Our Cruise Wrap-Up

Sorry for the delays in our postings lately, but life has been coming at us rather quickly since we arrived in the Chesapeake. We try and do a recap of each of our cruises and some thoughts on the equipment we have installed and used along the way. We departed Beaufort, South Carolina at 7:25 AM on the 14th of September and arrived at our slip in Pasadena, Maryland at 5:00 PM on the 6th of October covering a total of 753 statute miles, according to the trip log on our chart plotter. We only anchored nine times on this trip, and used marinas three different times for a total of ten days. Six of those days were to deal with repairs and four were to rent a car and drive north to take care of business. We also tied to the free seawall at Great Bridge, Virginia for one night. We motored for a total of 106 hours, added 150 gallons of fuel to our tanks in Beaufort and another 168 gallons in Great Bridge, but we could have made it to Pasadena on the fuel we had. The low cost at Atlantic Yacht Basin was the reason we topped the tanks off. We knew we would pay much more as we headed north. We still have 225 gallons in the tank now so our fuel burn rate was approximately 2.3 gallons per hour or approximately 1/3 gallon per mile. This is about what we expected to use running our Ford Lehman 120 hp engine at an average rate of 1800 rpms.

Things That Didn't Work

We did have a couple of breakdowns despite all of our planning and preparation. Our Leece-Neville alternator quit working unexpectedly after only two days into our trip. A mechanic in Georgetown ordered us the wrong replacement causing us a delay. Our anchor wash down system worked well for us but we determined that we really need a pump with more pressure to do a better job.


Our TV antenna, a Shakespeare Seawatch 2025 stopped working for no apparent reason. Our dealings with Shakespeare were less than enthusiastic. It is under warranty and after we called Shakespeare, they asked us to send it back to them for repair. I was assured that the turn around would only be a day or two. We shipped it back at our cost and after two weeks and not hearing from them we finally called to inquire regarding the status of the repair. We were told the ONLY technician at Shakespeare would be out of the office for at least another two weeks. After a conversation explaining that this was totally unacceptable, they assured me someone would call me back. After a couple of days and no call we called them again. After another less than pleasant conversation we were told that, "Oh we don't fix them, we just send a replacement." So when I inquired why they had not sent me a replacement after almost three weeks, I was assured that one would go out the next day. You can guess what happened next. A week passed and with no replacement so I called again and asked where it was. I was informed they were out of stock and waiting for a shipment. Again, I explained this was not acceptable and this was probably the worst service I could remember from any company. I was told someone would call me back, but once again I had to call them. They then assured me a new shipment was coming in the next day. Finally I was told something that actually was true and when the shipment came in the next day, they finally sent us a replacement.


During the course of the trip, our Raritan hot water heater developed a leak and the bottom of the unit was rusting. Fortunately we had a replacement that we had been carrying for just such a problem. We also found that the 12 volt side of our Dometic refrigeration unit would not keep the box cool so we had to run it strictly from the inverter when not connected to shore power. This was a disappointment, but it was one of those things we had not checked before we left Beaufort.



 Breaking Down The Expenses

Our expenses for this trip were not far off from what we might normally spend. The repairs and the need to spend extra days at a dock did increase our expenditures more than they ordinarily would have been. Some of the numbers break down like this;

Food, including initial provisioning $406.00
Repairs, alternator, raw water strainer housing $458.00
Dining out $45.00
Laundry $11.00
Fuel, including what is left in the tank $800.00
Dockage $460.00

Total $2180.00

Keep in mind that this was a relocation and not a pleasure cruise. Many of the expenses we might have had if we were just out playing are not reflected here.

Things That Worked

Much of the equipment we installed worked well and made the trip much more enjoyable and even safer. Our Standard Horizon chart plotter was invaluable, as was the laptop at the lower helm station running our old but reliable Capn First Mate software, using up to date and FREE NOAA charts. The plotter runs C-Map, our preferred choice. Our anchoring system and the Manson Supreme anchor did a fabulous job and thankfully we did not have to test it in severe conditions. It set well and quickly so we feel confident it will do just as well in most any conditions. We do think we will add another 50 feet of chain to the rode, with only 50 on there now. The Standard Horizon VHF also worked well and gave us no issues. The Command Mike at the upper helm is great and we found it to be just as good as having a complete full radio. The Victron battery monitor is a fine piece of equipment and gave us the ability to know at all times the state of our batteries and the state of charge. We highly recommend the Victron unit, but any good battery monitor is a must for a cruising boat.


The 2000 watt ProMariner inverter proved to be more than adequate for our needs and we are very pleased with the performance. Our Track-It TV system for our DirecTV as usual worked as advertised and we had TV and satellite music for entertainment wherever we were anchored or docked. The Clarion stereo system with the CD changer and four new speakers in the fly bridge were pretty much on most of the time we were under way. The rebuild of the steering system and reworking the rudder problem eliminated all of the stiffness we originally had in the steering. We can't say enough about our Honda portable generator, it simply surpassed our expectations and is the absolute next best thing to a built in generator system. Anyone that has followed our upgrades and renovations knows of all of the many changes, repairs and additions we have made and in every case they have gone a long way to making this cruise, and those in the future, a pleasant experience.

Deltaville, VA to Pasadena, MD

As expected, the weather forecast was as confusing in the morning as it was the night before. So we weighed anchor and stuck our nose out into the Bay. As we rounded Stingray Point and crossed the Rappahannock the west winds that were forecast were out of the northeast, right on our nose. The forecast called for 10 to 15 with gusts to 20. We checked the buoy reports and the winds were all pretty much in the 8 knot range so we pressed on. Our biggest concern was crossing the Potomac since it is ten miles across and can develop some pretty big waves. The wind against the current was also going to make it a bumpy ride. We had a fall back plan to head into Reedville, Virginia if the going really got rough. As we passed the Rappahannock Spit light and set a waypoint for Smith Point, the southern end of the Potomac, the winds continued to clock on our nose but the speed remained constant. The swells however, were getting larger. By the time we reached Smith Point, it was pretty uncomfortable pounding into the swells and whitecaps were everywhere. These are the conditions we usually stay in port for.


We considered turning back into Reedville, but a check of our boat speed showed us still doing at least 8 MPH, even against the swells and winds. The crossing might not be too long so we continued on. As we figured, the swells were giving us a roller coaster ride for the hour plus it took us to get from Smith Point to the light at Point Lookout at the northern point of the Potomac. As we approached Point Lookout we came more into the lee of the land and the seas began to lay down. Winds were still around 10 knots and had finally moved into the forecast west. At no time during the day did we ever see 15 knots and certainly not 20, not that we were complaining. Once we reached Point Lookout we planted our left foot on the beach and stayed close in for the run up to Point No Point, then Cedar Point where we would make the turn into the Patuxent River and on into Solomons Island, our destination for the evening.


As we made the turn into the Patuxent and headed for Solomons there were at least 12, and perhaps more, sailboats approaching from the north and headed the same direction we were. Fortunately we had a fair head start on them since the anchorages can get crowded. Once we arrived in Solomons we decided to turn into Mill Creek for the night since we knew the Back Creek anchorage had been filled with moorings by Zanhiser’s. There are many spots back in Mill Creek to anchor with lots of room, good holding and protection from all wind directions. Once in the creek, the wind and seas were as calm as can be and it warmed up in the sun. We were also thankful that the forecast mostly cloudy had turned out to be 100% sunny all day. But in the back of our mind we knew we were racing a front due Wednesday with “forecast” winds in the 30 knot range. Our total 67 plus miles for this leg and the 57 miles to Pasadena the next day should get us in and secure by Tuesday afternoon.




The following morning the lies continued to pour out of the VHF weather broadcasts. Yes, I know, what is the alternative? It would be an occasional correct forecast or issuing the truth, “this information is our best guess”. The radio for two days broadcast east winds 5 knots for our area and when we pulled up anchor the buoy reports were mostly east at 8 knots, not too bad. As we entered the Bay and headed north from Drum Point the seas were 3 to 4 feet instead of the 1 to 2 we expected. With seas directly on our beam, these would be the most uncomfortable hours we would spend on the entire trip.


The buoy reports we were monitoring every half hour now reported east 12 to 17 and the seas were getting larger and more uncomfortable. At this point the thought was to turn back but we tried one more strategy, one we would have done earlier on if the information we were receiving was correct. We turned the boat and headed directly into the winds and waves. Believe it or not this was a much more comfortable ride and our plan was to cross the Bay and get in the lee of the eastern shore, then turning north and crossing the Bay again at the Chesapeake Bay Bridge. The tactic worked and as soon as we near the eastern shore the seas laid down and the ride was very comfortable. But as we reached the center of the Bay a tug with a large tow was also heading north and closing on us. We tried over and over again to get him to respond on the VHF with little results. We finally altered course, ran parallel to him until he passed us and then crossed behind his tow.
 

By noon the winds had dropped to zero and the Bay was as smooth as glass. We crossed under the Bay Bridge for the first time in six years and headed up the ship channel to Pasadena. The rest of the day was quite relaxing and we eventually moved from the inside steering station back to the flybridge. One large benefit from steering on a sailboat to the trawler bridge is the ability to spot all of the trap floats, be able to see the patterns and plot a course through them. A benefit we had not considered. Soon the all to familiar sight of the old Bethlehem Steel Plant came into view with its belching smoke stacks. We had hoped the plant was closed but apparently not. This will mean lots of work over the winter keeping the decks clean.


At around 5:00 PM, we arrived at the marina on Rock Creek in Pasadena. Over the years we have noticed the sadness and even a little depression set in at the end of any cruise. Even if it is for the purpose of relocation as this one was, instead of just for pleasure. There is a certain amount of relief that we won't have to up anchor and move tomorrow and will not have to worry about weather and anchors dragging, but we also miss watching the scenery pass by while under way, meeting the great people along the waterways and visiting new places. This is the time the emotions are definitely in conflict. We do have to look at this as a new chapter and see what tomorrow will bring in this familiar yet strange place we have been away from for a long long time.


We secured the boat and ourselves and for the first time in a while were tied to the dock and plugged into shore power. We met an old friend that was still living at the marina, had dinner and settled in. It was comfortable not to worry about anchors, lights and other boats for a change. The front we were racing was still heading in our direction. We did get some rain overnight but not much. Also the breeze picked up a little, then died down by early morning. But by noon time, they had pick up to over 25 MPH with gusts all over the area to 40 and 49 MPH. It really felt good to be tucked into a protected creek and secure at the dock. We did put on a couple of extra dock lines just in case. From this point on for a while we will be back to posting projects, repairs and our occasional forays out on the Bay. But we will try and keep it interesting. We hope you enjoyed coming along on our nearly 800 mile shakedown cruise. We will be doing a post shortly on how the equipment held up, what worked and what did not, as well as what we learned regarding the equipment we will need for future cruises, so stay tuned.

Great Bridge, VA to Deltaville, VA

We gathered all of our weather info at the end of the evening and decided not to decide where we would go the next day. We were up at our usual time and analyzed the weather info again. True to form, it had changed from the night before and actually looked much better than we expected. So we caught the 7:00 AM lock opening and headed for Norfolk. There were discussions about the Gilmerton Bridge being closed for construction but after a call to the bridge tender and radio contact with the tug working the bridge we determined there would be no delay. The next bridge past the lock is Steel Bridge and we arrived minutes before its scheduled opening. As we approached the Gilmerton Bridge, the barge was tied to the bridge wall and the bridge itself was open. We transited with no problems and headed through Norfolk.

There are all manor of vessels in the Norfolk/Hampton Roads area, from the obvious Naval presence to ferries, tugs and a variety of pleasure and commercial vessels. The waterfront has grown considerably since we first came through many years ago. There are new hotels, office buildings, several marinas, an aquarium, and lots of other attractions. The naval ships, most being reconditioned or prepped for service, are anything from aircraft carriers to submarines. It is quite a sight to see them all in one place. It was also obvious that the annual migration of pleasure boats heading south was really getting under way with lots of boats from sail to megayachts heading down the waterway.


We had considered stopping in the Hampton Roads area, only a little more than twenty miles from Great Bridge, but the forecast and conditions were just too good for a run up the bay. So we plugged in the waypoints to Deltaville, exited Hampton Roads and entered the Chesapeake Bay for the first time in over six years. As we turned north on the Bay we had a very uncomfortable swell rolling in on our beam. We had to deal with this for a few hours until our course changed and the swells were a bit more on our stern quarter. The Bay is wide open at this point and the swells roll in from the Atlantic. As we passed Old Point Comfort the skies were blue and the winds light from the southwest. If not for the swell it would be one of those perfect days on the Bay. There are actually about three every year.


We set a course to put us outside the York Spit at the mouth of the York River, and then directly to Wolftrap Light. The Lighthouses and Lights along the Bay are truly unique and must see for anyone traveling up the Bay. Many boaters run the ship channel down the center of the Bay fearing shoals and really miss out on a lot. Once across the wide expanse of Mobjack Bay and the arrival at Wolftrap, we turned into the Piankatank River, There is a shoal that extends for a long distance off Cherry Point on Gwynns Island that must be avoided. But once past the shoal we headed directly for the entrance to Deltaville.


The entrance channel can be a little daunting to someone that has not done it before. It is well marked but very, very shallow outside the marked channel. It comes in on an angle then makes a sharp left curve around and you must run almost onto a small beach as you make the left turn. A sharp right brings you into the marina area and anchorage but there is one last red marker that must be cleared before making the turn toward the marina. Once you have cleared all of the hurtles the anchorage is wide and deep with good holding just past the Deltaville Marina off the private docks across the channel. Even with the exposure from the south, we have sat here in heavy southerly winds and the shoal across the mouth of the river keeps the waves down. Winds from any other direction are no problem. Some like to anchor in a branch that goes off to port called Jackson Creek. There protection is excellent from all points of the compass. We shared the anchorage with three other boats.


It has been a while since I have commented on one of my favorite organizations, the National Weather Service. You know, the organization that some can work for, be consistently wrong, get paid well and not loose their job. Their forecast for Sunday was NW 10 to 15 with gusts to 20, making this uncomfortable since we would be going northwest on the Bay. We checked the forecast again at daybreak and it was still the same so we decided to have a lay day in Deltaville. We monitored the forecast during the day and they insisted it would be 20 knots after noon, despite their own buoy reports all day with winds of 6 to 10 knots. The forecast changed three times since morning and the broadcast for Monday stated west 10 to 15 and west 5 to 10 for Tuesday. The text reports on their website also said west 10 to 15 for Monday, but added with gusts to 20, not stated on their VHF broadcasts. The text for Tuesday said west 5 to 10 with gusts to 20. So how could they possibly be wrong with winds forecast for Tuesday anywhere from 5 knots to 20 knots. What a great way to assure your forecast is correct no matter what. Unfortunately this ridiculous information is absolutely worthless for anyone trying to decide if they should venture out on the water. Over the years we have come to the conclusion that the folks at NWS responsible for marine forecasts pretty much stick to using the W A G method, Wild Ass Guess, to put out their product.


Our lay day was not a complete waste. Sometimes we rest and relax and other times we use it for maintenance. This would be a maintenance day and it turned out to be a blessing in disguise. The fuel in our tanks when we bought the boat had sat for a long time, perhaps a year or more. We topped off the tanks in Beaufort, but one of the projects we have yet to complete is a fuel polishing system. All of the components are sitting on the boat ready to be installed. As time ran out prior to us heading north, I decided as a precaution to add a vacuum gauge to the Racor filter to alert me if the filters were becoming clogged. We installed this on our sailboat and it was a big help in letting us know we needed to change filters before the engine shut down. All the way up the waterway, when doing my regular engine room checks, the gauge was always at zero and never showing the slightest movement. We knew from past experience, this was just not right. I had considered changing the Racor filters in Great Bridge but never got around to it. Since we would be here an extra day, it was time and I wanted to be sure we had a clean filter heading up the Bay in case we got bounced around. This is usually when the dirt in the tank gets stirred up and clogs the filter. When I removed the existing filter the dirt and goo on the filter and in the housing was actually a shock. We have no idea how the engine was continuing to run, but it is a real testament to the Ford Lehman. The filter housing was cleaned and a new filter installed. We keep a small can of diesel on board to refill the filters making it unnecessary to have to bleed the fuel system to restart the engine. Racor is another one of those companies that once upon a time made quality equipment that you could count on. This seems to me to no longer be the case. It has now been relegated to the ranks of overpriced, poorly built products that may or may not work as needed. It is sad, and is happening all to often. But, a few other minor items were done and we will look at the weather guess for tomorrow and will probably head north. We need to be in Pasadena, Maryland by Wednesday for a commitment and the weather looks like it will change, but not for the better, by then.

Adams Creek, NC to Great Bridge, VA

We have done the ICW so many times that we pretty much know from day to day where we want to be and where we plan to anchor or at which marina we want to stop for the night. But we still also like to try and find new spots, especially since we are no longer burdened with a six foot draft to limit access. After we have anchored or docked for the evening, had showers and dinner and are ready to relax, we still take the time to get out the charts and and plan the next days run and where we want to wind up. Included in our plans are fall back points in case of problems, weather or whatever and also fall forward points in case things go better than planned. We always say our plans are written in the sand at low tide.

We spent a very relaxing day at our anchorage in Jonaquin Creek with great protection and good holding. We spent the day watching TV compliments of DirectTV and our Follow-Me, now Track-It, system, which did a great job of holding the signal as we danced back and forth in the 25+ MPH winds that came through the anchorage. We did some reading and just rested up in preparation for our next push. The forecast 15 to 25 MPH winds would make the trip up the Neuse River a real efforts so the 24 hour delay was worth it and saved us the stress. By the time we pulled up the anchor and headed out on the Neuse, the winds, although right on the nose, were only about 10 MPH. It was still a little bumpy, but by no means rough.

The trip down the Neuse to the Bay River is about 20 miles and eventually the wind switched around to our stern quarter making it more comfortable. But as we came out of our protected anchorage the light winds were decidedly cooler than anything we have had to date. We immediately moved from the flybridge to the inside steering station. Have I mentioned how much we really, really like having an inside steering station?

The trip up the Neuse and Bay Rivers went quickly and once we turned into Gale Creek and the cut that runs through and past Hobucken, the winds were blocked and the waters calm. The other side of the cut brings you out on to Goose Creek and then the crossing of the Pamlico. This can be another rough patch if conditions are not right. We had the wind and waves on our beam across the Pamlico and up the Pungo River but it was not uncomfortable and as the day progressed the winds were lower. The 18 miles up the Pungo, past Belhaven and toward our anchorage had the currents with us and helped us make better time than we expected. Our planned anchorage was a small creek just before entering the Alligator-Pungo Canal, where we had anchored in the past.

But because we were seriously behind for this entire trip and we were ahead of our schedule for the day, we decided on our fall forward plan. Using both the chart plotter and the computer, we determined that we could easily make the next available anchorage with good daylight to spare, so we pressed on. The Alligator-Pungo Canal is absolutely beautiful and you have the feeling of complete isolation. Care needs to be taken through here since there are numerous tree stumps along both sides and a few almost reach the center of the channel. They are easily seen but you need to be aware.

Exactly as our plotters predicted, we reached our anchorage for the evening just off the waterway off Tuckahoe Point at 5:45 PM. At 81 miles, this is our all time best run for a single day on any of our previous trips. Another big plus for the trawler. This is the lower section of the ICW on the Alligator River and one of those spots where we have not anchored before. One of the things we did not count on were the military jets doing exercises over us just after the sun went down. There was one small sailboat anchored some distance away from us and a couple of large power boats anchored a mile or so up the river. We had seen more boats heading south on this leg than all of the other days combined. Most were sailboats but there were also several trawlers. The winds had pretty much dropped off after sunset and it looked like a peaceful evening once the jets went home.

Up with the sun and under way at 7:00AM the next morning with sunny skies, cool temps and light winds for the trip up the Alligator River. We arrived at the bridge at 9:30AM and with only a few minutes delay, we were heading out onto the Albermarle, another body of water that is very unforgiving in bad weather. But this morning it was kind to us and with light winds and a chop of less than one foot, we crossed quickly and comfortably. Once across, you enter the North River for about seven miles. We have anchored in both the Alligator and North Rivers often by just turning out of the channel and heading for shore until we ran out of depth.

Which side would depend on what direction the wind was coming from. After the North River we passed through Coinjock and a spot where we have often stopped at one of the marinas. This time we again pressed on, mostly because the marinas have raised there rates to the point that you would think they were in South Florida instead of on a canal in North Carolina. After Coinjock we came out onto
Currituck Sound and the North Landing River. This is a very wide and shallow expanse of the waterway. The channel is twelve to sixteen feet deep, but outside the channel it is only a foot or two in most places. The area has a reputation for side currents in certain wind conditions and even with the ten knots of wind we had, it was choppy. As we progressed north the wind, which was forecast to subside, picked up. Just as we came out of the wide expanse of the river and it narrows considerably, is a small creek called Blackwater.

The guides warn that the entrance is only five feet with seven to ten feet inside. We never saw less than seven and a half feet at the entrance. The bottom is soft mud and it took two tries to set the anchor. We can attest that the creek is seven feet almost right up to the marsh reeds about a quarter mile in. Occasionally you can encounter small boat and jet ski traffic and probably more so on the weekends. This was another of those good days and we had covered a bit more than 75 miles on this leg. We have covered more ground in three days than we had previously covered in a week. Our destination for the next day is Great Bridge, Virginia, only 18 miles away. We will still get an early start to get us there early. Our anchorage in Blackwater Creek puts us in Virginia.

This turned out to be a great anchorage although we would recommend it for fair weather. At 7:10AM we were under way and headed for the first bridge at North Landing. We made the 8:30AM opening but it was iffy for a moment. They were working on the bridge and the first attempt to open it did not quite work. It closed, then reopened and all was well. The ICW had a light fog initially, but then it became sunny and clear. The water on the Albermarle and Chesapeake Canal was smooth as glass and we took some great photos. Our second bridge was Centerville, five miles away, so we slowed down and took our time for the opening on the hour. We did not want to try and make the five miles in less than thirty minutes. The bridge tender at North landing was as nice as could be and the bridge tender at Centerville was as grumpy as can be.

What a difference just a few miles can make. By 10:00AM we were tied to the fuel dock at Atlantic Yacht Basin in Great Bridge to top off the fuel tanks. We probably could have made it all the way up the Bay but at $2.18 a gallon for diesel, we decided to not pass it up. The marina allowed us to top off our water tanks and sit at the dock for another 45 minutes until the bridge opened at 11:00AM. We also heard our friends on Diamond Girl calling someone on the radio so we called them. It seemed they were just north of us and we both had plans to tie up at the free seawall between the bridge and the lock for the evening. Another coincidence was a phone call from friends from Beaufort who just happened to be in Great Bridge and were wondering where we were. It is truly a very small world sometimes. It looks like this stop will be a bit of a social event for us and we have plans for dinner to get our much needed pizza fix at one of the local restaurants tonight.