Journey's End--Naples!

Day #34: To cover the 76nm to Naples and arrive during daylight hours we had to weigh anchor at 0420 this morning. Since Bicki's at the helm I'm relegated to foredeck duty. Usually I'm fine with this. Today, not so much. The noseeums had massed, sensing, perhaps, breakfast. Not only do the beasties have big teeth but good memories too; last time we anchored here I was breakfast. While I'd forgotten the chainmail I settled for a long sleeved shirt, jeans, socks, gloves, and a noseeum bridal veil held in place with a ball cap. Hey, don't laugh, this outfit is all the rage among us hehene matadors--¡ole!
There's something magical about being at sea beneath a full canopy of stars. It was hard not to look up even though crab pot watch demanded our full attention. The seas were as calm as only the Gulf of Mexico can be. Just to make things a little more exciting, Mother Nature brewed up a squall, pictured above, and had it race us to the dock. We won.
It took 203 engine hours to cover the 1320nm from Church Creek to Naples, FL. By all accounts a great trip. DBH

Shark River

Day#33: The Hehene Coast is what we euphemistically called the waters off San Blas, Mexico. That was after a friend grew to Michelin Man dimensions from a multitudein of hehene bites. Hehene, you see, is Spanish for noseeum, and by any name, a miserable creature. In fact, that's why I sit here now, in the dark, all windows closed tightly, although the cabin temperature is in the high 80s, and cower in fear. We are in the middle of Florida's Hehene Coast, more popularly known as the Everglades. Tonight's anchorage in the Little Shark River is about as far from civilization as you can get in Florida--40nm from both the Keys and Marco Island. This estuary is a gateway to Florida's Tenthousand Islands. Today's picture is of Bicki exploring the area aboard her 'African Queen'.

It was a nice 39nm run from Long Key to Little Shark River. The east winds pushed us along but created white caps and lumpy seas around Cape Sable. Rounding the Cape put us in the lee and the waters calmed dramatically. It's a birthday of sorts for Nellie, she just went over 5000 hours of being underway, 3000 of that since we've owned her. For this trip there are 1244nm under the keel so far. DBH

Shallow

Day #32: We're cruising in the Keys! The water is 80F, warmer even than the air, and a beautiful green-blue. On a map the Keys look simply like a long chain of islands. But cruising in the area you learn that there's a huge difference between the Keys' Atlantic and Gulf sides. Most notably, how shallow and calm the Gulf side is. That's why we're cruising on the Gulf side. The depth sounder never got above 9' and most of the time it showed 6' or less. This water is too shallow for big boats which is why they transit on the Atlantic side. It's nice to only draw 3'-6".

Today's picture shows Mini-Ne keeping track of our position while worming through the shallows. We dropped the hook off Long Key after a relaxing 54nm run. We're up to 1204nm for the trip.

Moving

Day#31: Our book fair comes to an end after attending three more sessions this morning. Then, with the winds back under 20kts, but not by much, we head Nellie south into Biscayne Bay. Leaving Miami with only 3 hours until civil twilight we still managed to make 20nm before dropping the hook off Elliott Key. Today's picture is sunset in the Keys. We're up to 1150nm on the trip. DBH

Longitude

Day #30: One of the things I enjoy most about cruising is the connection with the past. For example, much of our understanding of the night sky comes from the work of early navigators who were simply trying to figure out where they were. Using the north star they could determine latitude, i.e. their distance north of the equator, with great accuracy. To make landfall in Veracruz, Mexico, a Spaniard sailing from Seville would head south until the north star was 19 degrees above the horizon and then head due west. The only problem with this solution is that the sailor had no idea how close he was to Veracruz--in other words, his longitude remained a mystery. It wasn't until the British, in the 18th century, developed the chronometer (i.e. the watch) that the problem of longitude was solved. Dava Sobel's Longitude is an excellent book which covers this entire topic. It was therefor a great pleasure to hear Dava speak at a session of today's Miami Book fair.

We did a 10nm cocktail cruise of Miami harbor today; sure is a pretty place. Total mileage is 1129nm thus far. DBH

Wind and Rain

Day #29: Knowing there was severe weather coming, last night we dropped the hook in an anchorage known as Marine Stadium. We then settled in and waited for the gale to arrive. Still calm at midnight we gave up and went to bed. This morning it was gray and overcast but Nellie sat in calm waters. It wasn't until we heard a radio report about Miami's on-going gale that it dawned on us how good the anchorage really was. We were being completely sheltered from both wind and waves. Priceless.

So how hard was it blowing and raining? The picture of Ann Howard, Bicki, and Susan Howell was taken while lunching outdoors, but under a large cover. Obviously it was a damp affair.

Three nautical miles today to get into Miamarina in downtown Miami, FL. A total of 1119nm under the keel. DBH

El Dorado!

Day #28: The ICW between Ft. Lauderdale and Miami is like Venice's Grand Canal--without the quaintness, ancient structures and gondolas. Actually it's a very scenic, narrow waterway chock-a-block with houses and condos. We must be in south Florida because for the first time since leaving Maryland the translucent blue-green water is clear enough to see the white sandy bottom.

For Spanish Conquistadors El Dorado was a fabled golden city--while never found, those who looked were sure it was just over the next mountain or around the next river bend. Today we arrived at our El Dorado, aka Miami. Ok, so it may lack the majesty, but hey, by aiming our sights lower, we actually found it!

When we started this trek 28 days ago, the goal was to be in Miami for the book fair that starts tomorrow. Now we're at anchor just 1-1/2nm southeast of the mark. 31nm today and 1116nm total.

Errands

Day #27: Our intentions were good: a quick run to West Marine and then continue the journey south. West Marine is a short bus ride away and we got there two minutes after their doors opened at 9 am. The thing about Ft. Lauderdale is that everything, boat wise, is available here, but maybe not in the first place you check. Sure enough, our broken little paddle wheel, which tells us how fast we're moving through the water, wasn't available at West Marine but they recommended we go visit Electronics Unlimited. This brings up another great thing about Ft. Lauderdale, everything is fairly close together. So, a short walk later we find ourselves talking to Captain Henry, who, after 35 years as a yacht skipper, had swallowed the anchor and found work ashore. During the course of our hour long conversation I asked if he could recommend a cocktail cruise route through Miami. His eyes lit up and then with an efficiency only years of practice can hone he laid out a fun and interesting trip. Oh yea, he found the paddle wheel we needed too. By now the sun was fully on the yardarm and any thoughts of continuing south forgotten. Lunch, a nice walk along the beach, and then just hanging out aboard Nellie did in the rest of the day. We'll move south tomorrow, maybe.

As the picture shows, we're still in the very comfortable mooring field in Las Ollas, Ft. Lauderdale, FL. 0nm today and 1085nm so far. DBH.

OMG

Day #26: In the picture above, see that little 100'+ yacht on the far left? Pity its owner. He's rich--but lives in the land of the really, really rich. Here 200' yachts fill marinas. Welcome to Palm Beach! Mega Yacht marinas and mansions line the ICW from here to Miami. If Disney World and Architectual Digest teamed up, this stretch of water would be the result.

Not 500 yards from the heart of Ft. Lauderdale beach is the Las Olas mooring field. Its 10 moorings are highly coveted and can rarely be found vacant. Well, guess what? Yup, here we sit, surround by palm trees, a warm breeze blowing, and wondering how we got so lucky! 44nm today and 1085nm so far. DBH

Moving

Day #25: This must be what a delivery trip feels like; off at dawn (the picture is the proof) we dropped the hook just north of Palm Beach, FL, at sunset. Just a lot of pointing the nose south today. 69nm today and 1041nm for the trip. DBH

Picnic

Day #24: "The day you buy a boat it begins to sink--how quickly is a matter of the maintenance practices." This, and other words of wisdom, percolated-up at today's Waterway Radio Cruising Club (WRCC) picnic. The members of this club bridge what otherwise are two disparate hobbies: cruising and amateur radio. One thing for sure, they're a fascinating bunch. One couple is on their way to Georgetown, Bahamas, making this their 21st winter cruising there. Rick Muething, who sailed his boat from California to Florida via the Panama Canal, is the developer of Winmor (which enables email via ham radio). Many of the attendees we knew by voice only, it was nice to finally meet them face to face.

Florida, perhaps justifiably so, is the butt of many jokes; a fair proportion focused on its large senior citizen population. For example: 'Florida, God's waiting room.'; or, 'Florida's number one imports? Old people and empty coffins.'; finally, 'You know you're in Florida by its drivers: two hands gripping the wheel; blue hair barely visible above the seat; and driving 35mph in the interstate's left lane--with the turn signal blinking incessantly.'. It was while listening to a local FM radio station today that got me thinking about Florida and its seniors. The station was playing 'easy listening' a euphemism for old folks' music. But it was the music from my youth: ELO, Beatles, Beach Boys, Queen, etc. Oh, oh, ...

We've dropped the hook just north of the Sebastian Inlet. The inlet is about halfway between Melbourne and Vero Beach, FL. 20nm today and 971nm for the journey. DBH

Hamsters

Day #23: After filling the fuel tanks and emptying the holding tank we escape the comforts of Cape Canaveral marina life. Vero Beach was a long 60nm away, doable, but not meant to be.

Ham radio has always been a big part of our cruising life. In Mexico we regularly checked into three morning nets. We'd speak to friends back in the US and keep track of cruising friends as they circumnavigated. Aboard Nellie we have a nice ham shack. One of the radios is interfaced to the shipboard GPS and sends out our position report every three minutes. This same radio supports the ham version of 'texting'. With our high frequency radio we've been checking in with the Waterway Radio Cruising Club (WRCC) almost every day since we left home. In short there's no end to the many different ways to communicate aboard Nellie.

So this afternoon were chugging along and I'm ham-texting with a friend in Melbourne, FL when another friend, Terry, calls me on the VHF radio. Terry is from Western Florida and I was surprised to hear him. Turns out he's here in Melbourne for tomorrow's Waterway Cruising Club's (WRCC) Annual picnic. How serendipitous. We just couldn't pass up an opportunity to finally put faces with the voices we've been hearing for so long on the radio.

It was a short 21nm day that brought us to the anchorage off Eau Gallie, FL, but it puts our total at 952nm under the keel thus far. DBH

New Toy

Day #22: Lots of chores got done today. The most work was getting the toilets new 20' long hose snaked back through the boat. Now with a rebuilt vacuum pump, rebuilt head, and a new hose connecting the two all is right with the world again--at least today ;-)

Today's picture is of the devastation caused by the installation of a new piece of electronics. The Garmins, acting as multifunction displays, cut down on the visible clutter in the wheelhouse, but do nothing to help with the 'behind the scenes' clutter. In fact, because they're so versatile, they make the 'behind the scenes' clutter worse as there's always just one more thing to be digitized. Today's effort was the beginning of getting the Garmins to display engine RPMs, voltage, temperature, oil pressure, and transmission oil pressure. I find that working with sensitive electronics is best done while consuming beer...

Still in the Harbortown Marina Canaveral, FL. 0 miles today and 930nm thus far.

Errands

Day #21: When a car is made available after three weeks cruising, we go shopping. Top of Bicki's list was a new cap for an aching tooth. It took all day but she's good to go now. Bsides the dentist, we visited Noland Engineering. Noland makes the RS11, a circuit card that will allow Nellie to display engine data (rpm, water temp, oil pressure, etc.) on her Garmin displays. The advantage of this is that all nqvigation and engine data are displayed on the same screens. Truth be told you also get 'cool points' for having all the data in one place.

Today's picture is of John Mackie with one of the four iron fuel tanks, removed from his LNVT, which he's repaired. John's been insisting that it's possible to repair the rusting 23+ year old tanks. I have to admit the tanks do look good.

Still in Harbortown Marina Canaveral, FL. 0nm today and 930 total.

Lazy Day

Day # 20: It was nice not be in a hurry this morning. Harbortown Marina, where we'll hole up for the next two days, is only 3 miles away. So, reading and a few chores occupied us fully. When the winds piped up to about 20kts we weighed anchor and moved on.

Marinas are a necessary evil. There we can plug into120v power, get water and do the laundry. It's also a good time for boat projects.

Just down the dock from us is John William, a 37' LNVT, owned by John and Sue Mackie. The Mackie's are always very gracious. This evening they had us over for dinner. The picture above shows John, Sue and Lucy receiving the coveted LNVT Traveling Gull trophy.

At the dock in Harbortown Canaveral Marina, Cape Canaveral, FL. A whooping 3nm today and 930nm total.

Duck Bill

Day #19: What does the term 'duck bill' or 'joker valve' bring to mind? If you're a cruiser you're rolling your eyes and moaning. It's not the function that causes consternation for a duck bill is simply a type of check valve. No, what strikes fear in the heart of cruisers is having to replace them for they operate in the bowels of the head (toilet). A friend, who while an apprentice plumber, was advised to smoke cigars when attending to sewer systems. So, along with my rubber gloves, eye protection, and disposable Tyvek suit, I lit up a stogie. Bicki kept us moving south, the windows open and billowing smoke, while I fought with effluent filled hoses and replaced the duck bills. I'm happy to report that while there may be crossed legs aboard Nellie, it's not now out of necessity.

With the winds expected to continue from the northeast we dropped the hook in the lee of Bennett Causeway, Cocoa, FL. 57nm today and 927nm thus far. DBH

Tomorrow, Tomorrow ...

Day #18: Look closely at the picture, there's a rainbow! It took two days and three nights to show up, but better late than never. With the winds down, the sky brightening, and the engine purring, we continued our trek south. Even the temperatures, which got almost into the 80's, cooperated.

This part of ICW feels like we're on a small, meandering river. The only challenges are staying within the channel markers, which are few and far between, and making sure the mast and antennas are down for the low bridges. Lots of very nice real estate lines the banks.

We dropped the hook in Daytona, FL, after a very relaxing seven hour cruise. 45nm today and 870nm total.

The smoking gun

Day 18: Yesterday's big winds continued until about sunset today. But now, for the first time in two days, I don't feel like I'm in a washing machine. In fact the silence is eerie after all the howling wind and waves slapping the hull.

Despite the weather we dropped the dinghy this morning and motored into town for breakfast. The ride kind of felt like taking our lives in our hands; the waves, wind and current were conspiring to get us wet--if not worse. Nothing beats a big dinghy with a powerful engine.

On Friday's trip from Fernandina Beach to St. Augustine we ran on the last untested fuel tank. A few miles short of St. Augustine we had to bleed the filters of air. This was pretty conclusive evidence that this fuel tank was the source of the engine's hiccups. Today we found the smoking gun--a cracked brass fitting.

Still in St. Augustine's mooring field. 0nm today and 825nm total.

Bell Ringer

Day #17: While being passed by a comparable sized American Tug yesterday, I opened the Dutch door, leaned out, smiled, and waved a jaunty hello. In response a hand, divorced from any semblance of a human body, appeared through a small aperture in their wheelhouse door and waved back. I had to chuckle--it might as well have been a bobble-head hand. The LNVT's Dutch door not only facilitates friendly gestures but definitely gets cool points too.

Nellie's ship's bell is mounted just forward of the starboard Dutch door. Winds over 20 knots can cause it to ring. Today it's performing a solo rendition of Flight of the Bumblebee while Nellie and her mooring ball dance the Jitterbug. Windy? Yea! Sustained winds over 30kts. Other than a 0300 mooring line reposition, today was a down day. Much needed I may add.

In a very windy and rocky mooring field in St Augustine, FL. 0nm today and 825nm total. DBH

O-dark-thirty

Day #16: According to Captain Ron, hero of the eponymous movie, Dawn comes early on a boat. By this I think he means that reveille often precedes sunrise. That was certainly the case today. When the anchor alarm sounded at 0530, I went from sound asleep to standing in the wheel house--and wondering how I got there. The alarm meant that Nellie might be adrift, her anchor dragging. It wouldn't be impossible as a squall, boasting 25kt winds and rain, was upon us. The wind driven waves had riled Nellie and she was fighting her leash like a junkyard dog. While the leash was taught, it hadn't let go, so the hours until dawn were spent on anchor watch. No rest for the weary.

Today's picture doesn't do justice to the conditions, which were foul, but after sunrise Nellie's crew recovered her anchor in Force 6 winds and got underway.

This evening we're happy to be moored just off St. Augustine, FL. 54nm today and a whole 825nm thus far. DBH

Florida!

Day #15: An easy run today. We started in Georgia's remote and isolated 'low country' and are now anchored off Fernandina Beach, FL, a resort community. They've got a great hardware store, which was our first stop once ashore. We picked up some parts to help diagnose the cause of our recent fuel problems. Nellie has actually been running well, but until we find the cause of the 'unpleasantness', we'll keep looking.

Today's picture was taken just after dawn as we left last night's anchorage in Teakettle Creek, GA. Blue sky and calm seas--this is what cruising is all about. 59nm today and 771nm so far. DBH

Georgia on my mind

Day #14: This was a day of cruising dichotomy. We woke to the smell of hot Krispy Kreme donuts, which were delivered, along with the newspaper, right to Nellie's companionway (for you landlubbers that's the front door). Now we're gliding by golden grass coved hammocks without a sign of civilization in sight--not to mention a Krispy Kreme. South of Savannah the ICW becomes more like island cruising than river cruising. One large island after another is all that separates us from the Atlantic. Sounds, the big bodies of water between the islands and open to ocean swell, have names like St. Catherines, Sapelo, Doboy, and Altamaha. The winds are 20kts from the north but Nellie cuts a clean path through the moguls and gives her crew a comfortable ride. The tide here has an 8' swing. At anchor in Teakettle Creek, GA, we get used to hearing the rapidly rushing water. Its lapping sound reassures us that the anchor is holding; in these waters it's silence we fear. 53nm today and 711nm total. DBH

25 cents

Day #13: Nellie's engine ran for six hours without a hiccup today. We suspect that a faulty $.25 o-ring was allowing air into a fuel filter. While never much fun at the time, we always learn a lot from the hiccups along the way.

Today's picture is of Bicki loading groceries. Reprovisioning is one of the necessary evils of cruising. In the Thunderbolt Marina, near Savannah, GA. 37nm today and 658nm total. DBH

90 minutes

Day #12: Underway early, with a purring engine, we looked forward to a 'routine' day. And the engine did purr, for two hours--then it didn't. The routine day? It wasn't. Every hour-and-a-half we dropped the hook, stopped the engine, and removed the air from the three fuel filters (a filter is pictured above). We can look forward to repeating this process until we fix the problem. Hey, there's a motivator! Oh well, cruising has been defined as fixing your boat in new and interesting places. To this saying we can add: and doing so every hour-and-a-half.

We dropped the hook for the evening in Port Royal, SC. Port Royal is just a few miles south of Beaufort. 47nm today, 3 anchorings, and 621nm total. DBH

Nellie gets the hiccups

Day #11: The day dawns clear and brisk. We're especially grateful to have escaped the Chesapeake and yesterday's snow storm. The routine of this cruise is comfortable: up before dawn; check the engine; plot the day's route; and enjoy the first cup of coffee. This routine was shaken-up a little when, right after weighing anchor, Nellie's engine started to hiccup. I hadn't noticed before but my heart rate and Nellie's are in sync. It was apparent today though; as her RPMs fluctuated, so did mine. Lack of fuel, either from a blocked filter or air in the line, is the first suspect in situations like these. Since Nellie was running ok, if not wheezing a little, we headed to Bohicket Marina on St. Johns Island (just south of Kiawah), SC. Once moored the investigation began. Sure enough, there was air in the secondary fuel filter. Changing the filters and priming the system was rewarded with a successful engine test run. Liberty was then announced and the crew, which hadn't been ashore in a week, headed to a pizza parlor. So, today wasn't quite the 'routine' we're accustomed to, but I must admit it was a very pleasurable diversion.

At the dock, Bohicket Marina, St Johns Island, SC. 10nm today and 574nm so far. DBH

Where are we?

Day #10: Just before we first started cruising in 1994 we bought a $1000 sextant and an $800 GPS. It took me weeks to learn to use the sextant. We lived in Utah at the time and I was happy, if after a practice session, it located me anywhere within the surrounding four states. Months went by before I could determine my position as actually being within the borders of Utah. The GPS? Turn it on and read the latitude and longitude--it gave an accurate position within 100 yards. (Henry the Navigator would have killed for a GPS.) Our poor sextant. It was only used once at sea and even then we were hundreds of miles from land where a large position error wouldn't matter. Today GPS' are ubiquitous. The photo above, taken of an iPhone's screen, not only shows Nellie's position but also the houses that are for sale around her. Nope, no way a sextant can do that. Good riddance.

Update: our sextant is mounted on a walnut plaque and hangs in a prominent place in the house. That first GPS? It was relegated, long ago, to the silicone junk heap in the sky.

Irony aside, thanks to our GPS we know we anchored in Toogoodoo Creek, SC, which is 22nm south of Charleston. 67nm today and 563nm into the trip. DBH

Time and tide ...

Day #9: Today, for the first time on this trip, there was no big water to cross. The ICW is a fairly narrow canal as it winds through Myrtle Beach, SC. Then, on the approach to Georgetown, SC, it's a good sized river. Finally it becomes one canal among many that crisscross the tidal grasslands north of Charleston, SC. The tidal range, which is 2' in Maryland has grown to 6' here in South Carolina. When large tidal swings are coupled with narrow waterways, big currents can result. The effect on Nellie is pretty dramatic. Without current she cruises at 7 kts. With today's currents we saw ground speeds anywhere from 4 kts to 9.5 kts. To put all this in perspective, it takes almost 2.5 times longer, and costs 2.5 times more in fuel, to get somewhere at 4 vs. 9.5 kts. Getting there faster and cheaper, that's why the crew is always happy to be carried along by a favorable current. (Truth be known, it might not be so much the expedited arrival as an earlier happy hour that thrills the crew.) Since cruising on the ICW is dictated more by daylight hours than tides, it's always a joy when the two line up. Today's photograph was taken when Nellie, aka Speed Racer, hit 9.5 kts.

At anchor in the South Santee River, 37 miles NE of Charleston, SC. 68nm today and 496nm thus far.

Eye of the beholder

Day #8: We've been traveling in lockstep with a beautiful Trumpy by the name of Hummingbird. For those not familiar, Trumpy is to yachts what Rolls Royce is to cars--the epitome of class and style. Of the 400+ Trumpys built, fewer than 90 exist today. This morning Hummingbird was cruising just behind us when a third boat, Feeling Free, radioed to say they'd be passing us both. In mid pass Feeling Free radioed again to say they were going to take some pictures. Sure, I thought, Hummingbird is indeed a beautiful boat. Imagine my surprise then when Feeling Free pulls next to Nellie and starts snapping away. Oh yea, life's too short to own an ugly boat!

Thank you to Scott Akerman, of Blue Water Sailing magazine, for emailing us the photos he took from Feeling Free. One of which appears at the top of this posting.

At anchor 12 miles east of Myrtle Beach, SC. 51nm today and 427nm so far.

Weather on my mind

Day #7: Since departing Maryland the weather has been nothing short of perfect. The barometer has been steady and the winds fair. And, since departing Maryland, I've done nothing but worry about the weather. Specifically, when will it change. It's ironic in the midst of a seven day winning streak that all I'd think about is rolling snake-eyes. I've got a feeling I'm not alone among mariners for being caught out is a 'significant emotional event'. So much so that there's a saying aboard Nellie: "I'd rather be on the beach wishing I was out cruising, than be out cruising and wishing I was on the beach." So, with all this in mind, tomorrow we tackle the Cape Fear River knowing the barometer has started dropping. Anyone want to blow on these dice?

Today's picture was taken just after dawn on Adams Creek Canal about 10 miles west of Beaufort, NC. The fog was thick enough at times that we were navigating on instruments alone.

At anchor in Wrightsville Beach, NC. 84nm today and 376nm to date. DBH

There is an App for that

Day #6: The vast expanses of the ICW, which can hold millions of boats without their crews feeling cramped, is in stark contrast to its many narrow channels. In the tightest confines there's often barely enough room for two boats abreast. Proximity like this causes lots of problems and problems like these are fertile ground for the innovative mariner ;-) Case in point, why is it that cars have rearview mirrors but boats don't? Boats could use the mirrors because it's common courtesy to make room when being overtaken. Ok, so how do you put rearview mirrors on a boat without losing cool points? Or better yet, get rearview capability using only those things you have aboard. Apple to the rescue. The iPad in the above picture doubles as a rearview mirror by displaying what an iTouch, duct taped to Nellie's stern, sees! Now if we can only find some way to safely steer the boat while we play with all the toys ...

At anchor 10 miles west of Beaufort, NC. 66nm today and 292nm to date. DBH

Baby it is dark outside!

Day #5: The weather is perfect and there's big water ahead. That's why we've decided to press on well after dark. The photo is pretty accurate as to what we can see. There's no moon so our searchlight, which is focused 100 yards in front of the bow, is our only light. The birds and bugs swirl and dive though the light as though performing for an audience. We can see those darn, green-pooping, midges congregating by the thousands on the bulwarks. Clean-up duty will be arduous tomorrow. There aren't many channel markers in Albermarle Sound so mostly we're hoping to spot crab pots. Our ETA at the Pongo/Alligator River canal is midnight. There we'll drop the hook. We'll be sure to lock all the doors too for it was at this spot, in May, we saw a black bear swimming across the canal.

Our watch schedule after dark is half an hour on and half an hour off. Staring at the limited, illuminated, area ahead, all the while scanning the chart-plotter and instruments, gets tiring. We are, however, rewarded with an incredible view of the stars.

Underway on Albermarle Sound, NC. 67nm so far today and 211nm on the trip. DBH

Old friends

Day #4: The dead calm last night made for great sleeping on the hook. Sunrise came with a stiff breeze. Underway at first light we were amazed to find ourselves in the midst of 11 other cruising boats. We've never been part of the annual migration of cruisers seeking warmer climes--until now.

Norfolk always has a busy waterfront and today was no exception. We danced with loaded tugs, armed navy guard boats, two 1000' cargo ships, and hundreds of littler boats. All the while it felt like we were racing the other cruisers for the limited number of free slips in downtown Portsmouth. Free slips, you see, are like honey to a cruiser. As luck would have it we managed to snag the last available slip.

Returning late to Nellie after dinner at the Bier Garden and a movie at the Commodore, yea, this cruising life is pure hell, we hear our names being called. We'd first met Dave and Nancy Poorvu in 2009 when weather pinned us all down on Grand Bahama Island. Now here Dave was with his crew-mate Billy. They'd departed Ocean City, MD this morning and had just arrived. As luck would have it they spotted Nellie while out on a walk. The picture shows Billy on the left and Dave on the right.

At Portsmouth's northern basin dock. 51nm today and 137nm to date. DBH

A classic plastic boat?

Dawn may come early on a boat but it's not like we noticed. Can't imagine why but Nellie's crew was tired. Rising well after sunrise we topped off the water tanks and began, in earnest, the journey south. The winds, which delayed our departure for three days, had allegedly blown themselves out. Well, almost blown themselves out. We found 20kts on the Bay and a bit of a chop. No problem though as it fell on the stern quarter. After arriving at our Gwynn Island, VA anchorage, we were approached by a classic, gaff-rigged, Hoopers Island sharpie. At the helm was Eric Hedberg. Eric is a wooden boat builder of the old school, but while admiring his beautiful craft he told me he'd made it of PVC. Plastic--no way! He explained that since PVC comes in boards, fabrication isn't all that much different than working with wood. Adhesives like Plexus and epoxy hold everything together. For paint, he used Rust-Oleum. Since the PVC expands much more than wood he'd had problems with buckling metal rub strakes. With PVC Eric can build a 'traditional' boat which doesn't suffer from traditional wooden boat problems. Eric's sharpie is six years old and looks brand new. See some pictures at: http://www.rionholdt.com/Hooper%20Island%20Sharpie.html

At anchor on the west side of Gwynn's Island, VA. 57nm today and 84nm total. DBH

The gale diminishes

Day #2: Fifty percent of the distance covered today was from where Nellie sat on the hard to the water. The tyranny of the yard is over thanks to the completion of the last two jobs, i.e. new bottom paint and a repacked rudder gland. After splashing, Nellie moved a whole 100 yards more. She could have gone farther but her crew is tired. So, this evening will be spent in the comfort of a slip with electricity. Our planned departure was delayed a few days by a gale but all looks good for tomorrow. Miami, here we come. At P. L. Jones' Boat Yard, Hoppers Island, MD. 200 yards today and 25 nm total. DBH

Underway ... sort of.

Day #1: Our journey to Miami begins with a short sea trial of the new fuel tanks and exhaust hose. The 4.5 hour trip to Hoopers Island was easy and enjoyable as all systems operated nominally. Nellie's now on the hard to have her bottom painted and the rudder packing gland renewed. The trip to Miami will continue again in a few weeks. DBH

Midges!

On day #24 of Nellie's trip north we cross paths with Joe and Punk of Carolyn Ann. Discussing that night's possible anchorages on the VHF Joe mentions a new one to us just on the NE side of the Alligator River bridge. Turns out this is a big, well protected spot in an area not otherwise known for shelter. After anchoring there we dinghied over and had cocktails on Carolyn Ann. The first sign of trouble appeared as we got back into the dinghy. Midges, which look like mosquitoes but don't bite, were everywhere. I'm not talking just a few either. Nellie's otherwise white surfaces were now black and undulating. Clouds of the critters encapsulated us too. We couldn't get below decks fast enough. Unfortunately the best was yet to come. That many little bugs can cumulatively leave a big 'calling card'. Dawn revealed bright green fly-specs--everywhere. It took hours to get the staining stuff off. Lesson learned, if you hear there may be a slight midge problem in an anchorage, steer well clear of it. DBH

A quiet morning

31 May 2011. Anchoring south of Savannah has always proved troublesome. But as the picture shows we've found a nice spot 1nm from ICW up the Vernon River. The tidal range here is 8' so even on a windless night there's a worry about the anchor's ability to withstand the strong currents. The advantage of this spot is the river's width. The wider the river the slower the tidal currents. DBH

Jekyll Island Club

29 May 2011. Before continuing the trek north this morning we dinghied ashore and walked to the Jekyll Island Club. Once the exclusive domain of J.P. Morgan, Goodyear and the likes, this beautiful 250 acre complex is now a resort. It was at the Club in 1910 that a meeting between the US government and private bankers led to the formation of the Federal Reserve. During our visit we were satisfied simply by a nice walk and breakfast. DBH

Sixth time is the charm

27 May 2011--When we anchored behind Jekyll Island a few years ago the Babeth anchor held fine. Our new Danforth specializes in mud and sand. But apparently not in soft mud. As the picture below shows it took determination and six tries to get the hook to hold. 28nm today and 340nm total. DBH

St. Augustine

A nice 60nm cruise from New Smyrna to St. Augustine, FL yesterday. There's a big new mooring field in town. As the picture shows, proximity the the historic sites is good. DBH

New Bomar Hatch Handle

Thanks to John Mackie Nellie now has matching hatch handles. This is the old-style hatch handle. The new ones, made of stainless steel rod, are stronger but to my eye not as appealing.

Getting Ready

Nellie will be a new girl after these past few weeks of upgrades: new turbocharger; salon and stateroom cushions; air conditioning (well, portable units, but still ...); dodger; and as the picture shows some fun beach umbrellas.  We hope to leave Ft Lauderdale and and head towards the Keys on Tuesday.  As soon as a weather window opens up for the crossing we'll be Exumas bound.