Annapolis

Hi All,
We have had a whirlwind tour of the ICW and the Chesapeake Bay.We arrived in Annapolis the day of the Blue Angels annual performance for the Naval Academy Graduation. Sitting in our dinghy along with Bill & Margie from Tortuga and Katie & Hoku from Makana on the Edge of the Severn River.

The Blue Angels performed for an hour just a couple hundred feet overhead. An awesome display of raw power and the incredible talent of the pilots.

Then we were off to The Middleton Tavern by the city docks for Oyster Shooters!!

Wrightsville Beach,NC-Coinjock,NC

Hi All,

We have been tearing up the miles the last couple of days. After leaving Wrightville Beach we did the ICW, due to the forecast of northeast winds, and went 78+mi to a great anchorage called Spooners Creek. Robin and I stopped there on our way down in late Oct. "Aftermath" with Bob & Maryann, who were "buddy boating" with us since Annapolis, Md., had done this trip many times so we followed them into this spot. Not "pristine" by any stretch considering there were some pretty big houses with large boats in this lagoon but it had a certain quiteness and very well protected from the wind. The way we hooked up with Aftermath happened in the anchorage at Chesapeake City, Del. on the 2nd night of our trip south. This guy comes by in his dinghy and says " are you really from Bradley Beach?" after reading our hailing port on the back of our boat. Turns out he is from Ocean Twp. a few miles from us. One thing leads to another and we end up next to each other at anchor in Annapolis, Md. two days latter. We have them aboard and find out that he started surfing when I did back in the the mid-60's. Of course we know all them same people.... and the rest is history. We ended up staying together all the way to the South Carolina/Georgia border and needless to say picked up valuable insights/tips from the crew of Aftermath.
Back to the present... we anchored in the Pungo River just before the entrance to the Pungo-Alligator River Canal. Just another beautiful boring anchorage!!! Up at 0530 we transited the canal and around 1200 crossed the "dreaded" Albemarle Sound. Two years ago while bringing the boat up from Ft Lauderdale, with my brother-in-law Fred and good friend Gary Church we encountered the worst conditions this 12mi wide body of water could dish out! Winds were gusting to 50kts out of the north/northeast(as the NWS forecast was calling for 15-20mph).
5 1/2 hours later we found calm conditions in the lee of the North River, which is the beginning of the Virgina Cut ending in Norfolk, Va. This time it could have been called "Lake Albemarle" as we motor across in dead calm conditions. The day was completed as we pulled up to the Coinjock Marina and tied up to the dock. By the way this was our first marina since Charleston,SC. Showers/laundry were in order and on to dinner.
All for now,
Corbett and my fastead crew, Joe & Frank

5/18/10 Little River Inlet,SC-Wrightville Beach,NC

Hi All,

I will try to back track alittle every post and eventually all the way back to Oct. 1st, 2009. We arrived in Vero Beach on April 24th after a 27 hour overnight sail from Allens-Pensacola Cay in the Abacos. Makana, a 38ft Admiral catamaran with Rick, Kate and their 6 yr old daughter Hoku on board were our "buddy boat".

Robin flew home on April 26th to be with her sister Val who was scheduled for surgery May 12th. Which by the way turned out very sucessful and she is well on the road to recovery. I got things ready for the trek to NJ. Mostly routine boat maintenance and getting the Cookie Monster ready for new crew. None of this would have been possible if not for our friends, Bob and Deb, who live aboard their houseboat "River House" on a mooring in Vero Beach. This couple is another example of the amazing people you meet while cruising. Robin & I hardly even grabbed our mooring and they dinghied up to our boat to welcome us back and offered to drive us wherever/whenever for anything we needed! Things were tough without Robin on the boat. God knows she is much more organized than me! It took me alot longer to get the everyday stuff done that's for sure .

On May 3rd I sailed for South Melbourne Beach to pick up my new crew of Bern and Marilyn. They accompanied me all the way to Charleston, SC with stops in New Symrna Beach, St Augustine( home of Nancy&Bruce Hoffman with story in the near future!), Fernandina Beach and Jeckyll Island, Ga. This yet another "cruising" story. We met them last Nov. as we were looking for a place to land our dinghy. Florida is notorious for "not being able to get there from here"! There are so many private homes and condos that beach access is extremely limited. As Robin and I are motoring past a dock we wave to a couple, watching the sunset, who in turn wave back. Robin says "why don't we ask them if they know of a place to land the dinghy?"

Me, holding true to being "a guy" am at first reluctant but, soon give in and we approach them. Robin asks the question and they say"right here" and the next thing we know we are having drinks... then dinner in their condo!! Bern was a seasoned sailor who transited the "inland waterway" in his Island Packet from Michigan to the Dry Tortugas west of the Florida Keys. Marilyn is a retired high school teacher who specialized in nursing and was very comfortable being aboard. I was so confident with them on the boat, heck Bern could dock it better than me! This is a personal thank you to a great couple!

After following the ICW all day Tuesday through beautiful wilderness and then closely followed by "foreclosed concrete jungles"... aka Mrytle Beach , we anchored in peaceful Calabash Creek on the NC/SC border. My new crew , Frank and Joe, settled into running the boat. Checking the weather it looked like today would be good to go "outside" by way of the Little River Inlet,SC and sail to the Cape Fear River,NC only about 25nm but we could atleast let the Cookie Monster run instead of walk! We caught the incoming tide 10+mi up the river and arrived in Wrightsville Beach just in time to drop the anchor as a couple of thunderstorms came thru!!!
All for now,
Corbett,Robin(in spirit), Frank & Joe

Trial Blog for Cookie Monster

Captain Corbett and Captain Robin Monica have almost completed their first full winter of cruising the Bahamas and now are on the return leg back to Bradley Beach New Jersey. Corbett had just discovered the possibility of using Find Me SPOT.com to BLOG their way along future journeys. So this post will be used as trial to get connected to all of you who have followed them through their Cookie Monster emails this winter, 2009-2010.

Attached are some photos from the day trip north on ICW between Charleston, SC and Pawley's Island, SC., 66NM, in 10 hours. Some photos include Corbett's latest crew, Frank Ratti, old Bradley Beach lifeguard friend, who flew into Charleston on Sat from Eugene, Oregon, and his old college roommate from Montclair State, Country Bobbie Insley, who migrated to Georgetown, SC in 1972, with wife Claudia, where they are now "by the grace of god" Dixie loving Americans with a hound dog named Samantha, and a parrot. Frank had not seen Bobbie since May of 1974, the last time Yankee Frankie was in SC. Bobbie and Claudia have both taught a career's worth of public school students in Georgetown's County.

Best to all. Hope to try this out n the rest of the trip.
Cpt. Corbett Monica
(per Sec. fdr)