Monday, October 03, 2011
Silver Lake
Ocracoke Coffee Company
35 06.73 N 075 58.61 W
Wow, what a ride. Yesterday we made a 50 mile passage in more-or-less a straight line from Roanoke Island to Ocracoke Island. We spent the whole trip close-hauled. I mean really really close hauled. We could not squeeze a single degree more out of her. For those who don't know, close hauled means sailing as close as possible into the wind.
Tarwathie is not at her best close hauled. Many other boats can sail closer to the wind as we do. In addition, she plows into oncoming waves which slows her down a lot. We generally tend to avoid it. However, I committed an error; one that I do over and over again. I tend to think of our north-south migration as truly north-south. The winds yesterday were from the West. Perfect, I thought. Actually, our course yesterday was not South, it was Southwest.
Anyhow, it worked out well. We and our two buddy boats got here about 1 hour before sunset. Perfect timing.
You may wonder what it's like here since Ocracoke Island was ground zero for Hurricane Irene. On the island here there was very little damage or flooding. The full time residents here have long experience with hurricanes. However, highway 12 north of here was washed out in several places, and it still closed. That highway was the route that most tourists used to get here. As a result, the fall tourist season here on Ocracoke is disaster.
We'll spend a few days here. This is one of our favorite stops. Our next leg is westward and on Thursday the winds are supposed to turn North.
35 06.73 N 075 58.61 W
Wow, what a ride. Yesterday we made a 50 mile passage in more-or-less a straight line from Roanoke Island to Ocracoke Island. We spent the whole trip close-hauled. I mean really really close hauled. We could not squeeze a single degree more out of her. For those who don't know, close hauled means sailing as close as possible into the wind.
Tarwathie is not at her best close hauled. Many other boats can sail closer to the wind as we do. In addition, she plows into oncoming waves which slows her down a lot. We generally tend to avoid it. However, I committed an error; one that I do over and over again. I tend to think of our north-south migration as truly north-south. The winds yesterday were from the West. Perfect, I thought. Actually, our course yesterday was not South, it was Southwest.
Anyhow, it worked out well. We and our two buddy boats got here about 1 hour before sunset. Perfect timing.
You may wonder what it's like here since Ocracoke Island was ground zero for Hurricane Irene. On the island here there was very little damage or flooding. The full time residents here have long experience with hurricanes. However, highway 12 north of here was washed out in several places, and it still closed. That highway was the route that most tourists used to get here. As a result, the fall tourist season here on Ocracoke is disaster.
We'll spend a few days here. This is one of our favorite stops. Our next leg is westward and on Thursday the winds are supposed to turn North.
Sunday, October 02, 2011
Inland Seas
Pamlico Sound
35 50.67 N 075 36.43 W
Yesterday and today are outstanding sailing days. The sky is clear, the winds are just right.
One of the reasons we love sailing in North Carolina is the pleasure of open waters inside the barrier islands. We have the breezes and the freedom of navigation of the open ocean without the waves and ocean swells to knock us around. We also get to sail all day, then sleep in a comfortable anchorage at night. It is the best of both worlds.
Pamlico sound, inside North Carolina's outer banks is a prime example. It fits all the criteria. The only thing bad is that it is only 15 feet deep. Therefore, if the weather gets really rough, as in gale, the waves in the sound grow too big too fast. For us, that means keeping a sharp eye on the weather forecast and not heading out if there's a chance of a gale. Otherwise, it is comparable to sailing on the Bahamian banks.
We picked up a second buddy boat. Gradditude with Richard and Karen on board. The start and end of today's trip take us through long and tricky channels. This morning especially, the red/green channel markers are so far apart they are very hard to see. The first time we came this way I was frantic with doubt. Am I going the right heading? Am I really in the channel? Is that thing I see really my marker? In such cases it's nice to travel with someone who has been there before and who has confidence that we're heading right.
My friends might think it is due to our superior nautical knowledge, but I'll let you in on the real secret. The last time we passed this way we saved the GPS track. Now all we have to do is follow the blue track line on our screen to duplicate what we did before. Cheating? Who cares?
Tonight - Okracoke.
35 50.67 N 075 36.43 W
Yesterday and today are outstanding sailing days. The sky is clear, the winds are just right.
One of the reasons we love sailing in North Carolina is the pleasure of open waters inside the barrier islands. We have the breezes and the freedom of navigation of the open ocean without the waves and ocean swells to knock us around. We also get to sail all day, then sleep in a comfortable anchorage at night. It is the best of both worlds.
Pamlico sound, inside North Carolina's outer banks is a prime example. It fits all the criteria. The only thing bad is that it is only 15 feet deep. Therefore, if the weather gets really rough, as in gale, the waves in the sound grow too big too fast. For us, that means keeping a sharp eye on the weather forecast and not heading out if there's a chance of a gale. Otherwise, it is comparable to sailing on the Bahamian banks.
We picked up a second buddy boat. Gradditude with Richard and Karen on board. The start and end of today's trip take us through long and tricky channels. This morning especially, the red/green channel markers are so far apart they are very hard to see. The first time we came this way I was frantic with doubt. Am I going the right heading? Am I really in the channel? Is that thing I see really my marker? In such cases it's nice to travel with someone who has been there before and who has confidence that we're heading right.
My friends might think it is due to our superior nautical knowledge, but I'll let you in on the real secret. The last time we passed this way we saved the GPS track. Now all we have to do is follow the blue track line on our screen to duplicate what we did before. Cheating? Who cares?
Tonight - Okracoke.
Saturday, October 01, 2011
Worth The Wait
Abergele Sound
36 10.50 N 078 01.14 A
We waited several calm days in Elizabeth City hoping for a little wind. The gamble paid off. It is a lovely day today. We are headed for Mantric on Roanoke Island under sail.
Tomorrow should be nice too and we'll sail to Okracoke Island. We love that place.
We have a buddy boat today. Cheshire Cat from Toronto with Brian and Karen. They have engine trouble and they're trying to sail to New Bern. We will help them with the tricky navigation.
There is a festival in New Bern next week and everything is booked. That knocked our plans awry. We had thought of visiting Edenton or Washington but those didn't work out.
Next weekend we'll leave Tarwathie on the Neuse River somewhere and visit Dave and Cathy in Zebulon. Then we'll continue South.
36 10.50 N 078 01.14 A
We waited several calm days in Elizabeth City hoping for a little wind. The gamble paid off. It is a lovely day today. We are headed for Mantric on Roanoke Island under sail.
Tomorrow should be nice too and we'll sail to Okracoke Island. We love that place.
We have a buddy boat today. Cheshire Cat from Toronto with Brian and Karen. They have engine trouble and they're trying to sail to New Bern. We will help them with the tricky navigation.
There is a festival in New Bern next week and everything is booked. That knocked our plans awry. We had thought of visiting Edenton or Washington but those didn't work out.
Next weekend we'll leave Tarwathie on the Neuse River somewhere and visit Dave and Cathy in Zebulon. Then we'll continue South.
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Friday, September 30, 2011
Canal task force created in 2007 still has yet to meet
Elizabeth City Library
36 17.59 N 076 14.57 W
You read on this blog about all the terrible things that happened to the Mohawk River because of floods following Tropical Storms Irene and Lee. Now read an excerpt from the Daily Gazette, the Schenectady, NY newspaper.
Source: dailygazette.com
Stephen Boese held up a stack of letters he's received from a variety of New York state agencies, all responses to his question: What is the status of the Canal Flood Mitigation Task Force ?
From those responses, Boese said Wednesday, he's learned "nothing."
That's because the Canal Flood Mitigation Task Force , created by the state Legislature [in 2007] following the 2006 flooding that inundated communities along the Mohawk River and canal system, hasn't met yet.
So. if there ever was a case where we should tar and feather politicians and run them out of town, this should qualify. Don't you think? Should we take bets on how much compensation and perks the task force members have received? Do you think the Gazette would publish the names of task force members; no.
I have been criticized for being too cynical and too anti-government in my politics. I don't agree; obviously. Here in the USA I see lots of evidence that government at all levels is more parasitic than benevolent.
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