October 28, 1998

Hello everyone,

It is a lovely foggy morning here on the ICW. The Canadian fleet is waiting for the fog to burn off before we move. There are 4 Canadian boats traveling together, mostly since Hampton VA. Vertigo I, a C&C 38, from Port Stanley with Diane and Tony Lesak and two daughters aboard. Blue Star, a CS 33, from Port Dover with Ken and Dorothy Wrigley aboard. And Bear Pause, a Catalina 28, from Kingston with Carol & Dave Honey aboard. We have had much fun and many cocktail parties.

Today we are heading for Washington NC which is a little off of the ICW. Friends of ours, B and Howard Goodwin, have purchased a house there and have a dock and invited us to visit. There is a 400 berth marina and only half full. So, I think the fleet will follow. Power and water and showers for a day or so. We want to watch the progress of hurricane Mitch. I do not want to be too close to the coast if it decides to come north.

We have had great weather the last few days – cold mornings but lovely warm afternoons. Temp has reached mid 70’s most days. The boat stays cool though, as the water is cold.

We have been leading this fleet of novices and showing them what not to do. We ran aground one day, wrapped the dinghy line on the prop next day, and fouled the anchor on a stump yesterday. I hope there are no more lessons! The dinghy line trick was a bad one. We were aproaching a dock for fuel. Murray backed down just briefly but the current caught the dinghy painter and it wrapped the prop. Here we are drifting sideways down the river in Coinjock in a two knot current. A kind boater came along and towed us to shore. Murray was very lucky – he didn’t have to dive to get the line off! That water was cold and yucky. The stump problem was easily solved as we had put a trip line on the anchor and pulled it out that way. Today, with the fog, we are going to be extra careful to not teach any more lessons.

There are many Canadians traveling south this year. I guess they decided the dollar be damned and left anyhow. We are all trying to watch our pennies and not spend too much. It is difficult, but easier when we are anchored far from civilization with nothing to spend it on.

We plan to head on to Beaufort NC tomorrow, and should be in Beaufort SC a week later. Then through Georgia and into Florida. But, we probably won’t make the Melbourne get-together on Nov 13th – 17th. We will see. It could still happen.Depends on weather.

Well, we arrived in Washington at the Pamlico Plantation docks just in time for their weekly cocktail party – is anyone suprised? It was a BYOB and a snack to share format. We met many friendly people – even one couple from the Sarnia area. Howard & B invited us back to their house for hamburgers and hot dogs. It was another great evening. We decided to stay one more night as it was quite late when we got here. And the fog is very thick again this morning. We had to plow a furrow in the river bottom to reach the dock.” No exta charge for the dredging” is what the skipper commented.

I think that’s all the news thats fit to print. All is well here and we are both very healthy. Have lost some of that summer fat and getting into smaller pants now. We walk long distances to get groceries and do laundry and that helps.

I hope to send this today or tomorrow in Beaufort. Meanwhile, stay well all and keep in touch.

Heather