Watercolors Log

Great Sailing to End the Season

Tue, 9 Oct 2012 08:49:42 -0500

We had a great week in Washington D.C.; visiting friends; walked to/in lots of museums; ate some great food; enjoyed temperatures in the 70’s and evening 50’s. Because we were docked in a fixed slip in a corner, we were even able to back out and out the fairway. We have our favorite spots for going up the Potomac, so we are looking forward to doing it again next year. We did travel in the rain one day going in and we waited out a real bad storm coming out but had a wonderful sail back into St Marys anchorage.

We made a stop at Solomons to get fuel and a pump out and to try the restaurant that was open this time. We headed over to Cambridge, it is about 1.5 hour past Oxford on the Choptank River. We were pleasantly surprised. A busy weekend included Skipjack races; a dedication of a replica screwpile lighthouse which will house the dockmaster’s office and a museum; a historic home tour; a maritime museum; and a street fair. We took in everything. There was a high wind day which wouldn’t have been bad except we would have been going into it so we sat that day out.

We are getting a little braver. Last year we wouldn’t even consider trying to go through Knapp’s Narrow. This year we called the bridge tender to see what the depths were and was advised a boat with 5.5’ draft went through with no problem. As we neared the bridge and called for the opening, the bt wanted to know if we were the ones that had called about the depth and it was 11’ under the bridge. Well that was good, but what about the rest of the channel! We went through without any problems and wondered why we didn’t do it last year. Sailed a little off course before heading up to Annapolis and picking up a mooring ball in Spa Creek. Sometimes you do have to tack since you can’t sail directly into the wind. Noticed that the mooring field was filling up a lot further ahead of the Boat Show this year.

Sailing friends in our cruising group from Austin, TX joined us for five days. One would want good sailing weather for other sailors and we weren’t disappointed. We anchored out in Eagle Bay on the Magothy River, several times in fact until we switched from the 35# Delta to the FX Fortress which is better in soft mud; sailed over to St Michaels and spent a couple nights so we could do the maritime museum; another anchorage in Selby Bay off the South River before returning to Spa Creek. We also did some exploring of Annapolis We had nice weather so it didn’t seem too crowded with four adults on a 30’ sailboat, if it rained, the story might be different.

Watched the preparations for the boat show and sat out a couple rain days all hoping the weekend would be nice. We were happy to see some friends at the show whom we have met over the last year. We purchased more little stuff for the boat, cheaper than buying a bigger boat.

We left Annapolis, the furtherest north we got this season, and started our way back to Deltaville. We actually sailed all day until we stopped at Herrington Harbor South. Had just dropped the main, getting ready for our approach into the harbor when the wind came abeam at 24 kts just as we were rolling in the genoa. Thank heavens for autopilot, it took both of us to haul it in. We would have used the winch, but we had a two different overrides that needed to be cleaned up. There were 22 boats coming into this harbor all about the same time, no problem.We stopped for fuel and a pump out while the rest were docking elsewhere.

Had another sailing day into the Solomons using the genoa on a whisker pole until the wind came abeam. Had 2’-3’ waves that came abeam instead of behind like we wanted. We weren’t able to get on the floating docks. Met some people on a MV from Freeport, TX. Another sailor wanted to cross the Gulf from FL to Brownsville so he was given a name of someone who had made that crossing.

Another great sailing day from Solomons to Reedville, VA. Pretty much on one tack the whole way. Did tack a couple times when we turned into the Great Wicomico River. More fixed docks. We’re so small that the slip the dockmaster wanted us to go into was too long and in trying to put the stern lines on, we ended up two slips down and next to the police harbor boat. We walked up Main Street and were covered with little bugs; don’t wear green shirts, they think you’re a plant. Reedville is famous or infamous for its menhaden fishing fleet. The fishing is done with a purse seine using two smaller net handling boats and a mother ship. Processing of the catch is at the south edge of Reedville where they produce omega-3 oil and other byproducts. The operation is a little smelly so we were fortunate to have avoided a south wind which delivers the aroma to the docks and town.

The winds kicked up after we went to bed, out of the northwest gusting to 25-30 kts. The land forecast was different from the marine forecast, less wind vs. more wind, so we and the other four sailboats decided to wait until about 1100h before we left the marina. We were disappointed when we got out into the bay, no wind, we barely motored sailed our way into Deltaville. The Great Chesapeake Schooner Race was to start from Baltimore today and I bet they were disappointed as well.

Deltaville, our last fixed docks for the season, where we picked up our daughter in Richmond and sailed with her over the weekend. We took in the Art and Seafood Festival at the Deltaville Maritime Museum, sailed up to Urbanna on the Rappahannock River on Sunday and walked the town and had a nice meal before coming back on Monday. Tried to get an early start, but ran aground at the red mark exiting their channel and then the engine stopped unexpectedly so Bob rowed an anchor out to keep us from blowing down on the mark or further on the shoal (though the wind was blowing us the other way). Called Tow Boat US but before the tow responded the tide came up and the with all the engine work Bob did we were able to start the engine and get underway. Winds were abeam and we put a reefed genoa out hoping to get out of the incoming storm’s way. Winds gusted at 31 kts and we waited until they were below 20 to pull the genoa in. (Our sea trial was in 35kt winds). We were prepared for the rounding at Stingray Point going into the wind with waves breaking over the bow and dodger. Almost made it through the channel into Jackson Creek when a Crab boat passed us; throttled back to let him pass and the engine died, got it started but needed to back up to get back in the channel and it died again, Bob was at the bow ready with the anchor when we got it started one more time and was able to get into Jackson Creek. Bob called the marina that we were having engine problems and we might anchor instead of going to our slip but Ed said to come to the fuel dock and to have two lines ready. We were coming in slowly, but once we idled down there wouldn’t be any time to start and put it in reverse to stop on a dime. Fortunately the wind was blowing on the nose so we managed to dock. Higher winds were forecasted for later in the evening and Ed really wanted to get us into our slip so Chuck came with his roundabout and motored us into the slip. After Bob checked out the usual, straightforward suspects for the engine problem, he turned it over to the boat yard for professional help. One cylinder was not firing, but after checking compression, the injectors and the valve settings it looks like they will need to have the injector pump rebuilt.

Our original plan was to haul the boat the week of October 22-26 and leave it on the hard for the winter. It was looking like the engine work would delay our haul out. Then Hurricane Sandy added to the confusion of the week as it was headed for the Chesapeake that week-end. We continued to take the boat apart; got a storage unit when we decided there was no way we could get the four trips with the car loading the boat reduced into just one trip home; all the lines were treated with antifreeze; socialized with the cruisers who were waiting to go south as soon as their boat was sea worthy; watched these same cruisers in disappointment ready their boats for the mass marine haul out in preparation for Hurricane Sandy. Our boat was ready for haul out; the marina was hauling out all boats starting Friday, we left that afternoon and they hauled ours out on Saturday and tucked her in the back of the lot for the winter. We were sad to leave but happy to stay ahead of the rain and snow all the way back to Texas.

We enjoy the water and managed to get more sailing in this year. We thank all of you who have let us know you’ve been following us. So join us next spring as we try to get up to Long Island Sound for the summer. At least, that’s the plan for today.

A Tale of Two Ports

Tue, 11 Sep 2012 10:34:48 -0500

(Not to confuse anyone, but this entry lies chronologically between the previous last two reports. No particular reason, except the captain got around to writing his report later than the admiral wrote hers.)

We visited two well-known maritime communities in Virginia which provide an enormous difference in size and activities. Hampton Roads is a sprawling harbor and metropolitan area which includes Norfolk, Portsmouth, Hampton, Newport News and Virginia Beach and is situated at the mouths of the Elizabeth and James Rivers. These rivers merge where they enter the Chesapeake Bay near where the Bay empties into the Atlantic Ocean. Hampton Roads is one of the worlds great deep water ports and is home to the world’s largest naval base. Deltaville is a small, unincorporated village on a point of land on the Middle Peninsula of Virginia’s western shore of the Chesapeake. This was once a major boat building and waterman area. But as wooden boat building has declined, the activities have shifted more to recreational boating and tourism. Estimates of the local population are 500-800 people and some 3000 boats. Deltaville lies between the Rappahannock and Piankatank Rivers and there are numerous marinas and boat yards located on each sides of the peninsula.

We had passed by Norfolk on our previous two trips through Hampton Roads as we had stopped at the Atlantic Yacht Basin in the city of Chesapeake just south of Norfolk. AYB is a great place for boat repairs and also for provisioning. This time we wanted to visit Norfolk which worked out well since the Dismal Swamp alternative merges with the main ICW a couple of restricted opening bridges and a set of locks north of the Atlantic Yacht Basin. There are several marinas in the Portsmouth-Norfolk area but we selected to stay at the Waterside Marina since it is conveniently located in downtown Norfolk. We could walk to several attractions or take the new light rail to others. We went to Nauticus that is next door to the marina with nautical museums and the battleship USS Wisconsin. The Wisconsin is an amazingly large vessel from a different age. At the events center was a display of 1950’s and 1960’s power boats; mostly smaller runabouts with styling cues from the automotive world. Also took in the MacArthur Memorial and an art museum. Sampled several of the local restaurants, shopped for clothes, and “discovered” a wonderful independent book store.

Sailing north out of Norfolk we passed busy commercial docks with ocean going freighters loading and unloading. Then the huge naval yards with its massive collection of warships including aircraft carriers. We left Waterside at dawn so we would be able to reach Deltaville is a timely fashion that day. Good winds so we motored sailed with genoa for a while and by 11:00 were able to go to wing-on-wing (main and genoa on opposite sides of boat) pure sail and still make over 5 kt speed over ground. Arrived at Deltaville Marina on Jackson Creek before 4:00 pm.

The sad news in Deltaville was that their maritime museum had burned down the week before. Some artifacts were salvaged and some of the boats around the museum were saved. Also the three bigger boats that were at the docks were safe. Deltaville is working hard to rebuild the museum, with an aggressive plan to have it back in operation by next spring. The Chesapeake Bay “Buy Boat” F.D. Crockett, one of the boats docked in the water, is making a trip around the Bay to raise funds for the rebuild. The Crockett is one of many boats that were built in Deltaville. We saw the Crockett at the museum docks. It was quite a thrill when the next day it thundered past our docked boat to come to the fuel dock to start its trip. The Crockett is a 9-log boat, meaning the hull is constructed of nine logs fastened together. This was a common building technique for waterman’s boats on the Chesapeake, but is rather unique to the area. The Buy Boats would make on-the-water purchases of oysters from the watermen so that they could continue oystering rather than take their catch to market. Some oyster dredging skipjack boats would stay out for several days or a week working the oyster beds. A hard and dangerous job indeed. One of the restrictions attempting to avoid over-harvesting by oyster dredging was that dredging could only be done by unpowered sail boats; hence the skipjacks. A powered tender or push boat could be used for docking, etc. These were carried on davits at the stern of the skipjack when oystering.

Finally at Deltaville we prepared Watercolors for a month long stay while we went on a road trip. Always sad to leave the boat behind.

Road warriors and Sailors

Wed, 5 Sep 2012 14:34:11 -0500

This was the year for Bob and my 50th High School reunions. We had visited Bob’s in Kansas the end of May when we were home with doctors, mine was in western Nebraska in early August.

We had decided that we would leave the boat in Deltaville, VA for the winter and would need the car to transfer some items home for the winter. So a quick flight home to pick up the car; see our son and friends in Austin; drive to KS to visit Bob’s sisters and help his aunt celebrate her 99th; up to NE for the reunion with a stop mid-state to visit my brother; on up to MN to visit daughter; over to Holland, MI to check out possible retirement area; down to IN to visit my sister; and returned to Deltaville within two and half weeks. Whew! It wasn’t so bad, the heat spell had abated and we actually had cool weather for most of our trip and for a few days back in Deltaville. It sure was good to get back on the boat.

Bob had ordered a new heat riser, exhaust box-waterlift muffler, and connecting hose so that was waiting for us when we returned. Installed the new system except for the hose which will be done when we have the boat out of the water. Spent some extra time getting groceries, doing laundry, getting rear ended (tapped) by a local, and packing the car with unused items to be sent home. Had to find a place to store the car until we returned. Having done all that we were anxious to get going.

Our first day out we found ourselves in an anchorage off Indian Creek. We were surprised by a the arrival of a family of swans; two adults and eight cygnets. They had been working their way around the edge of the cove nibbling as they went. A lady on shore was calling them over so she could feed them. We aren’t allowed to feed anything in the wild from the boat so we just watched her. There was a storm brewing which showed up in force the next day; blew our anchor( we didn’t hear the anchor alarm, just Bob); I managed to back us away from shore before the lady could feed us as Bob pulled in the anchor. We reset the anchor and was good for the rest of the storm. It gusted to 24kts for most of the day and night. We were glad our escapade happened during the day. We set out the big lantern, wire cutters for releasing the snubber from the anchor chain (wire-tie to insure chain hook stays in place), and went to bed. We hadn’t expected to see the swans that day, but when there was a lull here they came, checking the shore line for the lady’s crumbs, around the edge and on out into the roiling creek. They were on the other side of the creek when we left the next morning.

So in trying to see new places on the Chesapeake we thought we would head over to the eastern shore and check out Crisfield, MD. We saw seven sailboats that day either going north or south but not east. We are approaching Tangier Sound when on the horizon appears to be some storm activity. We’ve had the sails up and decide to douse them before we can’t. We were hit by three little squalls; mostly rain with little wind thank heavens. We turn into Tangier Sound motor sailing when the fuel filter alarm goes off. Bob goes below to change the filter and I’m sailing with the genoa with a tow barge coming far astern and another coming down from the north. Surely they can see from our AIS that we aren’t under power and I stay out of their way as they pass. Bob has the filter changed in no time but the alarm is still going so we continue to sail up the Tangier Sound with 23 kt winds. We’ve approached the entrance to Crisfield, the winds have not let up, it’s unfamiliar, and we can’t do a Renard docking (sails only). Bob has called the marina to let them know we are close, having engine problems, and will need assistance. He calls Tow Boat US (like AAA on the water) and like AAA it’ll be a couple hours before they can get to us so we dropped anchor at the approach and waited. He put us right onto the face dock with the help of a couple dock hands. The next day after emptying out the aft berth where the fuel tanks are, Bob was able to determine that the screen in the diesel tank fuel pick-up tube was clogged. Some have removed the strainer screen and he tried without luck; the screen just went deep into the tube. The tubing is so old that he didn’t want to force the tubing off its fitting so screen is cleaned but not removed, the engine runs, and a new tube is ordered that will have the strainer removed before installation.

We’ve left Crisfield and decided to backtrack down to Tangier Island and see it before it disappears due to global warming. We were planning to sail and then the wind died. A few flies started to show up and the more we killed the more came to pay their respects. These were nasty biting flies and we were swatting as fast as we could. Good thing we had auto pilot, we’d look up occasionally to make sure we hadn’t overshot the green mark. It was awful, the cockpit was black, and we had more bites than lobbyist in Washington. Tangier Island was quaint and full of docks with crab traps (cages) that hadn’t been set out. We found the marina and Mr. Parks was coming down on his scooter to greet us. He had been a crabber for 60 years and now he was running this little marina at 81. Think he was surprised that I was doing the docking instead of Bob; he’s helping me with the bow line and and he leans in and says, “sweetie, he don’t quarrel with you, does he?” No, he doesn’t. There are a few restaurants and gift shops that cater to the couple of ferry boats that come in every day with tourists, when the ferries leave, you had better have eaten because the town closes up shop. They have a very nice museum documenting their existence.

We spent five nights in the anchorage at St Mary’s College, MD, ate lunch with the students in the cafeteria, enjoyed a couple of smoothies, and walked the path of the old city of St Mary’s which was the original colonial capital of Maryland. We waited for a storm front that didn’t materialize before heading over to Colonial Beach. We arrive before the winds pick up. The marina is closed and we dock ourselves. A man offers us his car to make a grocery run and to have it back by 1700h so he can go to work. He’s parked the car a little too close to the edge and Bob is having trouble backing out, so out I pop to give a little heave to. So with a little digging in the sand and rocks we were able to extract his car from the edge of logs and rocks. We parked in a different spot on the return, wonder if he noticed the wheel gouges. It was very generous of him to offer his vehicle. He told Bob, “now don’t be cute and put gas in it, or leave money, or wine, just take it.”

We are on our way to Washington D.C. to see some friends and visit a few more Smithsonians.

Swamps, Rivers and Sounds: Inside the Outer Banks

Sun, 29 Jul 2012 09:39:28 -0500

A thin line of sandy islands daringly marches from the Virginia-North Carolina border out into the Atlantic until it reaches Cape Hatteras from whence it turns southwestward until it becomes reacquainted with the mainland near Cape Lookout. Known as the Outer Banks these islands sometimes pay for their boldness by being swept with violent storms. These islands slowly move inland as the ocean side erodes and the bay side silts in as witnessed by light houses appearing to move seaward over the decades to either topple in the surf or be rescued by a move further inland. The Outer Banks can reach distances of 30 miles off the mainland and so enclose a huge area of water: the Pamlico and Albemarle Sounds and long, wide tributary rivers such as the Neuse, Pamlico, Alligator, Chowan, and Pasquotank. The sounds are shallow with many shoals, so navigation can be difficult especially when the winds pickup providing a nasty chop. The Intracoastal Waterway seeks to provide some protection by linking rivers and creeks with canals through some of the wetlands along the western part of these waters. But still there are some open crossings of the Pamlico and Albemarle Sounds where it is wise to have favorable weather.

Leaving Beaufort Docks we head north on the ICW, but once we reach the Neuse River we depart from the charted magenta line and head upstream for 20 miles to New Bern. This historic city was once the capital of colonial North Carolina and the elegant governor’s mansion, Tryon Palace, has been reconstructed. This is a very impressive building and gardens for the colonial era. A number of other historical buildings have been moved in to this neighborhood and renovated. New Bern is attracting retirees and visitors so the downtown sports a lovely arts community and a number of restaurants, the drugstore where Pepsi-cola originated, as well as a huge hardware store that is a return to the past. We were delighted to find out that the New Bern Grand Marina was ideally located for observing the 4th of July fireworks display. We stayed longer than expected due to a part being shipped from California by ground rather than the requested express. Cruising keeps trying to teach us to be more patient. Bob used the extra time to buy a ukulele and Karen got in more painting. Watercolors used the “found time” to invite the Coast Guard Auxiliary over for her annual inspection which she passed with flying colors. Although not required, it was recommended to put a fire extinguisher somewhere in the cockpit. Having it within reach of the cabin wasn’t enough. So we moved one to a locker.

As we had made the Beaufort-Norfolk passage twice before we focused on adding some new elements to the trip. Leaving New Bern we went several miles past Oriental to dock at River Dunes Marina. Managed to get diesel, a pump out, and docked before an afternoon shower set in. Setting out early the next morning we followed the Neuse River out into Pamlico Sound to round Maw Point Shoal and then head into the Bay River and subsequently a man made cut that connects to Goose Creek. The skies darkened as we cross the wide Pamlico River but the seas are still flat. A squall from the southeast chased us up the Pungo River with its winds hitting us just as we enter our intended anchorage in Pungo Creek. This was sufficient warning that we went deeper into the creek to get more protection from the waves. Anchored facing into 18 knots of wind and set up the GPS anchor alarm. The mud was pretty soft and the anchor drug a little before it got a proper set that held all night. The next day we continued on the Pungo River to the Alligator-Pungo Canal which leads of course to the Alligator River. Today the afternoon storm hit just as we got out of the Canal. Fog and rain reduced visibility ahead so we slowed and eventually ran back toward the Canal. When it cleared enough we went on to our anchorage in the “tail” part of the Alligator River. The following day we headed up the Alligator and reached Albemarle Sound where the ICW divides into two alternative paths. This time we take the route less traveled which runs through the Great Dismal Swamp. After crossing the Albemarle we proceed up a wide river with the poetic name of Pasquotank. In the Pasquotank we passed the Coast Guard station which is their largest overall base of operations including headquarters for air operations. We stopped for a couple of nights in Elizabeth City which tries very hard to welcome cruisers. From there we wind our way up the narrowing Pasquotank to the Canal itself. We entered the canal at South Mills Lock where we are lifted about 8 feet. The control depth of the canal is six feet. Watercolors draws 5-1/2 feet so we should be able to get through. Did hit something a couple of times, but more likely sunken logs. High trees grow on both sides of the canal and branches overhang the water so these have to be avoided. We stopped overnight at the Dismal Swamp Visitor Center and also visited the (North Carolina) Dismal Swamp State Park. The Dismal Swamp Canal is exited at Deep Creek Lock and the ICW soon reenters the busy commercial and naval ports of Norfolk and Portsmouth. We soon are tying up at the Waterside Marina in downtown Norfolk.

Both the upper Pasquotank and the Dismal Swamp Canal showed off their abundant wild life. Eagles and osprey hunt along the shores, herons stalk their prey at the channel edges, ducks avoid our approach, butterflies and dragonflies visit our boat and turtles sun themselves on fallen trees. The water itself is a dark amber color from the tannin of the fallen vegetation. The trees and undergrowth densely pack the shores. It is easy to see how oppressive a place this would be if on foot in an uncharted wilderness. It is quite a different experience to be able to float through on a boat.

There is a lot of history to the Dismal Swamp and its canals. Originally, the vast wetland area contained about a half million acres. Today the Great Dismal Swamp National Wildlife Refuge and the Dismal Swamp State Park protect 126,000 acres. The swamp was first surveyed in 1728 by Col. William Byrd II and his group who were mapping the Virginia-North Carolina border. They had to fight through the dense undergrowth of the swamp and suffered from the hordes of insects. Byrd may have been the first to give the area its Dismal designation. However, he did acknowledge the potential commercial value of the area when he proposed a canal to link the Chesapeake and Albemarle. In 1763 George Washington headed a company which aspired to develop the Dismal Swamp region by harvesting the timber and draining the land for farming. They purchased 40,000 acres of the Dismal Swamp and they built a different canal for transporting timber. In 1793 other interests started construction on the Dismal Swamp Canal intended for shipping. This canal was not completed until 1805. The slaves that had to hand dig the canal learned a lot about the area. Some of them put this knowledge to use later as the swamp became a hide-out for runaway slaves and part of the underground railway. In spite of various financial setbacks in its 200 plus years, the Dismal Swamp Canal continues in operation today. The virgin timber was logged out by the 1950s and eventually the owning timber company gave the land to the Nature Conservancy which in turn passed it to the Department of the Interior where it remains today as a part of the National Wildlife Refuge System. Although not as well known as the National Parks to most of us, the National Wildlife Refuge System has over 520 units and protects more than 93 million acres throughout all 50 states and many of the US territories.

Saga of the overheated engine

Sat, 30 Jun 2012 20:14:51 -0500

We made the mistake of charging the batteries for an hour without opening the through hull which allows water to cool the engine. We were not on the boat so we are grateful it didn’t do a meltdown.

Then as we were getting ready to leave Charleston Bob checked out and I did some lines, should’ve stuck to what I usually do. Had no trouble backing out and went past the Mega dock and anchorage slowly. Just a little further and the engine alarm came on. I had forgotten to open the engine through hull and it overheated. Waited about 20 minutes; put the genoa out, although there was only 1kt of wind. Finally started the engine and with the water flowing through, it cooled down to 160 where it’s suppose to be. Thought I’d have to replace the impeller.

Flying Cloud from Seattle passed us. We continued on, slowed to let a Coast Guard Cutter go out and a tow with a long line pulling a barge. They went outside as well. We had the Ben Sawyer Swing Bridge to Sullivan Island to open. Did have to wait a few minutes. With high tide we were able to make our anchorage in Whiteside Creek. We circled to find the best place to anchor, a snap. We have light wind to move the bugs along. A large pod of dolphins came in and milled around feeding. Heard a large splash but didn’t see the culprit and it wasn’t a pelican! There was a beautiful sunset. Bob was taking snaps as it was setting; the first snap of the the sun was still pinkish-red, but the following shots showed a white sun. Had a nice breeze to put us to sleep.

Raised anchor at 0616 and were on our way. We had high tides to get us through a lot of low areas. Not as much traffic. Did pass a few boats that were anchored and two came on to Georgetown. Lots of dolphin pods along the way today. We lost the wind data sometime yesterday before anchoring so we were without today. Bob checked the connection so it is working again. Took showers after we got the boat cleaned up. It was good to get two days of suntan lotion and the bedtime bug spray washed off. The exhaust is splattering in the engine compartment.

First day of summer and the days have been very comfortable. We rode the high tide all the way to the Barefoot Marina in Myrtle Beach averaging 6 3/4mph on the ICW miles. This morning started with a fog bank on the east shore. The water was as smooth as glass and brown like coffee from the tannin provided by the native vegetation. I wonder if we went swimming, would we get tanned? The cypress knees were showing, some had new growth around their ankles. Lots of osprey and fuzzy chicks out on the navigational marks; with mothers fussing at us as we get too close. All sizes of fish were jumping out of the water, even Bob saw some good size ones. A few fishing boats were out and then when we got to Myrtle Beach there were a lot of jet skis back and forth between fuel docks!

Went past Osprey Marina at noon but their eating establishment was closed, otherwise it would have been a timely spot for lunch. As it turned out, with the speed of the day we arrived 2 1/2 hours ahead of schedule. There weren’t any waves for us to buck and the current stayed with us all day. Bob has a system for figuring when we’ll arrive, usually he’s on the money, except for today. We pulled into the marina and headed into the current with wind abeam into the dock. Bob handed off the bow line to keep it from blowing the bow off - worked okay. We were welcomed to our space on the face dock by a mama duck and her baby. There were more babies but they think this is the only one left. They were working real hard in the current. We went up to their on-site restaurant, it wasn’t open last fall, and had oyster baskets and listened to a young family of four play calypso music. The wind had picked up considerably after we got in. The exhaust still is spitting from somewhere. Bob is continuing to try and fix the problem. Had to clean out the bilge again.

We were up and underway by 0653; had to request a bridge opening at once and then we had the rock pile to go through. I set the track since it was mid low tide, had depths from 11-16 so it wasn’t too bad. Had more traffic up around Shallotte and Folly (suicide) Inlets. Guess boats were getting a head start on the weekend. Tried to fly the genoa but it wouldn’t hold. The wind picked up when we were docking for fuel. Had a beam wind into the dock and a strong current. We stopped at Southport Marina, a little further up from where we stayed before. This marina is within walking distance of downtown. We took off to explore Southport historic district, stop at Napa marine for fuel filters and look for a convenience store. What we thought was the convenience store looked closed. Stopped in a pet store to get a kitty fix. They had two very little ones who had sharp claws and loud voices. Bob had spotted Fresh Produce across the street so we stopped on the way back, it turned out to be a clothing store. Walked back toward the water and the shops were close together; stopped for a drink at Spikes, then along Bay St. to look for the restaurant, Fishy Fishy Cafe where we wanted to come back to for supper. Got back to the boat to try to find the exhaust leak, used soapy water to clean up and then used it to try to see what was leaking. Think he has found it. It is a crack in the stainless steel exhaust heat riser, rather than the connecting rubber hose we had already replaced in Palm Beach. We cleaned up and went to supper. We’ll be staying another day to see if he can fix the leak.

Apparently the stainless steel heat riser cracked. Bob checked with the marina office for some help, the yard was shut down for today. He called one Captain and he recommended a welder. The welder, Charlie, was going to be around all day (a Saturday) so when Bob could get it to him, he’d look at it. Bob called a taxi and they were all in Wilmington and he had to wait until one came. The tube was a mess and had a very large crack but Charlie worked on it and was able to fix it but it won’t be fixable the next time. So $15 for the taxi, Charlie’s minimum was $45, Bob gave him $60 and Charlie gave him lemonade, cookies, and a ride back to the boat. Bob thought Charlie managed to fix the crack when when most welders would have given up. He would weld some then hammer to locate additional weak spots then weld these. Went through this cycle several times. Total time including rides was 2 1/2 hrs. Bob had checked with the marina to see if we would be able to stay, we could until July 4th then we’d have to move somehow. They were booked. Fortunately, we won’t have to stay that long. The other option, if Charlie couldn’t fix it, was to send the heat riser away, have a new one made to specs and then returned to us. Went down to the Cape Fear Restaurant for supper. While we were there we started to notice several flocks of wood storks going overhead to the wildlife reserve on Battery Island. We’re not sure how many, hundreds, a thousand, a gajillion! They weren’t altogether at the same time; one flock would come and then another a few minutes later; never close enough that they could close the ranks. Quite a site. So, altho the pipe is fixed we need another part that has to be ordered from Catalina Direct and that can’t be done until Monday on Pacific Time. If they can send it overnight and we get it Tuesday, we might be able to leave on Wednesday, we’ll see.

Apparently it rained in the night. Walked to the Local Family Diner for breakfast, ordered the senior breakfast for less than $4. I stopped to get my hair cut on the way back. Bob had to wait until 1130 before he could call for the part. I filled the water tanks and Bob cleaned up the spilled antifreeze.

Tuesday, Bob was busy tracking the boat part, it finally showed up about 1530 and we got right to work. Bob wrapped the pipe and I put aluminum foil, tripled, on the dust shelf under the drawer. He had made it special to fit over the heat riser so there were lots of screws with different purposes. Mostly I held the flashlight while he put everything back in place. We started it up and it was good, 2 1/2 hours later. It was an overcast cool day considering it was 106 degrees in Austin and 80 here.

The wind was quite gusty in the night and it had calmed somewhat by the time we awoke. Nice and sunny. We are waiting for slack tide so we can get up Cape Fear River and through Snow’s Cut. The wind was a little gusty coming out of the north. We were able to get out of our slip without any difficulty. Did encounter a sailboat blown sideways into some boats. One guy yelled at us claiming “we’re professional captains, would you like our card?” Now I don’t feel so bad about our Charleston debacle last fall. We had slack tide and wind up to 20 kts going up Cape Fear River. Tracked Snow’s Cut but it wasn’t too shallow. Lots of fishing boats out. Wind up to 26 kts. We came in the back way to Wrightsville, much deeper channel. Anchored right up near the bridge where Mott and Bank Channels meet. Lots of activity in the area; optimists were racing nearby, lasers were further out and coming in, a couple of sunfish, and a small catamaran sailing crosswise of the channel, jet skis, and water skiing boats with children riding couches and Stand Up Paddle boards. Saw at least four different law enforcement boats out today; suppose they are gearing up for the holiday weekend, it may be busy each weekend bookending the 4th.

We were up at 0515 to catch the 0530 USCG’s Camp Lejeune’s military exercise report for the day and didn’t hear anything. Anchor up before 0600, that’s a first. Was able to request an opening at the bridge before they went hourly. The next bridge was on the half hours only and for some reason we got there too soon and had to ferry glide for 20 minutes, hate that. The USCG’s report came at 0630 but there was a problem with the FL USCG overlapping. Anyway, two bridges down, two to go. We had to wait 40 minutes at Surf City Bridge and 25 minutes at Onslow, way too much waiting time. We need a faster boat. Most of the ICW through Camp Lejeune is a safety zone with flashing lights at both ends if they want you to stay out. We were safe another day although we could see the smoke and hear the booms from nearby activity. Plus, offshore, the USCG was having their own shooting practice. We put up the genoa and made up some time. Had six jet skis come at us, passed us and then stopped, the leader had spotted the dolphins we had just passed. We stopped at a marina in Swansboro and got fuel and docked for the night. This was a fixed dock with the pilings outside the dock itself. The wind at 24 kt was really blowing us in. Did a U-tern to land into the wind but still tricky. Got pulled to the end of the dock after we fueled, but not before taking the rub rail out. There aren’t any cushions on this dock and our fenders fitting in between the pilings was not good. Bob had to rig up the guard or fender board. Walked up to Piggly Wiggly to get much needed fruit, vegetables and juice. We’re tired, it’s been a very long day.

The wind abated in the night but it began to pick up speed. We’re on a face dock, the wind is coming at us 15-20 kts. We just have to go straight out into the channel. Bob unties the lines and we creep forward remembering there is no cushioning on the pilings and I didn’t want to snag poor Ridley. We get to the very last piling and the wind catches the bow and the stern starts to leave the dock. I remember this drill, we’re warping off the dock without being held. I automatically put it into reverse and we back away, circle around and are underway, piece of cake. Bob had yelled something as we began to surround the piling. I asked later if we were missing any bits off the bow and he said we were good. Maybe he was praying!

We headed to Beaufort from Swansboro; went under the bridge and put up the genoa. We motor sailed the Bogue Sound last year at record breaking speeds. This time we were without the engine. Bob had gone into the cabin and discovered water on the floor. Checked the bilge and it was black, so we shut the engine off and he searched while I sailed. We had planned to sail without the motor anyway and this forced us, not a good thing. But fortunately the wind was a good strength (14-17 kt) and direction for sailing in a narrow channel with some changes in direction. We had another bridge coming up and we turned the engine on so we’d have some control going through, good thing as it was a little squirrelly. Bob found the leak under the exhaust box. Turned off the engine and called the marina to see if it would be possible to say longer than our two night reservation, no problem. We had one problem solved. The other was were we going to make it to the marina without calling Boat US. We sailed as close to the marina as we could, then rolled up the sail; called the marina for our slip and had to fight the current, pass a large fishing yacht with husband/wife watching and hoping we wouldn’t hit them. Did have to back up as I was turning and I was afraid the wind and current would push us into the yacht. We glided past and into the slip where two seasoned sailors helped tie us up.

There were two sails out today, one we met going south and the other was behind us. Invictus was single handling his boat, had his on auto pilot and would disappear until he was off course then he’d come back up. He was zig-zagging a lot. The last time we heard about a boat being on unmaned autopilot; it was a motor yacht and they ran up and into the cockpit of a sailboat somewhere on the Chesapeake. The folks on the MV were having lunch somewhere other than the cockpit!

The boat needed a a good wash down which she got. One of the marine guys said Bob could take one of the three courtesy cars and go the a marine store to get some repair items for the exhaust leak. If it works, we’ll continue on to New Bern as planned. If not, we might be ordering anew system of sorts. We’ll see. The good news was the weld held on the heat riser. We just chew one stick of bubble gum at a time. Bob is looking up what parts he might need to order. The marine man suggested getting the parts to have on hand. It’s a wonderful gift of knowledge that Bob is able to do this work himself instead of paying someone else. It is frustrating for him that it takes time to be fixed instead of moving along the ICW.

The days are starting to warm up some. As long as we are near the ocean the sea breeze is cool and refreshing, but once we head inland a bit I’m afraid it’ll be Texas warm. So to keep from overheating the engine AGAIN, we’ve done a couple things, one was to write at the instrument panel “through hull?” ; the other is when I open the through hull, I leave the cover and cushion off. Bob’s going to double check anyway so it’s easy for him to check and then put the cover and cushion back in place. Another idea was to have a hook and hang the key in the engine compartment itself, but we haven’t come to that, the cushion solution seems to be working.

Instead of cereal, we walked down to the Brunswick Cafe for eggs. Enjoyed out leisure breakfast as we watched ferry boats, tour boats, and the fisher boats leave. It is already hot at 80 this morning. Spotted a couple of wild horses over on Carrot Island which is on the other side of the anchorage. Beaufort is at the beginning of the Outer Banks. We came in past the SW end of Shackleford Banks. Spent the rest of the morning taking the heat riser off the exhaust box and then had to pry and cut away the exhaust hose from the exhaust box. It has been maturing for 17 years and more so this last two years. Then we had to figure the rest of the puzzle to get the exhaust box out of the locker. Once we got that out we quit and walked over to Queen Anne’s Revenge for a lunch in cool surroundings.

Bob had a list of things to buy for the repair so made another trip to the ACE marine hardware. Bob wanted the dremel to grind off some of the old seal but we couldn’t find it. Looked everywhere; front port two cuddies, three starboard; went through everything in the aft storage and then he found it in the food cuddy. I had given up some space to put the Ryobi drill/light and the dremel in there so it would be easily accessible! We’re still trying to find the Big Light charger and a couple of his hats!

Bob was able to epoxy fiberglass onto the edge that had a leak. Will let it set overnight. He also wants to repair one of the openings on the top where it’s collapsing. Had to call New Bern to let them know we might not get there until the 3rd. Have to call Monday to make sure one of the staff knows what’s going on. We can stay here at Beaufort Docks for another day or two.

Hot and hazy today. There’ll be a lot of sunburned people today. Bob put epoxy on the collapsed tubing, hope it’s not too much that we can’t get the heat riser to twist on. He worked on the computer and I went shopping, not much luck, not even fudge. I was good. Got back and Bob was working at the rub rail, hoping it would go easily back in place without taking it all the way to the back. It didn’t. The exhaust box was ready to go back in place, just had to remember how we got it out of the locker. There was enough exhaust hose after he cut it away that it would twist on with a hot water treatment and some applied vaseline. The heat riser went on with vaseline as well but easier. So all the screws and hose clamps are on, took most of the afternoon. He was going to check the wires but a severe thunderstorm came in about 1730. We had missed the storm that went through VA. There were several cells coming at us, the wind was a bit rough but we were snug in our slip and no one squeezed in onto us. That was a good thing.

No wind, no rain, just a nice sunny morning at 75 degrees. Sailors and other water people were out accessing the storm damage. Several large wood beams came from somewhere, one of the floats came out from under a dock, and there was a 150’ motor yacht that had gotten caught 26 miles off shore that had come limping in and was drying out their carpet on the top deck. Bob finished up working and checking everything when he discovered water by the exhaust box and we hadn’t even started the engine. It was the galley sink drain fitting which was cracking in two. I had washed dishes last evening and this morning and that had drained down into the engine compartment. So, after pulling the cracked gasket, we get around to testing the engine and all is good. Bob is exhausted and ready for a rest.

We’ll leave the sink for another day and head to New Bern in the morning to be there for July 4th.

Threatened Oceans

Mon, 25 Jun 2012 18:05:09 -0500

It is World Oceans Day, June 8th, 2012. We are sitting at anchor a mile off the ICW in New Teakettle Creek. We are surrounded by tidal marshes covered with grasses for a mile or more in every direction. It is high tide now so the grasses are partially submerged. Cranes walk around casually searching for small crab or other delicacies. Blackbirds sit on the highest stalks of grass and sing their songs. Too remote for cell phone or WIFI coverage. An occasional cruiser or sailboat pass a mile away on the ICW and appear to be floating on a sea of grass. The tidal marshes and other shoreline features are just the borders of the oceans.

The oceans cover 71 percent of the earth’s surface and contain 97% of the world’s water. They are so impressively vast that for centuries it was inconceivable that human activities could have any impact on the oceans. People now realize that this simply is not the case. In a previous entry in this blog called “Something’s Fishy”, we saw that over fishing has resulted in reducing the numbers of top predator fish to only 10% of earlier values. Many of the world’s fisheries either have already collapsed or are threatened by collapse. Steps are being taken in certain areas to practice sustainable fishing but these efforts are far from universal. With the loss of wild fish and increasing demand, fish farming has become important. Whether fish farming is sustainable is highly dependent on the species and the farming techniques being used.

In addition to over fishing, other threats to our oceans include toxic chemical pollution, sedimentation in runoff, oxygen depleted “dead zones” largely due to fertilizer or sewage runoff, wetlands destruction and other coastal environment damage, and accumulation of plastic and other long lived trash. Although these problems are far from being solved there continue to be efforts to mitigate the above environmental factors. Much as with sustainable fisheries, success so far varies widely with location. International agreement has made it illegal to dump any plastics in the oceans so this is one of the more universal efforts to control environmental damage. This is reducing the plastic build up in the oceans. But non-compliance and plastic trash carried from land to sea in run-off are still contributing to the problem.

When your favorite fish doesn’t show up the grocery any more, or when the rivers are so polluted that they catch on fire, it is pretty obvious that there is a problem. Fishermen and biologists will notice when the number of turtle, whales, oysters, shrimp, cod and tuna are way down. When the rivers and bays turn from blue to brown from sedimentation in the run-off or there are plastic bottle and bags floating in the water we can readily see the impact. However, two of the biggest problems facing the oceans are both caused by carbon dioxide that is an odorless, colorless, non-toxic gas. Carbon dioxide (CO2) is a naturally occurring gas in the atmosphere and a critical component in the cycle of life. Plants consume carbon dioxide during photosynthesis and emit oxygen while animals consume oxygen and emit carbon dioxide. So having carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is necessary, but substantial side effects can occur when the concentration of carbon dioxide changes. This can throw nature out of balance. We are all aware of such balancing acts in the natural world, for example, calories in the human diet: too much can lead to obesity and related health issues while too little can result in malnutrition or starvation.

Since the beginning of the industrial age beginning around 1800, the burning of fossil fuels has accelerated the amounts of more carbon dioxide released. This is a continuing upward trend with only moderate steps at mitigation. The industrial age has provided many material advantages. Increased food production, along with medical and public health advances, has allowed for a rapid growth in population from about 1 billion to 7 billion as shown in the graph [1]. At the same time the consumption of fossil fuel energy per person has also increased greatly. This has been estimated to be about a factor of 6 over this time period for western Europeans [2]. Asia is continuing to advance economically which generates a huge growing demand for energy.

Fig. 1. World population as estimated by UN.

What happens to the CO2 released into the atmosphere? Approximately 20% goes into increased plant life, 30% dissolves into the oceans, and 50% remains in the atmosphere. The latter two both have significant environmental impacts on the oceans. The CO2 dissolved in the oceans results in “acidification of the oceans” while the CO2 remaining in the atmosphere is the major green house gas contributing to global warming. The concentration of CO2 in the atmosphere has increased from a pre-industrial level of 280 ppm (parts per million) to 385 ppm in 2008 [3,4]. The rate of annual increase in fossil fuel emissions of CO2 has itself increased from 1% annually in the 1990s to 3.4% annually in the 2000-2008 timeframe. This increase in rate is largely related to economic growth in the third world.

Human caused global warming is leading to more rapid changes in the environment than have occurred in nature for as much as a million years or more. This is having significant consequences for humans and the environment. Global warming is resulting in melting of glaciers on land masses such as Greenland and Antarctica. This and thermal expansion of the ocean water are resulting in rising sea levels. Naturally, rising ocean levels have a greater impact on coastal areas than the deep seas. For example where we anchored in New Teakettle Creek, it is a part of a large area of tidal marshes in northern Florida, Georgia, and Carolina low lands. A few feet rise in the sea level would result in the total submersion of very substantial amounts of tidal lands. This is only one example of many coastal areas in the world. Some island nations would disappear along with huge areas of Bangladesh. Global sea levels have been rising at a rate of 3.4 mm/year over the past 15 years, and if CO2 emissions continue mitigated through the 21st century, global sea levels are projected to rise as much as 1 m (3.3 ft) [4]. In addition global warming is predicted to cause changes in ocean circulation patterns including slowing of the Atlantic circulation of which the Gulf Stream is a part. The slowing of the Atlantic circulation has been projected to cause a more rapid increase in sea levels along the Atlantic coast from Cape Hatteras to Boston. The U.S. Geological Survey has reported that such an accelerated increase in sea levels in this region is being observed. Since 1990 global sea levels have increased about 2 inches but a 4.8 inch increase has been reported in Norfolk VA, a 3.7 inch increase in Philadelphia, and a 2.8 inch increase in New York City. There is a lot of high priced real estate along this coastline.

Increasing ocean temperatures also have significant impact on many species that live in or around the oceans. An ionic example of global warming is melting summer arctic sea ice that is endangering polar bears. The bears need the sea ice in order to hunt seals that are the mainstay of their diets. Nature is complex and some other species of small plants and simple animals are now found to be moving into the arctic summer waters with the warming temperatures. But the polar bears have no place to go. There isn’t a colder ocean further north. People will keep a few bears alive in zoos but wild polar bears could totally disappear. Polar bears are just the “tip of the iceberg” in terms of species endangered by warming ocean temperatures. There are thousands of other species that will be impacted. Another result of warming ocean temperatures is a decrease in dissolved oxygen in seawater that can have a substantial impact on the ocean environment.

Perhaps less known to the public than global warming, is the ‘acidification” of the oceans due to increased dissolved CO2. Actually, seawater is naturally somewhat basic (or alkaline) with a typical pH of about 8 compared to a neutral pH of 7. Just like with soda water, adding more CO2 to the seawater decreases the pH. An average decrease in ocean pH of 0.1 has been observed from the pre-industrial value to 2007. The IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) has projected a further decrease in pH of 0.14 to 0.35 in the 21st Century depending on the CO2 emission scenario being modeled [3]. Negative impacts on ocean flora and fauna can occur with acidification long before the pH reduction is enough to actually make the solution acidic (pH less than 7). Some of the greatest impacts of acidification are expected to be species that depend on calcium to form skeletal structures such as corals, small sea snails, shrimp, lobsters, oysters, and clams. With increasing acidification it can become more difficult or impossible for these species to form their calcium containing shells or other structures. With enough CO2 in the water, shells can begin to dissolve. This is expected to occur in polar regions of the Arctic and Southern Oceans when atmospheric concentration of CO2 reach 450 ppm which could happen as soon as 2030 [4]. Differences exist in the degree of acidification require to impact various species. In part this depends on the chemical form of the calcium deposits. Structures formed from magnesium-calcium carbonate and calcium carbonate are more susceptible than those formed from bicarbonates. Other naturally occurring factors such as temperatures, nutrient supply, and sunlight availability may also be important and are an area of research. One of the more clever studies of acidification impacts on corals involved observations of reefs in a region of naturally occurring CO2 vents [5]. In a Papua New Guinea reef these researchers from Australia, US, and Germany selected locations that were subjected to different amounts of CO2 bubbling from natural vents. The control sites without vents had a pH of 8.1, the moderate CO2 vent sites had a pH down to about 7.8 and the heavily vented sites had a pH of 7.7 or below. The selected sites were all 3 meters deep. Compared to the control site, the moderate vent sites had a reduced numbers of structurally more complex corals but an increase in more massive, less structured corals. The density of juvenile soft corals was greatly reduced. The incidence of calcium carbonate containing algae decreased with decreasing pH. On the other hand, non-calcium carbonate containing algae and sea grasses increased. At the heavily vented sites with pH of 7.7 (corresponding to an atmospheric CO2 level of about 1000 ppm) individual massive corals were found but no reef development was observed. Over all, with increasing CO2 in the seawater there was decreasing diversity of species.

Coral reefs are subject to a number of stressors including warming water temperatures, pollution and over fishing. It is estimated that 19% of the coral reefs have already been lost and that another 35% are at risk. Vernon and co-workers [6] have investigated an interaction between warming of seawater and CO2 levels. They suggest that massive, wide spread coral bleaching occurs when the atmospheric CO2 levels reached about 320 ppm. (Coral bleaching occurs when the symbiotic algae leave the coral animals under stress, and, unless the algae return soon enough, the coral will die.) These massive coral bleaching events occur when water temperatures become high due to a combination of natural cycles and global warming in conjunction with elevated CO2 levels. If these observations continue to hold, then with increasing global temperatures and CO2 concentrations in seawater then many reefs are going to face an uncertain future. Because reefs occur in various locations in the oceans some may be exposed to less elevated temperatures and offer some refuge for corals. However, even though coral reefs occupy only a small fraction of the oceans (about 0.2%), they are thought to contain about one third of the known marine species. In addition to their high ecological value they also have a high economic value.

The oceans face increasing challenges in this century. Finding ways to reduce human caused emissions of carbon dioxide will be a major critical factor in reducing the damage to our oceans.

References and Resources:

[1] UN population estimates:
http://www.un.org/esa/population/publications/sixbillion/sixbilpart1.pdf
http://www.worldometers.info/world-population/

[2] http://www.exergoecology.com/Members/gianpaoloberetta/BerettaIJETM.pdf

[3] Climate Change 2007: Synthesis Report, summary of the Fourth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).
http://www.ipcc.ch/pdf/assessment-report/ar4/syr/ar4_syr.pdf

[4] The Copenhagen Diagnosis: Updating the World on the Latest Climate Science (2009). I. Allison, The University of New South Wales Climate Change Research Center, Sydney, Australia.
http://www.copenhagendiagnosis.com/

[5] K.E. Fabricius, et al., “Losers and winners in coral reefs acclimatized to elevated carbon dioxide concentrations,” Nature Climate Change Vol. 1, pp 165-169 (June 2011).
http://oceanacidification.msi.ucsb.edu/workshops/reading-resources/Fabricius%202011-1.pdf

[6] J.E.N. Vernon, et al., “The coral reef crisis: the critical importance of < 350 ppm CO2,” Marine Pollution Bulletin Vol. 58, pp 1428-1436 (2009).
ftp://soest.hawaii.edu/coastal/Climate%20Articles/coral%20reefs%20350ppm%20Veron%202009.pdf

Doing the Charleston

Tue, 19 Jun 2012 16:09:21 -0500

Two weeks of rainy weather and forecasted thunderstorms greeted us as we worked our way through northern Florida and the Georgia coast. After waiting out several rainy days at Palm Cove Marina at Jacksonville Beach, we sailed under cloud laden skies to Fernandina Beach where we picked up a mooring ball. Transferred 5 gal of diesel from a jerry can to the main tank. Left early the next morning. Crossed Cumberland Sound into Georgia and sailed past Cumberland Island part of which is a National Seashore. Then into St. Andrews Sound which is wide and exposed to the east. We were facing both current and wind in a 2 to 3 ft chop. SOG (speed over ground) was averaging only 2.2. kt and dropped as low as 1.9 kt. Once across, the ICW tucks into the protection of Jekyll Island. Once a very exclusive club for the like of J.P. Morgan and J.D. Rockefeller, it is now a Georgia state park. Lovely place to stop with the old club house and luxury “cottages”, but the tides were perfect (2/3’s and rising) for navigating the shoals north of the Jekyll Island Bridge so we pressed onward. Crossing St. Simons Sound we tied up at Morning Star Marina at Golden Isles on St. Simons. Rain had been threatening all day, but held off until 5 minutes after we reached the fuel dock. Rained a couple of hours before we got enough of a break that the dock attendants wanted to fill our diesel. Also a pump out. We were able to stay at the fuel dock on the face dock for our evening stay. Next morning left with a 60 - 80 % rain forecast but in the end we only had cloudy skies all day. Our course took us past Wolf Island National Wildlife Refuge and Wilderness Area and Blackbeard Island National Wildlife Refuge. This is remote country; there are no bridges to these and some other islands on the Georgia coast. We were able to do quite a bit of motor sailing gybing the genoa through the marsh. The ICW in the Georgia low country is an intensive class in Coastal Navigation. Have to play the tides and currents. Tides can run between 6 to 9 feet depending on location and phase of the moon. ICW uses short sections of human constructed cuts to link together a series a creeks, rivers and sound. As is common with streams in flat terrain, these creeks and rivers meander in a series of S-curves. We ran 10 sets of range marks today. Arrived at our planned anchorage in New Teakettle Creek a little before 2:00 pm. Falling tides made it unwise to proceed further this day. This is an enjoyable anchorage a half mile off the ICW.
Up anchor at 7:15 the next morning and motor sailed our northward course past Sapelo Island, Sapelo Sound, and St. Catherines Island and Sound. Arrived at the dock of some friends where we were to stay overnight. Stayed over another day as the forecast was 90% for thunderstorms. NOAA was right and there was a substantial squall that blew through the next day. Very glad to not be out in that.
The day after the storm waited until a little before noon to time our arrival at the Hell Gate shoals after half tide rising. Passed Ossabaw Island Heritage Preserve, Ossabaw Sound, and Wassaw National Wildlife Refuge and Skidway Island State Park on Skidway Island. After getting through the Skidway Bridge we were hit by a thunderstorm. A lot of rain, some wind and lightening. Survived that to arrive at Morningstar Bahia Bleu Marina in Thunderbolt which is a suburb of Savannah, GA. Added diesel to tank and moved 40’ up the face dock. The next morning did laundry and changed oil, oil filter, diesel filter, and zinc in heat exchanger.
Dictated by tidal timings we left Thunderbolt at noon and traversed the Elba Cut that leads to the ICW crossing of the Savannah River. Currents can be 2 to 4 kt here. Crossing the Savannah River puts us into South Carolina, but this is still coastal low country. Run alongside the coastal island of Dufuskie. Dufuskie historically was an isolated black community. The island is starting to see more resort/vacation type development. There is no bridge to the mainland but there are ferries that run to Hilton Head. Hilton Head, of course, has no lack of development. Previously we had docked at the northern end of Hilton Head where there were lots of sailboats but lacked restaurants and stores. Also had anchored in a creek west of Hilton head. This time we went to the Harbour Town Yacht Basin at the south end of Hilton Head. Several restaurants, tons of stores, and a couple of thousand tourists including lots of kids. The seafood was good and there was live music and entertainment outside. Place was hopping and everyone was having a good time. We really enjoyed the change of pace for an afternoon and evening here but long term, the tourist trap feeling likely would set in. The marina service and facilities were first rate, and it is the only marina we have encountered where the dock hand shows up to catch your lines and then hands you a complementary bottle of wine.
June 15, we leave Harbour Town and head north in the Calibogue Sound. Only 4.4 kt SOG due to an ebb current. At the north end of Hilton Head we pass the Pinckney Island National Wildlife Refuge. Then into Port Royal Sound where we have a fast romp at over 7 kt SOG down the sound under genoa and motor with a favorable current. North on the Beaufort River past Parris Island USMC base. One suspects the marines have a different view of coastal island life from that enjoyed by the tourists on Hilton Head. A minor miracle occurs at Ladies Island Swing Bridge in Beaufort SC. Midday it is only opening on the hour and half hour. Doesn’t look like we will make it. Full steam ahead. At three minutes before the hour we call the bridge on VHF which says they will open the bridge if we can get close enough. At one minute till the bridge calls and says they will open for us if we are at Green 239 mark or closer. We were just exactly abeam of G239 so they opened for us. We never slacked from full throttle and sailed under the bridge as it opened. In the Coosaw River we started motor sailing with the main as the wind was too far forward to carry the geona. Wind and chop are building and we are making good time. But carrying the main into the tricky and shallow Ashepoo-Coosaw Cutoff does not look wise so we douse the main. Make it through the cutoff into the Ashepoo River, then the Fenwick Cut takes us into the South Edisto River. There ahead is something unusual in the water. We get close enough to see that it is the heads of three deer swimming across the river. Had never seen deer swimming before. Just past there we reach our anchorage for the evening near the entrance to Alligator Creek just past mile 510 on the ICW. Set the GPS anchor drift alarm, and leave the depth meter alarm on as well. There is 1 to 2 kts of current here and also good wind. Put out all 90 ft of chain and about 15 ft of rope rode. Quieter sleeping if the chain is off of the anchor roller. The GPS track in the morning shows a complete circle around the anchor position. Up anchor at 6:25 am, and head north on ICW. This early start is planned to have us through a shallow place at good tide height and arrive at the Elliot Cut at slack current. Currents in the Cut can be 2 to 4 knots so it pays to get the timing right, then through the Wappoo Creek Bascule Bridge and under a high fixed bridge to reach the Ashley River. Charleston City Marina lies just across the river and we radio to pick up fuel and then to our slip for three nights. For diesel we have to pull into a face dock between a 100 ft motor yacht and a 75 ft sailboat. This is the Megadock and there are substantially larger yachts elsewhere on the dock. We got in and out without hitting any of the expensive hardware. Then to the same slip as we had at Thanksgiving last year.
The next day is Father’s Day. We attended services at the Circular Church which was founded in 1681 and has been at the same location ever since. Then a seafood lunch on a roof top overlooking Market Street. Later in the afternoon went to a potluck party on the Megadock thrown for some of the cruisers by the people on the 75 footer we avoided hitting the day before. They had completed a circumnavigation. Monday we took the marina shuttle 11:00 run to West Marina and Harris Teeter grocery which are conveniently next door to each other. Back at the boat installed hardware and new line to run the topping lift back to the cockpit. Karen did laundry. So we are ready to head out once again. Charleston is a charming city and one could spend more time here.

Revenge of the Neglected Sailboat

Thu, 7 Jun 2012 09:45:19 -0500

We have been away from the water far longer than planned and Watercolors is definitely letting us know that she feels neglected. Like many a jilted lover she is taking her revenge by misbehaving - in her case by letting critical functions fail. We, on the other hand, are delighted to be back having finally completed an ongoing sequence of doctor’s exams.
When we first arrived back at St. Augustine, Watercolors looked in perfect condition with no signs of distress from pre-season tropical storm Beryl. So we stocked up on groceries and stopped by West Marine for a few items. We took care of some planned repair and upgrade items. Thinks looked great for leaving the next day. Then over a lunch of fried oysters at the local waterfront café we thought maybe it would be a great idea to do a test run of the engine and the navigation electronics. That was when Watercolors sprung her first surprise: the transmission refused to shift from reverse to neutral for the engine test. Digging into this problem revealed that the shift linkage was rusted. Some WD40 plus elbow grease in an impossibly cramped part of the engine compartment freed up the linkage. After this we continued with additional tests and routine maintenance. All was well until we opened up the rudder steering gear to oil the parts. Wow those cables are really loose – they could fall of the pulleys at any time with total loss of steering. So adjusted the cable length until the tension looked respectable.
The next day we head out for our first day’s trip. But Watercolors was not completely happy yet. Turns out that there was a leak in the holding tank system. Arggggg. Arrived at our next marina in Jacksonville Beach. Started digging into locating the leak. You would think with a sewage leak there would be a telltale path away from the guilty party. But of course not, that would be too simple. Finally, after hanging upside down in every under seat compartment and moving most of our belonging, the Y-valve was identified as the culprit. This diverts the output of the holding tank to either (a) the dockside pumpout or (b) an offshore on board pumpout. The outlet port of the offshore side was cracked. Since the valve was in the dockside pumpout position, no leakage would be expected. However, the valve also has some seepage between the two outlets. Fortunately there is a West Marine about a mile away, And they even had a new valve in stock. Spent the entire day fixing the plumbing. The old hose was too stiff to remove and finally had to be cut away. After three trips to West marine for the valve, hose and other supplies and again hanging upside down through a too small hole in a locker, the system was fixed. Of course, I did have to disconnect the fresh water pump to move a hose. This opened up an old “MacIver” repair on that pump, But this time I was ready with a huge assortment of metric and English “O”-rings and that repair was easy.
Following this delay, a front moved in and took up permanent residency over the southern Georgia and northern Florida coast. NOAA was threatening thunderstorms at 50% and above every day, although most of the rain actually came at night. Three days into this soggy state of affairs, Watercolors waited for the biggest downpour to approach and then shut off the air conditioning. Turned out to be a clogged cooling water hose. This is a favorite trick our boat likes to play now and again. Not quite sure how the line gets clogged as there is a strainer at the inlet. Just another one of those mysteries of the sea!
Great Sailing Song and Video
Some friends were chartering a catamaran in Belize, when the skipper asked “Do you want to go to Ranguana?” One of the crew, Joy Luther, turned this into a song which she performs on the video. The photos and visual effects were by Cheryl and Steve Pervier. For a four minute Caribbean vacation click on

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Urwz4wwUZy4&feature=youtu.be

License Plates and Boat Names

Thu, 22 Mar 2012 17:01:36 -0500

A game we often played when we were traveling by car anywhere as youngsters was to see how many states were represented on the cars traveling around us. In those days, the states just had one plate, no choices. We still play that game, however, the vanity plates make it harder to spot the states. So in that vain, we thought it would be fun to jot down some of the boat names we have come across this past year. I guess another part of this would be to record where the boats were from as well although sometimes the port is hard to see when they are underway. Maybe on the next trip.

For documented boats, that is those registered with the US Coast Guard or appropriate authority in their home country, the boat name and hailing port along with their national flag are the external identifiers of that vessel and no registration number is displayed. Non-documented boats have to show their state registration numbers and a boat name is optional.

In choosing a boat name, think how it would sound when someone is calling you on VHF Channel 16. Or if you are making a call. Naming a boat Forgetaboutit might be awkward in hailing situations. Imagine calling “US Coast Guard, US Coast Guard this is Forgetaboutit”.

Feasting along the ICW

Mon, 5 Mar 2012 16:55:38 -0600

Whether you’re driving or sailing along the Gulf coast or the Atlantic coast you’ll find some delicious seafood along the way. We kept a list and will just give you the ones we enjoyed. Although it took us a year to go up and down the coast there was some overlap in the places we stopped; however, 120 restaurants out of 365 days would make my mother proud.

Water Street Oyster Bar Corpus Christi, TX
Harrison’s

Bellini’s Rockport, TX
Hemingway’s
Latitude 28 02’

Waterfront Restaurant Matagorda, TX

Marios Galveston, TX

JoJo’s Morgan City, LA
Rita May’s Kitchen

Dominics Houma, LA

Michaels New Orleans
Bubba Gump’s Shrimp House

Triplett-Day Drug Co. Gulfport, MS
Salute Italian Restaurant
Lorraine’s House

Lulu’s Restaurant Gulf Shores AL

Flipper’s Orange Beach, AL

Flounder’s Pensacola, FL
Darma Blue

Ferrucci Restaurant Panama City, FL
Captain’s Table
Uncle Ernie’s Seafood
St. Andrews Coffee House
Granite & Star Cafe
Hunt’s Oyster Bar
Gracie Raes Bar & Grill

Sweet Magnolia Millville, FL

Dockside Cafe Port St. Joe, FL

We Be Cafe Carrabelle, FL
The Fisherman’s Wife
Carrabelle Junction

Aron’s Pizza Jacksonville, FL

Pablo’s Fernandina, FL
Amelia Island Coffee

Fox’s Pizza Den Brunswick, GA
Daddy Cate’s Coffee

Poor Larry’s Savannah, GA
Tubby’s Tank House

Panninis Cafe Beaufort, SC
Blackstones
Chocolate Tree
Q on the Bay

The Marina Variety Store Charleston, SC
Brent’s on the Broad
Magnolia’s
Noisy Oyster

Morgan Creek Grill Isle of Palms, SC

Portofino’s Georgetown, SC
Thomas Cafe
Buzz’s Roost

Joseph’s Italian Bistro & Chop House Southport, NC

King Neptune’s Wrightsville Beach, NC
Mello Mushroom

Crabby Mike’s Surf City, NC

Ribeyes Beaufort, NC
Brunswick Cafe
Sharpies
The Dock House

Toucan Oriental, NC

Coinjock Marina Restaurant & Lounge Coinjock, NC

Riverwalk Restaurant Yorktown, VA
Riverwalk Grill

Toby’s Deltaville, VA
Cocomo’s
Cafe by the Bay

Robert Morris Inn Oxford, MD
Schooner’s
Latitude 38 Bistro

Pusser’s Restaurant Annapolis, MD
Chick & Ruth’s Delly
Boatyard Bar & Grill
Brios
Metro Silver Diner
Philly & Flash
Osteria
McGrady’s

St Michael’s Crab and Steak House St Michaels, MD
Crab Claw
Ava’s Pizza

Cafe Gia Baltimore, MD
Koopers Tavern
John Stevens

Dockside Restaurant Colonial Beach, VA

Luna Restaurant White Point, VA

Fish Hook Belhaven, NC

Captain Charles Restaurant Swansboro, NC

Sea Jays Jekyll Island, GA
Cafe Soltera
Jekyll Club Hotel

The Galley Jacksonville Beach, FL

Meehan’s Irish Pub St Augustine, FL
Sara’s Crepes
Hurricane Patty
White Lion
The Reef Restaurant
Columbia
Tammy’s Comfort Food
O.C. White
Pizzalley Chianti
Theo’s Restaurant
Nonna’s Italian

Europa Bar Palm Coast, FL

Stavaros Pizza House Daytona Beach, FL

The Little Drugstore New Smyrna, FL

Chops Titusville, FL
Kloibers Cobbler
The Coffee Shop

Ichabod’s Dockside Melbourne, FL
Croissant Chateau Bakery
Bizzarro Famous NY Pizza

Mulligan’s Vero Beach, FL
Kelly’s Irish Pub
Riverside Cafe

Schooners Jupiter, FL

Paris in Town North Palm Beach, FL

Charlie’s Crab Palm Beach, FL

Burger Fi Delray Beach, FL

Las Vegas Cuban Restaurant Ft. Lauderdale, FL
Kelly’s Landing