Day 20, Lay Day in Charleston

Sunday, October 23, 2016
Charleston - Lay day. A well deserved break from the typical six to nine hours of driving a boat into the sun. 

Her resting place.......

Got a lift into the center of town, the French Quarter, and had a great brunch at Rue de Jean. 

We then explored pretty much the entire city on foot. Quite pedestrian friendly, Charleston has such a rich history and interesting and attractive architecture. We started out in the Visitor Center, of all places, and then went to a Fort Sumter exhibit.

We even spent an hour taking a guided tour of the Edmondston-Alston House, almost entirely preserved architecture, art and artifacts from the Antebellum period. Very interesting. 

Day 19 - October 22, 2016 - Georgetown to Charleston, SC

0900 shoved off from Georgetown and decided to go north around the harbor island to check out the paper and steel mills. 

International Paper - at one time the largest paper mil in the world

Industrious Georgetown

We were supposedly in a dredged channel.  Well, as we were navigating around some hurricane debris, the depth finder indicated that we were rapidly losing water under the Lady A. The ability to turn diminished quickly and the depth finder indicated zero  We were running aground but were able to reverse rapidly and pull ourselves off of the muddy bottom. Needless to say, we reversed our direction and went back the way we came-an exciting beginning of the day!

Fortunately the rest of the day was uneventful, six hours of navigating down the Intracoastal Waterway, 60 nautical miles.  We first went down the Waccawaw River with the current a few miles, and then into the ditch pretty much for the rest of the day.  Went past Cat Island, Crow, Cedar, Murphy, then just before Charleston Harbor we passed by Pine Island and Isle of Palms.  Quite nice homes all along this part of the waterway.

Isle of Palms

We landed in Charleston Harbor with tons going on this Saturday afternoon:  so much water activity with ferries, tour boats, large sailing yachts and a large small sailboat regatta.  Pretty good wind, too, out of the Northwest.

Charleston Yacht Club race

Arthur Ravenele Jr Bridge

We fueled up at the Charleston City Marina and were given directions to our slip, necessary since this is the largest marina, the most dock frontage, perhaps on the entire eastern seaboard.  It’s so large that the staff gets around in golf carts and many boaters keep bicycles at their slip to ride up the various fingers!

John's next yacht

We have decided to take a lay day here on Sunday to relax and explore the city.  A much needed, and deserved, resting day.

Day 18 - October 21, 2016 -Southport to Georgetown, SC

0730 we left Southport, traveling west, inside, down the ICW for 23.5 NM in intermittent fog, before going out into the Atlantic at Little River Inlet.  

Early morning fog

More remnants of Matthew

Once outside we had a six hour voyage, and set a course for 219 degrees west, to the Winyah Inlet, at the entrance to the Winyah River, which takes you up to Georgetown.

Decent outside, for the first few hours 

The seas built all during the day so by the time we started into  the Inlet we had 6' rollers running from the NE and a 3-5’ chop on top coming from the SW. Sloppy conditions for the last hour or two outside.

Seas building

Then we had to run against a 5 knot current about 10 miles up river.  93 NM in 9h9m! Boat handled it well but not too  much fun.  Long day.  Didn't get in until after five.

Georgetown is very nice.  They have a paper mill that is a bit odiferous when the wind is wrong but otherwise a nice town with a harbor boardwalk, restaurants and shops. 

Paper mill at the head of the harbor

Georgetown history

As mentioned before, we continually have people stopping by to look at the boat and ask questions.  Turns out we missed the Georgetown Wooden Boat Show by just a few days; it was last weekend.  There were a few of the show boats still there and a couple of their owners told us that had we been there a week earlier, we probably would have won “Best in Show”!!  Oh well, there’s always next year.

Heart stopping goodness

Tomorrow we plan to run inside all day about 65nm to Charleston and are planning to spend two nights taking in the town. 

Day 17 - Beaufort to Southport, NC - Westward Ho!

Beaufort to Southport, NC.


So, piracy is a main theme of this town.  Beaufort is where Blackbeard reigned and his ship, Queen Anne's Revenge, is shipwrecked just off the inlet.  

Blackbeard and me

Check it out on Wikipedia or whatever.

Weather permitting, the plan for today was to run outside. Not only does it move the voyage along if the weather is fair, it also makes sense because the ICW has a number unsettled issues remaining from hurricane Matthew. The waters are still high from the storm and we are just coming off a full moon so the tides are running extreme. In fact, tomorrow we have to deal with a bridge that is still unable to open until the waters recede some more.

We lucked out with another beautiful day and left Beaufort after breakfast at 0730. Beaufort Town Docks are so conveniently located to the inlet.  We were in open ocean in no time.

Flat calm outside for once

Outside the inlet we had only 2-4 foot swells at 10-12 second intervals and light winds. We set a course for Masonboro Inlet on the autopilot and started to take watches.  We ran about 5 to 6 hours outside, the first half of a very long day. 

Dolphin watch

Making time

We went back into the ICW through the Masonboro Inlet and proceeded down around Cape Fear to Southport for the evening. 

After going through the inlet, which was exciting in and of itself, (we wished we'd had pics of that). But then again there's a reason why we don't have many pictures of the exciting times -we're dealing with the exciting times! :)


Heading 240 WSW

Nearing the Inlet- Wrightsville Beach

Once we were back in the Intracoastal Waterway, we still had 2-3 hours, depending on current, traffic, etc.  Some tricky spots but relatively easy motoring.  At one point we were running with the current at over 15 knots at only 2300 rpms.

Remnants of Matthe

After fueling up at Southport Marina, (no vacancy) we made our way down to South Harbor Village Marina, quite a nice spot with two restaurants.  Right after showering, as we returned to the boat, a really fun thing occurred. We had visitors from Chebeague!  It turns out Jen (Putnam) and Ian Cummings live down here now and saw our whereabouts on this blog and came by to visit!  We had a beer aboard and made connections.  Fun!

Might try to make Georgetown tomorrow but it's a greater distance than today's of 90+nm. However, there's some talk of rain and increasing winds in the afternoon so we'll play it by ear.

Day 16 - Belhaven to Beaufort, North Carolina

Partly cloudy skies at dawn but overall clear and calm day. 

Belhaven sunrise
Grill still out!

Visibility today, forever. This day's route was quite interesting with a series of bays, rivers and canals. 

Pretty much due south
60.1nm, 6h11m

0745 shoved off down the Pungo River, across the Pamlico River into Goose Creek. That route eliminates the need to go all the way around Brandt Island Shoal or navigate it's slue. 

Exiting the canal takes you down to Bay River which feeds into the Neuse. 

This is where Henry, the dock master in Belhaven suggested we'd be heading straight into a southwest wind and chop. He was right , we were sailing directly into it but perhaps because we got to that spot early enough in the morning, we were able to avoid the seas building. By the time we entered Adam's creek, it was as a mill pond. 

Very little traffic on the canal as well (early bird...), so we made it through quickly and got to Beaufort by 2 pm. Time to relax and explore the town.

Believe it or not, a Kiwi came up to our boat and said, "Is your boat a Peter Kass?"  I said "Yes, built to Peter's design by Mike Robinson on Chebeague!" He had just met a gentleman in Newport who referenced an article about Peter written in a magazine and this guy looked up the design and recognized it!

Anyway, we had a delightful day enjoying some Southern hospitality ands a a great meal including shrimp and cheese grits!

Weather permitting, we're planning to go outside tomorrow and make it to Southport, with a bail out of Wrightsville.  This avoids some windy and unsettled part of the ICW.  Both are good options depending on time underway and the Lady's temperament....

Day 15 - Coinjock to Belhaven NC

Day 15. Coinjock to Belhaven, NC

Sunrise 0713

We awoke at 0630 and left before sun up.  One or two vessels left with us or before. Breakfast underway.  Today we had to decide whether or not to go east and venture out for a really long day through Pamlico Sound to a town called Oriental, or go more inland through a canal system to Belhaven. 

Southbound at dawn

Temperatures are ideal now and have been pretty much the whole trip. Thirty-seven degrees fahrenheit the morning of the day we left Rowayton and then a couple of cool mornings in NJ but since then the temperature has been ideal.

Once we got out of the "Coinjock" canal into Abelmarle Sound the wind picked up, making the seas run choppy because of the shallow depth. The decision was made for us. The inside route was delightful,  even if more boring! Another swampy run through the pine trees. 

At the southern part of Abelmarle Bay, we had to wait a few minutes for the Alligator River swing bridge to open (on demand).  Some are on the hour or half, others on demand.  Some are left open unless they need them (train bridges, primarily).

Alligator River Swing Bridge
17' clearance

But before entering the canal, we had an unbelievable experience while traversing up (but on a southerly route?) the Alligator River.  We're not sure, but it was either the Blue Angels or the Thunderbirds performing, (or eat least practicing) over this body of water.

Over our bow

Absolutely fantastic. It was so thrilling to actually feel these magnificent jets speeding right across our bow and overhead.  So exciting!!  Amanda was able to capture this shot literally right overhead!

OMG

The River Forest Manor and Marina is quite the place. Conveniently located at the mouth of the Pungo River.  Not the flattest lie we've had for the evening, but a nice enough place to lure you in.  They have loaner golf carts to go for provisions, nice showers and free laundry!  First spot for that, I think.

The Manor Hous

We will leave early again to morrow and try to make Beaufort, NC.

Sunset 1831

Who's pic is better, JL's above or this one, Amanda's?

Day 14 - Portsmouth, VA to Coinjock, NC

Last evening in Portsmouth included a fabulous dinner at a place called Still, which you might deduce has the name due to having been a still during prohibition. We ate at the bar, tapas for the most part, and great duck tacos. 

Some Portsmouth History

The Coffee Shop on the corner of High and Middle Streets is a "go to" spot.

Breakfast in Portsmouth

Shoved off at 0930 and made it down the Elizabeth River. Naval ship after naval ship.  Many in dry dock.

Very interesting day with several bridges and a lock system to drop us 18 inches on our way down. The only problem was that a flotilla of 25 sailboats, had arrived just before we did so two lock transport openings later, we went thorough.  Even Amanda couldn't get us moved along faster.....   

But those interludes allow you to meet other boaters. We've found it shocking how many people ask us about our boat, or even more, people notice "Chebeague Island" on our hail port and either know about the Island or have been there!  To that point, it turns out that in the very lock along with us, the boat just ahead of us had been to Chebeague.  And the boat behind us knew the Whitman family; the captain had worked with Bob at MIT!

Going down the dismal swamp, we encountered, some fun seekers riding wave runners.  They couldn't wait for us to get out of the No Wake Zone, so they could ride our waves. These guys were going 70 miles an hour up and down the canal but timing our wake, just right.

And higher

Wake riding high,

Our destination after running through the Dismal Swamp today was a place called Coinjock, a "must do" on the ICW, mostly because it's pretty much the only place to stop between Portsmouth and where the ICW offers other tributaries.

Cool little restaurant and we're waiting to go to dinner in order to see if we can view this rocket launch- the satellite supply ship. 

I believe we are the smallest vessel in the marina. Something tells me if Amanda does ithis trip again, it might not be on the Lady A, despite how comfortable and efficient this has been, so far......

Off to Belle Haven tomorrow, as now planned.

(Will try to add more pics tomorrow.)