Picobellogram

2006-07-15T18:12:00.000-05:00

Captain and first mate of the Picobello are back home in Arthur Ont. Canada. We are grateful to Kathy and Harold Rogers of the Sonsie of Meaford, who gave us a ride back home so we could pick up our vehicle .
The plans are to take our own transportation back to Annapolis (where the Picobello is docked) and prepare to get her hauled in due time and be winterized for a overwintering in the Annapolis area.
It is indeed a pleasure meeting all the people we have met so far on the loop. It has greatly enriched our lives!!!!
We especially want to thank the Huggins who have made their private dock our home for the last few weeks, while we were waiting for word on the flooding situation on the Erie canal. We can not transit the other route home (the Champlain) as we are too high to get under some of the fixed bridges. Our only option is to wait for the canal to open again, which will not happen for possibly 2 months. Once it opens again (if it opens again this season) we will not have enough time to make it home in time for other commitments we have in the fall.
So God willing, we will continue our loop next year, and arrive back in our home port in beautiful Georgian Bay!!!

2006-07-09T21:49:00.000-05:00

Harold and Bill think the food is finger-licking good

2006-07-09T21:45:00.000-05:00

The end result, a delicious feest of corn, potatos, shrimp, sausage, and crab, and delicious spices, that is "dumped" on spread out news papers on the picnic table.!!!! AND every one dig in.....

2006-07-09T21:39:00.000-05:00

Saterday July 8th we are invited aboard the Sonsi of Meaford and are guest of Harold and Kathy Rogers (fellow loopers)
Roy and Elvie Short prepare a "low country boil" for us.

2006-07-09T21:35:00.000-05:00

Eleanor showes us the sites in Annapolis.

This is the statue of Alex Haley, author of "ROOTS" The reason it is in Annapolis, is that this is the site where the first slave arrived in America.

2006-07-09T21:31:00.000-05:00

One of the meals on the deck overlooking the creek
F L T R-- Richard- Joanne- Eleanor- Jeannine and David

2006-07-09T21:27:00.000-05:00

The Huggin's residence is nestled in the trees on the bank of the creek

2006-07-09T21:20:00.000-05:00

Despite the high water we are very comfortable at the Huggin's private dock.

2006-07-09T21:17:00.000-05:00

The severe rains of the past days causes the water to rise in the creek

2006-07-09T21:14:00.000-05:00

Entering Saltworks Creek near Annapolis

2006-07-02T08:06:00.000-05:00

Last Monday June 26th we arrived in Annapolis. After anchoring out for a night we found the dock of David, and Eleanor (Eleanor is a cousin of our friend Richard Ross) On Friday, we met Richard and Jeannine. We are docked at what must be the prettiest creek in and around Annapolis. We will not soon forget the warmth with which we have been received here, and the beauty of our surroundings.

One thing that is not so nice is the fact that the rains have caused havoc with the waterways we have to travel in order to get home. On the Hudson river just south of where the Erie Canal dumps in to it a marina could not withstand the fast current, and the debris. The net result was that all the docks and all 75 boats in the marina gave out. You can imagine the destruction that caused for marina, and boats alike.

Some of the locks in the Erie canal have sustained severe damage, to the point that they are inoperable. Apparently it could take more than a month to repair them, and rumor has it that the canal might not open again this season.

We will have to wait and see.

2006-06-21T13:41:00.000-05:00

The Picobello is finally untied from the dock in Crown Point Marina on the York river.

On our way back from a visit home to Canada, we spent some time in Gettysburg. Toured the battlefields of the civil war of 1861/1865. The battle of Gettysburg is said to have been the turning point of the civil war.

From the marina in the mouth of the York river, we toured the historical places in Virginia, and learned a lot about the first settlers of British decent.

Than on to Deltaville, and Tangier Island with the Picobello. Anyone doing the loop, who has not stopped in Tangier Island has missed a lot. The 600 inhabitants only industry is "crabbing" . You see crab shacks everywhere as you enter one of the two only inlets to the Island. The Island is only about one and a half mile wide, and two and one half mile long. It has a post office, a small grocery store, two churches, a small fire department, and two or three restaurants. The marina owner gave us a personal tour of the island in his golf cart. Mr Milton Parks, is a very nice 74 year old man. The population is very friendly to visitors. Tangier Island is one place we will not soon forget.

From Tangier Island we went to the Solomons Islands. On our way we were intercepted by a military patrol boat. We were asked to change our coarse to port a few degrees, as we were too close to a target ship that was just about to be bombed. (There are several large old ship's used for target practice by the USA air force, in the Chesapeake.) Not long after we were approached we herd the planes thunder overhead on route to their target.
Never a dull moment!!!

2006-06-21T13:38:00.000-05:00

The only transportation on the island is, bike, scooter, or golf cart. If you don't have either of these you are walking. That is not all bad, as you can walk around the Island in less than one hour.

2006-06-21T13:36:00.000-05:00

We got a personalized tour from Milton Parks, the who runs the only marina on the Island.

2006-06-21T13:28:00.000-05:00

Entering "Tangier Island" Population 600 we thought we had gone back in time 100 years or so.
Tangier is an Island in the middle of the Chesapeake. The only business on the Island is "crabbing" Crab shacks is the only thing that lines the only two entrances to the Island.

2006-06-21T13:25:00.000-05:00

After having been tied to a dock (while we made a visit home to Canada) we are on our way to Tangier Island.

Oops a close encounter with a container carrying ocean freighter.

2006-06-21T13:23:00.000-05:00

Williamsburg, A colonial town near Jamestown.

2006-06-21T13:20:00.000-05:00

A reproduction of one of the fleet of three that brought the settlers to Jamestown,
The "Gotspeed"

Hard to imagine this boat just over 60 feet came across the Atlantic!!

2006-06-21T13:15:00.000-05:00

Jamestown claims to be the birth place of the USA. This is a recreated village as it was in 1609

(first British settlement)

2006-06-21T13:12:00.000-05:00

Home of the famous "Boyed Bears" close to Gettysburg.

I have never seen so many stuffed bears in one place. They claim over 70.000.00

2006-06-21T13:10:00.000-05:00

Joanne standing beside our guide during a tour of Gettysburg battlefield

2006-06-11T16:10:00.000-05:00

While we were at home the grand kids came to hang arround!!!

Here are Joel and his sister Alexis

2006-06-11T16:08:00.000-05:00

2006-06-11T16:04:00.000-05:00

Catching frogs not many Girls would do that now would they.

2006-06-11T16:03:00.000-05:00

Feeding the fish.

2006-06-11T16:02:00.000-05:00

All 7 of them!!

2006-06-11T14:39:00.000-05:00

We have been home for almost three weeks. While at home we visited with a lot of Fam. and Friends, and helped out some with our kids projects. Monday June 12th we will be heading back to the Picobello to resume our trip up the Chesapeake. Also I have with the help from my son changed the blog, so that you can add a comment. All you need to do is click on the "COMMENT" box on the last posting, leave your message, and fill in the "WORD VERIFICATION" and click on "LOGIN AND PUBLISH" and whalla, we will receive your comments. Your comments are always welcome!!!

2006-05-29T06:40:00.000-05:00

While at home we had to check out the new addition to the fold,
One of three new born Norwegian Fjord 's

2006-05-29T06:33:00.000-05:00

Brandy, and her new baby

2006-05-21T21:31:00.000-05:00

Now THAT'S a ship!!!!!

2006-05-21T21:29:00.000-05:00

Left overs anyone????

2006-05-21T21:26:00.000-05:00

One of the many dolphins we saw on our trip... Oops he is gone again....

2006-05-21T21:23:00.000-05:00

A crab fisherman getting ready to deposit his crab traps

2006-05-21T20:49:00.000-05:00

The Picobello is docked at Crown Point Marina, in the mouth of the York river.
We traveled almost 200 nm in the last couple of days to get here.
The Pamlico river was not very friendly to us, nor the Albemarle sound. The only other times our furniture was thrown all over the boat is when we were crossing lake Michigan, and the Gulf of Mexico. However we survived.

The boat was so covered with salt that it took most of one day to get it all washed off.

We will be staying in Crown Point for the next few weeks, while we go home for some Fam. functions.

2006-05-17T19:19:00.000-05:00

Since our last posting we have come a long way north. We left Charleston on the 13th of May, and have been traveling with Harold and Kathy on the SONSIE of Meafort. We visited Georgetown, and Myrtle beach South Carolina, and then crossed the South Carolina/North Carolina border, and made a stop in Southport North Carolina. From there we left and spend a night in Wrightsville Beach. The Picobello left Wrightsville Beach, and went outside (on the open Atlantic) to Beaufort North Carolina, a 70 nm trip. The weather was beautiful with calm winds, and sunny skies.

2006-05-12T16:53:00.000-05:00

A visit from the GRAND kids.
Aren't they cute!!!!

2006-05-12T16:43:00.000-05:00

The traveling couple in front of Castillo de San Marcos
(St Augustine)

2006-05-12T16:27:00.000-05:00

2006-05-12T15:05:00.000-05:00

Today (May 12) the Picobello is docked at City marina in Charleston South Carolina. We came from Beaufort today, and are amazed at the wild and uninhabited parts you see along the Intercoastal Water Way in this part of the US. The more we travel north, the more we are reminded that we are traveling out of a subtropical climate. Temp. during the day can be stifling, and cool right down at night. This is good for sleeping, and nice for traveling. We met some other loopers here and will be joining them for dinner, and continue out trek north tomorrow.

2006-05-10T20:44:00.000-05:00

The bench where Forest Gump was sitting when he said "Life is like a box of chocolates, you never know what you get"

2006-05-10T20:35:00.000-05:00

We biked 50 km on Jekyll Island

2006-05-10T20:06:00.000-05:00

Today (05/10) we visited Savannah. Very interesting place to visit. The historic inner town is layed out with many squares. One square the Chippewa square ( named after the Indian chief with which General Oglethorp, founder of the state of Georgia, became friends) is the square where the scene out of the movie Forest Gump was filmed. The scene is where Forest tells his story to an elderly lady who is waiting for the bus, and he says " life is like a box of chocolates, you never know what you get"
We took the public transport from the marina to town, and that initself was quite an experience.
One day is really not enough to take in all the beautiful sights of Savannah, but our itch to keep moving north won out, and tomorrow morning we will depart Georgia, and move into South Carolina, weather permitting

2006-05-10T17:13:00.000-05:00

I should have mentioned that we visited St.Augustine, Jekyll, and St.Simon Island by car, while we were docked in Daytona. What a lot of history in those places. We always think of Plymouth Rock, and the May Flower when we think of the earlier settlers, but St.Augustine has that beaten by something like 50 years. Yes that is when Ponce de Leon (1513) first sighted the area of the USA. St.Augustine is actually the oldest City in the USA. Ponce de Leon build a strong hold (Castillo de Saint Marcos) on that spot, and it was never defeated.
Very interesting place to visit, and experience the European (Spanish) influence. Later in the late 1800 Henry Flagler tried to turn this city into the playground for the rich. Henry's influence can still be seen today, all over town. The now Flagler Collage was in those days the luxurious hotel for Henry, and his famous guests. Henry made his fortune in the oil business together with his business partner Rockefeller (Standard Oil). He also has to his credit the building of the railroad to and beyond St.Augustine.

From there we visited Jekyll Island. Also a very interesting place to visit, with lots of history.
Jekyll Island was originally settled by the Morgan Fam. They where to farm the land, and supply the nearby settlement and fort Frederica. Build by James Oglethorp, to defend the colony of Georgia from the Spanish. (Ponce de Leon) Later in the late 1800 the Jekyll Island was sold to a bunch of prominent business people from New York. It was turned into a privet club by people like Morgan, Rockefeller, Pulitzer, and Vanderbilt, plus 50 or so buddies of these families. Many decisions that shaped the USA in what it is today were discussed at Jekyll Island, and eventually became law. The club flourished for some 50 years, and some amazing cottages were build. The great depression was the start of the downfall of Jekyll Island, and by the time the second world war started the club fell apart. In 1947 the Island was bought by the state of Georgia, and it is maintained as a state park. Strict laws keep the Island unique as compared to the commercial tourist places you see along the coast in Florida.

2006-05-10T07:12:00.000-05:00

A shot of the Wild horses of Cumberland Island walking on the beach

2006-05-09T15:03:00.000-05:00

On May 9th the Picobello was untied from the dock in Daytona Beach, and started on its trek north.
We traveled to Fernandina Beach (over 90 nm) and stayed in Amilia Yacht Harbour. We had planned to anchor out, but the forecast was for some severe weather, so we decided to stay in a marina for the night. We left the next morning at 07.00 hr. and traveled to he Duplin river and anchored out for the night. Even though the weather was overcast for the most part of the day, we had a nice calm day, and made a stop at Jekyll Island for a lunch. Also this stop would put us in the little mud river (20 miles down river) at a rising tide. We needed the tide in our favor in order to pass through here without having to worry about running aground.
We were lucky to see some (4) of the wild horses on Cumberland Island. They where just walking along the beach. We altered coarse and came within a few hundred feet of the beach to have a good look at them.

We left our anchorage in the Duplin river again around 07.00 hr, and moved fast in order to get to hells gate, (again a very shallow passage) in order to get there before low tide. Again low tide in hells gate would have been very tight for us to get through.

At approx. 11.30 we arrived in at isle of Hope Marina, and are staying here for the next couple of days while we explore Savannah.

2006-04-17T19:24:00.000-05:00

April 17/06

The Picobello is resting on a dock in Daytona Beach, after making a successful crossing from the Bahamas.

The Bahamas were incredible. Clear, clear waters every where you go. You can see plenty of sea stars as you cross the mostly shallow waters of the Bahamas. Besides sea stars we saw stingray, sharks, Giant sea turtles, and of course dolphins. The people of the Bahamas are very nice, and a pleasure to be with. We have gained a friend there by the name of Les. He showed me how to spear lobster. Boy I tell you when you spear your own lobster for dinner, it is the best dinner you have ever tasted!!

Our crossing back to the main land was very smooth. We could have made it across the gulf stream on our dingy it was that smooth.

We will be exploring the northern part of Florida, and part of Georgia by car from here. And I will post more about that area before too long.