Headed North on the ICW – Day 1
Wednesday 6/19
By 5am Matt, Simon (the captain we hired to help us navigate back) and I were on I-95 heading south. We ended up renting a Town & Country mini van for the one way drive down allowing us to leave the car in NC and sail back. At first we were very resistant to the whole concept of the mini van but let me tell you… with enough room to pack up half our belongings AND seat 3 comfortably for a six hour drive, we are now believers.
We arrived in New Bern, NC around noon, excited to see the boat and to begin prepping her for the trip up the Intracoastal Waterway, or ICW, back to Annapolis. At the marina, we had quite the little reception with other owners stopping by and congratulating us on buying the boat. Everyone was a little surprised that we were planning to head out later that day and weren’t staying longer to prepare for the trip. Unfortunately we both have jobs waiting for us Monday morning and needed to get underway ASAP in order to make the 4 day trip back. Maybe in a few years when we fully transition to the cruiser lifestyle we’ll be able to linger longer.
Dave & Beth, the previous owners, had contacted one of their cruising friends in the area to help us return the rental car. How nice was that? One thing we’ve realized about the cruising community is that everyone is always willing to help you out.
After dropping off the car at the airport, and a quick stop to our new favorite spot, West Marine, we were back at the boat and able to get underway around 4pm. With limited daylight, we were able to cruise up to Oriental, where we dropped anchor for the night. Unfortunately we were only able to make about 20 miles due to unfavorable currents and winds. Hoping we make better progress tomorrow if we’re going to make it back to MD by Saturday.




Headed North on the ICW – Day 2
Thursday 6/20
Happy Summer! We were hoping that, it being the summer solstice today and thus the longest day of the year, that we’d be able to cover some significant ground, err, water, today. Unfortunately, not so much. Opposing currents and strong wind from the North were working against us once again. In fact, the Neuse river was so rough this morning, that I had to huddle down below and try to sleep or risk loosing my breakfast over the side of the boat. Repeatedly. It was horrible. Dramamine and/or ginger WILL become regular staples on this boat. Fortunately the rough seas subsided once we got into the narrow man made canal that connects us to the Alligator River. That almost sounds worse than the Neuse, so fingers crossed that we make good headway before stopping again for the night.



Headed North on the ICW – Day 3
Friday 6/21
Today we were up at 4:30am and underway an hour later. It wasn’t as bad as it sounds considering we went to bed, exhausted, around 8pm last night. The longest day of the year and we went to bed the earliest we have in months.
This morning I guided the boat as Matt pulled up the anchor. It wasn’t totally smooth, and I think I may have ran over the chain once or twice, but the anchor came up and we were proud that we took the first step in creating our own little routine together. Matt also had his first go at docking the boat when we stopped in Coinjock, NC for fuel. He did a great job considering the wind was pushing us right into the dock… he only bumped it instead of slamming straight into it which I thought we were going to do. Good thing I had put a fender right where he was headed to soften the impact… which then promptly fell off the life line because I hadn’t tied my knot properly on the one side. He refilled the gas while I refilled the water tanks. Both were successful and without incident. We even managed to snag some snacks from the small marina store where we grabbed some bottled water for $10 a case. Talk about premium pricing!




Headed North on the ICW – Day 4
Saturday 6/22
Because of the lack of wind and opposing currents we have been encountering this trip, we decided to do an overnighter last night to cover more ground. We all stayed up until we passed thru Norfolk and started the shifts around 11:30. Matt went to bed first and it was up to Simon and I to exit the city limits via the shipping channel that leads you out to the Atlantic or up north to the mouth of the Chesapeake. I must admit it was a bit unnerving! Markers and other boats are not easy to identify by the untrained eye until they are right up on you, especially when you’re tired and can’t make out what you’re seeing.



