Journey's End

Day #70:  Today starts much like every other day for the last two months but ends like none other.  Up at dawn; confirm  Nellie hasn't dragged; turn off the anchor light; check the engine; check the weather forecast.  NOAA has some bad news: tomorrow there will be small craft advisories on the Bay.  While we planned to stay one more night in Solomons, today we'll head home.  Knock Off is 50' away slumbering regally in Mill Creek's calm and placid waters.  There's a simple joy to be had in idyllic conditions like these.  Funny, how tightly coupled weather and happiness are while living afloat.  

Cruising up and across the Bay is uneventful.  Entering the Little Choptank, the beginning of our home waters, everything looks at once familiar and unfamiliar. It's been two years since we plied these thin waters. In an unusual bow to conservatism we stay mostly within the channel markers.  Welcoming us home are Nick and Tammy Lyons. They've been following Nellie's breadcrumb trail on the internet and so know exactly when to come down to the dock.  At 3:39 pm we shutdown the engine marking the official conclusion to Nellie's 2013 Key West to the Chesapeake cruise.

Cruising, at least as far as destinations are concerned, is all about making it up as you go along.  The weather is the elephant in the room and there's little choice but to comply with its dictates.  That's how we found ourselves in Key West rather than the Bahamas.  Our biggest surprise was how much we enjoyed Miami Beach.  No surprise at all is how much we enjoyed the people we met along the way.  Cruising has been defined as fixing your boat in new and exotic locations--we had a bit of that too.

It was 28nm between Solomons Island, MD and Church Creek, MD today.  For this journey we put 264 hours on Nellie's engine while covering 1658nm.  DBH. 

Washing Machine Seas

Day #69: The mouth of the Potomac is infamously rough. It's a huge body of water with rapid currents that gush into the Chesapeake at an oblique, southeasterly angle. Add some wind into the mix and you have a cocktail guaranteed to displease. Washing machine rough it's called. The term strikes fear because there is no comfortable heading and no bailout. All you can do is hold on and hope to get through quickly. We think about these things as we enter the Potmac from the shelter of the St. Mary's River. We turn southeast exposing our beam to the waves; waves being fed by the large fetch between us and the windward shore. Tacking slightly puts the waves forward and eases Nellie's motion. So far, so good, but the really rough stuff, if there is any, lies an hour ahead. Worry, it's said, is a down payment on a bill that may not come due. And so it was today. When we hit the confused seas they were comfortably small.

Today's destination is Solomons Island, a boater's paradise on the Patuxent River. Here there are lots of marinas, lots of anchorages, and lots of restaurants. John and Jeanne Niccolls, who own a Victory Tug named Knock Off (#66), drop the hook next to us in Mill Creek. They ply us with food and liquor figuring our stores would be low after a 10 week cruise. Seeing no advantage whatsoever in disabusing them of this fallacy, we keep quiet.

It was 39nm from St Inigoes, MD to Solomons Island, MD. Our total is now 1630nm.

Impromptu Rendezvous

Day #68:  We woke early to get underway but learned there were small craft warnings on the Bay until 7am.  Nellie may not be a small craft but her crew treats her as such, selfishly, for their their own comfort. At the 8am, surprised to find the reported winds down to 10kts, the timid crew shoved off.

One of the ways that 24/7 Internet access is changing cruising is by the wealth of weather information available.  In the old days we listened to NOAA weather on the marine VHF.  Usually only three or four NOAA stations were within range and so we'd learn the forecasts and current conditions for the surrounding area.  The Internet doesn't suffer from radio signal range limits.  If we can get the surrounding weather on the Internet, we can get the whole world's weather.  The screen shot below shows wind direction.  Tap on any wind arrow and instantly get the current conditions and a 5-day forecast for that area.  

We got a sleigh ride down the Rappahannock as the ebb raised our speed to almost 9kts. In the Bay we were pleasantly surprised by the settled conditions. We even managed to catch the beginning of the Potomac's flood tide. Not bad for minimal planning! Bob Allnutt, Victory #2, is always a congenial host. We arrive at his dock to find two Victory Tugs tied up: Bob's and Titan #31. Titan is on a respite from her continuing cruise from Portland, ME, to her new home in Edenton, NC. At dinner Bob serves up Maryland crab cakes. Hard to believe it's almost July and these are our first for the year--Maryland may disown us. The trip from Urbana, VA, to St. Inigoes Creek, MD, was 56 smooth nautical miles. We now have 1591nm under the keel. DBH.

Up the Rappahannock--Without a Paddle

Day #67: There's nothing quite like being on the hook, up a still river, at dawn. To paraphrase Thomas Paine, these are the times that quiet our souls.

No doubt about it, we're back in the Chesapeke. How can we tell? The anchor chain was but a mud sausage completely encapsulated in grey, sticky ooze. Cleaning it all off slows weighing anchor but gives you more time to contemplate the beautiful surroundings--so says the Chamber of Commerce ;-)

Rounding New Point Comfort we see that the 15kt SW winds have stirred up the Chesapeake. Closely packed 3' waves break and froth all around us. It's good to be running with them. We watch and feel pity for the crews hobby horsing their way south. Several day sailors poke their noses into the Bay, think better if it, and then quickly reverse course towards their protected tributaries. Entering the Rappahannock the seas calm. While the river is wide there isn't enough fetch for the wind to stir things up.

Our destination is Urbana, VA, home of Mary Ann and Ed McChain and their Victory Tug Thistle #47. I've got a soft spot in my heart for Thistle. It was a ride aboard her eight years ago, when she was named Yellow Rose, that convinced us to buy Nellie. Mary Ann and Ed, the subjects in today's picture, are long time sailors that 18 months ago made the 'geriatric jump' to a tug. This spring they returned home from an ICW cruise to Florida; very nearly the same trip we're just completing. Naturally there's a lot in common to discuss.

While Urbana is only 18nm, as the crow flies, from our East River anchorage, it's 43nm by water--no wonder air travel is winning out... Our total is now 1535nm. DBH.

Saved by the Storm

Day #66: Into the Chesapeake with following seas, fair winds, and a rising tide. The siren call of home is getting louder.

Today's 90F temperatures weren't so bad while cruising on the Bay but certainly made things miserable after we dropped the hook. The engine exacerbates matters by continuing to radiate heat even well after it's shut down. Bicki and I assumed our low energy state positions, our fans on high, until a passing storm cooled things down. Never though I'd be so happy to see 20kt winds and rain while at anchor.

It was 39nm today from Portsmouth, VA to our anchorage up Mobjack Bay's East River, which is also in VA. Our total is now 1492nm. DBH

ICW Mile Marker Zero

Day #65: We're off the Elizabeth City dock at 0520hrs. Ahead is 18nm before the first of the Dismal Swamp's two locks. Miss the 0830hrs lock opening and the Army Corps gives you three hours to contemplate your navel. And so it went all day--travel a bunch of miles, arrive before a set time or pay a time tax. Most cruisers take several days for this leg, but timed right it can be done in one. We were the only boat up-locked at South Mills which meant we'd have the 20nm long, narrow, shallow, log infested, tree lined canal to ourselves. That is until we crossed paths with any south bound cruisers who had locked-up in Deep Creek. Clearly the Dismal Swamp wasn't named by a real estate developer. Perhaps it was named by those that hand-dug the canal or more likely by the scheme's investors. In fact the length of the canal is very pretty. Occasionally the dense picket fence of hardwoods lining the canal part, giving a glimpse of fertile farm fields or small, grassy meadows.

Approaching the northern terminus of the Swamp we're hailed on the VHF by a sailboat. She's moored in the only available spot and invites us to raft up. There's about an hour wait to lock-down and so we're grateful for the offer. Thus we meet Bliz: a father, waterman, tool and die maker, engineer and published author. If any of his characters are as expansive as he is, his books are certain best sellers.

From the quiet, peaceful cocoon that is the Dismal Swamp, you're dumped, without adequate decompression and little warning into the navigational pressure cooker that is Norfolk. We love it. The tugs and tows, the Navy ships everywhere, the noise and lights of a large metropolis. It's like eye candy. Today's picture shows Nellie safely ensconced at the end of Water Street in the heart of Portsmouth, Va. Yet another free dock. The ketch ahead of us is the Do Littles. Wally and Lori are just returning from an eight year trek to Europe. They did the Grand Tour cruiser style: about every canal in Europe including three winters in Paris. They said their mast was unstepped for so long that coming back across the Atlantic was like learning to sail for the first time. They're heading back home to the north end of Lake Huron and pondering what to do next.

It was a very regimented, but enjoyable, 43nm from Elizabeth City, NC to Portsmouth, VA. This is the ICW's mile marker 0 and the beginning of the Chesapeake Bay. It only took 1453nm to get here. DBH.

Harbor of Hospitality

Day #64: We were underway by 6am this morning with the hope of clearing Arbemarle Sound before the afternoon winds piped up. The Sound is big and shallow, not a place to be in a blow. For the most part the strategy worked. The winds did build but were astern and merely pushed us along. Surfing down the little waves Nellie would accelerate from her cruising speed of 7.2 knots to just under 8.6 knots. All in all a comfortable ride.

Elizabeth City, NC advertises itself as the 'The Harbor of Hospitality'. It's hard to disagree. Not only are the docks free but so are the wine and cheese parties held in the crews' honor. Today's picture shows Nellie over the rose bushes that were once the source of the flowers given to every visiting yachtswoman. While walking through town this afternoon a car pulled over to us and its driver asked if we were off a yacht. After confirming we were he asked if there was anything we needed or anywhere he could take us. That's southern hospitality Elizabeth City style.

The littoral is a small. We're reminded of that every time we cross wakes with cruisers we've met before. In the harbor tonight is Ibis who we met last month in Vero Beach, FL and Carolyn Ann who we haven't seen for two years. Such is cruising, we float in and out of each other's lives.

It was a fast 46nm cruise to Elizabeth City today and that ups our total to 1410nm. DBH

Great Friends, Great Food

Day #63: Edenton, NC, a very pretty antebellum town, is the new home of the LNVT Titan #31, Key Stage and Clara Mincey. They are currently refurbishing the William M. Bond house which was originally built in 1893. It was fun sharing stories as they've just finished a cruise from Portland, ME to St. Mary's, MD. It doesn't hurt that Key is a great cook too. We 'suffered' through his new recipes for fried chicken, breaded shrimp, potato salad, and rum cake. After sampling his fare we graciously offered to be guinea pigs for anything else he wanted to whip up ;-)

0nm today and holding at 1364nm for the trip. DBH

Dichotomy

Day #62: Today's cruise started in the narrow confines of the Pungo-Alligator River Canal. It felt like Nellie was a cannonball rolling slowly, but unstoppably down a 20nm long barrel. The Canal shot us into the much larger confines of the Alligator River. As we hoped the winds were down and so this sometimes quarrelsome patch of water was peaceful. At the northern end of the Alligator River is the east-west oriented Arbemarle Sound. It's huge. In the ICW we're mostly a riverboat--there are two banks and our job is to stay between them. In the Sound Nellie was going to sea. There was nothing but water ahead and the only visible land receded behind us. We laughed as we paraphrased Yogi Berra, 'When you get to the ocean, take it.' We headed west in the Albemarle and it does taper down. It took awhile but the north bank eventually revealed itself. And this is where Edenton, NC, our stop for the night is.

The straight line distance between Belhaven and Edenton is 30nm; by boat it's 84nm. And 84nm is a new one day record for this trip. Knowing it was going to be a long day we cruised at 1800 rpm, 200 higher than normal. Our expected 7.2 knot speed was boosted by constantly favorable currents to 7.4 knots. As luck would have it the tide carried us out of the Alligator River and then we rode the flood into the Albemarle. Wish I could say we planned that. The total mileage for this trip is now 1364nm. DBH.

Bees to Honey--Deux

Day #61: It was a little bumpy going up the Neuse today. Yahoo weather I've heard it called. The bow goes down, the wave goes up, ride 'em cowboy; yahoo! As forecast, the NE winds are laying down now. Our trip up the Alligator River and into the Albermarle Sound tomorrow should be smooth.

We're at the Belhaven, NC, free dock tonight. It's brand new and has both water and electric--all for free. If I sound amazed, I am. We've paid $100 at some marinas and gotten less. Just like in Oriental, people came by all afternoon to see Nellie. One gentleman said "I love your boat. I'd trade my house for it." Andy Fisher, a local advocate for the free dock, stopped by too. He told me that Belhaven hopes to attract more ICW cruisers. Andy himself moved here after first passing through Belhaven on his 32' Nordic Tug.

We made 40nm to the good today. Our total is now 1280nm. DBH

Like Bees to Honey

Day #60: My head is spinning. There was a continuous parade of folks on the dock today to see Nellie. Most would shyly walk by, wave, say hello, and then comment on how much they liked Her. A few marched right up to the Dutch door and started a conversation. One was a retired Moran tug boat captain that now works with the St. Michaels, MD, and Beaufort, NC, maritime museums. Another had just traveled the country looking to buy an LNVT but instead got a great deal on a one-off, LNVT look alike. The most memorable though was a young couple we first chatted with on the dock and then ran into at the grocery store. Seeing us laden with milk, half a case of beer, and several bags of groceries, they offered us a ride back to Nellie. Back aboard we gave them a tour and they told us a little about their lives--with elephants! He started the Elephant Sanctuary in Tennessee (Elephant.com) while she was a med tech there. Differences with the Board motivated them to move on last year. He's now a sailmaker and she is a vet's assistant. They aren't out of the elephant business though. They've been advising Brazil on how to replicate the Tennessee elephant sanctuary and will be traveling there later this summer. I just have to laugh at the diversity of the people we meet because of Nellie and am in fact grateful to her for making the introductions.

It looks like sometime this weekend the winds should shift to the south and we'll be able to comfortably head north. Until then we'll just keep enjoying the southern hospitality. Still at the Oriental, NC, free dock with 1240nm behind us. DBH

Anchor Watch

Day #58:  I can't help but be happy for the weather forecasters as their prediction of lots of rain and wind last night was spot on.  Starting at 2:30 am it came down in buckets.  Visibility dropped to near zero.  Earlier in the evening, in preparation for the storm, we re-anchored Nellie in a wider spot in the river.  A spot which would give us a little more maneuvering room.  'Little' still being the operative word.  In conditions like this an anchor watch is unavoidable.  My watch routine is to set the anchor-drag alarm and then make myself comfortable on the pilothouse bench for the duration.  Last night the duration was until daybreak.  The narrowness of Taylor Creek and its big currents greatly exacerbate the threat of any storm.  In the end we did fine.  Even with a lot of encouragement from the elements the anchor held fast.  Yup, I'm happy for the forecasters, but I would have been thrilled if they'd been wrong.

Last night's frontal passage left us with strong NE winds.  Today's picture is of Bicki at the helm as we transit the Neuse river.  Rather than buck the winds we pulled into Oriental, NC.  We really like Oriental and weren't swayed at all by the fact that the harbor cam (http://www.towndock.net/harborcam) showed that there was space at the free dock...  Of course now the harbor cam shows Nellie at the dock ;-)  It was a short 23nm from Beaufort today; our total increased to 1240nm.  DBH. 

No Planning--Good Day

Day #58: Some days, and with no planning, things just go right. So it was today. Our departure from Swansboro was planned for after the coffee was ready. I know I should be saying that we looked at the weather charts and consulted the tide tables before getting underway. Nope, it was all about the coffee. Normally there's a price to pay for this cavalier disregard of good seamanship. Instead we were rewarded with a 1.5 knot lift all the way to Beaufort. It's disheartening to think that even if we planned we couldn't have done that we'll.

Looking over my emails just after dinner I found one with the subject, 'Welcome to Beaufort'. It was from Cathy and Kevin McKee who live here and who are pictured above. The McKee's are long time sailors who are now contemplating an Victory Tug. We've corresponded for several years but never met face-to-face. I'm glad to say that was rectified this evening when we hosted them aboard Nellie.

At anchor in Taylor Creek, Beaufort, NC, 25nm today and 1217nm thus far. DBH.

Two Out of Three

Day #57: We planned to go 12nm today. That plan didn't work out so well.

One of our cruising goals is to be in the anchorage before noon. Check. The hook was down in Wrightsville Beach, NC, at 11:58 am. Unfortunately the wind-waves were being exacerbated by myriad boat wakes making it less than comfortable aboard. We gave it an hour and then decided to move on. Being underway again gave us the opportunity to achieve another cruising goal, in before dinner. Check. We dropped the hook in Camp LeJeune's Mile Hammock Bay at 7:30 pm. Unfortunately we couldn't get the anchor to set. Mile Hammock Bay is infamous for its hard-packed bottom. For the record, I'm now zero successes for two tries there. No worries, this merely gave us the opportunity to make another of our cruising goals, in before dark. Unfortunately we weren't able to get the hook down in Swansboro, NC until 9:30 pm; well after dark. Oh we'll, today we were two-for-three in both anchoring and in meeting cruising goals. Bicki assures me that once the professor applies the curve we'll have passed the exam. I've got my fingers are crossed.

Today's picture is from our new rear-facing video camera and shows Nellie performing a classic two-whistle pass of a tug and barge.

On the hook in Swansboro, NC, 62nm today and 1191nm total. DBH

Cruising vs. Delivery Trip

Day #56: Linguists say that Eskimos have at least 50 words for snow (Washington Post, 14 January 2013). This makes sense, an Eskimo's life can ride in the balance and so specificity is important. Specificity is also important in boating because not all boating is cruising. Here's an example, several years ago we took Nellie from Ft. Lauderdale to the Chesapeake in 10 days. This year that same 1000 mile trip will take 40 days. Both trips fall in the 'boating' category but only the second is cruising. A 1000 miles in ten days--that's a delivery trip. Why is this distinction important? Because it's all about expectations. A cruise is mostly fun. A delivery trip is mostly work. As is confirmed by today's picture, and the whopping 14nm made good today, we're cruising!

Tonight we're on a mooring ball in Carolina Beach, NC. According to Nellie's digital knot log we've cruised a total of 1130nm. DBH.

Surprise

Day #55: A leisurely 29nm run today, in a mostly easterly direction, got us to Southport, NC. Southport is a pretty town and very cruiser friendly. Several restaurants allow free overnight stays at their dock if you buy a meal. The city has one free slip in the municipal marina. It's the latter we covet as electricity and water are included. Problem is it's a first come, first served, no reservations deal. With no expectations we entered the harbor and were pleasantly surprised to find the city slip vacant. Yahoo! Water and electricity mean we can run Nellie's clothes washer. There's nothing like clean sheet night. Today's miles increased out total to 1116nm. DBH

Red, Right, Returning, Usually

Day #54: We just dropped the hook in Calabash Creek on the SC/NC border. In 2008 I went aground here. I remember the event clearly--not so much for the grounding, but because it cost me a dinner. You see my brother John and I have a standing bet when cruising together, go aground while at the helm and you're buying (yea, in the early days we went aground a lot). I was remembering the episode as Bicki and I approached the creek today. I could clearly see the patch of water that cost me the dinner. "Not this time John", I thought to myself. Following the 'red, right, returning' rule I confidently turned to port ... and immediately went hard aground (see 'Wrong' in today's photo). Thanks to Nellie's full keel we got off easily and the only damage was to my pride. In reviewing the grounding the petulant child in me says, "It's not my fault! Look at the depths, look at the channel markers." I miss the simplicity of my petulant child days. Our second try (see 'Right' in today's photo) saw us safely in. Now it looks like I owe John another dinner. I consider it a small price to pay for today's valuable lesson.

At anchor in Calabash Creek just north of Myrtle Beach, SC. 47nm today and 1087nm so far. DBH

Hot

Day #52: One of the ways we mark our progress up the coast is by the location of the Coast Guard Stations we can hear on the VHF radio. Conveniently Coast Guard Stations are named for the city they're in. Currently we hear only Charleston. As we continue north Charleston will fade but Myrtle Beach will get stronger. And so it will go all the way up to the Chesapeake. Even without a map we'll know we're close to home when we can concurrently hear broadcasts by the Coast Guard Stations in Norfolk and Annapolis.

Nellie's thermometer hit 90F by 9am and was above 95F all afternoon. Without air conditioning we each do what we must to stay cool. Bicki believes in minimizing all movement while the fan blows full force on her face. Given that she's smiling it must be working.

It was a longer day than we'd expected. Our plan was to drop the hook in Georgetown, SC around 5pm. As sometimes happens we couldn't get the hook to hold. Rather than accept a marginal set we decided to move on. That's how we ended up in Jericho Creek, SC after a long 69nm run. The good news is that we're pointed into the wind and, thanks to the stern anchor, we'll continue to do so even after the 2am tide change. Our grand total is now 1039nm. DBH

A Beer and a Smile

Day #52: Raising the anchor this morning was a goat-rope. Well, no goat actually, but 50' of its rope was well and truly tangled around the anchor. Pulling up debris has been a rare occurrence; four years ago we hooked a cinderblock and 20' of chain. Untangling that mess gave me pause as visions of the chain tangling on me, as the cinderblock drug us both under, danced in my head. Today's rat nest of rope wasn't nearly as dangerous but it required the same solution: drop the dinghy and use it as a work platform. In short order the rope was in a garbage bag and we were underway.

It was 15nm to tonight's anchorage in Wapoo Creek. What you don't see in today's picture is the beer in my hand and the smile on my face as we enjoy a quiet moment after a great walking tour of Charleston, SC. The total mileage is now 970nm. DBH

Inside vs. Outside

Day #51: Key Stage, Titan #31, is currently cruising down the coast from Maine to North Carolina. Tonight Titan is safely ensconced in Point Judith, RI after a rough 26nm passage from Cuddyhunk Island, MA. Enroute today they saw 20kt winds and tightly spaced 4' seas--a masochist's definition of a good time! What a striking difference to Nellie's leisurely ramble north today; the biggest wave we saw was 6", and that was our wake. In cruisers' parlance, the difference in Titan's and Nellie's experiences is explained by 'outside' vs. 'inside'. Titan is cruising outside, in the open ocean, and exposed to the vagaries there of. Nellie is cruising within the confines of the ICW, or inside, and is exposed to little fetch and no ocean swell. The advantages of being inside can't be overstated--just ask Key tonight ;-) Unfortunately for Titan, the ICW starts in NJ, about 150nm southwest of where she is now.

Today's picture shows that even with storm clouds gathering the waters on the inside stayed calm. Thank goodness.

It was very much a current-assisted day as we quickly made the 42nm from Beaufort, SC to our anchorage in Church Creek, SC (which is about 10nm WSW of Charleston, SC). The new grand total for this trip is 955nm, and all but a few of those miles were on the inside. DBH.

Big Boats and Rouge Waves

Day #50: From a freighter's perspective Savannah must look like a speed-bump between the Atlantic Ocean and their port. Almost as quickly as one ship went down the river another came up. It was a bit alarming seeing these 1000' walls of steel passing so close. Amazingly, and thankfully, they put out very little wake. Getting safely out of the river was really quite easy--we simply shadowed one of the outbound behemoths.

Crossing Port Royal Sound we hit some 20kt winds and a 4' chop. We tacked slightly to take the waves on the forward, starboard quarter. All was fine until one particularly quarrelsome wave decided to slap us directly on the starboard beam. The force of the impact caused a lot of water to go straight up into the air. All this water was then accelerated horizontally by the strong wind--right through Nellie's open pilothouse window and Dutch door. It was like a firehose being let loose in the pilothouse. Even the ceiling was drenched. All we could do was laugh. While we both saw the water coming there was no time to react. An hour later, and now in protected waters up river, we passed an outbound sailboat named Passages. Their crew seemed happy and relaxed and I wondered if they knew what lay ahead. As if to put voice to my thoughts someone on the VHF radio said, "Passages, you're not going to like it out there."

It was 41 interesting nautical miles from Savannah to Beaufort, SC, where Nellie is now at anchor and drying out. Our new fuel pump has 50 hours on it and continues to purr like a kitten. And to round out the numbers, we've 913nm under the keel. DBH

The Pilot

Day #49:  Dad took us up the Savannah River today. Given that Savannah is one of the busiest ports in the country and that the river ebbs at 2kts, it was nice to have a pro (called a pilot in the boat biz) aboard.  How quickly the 181nm from St Augustine to Savannah went by.  This afternoon Dad took his sea bag and went ashore proclaiming us fit, if just barely so, to continue on without him. 

I keep marveling at all the advantages of having Internet 24/7 aboard Nellie. Today, for example, we wanted to dock at the municipal pier in downtown Savannah. Problem is there's no one you can call to see if there's space available and it's 'first come, first served' anyway. A quick Google search of 'Savannah cams' yielded a live river shot, from the Hyatt, which includes the municipal pier.  Here's the link: http://savannahcams.com/live-views/Hyatt-II-East/

It should have been an easy 10nm today but someone didn't look at the tide tables and managed to hit max ebb in the Savannah River.  While touring is fun, at 4 knots it can be kind of like watching grass grow ;-)  Our total mileage is now up to 872 nm.  So, who was it that screwed up the tide timing?  His initials follow: DBH

Tides and Grass

Day #48: Georgia's grass lands seem to stretch forever. The 8' tide has a dramatic affect on both us and what we see. One minute we'll be doing 8 knots the next minute barely 5. The water is in a hurry here; either eager to get out to sea or return from it. On today's falling tide our speed increased heading into the sounds and decreased commensurately after crossing them. As the tide kept falling our world view was reduced from wide grassland vistas to only muddy, oyster encrusted banks.

Our 58nm run got us to Thunderbolt, GA, just south of Savannah, and increased our total to 862nm.

Chocolate Cake

Day 47: Having 'survived' Andrea, last night we saw lots of rain and winds in the 30 knot range, it was time to celebrate. And what better way than with chocolate cake (Dad's funny face is to remind John Howell what here's missing ;-). The cake was just one of the good things Bicki whipped up while we were underway.

High winds delayed our departure until 11am; even then we were seeing 20kts. The good news is the winds pushed us along. It took us 1-1/2 months to reach escape velocity but with today's wind-assist we did it, we finally left Florida. Georgia's waterways are so different than Florida's. Gone are the condos. In fact, gone is almost all signs of habitation. Instead there are open grasslands and widely spaced, tree covered hammocks. It feels like we've traded NYC for Yellowstone.

We covered 56nm and dropped the hook in the North River, some 5nm ENE of Darien, GA. This ups the trip total to 804nm. DBH

Andrea

Day #46: Here it is June 6th and Andrea, the first tropical depression of 2013, is bearing down on us. This morning we bounced around tethered to a mooring ball as several squalls passed through. With predictions of 60kt winds we abandoned our mooring and sought shelter in Fernandina Harbor Marina. Every fender aboard Nellie is now in service and she's surrounded by a spider web of dock lines. I'm not sure what the proper protocol is while waiting for a storm to hit--we ordered a pizza and drank some beer.

Today we moved a whole 300 yards from the mooring field to the dock. Our total distance traveled remains 747nm. DBH

Strong Current and Shallow Water

Day #45: With full fuel tanks we departed early this morning. The strong currents helped us at times and at others slowed our progress. Dad had the helm for most of the day so Bicki and I enjoyed some leisurely sightseeing.

For the first time since leaving Key West the waterway looks and feels like a meandering river. Switchbacks abound. As do the shallows. Rounding a bend we see two sailboats anchored. But on closer inspection we realize they're both aground. Even in the channel it's not unusual to see under 6' of water at low tide. It can't be fun getting a deep keeled boat through these parts.

We made a distance record for this trip, 57nm which got us to Fernandina, FL on the north end of Amelia Island. Total miles under the keel thus far is 747. DBH

The Fuel Chase

Day #44: We'll go to great lengths to save on the cost of fuel. Given the choice between $4.25/gallon and $3.75/gallon, we'll take the latter every time; even if it involves a little extra work like filling from a truck. The problem is getting the boat and the truck close enough together. Actually the refilling part went without a hitch. It was leaving the spot close to the truck that proved problematic. The ebbing tide, coupled with the 900 pounds of new fuel, left Nellie firmly aground. In today's picture Bicki's sounding 2' depths next to Nellie's 3-1/2' keel. The good news was that a rising tide floats all boats and that the marina's nice restaurant doesn't mind at all if you take a two hour lunch. As to all the money we saved on fuel--we blew it on lunch while waiting for the tide.

My dad, Spence Howell, has joined us for the ride to Savannah. He loves to steer and we love to let him.

It was a short 3nm ride today from the St Augustine City mooring field to the River's Edge Marina but it did up our trip total to 690nm. DBH

Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde

Day #43: I write this aboard Nellie as she quietly rides on her mooring off St. Augustine, FL. As today's picture attests, it was a Jekyll and Hyde weather day . Nellie's not had good luck here. Past log-book entries comment on the wind, the rain, or both.

Last night's bow and stern anchors worked as we hoped. They kept us out of the channel and into the prevailing wind. A downside was that we were held beam-to the wakes from the channel's traffic. The little boats rolled us, but not alarmingly so. When a big boat created what looked like a title wave, the bow-thruster saved the day by pointing us into it. Turning into a wake is second nature while underway, but at anchor?

With the weekend over we had the waterway to ourselves and it was a peaceful 35nm cruise to St. Augustine. Today's run ups our total to 687nm. DBH

A Paradox

Day #42: There's a fine line between adventurous and foolhardy. Knowing which side of the line you're on comes with experience. But experience is gained only by pushing over the line. And there it is, a paradox.

We pushed over the line a little today. Rather than stay on the ICW we took a more scenic route by the Ponce de Leon inlet. The inlet is famous for its shoals and rough water. Today's picture shows our route. We'd hoped to make it by the shoals but instead we were boxed in by them. At the point where we turned around it was a wee bit exciting seeing breakers to the south and nothing but sand bars to the west and north. The troughs of the 2' swell make the bottom that much closer. I'm good with 180 degree turns, don't mind them at all!

Tonight we've anchored bow and stern some 10nm north of Daytona Beach. The waterway is narrow here and the anchorages few and far between. Ours is not a marked anchorage but rather a gut we found just outside the channel markers. Anchoring bow and stern has two advantages. First we won't swing into the channel with a tide or wind change. Second it allows us to point Nellie's nose into the prevailing wind and thus get much needed air flowing through the stateroom. Another 27nm today which brings the total to 652. DBH

Underway Again

Day #41: It was nice to finally push away from the dock this morning. Today's cruise was one of the longest we have done in a while, just over 40nm. Nellie D.'s engine just purred along, the new injector pump is a happy camper.

One never knows what we'll encounter in the ICW. Today's picture is of a whole dredging operation being moved to St Augustine. Nellie wanted to help with the towing, but they seemed to have it under control.

We've upped the total mileage to 625nm and are currently bobbing on the hook off New Smyrna, FL. VJH

Fly Preparations

Day #40: We've been warned, we're heading into biting fly country. It's not like we haven't seen it before. The last time through northern Florida and Georgia at this time of year we felt sorry for ourselves but even sorrier for the sailboaters. They'd sit in their cockpits, swarmed in flies, arms flailing, and without hope of escape. We at least can close the windows to keep them out. It was because of this experience that Bicki made screens for the pilothouse and salon windows. Now I'm making screens for the bedroom, shower and head ports.

We visited with John and Sue Mackie today. They own a tug just like ours, John William (hull #72). They're good friends and I know no one more knowledgable on boats than John. In fact, one of the reasons we decided to overhaul Nellie's injection pump here is because John had just done the very same job on his tug. Another thing we have in common is house building. John and Sue are completely gutting and finishing a house here on Merritt Island. Having been working on a house of our own we can certainly commiserate on the trials and tribulations of their undertaking.

Today's picture is of a well varnished bowsprit here in the Harbortown Marina. I certainly appreciate all the labor it takes to get a result like this, and doubly so in the Florida sun. Holding at 580nm but look for us to get moving again tomorrow. DBH

That's a Wrap

Day #39: It takes about three hours to amble over to Orlando and back. It would be quicker if we took the toll roads but we're happier keeping the $12 in our pockets. The guys at Nozzle Masters had our injector pump ready. "Oh, you're the boat guy.", was the response when I presented myself at the counter.

The injector pump went back in without incident but only after 2-1/2 hours of work. The biggest challenge was priming the pump and fuel lines. But even that went well. Best of all, no fuel leaks now.

The injector pump's gaskets and seals only lasted 25 years so I've put a note in Nellie's log to be sure to have the pump rebuilt again 2038! Here's to hoping I don't have to touch it until then.

Still at Harbortown Marina, Merritt Island, FL, and holding at 580nm. DBH

Lazy Day

Day #38: Nellie's injection pump was on the shop's test stand when I called this afternoon. It'll be ready for us tomorrow morning (fingers crossed).

Satellite views have become a favorite of ours now that we have 24/7 Internet access aboard Nellie. We use the satellite pictures for navigating in unchartered waters, and surprisingly there's a lot of it just off the ICW. While it's not perfect, shoals are easy to pick out. Today's picture shows Nellie's route into Sebastian Marina. The sand bars north and south of our track are clearly visible.

Holding at 580nm and still in Harbortown Marina, Merritt Island, FL. DBH

It's Out

Day #37: There's now a big hole where the Cummins' injector pump should be. That's a good thing ;-) It took about three hours to remove it. We then rented a car, drove to Orlando, and dropped the pump off at Nozzle Masters. To the question, "When do you need it?", I responded, "I'm on a boat and now stuck in the Marina." The tech smiled knowingly and said, "It'll be ready tomorrow, next day at the latest." Holding at 580nm. DBH

Maintenance Mode

Day #36: Another nice day on the water. Another short day on the water. The Banana River is shallow but well marked. The gusty southeast winds worked up a chop. Nellie couldn't be running better. Problem is her injector pump continues to leak.

"You can be a mechanic for a day but you can't become a mechanic in a day.", was the advice I got 20 years ago when debating rather or not to tackle a complex diesel engine repair myself. Those words now ring in my ears as I prepare to replace Nellie's fuel injection pump. Cruising pushes us beyond our comfort zone in so many ways. Being a competent mechanic is just one of them.

It was a short 17nm today, upping the total to 580nm, to Merritt Island's Harbor Town Marina. With luck it won't be too long a stay as we overhaul the Cummins' injection pump. DBH

Pig Roast

Day #35: Last night Tom and Megan Campbell, previous owners of the 49' Lord Nelson Victory Tug, Promise, happened upon us. They were in their runabout on the way to dinner when they saw Nellie at anchor. Shortly after the introductions were made they invited us to today's pig roast. This morning it was a long 3nm from last night's anchorage to the lake in front of the Campbell's house. We gave some tours of Nellie, had some great food and thoroughly enjoyed meeting their neighbors.

Tom told us he lost the end of a finger while replacing the diesel engines on his tug. Before installing the rebuilt six cylinder, turbocharged Cummins engines he tested them in his garage. With the engine running at 50% power he ran his hand by the air intake. The air sucked his hand in and the compressor blades, rotating at 10,000+ rpm, did the rest--ouch.

At anchor in Lake Shepard, just south of Cocoa Beach, FL, and 563nm into our journey. DBH

Ham It Up

from l-r: Lynn, Marta, Chris, and John 

Day #34: While underway Nellie broadcasts her position every few minutes via ham radio. It was via these broadcasts, back in 2010, that we came to know Lynn Deffenbaugh. This afternoon, once the anchor was down, we had a fun reunion aboard Nellie with Lynn and his wife Marta, and made new friends of Chris and John. Hams all, and all having been in the software business in some fashion, interesting conversation flowed.

Nellie's injector pump leak is proving to be indifferent to my repair attempts. Oh we'll, one definition of cruising is, fixing the boat in new and exotic locations.

We're in the midst of a curious conundrum: the more we travel the more friends we make; but, the more we visit these friends the less we travel. We've been aboard Nellie for over a month and have yet to make it out of southern Florida. It's embarrassing to admit but I can see tomorrow's anchorage, a whole 6 miles away, from tonight's anchorage. Oh well, it's a great problem to have.

We made it a whole 17nm today from Sebastian River to the southern end of the Banana River, FL, upping our total to 560nm. DBH.

Nelson's Victory

Day #33: Meet Jo Baggs, Mandy Cummins and their pup Diesel. Together they're continuing the resurrection of Nelson's Victory, a 49' Lord Nelson Victory Tug which was badly damaged by 2004's Hurricane Francis. Jo's unsuccessfully 2005 salvage-sale bid on Nelson's Victory didn't deter him. He followed the tug's progress through two owners before finally buying her in November 2011. The tug is kept next to their house on the Sebastian River in Micco, FL. Jo works on the tug most days, for several hours, and says he really enjoys doing so. Mandy's background in boat detailing is paying off too. No shrinking violet, she dons her painting clothes and works side-by-side with Jo. It's not like they don't have anything else on their plates either. Behind their house is the Sebastian Marina which they own and run. It's an incredibly friendly place with a darn good pub, The Outrigger (4-1/2 stars on Yelp). Jo built and started the pub but now leases it out. It's clear that both Jo and Mandy really enjoy what they're doing.

 Got the wrenches out this morning and tightened up the bolts above the fuel injector's leaking gasket. Maybe it'll even work ;-) As it stands the leak isn't a show stopper. The drips are being caught in the top of a 2L soda bottle which has been cut in half. The flexible plastic makes it east to and jam the bottle underneath the injector pump. Not pretty but effective at keeping the diesel out of the bilge. Still in Sebastian Marina. No miles on Nellie today and holding at 543nm. DBH.

Social Day

Day #32: The Everett's, some new friends, joined us aboard Nellie for breakfast this morning. Michele is retired from the Defense Investigative Service. H.T. ran NASA's liquid propellants program. It's a lot of fun meeting people with such interesting backgrounds.

Nellie's injection pump has been leaking fuel for the last few days. It appears the leak is coming from the auto-advance assembly's gasket. Gotta love the Internet; I was able to download the injection pump's overhaul manual. Next question is, how big a deal is the repair?

Today's picture shows Nellie in Micco, FL. It was an easy 19nm run from Vero Beach. This brings our total to 543nm. DBH

I Want One...

Day #31: Today's picture is of the 108' yacht Freedom. Built by Trumpy, she's a sistership to Sequoia, the US president's yacht until the 1970's. She spent the night next to us here in Vero Beach. Still in the Vero Beach mooring field. 0nm today and holding at 524nm total. DBH

Life at 6.5 Knots

Day #30: Six-and-onehalf knots is the speed at which we cruise. Put in perspective, that's about twice as fast as a person walks. Sometimes 6.5 kts seems dreadfully slow. Like today when a thunderstorm overtook us. Other times it feels outrageously fast--usually when operating in close proximity to concrete objects like pilings and bridges. At 6.5 knots we get enough time to really take in the sights but not so much time as to get bored by them. Perhaps the best thing about going slow is that it gives us time to think and ponder. All-in-all it seems a most enjoyable pace to live one's life.

On a mooring ball in Vero Beach, FL. 38nm today and 524 slow miles behind us.

Rain, rain go away...

Day #29: What a difference a day makes, especially when the days are Sunday and Monday. Gone are the jet skis and hundreds of runabouts. As today's picture shows, gone too are all the wakes from the watercraft. Bicki's standing on the shoreline of Lake Peck, 26nm north of Palm Beach. We stopped here planning to stay the night--but the areas healthy abundance of no-see-ums convinced us otherwise. We did explore before hightailing it. There was only a 100 yard spit of land that separated the ICW from the Atlantic Ocean. Walking the beach we found many sea turtle tracks in the sand. Seems to be a popular place for egg laying.

Arriving in Stuart, FL, the new destination for tonight, we waved to the boat moored next to us and commented on how nice the area is. "Yea, except for the no-see-ums.", was their response. It appears we can run, but we can't hide. With all the windows closed and the fans on high in Stuart, FL, it was a rainy 37nm today which upped the total to 486nm.

Down Day

Day #28:  LadyHawk, the 45' Tillotson-Peason sloop that tried to anchor in our cockpit yesterday, left at the crack of 11am this morning.  Letting them get well ahead of us was a great excuse to stay put.  Today's picture is the sun setting over West Palm Beach. 0nm today and 449nm so far.  DBH. 

Ramming Speed

Day #27: Today's picture is of Ft. Lauderdale Beach. What a pretty area.

Tonight we're at anchor between Palm Beach and West Palm Beach. It has taken us four weeks to go literally nowhere. This is where we boarded Nellie, gave up on the Bahamas, and decided to do the Keys instead. And now we're back.

Having a fast and stable dinghy allows us to anchor away from the fleet. There are three of us with the same idea occupying the 3/4 mile space between the Palm Beach bridges. That's why it caught us by surprise when a sailboat tried to anchor nearly on top of us. Anchoring too close is like porn--it's hard to define but you know it when you see it. There are two guys on the sailboat. A big sticker on its stern announces that no one is to board without an auction company representative. Hmm, does that make her a foreclosure or drug seizure? On the first anchoring attempt they come so close that Bicki and I laugh while remembering friends in Mexico who, in similar circumstances, armed themselves with a boathook and shot laser-beam stares. The sailboat's second ramming attempt, what else can you call it, was much more fruitful. They got within inches (only Bicki's fending kept the hulls apart) and they managed to grab our anchor chain with their skeg. Fortunately as they moved away the chain dropped free. Without too much additional excitement they successfully anchored--right on top of a clearly marked cable crossing.

We moved a whole 37nm today, quite a feat considering our previous runs. That puts us at 449nm for the trip. DBH

Christopher Columbus

Day #26: Seeing the Galeón Andalucía, a wooden replica of a late-17th century Spanish galleon, docked next to some mega yachts in Ft. Lauderdale struck my funny bone.  What if ...

 ** News Flash **

Captain Chris Columbus arrived in Ft Lauderdale today aboard his flagship the Santa Maria.  He claims to have left Seville, Spain in 1492 under the egis of Queen Isabella.  The Coast Guard, unable to raise Chris on VHF, sent a boat out to tow him in.  Upon landing at the Bahia Mar Yacht Center witnesses agree that Chris came ashore and claimed something for Spain.  As to what exactly he claimed the witnesses can't agree:  most say it was the dock, a few thought it was the marina, and one idiot says he claimed all of the American continent...

In the Las Ollas mooring field just west of Ft. Lauderdale Beach, FL, 22nm today which brings the total miles thus far to 412nm. 

Miami's South Beach

Day #25: Miami Beach is a huge place and densely populated. The locals seem to enjoy the show put on by the tourists as much as the tourists enjoy ogling the locals. We began the day with a 14 mile dinghy ride through some of the canals just west of the beach. Stately mansions line the canals closest to the beach. The price of the houses closely correlates to the width of the canal. There was some pretty funky real estate on the narrowest canals.

Finding a place to land the dinghy, very surprisingly, is not a problem here. Publix supermarket even has a dinghy dock next to their store. So this afternoon we dinghied ashore (no tie-up fee) and walked 7 miles. Not only is the beach great for walking but just off it is a paved and landscaped trail that's equally good. A third alternative is to walk on the sidewalk in front of hotels and restaurants. This at times feels like running a slalom course of dinners and wait staff but it's all in good fun. It would be easy to spend some time here.

Still at anchor east of Miami's South Beach. 0nm today on Nellie and 390nm into the adventure. DBH.

You Win

Day #24: The name of the yacht in today's picture is A. We passed A on the way to South Beach in Miami. It's an amazing 390' long, cost $300M to build, and is owned by a Russian couple who, I venture to guess, are doing pretty well for themselves. Near A's stern, just outboard of the 'garage', you can see one of her $1M, 36' long tenders. A has three such tenders. Cute as Nellie is, we didn't get a dinner invitation :-(

Had an interesting conversation with our slip neighbor at Pelican Harbor this morning. He left Boston two years ago to make a living here in Miami--as a treasure hunter. Not by diving on spanish galleons but with a metal detector in front of South Beach hotels. His is modern treasure and, as he tells it, is constantly being replenished by Miami's bling-laden. A three carat diamond ring tops his finds and he knows roughly where a $500K necklace was lost. There sure are a lot of ways to earn a living.

Friends told us that the Miami River, which has a 5 mile long navigable portion, is a blast to tour. How right they are. The river starts right downtown. Think gleaming skyscrapers, palm trees, and yachts everywhere. Slowly the scenery transitions until at the end the river it's chock-a-block with freighters. Old, tired freighters; rust buckets. What's amazing is that the freighters can even navigate in this, at times, very narrow river.

Tonight we're anchored in a big bay just west of South Beach and being dazzled by the lights of Miami. 19nm today and 390nm thus far. DBH.

Goodbye Florida Keys

Day #23: The predicted cold front moved through about midnight, the winds rotated to NE and accelerated to 20 knots. It was nice to be in a well protected anchorage. We took today's picture on this mornings walk, it's of the 1800's light house on the south end of Key Biscayne.

Water, water everywhere and we're almost out of it--Nellie's one tank is completely dry and the second is on fumes. It has been 10 days since they were refilled last. We do go through water quickly in this warm climate. Filling up in Miami is proving to be a bit of a challenge. Normally we'd just spend the night in a marina. But marinas here average $3/ft (that's $111+tax+electricity=$130/night). The other choice would be a fuel dock. The good news is we found a slip in Pelican Harbor, a municipal marina, for $49.40/night. For this princely sum we get unlimited water, electricity, hot showers, and a good night's sleep (no anchor watch).

In slip B-21 in Pelican Harbor, 79th Street Causeway, Miami, FL, 12nm today and 371nm total. DBH.