BAR-B-Q Adventures

Mission Accomplished  !!!!!!! BAR-B-Q crossed her  wake Saturday May 21st, 2022 after leaving Riverside Marina  May 17th, 2021. What a life!!!! So many friendly people to share tall tales and adventures  with. What a boating experience.  We traveled about 7000 miles on our loop. We did side trips, one that put through the SOO LOCK into Lake Superior. Our destination was Whitefish Point. There are docks protected by a breakwall, but no power or water. That's the reason we are self-sufficient. Another side trip was up to Chattanooga,  TN. The last major side trip was the St John's River through "Old Florida". Smaller trip Cape Lookout to Ocracoke Island via Atlantic Ocean. A total of 79 lockages and countless bridge openings were made. I gained in experience and problem solving. I offered my friendship to boaters and especially other loopers. Many times accepted,  sometimes denied and that's fine. Can't please everyone! I will be heading north in a few weeks. La

BAR-B-Q  and The Chesapeake Inn  After a short distance into the Chester River, I met (on the radio) a boat named KDLOU. They are from Guntersville AL, a town we passed on our side trip to Chattanooga.  KDLOU We traveled up the bay for several hours until they turned into the Sassafras River to anchor. I continued up the bay to the C&D Canal. Entering the Canal, I was quickly reminded of the commercial traffic that uses this waterway. A tow was pulling a barge full of shipping containers. Later that evening, while safely docked, a huge car carrier passed by. I was allowed to stay two nights at the free docks. Maybe I don't want this trip to end. Only 14 miles to go to complete The Great Loop.  I "cross our wake" when entering the Delaware River. All loopers will head south towards Cape May,  I will turn north towards Philadelphia and return to our marina at Riverside. Sunrise   Last Looping Day  

  Old Court House in Queenstown  Anchorage I traveled across the Bay, through Kent Narrows, and into the Chester River. Queenstown would be my last anchorage on the Loop. I celebrated this occasion by taking the dinghy to shore and  buying a pizza.  Anchorage 

 I learned that the Susquehanna River was one of three factors in forming the Chesapeake, with a meteor or comet and the Ice Age the other two. The Susquehanna starts in Cooperstown NY.  Yes that Cooperstown,  baseball's Hall of Fame. It flow pass my home in the 'junction' (where the Lackawanna and Susquehanna meet). At 444 miles, it's the longest river on the East Coast and provides half of the fresh water to the bay, thus this giant estuary, the clash of fresh water and salt water.  COVE POINT LIGHT   It was a busy day on the water. Leaving Solomons, their were five boats following me out of the harbor, all heading north. Most eventually passed me, "No Hurries, No Worries ", my state of mind. Not only were their fellow loopers;  assorted sailing vessels, a cruise liner and a cargo vessel were sighted. Busy day on the water. My destination was the Rod n Reel Resort. Not a marina but a resort with docks. Dockage includes resort amenities,  pool, sauna, hot tub

 I stopped at Solomons Island. I wanted to check out the Calvert Maritime Museum and was not disappointed. I called a marina for space and they said they had none but when I went by, there was plenty of room. There are many marinas in the area but I found  quiet anchorage away from the boat traffic. A short dingy ride got me to the museum. They have three themes;  fossils, estuary life and Maritime history. They also have the Drum Point Lighthouse on display. It was a screw-pile Lighthouse that they restored and did a great job at it. They have fossils recovered from Calvert Cliffs, river otters, aquarium exhibits, marsh walk, boats, and Bay life from commercial fishing to military to recreation.  Keeper had to wind every two hours Jellies Old gas motors  Through the red The light glowed continuously fromthe fourth order Fresnel light. If the Captian saw red, he was in danger of hitting the shoal.   Clear Navy deep diving suit

   Leaving all the hustle and bustle of the Norfolk area, I needed some peaceful surroundings.  The boat pictured above is Jackalope. We first met mid November on the Tenn-Tom. We again saw them in Beaufort, SC and now in this anchorage near New Point Lighthouse VA. The sailboat travels slow but steady. Dense fog greeted us in the morning so another 1100am departure. My next stop was Hughlett Point in the Dividing Creek. This anchorage I had to myself. There was a nice beach a short dingy ride away.

  The huge dredger DELAWARE  After leaving the "ditch", I turned south to get fuel. $5.00 a gallon, the best price in the area. I loaded 132 gallons, had a pumpout and decided to stay for the night. Other boats were here a week because of the high winds, waiting for the Chesapeake to calm down. This should be my last fillup until I return to Riverside. Not bad considering I last filled up at Carolina Beach NC. The next day the winds were calm but with it, dense fog. I waited until 1100 to move. The dredge across from the marina was visible and the Elizabeth River through Norfolk should be clear. The Navy is well recognized in this area. Enjoy the pics.

 I left Elizabeth City early and had the bridge opened at 630am. It was still windy but soon the protective waters would be flat and smooth. I had two hours to travel 18 miles to make the 8:30 lock opening. This wasn't going to happen. I slowed down and arrived around 10. I had a hour to wait. Two other boats timed it correctly and we all locked through together at 11. We all were stopping at the Visitor's Center free docks. Two sailboats were already tied up. There was room for one boat so the 59ft "Go GO" tied up. "NAUTONTIME" rafted to GOGO and I rafted to my  new Canadian friends who I enjoyed Sunday dinner in Elizabeth with. The Three Amigo's  We had a great time that night at "docktails" aboard GOGO. We shared drinks, food and stories about our trip and our lives. Such great people you meet on the water. The Chesapeake Bay is still angry and I stayed another night. GOGO left in the morning along with the two sailboats so we got their plac

  It was about 46 miles from Manteo to Elizabeth City crossing the Albemarle Sound. This shallow sound can get nasty but this day rollie but doable. The city docks are free for 3 day stay although not in the best shape. No water or electric and very short piers make deboarding very difficult. The town has breweries, nice restaurants and a great free museum. I stayed the three nights because of the strong storm off the coast. Sunday was a cold, windy, rainy day and I spent most of my time catching up on the blog. Later my boat neighbors and I went out for dinner. The winds were still strong Monday but little rain. It was a good day to tour the Museum of the Albemarle.

Bodie Light I left Ocracoke and headed north to Manteo. So as not to temp fate, I traveled up the Pamlico Sound. About halfway through, I started to have engine problems. The engine started to sputter and then stopped. The Sound was a bit angry and the boat was rocking and rolling. I checked the primary fuel filter and saw that very little fuel was in the canister. I later found out a ball could be stuck and this was the case. I rerouted the fuel line directly to the secondary filter and the engine fired. This is not ideal but this solution got me to Manteo, some 30 miles away. Safely secured to the docks, I removed the primary, took it apart, and found the  bottom portion full of muck. After speaking with the pros at Outstanding Marine, my goto engine people, I ordered a complete new fuel filter canister. Now I'm dependent on shipping so Manteo was my stay for a few days. Everything to reprovision was in walking distance and the town had history so not a bad place to break down. W

Cape Lookout Guard   I decided to an off shore run up Core Banks to Ocracoke Inlet. First I had to go east about seven miles out into the sea before I could head North. The Lighthouse is a warning for treacherous waters. I could see waves breaking offshore when the waters hit the shoals, something to defiantly to avoid. Safely pass the shoals I turned North, set the autopilot, and watched TV. There were no other vessels anywhere in sight. '  The black line is the 3 nautical line Tried some fishing no catching  The quiet run up the coast quickly turn to a white knuckle experience.  The Ocracoke Inlet is shoaled, the ATONS (aids to navigation) are out of place. Without local knowledge,  the inlet is treacherous. Poseidon, Neptune or just  luck was looking out for me this day.  I met a charter fishing vessel who guided me into Silver Lake, Ocracoke's harbor. Without his assistance I could have been that guy grounded. Lesson learned. I anchored two nights in this beautiful place.