Journey's End: Church Creek to Naples 2014

Day #27: Bligh was right, the crew did indeed jump ship (ok, so what if Ken and Pat did have non refundable airline tickets back to LA). In their two weeks aboard, Nellie covered 600nm and most of 3 states. Pat's meals kept the crew happy and Ken's helmsmanship kept us off the bottom (mostly). Even though Bligh only scowls when asked, they were good shipmates.

As the trip began, so it ended with John rejoining Nellie and me. Departing the mooring ball John cast off as I took the helm. It's not a difficult departure. A little left rudder and a little power should swing the bow clear. It didn't. I added more left rudder, confirmed that it was hard over with the rudder angle indicator, and again goosed the power. Nothing happened. I quickly switch to a mental diagnostic mode. What's the problem? Transmission linkage; hydraulic failure; prop shaft decoupled; then again, maybe the helmsman simply forgot to engage the transmission... This boating stuff can be so humbling.

It was a bumpy but uneventful 30nm from Ft Myers Beach to Naples. Fortunately the 20kt winds and 3-4' waves were astern and so pushed us along. Nellie was rewarded for her good behavior over the past 27 days with a new home in a covered slip. The total for this trip was 1153nm and 182 engine hours. DBH.

Captain Bligh Gives Crew Rest

Day #26: For the first time since St. Augustine the crew doesn't rise at dawn. In fact Nellie bobbed on her mooring, lifeless, until well after 8am. Breakfast out, a walk around the peninsula, a swim in the gulf, and a night cap ashore highlighted the days activities. Bligh scowled at the crew's frivolity and was heard muttering to himself, "Mark my words, no good will come from this."

Holding at 1123nm in Ft Myers Beach, FL. DBH

More Fuel Fun

Day #25: At dawn and with much trepidation we stuck our heads out of the saloon. With relief we realized last night's bug fest had abated and that the little critters were sleeping in this morning. Still we wasted no time casting off and heading back to the safety of the fully screened pilothouse. Two more locks saw us safely into the Caloosahatchee River. With noses to the grindstone and a sense of accomplishment that comes from having successfully navigated 600nm in the last 12 days, we motored on.

Yesterday at 1300 hours the Floscan, which measures the fuel consumed by the engine, told us we had 38 gallons or about 19 hours of run time left. Just to be safe, the fuel from the aft tanks was transferred into the port forward tank. Since after the transfer the two forward tanks had vastly different amounts of fuel in them, this was a perfect opportunity to test the theory that the tanks are self-leveling, i.e. more fuel should be drawn from the fuller tank. After 18 hours of running the theory was proved correct: 73% of the fuel consumed was taken from the fuller tank.

It was 58nm from Everglades hell to the vacation land that is Ft. Myers Beach. Ahh, no bugs. Total to date is 1123nm. DBH

Into the Locks

Day #24: Today is all about luck. How far we get depends completely on the locks. We hope to make it through the two on the east side of Lake Okeechobee and then one more on the west side of the lake. Running at 1750 rpm would put us at the final lock after its 1830 closing time. The rpm is increased to 1900. Nellie jumps to life, well, at least her speed increases from 7.2 to 7.4 knots. Fuel consumption goes up even faster, from 2.0 gph to 2.4 gph of diesel. The first lock took an hour to get through. Not good. The second lock only took 15 minutes. Nellie made it to the third lock with 10 minutes to spare. The lock master had the doors open and green-lighted Nellie through. Forty five minutes before sunset she'd made it through the three locks. Our plan to anchor in the river went badly awry. Our little fortress wouldn't grab. As darkness descended, and the insects of the night made themselves felt, we found ourselves still underway. ActiveCaptain (think a group sourced cruising guide) to the rescue. About an hour ahead was a small marina. The bugs were so bad our low light, forward looking camera was useless. We drew lots to see who'd have to sacrifice themselves by going outside to handle the dock lines. Welcome to the Everglades!

Another 69nm under keel today upping the total to 1065nm. At the Glades RV Park and Marina in the middle of Mosquito Land Florida. DBH

Incredible

Day #23: We're off before dawn and what a beautiful dawn it was. It's only a short run to Stuart, FL, but there's much to do before we sleep: take a mooring; dinghy ashore; rent a car; drive 90 miles to Ft. Lauderdale; inspect a 55' Bering that a friend of the Smiths is thinking of buying; poke around Sailorman (a great used boat-junk superstore); walk three miles on the beach; eat dinner in an Italian Bistro; drive another 90 miles back to Stuart; drop the rental car off; walk 1-1/2 miles back to the boat; and, hit the sack around midnight. Whew!

A short 26nm day brings our total to 996nm. On Sunset Marina's mooring #5 in Stuart, FL. DBH.

Go, Stop, Go

Day #22: The Banana River, just south of Cape Canaveral, is known to be shallow. We made it with no problem. Near Sebastian Inlet we worked our way west of the ICW and dropped the hook. We took the dinghy into Sand Point Marina in the hopes of finding Jo Baggs who owns the LNVT Nelson's Victory 49VT06. We found the tug but not Jo. Oh well, we had a good lunch at the restaurant there. Back aboard Nellie we pressed on to last light.

Racked up 62nm today which ups the total to 970nm. The 16 lb Fortress is sticking like Velcro to the bottom here in Ft Pierce. Sure makes for better sleeping. DBH

John William

Day #21: In the barge canal which bisects Merritt Island we met up with John and Sue Mackie who were on their LNVT John William 37VT68. Nellie dropped her anchor for the night a few miles southwest of Port Canaveral, FL and then John William rafted up. Freely flowing libations and dinner followed.

Another 47nm today and 907nm under the keel. DBH

Eureka!

Day #20: You gotta love it when without the slightest bit of planning you ride the flood out of St Augustine and then get swept along with the ebb towards Daytona Beach. Luck sure beats planning; if only luck could be counted on.

Finally! We got the ComNav autopilot and the Garmin chart plotter playing together well. Now Nellie can follow a route even through the narrowest rivers.

Today's picture, of Pat and Ken Smith, shows them enjoying the antics of dolphins playing in the bow wave.

A great 60nm day ups Nellie's total to 860nm. At the free dock (which is posted 'No Overnight Docking') in New Smyrna, FL. DBH

A Day Off

Day #19: This picture is for our freezing and wind blown cruising friends up north. Note the blue sky. Note the calm sea state. Note all the empty moorings which you could be occupying. Most importantly, note the open hatch. Yup, it's delightfully warm here ;-) For everyone else, note the great view we've got of Castillo de San Marcos.

Today was laundry, grocery, and play tourist day. Zero miles under the keel and holding at 800nm for the trip. On a mooring in St Augustine, FL. DBH

ComNav

Day #18: The plan was simple, cruise the 27nm to Fernandina Beach, FL and call it a day. The reality was we arrived there at 10:30 am--quitting that early felt, somehow, wrong. So we motored on. And on. And on. After a 12-1/2 hour day, in which we made 80nm, and with the last vestiges of daylight we picked up a mooring in St. Augustine.

All that helm time wasn't put to waste. We tried to figure out how the ComNav autopilot and the Garmin chart plotter work together. Like in a bad marriage these two we're talking but not communicating. As a result Nellie, like a drunk sailor, was swerving down the ICW. Seen from afar this erratic motion would call into question the competence of the helmsman. This we can't have! I'll save you the bloody details but suffice it to say the variables are many, the documentation sparse, and ComNav's tech desk is manned by an obdurate Frenchman badly in need of a glass of wine. No worries, there are days to go. We'll figure it out.

Today's picture is of a particularly nasty section of the ICW just North of the GA/FL line. Here the mariner must choose between what the chart says and what their eyes tell them. Choose wrong and you're aground.

On a mooring in St. Augustine, FL. A nice, round 800nm under the keel. DBH

Jekyll...

Day #17: Our long day on the water yesterday was rewarded by a short day today. It only took 4-1/2 hours to cover the 30 miles to Jekyll Island, GA. The little Fortress anchor grabbed immediately and thus saved us from the local marina's (exorbitant) fee of $2.25/ft (or $95/night including tax and electric). For a point of reference, we paid $1.50/ft in Charleston and Jekyll Island is no Charleston ;-) The money saved by anchoring out was put to good use while dining at the Jekyll Island Resort.

At anchor off Jekyll Island, GA, 720nm south of home. DBH

Another One Bites the Dust

Day #16:  While crossing Sapelo Sound, GA we took a few minutes to hoist the 45lb stainless Danforth aboard and replace it with the 16lb Fortress. Why? Because in Beaufort, SC we dragged the Danforth all over the place--for yet another botched anchoring attempt. Enough is enough. To recap. Nellie's 80lb Babeth was replaced with the 45lb Danforth, which has now been replaced with the 16lb Fortress. What's next, a 1lb fork? Good news is the Fortress grabbed right away this evening.

A long 68nm day saw us from Savannah to just east of Darien, Ga. Total mileage is now 691nm.

Bump

Day #15: Ken Smith, who prides himself on never having bumped the bottom in 16 years with his tug, Polar Mist, bought dinner this evening. Dinner, you see, is the price an errant helmsman pays for going aground. In fairness Ken's grounding occurred at low tide in the Field's cut, an area renowned for its lack of water. Still, you'd think a guy with an unblemished 16 year record in the Pacific Northwest would last more than just two days on the ICW ;-)

It was a fast run from last night's anchorage in Beaufort, SC to Savannah's municipal dock. We covered 41nm and upped our total to 623nm. DBH

Moving, moving, moving

Day #14: We start at dawn moving south. Contrary currents extend the 61nm day to a 9-1/2 hour run. Tonight we're on the hook in Beaufort, SC. There are 582nm under the keel now. DBH

Meet the Crew

Day #13: Happily my days as a single-hander are at an end. Pat and Ken Smith, Polar Mist 49VT07, who arrived from California last night, will be showing me the ropes for the next two weeks. Today the crew took Liberty and enjoyed all that Charleston has to offer.

The mileage to date remains at 521.

Not Under Command (NUC)

Day #12: Rule 27 says that a vessel not under command (usually because of a broken rudder or a dead engine) shall display two black balls from its mast. A NUC has right of way over every other vessel on the water; even a canoe. Hmm, maybe this is the answer for the single-hander that needs to make a nature call... ;-)

Still in Charleston, SC. No miles today and so holding at 521nm for the trip.

Mr. Blue Sky

Day #11: In like a lion and out like a lamb was today's forecast. Sure enough, it was raining cats and dogs and the winds were 24kn as Nellie left Georgetown, SC at dawn. But, the closer we got to Charleston the bluer the skies became. As the picture shows it was a beautiful day upon arrival. The aircraft carrier Yorktown can be seen in the background.

Nellie is safely ensconced in Charleston's Maritime Center which is 57nm from where she started this morning. She's racking up the miles and is boasting 521nm thus far. DBH

Donuts

Day 10: While checking into the Osprey Marina I was told there would be free coffee and Krispy Cream donuts in the lounge at 8 AM. Prudence would have me cast off at dawn to catch the out going tide. I get the tide thing; but I love donuts. Prudence relented on the early departure, but then advised a limit of two donuts. I ate three.

It was an easy 28nm ride to Georgetown, SC. The late departure did have us bucking some current. The weather wasn't that great either. All in all though, it was a fair trade for the sugar high. Counting today's run there are now 464nm under the keel. DBH

Endurance

Day #9: Single handing seems to be about planning, or perhaps juggling. The helm demands constant attention. Every other job has to fit into the cracks. Fortunately not all helm time requires the same level of attention. Throttling back while putting out dock lines or doing the engine check helps too. I cruised Nellie almost 8-1/2 hours today. It wasn't as tiring as I thought it would be. Planning for and then executing all the other activities must have acted as a distraction ;-)

It was a quick 56nm from Southport, NC to South Myrtle Beach, SC today. The total now stands at 436nm. DBH

Down the Cape fear River

Day #8: It was hot last night so I opened the stateroom ceiling hatch before going to bed. At 0'dark-30 I was rudely awakened by raindrops hitting me in the face. Since Bicki closes the hatches when it rains, I rolled over and went back to sleep. And so rain continued pelting me until, slowly, consciousness took hold. What followed was a comedic skit worthy of Charlie Chaplin. In my mad scramble the hatch's screen hit me on the head while falling to the floor. But I got even by putting my foot through the screen and then wearing it like an ankle hula hoop. My sleep-fogged brain, totally ignoring the new foot fashion, was fruitlessly trying to figure out how to get the hatch's support arms unlocked. And all the while the hard rain down can rain (apologies to Tallis et al.).

Any place an explorer has deemed worthy of a scary name (e.g. Ford's Terror, AK and Cape Fear River, NC), I've learned through bitter experience to take seriously. That's why this morning's departure was delayed until 1 PM. Going before that meant fighting a 1.5kt flood and dealing with some big waves; a 15kt wind was blowing against the current. As the picture shows, not only were the ebbing waters placid, they boosted Nellie's speed by close to 3kts.

What I'm learning about single-handing is that everything takes longer. It's impossible to steer and repair the boat at the same time. So, instead of taking a nice walk into town this morning, I worked on the genset and the VHF's cabling. Leisure, it appears, is the first victim of going solo.

At the free dock in Southport, NC. A swift and smooth 13nm today brings the total to 380nm. DBH

Solo

Day #7: The training wheels are off. Today I went it alone. How'd I do? I got an 83%. But, I get ahead of myself.

Last night's slip at Dudley's, in Swansboro, NC, was plagued by both current and wakes. It took six lines to keep Nellie from banging up against the dock or the surrounding pilings. This morning my single-handed departure went flawlessly, until a still-secured bow line went taught. So much for 83% (5/6) being a passing grade. I can see this solo cruising is going to take some practice.

58nm in 9-3/4 hours bringing the total miles thus far to 367nm. DBH

Honorary Tuggers

Day #6: Kevin and Cathy McKee have been thinking about a tug for a long time. Like many former sailors they're ready for the geriatric jump into a stinkpot. Cathy let me tag along today as she took Nellie's helm--for four straight hours--as we cruised from Beaufort, NC to Swansboro, NC. I learned a lot.

At Dudley's Marina in Swansboro, NC. A whooping 24nm today yielding 309nm cumulative.

More Like It

Day #5: Rise late. Spend 1-1/2 hours over coffee and cinnamon rolls. Walk the town. Chat up the locals. Leisurely cruise across the Neuse and down Adams Creek to Beaufort, NC. Have friends aboard for cocktails. Now this is more like it! Unfortunately John jumps ship tomorrow. It's been a fast fast days.

A very nice 21nm to Beaufort, NC today making it a 285nm total.

Ahh, This is Better

Day #4: Last night it was a slog south through Albemarle Sound and the Alligator River. Our windshield wipers got scant rest for all the sea spray. Contrast that with today's picture of a quiescent Pamlico Sound.

At 2 AM this morning we dropped the hook in the well sheltered waters at the north end of the Pungo-Alligator River canal. Our 'in before dark' rule is being modified to 'in before first light'. It didn't take Nellie's crew long to get: everything shutdown; the anchor light on and; into their bunks.

It's amazing how busy a boat underway keeps you. And there is much competing for your time. But mostly it's looking for potential problems, fixing known problems, and, oh yea, steering and navigating.

At the free dock in Oriental, NC. 65nm since 7am this morning and 265nm overall. DBH

Long Day, and Still Going

Day #3: Being a recreational boater in Norfolk is akin to being a JV footballer at an NFL game; you get no respect. Oh well, the place is just so interesting with all the commercial and military traffic it's worth the abuse.

We took on 206 gallons of diesel today. That's got to be a personal best for Nellie as she only holds 220!

Coinjock Marina at the north end of the Albermarle Sound is known for it's friendly atmosphere and for its prime rib dinner. Arriving just before sunset we couldn't just pass it by--the siren call was irresistible. Now we can check Coinjock off the bucket list. With both our curiosity and appetite satiated we got underway again.

Our plan is to continue into the night until we reach the southern end of the alligator river. There we'll drop the hook for the night. Current ETA is 2 AM. The waters around here are shallow and the channels narrow. We're doing one hour watches which seems about right. The full moon helps. The 15kt headwinds don't.

Still underway in the northern confines of the Albemarle Sound. 50nm thus far today, 159nm under the keel to date. DBH

Bam! Crash!

Rough day! Pounded all the way from Deltaville to Norfolk. Ugg. So much motion that the rear tanks started shipping air to the engine. It wasn't fun hearing the engine's RPM change while pounding through waves. Shutting the rear tanks' supply and return valves did the trick. It doesn't help that the average fuel level in all four tanks was down to 1-1/2". I guess that's why it's important to know not only the 'total fuel aboard', but also the tanks' 'useable capacity'. Based on today's experience, Nellie's effectively out of fuel when there's still 28 gallons aboard (that's 7 gallons in each of the four tanks). Of course, the range could be extended by transferring the remaining fuel into one tank.

After six or seven hours of weather which had seawater continuously splashing over the pilothouse windows, we called it a day at 3:30 PM. The turning basin at the end of Portsmith's high street offers free mooring and is close to a great German restaurant and the wonderful, old Commodore theatre. We rewarded ourselves with dinner and a movie.

Side tied in Portsmith, VA after making 48nm today and 109nm for the journey.

Push Away

Day #1: With the remnants of this weekend's LNVT Rendezvous attendees cheering her on, Nellie was set free just before 9am this morning. In tandem with her sisters Victory, Thistle and Knock Off, Nellie worked her way along Church Creek, Fishing Creek, and the Little Choptank before reaching the spacious confines of the Chesapeake Bay. With visions of white sand beaches and palm trees dancing in her head she turned south.

The first day out is about discovering all the things that don't quite work properly, like the low oil pressure alarm. Fortunately it can be diagnosed underway. May we get so lucky on the other things.

Our plan to make a one day, 120nm run, to Norfolk was abandoned when the wind and seas made the going uncomfortable. Instead we bailed out to Deltaville, VA, which is at least over halfway to Norfolk.