M.V. Salty Delivery Complete

The M.V. Salty arrived at the Severn River Marina and was transferred into the capable hands of boat builder Clinton Midget for restoration at 1045 this morning.

Captain Jim Baker Departed with owner Henry Clark for Raleigh after meeting with Clinton onboard to discuss the initial renovations to the M.V. Salty.

M.V. Salty arrives in Norfolk, VA

At 3:45 pm the M.V. Salty arrived at the Waterside Marina in Norfolk, VA. Our journey today has taken us across state lines, through locks, and under bridges. The northern end of the Great Dismal Swamp was slow going, but the scenery was beautiful.

Upon arrival the crew departed to return home, leaving Captain Jim Baker who will be joined by owner Henry Clark to finish the delivery of Salty into the capable hands of Clinton Midget tomorrow. Henry arrives in Norfolk tonight to join Captain Jim Baker so that they can get an early start on the trek to Mobjack Bay.

A photo taken from the bridge while we waited to pass through the Deep Creek Lock and Bridge

A sign marking the end of the Great Dismal Swamp Canal
A lift Bridge in Norfolk as viewed from the deck of M.V. Salty

Navy Patrol Boat in Norfolk

The Salty in the Great Dismal Swamp Canal

This morning, after checking our transmission and topping off the fuel tanks, we eased our way back out into the Intracoastal Waterway from the Alligator River Marina. We checked the transmission fluid several times and the leaking seems to have stopped. We headed north to Elizabeth City where we entered the Great Dismal Swamp Canal. We found that none of the marinas in Elizabeth City sell fuel anymore, so we were forced to visit Lamb's Marina, the only fuel dock before the Virginia state line. This is another of NC's fine combination vehicular gas station and fuel docks. Armed with the knowledge that there was between 0.5 and 0 feet below our keel in the channel, we eased our way into the marina. Thanks to some deft maneuvering and the judicious use of dock lines and fenders, we were able to pull the MV Salty up to the fuel dock, where we were able to fill up our tanks.

Further up the Great Dismal Swamp Canal we encountered the South Mills Lock. Our friendly lock operator, who sported the tattoos "Love" and "Hate" on his knuckles, informed us that we were the only boat to lock through that day. We have not seen another vessel for the past 2 days.

Tonight we are docked at the Great Dismal Swamp Welcome Center, located between US Hwy 17 and the Great Dismal Swamp Canal. It has been featured on numerous national television programs as the only combination nautical and vehicular rest area in the nation.

Here are some pictures from today's journey:

The treacherous channel at Lamb's Marina

A blimp hanger at the Coast Guard Air Station

Entering the Great Dismal Swamp Canal

After clearing the South Mills Lock, we had to wait for the lock operator to get in his truck and drive down the street to:

...this bridge; he was also the bridge tender.

The pleasant view from the stern of the Salty at the welcome center

M.V. Salty departs Alligator River Marina, bound for the Great Dismal Swamp

At 0845 the M.V. Salty pulled off of docks at the Alligator River Marina, bound for the Great Dismal Swamp Canal via Elizabeth City. After we pulled into the marina last night we enjoyed yet another "Ahoy There" from a former Seafarer camper who pulled off the highway to come look at the boat. So far in the trip, we have had someone recognize the boat at every stop along our way to the Chesapeake.

The weather is set to warm up today. We look forward to another day of clear skies and calm seas.

The engine has begun to run more smoothly after the rebuild and the fluid levels are beginning to level off. We performed some routine maintenance on the transmission last night and she appears to be shifting and running more smoothly now.

MV Salty Arrives at Alligator River Marina

At 17:30 the MV Salty arrived safely at the Alligator River Marina.


As we left Oriental this morning, an unidentified Camp Seagull enthusiast saw us off with an "Ahoy There!" from the public dock in town. We stopped early in the day in Hobucken at the shrimping docks to refuel. The dock in Hobucken is primarily a shrimp offloading and processing plant, however it also serves as a fuel dock, bait and tackle shop, convenience store and local hangout. We warmed our hands around the woodburning stove and met a few locals who knew one of the Salty's captain's from the 1950s. They were excited about the Salty's restoration and return to chartering.


The weather remained cold all day, but was sunny with clear skies. We did not see a single other vessel today on the waterway, only an abundance of ducks, ospreys, and deer. We had heard reports that the Pungo River- Alligator River Canal had been iced over, so we were relieved to find no ice along our route today. We are looking forward for warmer temperatures in the days to come as we head north to Hayes, VA.

MV Salty Departs Oriental for Alligator River Marina

At 07:15 this moring the MV Salty deaparted Oriental with a thick coating of frost covering all the surfaces of the boat. The Pamlico is calm today, and we should have a smooth run to the Alligator River Marina.

MV Salty arrives in Oriental

At approximately 6:30 the MV Salty arrived safely at the Oriental Marina in Oriental, NC. Despite a late start and cold weather we were able to make good time while underway. All is well aboard the Salty as the crew prepares for another cold night.

MV Salty Delivery Begins: Departure

The Lundy Charters Delivery team began the delivery of the MV Salty late last night. Captain Jim Baker, First Mate Chris Davis and Mate Wooten Jones arrived at Taylor Boatworks in Morehead City, NC at approximately 05:00 AM and began preparations for departure. Extremely low temperatures overnight made starting the Salty's engines very difficult. As the sun came up, temperatures began to climb and with the help of some ingenuity, a borrowed heat gun and some starting fluid Salty's engine was running by 11:45 AM.


After a brief stop to top off on diesel fuel in Morehead City, we began our journey north up the Intracoastal Waterway. We were escorted out of Morehead City by about 10 dolphins, porpoising alongside the vessel, a traditional sign of good luck for the voyage ahead.


This departure was particularly memorable for Arch Jones, accompanying the Lundy Charters team on this delivery, as he spent many days aboard the Salty as as camper at Camp Seagull from 1960-1965. Capt. Jim also logged numerous days on the Salty as a camper and counselor at Camp Seagull throughout the 1990s, so seeing The Outpost from aboard Salty brought back fond memories that the two shared as we left Morehead City behind.

M.V. Oyster Catcher Delivery Complete

The M.V. Oyster Catcher arrived on docks safely at the Jordan Marine railway at 0715 this morning.

M.V. Oyster Catcher underway to Hayes, VA

At 0145 the M.V. Oyster Catcher pulled up anchor and set out south down the Chesapeake for Hayes, VA. We are currently underway and making way off Mobjack Bay and anticipate arrival around 0645.

It is a clear night on the Chesapeake and we have calm seas. Clinton Midget, the boat's builder is eagerly awaiting our arrival on docks. She is set to be hauled on the railway on Thursday for woodworking and an annual inspection of her hull.

M.V. Oyster Catcher safely at anchor in Deltaville, VA

The M.V. Oyster Catcher has arrived safely in Deltaville, VA. We are at anchor in fishing bay harbor. We caught a 38" striper on our way down the Chesapeake today. We cleaned it on docks and are about to enjoy it for dinner this evening.

We plan to pull up the anchor around 0100 tomorrow to arrive at docks at 0630 (sunrise) in Hayes, VA.

The M.V. Oyster Catcher arrives safely in the Chesapeake Bay

The M.V. Oyster Catcher crossed the Delaware Bay and passed through the Chesapeake Bay and Delaware Bay Canal. We arrived safely at the northern end of the Chesapeake Bay during the early A.M. hours this morning.

We passed Baltimore at approximately 0200 this morning and are continuing to make our way south down the bay.

Given our current speed and course we will need to lay up for a few hours in order to make the Railway in Hayes, Virginia at first light.

M.V. Oyster Catcher arrives safely in Cape May, NJ

At 0630 the M.V. Oyster Catcher arrived safely on docks at the South Jersey Marina in Cape May, NJ. We will lay up here to take on water and fuel as well as to make a few minor repairs. We noticed a steady leak from the port engine stuffing box and will need to tighten the drive shaft where it enters the stuffing box. We will also need to replace the priming bulb on the dinghy, as the cold weather caused the rubber to crack and begin to leak. We should be underway for the Chesapeake Bay and Delaware Bay Canal in a few hours.

The M.V. Oyster Catcher on docks at the South Jersey Marina in Cape May

Chris Davis and Captain Geoff Werner hoisting the dinghy for repairs.

Captain Geoff Werner inspecting the cracked fuel line on the dinghy

M.V. Oyster Catcher Departs Atlantic Highlands for Cape May, NJ

The M.V.Oyster Catcher departed Atlantic Highlands, New Jersey for Cape May, NJ at 1100 this morning. The seas have finally calmed down and we were able to get underway. After hanging out around town in the foul weather we got to know many of the locals in Atlantic Highlands to be a very friendly place. The local Napa owner was able to find us a fuel pump from another store and get it sent over that afternoon to fix our generator. We also made friends with the owner of the local Bait and Tackle store, Pete. He let us use his truck to run up to the West Marine and pick up a few items for the boat. We strongly recommend Atlantic Highlands for a transient stopover.

Captain Geoff Werner in Pete's Truck heading to West Marine for supplies

Captain Jim Baker and Captain Geoff Werner in front of Atlantic Highlands Bait & Tackle with the owner Pete.

The Sunrise over Sandy Hook Island

Our last day in Atlantic Highlands we saw Wooten Jones off to North Carolina. His travel plans were as follows: Depart our yacht on a dinghy bound for the dock behind the Atlantic Highlands Bait and Tackle; then get in a truck with Pete, the owner of the bait and tackle store to ride to the ferry to New York City; then onto a subway followed by a train to the airport; from there he boarded a plane bound for North Carolina and then finally a car ride home.

He took the liberty of taking some photos of his adventure home:

Wooten Aboard the M.V. Oyster Catcher

Wooten in the dingy on the way to Pete's (Atlantic Highlands Bait and Tackle)

Wooten getting a ride from Pete to the ferry

Repairs to the Generator Fuel Pump Complete

We took the time while we were delayed in Atlantic Highlands due to weather to complete repairs of our generators fuel pump. The parts came in yesterday and we completed our repairs last night and the generator has been back up and running perfectly.

Captain Jim Baker removing the old fuel pump
Captain Geoff Werner wiring the new fuel pump
Captain Jim Baker installing the new fuel pump

Captain Geoff Werner and Captain Jim Baker completing the wiring of the new fuel pump

M.V. Oyster Catcher arrives safely in Atlantic Highlands

The M.V. Oyster Catcher sailed past New York City today and over to Atlantic Highlands, New Jersey across from Manhattan. We are safely at anchor in front of the Atlantic Highlands Yacht Club.

Wooten Jones at the Helm of the M.V. Oyster Catcher in New

A view of the George Washington Bridge from the helm of the M.V. Oyster Catcher
A submarine being brought into New York Harbor
A submarine on docks in New York City

Our fuel pump on the generator has gone bad. We are going to head into town to get a new one tomorrow.

Geoff Werner hard at work in the engine room of the M.V. Oyster Catcher

We are still waiting on the seas to calm down for departure, so if we must stop for repairs, this is a good time.

The M.V. Oyster Catcher passing under the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge

The view from the stern of Oyster Catcher as we pulled away from New York City

We anticipate a Sunday departure for navigating the New Jersey coast and the Delaware Bay.

M.V. Oyster Catcher passes the palisades on the Hudson

At 1100 hours we passed through the palisades north of Manhattan.

M.V. Oyster Catcher pulls off docks in Croton-on-Hudson bound for NYC and then Sandy Hook, NJ

After a good nights sleep on docks we went over the safety procedures and equipment with the new crew and departed Croton, NY. We are heading up the Hudson River, bound for New York City and then Sandy Hook, New Jersey. With inclement weather off the New Jersey coast we will lay up in Sandy Hook and wait for a weather window to go offshore. Currently the seas are 10-15ft and 30kt winds. We will need the seas to calm down to around 3ft or less to take the M.V. Oyster Catcher offshore safely.

Wooten working the lines on docks in Croton-on-Hudson

Chris Davis and Wooten Jones helping us pull off docks

M.V. Oyster Catcher moves to docks in Croton-On-Hudson

Last night we were advised by the Harbor Master to move onto docks due to a special anchoring regulation off Croton. When we pulled up our anchor we found that we had snagged the anchor on a large 50ft tree. We brought the tree up from the bottom and tied a snub line around the trunk and then dropped the anchor to free ourselves. After securing the anchor onboard we moved the boat onto docks for the evening.
The Tree that we picked up with our anchor in Croton

M.V. Oyster Catcher weathering out a gale in Croton-on-Hudson

We have safely arrived in the protected anchorage off Croton-on-Hudson. Tonights forecast calls for gale force northerly winds. This anchorage will provide shelter from the storm. We have just been cleared to begin the delivery and will begin moving down the hudson once this weather has passed.

Delivery Crew Arrives in Tarrytown, New York

Today the rest of our delivery crew arrived in Tarrytown, New York: Mates Chris Davis and Wooten Jones. We dropped the dinghy and picked them up at the Tarrytown Marina. Once onboard, the full delivery crew headed up to Croton-on-Hudson to weather a gale that should blow through this evening.

Today was our first full day with the live webcam and the spot satellite messager. Both are integrated into the website and fully functional.

M.V. Oyster Catcher Standing by in the Hudson River

Today we added the live satellite tracking of the M.V. Oyster Catcher to the website and to each of the the blog websites. Check it out at www.lundycharters.com or click on the links above. A planned overnight by the owners on the boat was again postponed. We took the free time to work on the boat and the website while at anchor. The rest of our delivery crew comes in on Wednesday.

The Oyster Catcher at Anchor in the Hudson River

Captain Geoff Werner coming back from shore. We ran ashore to get a few items to perform regularly scheduled maitenance on the boat's generator.

M.V. Oyster Catcher Sails from New York City to the Tappen Zee Bridge

Captain Jim Baker and Captain Geoff Werner brought the M.V. Oyster Catcher from New York City after its Halloween charter to the Tappen Zee Bridge in Sleepy Hollow, NY.

View from the bow of M.V. Oyster Catcher pulling off of docks in Manhattan

View from the upper bridge of M.V. Oyster Catcher after we left Manhattan

View from the helm of M.V. Oyster Catcher as we approached the Tappen Zee Bridge

Sunset at Anchor in the Hudson off Sleepy Hollow.

Lundy Charters Completes Delivery of S.V. OWL to Oriental, NC

Captain Jim Baker and First Mate Chris Davis sailed the S.V. OWL into Oriental Harbor late on Monday August 11th. We moved off the boat and began cleaning and oiling the teak after our long sail. After our requisite visit to Scoot's Pizza and the Oriental Marina Tiki Bar, we turned in for the night.

On Tuesday, Meredith (the owner's daughter) came down to Oriental for a sailing lesson on their newly delivered boat. We spent about six hours sailing around the Neuse River, touring Oriental harbor and practicing docking. We broke up the lesson with some ice cream from our favorite ice cream shop in all of Pamlico County, The Bean.

Jim and Meredith sailing in the Neuse, just off of Oriental, NC

Jim, Chris and Meredith after a great sailing lesson

S.V. OWL sails into Belhaven, NC just in time......

After our early start this morning, we motor sailed our way through the Pungo River - Alligator River Canal. We began receiving weather notices concerning storms from the U.S. Coast Guard around 7am this morning. We were sailing south on the back end of a set of storms and going to need to get into port at Belhaven before the next set arrived. We arrived at the River Forest Marina in time to get the vessel secured and run into town for some last second provisioning.

Motoring into Belhaven

Provisioning Adventure: Some marinas have courtesy car services, some give you the number for a taxi, others have what you need nearby; the River Forest Marina has not one, but a fleet of dilapidated golf carts exclusively for their marina guests. Now these golf carts all go forward and hold a charge for at least an hour according to the dock master. They are outfitted with license plates (expired tags), turn signals (that don't work), and headlights (that I am pretty sure aren't even wired to the battery). We got the nice one...yeah it goes reverse too. We received a short safety briefing before venturing into town with the pride of his fleet. He informed us that the golf cart we would be taking did not have brakes, but would stop quickly if you put it in reverse and stepped on the accelerator. He then demonstrated the skill for both of us. He informed us that the grocery store was through town and down highway 264 "a little bit". As we drove through town, Chris developed a few techniques for slowing the vehicle:

1. Driving up a hill
2. Driving in circles
3. Weaving "like a Nascar driving warming up the tires"

After Chris felt he had a feel for our cart we headed out on the highway. So there we were, driving down highway 264 on our golf cart with no brakes and wondering how badly we wanted to eat dinner. In true mariner form we used the Privateer Boat Builders parking lot to cut off the highway and get to the grocery. We utilized the art of turning in circles to stop as we pulled into the Food Lion Parking lot to get dinner.

Special Thanks to the Privateer Boat Co. for letting us drive a golf cart through their facility today.

The storm hit on our way back from town and visibility dropped significantly. We were glad to be in port safely and not out in the narrow canal. We returned to the boat, checked the tarps and lines and ducked under some cover at the marina to cook dinner. We are now sitting on the porch with Wayne who has grown up in Belhaven and is illustrating quality fluctuations in the River Forest Manor and Marina while we watch the next set of storms roll in. They are supposed to come through all night tonight and begin subsiding in the morning. Our plan is to wake up early, check the weather and leave as soon as we can safely leave port to head south to the Pamlico Sound.

The owner of the River Forest Marina gave us both free ice and some social commentary that can only be described as unbelievable. Interested parties can inquire further in person with one of the Lundy Charters Delivery Crew.

Sunrise over the Alligator River

Last night, while the Owl's batteries were charging, we had the opportunity to spend some time with Marty and Jay, two New Englanders headed south along the ICW to Key West in the beautiful tug "Cruz-In." They began their journey 10 days ago in New Hampshire. They were nice enough to invite us aboard for some hamburgers, rum and great conversation. Topic of conversation included (but were not limited to): the inefficiency of the US Coast Guard, Marty eating live monkey brains while deployed in southern Vietnam with the special forces, the advantage of using professional delivery captains rather than some guy who wants a free vacation, and a special cocktail from Vietnam (the details of which are inappropriate for this blog, but ask us sometime, it's a great story).

Sunrise over the Alligator River

We were off to an early start this morning, after enjoying "Miss Wanda's" breakfast at the marina office/roadside gas station/restaurant/convenience store, and were underway by 6:15. Today will be a long day of navigating the Pungo River-Alligator River Canal on the way to Belhaven.

Marty and Jay Cruising beside us on our way down to Belhavan

The Owl arrives in Alligator River Marina

Today's journey from Coinjock started out well, we had one of the earliest starts of the delivery so far: we fueled up and were off the fuel dock by 8:10 AM. We began motoring south, with a light haze and cool temperature while enjoying a cup of the Midway Marina's complimentary coffee. We were sad to say goodbye to this friendly marina.

About two thirds of the way to the Alligator River marina, we noticed the voltage on our DC system was dropping and was down to approximately 9 volts. The alternator on the boat was failing. Not a surprise considering it has been underwater twice and not run in at least 18 months. The battery had performed surprisingly well with the failing alternator and had lasted us five days underway. It was not long before the voltage dropped too low to keep the spark plugs firing and the engine was dead. Winds were light and variable, which meant that even with all of Owl's sail out, averaged a little over 3 knots. The real challenge was docking without engine power at the Alligator River Marina. With Chris Davis on the sails and Captain Jim Baker on the helm we brought her down the channel and right into a slip without incident. Luckily for us, we have installed a battery charger on the boat and will make sure to plug in at night when we are on docks to be sure this doesn't happen again.

We ran into a few sailors coming up from New Bern who said that the Pungo - Alligator River Canal is clear of debris. This is good news because it is known to have flotsam and logs floating in the canal. Our plan for tomorrow is to depart here early in the morning for the River Forest Marina in Belhaven, NC. This particular part of our journey promises to be ....well....boring...unless we have boat problems. The canal is long, straight, unmarked, and nothing but swamp for forty miles. Needless to say, we will be happy to make it to Belhaven, NC.

Some photos from previous days:

Fishing in the Albermarle Sound

Norfolk Port Police patroling the harbor

Hanging the Lundy Charters flag while making repairs to the spreaders

Sunset over the Waterside Marina in Norfolk, VA

OWL safe and sound in Coinjock, NC

Where is Coinjock? Probably the first thing that comes to mind when reading the title. It is on the entrance to the canal that joins the Currituck Sound and the Albermarle Sound. Coinjock consists of two marinas...the nice one and the not so nice one with a pool. We chose the one with the pool. We are relaxing on docks after enjoying a great sail across the Currituck. The boat is sailing well and people come up to us at each marina to comment on her.

We plan to depart here first thing in the morning for the Alligator River Marina. We will cross the Albermarle Sound and should arrive by early evening.

S.V. OWL passes through the bridges and locks south of Norfolk

We are off to a great start this morning, our timing was perfect leaving Norfolk this morning, we made each bridge opening without having to wait, until we reached the Gilmerton bridge. We had to wait for a train to pass before we could get a bridge opening. Waiting there gave us the chance to check out a very cool decomissioned submarine tender called the USS Simon Lake.

After we cleared the Gilmerton bridge we reached the split of the Virginia Cut and the Great Dismal Swamp Canal. We have chosen to take the Virginia Cut due to its greater depth and better access to fuel along the way.

We will be entering a very long unpopulated stretch of the ICW today, tonight's destination Coinjock, NC.

The Adventures Continue... The Owl arrives in Norfolk, VA

Today we sailed the S.V. OWL from Deltaville, VA to Norfolk, VA. We had light wind and it was a slow motor/sail down the Chesapeake Bay. We had calm seas and the motor is running well. We spent a good bit of the day planning our next few days through the various sounds and canals in North Carolina.


Our greatest victory of they day was getting Captain Jim Baker's phone back up after it's dip in the bilge of the S.V. OWL. The phone started working inside of the AT&T store as we were about to purchase a new one. After some minor surgery under indirect supervision from contractor Andrew Godfrey, it is now fully functional. We were able to recover these pictures from our adventure into rural Virginia to get supplies to fix the cooling system onboard.

The culprit, the one place where the floorboards were spaced widely enough to allow a blackberry to slide through.

The assorment of shotgun shells, a VHF radio, and knives in Roy's truck

First Mate Chris Davis wearing the local hunt club hat while driving to the marine supply store.

They even like North Carolina BBQ in Virginia.

Tomorrow we will pull off docks and head for Coinjock, NC on the far side of the Currituck Sound.

Goodnight from Norfolk, VA.