North Carolina CP cruise - May 17-19

[wes]

Keith Scott of the Sailboat Company is again organizing a weekend event for Com-Pacs on the Neuse River in NC. Info below, copied from his web site www.ipass.net/sailboat. There's no cost for the event, and the sailing area is outstanding. This year it's a mini-cruise, leaving Friday morning from New Bern and stopping at Oriental and River Dunes. I'll be there and hope to see some of the rest of you. Keith refers to the "club" which is really just his mailing list. No fee to join - anybody who owns a Com-Pac is welcome. First post is at the bottom; newer ones at the top.

Wes

20Apr13 Club Outing 17 May 2013:

This is another update to the May Club Outing.

Chart BookletCharts are available free from NOAA on line. 2 Booklets will be needed for this cruise. They are Booklets 11552 and 11548. Booklet 11552 covers the upper Neuse and Booklet 11548 covers the lower Neuse. Coverage splits at Oriental.

This is the coldest spring on record and our sailing weather hasn't been that good so far. We expect winds in March, rain in April and spring flowers in May. It seems like we might be getting all three at the same time. 20 knots or more of wind on the lower Neuse is too much wind. It will give us waves of 3 feet or more and that's too much for a fun cruise. We need a forecast of 10 to 15 knots of wind in the lower Neuse for 3 days. A bad weather plan "B" for the cruise is to stay in the upper Neuse. The most important feature of this plan is to keep everyone informed. I plan on monitoring the weather and publishing the forecast for Oriental on this Web site for the cruise.

Weather forecasts are petty good for 3 days in advance and a little less accurate for 5 days. We have to look at the 17th through the 19th with some parts of all three days navigating the lower Neuse. When you look at this big expanse of water and we are the only boats out there, we know something is wrong.

TO MAKE THIS CRUISE WORK SMOOTHLY, EVERYONE THAT'S COMING NEEDS TO CHECK-IN WITH KEITH ON THE 15TH OR 16TH OF MAY BY EMAIL OR PHONE. PHONE NUMBER 910 324 4005. I WILL LET YOU KNOW THE PLAN AT THAT TIME.

We are hoping for sunshine and fair winds. Keep your fingers crossed.



20Apr13 Club Outing 17 May 2013:

This is a change to the May Cruise Outing below. Whittaker Creek Marina will be glad to have us spend the night with them on the 17th. They will take us to the restaurant in town and the restraint will bring us back to the boats. Anchoring out in Green Creek is no longer on our schedule. My cell phone number on the boat is 1-910-381-9596 and it will be turned on during the cruise. Of course we will also be up on VHF Channel 16 on the 17th. Whittaker Creek has an entrance marker about 200 yards downriver from what we call Oriental #1. Really, Oriental #1 is Smith Creek #1. The channel going into Whittaker Cheek is perpendicular to the Oriental entrance channel. Whittaker Creek has several marks including a range mark at the end on shore. Before getting to the range mark, you have to turn to port for Whittaker Creek Marina or starboard to go to Whittaker Point Marina. We will turn to port and from that turn, you can see the fuel dock at Whittaker Creek. Someone at the fuel dock will tell you where to go. It's the marina that appears to be on a point of land between 2 other creeks. The rest of the cruise remains the same so far.



19Apr13 Club Outing 17 May 2013:

Our May Cruise is scheduled to begin Friday, the 17th of May. We will leave Neuse River Marker # 19 across from Northwest Creek Marina at 10:00 and head for Oriental, NC. The plan for Oriental is to anchor-out in Green Creek for the night. Transit facilities in Oriental are fewer than they were several years ago. Marinas that do offer transit slips in Oriental are Whittaker Creek, Whittaker Point and the Oriental Marina. The next morning, we will rendezvous off Oriental at 10:00 and head down the river for the River Dunes Marina on Board Creek. We will arrive at that marina Saturday afternoon and spend the night there. The next morning, we will depart at 9:00 for Northwest Creek Marina and home.

This is going to be a flexible cruise because boats can join and depart the cruise at any time. Some boats may want to launch at Oriental and go from Oriental to River Dunes and back. Others may want to start with the group at Northwest Creek, sail to Oriental and then back to Northwest Creek. You can pick your days and the weather and sail as much or as little as you like. Launching ramps at Northwest Creek, Oriental and River Dunes are very good. The launching ramp in Oriental is at the base of the high-rise bridge. The details about launching at Northwest Creek are in last year's instructions. The maps of Northwest Creek Marina are still on this Web page below and that information is still accurate.

Anchoring in Green Creek will be just inside the high-rise bridge on the port side. If the wind is high, we may go up the creek another 1/2 mile for more anchor room. Of course, you can email me (sailboat@ipass.net) or call (910 324 4005) for more information. The old name for Northwest Creek Marina was Fairfield Harbor Marina and I may have used that name last year. The correct name is Northwest Creek Marina.

Both Northwest Creek and River Dunes know we are coming. That's a good thing. A bad thing is the restaurant at Northwest Creek is closed. I don't have a solution for that problem, but I think everyone should bring lots of food, drinks and drinking water. The food at River Dunes requires a reservation 10 days in advance and that's not going to work for us. I plan on having a grill on the stern of my boat and everyone on the cruise can use my grill. I think hotdogs may be on my menu at River Dunes.

The distance from Northwest Creek to Oriental is about 17 miles and the distance from Oriental to River Dunes is about 10 miles. The anchoring in Green Creek will be on a short anchor rode to stay out of the channel. We need to monitor the weather forecast for Friday night. An anchor light will be needed for Green Creek. If you don't want to anchor-out, you could stay at one of the three marinas above that offer transit slips. Slips are available on a first come, first serve basis.

[wes]

An update on this - the weather/wind forecast is looking good, and I hope some of you from the NC/SC/VA areas will join us. The event is very flexible - New Bern to Oriental on Friday, Oriental to River Dunes on Saturday, River Dunes to New Bern on Sunday. No rules - start anywhere you want, leave anywhere you want. No cost unless you join the group for a restaurant dinner at Oriental on Friday night, or want to rent a transient slip at one or more of the marrinas instead of anchoring. This is just a beautiful sailing area, unspoiled, few power boats, big water with consistent wind but protected from the open ocean too. Keith Scott is the organizer - sailboat@ipass.net.

Wes

[Citroen/Dave]

Wes,

I would love to come but my youngest is being graduated from George Mason's Law School this weekend. . .  Next year!

Dave in Lynchburg VA.

[Razor]

Wes,

Are you still heading to New Bern to sail this weekend?

Terry

[wes]

Terry - Keith cancelled late yesterday due to lack of sufficient interest. I've brought my 19 down to Oriental and plan to sail around here for the weekend. I have friends with a house and dock on Smith Creek, a nice protected place to sail when the wind and waves kick up out on the Neuse. Not a great weather forecast - light and variable winds, 20-30% chance of tstorms.

Wes

[wes]

Terry's "Exodus" yesterday at South River, off the Neuse near Oriental, showing off her bimini and one of the handsomest bowsprits I've seen - Captain Aubrey of the Royal Navy would be proud.

[Razor]

Nice meeting Wes with "Bella" at Oriental on May 17th. She's gaining on me!



"Bella" - She's a beauty!



and another view!

[riggerjohn]

Hey Terry,
Any more pictures or a write up on your "covered wagon" bimini top? Looking for something for my 19 to keep the sun at bay.

[Razor]

Hello,

The bimini top was constructed by a previous owner and is constructed with 1/2" pvc pipe. The frame can be disassembled, cover folded up and placed in a storage bag for easy storage. Here is one more picture taken last year a little closer. There are pvc "tee's" on the life line in which you assemble the pvc frame for the canopy and insert the ends into the tee's. I will try to get some more pictures with more details and post soon.

Terry

[Bob23]

Hey Terry: That is really cool. (Pun quite intended!) I use a greatly expanded version using 3/4" pvc tubing for a winter cover frame. Works great! I may build a Terry-imini for my 23. Thanks for the idea!
Bob23

[Harrier]

Bob, any details on your winter frame?  Looking for ideas...

[Bob23]

A picture is worth a thousand words...in the 23 section, check here:
http://cpyoa.geekworkshosting.com/forum/index.php?topic=2854.150
Simple pvc frame using an old mast for a ridgepole. I have more detailed photos that I could email you.
The cover is real canvas with a wonderful tar-smelling water repellent. Iv'e seen these Fisher Canvas covers last over 20 years.
Bob23

[Razor]

I posted some more pictures of the home made bimini top in the "How to DIY" Forum. See the thread "Homemade PVC Bimini"
Terry