Welcome

Welcome to Edith's friends and family who might be visiting this blog from all over the world. North Carolina is a wonderful place to visit. We hope to see you soon.

2008 Sailing Season Starts with a Windy Day

It is spring and that means sailing season again. My friends Scott, Tim, Gregory, and Tim's friend Zack headed down to Oriental for some sailing on Saturday, April 12th. The 34' Beneteau we charted from the Oriental School of Sailing was at a new location called Whitaker Point Marina which is a new marina in Oriental. It is about four or five years old according to the dock master. The wind was blowing hard when we got there, over 20 knots. With Scott at the helm, Tim and Steve on the lines, and Gregory and Zack pushing us off pilings we made it cleanly out of the slip.

We headed out the narrow Whitaker Creek channel and raised the main sail. Then we seemed to get caught in a crap pot or net. After a couple of vicious gybes to hopefully free us we raised the jib and caught the wind. The wind was blowing between 20 and 32 knots the whole day. This is the windiest I've seen this section of the Neuse river on a clear day. Mid afternoon I felt drained from lack of sleep, food, and water. Always remember the essentials when sailing! So I rested on deck. We headed in around 5:00 and headed over to our favorite restaurant M&Ms then back to Raleigh.

Another great day of sailing!

Bodie Sailing Fast

A Day of Wonderful Surprises

Our last sail out of Oriental for the year was wonderful. After all of the beautiful sites I have had the blessings to see this year, I really didn't think there would be any surprises. Our crew of Scott, Brandon, Rob, Glenn and his daughter and two sons, Angie, Bodie, Edith and I left Providence Baptist Church a few minutes after 8:00. The weather called for 60% chance of rain dropping to near 0% in the late afternoon, so we didn't really know what to expect. We had a smooth drive down US 70 to Oriental and got in around 11:00. After grabbing a quick boxed lunch we were on the boat, the Savy, and out of the slip in record time. Scott brought us out the slip. Edith did a great job of bringing us out the channel. Winds started out light at about 5 to 10 kts from the North. A cold front had just moved through and we hoped the rain would stay light and eventually end. We headed down river and got the boat moving well. After jibbing we headed back up river on a close haul. The wind picked up and Rob and then Angie got a chance to really heel the boat and with full sails fight the weather helm that we had with the 15 kt winds. Bodie took over and the wind soon died. Rob, Scott, and Brandon all took a nap while we drifted down river and joked about the lack of wind. Bodie showed his amazing multitasking skills while being interviewed on my camera while sailing at 35 kts. Or was that 0.35 kts. We cranked up the engines and motored back toward Oriental. As we neared the channel we were pleasantly surprised by a herd of bottlenosed dolphins that appeared to be feeding. There must have been at least 20 of them that enjoyed swimming near and sometimes under our boat. At one point at least 7 of them arched out of the water just feet from the boat as if putting of a show for us. There appeared to be a small one swimming with two adults. Sometimes they would blow water into the air and we could hear them talking with distinctive clicks. It was an amazing show to watch for over 30 minutes. After motoring down the channel I brought the Savy into the slip in almost perfect fashion, if I do say so myself. This is my blog remember. I was helped by the lack of wind and a good crew on the dock lines. We freshened up a little and while Glenn and his family headed back to Raleigh the rest of us headed over to M&M's for a tasty meal. I got the crab cakes again and had a slice of Snickers Pie. Edith tried the cajun catfish and everyone enjoyed their meal. While we were eating we got to see a lovely sunset. I sure am glad Scott suggested eating outside! Bodie tolds us that his GPS told him that the route through Greenville was faster, so we tried that on the way home. Sure enough we were back in about 2 and 1/2 hours rather than 3! Wish we knew that at the start of the year, but we now know for next year! Thanks to the entire crew for a great sail. I can't wait to do it again.

Versailles - Living in a Painting for the Day

Versailles was lovely. I can only describe it as walking into a painting.

After this summer, I truly believe that God stirs everyones hearts (or at the very least their stomachs) when on the water.

"If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.' "

"For the Lamb in the midst of the throne will be their shepherd, and he will guide them to springs of living water, and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes."

Jardin de Tuileries - Toy Sailboats

It was pleasant to see children sailing toy boats in the fountains at the Jardin de Tuileries in Paris. Apparently for a Euro or two one can rent the small sailboats. I was amazed that the little boats would sail all by themselves across the fountain. Then the children would us a stick to point them off in a new direction.

Bruge - The Belguim Venice

Bruge is one of the most beautiful places we visited. This medieval town is criss-crossed with canals. There are 4 families that run boat tour companies with 5 boats each. After taking one of the boat tours we had lunch at a restaurant frequented by locals. In the afternoon we rented some bikes and saw beautiful scenes throughout the town. We were amazed when a 100 foot barge slipped right through a bridge that was barely wider than its beam. And I sometimes have problems bringing a 40 foot sailboat in a slip!

Amsterdam - The Friendly City of Canals and Bikes

The first thing that hits you when you get off the train in Amsterdam is the number of bikes and the second thing is the number of boats. There are canals everywhere.

The first picture is of some beautiful wooden boats just outside our hotel.

The people in Amsterdam where very friendly and most spoke English which was nice since none of us knew much Dutch and our French was pretty limited.

A trip on the Seine

Is that Scott at the helm of a boat on the Seine with Mark as his first mate?

It is amazing that we didn't understand the language but the channel markers are the same as in the US. Red and Green!

Also late one night we saw the Phantom of the Eiffel Tower. I think he is the cousin of the Phantom of the Opera.

Boating on the Rhine - Loreley

The Rhine valley is a beautiful area. There are castles every few miles on both sides of the river, as this is how the local noblemen used to collect their tolls from the merchants on the river. There is a rock next to the river near St. Goar call Loreley and a story that goes along with this dangerous stretch of the Rhine river. In the second photograph you can see the channel split around dangerous rocks in the river. Red, right, returning for the channels markers just like the International Navigation Rules specify!

The Lorelei by Heinrich Heine

Translated by Aaron Kramer

I cannot explain the sadness

That's fallen on my breast.

An old, old fable haunts me,

And will not let me rest.

The air grows cool in the twilight,

And softly the Rhine flows on;

The peak of a mountain sparkles

Beneath the setting sun.

More lovely than a vision,

A girl sits high up there;

Her golden jewelry glistens,

She combs her golden hair.

With a comb of gold she combs it,

And sings an evensong;

The wonderful melody reaches

A boat, as it sails along.

The boatman hears, with an anguish

More wild than was ever known;

He's blind to the rocks around him;

His eyes are for her alone.

--At last the waves devoured

The boat, and the boatman's cry;

And this did with her singing,

The golden Lorelei.

Trains, Planes, and Bikes

2007 will be a year to remember however it turns out. High speed trains, flying across the Atlantic, biking in Bruge, dodging bikes in Amsterdam. Sailing to Ocracoke, flying kites, boating.....running at night down the Champs-Élysées to the Place de la Concorde then across the Seine and down the Left Bank to the Eiffel Tower! My local jogs will never seem quite the same!

I want to thank all of you who have been a part of my life this year.

It has been a special one.

"One can't complain. I have my friends. Someone spoke to me only yesterday."

Eeyore

Winnie the Pooh

Marooned in Bath

Wow! Where has the summer gone. I haven't even had a chance to finish telling the Ocracoke saga and new adventures have come and gone. Thanks to Brad Smith at the East Carolina Sailing School I have my ASA 101 and 103 certifications. Brad, Jennifer, Tim, Ed and I had a great sail over the Labor Day weekend. Scott sailed on Lake Michigan and once again got to talk with the Coast Guard. This time because of an engine fire! More on this with pictures later.....

Well I have to get some rest to prepare for another adventure. Indiana Jones never had it so good! I'll be back on the blog shortly with more on Ocracoke, sailing the Pamlico over Labor Day, and how I got marooned in Bath. Not to mention pictures and more pictures.

An Adventure Before We Even Started

The crew of the Champagne Sunset left for Oriental after work on Thursday. We arrived around 10:30pm if I remember correctly. The Champagne Sunset was waiting for us near the end of the fuel dock with the air conditioning running. By the time we got settled in it was after midnight. Soon after we got settled in and in bed, a storm blew through. Being on the end of the dock we got as much wind as any of the boats in the marina. I woke up what seemed to be about every 30 minutes and the storm was still blowing. About 5:30am in the morning something didn't sound right. There was just too much noise and the boat was rocking in a strange way. I looked out a hatch and saw the rolling jib was partially unfurled. I started up the companionway and as I stuck my head out, I saw a man stepping onto the boat. Good thing I don't tend to yell when I'm startled or a would have let out a howl! The old man stepping onto the boat was about as startled as I was. He and his wife had heard the unfurled jib in the wind and he had come over to fix it. I woke up Scott and the three of us tried to roll of the jib, but the rope around the drum was at its end so it could not be rolled. About 6:30am I called Knute (probably waking him up) and let him know the situation for when he planned to meet us at 7:30am. He arrived and since the wind had died down we could untie the jib sheets, give the jib a couple of extra raps around the forestay, and then unroll it and roll it back in. It worked fine for the rest of the trip.

Knute showed us around the boat and gave us some extra oil for the diesel engine. We had a light breakfast and the ladies headed into Oriental for some coffee, while I finished signing the paperwork for the charter.

Between about 9:30 and 10:00 I backed the 42' Hunter out of the slip and we headed out the narrow and shoalled Whittaker Creek channel where we had run aground earlier in the year with the same boat.....

Champagne Sunset in Ocracoke

We made it to Ocracoke and back! Jennifer, Laura, Scott, and I had a nice trip from Whattaker Creek Marina to the Ancorage Marina in Silver Lake and back.

I complete description of the trip will be coming soon. For now here are some of the pictures.

Stay Tuned

Stay Tuned for our next Adventure!

How to Avoid Jellyfish

After a little Internet research, I think we have figured out how help Scott avoid jellyfish while tied behind the boat. The key is boatspeed!

Avoiding Jellyfish 1

Avoiding Jellyfish 2

Outer Banks

I found two great websites by Fred Hurteau about the Outer Banks.

North Carolina's Outer Banks and OuterBanksGuideBook.com

These have some great information and pictures. We sail out of Oriental, NC located approximately where the red dot is on the photograph above.

Tribute to the Sailors of the Flying Colours

A touching tribute to the sailors lost off the NC coast in tropical strom Andrea on May 7, 2007.

This same storm required the rescue of crew from three other boats. Some amazing footage of the Coast Guard at work in May.

The Coast Guard planes and helicopter where out of Elizabeth City, NC.

Sail Away

I like the words (and music) for Enya's Orinoco flow:

Let me sail, let me sail, let the Orinoco flow,
let me reach, let me beach on the shores of Tripoli.
let me sail, let me sail, let me crash upon your shore,
let me reach, let me beach far beyond the Yellow Sea.

from Bissau to Palau - in the shade of Avalon,
from Fiji to Tiree and the Isles of Ebony,
from Peru to Cebu hear the power of Babylon,
from Bali to Cali - far beneath the Coral Sea.

from the North to the South, Ebudae into Khartoum,
from the deep sea of Clouds to the island of the moon,
carry me on the waves to the lands I've never been,
carry me on the waves to the lands I've never seen.

we can sail, we can sail...
we can steer, we can near with Rob Dickins at the wheel,
we can sigh, say goodbye Ross and his dependencies
we can sail, we can sail...



An interesting side note:

Rob Dickins was the chairman of Warner Music UK and is also the man who signed her with that label. He now owns his own entertainment company, Instant Karma.
Ross is Ross Cullum, who was an engineer on the album Watermark. Interestingly, the Ross Dependency is actually a location on Antarctica, claimed by New Zealand.

Steve Fossett

Steve Fossett is one of the greatest sailors alive today.

Speed sailing was Fossett's speciality from 1993 to 2004, and he dominated the record sheets, setting 23 official world records and 9 distance race records. He also holds numerous other
records in ballooning, gliding, and aviation.

He is the current President of the National Eagle Scout Association .

Sail TV

There is a 24 hour internet TV website called
Sail TV

This is a cool sailing video on YouTube. Notice the boat is sailing downwind at over
24 knots.....
This is sailing...

The Rolex Fastnet 2007 starts on Sunday.
I like this online Rolex commercial

And this Union Bank of Switzerland commercial

Sort of interesting that the rise of the Euro corresponds to the rise of Alinghi in the America's Cup sailing.....

And Trimarans

Someone needs to bring a video camera on one of our trips.....

Sailing Resources on the Internet

While reading in Chapman's Piloting I came across some good resources that I thought I would search out on the Internet.

The first is the Atlantic Coast NOAA Nautical Charts

The second is the Light Lists that correspond with the various charts. The Light Lists give a brief description of all of the navigation markers that are shown on the charts.

The third is the Coast Pilots which is a series of nine nautical books that cover important information important to navigators of US coastal waters. Coast Pilot 4 is for the North Carolina coast.

I like the cut of your jib

I ordered a cinnamon roll and vanilla Caribou cooler this evening and a friend said "I like the cut of your jib". I found that humorous since I had been doing so much sailing. As this means:

the cut of one's jib (colloq.): one's personal appearance, countenance, or demeanour Orig. a sailor's figure of speech, suggested by the prominence and characteristic form of the jib of a ship.

The phrase became used in an idiomatic way during the 19th century. Sir Walter Scott used to it in St. Ronan's Well, 1824:

"If she disliked what the sailor calls the cut of their jib."

I think more recently the term was used in a beer commercial but I'm looking to verify that...

Yes, I'm a total geek, but in a nice way.....

Still More pictures from the June 24th trip

OK. The last one I actually drew in Microsoft Paint.....

Be on the lookout for this Jellyfish....

The jellyfish that attacked Scott?

Sailing - July 21st

We had another great sailing adventure this Saturday. The crew consisted of Antonella, Becky, Andy, Bill, Elaina (spelling?), Dan, Tony, Mark, Tom, Joe, Gregory, Scott, and myself. We took out the 42' Beneteau from Oriental Sailing School again. This is a nice boat with a new scratch on the side that cost a previous charterer $800 in deposit. Ouch!

Upon arriving in Oriental we had lunch at the Oriental Deli and Bistro. I thought their Two Eggs breakfast was excellent.

I backed the Beneteau out of the slip. I misjudged the position of the bow slightly and had to backup a second time, but luckily we didn't come close to hitting a piling. The wind was excllent at around 20kts. With full sails and Dan had the helm we made 7.6kts SOG (speed over ground). After sailing out the Neuse in the heavy wind some of our crew was not feeling so
well so we turned around toward Oriental. Downwind sailing usually makes people feel worse and sure enough one got physically sick over the side. We cleaned up the side of the boat and continued on toward Oriental. After tying up next to the end of Dock A, six of our crew decided to hang out in Oriental and get some ice cream at The Bean. The rest of us headed out for some
more sailing in the 20+kt winds.

We practiced man over board drills when Scott's and Gregory's hats blew off. But alas, they are now both still adrift or sent to Davey Jones' Locker.

After cleaning up the boat and ourselves we headed over to M&M's for a great dinner. The Cajun Tuna, with shrimp, and Adouille sausage was excellent.

The trip back was smooth sailing and I remembered to open the moonroof to enjoy the clear cool night air.

I can't wait for the next trip!

Another Great Saturday Sail - July 14th

This weekend eight of us (Laura, Jennifer, Sherri, Jessica, Elaine, Tim, Scott, and Steve) took out the brand new 34' Beneteau 343 chartered through Oriental's School of Sailing. The weather was excellent. Jennifer took the boat out of the slip and out the channel. The wind was from the northeast initially at about 8 knots. After sailing about 3 hours out the Neuse we turned around and the wind promptly died. However, Providence was with us and the wind shifted to the south at about 12-14 knots and we were able to sail upwind back toward Oriental.

One point of interest, Scott saved the boat by throwing himself in front of a killer jellyfish while he was swimming. Thank you, Scott!

After bringing the boat back in the slip we headed over to M&Ms for a delicious meal.
Tim was kind enough to part with his ABBA CD so the other car could sing along on the return trip. Pretty scary!

Well it is Monday and back to work.
I miss the coast already.....

July 7th - 20% chance of rain

Saturday July 7th a group of us took out the 42' Beneteau from the Oriental School of Sailing. The National Weather Service website listed a 20% chance of rain all day. The crew consisted of Bill, Barb, Greg, Leeanne, Kevin, Andrea, Dave, Fadi, Jared, Scott, my Dad, and myself.

Scott and I checked out the brand new Beneteau. This was the first time I had been sailing on it. I walked back down the the long A dock to get 8 more life jackets so we would have enough for the entire crew. I took the boat out of the slip. It was relatively easy as the boat had been backed in the slip. We motored out the Oriental channel and turned up the music. As we got to the end of the channel a Coast Guard RB-S "Defender" pulled along side us. The said they wanted to check out our boat and asked me to put the Beneteau in neutral. They tied up along side and asked to see the paperwork for the boat. They never actually boarded but had us show them the safety equipment that was on board. Good thing I walked back to get those life jackets! They asked to see the fire extinguisher, noise signalling device, and throwable floatation device. We checked out fine!

The Coast Guard was with us about 20-25 minutes. All the while we could see a large thunderstorm growing south of the Neuse. As the CG boat pulled away we asked which way we should head to avoid the storm and they pointed out the Neuse, so we headed that direction. Well within a short time we were in pouring rain with lightning a few miles a way. The wind picked up to 30kts! We had no sail out and just motored near some other boats. After an hour of so the wind and rain died down and we put up some sail. We had some nice sailing while it continued to drizzle.

After the sail Bill, Barb, Scott, my Dad and I all went to the Oriental Steamer as M&M's was a 30+ minute wait due to the Croaker Festival. At dinner Barb gave us a nice complement saying that even in the thunderstorm she felt safe the entire time.
We talked to the waitress who was a college student in town for the summer. We offered to let her sail with us one weekend, but she hasn't taken us up on the offer. My Dad and I had a nice drive home. This was probably the most fun I've ever had in the pouring ran.