I'm Baaaaaack. After 1499 miles we docked at Lankford Bay Marina this afternoon. After a pumpout we tied up in the slip that will be home to Rogue. My wife, and Rousby's wife Cathy were there to greet us and help tie up. Some other friends Tom and Lisa also joined us and we had a small celebration and relaxed on the back deck. After a short while we packed up and headed for home.
The day started early, we had the anchor up and ghosted out of the anchorage leaving the other boats behind. We turned north up the bay once again. We pressed on for forty miles or so, then made a right turn into Eastern Bay. Up Eastern Bay toward Kent Narrows. Eastern Bay was just loaded with boats of all shapes and sizes, sailboats (motor boats with sails), and power boats all headed out into the Chesapeake Bay, probably back to where they started their journey earlier this weekend. There is an old drawbridge that you have to pass under to transit Kent Narrows, (narrows is the operative word here) which only opens on the hour and half hour. We were idling through the south side of the narrows, which is a no wake zone, when we saw the bridge go up. We were maybe a half mile away at the time and I thought there was no way we could make the opening and we would have to wait a half hour. But, there were so many boats going through the draw, some going north, some going south that the bridge had to stay open quite a while. In fact, boats had to pass through the draw one direction at a time because it is so narrow. The tender was on the radio giving direction to the several boats going in one direction when to go, then the other direction would go. In the meantime other boats had moved up to the bridge and had to wait for the tender to then give them the go ahead. This went on for some time, long enough for us to actually make it through. After making it through the bridge, we wound our way through the narrow on the north side and entered the Chester River. Around Eastern Neck island , into Lankford Bay then we slid into Davis Creek and home. A 70 mile day.
We are glad to be here and glad to have completed the journey. Now Rogue needs a bath and a polish, but that is for another day soon.
Until then.....
Monday, May 26, 2014
Sunday, May 25, 2014
Rogue ICW Day 21
Well we are on the hook again. We made it to Solomons Md., part of the way up the Chesapeake Bay.
We just finished dinner, a choice between hamburger with cheese, or hamburger without cheese. Throw in a little rice and salad and we are living large.
We started the day before 7:00 upping the anchor at 6:45 and ghosting our way out of the anchorage before some of the other boats were stirring. It took a while to get back out on the bay but soon we were heading north. We plotted our waypoints and channel markers and set out toward them. There was a little chop on the bay in the morning, a few whitecaps here and there but nothing the was either troublesome or annoying. As the day wore on the chop subsided and at one point the bay was almost like glass. Calm and smooth sailing. Speaking of sailing, why is it that most of the "sailboats" I see are motoring and there isn't a sail in sight? Shouldn't they be called motor boats that happen to have sails? Just a rhetorical question.
We made it as far as the Patuxent River where we turned and found an anchorage in what is a very busy creek with at least eight different marinas, and, being a holiday weekend, many boats on the move and at anchor. Finding a spot wasn't as easy as it sounds. The place is quite full. We finally found a place and are now settled in for the night. Tomorrow will most likely be the last day of this really interesting, exciting and eventful journey. We hope to pull into our home port tomorrow afternoon and introduce Rogue to her new home. Hopefully tomorrow will be as uneventful as today and it will be smooth sailing into the Chester River and Lankford Bay.
Statistics for today- 97 miles traveled, 10hrs. 51mins. moving, 20mins stopped, 11hrs., 11mins total time.
1429 total miles traveled.
Just a couple of pictures today. Mostly we just saw water.
The Wolfe Trappe light off Wolf Trappe Shoals.
A cargo ship that was really moving coming up the bay, probably towards Baltimore.
We just finished dinner, a choice between hamburger with cheese, or hamburger without cheese. Throw in a little rice and salad and we are living large.
We started the day before 7:00 upping the anchor at 6:45 and ghosting our way out of the anchorage before some of the other boats were stirring. It took a while to get back out on the bay but soon we were heading north. We plotted our waypoints and channel markers and set out toward them. There was a little chop on the bay in the morning, a few whitecaps here and there but nothing the was either troublesome or annoying. As the day wore on the chop subsided and at one point the bay was almost like glass. Calm and smooth sailing. Speaking of sailing, why is it that most of the "sailboats" I see are motoring and there isn't a sail in sight? Shouldn't they be called motor boats that happen to have sails? Just a rhetorical question.
We made it as far as the Patuxent River where we turned and found an anchorage in what is a very busy creek with at least eight different marinas, and, being a holiday weekend, many boats on the move and at anchor. Finding a spot wasn't as easy as it sounds. The place is quite full. We finally found a place and are now settled in for the night. Tomorrow will most likely be the last day of this really interesting, exciting and eventful journey. We hope to pull into our home port tomorrow afternoon and introduce Rogue to her new home. Hopefully tomorrow will be as uneventful as today and it will be smooth sailing into the Chester River and Lankford Bay.
Statistics for today- 97 miles traveled, 10hrs. 51mins. moving, 20mins stopped, 11hrs., 11mins total time.
1429 total miles traveled.
Just a couple of pictures today. Mostly we just saw water.
Rogue ICW Day 20
We are now in the Chesapeake Bay. Well technically we are anchored in the
Poquoson River, a tributary of the Chesapeake Bay.
We spent last night in Coinjock where we were joined by a
multitude of other boats cruising north.
When we docked, they really packed us in, nose to tail. There wasn’t three feet between us and the
boats in front or behind. But, there was
electric, WIFI, water and fuel which we needed.
There was also a restaurant with pretty good food. Their claim to fame is a prime rib dinner
which we both ordered. You could have
the 16 oz. or the 32 oz. whichever you prefer.
16 oz. is plenty for me, and it was a gut buster, and the steak was
really tender, tasty and cooked perfectly.
It was a really great meal.
This morning we got organized, then stood on the dock and
noodled on how to get out when the boat in front and the boat behind were
nowhere near going anywhere and a pretty stiff breeze blowing. We settled on the wise use of a spring line
to swing us out without moving us toward either boat. I must say, it worked
like a charm. We swung out the bow and were on our way. As we motored on, many of the other boats
that had left before us were beginning to line up like a parade because there
are many bridges and a lock to negotiate as we approach and move through
Norfolk Va. Some of the bridges have
restricted openings, meaning they only open only on the hour, or on the hour
and the half hour. So timing your
arrival at these bridges takes some planning. We did pretty good. We, along with the other boats in our gaggle
had to wait at some bridges, but not a real long time. It seemed like a long time getting through
all the openings but we were through and on our way by early afternoon. By the time we cleared the last bridge there
were ten boats in line. We had all of
them in the lock we had to negotiate as well.
There was still room for several more.
After all the waiting, circling, jockeying and generally doing the boat
dance with the other boats we wound our way through the Norfolk
waterfront. Wow is all I can say. It was
a cacophony of sights and sounds.
Whistles, horns, grinding noises, banging noises, motors running, all
coming from different directions. There
was the Navy shipyard where several ships were in dry dock being worked
on. There were tugs pushing barges,
there were commercial container ship operations, and then the Navy fleet tied
up. It just seemed to go on and on and
on. As you go through the Navy areas,
there are “Security” boats circling, looking everyone over. On one ship there was a naval “shooter”
standing on the bow of one boat surveying the traffic. I’m sure if someone came too close there
would be a shot across the bow. It took
us over two hours to motor through the waterfront area. It is just an amazingly huge operation. As we moved further through the waterfront,
several of the boats that had been in our parade began to peel off and head to
various marinas scattered through the waterfront. Did I mention all the
pleasure boats buzzing around too.
We finally exited the waterfront and entered the Chesapeake
Bay. We made a left and headed north up
the bay. It felt good to be in “home”
waters again where you are familiar with the various areas and can navigate
easily. We continued to the Poquoson
River, and found an anchorage for the night.
Had a great dinner of pork chops with rice and salad. We are getting
closer, it will be nice to be home again.
It seems like a long time, closing in on three weeks of travel time on
Rogue. It has been quite an experience
and I have enjoyed every day, but there is something about being home again.
Statistics for today- 85 miles traveled, 10hrs 32mins.
moving, 41mins. stopped, 11hrs. 13mins total time.
1332 total miles
traveled.
A couple of aircraft carriers docked in Norfolk
And this one is loaded to the gills.
A recycle ship. Notice all the metal piled behind and read the words on the bridge.
Friday, May 23, 2014
Rogue ICW Day 19
We pulled anchor around 7:00 this morning. Since there was no wind to speak of last night, much of the anchor chain along with the anchor spent the night buried in the mud at the bottom of the Little Alligator River. When Rousby wound up the chain, the mud came on board for a ride. The foredeck, Rousby's hands, his leg, and everything within 3 feet was splattered with mud. Fortunately Rousby had anticipated this and had the washdown hose primed and ready. He washed down the chain and stowed it, then washed down the anchor and anchor pulpit. Then he took the long handled brush and scrubbed down the foredeck and rinsed it off with the washdown. All the while I am dodging what must be literally hundreds of crab pots. It was like navigating an obstacle course. This went on for a while until we merged back into the channel in the Alligator River. The ride up the Alligator was fairly uneventful, the wind was picking up from the north, so there were some swells, but maintaining a heading when you are bow first into the oncoming swells is much easier to do than trying to maintain a heading when the swells are at your stern. We crossed into the Pamlico, the dreaded Pamlico, but frankly, that crossing was a non event. No problems at all and a pleasant ride. When we reached Albemarle Sound, well, that was a different story. Three footers on the nose. We pounded our way across the sound for 16 miles. That's an hour and a half of riding a wild horse. A few things fell over downstairs, nothing broken. It did calm down toward the end, only two footers. We turned into the North River and had a much nicer ride up the river to the North Carolina Cut. This took us to Coinjock N.C. where we are currently. Coinjock is a staging area for the trip through Norfolk. Once you pass this area, you are essentially committed to passing all the way through Norfolk because there really isn't anywhere to stop. So if you reach Coinjock in the afternoon, you might as well stop, otherwise you will be a long while on the water, in the dark trying to make your way through several bridges, a lock, the Navy and a busy harbor. Not what I want to do in the dark. So here we are taking care of a few things getting ready for the last push toward home. Once we clear Norfolk we will be in the Chesapeake Bay, almost home. Just a couple more days. I had planned to stay in Cape Charles tomorrow night, but the marina there is booked solid. This is a holiday weekend and there are no rooms at the inn. We will have to try to find an anchorage instead north of Norfolk tomorrow night, then head for home the next day.
Statistics for today- 58 miles, 6hrs. 43mins moving, 4mins stopped, 6hrs., 47mins total time.
1247 total miles traveled.
Not much to take pictures of today. Virtually no signs of civilization or other activities.
This is the boat ahead of us traveling up the Alligator River. This was nothing compared to Albemarle Sound.
Until then....
Statistics for today- 58 miles, 6hrs. 43mins moving, 4mins stopped, 6hrs., 47mins total time.
1247 total miles traveled.
Not much to take pictures of today. Virtually no signs of civilization or other activities.
This is the boat ahead of us traveling up the Alligator River. This was nothing compared to Albemarle Sound.
Rogue ICW Day 18
Another good day was had by all. Traveling was uneventful and pretty
straightforward. No real excitement to
speak of. We got up fairly early, had a
bite to eat for breakfast and got ready to cast off and leave the marina. We were out of the marina by 7:00 and heading
up the Neuse River. We ran up the Neuse
for quite a while before turning into a canal that would take us into Goose
Creek. The canal ran through a cypress swamp so again, the water color looked
like coffee. Not really very appealing. We came up through Goose Creek and into
the dreaded Pamlico River/Sound. The
Pamlico is not where you want to be when the winds are clocking 30kts. Fortunately today the winds had calmed way
down from yesterday and the ride across the Pamico was uneventful and
pleasant. Once across, we made a left
and headed up the Pungo River. Again
this was a pleasant and uneventful transit of the river. There is a twenty five
mile waterway/canal connecting the Pungo River to the Alligator River. This canal seems like it is straight as an
arrow, and again, carved out of a cypress swamp so the scenery didn’t really
change much. A two and a half hour ride
up the canal. Today Rousby did most of
the piloting, I lounged and nodded a little on and off so it was relaxing for
me. Along the way we saw blue herons,
deer, osprey, a bald eagle, and a wild pig.
When we finally exited the Alligator River-Pungo canal, we entered the
Alligator River. Instead of turning right, we turned left to find an anchorage
for the night. After dodging a plethora
of crab pots, we finally stopped and dropped anchor. The water is quite placid right now and the
sunset was fabulous. A gentle breeze is
cooling things off, and the mosquitoes are out in full force. It is a good thing my wife put a can of OFF
on the boat. That might save me
here. Well what else might you expect
in a swamp if not mosquitos. There certainly is no WIFI available here much
less any reliable cell phone signal. In fact we haven't seen any signs of civilization for hours. This post will most likely be a day late.
Tomorrow it’s off to Coinjock for some fuel and a few
grocery items. We are just about out of bread and sandwich materials.
Statistics for today-75 miles traveled, 8hrs. 6mins. Moving
time, 3mins stopped, 8hrs. 9mins, total time.
1189 miles traveled.
Some pictures
The sunset from our anchorage. Quiet calm.
Until then......
Wednesday, May 21, 2014
Rogue ICW Day 17
Hello from north of Oriental N.C. We got an early start today, around 7:15. We left Spooners Creek, a nice little anchorage. It was calm all night even though it was windy overnight. It seems that there has been wind almost every day so far. Well, today was no different. We checked several sources last evening and all were calling for the wind to build all day, with winds out of the southeast at 25kts. gusting to 30kts. Small craft warning had also been issued. When you get into big water it can make things difficult. As a result, we decided to make today a short day and let the afternoon winds blow their little heart out while we sit in a protected marina. Besides, there was laundry to take care of, and a pumpout was needed as well so this seemed like a good opportunity.
We motored past Morehead City docks and made a left, heading toward Davis Creek. When we were going through the cut leading into the Neuse River, the wind was at our backs and the water was calm. So what had been a windy chilly morning ride turned quite nice and peaceful. The sun even decided to come out and warm things up. That part of the ride was quite enjoyable. Once we exited Davis Creek, we entered the Neuse River. The Neuse River is as wide as the Chesapeake Bay in spots. It is quite a large body of water. As we made our way up the Neuse River, the wind and the seas were both either dead astern or aft quartering. This made for a difficult ride. Not overly rough, just difficult to maintain any sort of consistent heading. The pressure to the stern of the boat is always swinging the stern one way or the other as the wave troughs overtake the boat. When they swing your stern, sometime you get caught in the trough and the boat starts to surf and follow the trough. So you are always trying to steer your way out of the trough, then, because of the over-steering situation, you swing the other way and have to correct that. You are always turning the wheel left, then right, then left again over and over and over. It just makes for a difficult run. We motored past Oriental for another ten miles or so and pulled into this protected marina. As I write this I can hear the dock lines groaning while the wind pushes the boat around in the slip.
Tomorrow we set out again, this time toward an anchorage we have picked out about 75 miles away.
Statistics for today- 42 miles traveled, 4hrs, 54mins. travel time, 20mins. stopped, 5hrs. 24 mins. total time.
Total distance traveled- 1,114 miles.
A couple of pictures
This is chimney Island just outside Morehead City. I wonder what they did there that needed a chimney?
Notice the flags in these pictures standing straight out. The wind was pretty strong.
We motored past Morehead City docks and made a left, heading toward Davis Creek. When we were going through the cut leading into the Neuse River, the wind was at our backs and the water was calm. So what had been a windy chilly morning ride turned quite nice and peaceful. The sun even decided to come out and warm things up. That part of the ride was quite enjoyable. Once we exited Davis Creek, we entered the Neuse River. The Neuse River is as wide as the Chesapeake Bay in spots. It is quite a large body of water. As we made our way up the Neuse River, the wind and the seas were both either dead astern or aft quartering. This made for a difficult ride. Not overly rough, just difficult to maintain any sort of consistent heading. The pressure to the stern of the boat is always swinging the stern one way or the other as the wave troughs overtake the boat. When they swing your stern, sometime you get caught in the trough and the boat starts to surf and follow the trough. So you are always trying to steer your way out of the trough, then, because of the over-steering situation, you swing the other way and have to correct that. You are always turning the wheel left, then right, then left again over and over and over. It just makes for a difficult run. We motored past Oriental for another ten miles or so and pulled into this protected marina. As I write this I can hear the dock lines groaning while the wind pushes the boat around in the slip.
Tomorrow we set out again, this time toward an anchorage we have picked out about 75 miles away.
Statistics for today- 42 miles traveled, 4hrs, 54mins. travel time, 20mins. stopped, 5hrs. 24 mins. total time.
Total distance traveled- 1,114 miles.
A couple of pictures
U:ntil then.....
Tuesday, May 20, 2014
Rogue ICW Day 16
It was a clear sunny morning in Wrightsville Beach when we loosed the lines and left Docksides at 7:50 a.m. Yes, 7:50 precisely. There is a swing bridge less than a quarter mile away that only opens on the hour. We got in line behind a sportfisher and waited for the bridge to open. At exactly 8:00 the bridge swung open and we passed through after the large sportfisher. Of course after getting through he promptly left us in the dust and we never saw him again. We had deep water for most of the day, and it was pretty much just following the channel markers. This part of the ICW is not nearly as challenging as some of the other sections we transited earlier. Almost boring. One thing I haven't really mentioned in my past posts are the dolphin sightings pretty much every day. They come in pairs, or sometimes in bunches of six or more. They surface and then dive back under the water just off the bow of the boat as it moves through the water. You are afraid you will run them over with the prop, but they know what they are doing. We have been seeing them several times a day. The dolphins are quick to surface and just as quick to disappear again. Taking a picture is nearly impossible. By the time you get your camera ready they are long gone and pop up somewhere else. Rick tried for several days and finally gave up. Rousby tried once today and quickly realized how fruitless it is.
We continued on past Camp Lejune's live firing range. They put up signs with flashing lights warning you not to enter the area while exercises are going on. Right, like I wouldn't hear artillery shells exploding nearby, or the guns going off. Thanks for the warning Marines. On past Camp Lejune, we had to pass a couple more bridges that have restricted openings. At one bridge we had to wait almost twenty minutes for it to open, so we went in circles like a dog chasing it's tail along with a sailboat that was also waiting. After that we had to go the length of Bogue Sound which is about 18 miles long. The ICW took us inside a string of small barrier type islands the separate the channel from the main part of the sound which is shallow with MLW depths of less than four feet. As has been the case lately, the winds began to build throughout the day and as we came out from behind the string of barrier island we had to deal with it and aft quartering seas. Not a smooth ride. We finally reached our destination for the night at Spooners Creek. A great little place with a small basin with room for a few boats. When we pulled in, the boat that had been tied up in front of us at Docksides last night was also here. It took us four tries to get the anchor to hold so Rousby got his indoctrination using the windlass. It finally held and we are settled in for the night. After a couple of beers and some snacks we cooked dinner. This is my final task of the day, so goodnight my friends.
Statistics for the day - 74 miles traveled, 8hrs 47mins. moving time, 35mins stopped, 9hrs. 23 mins. total time. 1072 total miles traveled.
A few pictures
Maybe he should have turned left??
Did you hear something? Were those lights flashing?
Our anchorage for tonight. Boy are we in the wrong neighborhood.
Do you think they will let us stay?
We continued on past Camp Lejune's live firing range. They put up signs with flashing lights warning you not to enter the area while exercises are going on. Right, like I wouldn't hear artillery shells exploding nearby, or the guns going off. Thanks for the warning Marines. On past Camp Lejune, we had to pass a couple more bridges that have restricted openings. At one bridge we had to wait almost twenty minutes for it to open, so we went in circles like a dog chasing it's tail along with a sailboat that was also waiting. After that we had to go the length of Bogue Sound which is about 18 miles long. The ICW took us inside a string of small barrier type islands the separate the channel from the main part of the sound which is shallow with MLW depths of less than four feet. As has been the case lately, the winds began to build throughout the day and as we came out from behind the string of barrier island we had to deal with it and aft quartering seas. Not a smooth ride. We finally reached our destination for the night at Spooners Creek. A great little place with a small basin with room for a few boats. When we pulled in, the boat that had been tied up in front of us at Docksides last night was also here. It took us four tries to get the anchor to hold so Rousby got his indoctrination using the windlass. It finally held and we are settled in for the night. After a couple of beers and some snacks we cooked dinner. This is my final task of the day, so goodnight my friends.
Statistics for the day - 74 miles traveled, 8hrs 47mins. moving time, 35mins stopped, 9hrs. 23 mins. total time. 1072 total miles traveled.
A few pictures
Monday, May 19, 2014
Rogue ICW day 15
Today dawned bright and clear with nary a cloud in the sky. The air was a little crisp for mid May, but the sun was warming the morning chill. We got started today around 8:00, pulling out of Lightkeepers Marina and turning the bow northward. We fell in line with three other boats heading north as well. We caught up with a fourth boat and at least two sailboats. It was a busy day on the water. For the most part, we had plenty of water depth so long as you stayed in the marked channel. As we moved onward, the wind began to build and it felt like at least 20 kts. at times coming from the northeast. When you have no protection to break the wind it just hits you and stays on you. There were times when the wind, because of the height of the boat, and what you might call "sail area", actually began to heel over slightly. It also made steering a little challenging as well. A little after noon we reached the Cape Fear River. I was getting hungry, but we needed to sort out where the appropriate markers were to follow and reference the charts. Well, when we hit the river, the river hit us. The wind had whipped up four foot swells that fortunately our course would have us traveling directly into. So we rode the waves like a bucking bronco, with spray flying off the bow. This went on for about a half hour until we moved farther up river and the swells calmed somewhat. Still quite choppy and very windy, but more manageable. We turned up into the next cut off the river and even though the wind continued the water smoothed out considerably. The channel here is quite narrow, and yet again we threaded our way through, making several turns along the way. This all went without any issues, for us, but as we came around one turn, a sailboat had wandered just outside the channel and was aground. The waters in the area were pretty calm so he was going to just sit there until the tide came in enough to float him off and he could get back into the channel. We are in Wrightsville Beach tonight, and my crew is transitioning yet again. My good friend Rousby has joined the crew and tomorrow George will leave for home. Rousby is planning to stay on with me until we finally make it home. It seems like a long time ago when I set out to make this trip, I guess it has been after all. My wife is home alone waiting for her man to come home from the sea. She plugs along taking care of things there, maintaining her routine while I gradually bring Rogue north, each day a little closer to her new home.
Statistics for today, 63 miles traveled, 7hrs. 3mins moving, 19 mins. stopped 7hrs. 22mins. total time.
Total distance traveled 1009 miles. (Wow).
Just a few shots from today.
The shrimp fleet is in today.
A couple cargo ships being loaded or unloaded on the Cape Fear River.
Statistics for today, 63 miles traveled, 7hrs. 3mins moving, 19 mins. stopped 7hrs. 22mins. total time.
Total distance traveled 1009 miles. (Wow).
Just a few shots from today.
Sunday, May 18, 2014
Rogue ICW Day 14
We left Georgetown Landing around 8:00 this morning and headed northward. The morning was sunny but began to cloud over after a short time. The forecast was calling for thunderstorms later in the day, and radar showed a horizontal line heading for the coast in our general area. I had picked a place to stop for the night so the daily plan was put into motion. We turned north up the Waccamaw River toward Pawleys Island, Litchfield Beach and Myrtle Beach. The Waccamaw was wide and deep so we had no problems on that stretch of water. We made a few turns and ended up on what was probably a canal, a long canal. It was fairly narrow compared to the Waccamaw and was lined with cypress trees, like riding through a cypress swamp. There were many tributaries that fed in to the canal and several nice places that looked like great hurricane holes and anchorages. Quiet and calm with fairly deep water. Speaking of water, the water in these canals looked like tea or coffee, a darker brown color and that looked quite interesting in the froth of the wake and prop wash. Rogue now has what is called a mustache. The bow is stained a tan color from the dark water. She is definitely going to need a wash and wax when she gets home. There was quite a bit of traffic on the waterway, and with it being rather narrow, passing another boat was a little tight in spots. Some captains were more courteous and communicative than others. It's always nice to tell the boat you are passing what your intentions are so they can not only be aware, but perhaps be of assistance by throttling down or moving to one side or the other to make it easier and quicker. Or if you are being passed just to know what the passer is doing. There were a couple of bridges we had to have opened, and at each one there were at least five or six other boats waiting to pass. A busy day on the water around here. Being used to waterways on the eastern shore where you can be 50 yard from shore and still only have six feet of water, navigating through the canals was quite different and something we had to get used to. The canal itself might be only thirty yards wide, and we were maybe ten yards from each side with cypress treas lining each bank, and the water was anywhere from sixteen to thirty feet deep. It seemed too close for comfort until you just accepted it and went with it. We kept trying to cheat to one side or the other but there was really no where to go. We also made it through the rockpile without issue. There were several boats all traveling together so we all lined up and went down the middle. It was about mid-tide so some of the outcropings were exposed sticking out into the canal, but at high tide they would be under water, hidden, just waiting for someone to get close so they could reach out and grab you. We made it to just north of North Myrtle beach in Little River. Tomorrow we move on to North Carolina and Wrightsville Beach.
Statistics for today - 60 miles traveled, 7hrs. 16mins. moving, 26mins. stopped, 7hrs 43mins total. Total distance traveled 946 miles.
Some pictures of the day.
A three masted steel schooner
Too close for comfort?
No Kidding!
Can you say "too much money?"
Statistics for today - 60 miles traveled, 7hrs. 16mins. moving, 26mins. stopped, 7hrs 43mins total. Total distance traveled 946 miles.
Some pictures of the day.
Saturday, May 17, 2014
Rogue ICW Day 13
We left St. Johns Yacht Harbor a little later than usual, about 9:00. We traveled six or eight miles and entered Charleston Harbor. Not so busy on a Saturday morning, at least from a commercial standpoint, but as we traveled on there were more and more boats with weekend warriors fishing in various locations and tributaries. The harbor was relatively calm and transiting the harbor was no problem. It is a big place. As we continued across we could see Ft. Sumter, and yes, it has the stars and stripes flying from the flagpole. After crossing the harbor there were a series of canals and creeks and small rivers. The farther we went the scenery became more of the same as we had in Georgia. Salt marshes with small streams and creeks everywhere winding through the marshes. We could see small boats with fishing gear pass us in either direction turning into these creeks and continuing on. There are no markers or landmarks, it all looks the same. You really have to know where you are going and how to get back. They would just disappear into the grasses never to be seen again. I think maybe I did hear banjos a couple of times. As has become the norm, as the day wore on, the tide begins to recede. And as the tide recedes, the shoals become more prominent in your thoughts, and avoiding them is a priority. There were a couple of time where the depth finder read less than 4 feet under the keel, and it wasn't even dead low yet. I can only imagine what the depths would be at dead low. Nonetheless, we made it to Wynyah Bay and the channel that would take us up the Waccamaw River north toward Myrtle Beach. It was time to top off the fuel tanks again so we stopped in Georgetown S.C. at the Georgetown Landing Marina. It was after 5:00 p.m. by the time we were done, and my plan had us traveling only another ten or fifteen miles, so I decided why not just stay here and tie up for the night. So hear we are in Georgetown S.C., not far from where we used to vacation each summer, and occasionally still do.
Tomorrow we continue northward toward Myrtle Beach and potentially beyond. Tomorrows challenge is the rockpile, a narrow part of the canal just south of Myrtle Beach with large boulders jutting out into the channel, some under the water so you can't see them. It is so narrow, that you don't want to be caught there with another boat, or heaven forbid, a barge coming the other direction. There is not enough room for two across and if you hit the rocks,.....well you get the picture.
Statistics for today - 71 miles traveled, 8hrs 34mins moving, 53mins stopped, 9hrs 27 mins total time. Total distance traveled 886 miles.
A couple of pictures from today
Fort Sumter
Charleston Waterfront
Tomorrow we continue northward toward Myrtle Beach and potentially beyond. Tomorrows challenge is the rockpile, a narrow part of the canal just south of Myrtle Beach with large boulders jutting out into the channel, some under the water so you can't see them. It is so narrow, that you don't want to be caught there with another boat, or heaven forbid, a barge coming the other direction. There is not enough room for two across and if you hit the rocks,.....well you get the picture.
Statistics for today - 71 miles traveled, 8hrs 34mins moving, 53mins stopped, 9hrs 27 mins total time. Total distance traveled 886 miles.
A couple of pictures from today
Charleston Waterfront
Friday, May 16, 2014
Rogue ICW Day 12
Today was a day of rest on Rogue. After the storms blew through last evening, the winds continued to howl most of the day. You could hear the halyards clanking on the masts of sailboats, and the flags were standing pretty much straight out. As I write this they are starting to calm down. Hopefully we will be back on the "road" tomorrow. We are not far from Charleston Harbor and getting across there during a period of high winds would be a challenge to say the least. Tomorrow should be better.
It was a day for doing laundry and grocery shopping. We also got pumped out as well. Today was also the changing of the guard. Rick who has been with me since day 1 had to leave for home, and my good friend George arrived. In fact George got here early enough that Rick left shortly after lunch to head for home. I'm sure he will be home to sleep in his own bed tonight. A welcome change I'm sure. My thanks to Rick for being here, you were a great help and big thank you.
The marina we are located in is called St. Johns Yacht Harbor. Let me tell you, these guys are fabulous. It is a great facility, one of the nicest I have seen anywhere. The bathrooms, showers and laundry are all well done, clean and fairly new. When we came in yesterday, the dockmaster and one of his helpers were there getting us tied up in the pouring rain. I needed an envelope to mail something and they gave me one, and a stamp too, no charge. We needed to go to the grocery store, they printed out directions and gave us the keys to the courtesy car. Free WIFI all over the harbor here. All floating docks with all hookups necessary. When I get down this way again, I will definitely consider this as a stopover.
No statistics to report today
Until then.....
It was a day for doing laundry and grocery shopping. We also got pumped out as well. Today was also the changing of the guard. Rick who has been with me since day 1 had to leave for home, and my good friend George arrived. In fact George got here early enough that Rick left shortly after lunch to head for home. I'm sure he will be home to sleep in his own bed tonight. A welcome change I'm sure. My thanks to Rick for being here, you were a great help and big thank you.
The marina we are located in is called St. Johns Yacht Harbor. Let me tell you, these guys are fabulous. It is a great facility, one of the nicest I have seen anywhere. The bathrooms, showers and laundry are all well done, clean and fairly new. When we came in yesterday, the dockmaster and one of his helpers were there getting us tied up in the pouring rain. I needed an envelope to mail something and they gave me one, and a stamp too, no charge. We needed to go to the grocery store, they printed out directions and gave us the keys to the courtesy car. Free WIFI all over the harbor here. All floating docks with all hookups necessary. When I get down this way again, I will definitely consider this as a stopover.
No statistics to report today
Until then.....
Thursday, May 15, 2014
Rogue ICW Day 11
We anchored out last night trying to get out of the wind. Turns out, wind is a fickle thing. It can change in a moment. And, as is typical in these parts, the tidal changes are quite large creating strong currents in the 1.8 kt. range. Well the two forces collided last night with the tide going one directions, and the wind coming from the opposite direction. The result was again like a rocking chair, up and down, up and down with the swells hitting either the bow or the stern depending on how the boat swung around. I set the anchor drag alarm and it went off about an hour after I fell sound asleep. I never heard it until Rick woke me up. We checked our orientation and declared it OK. The boat had swung with the current facing the opposite direction, so back to bed we went. It went off again around 4:30 a.m. and I got up to check again. The boat had swung back around to it's original orientation and everything was fine. So back to bed I went. We finally got up around 7:00 and after our morning tea and something to eat, I checked the weather forecasts. I really didn't want to spend another night in this situation. The winds were supposed to clock around to the west and then the northwest where we had zero protection from the wind. I looked at the charts and decided we should move to another location closer to Charleston on a small creek so there wouldn't be as much fetch to stir things up. We upped anchor and motored on. About an hour into the ride it started to rain. I had already decided to pilot the boat from the lower station today because the winds were just too strong and the possibility of rain was quite good. As we were motoring I kept listening to the NOAA weather reports which said the heavy storms would not happen until later this afternoon and into tonight. They were calling for 30 kt. winds which is something you don't want to be out in the open on a boat if you can help it. So, I thought why not keep going and get as close to Charleston as we could. I didn't want to try to cross Charleston Harbor today which has a reputation for being tricky on a good day, much less a day like today where I was hearing reports on the radio of 4-6 ft swells at the outer buoys. Rick set to work looking into possible marinas South of Charleston we could aim for. There really aren't any marinas until you get pretty close to Charleston, so once we committed, we were committed. We picked one, I called to make a reservation and we were in. It rained several times on the way, once was a real downpour, the winds were quite strong making handling more difficult, but we made it. As we tied up it really started to rain. The guys helping us tie up and both Rick and I got very wet. I had to pilot the docking from the bridge which is open, so getting wet was the only option.
Tomorrow will be the changing of the crew. Rick who has been with me for 11 days will be leaving and heading back to the work world next week, and my good friend George will be coming on board for a few days. Rick was finally getting the hang of how things work and the routine. Now I will have to break George in. George is no stranger to boats, he has had several of his own and currently has a 40 ft. Robbins Chesapeake bay style boat that he graciously takes us out fishing on several times each year. So he knows his way around a boat.
With high winds expected again tomorrow, we will catch our breath and stay put here until Saturday when it is supposed to be much nicer. Tomorrow is laundry and shopping day. Need to restock the pantry for the new crew.
No pictures for today, the weather was not ideal for any shots. Maybe I can take some tomorrow.
Statistics for today - Distance traveled 41 miles, 4hrs. 19min. moving, 3min. stopped. Total time 4hrs 23 min. Total distance traveled 815 miles.
Until then.......
Tomorrow will be the changing of the crew. Rick who has been with me for 11 days will be leaving and heading back to the work world next week, and my good friend George will be coming on board for a few days. Rick was finally getting the hang of how things work and the routine. Now I will have to break George in. George is no stranger to boats, he has had several of his own and currently has a 40 ft. Robbins Chesapeake bay style boat that he graciously takes us out fishing on several times each year. So he knows his way around a boat.
With high winds expected again tomorrow, we will catch our breath and stay put here until Saturday when it is supposed to be much nicer. Tomorrow is laundry and shopping day. Need to restock the pantry for the new crew.
No pictures for today, the weather was not ideal for any shots. Maybe I can take some tomorrow.
Statistics for today - Distance traveled 41 miles, 4hrs. 19min. moving, 3min. stopped. Total time 4hrs 23 min. Total distance traveled 815 miles.
Until then.......
Wednesday, May 14, 2014
Rogue ICW Day 10
I can’t believe it has been ten days since we departed St.
Petersburg Fl. and Rick and I are still talking to each other. Actually there really hasn’t been any real
moments so I guess that means we are pretty good friends.
Some little known facts for some of you are that Rick grew
up in Chestertown Md., the hailing port of Rogue, and where I now live. He graduated from the old Chestertown High
School. But, I didn’t meet Rick in
Chestertown, I met him at work. Turns
out we both work(ed) (he still works I don’t) for the same company, in the same
department, in Washington D.C. So, it is
a small world I guess.
We left Delegard Marina this morning around 8:00 with the
sun shining and a light breeze blowing.
It was close to high tide so we had no trouble getting over the hump at
the opening to Delegard Creek. We turned
north and settled in for the day. More
salt marshes greeted us as we motored along putting more miles behind us. Finally the scenery began to change and we
could actually see some houses, and those relentless flies finally left. Yay.
Looking at the map we had left Georgia behind, it was no longer on my
mind. South Carolina beckoned. We had
put yet another state in the rear view.
Savannah slowly came into view and with it some really nice places on
the water. And boats too. Big ones. We
idled our way through the Savannah area, and continued forward. We motored past
Hilton Head Island and as the day wore on the high tide we had in the morning was
now approaching low tide. There are a
few stretches where the channel really narrows as the tide goes down, not to
mention the depth of the water also receding. So motoring through some of these
unfamiliar and restricted passages makes for a little nail biting at times. Not as bad as yesterday mind you, but a
little like threading a needle. You
don’t know exactly where the deep part of the channel is, but you can’t really
stray much from side to side. You
pretty much aim for the middle and hope for the best. And, if you see a local ahead of you, just
follow him.
We left Hilton Head behind, and headed for Beaufort SC.
There is some pretty big open water and the wind was starting to increase in
intensity creating some chop. It didn’t hinder us, but it was pretty
annoying. We passed Paris Island, and
finally Beaufort was ahead and we idled through town. I didn’t think it was as
pretty as Savannah from the water, but historic nonetheless.
The wind continued, and as we left Beaufort, I started to think about a
place to pull up and anchor for the night.
The place I originally thought about was along the Coosow River, which
is another rather large body of water.
With the wind coming across the marshes and the long fetch on the river,
it would be rather uncomfortable anywhere along the Coosow. So we pushed on, and on, and on until we
found a curve in the Ashepoo River near where there is a short cut into the
Edistido River. There are some trees on the shore that we can use to cut the
wind and the water isn’t nearly as choppy as the Coosow. There were times as we motored along the
Coosow that we had spray come up and hit us on the bridge. The boat felt at
times like a horse on a carrousel. Up and down, wave, splash, up and down, wave, splash. But we are here now, anchored. The water is much calmer than the
Coosow. The weather reports are for 20 –
30 mph winds tonight and tomorrow with possible thunderstorms. We might just sit tight tomorrow and see what
happens. Frankly, I could use a day of
rest.
Statistics for today- 92 miles traveled, 10hrs 31mins moving
time, 11mins stopped, 10hrs 43mins total time.
Total distance traveled-774 miles
Here are some pictures of the day.
I think Thuderbolt caters to the megayacht set.
Like these...
Tuesday, May 13, 2014
Rogue ICW Day 9
Last night was spent in a nice quiet anchorage, only two other boats nearby. The current was strong, but I am getting more comfortable with that. There was really nothing around us, so even if we did drag anchor, there was nothing that would be a problem. We didn't, and there wasn't any problems. I actually got a pretty good nights sleep. It is amazing how big the tidal changes are here.
Tonight we are in Delegal Creek Marina on Skidaway Island near Savannah Ga. The tides here are eight feet. So when the tide changes, a lot of water needs to go somewhere fast. The result it a fast current in or out. So again, part of the day was spent fighting the tidal currents, but also part was spent riding the tide. We either lost a couple of knots fighting the tide, or gained a couple riding it. Today was supposed to be a shorter day with only a fifty mile leg planned. I expected to arrive at our destination early in the afternoon, however, we didn't actually get here until after 4:00 p.m. As it turns out, our projected arrival time coincided almost perfectly with low tide. It is a full moon, so the high tides are higher than normal, and the lows are lower than normal. The projected low tide was due to be negative relative to the normal datum, so it was a low, low, low tide today. When I called to reserve a slip for tonight, the dockmaster told me to wait until at least two hours after the low, to come into the creek. There is a hump at the entrance and the low tide makes it very shallow to get through. So we cut speed and just coasted along for a couple of hours toward our destination killing time. There is also a cut we had to go through called Hell Gate. It has that name for a reason. Another place you don't want to go through at low, low tide. Well, we got to Hell gate right around 2:00 p.m. just as the tide was changing. I didn't want to try Hell Gate at dead low, so we idled back and forth in the sound for about an hour and a half. We watched a larger boat go through Hell Gate so we thought it was safe. As we idled through, I watched the depth go down, down, and down some more. At 2.8 ft. I thought we had had it. It came back up to 3.5, then to 5 and bounced around a bit and we were through. Damn! I'm sure I now have nicely polished props. That place lives up to it's name, and is Hell to get through. In talking with the dockmaster he told me many of the larger boats have prop guards, so they just go and as long as the boat floats, they just push their way through. Next was the entrance to the creek and getting over the hump at the entrance. Well hell, after Hell Gate, 5 ft was a breeze. I sure would not want to do either at dead low. No way! We pulled in and docked, got hooked up and went to take showers and do a load of laundry. After being on the boat for nine days, the bed sheets and bath towels needed to be freshened up a bit. After the laundry was done, we took the loaner golf cart 4 1/2 miles to the little shopping village in the community and had a great dinner. By the time we got back to the boat, it was almost 9:30 p.m. So what was supposed to be a short easy day is just like the rest, busy and long.
The scenery here hasn't really changed much, still looking at mile after mile of salt marsh. Pretty boring stuff, so there really wasn't anything to take any pictures of today. Hopefully that will change tomorrow.
Statistics for today - 60 mile total (of which several was just us riding back and forth waiting for the tide), 7hrs. 43mins. moving, 12mins. stopped, 7hrs. 56 mins. total. Total distance traveled, 682 miles
Tonight we are in Delegal Creek Marina on Skidaway Island near Savannah Ga. The tides here are eight feet. So when the tide changes, a lot of water needs to go somewhere fast. The result it a fast current in or out. So again, part of the day was spent fighting the tidal currents, but also part was spent riding the tide. We either lost a couple of knots fighting the tide, or gained a couple riding it. Today was supposed to be a shorter day with only a fifty mile leg planned. I expected to arrive at our destination early in the afternoon, however, we didn't actually get here until after 4:00 p.m. As it turns out, our projected arrival time coincided almost perfectly with low tide. It is a full moon, so the high tides are higher than normal, and the lows are lower than normal. The projected low tide was due to be negative relative to the normal datum, so it was a low, low, low tide today. When I called to reserve a slip for tonight, the dockmaster told me to wait until at least two hours after the low, to come into the creek. There is a hump at the entrance and the low tide makes it very shallow to get through. So we cut speed and just coasted along for a couple of hours toward our destination killing time. There is also a cut we had to go through called Hell Gate. It has that name for a reason. Another place you don't want to go through at low, low tide. Well, we got to Hell gate right around 2:00 p.m. just as the tide was changing. I didn't want to try Hell Gate at dead low, so we idled back and forth in the sound for about an hour and a half. We watched a larger boat go through Hell Gate so we thought it was safe. As we idled through, I watched the depth go down, down, and down some more. At 2.8 ft. I thought we had had it. It came back up to 3.5, then to 5 and bounced around a bit and we were through. Damn! I'm sure I now have nicely polished props. That place lives up to it's name, and is Hell to get through. In talking with the dockmaster he told me many of the larger boats have prop guards, so they just go and as long as the boat floats, they just push their way through. Next was the entrance to the creek and getting over the hump at the entrance. Well hell, after Hell Gate, 5 ft was a breeze. I sure would not want to do either at dead low. No way! We pulled in and docked, got hooked up and went to take showers and do a load of laundry. After being on the boat for nine days, the bed sheets and bath towels needed to be freshened up a bit. After the laundry was done, we took the loaner golf cart 4 1/2 miles to the little shopping village in the community and had a great dinner. By the time we got back to the boat, it was almost 9:30 p.m. So what was supposed to be a short easy day is just like the rest, busy and long.
The scenery here hasn't really changed much, still looking at mile after mile of salt marsh. Pretty boring stuff, so there really wasn't anything to take any pictures of today. Hopefully that will change tomorrow.
Statistics for today - 60 mile total (of which several was just us riding back and forth waiting for the tide), 7hrs. 43mins. moving, 12mins. stopped, 7hrs. 56 mins. total. Total distance traveled, 682 miles
Monday, May 12, 2014
Rogue ICW Day 8
Well here we are anchored in Back River, amidst nothing but
salt marshes everywhere. As far as the eye can see, salt marshes. That has been the scenery this afternoon.
As I mentioned yesterday, we anchored just off the southern
tip of Amelia Island in Nassau Sound Florida.
That part of Florida experiences 5 ft tidal changes, and the current
flowing in and out can reach two knots. It flows so quickly, I could hear it
running under the keel of the boat and watching it swirl behind the stern at
anchor. I was concerned that with a
current that fast, that when the tide changed we would swing and the anchor
would drag. There was a fixed bridge about 300 yards away, a series of docks
off to the side, and shallow water also nearby.
I was so concerned that I set the anchor drag alarm on the lower station
GPS Chart plotter I installed. This was
to wake me when we swung so I could check orientation. Well, at 2:30a.m. It went off. I got up and
checked where we were, and everything seemed ok. Needless to say it was another night of
restless sleep.
Today the adventures continued. After a quick bite to eat we took our tea to
the bridge and set off yet again for Fernandina Beach to top off the fuel
tanks. As I mentioned above, there is absolutely nothing in Georgia for miles
and miles, so I wanted to be sure I had plenty of fuel. We motored into the marina and took on fuel
for the hop into Ga. Fernandina is not as pretty from the water as it is from
land. Several docks with large ships and
barges, and two plants of some type creating a smell that is hard to
describe. I have been to Fernandina once
and it is a quaint town from land. Maybe
on another trip we can stop and explore.
We left Fernandina and entered the St. Mary’s River and into
Ga. We passed a naval facility with
several ships including at least one submarine that was perhaps under repair,
and one inside a shed building. Also the
Coast Guard was out and about there, as well as the harbor patrol. Lots of military/police presence.
We continued onward into St. Andrews sound which also had
its challenges. There were several
shoals we had to dodge but made it across and to Jekyll Island without any
problems. We entered Jekyll creek which connects St. Andrews sound to St. Simons
Sound. Well that was certainly a
challenge getting through there. It was
dead low low tide. Did I mention it was
low tide? A lot of exposed shoreline and
very thin water. We literally had to idle
and pick our way through for several miles.
It was extremely tense at times.
The depth would drop from 6.5 ft. to 5 ft. in a matter of a couple
yards. At times there was 4.5 ft. showing on my gauge. The running gear under the boat is two feet
under the keel, that leaves 2.5 ft. of clearance, and that can disappear in and
instant. There was another trawler
following us, using me as the guinea pig I guess. But, we made it without incident and
continued onward winding through all the salt marshes. We also had a couple brushes with the Coast
Guard. When we first saw them they had
another boat pulled over and had boarded it.
We went by real slow, waved and smiled.
They waved back. Good, we’re
golden. A little farther on, I saw them
speeding toward us from behind. Crap,
they’re after us. Just as they were a
few hundred yards from us, another boat passed us going the other way. The coasties pulled up and switched on their
siren pulling the guy over that had just passed us. So we just continued on our merry way. About twenty minutes later here they come
again, and again another boat passed us going the other way. They again stopped that boat and boarded. Wow we are good! Another twenty minutes goes by and by this
time we are several miles from where we originally saw the coasties, so I'm thinking
they just turned and went back. Not so.
Shortly after here they come again getting closer, closer, they are alongside
and what do they do? Wave and keep on
going. After stopping three boats that
we know of they just cruise on by us.
For a while I was starting to feel like Butch Cassidy being chased but
could never get away. Oh, the
flies. The flies here are terrible. They attack in swarms, in your face, eyes
back legs, you name it. And they bite
you.
Anyway we made it here to Back River at a reasonable time
and getting ready to have dinner.
Statistics for today - 79 miles, 8hrs. 53mins. moving, 22mins. stopped, 9hrs 16mins. total. Tomorrow we are in for a shorter day, only 50 miles planned because beyond that there is nothing for a while, and too far to the next marina or anchorage to cover in a day. As a result the plan is to split it into two days.
Not much in the way of pictures, the scenery is much
different than in Florida. Actually it’s pretty boring. Here is what I got.
Gone.
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