nice little meat market with incredible sausages.

Jack

Reflections

Wednesday morning also brought us the fun of having my brother, Jack, join us again for a day on the Erie. Jack has been fascinated with the canal since he was in sixth grade and was happy for another day as we traveled along. Jean dropped him off in the morning and we had a beautiful ride. The water was truly glass-like and as always, I just couldn’t resist photographing some of the perfectly symmetrical reflections. Canajoharie was near Lock 14 on the canal and we told Jean we would meet her at Lock 8, which is in Scotia, NY. After a day of sunshine and warmth, Jean arrived and we had a dinner of, you guessed it, sausage, salad, and the angel hair pasta that Peruzzi’s highly recommended. It was so nice to spend the time with Jack and Jean and we were happy Jack got some more time on the canal.

Leaving Waterford and the Erie Canal

Entering Troy Lock

I’m not sure why, but this is one of the dogs that guard this lock.

In the lock

The 220th lock!

Troy, NY

Our last day on the Erie Canal happened on Thursday when we traveled from Lock 8 to Waterford. It felt strange to think we were finished with the canals in New York and Canada and to be back on the Hudson River. Yesterday, Friday, we went through the last lock in the North East, Troy NY’s lock.   In total, we traversed 220 locks since June when we started the canal systems of New York and Canada. I found it bittersweet, but John said he was happy to be done with locks!

Passing through Albany, NY

A lighthouse on the Hudson in the sparkling sunshine.

Olana State Historical Site – This was the home of Frederic Church, a landscape artist

We traveled back to Catskill, NY, where we stopped at the beginning of our trip. Our niece, Cheryl, and her family came to visit us and brought us a great pizza dinner, which we were able to enjoy outside at the marina’s picnic area. We loved having family around, as always, and thank them for coming to visit us.

It’s hard to picture, but this is a 20 foot bridge that our 19 foot, 7 inch boat had to pass under.

Catskill Marina was where we originally lowered our mast, took down the radar and GPS antennas, and did anything else we could to get our boat down to 19 feet 7 inches high, a height interestingly called “air draft”. This was so important to be able to fit under all those 20 foot bridges we had to pass under on our way west and north. Today, though, the mast and antennas have been raised again, the bimini for the dinghy is back up, and John is upstairs right now getting everything back where it belongs for the next couple of years. Our air draft after he finishes will be 32 feet.

Some of Catskill’s cats.

A walk around Catskill, NY.  

When we were here those months ago, I enjoyed walking around town and seeing all of the beautifully decorated cats that were near the businesses on Main St. I never got to photograph them at the time, so I was excited to have an opportunity to do so on this return trip. However, I saw online that today is the Cat Auction. I hadn’t realized that the cats are all on the street for the summer, but then auctioned off each September for a good cause. Of course I hurried to town to see if I could find them before they were gone for good and, luckily found a few in the store where the auction would be taking place this afternoon. While it wasn’t quite the same as seeing them on Main St., I was happy to get a couple of shots of a few of these statues. I also took some time to photograph other sights along Main St, including a little garden park with beautiful flowers and some friendly bees.

Soon we will be back in New York City and getting ready to pass New Jersey on the Atlantic, but we are carefully watching the weather that has predictions of some strong winds and high seas. Because hurricane Sandy damaged the Intracoastal Waterway in New Jersey, we will have to go offshore to head south before we can re-enter the protected path. We will wait out the waves and go when we feel comfortable and safe. We will keep you updated as to what is happening in the next blog post!

For now, here is where we are today: