We are now in a slip at St. Augustine Municipal Marina. We were close to the inlet before daylight, but waited until sunrise to go in. We also waited for an opening of the Bascule Bridge, then stopped at the Marina diesel docks to fill up before pulling into a slip. For the approximately 390 mile trip, we had a variety of weather. Rain, gusty wind, and rock and roll seas started Monday afternoon and continued through most of Tuesday. Part of that time, we made great progress, while at other times, going was slow.
We were looking forward to Wednesday with a forecast of sun and N/NW 10-15 knots; that forecast was perfect. The dolphins enjoyed the day as well, swimming and playing and staying with us for quite a while The sunset was beautiful and was followed by so many stars and later a big moon kept us company. It did not, however, keep us warm. We were not ready for how cold the nights were, regardless if the day had been rainy and cloudy or sunny. As the trip progressed, we had three or four layers of coats, sweatshirts, leggings, and/or pants under our foul-weather gear. We had our enclosure zipped, or the air would have been even colder. We mostly stayed in the cockpit, sleeping (or something like it) or resting when not behind the helm, checking the horizon, chart plotter, and radar. Since we don't have much off-shore experience, our adrenaline remained pretty high and we just didn't sleep much. Larry is grabbing a few Z's, but I'm still a little hyped. That actually might be from the five cups of coffee I had this morning with out delicious omlets at Athena's. Bedtime will come early this evening.
Both of the boats that started with us in Beaufort stopped in Charleston. We knew good weather was coming Wednesday and going into Charleston after dark did not appeal to us, so we continued, as both S/V Slocum and S/V Argonauta plan to do later.
We feel great about our passage. Our 'Real Shake Down Cruise' crossing the Gulf Stream and back was not scary, but it was not pleasant. This trip had a little weather, but was a great experience, plus we had no boat issues and no seasickness. Also, we just are not fans of the Intracoastal Waterway. The short days make it hard to arrive to the next destination on the waterway before dark, the scenery is undoubtedly much better in the fall and spring, we have a 6' draft and the shallow waterway is less than that in so many places, and the wind blows the water out of the Sounds, making more shallow places. We traveled very few days with no wind. Plus, we motored on the ICW; sailing is mostly not a good option.
We'll be here two or three days. Vero Beach is our next stop.
Thursday, January 15, 2009
Monday, January 12, 2009
Leaving Beaufort - January 12, 2009
Beaufort offers much to transients; in fact, quite a few boats winter over here. We've met great people, but we're ready to move on. We have a new batten in our main, a new starter battery, made several other repairs, and adjusted/changed lines. We're ready to go, but we'll be without our new staysail until Florida.
We are buddy boating with Bryn and Scott on Arganauta and Tom on Slocum. Tom will stop in Charleston; we might, but if the weather stays with us and all goes well, we'll keep sailing south. Two boats left yesterday, one stopping at Charleston, the other sailing to Key Biscaine.
So, we say goodbye to this busy little seaport town, all our new friends, the porpoises, pelicans, and wild ponies (on an island across from the waterfront) and hello to more southern waters.
We are buddy boating with Bryn and Scott on Arganauta and Tom on Slocum. Tom will stop in Charleston; we might, but if the weather stays with us and all goes well, we'll keep sailing south. Two boats left yesterday, one stopping at Charleston, the other sailing to Key Biscaine.
So, we say goodbye to this busy little seaport town, all our new friends, the porpoises, pelicans, and wild ponies (on an island across from the waterfront) and hello to more southern waters.
Thursday, January 1, 2009
The Mighty Gulf Stream
"It's been rough and rocky traveling, but I'm finally standing upright on the ground.
After taking several readings, I'm surprised to find my mind is fairly sound."
-Willie Nelson
The four of us could easily relate to those famous song lines as we pulled back into Beaufort, NC at 8:00 a.m., December 31, after 63 hours and 350 miles.
Though the details are a little difficult to sort, here's the tale from our Real Shakedown Cruise:
We set sail on Sunday, December 29, at 3:30 with a good weather forecast (light wind!) and a course for the Grand Bahamas. We sailed southeast, knowing the Gulf Stream would take us north, then we would sail south to the Bahamas. Sunset on our first day was lovely with comfortable seas.
The wind picked up as we entered the Gulf Stream, which pushed us along, adding to our speed. We sailed with a reefed main and a staysail. The sky was clear and with countless stars, it resembled a giant pincushion that could not hold another pin.
Soon, seasickess came aboard. In different degrees, we were all affected. The high winds, rough seas, and waves crashing us from all sides contributed to the Mal de Mer. I was fine until I went below Monday morning to make coffee -which no one touched. I had to hold the kettle on the stove and then hold on to the French Press, so I was below too long and joined Larry, Jim, and Patrick in those uneasy, nauseous feelings.
After dark, with gusts up to 39 knots and rough seas, we furled the staysail. It fouled and we could not make enough wraps to get it all in. With a jackline attached, Larry went up on deck to try to put a wrap on the loose sail, but it was too high up the furler. The wind and rough seas eliminate
d using the bosun's chair, so we could only hope the staysail would be OK. When we were far enough across the Gulf Stream, we turned south.
The saga continues. Electrical problems were the next main event. Late, Monday the beloved auto pilot stopped functioning. We took shifts hand steering, dealing with heavy weather helm, due to the Gulf Stream and high wind. Every hour or so, another instrument would go out. We ran the genset for a while, but it did not seem to be charging the batteries enough to keep us from losing instruments. We turned off all the instruments except the running and steaming lights and started the engine. With a torn staysail that was starting to shred and unable to troubleshoot our electrical problems, we decided Tuesday morning to return to the coast where we were sure we could get the necessary repairs.
The wind stayed with us as we crossed the Gulf Stream going east and rain joined us. We were about the same distance from Wilmington as Beaufort, but with the wind and current, we would make Beaufort a lot faster. With the engine running constantly, the batteries did charge by mid-morning Tuesday and we turned the instruments back on. The wind and the Gulf Stream helped as have a fast trip and we arrived in Beaufort at 8:00 a.m. Wednesday morning.
We do have some minor electrical issues, but we now know, that in addition to our wind generator and solar panels (which didn't have enough sun to be of much help), we have to run our engine more often to ensure our batteries stay charged.
We also need a new starter battery and ignition switch. Last, our Reverse Cycle Air and Heat panel flashes a Lo Power message that indicates we have lost gas in the system. That too, shall be addressed.
We're talking to a sail maker here in Beaufort that may have a used sail that will fit. We're also talking to Mariner Sails in Dallas. Either way, the tell-tales are in good shape and we plan on them being on our next sail.
Our friends, Bryn and Scott, left two days before we did for the same destination. When w
e returned to Beaufort, they were back here too. They had no mechanical or sail issues, but the Gulf Stream just beat them up and did not want them to cross. Their ocean going 35' Young Sun kept them safe, but they do have to self steer, which is exhausting. We were all glad to see each other.
A captain and crew in a catamaran were preparing to leave soon after we left, with a course to Bimini and then St. Martin. They probably flew across, but it couldn't have been comfortable.
I've read that crossing the Gulf Stream takes both strategy and luck. We could have used a bit more of both, but we will surely benefit from the experieces we've had on our Read Shakedown Cruise. Our salty and cranky dockmaster insists that he would rather cross the Gulf Stream here than in Florida. But, for us, we'll be heading down the coast as soon as we have everything ready to go and a decent weather window. The weather forecasts may not be right-on for coastal weather, but they are certainly superior to the ocean forecasts.
From Beaufort, NC, Happy New Year.
After taking several readings, I'm surprised to find my mind is fairly sound."
-Willie Nelson
The four of us could easily relate to those famous song lines as we pulled back into Beaufort, NC at 8:00 a.m., December 31, after 63 hours and 350 miles.
Though the details are a little difficult to sort, here's the tale from our Real Shakedown Cruise:
We set sail on Sunday, December 29, at 3:30 with a good weather forecast (light wind!) and a course for the Grand Bahamas. We sailed southeast, knowing the Gulf Stream would take us north, then we would sail south to the Bahamas. Sunset on our first day was lovely with comfortable seas.
The wind picked up as we entered the Gulf Stream, which pushed us along, adding to our speed. We sailed with a reefed main and a staysail. The sky was clear and with countless stars, it resembled a giant pincushion that could not hold another pin.
Soon, seasickess came aboard. In different degrees, we were all affected. The high winds, rough seas, and waves crashing us from all sides contributed to the Mal de Mer. I was fine until I went below Monday morning to make coffee -which no one touched. I had to hold the kettle on the stove and then hold on to the French Press, so I was below too long and joined Larry, Jim, and Patrick in those uneasy, nauseous feelings.
After dark, with gusts up to 39 knots and rough seas, we furled the staysail. It fouled and we could not make enough wraps to get it all in. With a jackline attached, Larry went up on deck to try to put a wrap on the loose sail, but it was too high up the furler. The wind and rough seas eliminate
d using the bosun's chair, so we could only hope the staysail would be OK. When we were far enough across the Gulf Stream, we turned south.The saga continues. Electrical problems were the next main event. Late, Monday the beloved auto pilot stopped functioning. We took shifts hand steering, dealing with heavy weather helm, due to the Gulf Stream and high wind. Every hour or so, another instrument would go out. We ran the genset for a while, but it did not seem to be charging the batteries enough to keep us from losing instruments. We turned off all the instruments except the running and steaming lights and started the engine. With a torn staysail that was starting to shred and unable to troubleshoot our electrical problems, we decided Tuesday morning to return to the coast where we were sure we could get the necessary repairs.
The wind stayed with us as we crossed the Gulf Stream going east and rain joined us. We were about the same distance from Wilmington as Beaufort, but with the wind and current, we would make Beaufort a lot faster. With the engine running constantly, the batteries did charge by mid-morning Tuesday and we turned the instruments back on. The wind and the Gulf Stream helped as have a fast trip and we arrived in Beaufort at 8:00 a.m. Wednesday morning.
We do have some minor electrical issues, but we now know, that in addition to our wind generator and solar panels (which didn't have enough sun to be of much help), we have to run our engine more often to ensure our batteries stay charged.
We also need a new starter battery and ignition switch. Last, our Reverse Cycle Air and Heat panel flashes a Lo Power message that indicates we have lost gas in the system. That too, shall be addressed.
We're talking to a sail maker here in Beaufort that may have a used sail that will fit. We're also talking to Mariner Sails in Dallas. Either way, the tell-tales are in good shape and we plan on them being on our next sail.
Our friends, Bryn and Scott, left two days before we did for the same destination. When w
e returned to Beaufort, they were back here too. They had no mechanical or sail issues, but the Gulf Stream just beat them up and did not want them to cross. Their ocean going 35' Young Sun kept them safe, but they do have to self steer, which is exhausting. We were all glad to see each other.A captain and crew in a catamaran were preparing to leave soon after we left, with a course to Bimini and then St. Martin. They probably flew across, but it couldn't have been comfortable.
I've read that crossing the Gulf Stream takes both strategy and luck. We could have used a bit more of both, but we will surely benefit from the experieces we've had on our Read Shakedown Cruise. Our salty and cranky dockmaster insists that he would rather cross the Gulf Stream here than in Florida. But, for us, we'll be heading down the coast as soon as we have everything ready to go and a decent weather window. The weather forecasts may not be right-on for coastal weather, but they are certainly superior to the ocean forecasts.
From Beaufort, NC, Happy New Year.
Thursday, December 25, 2008
Merry Christmas
From Beaufort, NC, we wish you
a happy and healthy Holiday Season.And Active
"Christmas, my child, is love in action."
Dale Evans
Tuesday, December 23, 2008
Oriental to Beaufort, NC
We finally left lovely Oriental, NC on Saturday, December 20. After such great hospitality, including a Christmas town parade and party, a party with the WINOS and a Wine Tasting event, we thought we should leave now or just stay permanently.Oriental officially has more boats than people (3 to 1). Slightly less than 900 residents, Oriental boasts a lengthy number of social events and activities. Great restaurants, excellent shopping, art galleries, outdoor excursions -a great
destination. Many of the retirees share their experience of visiting by boat (some by car) and liking the area so much that they decided to retire here.The name of this nautical town is unusual, and the unusual story behind it is fitting. While fishing one day in 1870, Lou Midyette found shelter from a storm at the center of five creeks. He liked the area so much that he and his family settled there and the town of Smith's Creek began. A few years later, Rebecca Midyette, Lou's wife, was visiting a friend in Manteo when she spotted the name board for the USS Oriental, which sunk in a storm off the Outer Banks in 1862. She considered it a great name for her home town, and residents agreed. The town of Oriental was formed in 1899.
Befitting its name, Oriental also has the Oriental Dragon. Each New Year's Eve, the dragon becomes active, leading a parade and appearing at activities throughout the day and evening. Permanently, this beautiful dragon lives in the Duck Pond by the Town Docks.
We enjoyed our time in Oriental, but we needed to resolve several boat issues and prepare the boat to go off shore. Pete, owner of Seacoast Marine Electronics, has our chart plotter functioning properly (well, mostly) and installed Sirius Weather and Radio. Deaton's Boat Yard arrived promptly both times we called them. We really appreciate Joe Valinoti, an experienced sailor and delivery captain, for spending time with us and with Lapidus, sharing his knowledge and skills. He and his wife Paula graciously involved us in Oriental's activities.
Now that we are in Beaufort (Bo-furt), we are taking care of some smaller projects ourselves as well as rearranging items and supplies to make room for two crew members. Seasoned sailors Patrick Gould and Jim Scheer will be joining us as we sail to the Bahamas. Patrick, a retired scientist from the west coast, sailed the Pacific for mnay years and has ocean crossing experience. Jim, retired from R&D in radar and now teaching radar for Georgia Tech, also has extensive sailing experience. We found them through networking in Oriental. They live close by in the New Bern area and we're glad for them to join us. Our plan is to sail off shore as the weather permits. Four of us to share watches and chores will add safety and enjoyment to this adventure. We're looking for a weather window on or soon after December 30.
Beaufort, an historic seaport established in 1722, has its own charm. We'll share more after we have a chance to check it out.
Saturday, December 6, 2008
December 11 - Oriental, NC
On December 5, we stopped for the day at the Atlantic Yacht Basin, MM 12. A diesel mechanic successfully took care of our oil leak before the end of the day.
On Saturday, Decembe
r 6, we had a light day of 38 miles to Coinjock, NC. At our request for an opening at the Centerville Turnpike Swing Bridge, the bridge keeper said to proceed to the bridge, which we did very slowly, probably much too slow for the bridge keeper. She said she would open it when we were closer. As the bridge swung open in our direction, we certainly felt we were way too close.
The other opening we needed was also a swing bridge; this one opens on the hour and half hour. We were happily able to get through behind a power boat, even though the time was six minutes after the hour. This bridge was not intimidating.
The afternoon was chilly but sunny
when we arrived at Midway Marina in Coinjock. We decided to finally christen our boat.
Many thanks to Ronnie, the Dock Master, for taking the pics.
We ended this lovely day with dinner at Crabbies, a favorite stop for cruisers. My grilled grouper with crab and Larry's seafood pasta were both fresh and yummy.
Sunday, December 7
Leaving Coinjock (MM 50) early, we were in the Albemarle Sound, a large body of water that covers 50 miles, by noon and soon we had 27 - 31 knots of wind and rough, confused seas for most of the 14-mile l
ong crossing. The Sound is shallow and a stiff wind makes the conditions worse. We grounded at MM 83, just as we were coming out of the sound and very close to the Alligator River Swing Bridge. The Bridge tender might not have opened the bridge due to the wind, but we didn't find out. Tow Boat US came as quickly as they could; by the time they were able to pull us off, sunset had passed and darkness was close. We docked at Alligator River Marina, just a mile away. We had been concerned about our boat icon on our chart plotter. If the bow is in the channel, the stern seems not to be. After we grounded and the wind blow our bow off the channel, we could tell our stern was definitely out of the channel. Not good. We'll have an electronics person check it out as soon as possible. We also have a problem in our gear linkage; moving from neutral to forward or reverse is becoming more difficult and makes docking difficult.
Monday, December 8
The Alligator River Swing Bridge opened for us and we traveled the narrow but scenic Alligator River-Pungo River Canal and arrived at Dowry Creek Marian a little after two - a much better day.
Tuesday, December 9
We started early for the fifty mile trip to Oriental, NC, but we came in well after dark because we grounded again, partly because of the chart plotter heading not properly functioning, but the wind conditions were 20+ knots, which lowers the water depth in the Bay and Neuse Rivers that we were traveling. We're glad we have unlimited towing with Boat US. We had no costs, but the invoices were over $750 each. Coming in after dark was challenging; the dockmaster at Oriental Marina stayed late to talk us in and help us dock.
Wednesday, the 10th, Eric, a great mechanic repaired our shifting problem. Peter, an electronics expert was here Wednesday afternoon and is here again today. Issue with chart plotter is not solved at this time.
So, hear we are in the quaint little town of Oriental, called the sailing capital of North Carolina. Our friend, Jenny, has told us what a great area this is and we agree. We're staying at least through the weekend, maybe longer, depending on repairs and weather. Oriental's Spirit of Christmas is Friday and Saturday; a few pics will catch some of the friendly faces we've seen.
On Saturday, Decembe
r 6, we had a light day of 38 miles to Coinjock, NC. At our request for an opening at the Centerville Turnpike Swing Bridge, the bridge keeper said to proceed to the bridge, which we did very slowly, probably much too slow for the bridge keeper. She said she would open it when we were closer. As the bridge swung open in our direction, we certainly felt we were way too close.The other opening we needed was also a swing bridge; this one opens on the hour and half hour. We were happily able to get through behind a power boat, even though the time was six minutes after the hour. This bridge was not intimidating.
The afternoon was chilly but sunny
when we arrived at Midway Marina in Coinjock. We decided to finally christen our boat.
Many thanks to Ronnie, the Dock Master, for taking the pics.
We ended this lovely day with dinner at Crabbies, a favorite stop for cruisers. My grilled grouper with crab and Larry's seafood pasta were both fresh and yummy.Sunday, December 7
Leaving Coinjock (MM 50) early, we were in the Albemarle Sound, a large body of water that covers 50 miles, by noon and soon we had 27 - 31 knots of wind and rough, confused seas for most of the 14-mile l
ong crossing. The Sound is shallow and a stiff wind makes the conditions worse. We grounded at MM 83, just as we were coming out of the sound and very close to the Alligator River Swing Bridge. The Bridge tender might not have opened the bridge due to the wind, but we didn't find out. Tow Boat US came as quickly as they could; by the time they were able to pull us off, sunset had passed and darkness was close. We docked at Alligator River Marina, just a mile away. We had been concerned about our boat icon on our chart plotter. If the bow is in the channel, the stern seems not to be. After we grounded and the wind blow our bow off the channel, we could tell our stern was definitely out of the channel. Not good. We'll have an electronics person check it out as soon as possible. We also have a problem in our gear linkage; moving from neutral to forward or reverse is becoming more difficult and makes docking difficult.Monday, December 8
The Alligator River Swing Bridge opened for us and we traveled the narrow but scenic Alligator River-Pungo River Canal and arrived at Dowry Creek Marian a little after two - a much better day.
Tuesday, December 9
We started early for the fifty mile trip to Oriental, NC, but we came in well after dark because we grounded again, partly because of the chart plotter heading not properly functioning, but the wind conditions were 20+ knots, which lowers the water depth in the Bay and Neuse Rivers that we were traveling. We're glad we have unlimited towing with Boat US. We had no costs, but the invoices were over $750 each. Coming in after dark was challenging; the dockmaster at Oriental Marina stayed late to talk us in and help us dock.
Wednesday, the 10th, Eric, a great mechanic repaired our shifting problem. Peter, an electronics expert was here Wednesday afternoon and is here again today. Issue with chart plotter is not solved at this time.
So, hear we are in the quaint little town of Oriental, called the sailing capital of North Carolina. Our friend, Jenny, has told us what a great area this is and we agree. We're staying at least through the weekend, maybe longer, depending on repairs and weather. Oriental's Spirit of Christmas is Friday and Saturday; a few pics will catch some of the friendly faces we've seen.
Friday, December 5, 2008
Bridges & Naval Shipyard
The tugs and the Naval Shipyard are intimidating enough, but add eight bridges and one lock, and uneasiness and awe describe the emotions. We 
were off to a great start, with bridges opened as we came through, until the seventhbridge, the "Steel Bridge" which opens on the hour. We arrived at 9:07 as the bridge was closing; thus, we circled and fought the pushing current until the 10:00 opening. Then we rushed to the Great Bridge Loc
k, which also opens on 
the hour, luckily, it was still open when we arrived around 10:30, so we cleated to the side wall for the short rising to the water and headed toward the Great Bridge Bascule at Mile Marker 12 (we started the day at Mile Marker 0.4). We did have to wait until 11:00 for the opening. The Atlantic Yacht Basin is just past this bridge; we pulled in and docked to have a diesel mechanic check our oil leak. The knowledgeable mechanic at Atlantic Yacht Basin found the problem and several hours later had the issue solved. The Deltavillains Schroeder Boat Yard was supposed to have 
checked and replaced as needed the filters and hoses on the engine, but that was the leaky area. Oh, well. We're good to go Saturday morning. Twelve nautical miles, bridge and lock experience, and a repair that ended well -a pretty good day.
were off to a great start, with bridges opened as we came through, until the seventhbridge, the "Steel Bridge" which opens on the hour. We arrived at 9:07 as the bridge was closing; thus, we circled and fought the pushing current until the 10:00 opening. Then we rushed to the Great Bridge Loc
k, which also opens on 
the hour, luckily, it was still open when we arrived around 10:30, so we cleated to the side wall for the short rising to the water and headed toward the Great Bridge Bascule at Mile Marker 12 (we started the day at Mile Marker 0.4). We did have to wait until 11:00 for the opening. The Atlantic Yacht Basin is just past this bridge; we pulled in and docked to have a diesel mechanic check our oil leak. The knowledgeable mechanic at Atlantic Yacht Basin found the problem and several hours later had the issue solved. The Deltavillains Schroeder Boat Yard was supposed to have 
checked and replaced as needed the filters and hoses on the engine, but that was the leaky area. Oh, well. We're good to go Saturday morning. Twelve nautical miles, bridge and lock experience, and a repair that ended well -a pretty good day.
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