We arrived home on Thursday only to find no home phone,( I hope I can get my old number back, if not we will get something close to 2011)Internet or TV. As far as I am concerned, Time Warner screwed up really bad. So I left them for Verizon.
I finally got a chance to say..."What don't you understand about the words..."we will be home Thursday?"" Do I need to spell it out. In other words, I need all my services turned on by Today", and they just shut them off this morning, not the day of September 26th, as they were supposed to. So, now we will argue weather or not I have to pay them for the months that I was not here.
Anyway, I did without Time Warner before and I will do without them again...Actually I will save a total of about $200.00 per month, as I was paying big bucks for their High Speed Internet.$90.00 per mo., phone $26.00 per month and cable with all bells and whistles for a mere $175.00 per month. A total of $291.00 per month.....Crazy, I know. Right now I am down to $39 for a phone and $19.95 for Internet......I don't know about TV yet. It will probably be Dish Network, Direct TV......or even just a digital antenna.....LOL
They love raising your bill, and they can't tell you why.....oh well, lets see who is sorry now......LOL
Everything else is good and we will be home until the beginning of January.....when we will drive back to River Dunes and resume our trip.
HAVE A GREAT HOLIDAY NEXT THURSDAY, a Merry Christmas and a Happy, HEALTHY and Prosperous New Year,(2014) too!!!!!!!
So long for this year.......see you next year.
Friday, November 22, 2013
Wednesday, November 20, 2013
Finally...
It is now 3:00pm on Wednesday, and we are leaving New Bern, NC for N Y. We will drive as far as Fredericksburg, VA, rent a hotel and go to sleep...When we wake, it will be a 7 hour car ride home....LOL
Saturday, November 16, 2013
Days 50, 51 & 52 - Clean, Clean, Clean
And that is what we have been doing because we are coming home this Wednesday for the holidays.
PS....Wind is gone and the temps have been back in the 70's each day...
Dinner was at the Clubhouse last night (Veal Chops and Stuffed calamari)..
and will be tonight too..Crabcakes and Grouper
PS....Wind is gone and the temps have been back in the 70's each day...
Dinner was at the Clubhouse last night (Veal Chops and Stuffed calamari)..
and will be tonight too..Crabcakes and Grouper
Wednesday, November 13, 2013
Day 49 - Wednesday, Nov. 13th, 2013---Bbbrrrr - 41 degrees
When I woke up it was 41 degrees outside, a lot better than I expected, but nonetheless a bit "nippy", and a bit windy blowing out of the north at 15Knots.
When I went to bed last night they (the weather forecasters on TV) put out a freeze warning that ended at 4AM, however, we did not get it.
Today's forecast for Coastal Carolina is sunny, with the highs to hit the mid-50's, and by Saturday it will be sunny with high temperature in the 70's. Thank God, the weather is back!! to normal for this time of year.
When I went to bed last night they (the weather forecasters on TV) put out a freeze warning that ended at 4AM, however, we did not get it.
Today's forecast for Coastal Carolina is sunny, with the highs to hit the mid-50's, and by Saturday it will be sunny with high temperature in the 70's. Thank God, the weather is back!! to normal for this time of year.
Just a few Notes about River Dunes Harbor Marina
If you were to visit here for the first time, you would say it is backwards, because of the lettering system they use here. There are a total of 400 slips here, and because of that there are limits in each one as follows:
The first dock you see coming into the marina either by boat or car is called T- dock, because it is a mixture of (T)ransient dockage. Any boat not staying a month or more is put here at the rate of $1.25 per foot, per night, except for the Winter months of December, January and February, when the rate drops to 1.00 per foot, per night.
The second and third docks are called A-North and A-South, all fingers are 40' long x 16'wide. The fingers face north and south; B- dock is the fourth and fifth dock, all 45' long accepting boats up to 18 feet wide. Fingers facing noth and south; the sixth and seventh docks is C dock, all 50' long x 20' wide. Fingers face N&S, and finally D dock, wiich are the eight and ninth docks, facing north and south ALL fingers are at least 65' long x 25' wide.
The Tee ends are as follows: A dock for up to 75' boats, all beams
B- dock between 76 and 90 foot, all beams
C- Dock is 91 to 110 footers, all beams,catamarans with beams between 26' and 35' wide.
D- Dock is any boat over a 112 to 135, all beams and usually catamarans and tri-marans with beams over 35' wide
C & D docks are currently full. There are about 5 docks on B-Dock and maybe 8 on A-Dock that are not full. Transients docks are usually full, especially in Spring and Fall, as cruisers head either North or South.
And this is all set on 1,300. acres. If you think you know a large marina in land size bigger, let me know.400 slips set on 1300 acees is huge, because OPRM is set on 6 with 250 slips....LOL....LOL
LOCATION: North - 35.05.075 North Latitude by 076.36.068 West Longitude...or 35.08455 x 76.50733.....Off of Pamlico Sound, approx 1 mi. up Broad Creek, North Carolina, Chart # 11541_1 (Neuse River and Pamlico Sound)
All docks are dredged to8' feet deep in MLW, it is a deepwater water marina with between 8'-10' depths at the fuel and it is all the time, regardless of seasonl changes.
Tidal range is less than 2 feet.
All docks have 50 or 100 AMP service, at the top of each dock are huge panels with over 1600 amps servicing A dock alone. We also have water, cable and telephone jacks....they have included at dockside pump-out, but it is not connected as of yet.
During the fall and winter months, the restaurant is closed except for Friday and Saturday nights, however the chef comes in daily and makes one dinner for all cruisers at about 15.00 to 20.00 pp Sunday through Thrusdays. During the summer months, the kitchen is always open, serving three meals a day.
The first dock you see coming into the marina either by boat or car is called T- dock, because it is a mixture of (T)ransient dockage. Any boat not staying a month or more is put here at the rate of $1.25 per foot, per night, except for the Winter months of December, January and February, when the rate drops to 1.00 per foot, per night.
The second and third docks are called A-North and A-South, all fingers are 40' long x 16'wide. The fingers face north and south; B- dock is the fourth and fifth dock, all 45' long accepting boats up to 18 feet wide. Fingers facing noth and south; the sixth and seventh docks is C dock, all 50' long x 20' wide. Fingers face N&S, and finally D dock, wiich are the eight and ninth docks, facing north and south ALL fingers are at least 65' long x 25' wide.
The Tee ends are as follows: A dock for up to 75' boats, all beams
B- dock between 76 and 90 foot, all beams
C- Dock is 91 to 110 footers, all beams,catamarans with beams between 26' and 35' wide.
D- Dock is any boat over a 112 to 135, all beams and usually catamarans and tri-marans with beams over 35' wide
C & D docks are currently full. There are about 5 docks on B-Dock and maybe 8 on A-Dock that are not full. Transients docks are usually full, especially in Spring and Fall, as cruisers head either North or South.
And this is all set on 1,300. acres. If you think you know a large marina in land size bigger, let me know.400 slips set on 1300 acees is huge, because OPRM is set on 6 with 250 slips....LOL....LOL
LOCATION: North - 35.05.075 North Latitude by 076.36.068 West Longitude...or 35.08455 x 76.50733.....Off of Pamlico Sound, approx 1 mi. up Broad Creek, North Carolina, Chart # 11541_1 (Neuse River and Pamlico Sound)
All docks are dredged to8' feet deep in MLW, it is a deepwater water marina with between 8'-10' depths at the fuel and it is all the time, regardless of seasonl changes.
Tidal range is less than 2 feet.
All docks have 50 or 100 AMP service, at the top of each dock are huge panels with over 1600 amps servicing A dock alone. We also have water, cable and telephone jacks....they have included at dockside pump-out, but it is not connected as of yet.
During the fall and winter months, the restaurant is closed except for Friday and Saturday nights, however the chef comes in daily and makes one dinner for all cruisers at about 15.00 to 20.00 pp Sunday through Thrusdays. During the summer months, the kitchen is always open, serving three meals a day.
Tuesday, November 12, 2013
Tuesday - Day 47 - Don't rock the boat, baby.....
At about 9:30 AM we left Whittaker Pointe Marina to River Dunes Harbor Club. We got here around 11:00 AM, tied up ran our power and water, now we are enjoying a very nice lunch aboard the LF3. Tonight, we are supposed to go to a cruiser's dinner but they are making chicken....I never ever eat chicken in a restaurant.
I did make my car rental reservations. I am picking car up in New Bern on the 18th and traveling home.I will be home on the 19th of November on a one -way rental, I am returning the car at Syracuse Airport on the 20th. HERTZ was the only car rental agency that would allow a one-way rental from New Bern (EWB) airport. Everyone else said nope....I gusee you can figure out my car rental choice. Enterprise came up rent for one week and return car here ....Avis said no, and so did every other one of them. Hertz, when asked, said "sure, no problem"
After New Years, probably the 2nd, we are driving back down to Oriental with my Sebring and leaving it here while we take the boat to Florida. You have to have a car here and a courtsey car just don't cut it. I will look into a way to have my golf cart delivered here too, as I won't need it anymore in upstate, NY.
I did make my car rental reservations. I am picking car up in New Bern on the 18th and traveling home.I will be home on the 19th of November on a one -way rental, I am returning the car at Syracuse Airport on the 20th. HERTZ was the only car rental agency that would allow a one-way rental from New Bern (EWB) airport. Everyone else said nope....I gusee you can figure out my car rental choice. Enterprise came up rent for one week and return car here ....Avis said no, and so did every other one of them. Hertz, when asked, said "sure, no problem"
After New Years, probably the 2nd, we are driving back down to Oriental with my Sebring and leaving it here while we take the boat to Florida. You have to have a car here and a courtsey car just don't cut it. I will look into a way to have my golf cart delivered here too, as I won't need it anymore in upstate, NY.
Monday, November 11, 2013
Day 46 - Monday 11/11/13....Putting our house in Order on Veteran's Day.
Today was spent "shoring up" financial matters, cleaning, sanding & staining rails and other teak trim and changing addresses.....our new address by the way, is::
Al and Dottie Baris
River Dunes Harbour Club Slip A-South #27
465 Harbour Drive.
Oriental, NC 28571
They wil accept and sign for all packages and whatever else is sent to me that requires a signature....regular mail come directly to my slip.
and a quick THANK YOU to all who gave their all, so that we have a free country!!
It is a spectaular place...River Dunes in Oriental, NC.
Al and Dottie Baris
River Dunes Harbour Club Slip A-South #27
465 Harbour Drive.
Oriental, NC 28571
They wil accept and sign for all packages and whatever else is sent to me that requires a signature....regular mail come directly to my slip.
and a quick THANK YOU to all who gave their all, so that we have a free country!!
It is a spectaular place...River Dunes in Oriental, NC.
Sunday, November 10, 2013
Day 45 - Membership does have it's privledges...11/10/13
Sundays are do nothing days in NC. And that is exactly what we did, nothing...on board the LF3.
However, we took the courtsey car and visited the other Marinas and Yacht Clubs in the area, and have decided this:
As a member of a yacht club you get a substantial discount on dockage, so therefore we joined the River Dunes Harbour Club We will pay about $300 per month for dockage, plus 0.16 KWH for electricity. We should never pay more than $15.00 for our electric per month.
The Florida Keys are a special place where the old adage "if you have to ask, you cannot afford it", never had a truer maning, but regardless of the cost, we like it there. After all, it is the KEYS
For the remainder of 2013, the boat will remain in Oriental, North Carolina until January 3rd then Dottie and I will head to the Keys with the boat.
Our new plan will consist of the boat being 5 months in Oriental, North Carolina and 5 months in Tavinier, Fl. leaving a month down and a month back to NC. We are now officially snowbirds, as after I called the marina in the Keys and told him of my plan, he said you are now official sunbirds.
Each year from 2014 on, the boat will spend March 2014 (traveling from Keys to NC) April, May, June, July and August in Oriental, NC, travel to Florida during the month of September 2014 and spend October, November, December, January and February in the Keys. This works out great both financially for us and for both marinas.
Please note, WE WILL NOT be on-board, 24/7/365...I do have to work sometime during the year.
For as much as I liked Whittaker Pointe Yacht Club and Marina, it is too new and too sterile for me, and has NO protection from hurricanes or named storms. It is a problem for me leaving the boat out in the wide open.
And although Active Captain has rated it the best that NC has to offer, right next door is beautiful and spacious River Dunes Harbour Marina and Yacht Club, which is only 7 years old and a beautiful place with a ton of amenities included...and it is a "hurricane hole" to boot!!.
Take a look at their website
However, we took the courtsey car and visited the other Marinas and Yacht Clubs in the area, and have decided this:
As a member of a yacht club you get a substantial discount on dockage, so therefore we joined the River Dunes Harbour Club We will pay about $300 per month for dockage, plus 0.16 KWH for electricity. We should never pay more than $15.00 for our electric per month.
The Florida Keys are a special place where the old adage "if you have to ask, you cannot afford it", never had a truer maning, but regardless of the cost, we like it there. After all, it is the KEYS
For the remainder of 2013, the boat will remain in Oriental, North Carolina until January 3rd then Dottie and I will head to the Keys with the boat.
Our new plan will consist of the boat being 5 months in Oriental, North Carolina and 5 months in Tavinier, Fl. leaving a month down and a month back to NC. We are now officially snowbirds, as after I called the marina in the Keys and told him of my plan, he said you are now official sunbirds.
Each year from 2014 on, the boat will spend March 2014 (traveling from Keys to NC) April, May, June, July and August in Oriental, NC, travel to Florida during the month of September 2014 and spend October, November, December, January and February in the Keys. This works out great both financially for us and for both marinas.
Please note, WE WILL NOT be on-board, 24/7/365...I do have to work sometime during the year.
For as much as I liked Whittaker Pointe Yacht Club and Marina, it is too new and too sterile for me, and has NO protection from hurricanes or named storms. It is a problem for me leaving the boat out in the wide open.
And although Active Captain has rated it the best that NC has to offer, right next door is beautiful and spacious River Dunes Harbour Marina and Yacht Club, which is only 7 years old and a beautiful place with a ton of amenities included...and it is a "hurricane hole" to boot!!.
Take a look at their website
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| The coutyard of cottages available to rent |
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| A Wedding at the Mariner's Chapel on the grounds of the River Dunes Clubhouse |
Saturday, November 9, 2013
Day 44 - Pictures of Whittaker Pointe Marina and Oriental NC - 11/09/2013
Well...I said I would post something everyday and am doing the best I can.
Lunch was at the Oriental Marina and INN in their Toucan Grill Restaurant, and of couse, I had to have my daily dose of shellfish, which included shrimp, scallops and clams...then we went to Fulchers for some seafood (Fresh caught flounder) to make aboard for dinner and just did some local sightseeing. I have and will always like Oriental, NC.
More pictures as the day wears on......Hang in there!
Lunch was at the Oriental Marina and INN in their Toucan Grill Restaurant, and of couse, I had to have my daily dose of shellfish, which included shrimp, scallops and clams...then we went to Fulchers for some seafood (Fresh caught flounder) to make aboard for dinner and just did some local sightseeing. I have and will always like Oriental, NC.
More pictures as the day wears on......Hang in there!
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| The Whittaker Pointe Clubhouse |
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| A 50' Hunter monohull sailboat |
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| Keith came all the way from Australia....I never did ask why he named his boat Jack's Back. a c |
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| The brand new docks at Whittaker Pointe |
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| This is a Fountain Perjot Catamaran....46 feet long and almost 29' feet wide. |
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| Man, what far odd place to be from, this reired couple took 9 months to get here, but they made it all the way from the continent of Australia. |
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| They are memebers of the Royal Port Yacht Club in Newport, Australia |
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| And they have a large amount of rigging and a 70' mast... because 70' is the norm in Australia |
Friday, November 8, 2013
Day 43 - Oriental, NC November 8th, 2013 and the end of Leg 2
We pulled into Oriental, NC this AM at about 11:30 after leaving the BelleHaven Marine Waterway Marina at 7:30AM ,and then off we went in the marina's courtsey car to town to do food shopping, and West Marine to pick up and return a few items. Lunch was had aboard the boat and dinner also, after the cocktail party at the marina.
I can't get over how nice this marina is, in fact, it is so nice and everything including the docks are brand new. If it weren't so wide open, I would choose this marina to call our Home Port. I don't know wether I am flying or driving yet, but Dottie wants to be home for the holidays. We will NOT be aboard from 11/19 until 01/03/2014.
I am not going to Morehead City as planned.
When we get back, our next stop will be Beaufort, NC.
On Monday morning they will haul her out so I can check the bottom and drop her back in Monday AM. We call that a "short haul". For less than $100 bucks I get hauled out for a few hours, left in the slings to do whatever needs to be done. Actually they charge about $250 a month plus $ 76.00 bucks for the "short haul", taxes included. If you need to do antything at all, you can do it here. I like Whittaker Pointe Marina a lot...you get a courtsey car for as long or as often you need it, and if I fly home they drive you too and from New Bern airport. Plus I just love these bathrooms it gives a new meaning to the words "nice and private", and they say it gets better the further south you go.
Hmmmmmm.....I don't know how better it can get, but I am dying to find out. They don't want or need the business here in North Carolina, so it stays this way year round.
Check out these pics below to find out exactly what I mean...
We have a lot of people, and some come from as far away as Australia
I can't get over how nice this marina is, in fact, it is so nice and everything including the docks are brand new. If it weren't so wide open, I would choose this marina to call our Home Port. I don't know wether I am flying or driving yet, but Dottie wants to be home for the holidays. We will NOT be aboard from 11/19 until 01/03/2014.
I am not going to Morehead City as planned.
When we get back, our next stop will be Beaufort, NC.
On Monday morning they will haul her out so I can check the bottom and drop her back in Monday AM. We call that a "short haul". For less than $100 bucks I get hauled out for a few hours, left in the slings to do whatever needs to be done. Actually they charge about $250 a month plus $ 76.00 bucks for the "short haul", taxes included. If you need to do antything at all, you can do it here. I like Whittaker Pointe Marina a lot...you get a courtsey car for as long or as often you need it, and if I fly home they drive you too and from New Bern airport. Plus I just love these bathrooms it gives a new meaning to the words "nice and private", and they say it gets better the further south you go.
Hmmmmmm.....I don't know how better it can get, but I am dying to find out. They don't want or need the business here in North Carolina, so it stays this way year round.
Check out these pics below to find out exactly what I mean...
We have a lot of people, and some come from as far away as Australia
Thursday, November 7, 2013
Day 42, November 7th, 2013.....Rain, rain go Away
We are not going anywhere today if the rain don't let up. It is not a heavy rain, just a really fine mist that makes it hard to see out, type of rain. If the rain does not end by 9AM, we will sit it out one day here in Bellhaven, NC
Wednesday, November 6, 2013
Days 39,40 and 41 - November 4th, 5th and 6th
We made it Coinjock, NC and the Coinjock Marina yesterday and had a great mealin their restaurant I had the mates cut of Prime Rib, Dottie had the Large Seafood Salad and she too, enjoyed it.
We met a couple aboard their Fleming 55 (Quintessence)in Deltaville, and we met again today in Coinjock for dinner. Alan and Liz Hendershot is their name.
We left Coinjock this morning for the Alligator River Marina another 50 miles south. The folks aboard the Fleming decided to anchor out and we went to the marina. This has been the smallest marina so far with just 18 slips and a wall of 950 feet. Dinner was aboard the boat tonight.
I cannot get over the bathrooms in the south...ever since Cape May, they have all been private baths instead of the Locker Room style that we found in the north. PRIVATE and CLEAN, spotlessless clean, I should say.
Left the Alligator Marina today (Wednesday)and headed for Bellhaven, NC. Another quaint, small village known for it's quality marinas and restaurants. We pulled into the Bellhave Waterway Marina at 1:30 PM, and took a much needed rest.
Dinner tonight in a place called Spoon River Restaurant at the Marketplace and Artworks bldg., and all I can say is that was the best so far...I had the mussels and clams and Dottie had Shrimp and Grits, and both were fantastic. I had never had mussels that tased so good, and found out that it is a chef-owned restaurant.
We had dinner with two women who we met the night before at the Alligator River marina. Debbie and Dale are real boaters and they are bringing Debbies boat, named Camelot, home to St. Augustine, FL.
We met a couple aboard their Fleming 55 (Quintessence)in Deltaville, and we met again today in Coinjock for dinner. Alan and Liz Hendershot is their name.
We left Coinjock this morning for the Alligator River Marina another 50 miles south. The folks aboard the Fleming decided to anchor out and we went to the marina. This has been the smallest marina so far with just 18 slips and a wall of 950 feet. Dinner was aboard the boat tonight.
I cannot get over the bathrooms in the south...ever since Cape May, they have all been private baths instead of the Locker Room style that we found in the north. PRIVATE and CLEAN, spotlessless clean, I should say.
Left the Alligator Marina today (Wednesday)and headed for Bellhaven, NC. Another quaint, small village known for it's quality marinas and restaurants. We pulled into the Bellhave Waterway Marina at 1:30 PM, and took a much needed rest.
Dinner tonight in a place called Spoon River Restaurant at the Marketplace and Artworks bldg., and all I can say is that was the best so far...I had the mussels and clams and Dottie had Shrimp and Grits, and both were fantastic. I had never had mussels that tased so good, and found out that it is a chef-owned restaurant.
We had dinner with two women who we met the night before at the Alligator River marina. Debbie and Dale are real boaters and they are bringing Debbies boat, named Camelot, home to St. Augustine, FL.
Sunday, November 3, 2013
Pictures from the Chesapeake
I am terrible at posting pictures. Although I have taken over 200photos so far, I always forget to post them.
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| The Porch at Deltaville, VA |
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| The Chespeake is known for it's oysters, which grow wild |
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| The side Porch at Dozier's Regatta Point Marina |
Saturday, November 2, 2013
Days# 37& 38 - Another Day.....Another Marina- Saturday, November 2nd, 2013
We got out of Deltaville around 9AM and we navigated our way down to Newport News, Norfolk and Portsmouth, VA arriving at 2 PM. Here is what I have learned...we all know that "company" is like fish, and after three days you begin to smell!!.
We didn't smell from lack of water or soap, but no one appreciates good clean drinking water, until you don't have it. In fact, the only con I found about Deltaville was their water had a funky taste, a funny odor, and although it was potable, it was dirty to look at, and even nastier to drink.
We arrived in the Norfolk area at 2:00PM, then we wasted all afternoon and evening just riding around Portsmouth and Norfolk Harbors. We had dinner aboard 7PM and got into the Tidewater Yachting Marina at about 9PM. First thing I did was fill the water tanks, we know have 140 gallons of the freshest tasting water since we left NYC.
I made reservations this AM for Coinjock Marina in Coinjock, NC for Sunday night and Monday night, then we are free to go where we want after those nights are up. We hope to be in Tavinier by the end of November leave the boat and fly from Miami to Rochester to be home by the third of Decemeber or so.
We didn't smell from lack of water or soap, but no one appreciates good clean drinking water, until you don't have it. In fact, the only con I found about Deltaville was their water had a funky taste, a funny odor, and although it was potable, it was dirty to look at, and even nastier to drink.
We arrived in the Norfolk area at 2:00PM, then we wasted all afternoon and evening just riding around Portsmouth and Norfolk Harbors. We had dinner aboard 7PM and got into the Tidewater Yachting Marina at about 9PM. First thing I did was fill the water tanks, we know have 140 gallons of the freshest tasting water since we left NYC.
I made reservations this AM for Coinjock Marina in Coinjock, NC for Sunday night and Monday night, then we are free to go where we want after those nights are up. We hope to be in Tavinier by the end of November leave the boat and fly from Miami to Rochester to be home by the third of Decemeber or so.
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