One Year Later and the Boatyard Marathon

One Year Later

Wow! It has been over a year since we left our jobs behind, handed the keys to our home in Missisauga to the new owners, filled the storage locker at the condo, disposed of our automobiles and moved on board Polar Pacer. Time really does fly when you are having fun. We have met an amazing array of people and made some very good new friends. We are still enjoying the experience and are not planning on giving up the lifestyle anytime soon.

A year living on a boat sounds like a long time until we meet people like the Swiss couple on Roi Soleil who have been travelling the world and living on the water for 37 years. Now that is a long time. We have grown accustomed to living in a small space with minimal possessions. In fact, we have disposed of many of the things we had on board when we started the trip as we realized that we just did not need them. Our shopping experiences are usually limited to those things that will be used up (beer, food, propane) or are replacements for items that have broken (Tom's camera - twice) or worn out (flip flops, bathing suits and boat parts). Souvenirs tend to be items that serve a purpose on board or take up very little space. I have collected postage stamps since I was eight years old so that works well. As we use the salt and pepper shakers almost every day they were an appropriate acquisition.

Pewter images of blue crabs bring back memories of the Chesapeake. The salt shaker is stored on the stove next to the burner to keep the white stuff flowing.

Polar Pacer has proven to be a comfortable and reliable vessel although we came up with a list of changes that we think will make her a little more user friendly. Some of the changes are cosmetic like fresh varnish on the teak while others are functional like a hot water system and a shower on the back deck.We have had a number of requests for technical information on the upgrades we have done. The list is pretty long so  I will spread them out over several posts. If there is something specific you are interested in let us know through the comment feature on the blog.

The Boatyard Marathon - June 14 to July 31, 2010

We started out with a combined wish list/job list of 139 items and narrowed it down to more things than we could reasonable expect to accomplish in a six week time frame with a budget considerable higher than what we could sensibly afford. We were hauled out of the water at Schroeder's Yacht Systems in Deltaville, Virginia on the morning of June 15 with a spreadsheet of 79 top priority 'to do' items.

We are fortunate that Polar Pacer is just over 15 feet wide and can fit in a regular travel lift. Newer catamarans are much wider and have a harder time finding facilities that can accommodate them.The guys at Schroeder's are very careful with our home.

We were anxious for the boatyard marathon to begin. The sooner we could start checking things off the list the sooner we would be back in the water to continue the adventure.We were just a bit jealous of our friends who had continued to head north en route to Maine to feast on fresh lobster but we were also excited about the improvements we had planned for Polar Pacer.

More than one person had warned us about the heat and humidity in the Chesapeake during the summer. Our first purchase from Home Depot in nearby Gloucester was a window style air conditioner that Tom installed in one of the hatches with a blue tarp and lots of duct tape. Thanks to Liz and Chris for the loan of their car for that shopping trip. 

It turned out to be one of the hottest summers on record with many days reaching temperatures over 100 degrees and most of the others in the 90's. We would have not slept much without our Zenith.

We have ordered most of our supplies using the internet and they are delivered by UPS directly to the boatyard. There are also some suppliers in town ( including two, yes two, West Marine stores)  but nothing is within walking distance and we are mostly relying on the kindness of strangers to drive us around. There is an Enterprise car rental location in the next town but that can get rather expensive.

There is no need for an alarm clock to make sure we get an early start to our days. The boatyard crows are up with the dawn and their early morning treetop arguments are loud enough to wake the dead.  They seem to appreciate the cooler morning temperatures as much as we do.

They also like to admire themselves in the port lights.I have not seen so many crows since I was growing up in Saskatchewan.

There were several sewing projects on the list. There is a large painting shed in the boatyard that is not seeing much use that became a workshop for many of our projects. It worked well to set up the sewing machine with lots of room to work with large pieces of Sunbrella.

The problem with sewing without anywhere to sit is having to spend a lot of time standing on one leg.

This piece became a large awning that drapes over the spinnaker pole from the mast to the inner fore stay. It covers the entire cabin top and provides shade. It has a long slot at the front edge to accommodate the inner fore stay and loops of polyester (UV resistant) webbing on all four sides in order to tie it in place. There are rod pockets at both ends plus two more aft of the fore stay that we can insert poles into to give it more shape.

Our diesel cans are starting to show the effects of being out in the sun day after day and needed to be protected from the UV rays.

If the sun can do this to plastic imagine what it does to our skin without sunscreen.

All dressed.

The dinghy chaps that I had used as my practice piece when we first purchased our Sailrite sewing machine

were showing some wear and tear and we identified a few design flaws that needed to be fixed.The Sunbrella material and polyester thread are holding up well against the UV rays. Other projects included Phifertex panels for the cockpit enclosure for more air flow and shade, a foredeck bag for the staysail and new dryfast cockpit cushions.

Have a seat.

Tom's biggest project was to build several fiberglass units. He made the shapes using core cell and a hot glue gun, added layers of fiberglass cloth and epoxy, faired them with Awl Grip and finished them with Brightside  paint. 

A new propane locker and one of the back deck lockers with a fresh layer of fiberglass cloth and epoxy.

The new storage cubby for the helm station with a coat of Awl Grip fairing compound. It will be sanded when it is dry.

Ready to be bonded into place then painted. The raised compartment at the helm station makes space for a six gallon hot water tank. The new helm seat will be positioned on top and I will no longer need a stool to see where I'm going when I'm at the helm.

One of  two lockers being bonded to the back deck using epoxy and thickener. They will give us space to store the fishing gear and snorkel stuff plus a shower system.

With all the new pieces installed the cockpit got a fresh coat of paint.

The list goes on. But more of that another time.

Life in the boatyard is not all work and no play. There are enough people who like us, are staying on their boats as they work on them and appreciate a break in the routine of sanding, painting, and repairing or replacing various broken bits. One such diversion was a movie night where we watched the latest version of Alice in Wonderland. 

If you have seen the movie you'll note the significance of Jabberwocky as a backdrop.

Too busy to write.

It has been a very busy time in the boatyard with no time to write. Will have an update soon.

The Carolinas and Virginia - June 3 to 13, 2010

Travelling north from Charleston we retraced our steps in some areas and covered new ground in others. The ICW from Charleston north through South Carolina to Myrtle Beach passes through several wildlife preserves. The terrain is mostly tidal marshes and cypress swamp. It really is quite beautiful. The waterway is noisy during the day with the sound of many birds I could not identify and at night the bullfrogs made short work of what would have otherwise been a very quiet anchorage. We saw many occupied osprey nests and lots of turtles sunning themselves on fallen trees. We even saw a few alligators who quickly ducked under the water when they saw us coming.

Duck hunting tower in the marsh?

Enjoying the early morning sunshine

Navigation markers make good nesting sites for osprey.

American Eagle

As we approached Myrtle Beach it was obvious that there were not a lot of places to get off the ICW and drop an anchor so we stopped at a small marina that was close by. Let’s just say that it was another part of the adventure. The building that housed the toilets and showers burned down about a year ago and it does not appear that there is any intention to rebuild. The docks are in rough shape and the prices are higher than what Skipper Bob reports. They are connected to a boatyard that was apparently quite busy at one time but is now in a sad state of decline. There is a collection of boats that are in various stages of repair. Some might still be salvageable.

Hague Marina – some boats never leave

A long term resident – maybe part of the Prout family??

Myrtle Beach is a Mecca for golfers. We passed by several golf courses that bordered the waterway. There was even one that spanned the waterway with a chair lift to get the golfers and their clubs to the other side.

We are more used to seeing chair lifts in the mountains with their racks filled with skis.

Myrtle Beach Mansion – not on the beach though

Myrtle Beach is not the only game in town. There are many ocean beaches to choose from. We could see some of them from the waterway. I have seen newspaper notices advising which beaches are open to motorized vehicles.

This must be one of them.

High rise storage along the ICW

We were still in the Bahamas when the BP oil well disaster first happened. There was much talk about it among the sailing community with some speculation about whether or not the oil slick would travel around the tip of Florida and get picked up by the Gulf Stream. I don’t know what the chances of that happening are but it would definitely add to the devastation.

Someone has a strong opinion about the situation in the Gulf.

When we stopped in Wrightsville Beach for Halloween 2009 the weather was not conducive to spending any time in the water. Only a few windsurfers with heavy duty wet suits were in the water. This time the water was just a little warmer and the beach was just a little busier.

Wrightsville Beach in season

Paddle boarding is a trademark of Wrightsville beach. You can even take lessons if you are so inclined.

We passed through Camp Lejeune once more without any delays due to military exercises.

Drumming up business for the Disamal Swamp

In spite of these signs enticing northbound travelers we chose the Virginia Cut as our route from the Alligator Bridge to Norfolk, VA as we had taken the Dismal Swamp southbound last fall. The little community of Coinjock looked like it would be a good place for a cruiser gathering but since we were the only cruisers in sight there wasn’t much point in stopping so early in the day. We were also excited about the possibility of connecting with Ajaya after hearing them check in with the Cruisheimers Net on Single Side Band from the Dismal Swamp. We would both reach Norfolk about the same time.

I had not thought about snakes being one of the dangers we would need to look out for during this life on the water. That changed on our trip up the Virginia Cut. We had anchored near the Pungo Ferry Bridge and were visiting with a couple of our very newest friends, Jim and his son Andy, who just happened to be passing by in their skiff and had stopped to say hello. They hardly had time to open the cold beer we offered them when we spotted a snake heading towards the stern of Polar Pacer in a very determined manner. We had apparently intruded on its territory and were not welcome. It was not impressed by Tom’s attempts to chase it away. Each time he picked it up with the gaff and tossed it away from the boat it just turned around and came back towards us. As we were not crazy about being joined in bed by an unwanted reptile during the night the world is now minus one ugly snake. A Google search later confirmed our suspicions that it was a rather poisonous water moccasin which is common to the area. And yes, they have been known to climb up an anchor chain!

No, I did not scream, I ran for my camera.

As we passed through Norfolk we heard Canadian Warship 701 on maneuvers warning all boats in the area to stay clear of the divers in the water. Several days later Tom hailed it on the radio and learned that is was HMCS Goose Bay. We also had contact with Ajaya and made arrangements to meet at the Hampton Public Piers. Luna, a Danish registered cruising boat, whom we had collected at one of the bridges, would join us as well. We hung out in Hampton for a few days shopping, eating, listening to blues and socializing knowing that we would soon be in Deltaville in a boatyard working on a very long job list. We even rented a car and went to the mall. Hanni and Roger – we missed open mic night at Good Fellas and the regular shows don’t start until 10PM. Just a little late for us.

Mimosas for brekkie – then buy all the seafood left at the end of the farmers’ market and have a decadent pot luck of shrimp, scallops, skewers and mackerel.

Shrek For Ever – 3D on the IMAX screen – Awesome!

One cruiser who just didn’t know when to quit.

Fernandina Beach to Charleston

Fernandina Beach to Charleston - May 21 to June 1, 2010

The community of Fernandina Beach is located on Amelia Island at Florida’s northeastern tip where it borders Georgia. It has a well maintained historic district nestled between two large paper mills that are not particularly offensive once you are onshore. There are dozens of shops and restaurants within easy walking distance of the marina where we spent our first three nights back in the land of plenty. Plenty of hot water that is. We had our first indoor showers since Canada won the gold medal hockey game at the Olympics!

There is also a wonderful farmer’s market on Saturday mornings where we were able to buy fresh local produce. What a treat.

Visitor at the dock in Fernandina

Before we could start our journey north we had to go south again. Armed with our job list of 103 items we headed down the ICW to St. Augustine and Sailors’ Exchange in search of bargains on boat parts.

St. Augustine sky line

We made four trips to Sailors Exchange on foot up King Street and across the river to dig through the dusty bins of new and used treasures. Our best finds were a new helm seat and a self tailing winch to replace the one at the mast. We saved about $500 on those two items alone! It was well worth the trip

The original helm seat

So much more comfortable and one item crossed off the job list too.

On each one of our trips we passed this giant soccer ball anchored in the river near the bridge.

If you want to build one you can find instructions at www.earthball.org

While in St. Augustine we deciphered the Sunshine Bus Company’s system and treated ourselves to some extreme retail therapy at Wal-Mart and the Winn-Dixie supermarket. There were too many choices and we came away without too many bags full. The other controlling factor was the idea that when we haul the boat we will need to empty everything out while we do the interior work. The less we have to pack up the better. An unexpected bonus was our very first seniors’ discount ever! The sign on the bus indicated a discount for ‘over 60’ but the driver asked if we were over 55 and gave us the reduced rate of 50 cents instead of a dollar.

We have been told that anyone who claims to have taken a boat down the Intracoastal Waterway without going aground is a liar. Okay. We can’t be called liars anymore. Yes, Polar Pacer has been aground on the ICW. Just a couple of minutes of not paying enough attention and one of our bows was stuck in the mud at the side of the channel. The embarrassing part was having to ask the power boat to ‘wake’ us and make a big enough wave to wash us off the bottom after asking the captain for a slow pass as he approached from behind at a high rate of speed.

Shortly afterwards we came across a family in need of a little assistance. They were out for a nice Sunday afternoon of fishing but had some motor problems and were adrift in the ICW. We had them throw us a line and gave them a tow as far as the Sisters Creek Bridge.

Tow Boat Polar Pacer to the rescue.

Someone was out to remind us that we had missed a certain nephew’s birthday earlier in the month and had a sky writer do the job.

First Word

Second word

Self explanatory

There is a lot of residential development along some parts of the ICW and many of the homes come with private docks.

Boat houses as far as the eye can see.

Some do not match the elegant architectural style of the homes they belong to.

As we had missed the big cruisers Thanksgiving pot luck gathering at St. Mary’s, Georgia on the southbound trip we made a short stop to have a look and meet friends. We arrived the day before the second annual Fun in the Sun Festival that coincided with the Memorial Day Weekend. The line up of events included . . . . .

A pet fashion show,

A climbing wall,

A rubber duck race in the tidal current (Our duck, number 2576 in the middle of the pack, did not win despite our words of encouragement from shore.),

The blessing of the fleet

And patriotic entertainment by the Navy band from Jacksonville.

One piece of advice we had been given before we left Canada was to avoid travelling the ICW on a weekend. That’s when all the crazy people come out and cause havoc on the water. A long weekend would be especially bad. Time for another offshore passage. Thirty hours offshore would take us from St. Mary’s Inlet to Charleston. The same trip southbound took almost two weeks.

We left St. Mary’s at sunrise on Sunday morning and headed out to sea.

We have come to appreciate the reliability of American aids to navigation.

Three hour watches on an overnight passage seem to work for us. That gives the ‘off-watch ‘person enough time to update the ‘on-watch’ person and wind down enough to get some REM sleep. We record our position and plot it on the paper chart every hour. That way, if anything should happen to our electronics we will still have a pretty good idea where we are and can put a backup plan in operation.

Sticky arrows don’t damage the chart and can be re-used for the next trip.

Charleston is one of those cities that deserve a repeat visit and the nice man from Customs and Border Patrol who checked us in at the marina told us about the Picollo Spoleto arts festival. We decided to stay an extra day and treat ourselves to some culture. As we walked through the well preserved historic district we happened on a lunchtime performance by the Dancentre South Company at the Footlight Players Theatre, and an exhibit of works from the ‘70’s and ‘80’s by artist Terry K. Hunter and a wine tasting at the market Street Winery. We were exposed to some extreme architectural contrasts in the Customs House and the Arthur Ravenel Jr. Bridge.

Terry K. Hunter was on exhibit in the lobby.

Column detail.

Crossing the Cooper River

At one time it was not considered proper for ladies to entertain company when their husbands were not in residence. When plantation owners returned from trips to the islands they would put a pineapple on display at the entrance to their property as an indication that they had returned home and it was time to party.

Charleston is always ready for a party

Cooling down

Westward Gulf Stream Crossing – May 18 to 20, 2010

At 6:30 AM on May 17 we made contact with Chris Parker, our weather advisor who we can communicate with via SSB radio in the absence of the internet or VHF weather networks. He indicated that we could expect sustained squalls and thunderstorms with winds between 30 and 40 knots later in the day and into the evening. With that in mind we decided to delay our departure.

A spectacular final Bahamian sunset

The next morning’s three day forecast called for light winds with some isolated squalls. We had a good weather window to head for Fernandina Beach. Ft. Pierce and Cape Canaveral were possible bail out points if things turned nasty. Fernandina Beach was far enough north that we could take advantage of the Gulf Stream to carry us there. We would take turns being on watch for three hours at a time and hoped we would be able to sleep in between watches. Passages (NH) would make the crossing with us. It was good to be able to call them and compare notes when all we could see was the sea and the stars. A little bit of conversation makes the night watches go that much quicker.

We pulled up the anchor and left Great Sale Cay on schedule. The wind was mostly on our nose so we had to motor in order to maintain a speed of 6 knots. Our initial course took us NNW to Matanilla Shoal where we turned to the NW for entering the Gulf Stream. The sky was partly cloudy and we used the radar to watch for squalls. We only saw two in our vicinity. The closest one was 3 nautical miles away.

One of two squalls we saw.

We reached the Gulf Stream late in the evening of day one. The farther west we went, the stronger the current got. By sunrise our boat speed had increased to 10 knots although we had kept slowing the engine down. The current was faster and wider than we had expected. The waves were small We had to slow down even more or we would arrive at Fernandina in the dark which we did not want to do as St. Mary’s Inlet can be busy with outbound fishing boats and submarines from the nearby naval base. To kill some time we put up the sails and turned the motor off. We were still travelling at 6 knots in very light wind.

Flat water in the Gulf Stream

During the evening of day two we started the motor again when we needed to leave the Gulf Stream and turn west towards land. At that point we were counteracting the effect of the northerly current. We reached the red and white buoy marking the entrance to St Mary’s Inlet at 7:00 AM on day three. There had been very little traffic on the water .Fishing boats were just starting to come out and there had not been any announcements for submarine traffic.

Early morning fishing trip.

A pilot boat heading out from Fernandina Beach to make a crew change.

Historic Fort Clinch guarding the entrance to St Mary’s Inlet

We picked up a mooring ball at Fernandina Harbor Marina, went ashore and walked the few blocks to the Customs and Border Patrol office to check in. The crossing and return to the US was uneventful, just as it should be.

As of now our plan is to return to the Bahamas next winter. Then again, our plans are often drawn in the sand at low tide and get washed away with the next tidal cycle which at most is about six hours away.

In the meantime we are making our way up the US coast to find a boatyard where we will be safe from any hurricanes and can do some improvements to Polar Pacer. After living aboard for almost a year we have some ideas to make her just a littler more comfortable and user friendly.