Why Can't We Have Boat AND Car?

Delmarva Pennisnula

 

This morning we stopped at the Dismal Swamp Canal Welcome Center. It felt like home. But we were homesick for traveling the canal by boat rather than driving along side with a car.

 

But we have been having fun. We had lunch with our cruising friends George and Carol. That was fun because the four of us enjoy swapping stories when we get together.

 

Last night we went to Rocky Hock Campground near Eadenton, NC. That was a pretty site and a beautiful clear night. We left the top cover off the tent so thst we could sleep under the stars.

 

Next, we are goin to spend two nights as Assateague National Seashore. Carol told us that is a lot of fun. Maybe no Internet, so so long for 48 hours.

A Fresh Perspective on Storms

Zebulon, NC

The other day, a severe thunderstorm suddenly approached Dave's house where we are staying.  I was sitting out on the porch.   I realized that the experience was very different on land, as opposed to scrabling to meet an approaching storm on a boat.   We've been on the boat so long that it felt like a fresh experience.

I just sat on the porch and observed.   The wind got stronger and stronger.  Thunder and lightning could be seen to the south.  I watched the tops of the trees swaying, and I saw it as a big branch broke off and fell.   But down at ground level, there was nearly zero wind.  The trees and the house sheltered me from the wind.

In the end, the storm never struck us.  It was a near miss.  The potential hazards are very different.   Falling branches and trees.  Lightning hitting nearby trees or buildings.  Water runoff after the rain.  All that in exchange for anxiety about the anchor dragging.

Places Tarwathie Can't Go

Zebulon, NC

On the way here, Libby and I stumbled across something unexpected.   We found some locks far far upstream in the Cape Fear River.   It appears that the river must be navigable by medium size vessels nearly to Fayetteville, NC.   Wow.  We had no idea.

That sight was a reminder of where our heads are.   You see, after 10 years on the boat we have become true nomads and explorers.  We don't explore places that no man has seen of course, but places that we haven't seen before.   Unfortunately, there are many such places awaiting but where Tarwathie (or any other large sailing vessel) can't go.   In 2012, and again this year, we will see some of those places by car.

But our true passion is to explore natural places, not man-made places.  I suppose the ideal would be to become dirt bikers; but we're 50 years too old for that sort of thing.  Travel by water suits us well, but how could we do that if Tarwathie can't go?  Many sailing cruisers switch to trawlers, but that doesn't appeal to us.

An experience that we can't put out of our heads was the meeting with a man at lock 16 of the Erie Canal.  He had a 16' aluminum canoe with an outboard motor on the back.  He said that he can cruise all day at 15 knots.   With a rig like that, tens of thousands of miles of rivers in North America would become available to explore.

We downsized once from a house to a sailboat.  Could we downsize again from a sailboat to a canoe?  Not full time, but part time perhaps.  We could tow a trailer with two canoes and then launch them for week long explorations.  I don't think we'll give up on Marathon and Tarwathie for winters, but in summers.  This idea is very appealing.

Not this summer, but something to think about for the future.

USS North Carolina

Zebulon, NC

Dave and I just returned from a round trip to Florida (more on that later).   Along the way, we took the 5 hour grand tour of the Battleship North Carolina in Wilmington.   I toured the ship 10 years ago by myself, but is was much more fun to share it with Dave.  Someday, I expect that Dave can share it with his son Bobby.  Bobby is currently a sailor in the USN.

The North Carolina is by far the best of the warship museums I've seen around the country.  They allow you to see almost all of the spaces above and below deck.   Dave and I both marveled at the amazing number of details designed into the ship to make it operate, even under battle conditions.  The 1930s engineering was very impressive.

Below is another youtube video I made of our tour.  Watch it; you'll like it.  You'll be especially impressed if you have never been close to 16 inch gun munitions.

Woke Up In A Cold Sweat

Zebulon, NC

I'm sure this has happened to you.  I woke up suddenly in a cold sweat.  Somehow when I was sleeping, I thought of a real life thing.  I remembered that when Libby and I stepped off Tarwathie and drove away, I forgot to move and secure the solar panels in a place secure in case of a hurricane (or even a severe thunderstorm for that matter.)   Damn.  That's a serious error.

What to do?  I could call the boatyard and ask them to do it.  I could call our friends Chris and June and ask them to do it.  But I need it done in a particular way.  I need the panels plugged in and operating (we leave the refrigeration running all summer or else the collant leaks away.)   I also need the panels located out of the direct force of the wind, and very securly tied against winds up to 100 mph.

So here is the plan.  Dave has Wednesday and Thursday off from work.  he and I will drive down to Green Cove Springs and take care of it.  We'll also have fun travelling together.  Hopefully, we could manage to get in a side trip to the battleship North Carolina.