After haulout, we discovered that the hawser, which fouled our prop near Miami,had ripped the SPURs stator from it's mounting. Some fiberglass repairs were needed to re-bed the mounting points. The hull was painted with two coats of Micron Ultra. All zincs had moderate erosion and were replaced.The prop and rudder had PropSpeed applied. After nearly a year in the water, the prop and rudder were barnacle free, so PropSpeed coating, although expensive, worked for us.
Yesterday we brought our boat from Atlantic Yacht Basin to our marina inside Little Creek Inlet. The weather was perfect; sunny, no wind, 80 degrees and calm seas. We accompanied four large Captain-crewed yachts and a few smaller boats through the Great Bridge lock and Norfolk's bridges. Six months and one day after starting down the ICW, we passed ICW mile-marker Zero at 2:45PM, bringing our long voyage to a close.
Rounding the Norfolk Naval Base, we followed a US Navy submarine and her accompanying US Coast Guard escorts through the Thimble Shoal Channel, keeping 500 yards away from the sub and matching it's speed. Once clear of 1ER buoy near Fort Wool, we were able to leave the channel and the sub's speed restriction. We increased our speed and covered the 7 miles to Little Creek Inlet at 16 knots.
After a six month absence, we noticed many changes in the marinas along Little Creek's shoreline. Willing hands of our marina neighbors had us tied-up quickly. There wasn't enough time to tell all of our cruise tales, but that will come when we're relaxing during evenings in the aft cockpit.
Ebb Tide II ran smoothly and it felt very good to be underway again!
Ebb Tide II underway
Saturday, May 31, 2008
Friday, March 28, 2008
ICW trip summary
As Ebb Tide II sits in Atlantic Yacht Basin awaiting haulout for bottom painting, I copied the following info from our Ship's Log:
During our trip to Key West and back, we ran for 195.6 engine hours and covered 2265 nautical miles (2605 statute miles.) We left Taylors Landing Marina on November 27, 2007 and stopped at Atlantic Yacht Basin (35 miles from our marina), on March 22, 2008. For the entire trip, we used 1857 gallons of diesel fuel. Fuel was far more expensive than we had expected - the average price southbound was $3.39; the average price northbound was $3.71.
During this trip, we lived aboard for nearly four months and it was a delightful experience. We are very pleased with our boat's performance. Through some very nasty weather, our Cummins 450C diesel engine always purred reliably. Our Duffy37 rode wonderfully in heavy seas and kept us safe and comfortable, whether underway or in-port.
Will we do a long cruise again? Yes - but with a caveat. We plan to head north this summer; maybe to Lake Champlain and Canada or to New England.
Would we go south on the ICW again? DEFINITELY NOT!!
Until the Army Corps of Engineers dredges the deteriorating waterway's many shallow spots, I wouldn't go through Georgia or South Carolina waters. It is just not worth the gut-wrenching angst of never knowing when you will run aground - because you will run aground!
Except for Georgia, there is some hope for the ICW. For 2008, the Corps received it's first dredging funds since 2002. Funding amounts include: $5.5 million for North Carolina; $2.18 million for South Carolina; $1.87 million for Georgia and $3.74 million for Florida. Immediately after the money was made available, the Corps announced that 161 miles of Georgia's waterway between M/M 552 and M/M 713 had "no commercial application" and will not be dredged. That is the WORST PART of the entire ICW!!!
We'll limit our cruising from North Carolina's waters northward. There is much to see and do in Albemarle and Pamlico Sounds and in our home-waters of Chesapeake Bay. And new adventures certainly await us further north!
During our trip to Key West and back, we ran for 195.6 engine hours and covered 2265 nautical miles (2605 statute miles.) We left Taylors Landing Marina on November 27, 2007 and stopped at Atlantic Yacht Basin (35 miles from our marina), on March 22, 2008. For the entire trip, we used 1857 gallons of diesel fuel. Fuel was far more expensive than we had expected - the average price southbound was $3.39; the average price northbound was $3.71.
During this trip, we lived aboard for nearly four months and it was a delightful experience. We are very pleased with our boat's performance. Through some very nasty weather, our Cummins 450C diesel engine always purred reliably. Our Duffy37 rode wonderfully in heavy seas and kept us safe and comfortable, whether underway or in-port.
Will we do a long cruise again? Yes - but with a caveat. We plan to head north this summer; maybe to Lake Champlain and Canada or to New England.
Would we go south on the ICW again? DEFINITELY NOT!!
Until the Army Corps of Engineers dredges the deteriorating waterway's many shallow spots, I wouldn't go through Georgia or South Carolina waters. It is just not worth the gut-wrenching angst of never knowing when you will run aground - because you will run aground!
Except for Georgia, there is some hope for the ICW. For 2008, the Corps received it's first dredging funds since 2002. Funding amounts include: $5.5 million for North Carolina; $2.18 million for South Carolina; $1.87 million for Georgia and $3.74 million for Florida. Immediately after the money was made available, the Corps announced that 161 miles of Georgia's waterway between M/M 552 and M/M 713 had "no commercial application" and will not be dredged. That is the WORST PART of the entire ICW!!!
We'll limit our cruising from North Carolina's waters northward. There is much to see and do in Albemarle and Pamlico Sounds and in our home-waters of Chesapeake Bay. And new adventures certainly await us further north!
Saturday, March 22, 2008
Alligator River Marina to Great Bridge, VA (M/M12)
After being pummeled by gusty 55 knot winds and pelted by overnight rain, we awoke to a quiet Thursday morning. Judging from the slight motion in the tall pine trees and seeing a fairly quiet Alligator River, we decided to take advantage of the early morning lull, skipped breakfast and showers, and were underway at 7:30 AM. The lull lasted for about three miles, until we cleared the sand bar near the western headland above Fort Landing and entered Albemarle Sound. We had to cross about 12 nautical miles of the Albemarle before entering the semi-protected North River at Camden Point.
It was another wild ride, ably handled by our very seaworthy Duffy37. Winds quickly moved into the 35-40 knot range, pushing steady 4' waves, and occasional 5' footers at our port bow. Best speed we achieved was 15 knots and the autopilot handled steering far better than I could have done. So we bounced and rolled for 50 minutes until our course in the North River took us directly into the wind. Waves subsided to closely-spaced, very steep three-footers. The waves looked like a sine curve with the peaks about 4-5 feet apart.
With all of this active weather, mother nature still kept to her spring-time routine. At every suitable daymark, osprey pairs were building their nests. Over and over, we saw the male swoop down to the water, grab a stick in his talons, then return to the nest where the waiting female placed it in the nest. An amazing process.
Passing through the Coinjock land cut, we idled for about 15 minutes and were able to light-off the genset to make coffee and heat the boat. The waters north of Coinjock, leading into Currituck Sound are very shallow, and the channel is narrow. The water was boiling wildly, with whitecaps and blowing sea froth (which my Navy training tells me that the winds were stronger than 35 knots). Safely through, we ran Currituck's open waters, heading almost directly into wind and seas, so we had a good ride.
Finally, we arrived at the North landing Bridge, 20 miles from the end of the ICW, passing through at noon. Five miles further, we passed the Centerville Turnpike Bridge at 12:30PM. Approaching Great Bridge, I checked Chesapeake Bay's weather - not good; gale warnings, winds at 40 knots - gusting higher, with 5'-6' waves at the mouth of the bay. There was no way to get to our marina inside Little Creek Inlet.
We intended to have Ebb Tide II hauled and bottom-painted at Atlantic Yacht Basin, just south of the Great Bridge Bridge, a few weeks after returning home. With the unfavorable forecast and no expected improvement for several days, we decided to leave the boat there and have it hauled immediately. Our friends, Bob and Nancy Loy, picked us up and by 3:00 PM we were back in our home.
Our "conquest" of the ICW will not be complete until we pass Mile Marker Zero in Norfolk and our boat is safely back in its home slip. So there is still another chapter to be written in this cruising adventure. Happy Easter!!
It was another wild ride, ably handled by our very seaworthy Duffy37. Winds quickly moved into the 35-40 knot range, pushing steady 4' waves, and occasional 5' footers at our port bow. Best speed we achieved was 15 knots and the autopilot handled steering far better than I could have done. So we bounced and rolled for 50 minutes until our course in the North River took us directly into the wind. Waves subsided to closely-spaced, very steep three-footers. The waves looked like a sine curve with the peaks about 4-5 feet apart.
With all of this active weather, mother nature still kept to her spring-time routine. At every suitable daymark, osprey pairs were building their nests. Over and over, we saw the male swoop down to the water, grab a stick in his talons, then return to the nest where the waiting female placed it in the nest. An amazing process.
Passing through the Coinjock land cut, we idled for about 15 minutes and were able to light-off the genset to make coffee and heat the boat. The waters north of Coinjock, leading into Currituck Sound are very shallow, and the channel is narrow. The water was boiling wildly, with whitecaps and blowing sea froth (which my Navy training tells me that the winds were stronger than 35 knots). Safely through, we ran Currituck's open waters, heading almost directly into wind and seas, so we had a good ride.
Finally, we arrived at the North landing Bridge, 20 miles from the end of the ICW, passing through at noon. Five miles further, we passed the Centerville Turnpike Bridge at 12:30PM. Approaching Great Bridge, I checked Chesapeake Bay's weather - not good; gale warnings, winds at 40 knots - gusting higher, with 5'-6' waves at the mouth of the bay. There was no way to get to our marina inside Little Creek Inlet.
We intended to have Ebb Tide II hauled and bottom-painted at Atlantic Yacht Basin, just south of the Great Bridge Bridge, a few weeks after returning home. With the unfavorable forecast and no expected improvement for several days, we decided to leave the boat there and have it hauled immediately. Our friends, Bob and Nancy Loy, picked us up and by 3:00 PM we were back in our home.
Our "conquest" of the ICW will not be complete until we pass Mile Marker Zero in Norfolk and our boat is safely back in its home slip. So there is still another chapter to be written in this cruising adventure. Happy Easter!!
Wednesday, March 19, 2008
Seeking shelter in heavy weather - Alligator River Marina (M/M80)
We left Oriental, NC under cloudy skies, making 16 knots through the Neuse River, which was fairly calm today. As we left, we had ten knot southerly winds, which increased as we headed north.
Leaving the twenty five mile-long Alligator River/Pungo River Canal, we found 30 knot southerly winds and three foot, closely-spaced seas entering the Alligator river. The Duffy rode well, but conditions deteriorated as we covered 20 miles toward the Alligator River Swing Bridge. When I called the bridge tender, three miles out, he said that they had a 35 knot wind restriction and might not be able to open. If we couldn't pass the bridge, we had no alternative but to turn aroung, take a beating and try to find safer water 25 miles south.
Understanding our plight, the bridge tender bent the rules and opened the span partially. We squeezed through at 15 knots, bouncing three feet vertically and skittering left and right in the waves. Once through, we made a hard left and sought shelter in the Alligator River Marina, which sits at the western end of the bridge. In those steep seas; that short, mile-long trip was a wild ride!
The bridge officially closed after we passed and the Outer banks winds have increased to nearly fifty knots, and might get stronger until tonight's passing front drops some rain on us and everything subsides. I called the bridge tender and thanked him profusely for letting us through. What a day!!
Our original goal was to cross Albemarle Sound today, stop in Coinjock tonight, and be home tomorrow. Sea conditions had deteriorated so quickly that we had no option but to seek shelter here.
Leaving the twenty five mile-long Alligator River/Pungo River Canal, we found 30 knot southerly winds and three foot, closely-spaced seas entering the Alligator river. The Duffy rode well, but conditions deteriorated as we covered 20 miles toward the Alligator River Swing Bridge. When I called the bridge tender, three miles out, he said that they had a 35 knot wind restriction and might not be able to open. If we couldn't pass the bridge, we had no alternative but to turn aroung, take a beating and try to find safer water 25 miles south.
Understanding our plight, the bridge tender bent the rules and opened the span partially. We squeezed through at 15 knots, bouncing three feet vertically and skittering left and right in the waves. Once through, we made a hard left and sought shelter in the Alligator River Marina, which sits at the western end of the bridge. In those steep seas; that short, mile-long trip was a wild ride!
The bridge officially closed after we passed and the Outer banks winds have increased to nearly fifty knots, and might get stronger until tonight's passing front drops some rain on us and everything subsides. I called the bridge tender and thanked him profusely for letting us through. What a day!!
Our original goal was to cross Albemarle Sound today, stop in Coinjock tonight, and be home tomorrow. Sea conditions had deteriorated so quickly that we had no option but to seek shelter here.
Tuesday, March 18, 2008
Wrightsvillei Beach, NC to Oriental, NC (M/M180)
A long day today - took eight hours to go 103 statute miles along the ICW. We had to wait for two bridge openings, passed a few tugs with barges (very carefully) and also maneuvered carefully around a pair of working dredges and their dredge field equipment. Our courtship with low tide travel continued, as did our "uphill climb" against adverse tidal curents.
We passed several of North Carolina's problem inlets safely - all at absolute low tide. Had a foot under the keel as we idled through the New River Inlet, passing the shrimper, Pirates Pride, hard aground off to our right and roiling water furiously to get unstuck. Surprisingly, New Topsail Inlet must have been dredged, because we had thirteen feet under our keel there. One of the dredges was working Bogue Inlet and we had good water underneath us there too.
We're moored at tiny, ten slip, Oriental Marina. Oriental, just off the ICW and the Neuse River, is North Carolina's sailing capital - lots of rag boats here. It is a nice little town and a friendly place to visit, although I believe that you could fall asleep on a roadway and not be injured. Definitely, a slow-paced life here!
As we leave tomorrow, we'll be in open waters; the Neuse River, Pamlico River and Pamlico Sound as well as Alligator River. Hopefully the weather will hold and we'll be able to cruise most of the day at our normal 16 knots. Gotta get home before our tans fade!
We passed several of North Carolina's problem inlets safely - all at absolute low tide. Had a foot under the keel as we idled through the New River Inlet, passing the shrimper, Pirates Pride, hard aground off to our right and roiling water furiously to get unstuck. Surprisingly, New Topsail Inlet must have been dredged, because we had thirteen feet under our keel there. One of the dredges was working Bogue Inlet and we had good water underneath us there too.
We're moored at tiny, ten slip, Oriental Marina. Oriental, just off the ICW and the Neuse River, is North Carolina's sailing capital - lots of rag boats here. It is a nice little town and a friendly place to visit, although I believe that you could fall asleep on a roadway and not be injured. Definitely, a slow-paced life here!
As we leave tomorrow, we'll be in open waters; the Neuse River, Pamlico River and Pamlico Sound as well as Alligator River. Hopefully the weather will hold and we'll be able to cruise most of the day at our normal 16 knots. Gotta get home before our tans fade!
Monday, March 17, 2008
Murrells Inlet, SC to Wrightsville Beach, NC (M/M284)
We covered 101 miles today. After leaving Wacca Wachee Marina, at 8:25 AM, we headed north up the Waccamaw River to catch the 9:15 AM scheduled opening of the Socastee Bridge. With our speed slowed by “no-wake zones”, we entered the notorious “rockpile”, a narrow four mile-long stretch of the ICW hewn from rocks – you don’t want to drift off the center of the waterway during the transit.
At noon, after waiting fifteen minutes, we passed through the unusual Sunset Beach Bridge – a floating bridge which raises both roadways and rotates ninety degrees on a cable. Passing boaters have to wait until the cable drops to the bottom before passing through.
Our poor luck still held as we followed a low tide northward, hitting the various inlets at low water levels. At the Shallotte Inlet, a known ICW shallow spot, we passed the lowest point with two feet of bottom clearance, also playing “leapfrog” with two towboats. One captain decided to ground the barge he was pushing to allow the other to pass, knowing that the other Captain would scrape bottom and make his passage easier. Smart guys and their language is very colorful!
Passing Southport, we entered the Cape Fear River and followed it northward to Snows Cut, a one-mile land passage with nearly four knots of adverse tidal current. Just like riding astern of a towboat, the rushing waters pushed us left and right, making steering a challenge in the narrow channel.
A bit after 4:15 PM, we moored in Wrightsville Beach’s Seapath Yacht Club. We took a salt-spray bath in the Cape Fear River. After rinsing the boat and connecting the cable TV, our friend, Jose Cuervo, came to visit. Kathy then cooked a delicious pork chop, rice and mixed vegetable dinner.
At noon, after waiting fifteen minutes, we passed through the unusual Sunset Beach Bridge – a floating bridge which raises both roadways and rotates ninety degrees on a cable. Passing boaters have to wait until the cable drops to the bottom before passing through.
Our poor luck still held as we followed a low tide northward, hitting the various inlets at low water levels. At the Shallotte Inlet, a known ICW shallow spot, we passed the lowest point with two feet of bottom clearance, also playing “leapfrog” with two towboats. One captain decided to ground the barge he was pushing to allow the other to pass, knowing that the other Captain would scrape bottom and make his passage easier. Smart guys and their language is very colorful!
Passing Southport, we entered the Cape Fear River and followed it northward to Snows Cut, a one-mile land passage with nearly four knots of adverse tidal current. Just like riding astern of a towboat, the rushing waters pushed us left and right, making steering a challenge in the narrow channel.
A bit after 4:15 PM, we moored in Wrightsville Beach’s Seapath Yacht Club. We took a salt-spray bath in the Cape Fear River. After rinsing the boat and connecting the cable TV, our friend, Jose Cuervo, came to visit. Kathy then cooked a delicious pork chop, rice and mixed vegetable dinner.
Sunday, March 16, 2008
Charleston, SC to WaccaWachee, SC (M/M 384)
Slipped our lines at 10:40 AM (Charleston's absolute low tide.) Winds were northwest at 20 knots, so the thirty minute ride across the harbor's wide-open seafront was bouncy. We headed north past Georgetown, for the Waccamaw River and the nice little marina in the middle of nowhere with an odd name. It is a first-class operation and should be a stop for all ICW cruisers.
Trying to ride incoming tidal flow, we waited until mid-morning in Charleston to get underway. BIG MISTAKE! What we really did was to ride contrary currents uphill and follow low tides for nearly fifty miles. Twice today, we touched bottom. Once was a Garmin magenta line mis-plot. The other was when kathy said that there was a shoal ahead with birds walking on it. She directed me closer to the green marker, when we should have been wider on that mark. Depths went past negative zero but, thanks to our keel's prop-protection, we slid through the mud into better water.
We arrived in Wacca-Wachee at 4:30PM. Grilled steaks for supper tonight - boy are we ready!
Trying to ride incoming tidal flow, we waited until mid-morning in Charleston to get underway. BIG MISTAKE! What we really did was to ride contrary currents uphill and follow low tides for nearly fifty miles. Twice today, we touched bottom. Once was a Garmin magenta line mis-plot. The other was when kathy said that there was a shoal ahead with birds walking on it. She directed me closer to the green marker, when we should have been wider on that mark. Depths went past negative zero but, thanks to our keel's prop-protection, we slid through the mud into better water.
We arrived in Wacca-Wachee at 4:30PM. Grilled steaks for supper tonight - boy are we ready!
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