SHIP'S LOG:
May 11, 2011 Wednesday - 35'40.168N/ 076'01.849W
Left Upper Dowry Creek heading for the Alligator River. Stopped off first at the Dowry Creek Marina for Ice and a Pump & Dump & Pump. There was a lot of hazy and I found out from the dock crew that there was a peat fire up north at Stumpy Point. It seems that there is a near by bombing range and practice the previous day had set the peat on fire. They said that it happens every now and again but that it takes a moth or so for it to burn itself out. Sort of smelled like Woodstock, or so I am told, but without the beneficial side effects. There was also some honest to goodness for and the two mixed which made for an interesting though limited view of things.
I entered one of the most boring, if not the most boring stretch of the ICW, the Alligator River- Pungo River Canal. It is dead arrow straight for 7 miles and then a turn and then another five miles of absolute straightness. It might be 150 feet wide . . .maybe but the channel is a lot more narrow and you really have to watch what you are doing. Lots of snags and stumps and deadheads. Of course it didn't stop the popwerboaters from seeing it as a dragstrip and several rather large and powerful boats came ripping up the canal. It would have been nice if they slowed down but for the most part they did not. I was disappointed to note that they were all from New England states. There wakes really tossed me around and it was hard to stay in the channel. Even when I slowed down to let them pass quickly they never reciprocated.
Out in the middle of the canal, there was a house with nothing around it. I couldn't see field or even roads though there must have been some. No other houses anywhere around. It had a dock and a boat but that was it. Talk about being out in the middle of no where. It was surely a house only visited by the closest of friends.
When I finally exited the canal, the wind picked up to a nice steady 15 out of the North. The spot where I had planned to anchor which would have been sheltered from the north wind was all filled in with crab pot buoys. There are a lot of them around now, more so than on the way down. It must be the season for crabbing or else things are just so tight, everyone is looking to make a few extra bucks. Whatever the reason, the spot was unusable and I had to anchor in a more exposed portion of the Alligator River. It was shallow and there was no need to worry as there was also miles in which to swing. The wind from the north and the current of the river, also from the north, made swinging even less of a worry. This spot was the "silent spot" I experienced on the way down. Then there was no sound and I mean NO SOUND. It must have bee a one shot deal as there was plenty of noise this time. Dropped the hook about 3:05pm and settled in for the night. When the wind finally died down, I could see the peat fires, or at least the smoke from them, at Stumpy Point. A major conflagrations by the size of the smoke plume.
Amy 12, 2011 Thursday 36'12.217N/ 075'56.790W
The Alligator River leads into Albemarle Sound and it also contains the first spot I went aground and needed a visit from Towboat/US. When I got to the spot where I went aground, I could see where and how it happened. Sometimes it is just very difficult to relate what you see on the map and the GPS with what you see in real life. Truth be told, once again if you followed the little Magenta line that indicates the ICW, you would definitely go aground. To much shifting bottom and considering how inexperienced I was in the ways of the ICW, it is no wonder I touched bottom. This time however, relying more on the depth sounder than the GPS and the maps, there was no problem whatever.
I was looking forward for a real sail across the 10 miles of Albemarle and it was exhilarating for the first mile and then the wind died. The wind never seems to want to blow when I want it to blow and always seems to do so when I want it calm. There just doesn't seem to be a happy medium.
Not much in the way of traffic, if you don't count the tugs and barges of which there were plenty. "Lucky Four Us" and "Six Pence" out of Boston, Mass. , were the only two pleasure craft I saw crossing the sound, which they did at a high rate of speed with the expected results. Once I cross Ablemarle Sound and got into the North River, a huge motor Yacht cruised by. She was from Shelby Forest, Tennessee, and I wondered how she eve got to her home port. I think she had an accident of some kind after she passed as I ran into a lot of spilt diesel fuel in the water and she made some strange maneuvers in front of me. Perhaps she had spilled some diesel into the bilge and pumped it overboard which is a no-no. It sure stinks when you run through it.
I made a left turn off the ICW and proceeded a mile to the mouth of Broad Creek. It was strange to go so far out of the channel by choice and not run aground though the water was never more than 10 feet deep. I eventually anchored in about 9 feet of water but it still seemed weird to be where I was, with no other boats around. I called up the Coinjock Marina and reserved a spot for the next night. It was only 11 miles away and I wanted to be sure I had a spot for there was little or nothing between where I was and where I wanted to be except Coinjock. It is also the home of the ICW famous 32 oz Prime Rib, something I missed on the way down.
May 13, 2011 Friday 36'20.866N/ 075'56.966W
It was a short day. I left Broad Creek and got into Coinjock by 11:30. It was good as I needed to do laundry and take a shower. I was beginning to smell like an unclean yak.
On the way, the North River goes from miles wide to a couple hundred feet wide with lots of turns and twists. I find it amazing that the tugs and barges can maneuver along the ICW especially in places like this with all the twists and turns. Usually, the tought of tugs and barges bring agita for they tend to move like a semi on ice. But today it was wonderful to see them as they "controlled " the rambuncious behavior and high speed of the powereboats that also showed up today. The tugs & barges might have been making a little over 7 knots and you could just hear the powerboaters grinding there teeth for in most places there was no where to pass and they hated it. I loved it! Passing for powerboats was also limited by the huge numbers of crab pot bouys that line what straight aways there were. Then of course there were we sailboats as well. The North River ends at the Coinjock Cut which as a strict idle speed limit. I am sure that once they transited they floored it but for awhile, it was like heaven.
I pulled into the Coinjock Marina and right down the dock was that huge Motor Yacht from Tennessee. He was fueling up. When I walked by on the way to take a shower, he had already put in 357 gallons. When I got back, he had put in over 1,687 gallons. I stopped to chat and asked how much fuel he carried. 3,200 gallons. At $4.85 a gallon, well you figure it out.
A sailboat came in towing another sailboat. They were buddy sailing when one's engine quite. They maneuvered very well and got both boats to the dock with no muss, no fuss. I was quite impressed. Despite the hoped for verdict that it was merely clogged filters, it turned out to be a fuel pump which had given up the ghost. Boating would be a whole lot more fund if, when things broke, they didn't cost so much to replace.
And no, I didn't have the 32oz prime rib. That's half a cow. I got the smallest size they had . . .16 oz. and it was GOOOOOOOOOODDDD!
May 14, 2011 Saturday 36'43.246N/ 076'14.284
I thought I lost a day. The NOAA weather report kept talking about Sunday. I thought I must have slept through Saturday but I didn't. Never did figure out why NOAA was ignoring Saturday.
It rain throughout the night, some NOAA also missed in its weather report the day before and the skies looked ominous but I had to move. I wanted to get to Great Bridge where I could hang for a few days at a FREE DOCK! The weather is iffy for the next few days and being at a dock, especially if its FREE, is better than being at anchor.
The current through the Coinjock Cut is totally wind driven and it is DRIVEN! Got up to 7.5knots without half trying. I had to cross a nasty piece of water called Currituck Sound. The wind was out of the South East and right on the quarter. With her keel configuration, ABISHAG doesn't do really well and tends to roll a bit and fishtail. So I decided to run with the Genoa up. Again, there is not a lot of maneuvering room but the channels are fairly straight and long. It didn't qite work as I had hoped. The speed went up but the rolling and fish tailing didn't stop. After about three miles I drop it and just kept motoring.
I was buddy sailing with Lucky Bird, a Moody 42. I let him go in front as I figured that he had more speed but he never really pushed it. The sky kept both of us alert for the predicted " widely scattered thunder storms with hail" that the boys and girls of NOAA were calling for. (They never showed!) We entered the North Landing River, another of those twisty, turny stretches. Powerboats continued to give themselves a bad rep, topped only by the idiot who was water skying in the narrow part of the ICW. we went by the first place I "kissed bottom" . . . it still looked as though it could be a good anchorage.
When we got to the North River Landing Swing Bridge at about noon, we were told that the next bridge up, the Centerville Turnpike Swing Bridge, was having repair work done and wouldn't open again until 4PM. It was less than 4 miles away and so we dawdled as much as we could and still got there by 12:30. Bob and Alice of Lucky Bird anchored in mid stream about a mile from the bridge and I rafted to them. The only thing we could do was wait. Other boast showed up and it got to be quite a party. We had to wait 3 1/2 hours and then got through the bridge. I was concerned that the free dock I was hoping to use would be filled up. But as luck would have it, there was plenty of room. Me and two other boats are tied up. Oh, the reason that it was empty is because it was closed! They are doing some construction work next to it and there were signs, which I didn't notice until after I was all tied up, saying NO TRESPASSING- DOCK CLOSED. I figured that I would be good for the night and tomorrow I will move through the Bridge at Great Bridge and tie up on the free dock on that side. I had dinner with Mark and Liz from the sailboat right behind me. It was wonderful. I had tried to help him with a leak i his stuffing box(while we were waiting) but all of my efforts were in vain. Dinner was the pay-off. I got the better of the deal!
Saturday, May 14, 2011
Tuesday, May 10, 2011
It' The Economy, Stupid! or Two Wrongs Don't Make a Right And A Third Can Really Mess Things Up!
SHIP'S LOG:
Still in Upper Dowry Creek!
Actually, when I think about it and look back on the last 8 months, it is really a wonder that it hadn't happened before. Indeed, I am kinda amazed that it wasn't a bigger "major Whoopsie" than it was.
You have to understand that my income is a little over 2 Marine Units a month. Considering also that my expenses run pretty close to four(4) Marine Units a month, you can see that finances can get more than a little tricky. Yes, you have it right, about twice as much goes out as comes in! And no, I don't work for the federal government. However, living frugally as best I can and with the help and generosity of relatives, friends and neighbors, I am usually able to cover my financial obligations and put just a tad aside for surprises. And surprises there have been. There was that regulator back in Bodkin Creek(MD) that ran 1 1/2 Marine Units with installation. And there was the raw water pump for the engine in Jacksonville(FL) which was a little over two(2) Marine Units and that was with a 10% discount because of a friend of a friend. And that doesn't take into consideration those trips to West Marine and othere such marine establishments for necessary items for require repairs . . . and surely it doesn't take into consideration THE SHEAR PINS! ! ! ! There were also those times when necessity - read the weather - forced me to tie up in one of those hideously expensive marinas which were usually .20 of a Marine Unit a night. During my sojourn, diesel has gone from $3.45 a gallon to about $4.45 a gallon.
And the funds that come to me, aside from the 2Marine Units+ that are direct deposited, go to a Postal Mail Box and are then picked up by a friend who deposits any funds he finds in my account.The information, along with letters are scanned an sent by email. Occasionally, the info comes in a phone call, but either way,contact is not always swift, clean and clear. All of my bill paying is done by debit card and/or through a bill paying feature on my banks website. The QUICKEN Accounting program on my computer handles the record keeping and all I have to do is input the correct information and everything goes smoothly.
Can you see the flaw in the concept? "I" have to enter the "correct information," and there were have the crux of the problem that I ran into in Swansboro. I went to "Yana's Old Fashion Drugstore Restaurant" of a 62nd Birthday lunch and my debit card "bounce" or whatever they call it when you have insufficient funds to cover a bill. Thankfully I was able to scrape up enough to cover the bill and the tip. When I got back to my boat I spent a good part of the afternoon trying to discover what had happened. According to my Quicken Accounting Records, I should have had almost 2.2 Marine Units available in my account. The mortgage had been paid. The debt reduction had been paid and I had yet to begin paying the months bills so there should have been enough. In fact, I was looking forward to the first month in awhile where I was going to get though without having to ask anyone for "a little/some/a lot" of help.
I am not very good with math(it's the dyslexia) hence the accounting software. Between phone calls to the bank and going over statements and reconciling them with the accounts, all I could really discover is that my bank charges me $22 if you overdraw your debit card. (I always found charging someone more of what they don't have doesn't make a great deal of sense!) But I was also moving and when I got to South River, I was without any internet access so the problem stewed for two days. When I got here to Upper Dowry Creek, I had internet access again and took all day today to find the problem. Part of the problem is that most of the "bankers" I spoke with couldn't help you unless you were sitting right there with them. About three O'clock I found it. I had several deposits that total 2 Marine Units and in my Quicken Accounting Records I had listen individually and also as a total sum deposit. Basically I entered them twice and that was the reason for the discrepancy. I actually hadn't been carefully saving money so much as I had simply thought there was more money than there was to begin with.
I was blessed to have my cousin Kathy and her husband, Harold, seen me a chunk of cash and now I will be able to fuel ABISHAG and pump out the holding tank. As full as the holding tank is is as empty as the fuel tank is and I was getting just a wee bit concerned. Of course, I could always pump the holding tank overboard surreptitiously, but even if I did, I would still have no means to fuel the boat without the cash. I am not quite sure exactly where I shall go from here, that is the next step to take in a financial frame of reference, but I will figure that out. Long voyages are very good for reflection and coming up with ideas. Then again, there is always THE PUBLISHERS CLEARING HOUSE SWEEPSTAKES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Still in Upper Dowry Creek!
Actually, when I think about it and look back on the last 8 months, it is really a wonder that it hadn't happened before. Indeed, I am kinda amazed that it wasn't a bigger "major Whoopsie" than it was.
You have to understand that my income is a little over 2 Marine Units a month. Considering also that my expenses run pretty close to four(4) Marine Units a month, you can see that finances can get more than a little tricky. Yes, you have it right, about twice as much goes out as comes in! And no, I don't work for the federal government. However, living frugally as best I can and with the help and generosity of relatives, friends and neighbors, I am usually able to cover my financial obligations and put just a tad aside for surprises. And surprises there have been. There was that regulator back in Bodkin Creek(MD) that ran 1 1/2 Marine Units with installation. And there was the raw water pump for the engine in Jacksonville(FL) which was a little over two(2) Marine Units and that was with a 10% discount because of a friend of a friend. And that doesn't take into consideration those trips to West Marine and othere such marine establishments for necessary items for require repairs . . . and surely it doesn't take into consideration THE SHEAR PINS! ! ! ! There were also those times when necessity - read the weather - forced me to tie up in one of those hideously expensive marinas which were usually .20 of a Marine Unit a night. During my sojourn, diesel has gone from $3.45 a gallon to about $4.45 a gallon.
And the funds that come to me, aside from the 2Marine Units+ that are direct deposited, go to a Postal Mail Box and are then picked up by a friend who deposits any funds he finds in my account.The information, along with letters are scanned an sent by email. Occasionally, the info comes in a phone call, but either way,contact is not always swift, clean and clear. All of my bill paying is done by debit card and/or through a bill paying feature on my banks website. The QUICKEN Accounting program on my computer handles the record keeping and all I have to do is input the correct information and everything goes smoothly.
Can you see the flaw in the concept? "I" have to enter the "correct information," and there were have the crux of the problem that I ran into in Swansboro. I went to "Yana's Old Fashion Drugstore Restaurant" of a 62nd Birthday lunch and my debit card "bounce" or whatever they call it when you have insufficient funds to cover a bill. Thankfully I was able to scrape up enough to cover the bill and the tip. When I got back to my boat I spent a good part of the afternoon trying to discover what had happened. According to my Quicken Accounting Records, I should have had almost 2.2 Marine Units available in my account. The mortgage had been paid. The debt reduction had been paid and I had yet to begin paying the months bills so there should have been enough. In fact, I was looking forward to the first month in awhile where I was going to get though without having to ask anyone for "a little/some/a lot" of help.
I am not very good with math(it's the dyslexia) hence the accounting software. Between phone calls to the bank and going over statements and reconciling them with the accounts, all I could really discover is that my bank charges me $22 if you overdraw your debit card. (I always found charging someone more of what they don't have doesn't make a great deal of sense!) But I was also moving and when I got to South River, I was without any internet access so the problem stewed for two days. When I got here to Upper Dowry Creek, I had internet access again and took all day today to find the problem. Part of the problem is that most of the "bankers" I spoke with couldn't help you unless you were sitting right there with them. About three O'clock I found it. I had several deposits that total 2 Marine Units and in my Quicken Accounting Records I had listen individually and also as a total sum deposit. Basically I entered them twice and that was the reason for the discrepancy. I actually hadn't been carefully saving money so much as I had simply thought there was more money than there was to begin with.
I was blessed to have my cousin Kathy and her husband, Harold, seen me a chunk of cash and now I will be able to fuel ABISHAG and pump out the holding tank. As full as the holding tank is is as empty as the fuel tank is and I was getting just a wee bit concerned. Of course, I could always pump the holding tank overboard surreptitiously, but even if I did, I would still have no means to fuel the boat without the cash. I am not quite sure exactly where I shall go from here, that is the next step to take in a financial frame of reference, but I will figure that out. Long voyages are very good for reflection and coming up with ideas. Then again, there is always THE PUBLISHERS CLEARING HOUSE SWEEPSTAKES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Monday, May 9, 2011
Back From The Dead . . . .ZONE!
SHIP'S LOG:
Saturday - Swansboro, NC
Having spent the day(Friday) sitting in the rain in Swansboro, it was a good feeling that Saturday dawned, or at least I thought it did. It was difficult to tell because the sun came up behind a whole lot of fog. Big For! Serious Fog! Pea Soup Fog! How ever you want to say it, there was think fog and lots of it.
It almost looked like another day in Swansboro when suddenly the fog burned off, well most of it anyway. Enough so that I could move and move I did. I It almost made me turn around and head back south!t was a bit disconcerting to note that as i moved out I could see my breath! It didn'tseem cold enough for frosty breath though I am not sure at what temperature that takes place, but it was surely there.
The trip was split between two 21 mile stages. The first went to Morehead City where the last time I was there I went aground. And the Second went from Morehead City up the Adams Canal to South River across the Neuse River from Oriental.
The run up to Morehead Cioty is basically up Bogue Sound. It looks like an wonderfully open piece of water but like so many place along the ICW, it is deceiving. Drift out side the ICW channel and you will stop drifting altogether. What makes this hard to accept is the fact that all around you there are speed boats and shallow draft power boats going hell bent for leather in every direction and it is hard not to follow them. It makes it hard not to cut corners at marks and waypoints, and just bhead whwere you want to go, but I am wise enough and experienced enough now not to fall into that trap.
It was a long morning getting up to Morehead City as the tide was coming in and I was going against it. This meant that when I got through Morehead City, if I decided to go on, the tide would be with me, pushing me, at least until it turned and then it would be against me. Since I got to Morehead Ciy about 12:30, I decided to do the next stage and headed up the Adams Canal to South River. About and hour into this stage, the tide turn and I slowed downa dn once again was fighting the tide. It didn't help that there was a large wildfire burning north of Morehead City and I had to travel through the smoke as well. There is not much to tell as this part of the ICW in NC is noted for long straight stretches and there is not much that makes them interesting. In fact there is really nothing that makes them interesting. A few houses here, a bunch of boat there, guys fishing over here. I have seen a lot of miles of the same picture and it is beginning to bore.
Made it up to the South river off the Neuse River across from Oriental about 5;45pm. There were half a dozen boats scattered in the river but there are miles and acres of anchorage so there was no problem find a spot. The weather is once again suppose to crap out on Sunday so it is nice to have a secure spot for the storms acomin'!
Boat Names of the Day:Cuz I Can/ Cushie Tushie
Sunday - South River - 34'57.859N/ 076'34.625W
NOAA got it right. Rain, rain, Rain and more rain. Good day for a book and a glass or 5 of wine.
Monday:
After weeks and weeks of being in rivers and canals, to hit the stretch of the Neuse River where you can loos sight of the shoreline and not see you next make made me a little uneasy. There were a number of boats around but I can never tell if they are going the same way I am so i have to follow my own course. It gets a bit confusing when they seem to be going in the same general direction as I am but until you hit( come to that is) a turning mark, you never really know for sure. Lot soi f powerboats heading north and I am disappointment that the courtesy that I expected from them this far north continues to be absent.
Went through the Hobucken Cut home to the loneliest Coast Guard Station and the hanging-on-by-their-teeth RE Mayo Fish Company. The Cut dumps into Goose Creek which in turn dumps into Pamlico River. The river is nice and wide at this pooint and I was hoping for a chance to sail. All the sailboats were hoping for as each of us entered the river, up went the sailing and for a few hundred yards it was wonderful but the wind died quickly and the engines all came back on. Even when the wind did pick up, it always seemed to be on the nose. Strange how on the way down, the wind was always out of the South/Southwest and that on the way back the wind is always from the North/ Northeast. In both cases right on the nose. There seems to be a plot here!
At least the tide was with me on the way up the Pungo River which meant I could easily get to Upper Dowry Creek, a wonderful little protected spot. It is a good jumping off point for the long and boring Alligator River-Pungo River Canal. It is probably the one place on the ICW where a auto pilot would actually be not only useful, but helpful.
Saturday - Swansboro, NC
Having spent the day(Friday) sitting in the rain in Swansboro, it was a good feeling that Saturday dawned, or at least I thought it did. It was difficult to tell because the sun came up behind a whole lot of fog. Big For! Serious Fog! Pea Soup Fog! How ever you want to say it, there was think fog and lots of it.
It almost looked like another day in Swansboro when suddenly the fog burned off, well most of it anyway. Enough so that I could move and move I did. I It almost made me turn around and head back south!t was a bit disconcerting to note that as i moved out I could see my breath! It didn'tseem cold enough for frosty breath though I am not sure at what temperature that takes place, but it was surely there.
The trip was split between two 21 mile stages. The first went to Morehead City where the last time I was there I went aground. And the Second went from Morehead City up the Adams Canal to South River across the Neuse River from Oriental.
The run up to Morehead Cioty is basically up Bogue Sound. It looks like an wonderfully open piece of water but like so many place along the ICW, it is deceiving. Drift out side the ICW channel and you will stop drifting altogether. What makes this hard to accept is the fact that all around you there are speed boats and shallow draft power boats going hell bent for leather in every direction and it is hard not to follow them. It makes it hard not to cut corners at marks and waypoints, and just bhead whwere you want to go, but I am wise enough and experienced enough now not to fall into that trap.
It was a long morning getting up to Morehead City as the tide was coming in and I was going against it. This meant that when I got through Morehead City, if I decided to go on, the tide would be with me, pushing me, at least until it turned and then it would be against me. Since I got to Morehead Ciy about 12:30, I decided to do the next stage and headed up the Adams Canal to South River. About and hour into this stage, the tide turn and I slowed downa dn once again was fighting the tide. It didn't help that there was a large wildfire burning north of Morehead City and I had to travel through the smoke as well. There is not much to tell as this part of the ICW in NC is noted for long straight stretches and there is not much that makes them interesting. In fact there is really nothing that makes them interesting. A few houses here, a bunch of boat there, guys fishing over here. I have seen a lot of miles of the same picture and it is beginning to bore.
Made it up to the South river off the Neuse River across from Oriental about 5;45pm. There were half a dozen boats scattered in the river but there are miles and acres of anchorage so there was no problem find a spot. The weather is once again suppose to crap out on Sunday so it is nice to have a secure spot for the storms acomin'!
Boat Names of the Day:Cuz I Can/ Cushie Tushie
Sunday - South River - 34'57.859N/ 076'34.625W
NOAA got it right. Rain, rain, Rain and more rain. Good day for a book and a glass or 5 of wine.
Monday:
After weeks and weeks of being in rivers and canals, to hit the stretch of the Neuse River where you can loos sight of the shoreline and not see you next make made me a little uneasy. There were a number of boats around but I can never tell if they are going the same way I am so i have to follow my own course. It gets a bit confusing when they seem to be going in the same general direction as I am but until you hit( come to that is) a turning mark, you never really know for sure. Lot soi f powerboats heading north and I am disappointment that the courtesy that I expected from them this far north continues to be absent.
Went through the Hobucken Cut home to the loneliest Coast Guard Station and the hanging-on-by-their-teeth RE Mayo Fish Company. The Cut dumps into Goose Creek which in turn dumps into Pamlico River. The river is nice and wide at this pooint and I was hoping for a chance to sail. All the sailboats were hoping for as each of us entered the river, up went the sailing and for a few hundred yards it was wonderful but the wind died quickly and the engines all came back on. Even when the wind did pick up, it always seemed to be on the nose. Strange how on the way down, the wind was always out of the South/Southwest and that on the way back the wind is always from the North/ Northeast. In both cases right on the nose. There seems to be a plot here!
At least the tide was with me on the way up the Pungo River which meant I could easily get to Upper Dowry Creek, a wonderful little protected spot. It is a good jumping off point for the long and boring Alligator River-Pungo River Canal. It is probably the one place on the ICW where a auto pilot would actually be not only useful, but helpful.
Friday, May 6, 2011
NOAA Got One Right!
SHIP'S LOG:
THURSDAY: Wrightsville Beach, NC
I left the last place with the word "Beach" in the name pretty much for the rest of the trip. I wanted to get an early start but it was bloody cold. It got down into the high 40's overnight, which might not sound "bad" to most of you but it was a shock to my system. Unfortunately, I am in North Carolina which means that while there are less brodges to be opened so I can pass through than say Florida, these bridges open only on the hour and if you miss one it is a bloody long wait. The first one was in Wrightsville Beach and set the tone for the day. I got to the bridge as it was starting to close and once started they would not stop nor open again for an hour. Damn!
There is not a lot you can do waiting for a bridge to open. In this case, the current and the wind were moving toward the bridge at a good clip so it was not a matter of just sitting and bobbing about.I constantly had to helm the boat, keep it under control and keep a eye on the clock so that I would be close enough to the bridge at the right time so that the tender would open it. Too far away, no opening!
The next one was seven miles away at "Figure 8 Island" and I missed that by 15 minutes. So for 45 minutes I did the back and forth and up and down and bobbed about before I got through.
The next one was the incongruously named "Surf City Swing Bridge." Sound like it really should be in California but no, it is in good old North Carolina. I missed it by a mere 40 minutes. While at that bridge, I got into a conversation with the owner of "SUMMER SKIS," a trawler from Tiverton. RI. He and his wife have been doing the ICW for about 10 years, usually going to the Bahamas from Fort Lauderdale. I asked him why he didn't become a "Looper" and he said that going down the Mississippi River really didn't interest him in the least.
I missed the next bridge at Onslow Beach, not because I was too fast or too slow but because it is on the base at Camp LeJune and beyond it is the firing range that crossed the ICW and let's just say that the Marines were busy. That was a 45 minute wait. Just short of that bridge was Mile Hammock and I would have gone back and dropped the hook there but it was already jamed with boats some of which probably got the word at Onslow about the "gunnery practice" and decided to pack it in early. I and three others waited it out and eventually continued north.
There are a lot of small inlets and creeks along this stretch of the ICW and the all seem to produce shoals at the entrances into the ICW. It is angst producing in the least to watch the depth sounder rise 10 feet in an instant and it takes a moment to decide which way you are to turn.(always away!) There are also lots of curves in the ICW in North Carolina and that means you get a lot of practice "turning like a tug." Tugs with barges use the ICW here andthey groove the turns. You have to remember that the deep water is always on the outside of the turn. If you forget, just form you hand like the turn, left hand for a turn to starboard and right hand for a turn to port, and remember that the outside is where your knuckles are and there also is the deep water. It is always important to remember that "deep" is a relative term. Since there is not really a standard depth to the ICW, even though there is supposed to be. you can never be sure just how "deep" the "deep water" is. Some places 20 feet, some place 8.2 feet, then again you can drown in six inches of water and so long as the deep water exceeds 5 1/2 feet, I am happy.
I pulled into Swansboro and nchored about 5:30pm. This little harbor was crowded on my way down and I was concerned that the northeren migration might make it so again. Indeed, the two couples I ran into on Wrightsville Beach were heading here, as I am sure others would be and I didn't like to aspect of anchoring in a tight spot especially with the river current and the wind. When I turned the corner and headed into Swansboro, lo and behold, the anchorage was empty. The two couples from Wrightsville Beach were in the Marina and i had the place to myself. I got to pick my spot and a good thing too, as the weather for Friday was to be windy and rainy, and ABISHAG likes to dance in the wind.
FRIDAY, SWANSBORO, NC 34'41.156N/ 077'07.067W
I got a quick tour of Swansboro before the rain set in. Small and quait, it was a hamlet rather than a village. Its historic district was three books along one street and like I said, "Quaint." They do have great fudge here though. The rain and the wind came early and I had to contend with spend the day reading while ABISHAG danced in the rain. I could have made Morehead City but the place where I would anchor is too exposed and so there was no need. I stay and enjoyed a day of leisure!
THURSDAY: Wrightsville Beach, NC
I left the last place with the word "Beach" in the name pretty much for the rest of the trip. I wanted to get an early start but it was bloody cold. It got down into the high 40's overnight, which might not sound "bad" to most of you but it was a shock to my system. Unfortunately, I am in North Carolina which means that while there are less brodges to be opened so I can pass through than say Florida, these bridges open only on the hour and if you miss one it is a bloody long wait. The first one was in Wrightsville Beach and set the tone for the day. I got to the bridge as it was starting to close and once started they would not stop nor open again for an hour. Damn!
There is not a lot you can do waiting for a bridge to open. In this case, the current and the wind were moving toward the bridge at a good clip so it was not a matter of just sitting and bobbing about.I constantly had to helm the boat, keep it under control and keep a eye on the clock so that I would be close enough to the bridge at the right time so that the tender would open it. Too far away, no opening!
The next one was seven miles away at "Figure 8 Island" and I missed that by 15 minutes. So for 45 minutes I did the back and forth and up and down and bobbed about before I got through.
The next one was the incongruously named "Surf City Swing Bridge." Sound like it really should be in California but no, it is in good old North Carolina. I missed it by a mere 40 minutes. While at that bridge, I got into a conversation with the owner of "SUMMER SKIS," a trawler from Tiverton. RI. He and his wife have been doing the ICW for about 10 years, usually going to the Bahamas from Fort Lauderdale. I asked him why he didn't become a "Looper" and he said that going down the Mississippi River really didn't interest him in the least.
I missed the next bridge at Onslow Beach, not because I was too fast or too slow but because it is on the base at Camp LeJune and beyond it is the firing range that crossed the ICW and let's just say that the Marines were busy. That was a 45 minute wait. Just short of that bridge was Mile Hammock and I would have gone back and dropped the hook there but it was already jamed with boats some of which probably got the word at Onslow about the "gunnery practice" and decided to pack it in early. I and three others waited it out and eventually continued north.
There are a lot of small inlets and creeks along this stretch of the ICW and the all seem to produce shoals at the entrances into the ICW. It is angst producing in the least to watch the depth sounder rise 10 feet in an instant and it takes a moment to decide which way you are to turn.(always away!) There are also lots of curves in the ICW in North Carolina and that means you get a lot of practice "turning like a tug." Tugs with barges use the ICW here andthey groove the turns. You have to remember that the deep water is always on the outside of the turn. If you forget, just form you hand like the turn, left hand for a turn to starboard and right hand for a turn to port, and remember that the outside is where your knuckles are and there also is the deep water. It is always important to remember that "deep" is a relative term. Since there is not really a standard depth to the ICW, even though there is supposed to be. you can never be sure just how "deep" the "deep water" is. Some places 20 feet, some place 8.2 feet, then again you can drown in six inches of water and so long as the deep water exceeds 5 1/2 feet, I am happy.
I pulled into Swansboro and nchored about 5:30pm. This little harbor was crowded on my way down and I was concerned that the northeren migration might make it so again. Indeed, the two couples I ran into on Wrightsville Beach were heading here, as I am sure others would be and I didn't like to aspect of anchoring in a tight spot especially with the river current and the wind. When I turned the corner and headed into Swansboro, lo and behold, the anchorage was empty. The two couples from Wrightsville Beach were in the Marina and i had the place to myself. I got to pick my spot and a good thing too, as the weather for Friday was to be windy and rainy, and ABISHAG likes to dance in the wind.
FRIDAY, SWANSBORO, NC 34'41.156N/ 077'07.067W
I got a quick tour of Swansboro before the rain set in. Small and quait, it was a hamlet rather than a village. Its historic district was three books along one street and like I said, "Quaint." They do have great fudge here though. The rain and the wind came early and I had to contend with spend the day reading while ABISHAG danced in the rain. I could have made Morehead City but the place where I would anchor is too exposed and so there was no need. I stay and enjoyed a day of leisure!
Wednesday, May 4, 2011
Time To Move
SHIP'S LOG:
I have spent a wonderful four days here in Wrightsville Beach and if NOAA had been anywhere near accurate, it would have been less. Indeed, I would have left this morning but I believed them and once again they were wrong! The promised winds showed up . . .sort of . . . .but the rain never came. I spent the day waiting but nothing!
In any event, I had a chance to spend some time with Vin & Anne. It was good to see them again and even though Anne never got a chance to cook me one of those "home cooked meals," the time was well spent and the visit wonderful.
I had a chance to do some maintenance on ABISHAG - oil change, filters, shroud tensioning, a little rewiring, replacing the raw water pump strut - nothing major ,, just enough to keep me busy and to make me feel that everything is good with her. ABISHAG has performed exceptionally well with far fewer problems and breakdowns than I had expected. I still get a lot of comments about how nice the boat is, design-wise, though it is tough for me to really appreciate it as I rarely see her from other than onboard. Still, I am comfortable with how things have been going and really have no complaints, though the list of projects to be done continues to grow. It never really ends so I don't worry too much about it. . . . as long as the water stay on the outside!
Ashore today I ran into two couples, one from Maine and one from Vermont, who are anchored nearby by and who are headed north like I am. I will be leaving tomorrow and if they are as well, we will probably travel in company at least for the day, perhaps longer.
If the weather, tide, gunnery practice and time allows, I will sweep past Camp Le Junne(?) and go straight to Swainsboro. I was unable to go ashore the last visit as the dinghy was holed and I was trapped aboard. It is supposed to be a rather interesting little village and I would like to take a look around. I may actually get caught there a day or so as the weather is supposed to go bad but then that is NOAA's prediction so you can take that for what it is worth.
I think tat the reason this return is going so fast is that the days are longer. When I was on the way down, I was usually underway by 9 and had to stop by 4pm. Now that i get up automatically at 6AM and sundown is almost 8PM, the 20-30 miles I used to do have become 40-50. So even with a couple of days spent here and there that I didn't spend on the way down, the mileage is eaten up faster. I would expect, without making the commitment, that I should be on the mooring at TYC by Memorial Day. I try not to think about it too much and try to just enjoy the day as each one happens. It almost seems like this has been going on forever and the idea that it is coming to an end seems rather far fetched. Who knows, maybe I'll get back and tun around and start back down the ICW. Maybe I'll become "a Looper!" Heck, all I know is that it is Wednesday and actually a little chilly and I am in Wrightsville Beach,NC, and that tomorrow I hope to make it to Swainsboro. And that is as long as that dance goes!
I have spent a wonderful four days here in Wrightsville Beach and if NOAA had been anywhere near accurate, it would have been less. Indeed, I would have left this morning but I believed them and once again they were wrong! The promised winds showed up . . .sort of . . . .but the rain never came. I spent the day waiting but nothing!
In any event, I had a chance to spend some time with Vin & Anne. It was good to see them again and even though Anne never got a chance to cook me one of those "home cooked meals," the time was well spent and the visit wonderful.
I had a chance to do some maintenance on ABISHAG - oil change, filters, shroud tensioning, a little rewiring, replacing the raw water pump strut - nothing major ,, just enough to keep me busy and to make me feel that everything is good with her. ABISHAG has performed exceptionally well with far fewer problems and breakdowns than I had expected. I still get a lot of comments about how nice the boat is, design-wise, though it is tough for me to really appreciate it as I rarely see her from other than onboard. Still, I am comfortable with how things have been going and really have no complaints, though the list of projects to be done continues to grow. It never really ends so I don't worry too much about it. . . . as long as the water stay on the outside!
Ashore today I ran into two couples, one from Maine and one from Vermont, who are anchored nearby by and who are headed north like I am. I will be leaving tomorrow and if they are as well, we will probably travel in company at least for the day, perhaps longer.
If the weather, tide, gunnery practice and time allows, I will sweep past Camp Le Junne(?) and go straight to Swainsboro. I was unable to go ashore the last visit as the dinghy was holed and I was trapped aboard. It is supposed to be a rather interesting little village and I would like to take a look around. I may actually get caught there a day or so as the weather is supposed to go bad but then that is NOAA's prediction so you can take that for what it is worth.
I think tat the reason this return is going so fast is that the days are longer. When I was on the way down, I was usually underway by 9 and had to stop by 4pm. Now that i get up automatically at 6AM and sundown is almost 8PM, the 20-30 miles I used to do have become 40-50. So even with a couple of days spent here and there that I didn't spend on the way down, the mileage is eaten up faster. I would expect, without making the commitment, that I should be on the mooring at TYC by Memorial Day. I try not to think about it too much and try to just enjoy the day as each one happens. It almost seems like this has been going on forever and the idea that it is coming to an end seems rather far fetched. Who knows, maybe I'll get back and tun around and start back down the ICW. Maybe I'll become "a Looper!" Heck, all I know is that it is Wednesday and actually a little chilly and I am in Wrightsville Beach,NC, and that tomorrow I hope to make it to Swainsboro. And that is as long as that dance goes!
Sunday, May 1, 2011
You May Fire When You Are Ready, Gridley!
SHIP'S LOG:
After a LOOOONG Day, I made it up to Wrightsville Beach, NORTH CAROLINA. While it was only 51 miles, and the first half went quick enough, going up the Cape Fear River and up Bank's Sound was a long hard slog.
I had to arise and be underway at 6:30, dawn in these parts these days, for the long trip. In that its was the weekend, the locals were out in fore on the ICW fishing and doing all sorts of water fun stuff. They also were not paying attention to anything but what they were doing and didn't seem to care about anyone else. It is probably a very good thing that I don't carry a gun because I would have been sorely tempted to use it many a time yesterday. It simply amazes me how these people do crazy things in boats and are still around to do still more of them.
This is also the land of the PWC - Personal Water Craft - and I gather they come with only one speed, as fast as possible. Three of them went by me at that high rate of speed, each carrying an adult with a small child sitting in front of them. They disappeared up the ICW and a half hour later they came back but the children were missing! An hour or so later, they went by me again and returned, once again carrying the children . . . . . I assume the same ones . . . in front of them.
Bubba and Cooter and Billy Ray and Skooter were drift fishing between the fenders of one large bridge through which I had to pass. There is not a lot opf room between bridge fenders and the water is often turbulent with a quick current. It is a dangerous spot just to pass through, but to sit there drifting while boat are trying to get through makes it beyond dangerous to the point of being life threatening. And as I tried to get by without hitting them - I was successful - they looked at me like I was crazy!
When I made the turn into the Cape Fear River, the tide was going out the inlet, made even worse by the current of the river itself. About 30 miuntes of going up river at 2knots!, the tide turned and the speed picket up to a whole 4 knmots. The current in the river battled the tide from the ocean and you would have thouhgt that the tide would win and over come the current. Not so, at least not completely. What they did do was clash and cause a lot of turbulence in and around the channels and islands of the river. It was not the most fun of trips. Snow's Cut was even worse! Bank's Sound and the ICW feed into Snow's Cut and they were flooding out when I was coming in. Once again, the local boaters dash thither and yon with no regard for anyone else or even the markers in the water. I cringed any number of times and they nearly sideswiped me and other cruisers and one another. When I made the turn out of Snow's Cut, I was still fighting the ebb, but the wind was off the water and I could actually get sails up and drawing for the trip up to Wrightsville Beach. I actually made pretty decent time for the last part of the day and got anchor down at 5:18. I am right up by the bridge, not 100n yards from the dinghy dock and in a perfect spot. The reward for a long, long day.
Vin and Anne, who live in Wilmington, came by and we went out for dinner and had a great time. The last time I came down, Anne ended up in the ER with heart palpitations. This time, Vin took a tumble over a garden hose and gashed his eyebrow costing him 15 stitches on his eyebrow and the bridge of his nose. And Anne has developed a sore ankle for some reason and is limping around. I think I am going to have to get out of town before either experiences anything any more serious . . .medically.
After a LOOOONG Day, I made it up to Wrightsville Beach, NORTH CAROLINA. While it was only 51 miles, and the first half went quick enough, going up the Cape Fear River and up Bank's Sound was a long hard slog.
I had to arise and be underway at 6:30, dawn in these parts these days, for the long trip. In that its was the weekend, the locals were out in fore on the ICW fishing and doing all sorts of water fun stuff. They also were not paying attention to anything but what they were doing and didn't seem to care about anyone else. It is probably a very good thing that I don't carry a gun because I would have been sorely tempted to use it many a time yesterday. It simply amazes me how these people do crazy things in boats and are still around to do still more of them.
This is also the land of the PWC - Personal Water Craft - and I gather they come with only one speed, as fast as possible. Three of them went by me at that high rate of speed, each carrying an adult with a small child sitting in front of them. They disappeared up the ICW and a half hour later they came back but the children were missing! An hour or so later, they went by me again and returned, once again carrying the children . . . . . I assume the same ones . . . in front of them.
Bubba and Cooter and Billy Ray and Skooter were drift fishing between the fenders of one large bridge through which I had to pass. There is not a lot opf room between bridge fenders and the water is often turbulent with a quick current. It is a dangerous spot just to pass through, but to sit there drifting while boat are trying to get through makes it beyond dangerous to the point of being life threatening. And as I tried to get by without hitting them - I was successful - they looked at me like I was crazy!
When I made the turn into the Cape Fear River, the tide was going out the inlet, made even worse by the current of the river itself. About 30 miuntes of going up river at 2knots!, the tide turned and the speed picket up to a whole 4 knmots. The current in the river battled the tide from the ocean and you would have thouhgt that the tide would win and over come the current. Not so, at least not completely. What they did do was clash and cause a lot of turbulence in and around the channels and islands of the river. It was not the most fun of trips. Snow's Cut was even worse! Bank's Sound and the ICW feed into Snow's Cut and they were flooding out when I was coming in. Once again, the local boaters dash thither and yon with no regard for anyone else or even the markers in the water. I cringed any number of times and they nearly sideswiped me and other cruisers and one another. When I made the turn out of Snow's Cut, I was still fighting the ebb, but the wind was off the water and I could actually get sails up and drawing for the trip up to Wrightsville Beach. I actually made pretty decent time for the last part of the day and got anchor down at 5:18. I am right up by the bridge, not 100n yards from the dinghy dock and in a perfect spot. The reward for a long, long day.
Vin and Anne, who live in Wilmington, came by and we went out for dinner and had a great time. The last time I came down, Anne ended up in the ER with heart palpitations. This time, Vin took a tumble over a garden hose and gashed his eyebrow costing him 15 stitches on his eyebrow and the bridge of his nose. And Anne has developed a sore ankle for some reason and is limping around. I think I am going to have to get out of town before either experiences anything any more serious . . .medically.
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