Southport, NC to Morehead City, NC
After over 62 continuous hours (2 and ¾ days) of slugging it
out with Tropical Storm Anna, the first of the season, we had pulled into
Southport, NC. That decision was
motivated by the fact that we had been bucking northeast winds between 20 and
40 knots and “big” waves from 4 to 5 at the outset in Fort Pierce to as high as
10 to 12 off Georgetown. Had we decided
to continue on to Morehead City we would have had to round Cape Fear’s Frying
Pan Shoal and that would have forced us to run out to the higher winds and even
bigger waves. Notwithstanding at the
time that we were unaware that the low off of South Carolina was a tropical
storm. Small detail.
Earlier that morning (Thursday, May 7) we had opted to head
for Georgetown to get out of the 7 to 9s with occasional 10 to 11s When we got to Georgetown we found ourselves
in “calmer” (relatively speaking) 3 to 5 foot seas close to shore with lots of
spray. That prompted the decision at
noon to push on to Southport along the shore.
By doing so we eliminated running 90+ nautical miles on the ICW (Intracoastal
Waterway) the following day between Georgetown and Southport and we got further
ahead of the slow moving storm. The
downside of that decision was arriving at the Cape Fear Inlet at in the dark (11:00
PM) and then docking at the Southport Marina in the dark with no help.
Which gets us the 92 NM Southport to Morehead City run on
the ICW. Like everything it comes with
good news and bad news. The good news is
that 92 NMs is possible for us with an early morning departure. Remember we cruise at 8.4 knots with
reasonable efficiency (.91 NMPG). The 63
can do 13.5 knots but the fuel consumption is ridiculous (.25 NMPG). The bad news is that this stretch of the ICW
comes with a series of obstacles that can easily upset the plan to make it one
day. These include bridges that only
open on the hour and half hour, three swing bridges that in addition to being
on the half hour will not open if the winds exceeds 30 knots (a definite
problem for us with Tropical Storm Anna on our tail) and, finally, the
potential for the ICW here to be shut down when Camp Lejune is conducting life
fire exercises.
So what turns out to be an easy trip on protected water
becomes stressful if your goal is to make it in one day. Miss just one bridge opening and you have a 30
minute delay. Arrive at a bridge when
the winds are over 30 knots and you have another delay. Running on the ICW in the dark is not an
option. The ICW is tough enough in the
daytime. Oh did I mention that marinas
are businesses that have established hours.
The ICW is much more fun when you are doing the Great Loop
and have time on your hands. It’s not
fun when you are moving a boat north with a crew.
With all this in mind we departed somewhat late (7:40 AM). Fortunately, we made the bridge openings and
the wind stayed under 30kts and the Marines took a pass on target practice and,
finally, Lee at Morehead City Yacht Basin graciously stayed late to help us
dock and refuel. Thanks Lee!!!.
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| Wrightsville Bridge openning at 11:00 AM |
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| Approaching the Figure Eight swing bridge at 11:30 AM |
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| We clear the first of three swing bridges |
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| Surf City swing bridge opened at 1:23 PM for the tow. We followed The bridge tender reported winds at 27 knots. Two down one to go |
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| Onslow Beach swing bridge at 3:30 PM |
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| Camp Lejune "stoplight" NOT ON!!!! |
Coaching David while great fun was actually eye opening for me as it forced
me to think about a series of integrated behaviors that the experienced helmsman
does instinctively. Essentially I needed
to give David an error proof formula. The
process boiled down to key elements; following the magenta line, recognizing
that the buoys mark the sides of the channel, identifying the next buoy up the
line and not going from buoy to buoy, which results in zig zagging to go the
edge of the channel. Most important, the
helmsman must maintain a scan that includes comparing the movement of the boat
to the magenta line to the data provided by the chart plotter and rudder
indicator, and, most important, use small adjustments. The key is keeping one’s head out the window
and not fixating on the magenta line or the rudder indicator. Oh yes, and once you have a mark in sight,
look for the next one, which has become as running joke between David, Dick and
I.
The formula worked.
David’s steering improved. Most
important, I learned that you can’t go wrong following the magenta line (except
when the buoys or Active Captain indicate otherwise).
We arrived at the Morehead City Yacht Basin at 7:25 PM. Fueling took another hour. We took on 769.4 gallons at $2.61, the lowest
price I’ve paid for diesel EVER I think.
Lee’s staying late to fuel us enabled us to leave a 5:30 AM the next day
and, as of this writing (at 4:15 PM on Monday off of Long Island), to outrun
Tropical Storm Anna.
The absolute highlight of the day was dinner. Dick cooked 6 oz 1 ½ inch filet steaks from Allen
Brothers that were INCREDIBLE. I cooked potatoes
with garlic and herb de province according to Lesley’s (my daughter’s) recipe. Accompanying
dinner was a bottle of 2011 Sequoia Grove Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvingnon that
was perfect. Dessert was home-made by
Dick’s sister. All in all, the end to a
perfect day.
Statistics:
Statistics:
- Distance Today: 91.6 Nautical miles
- Fuel Used: 103 gallons of diesel
- Time Enroute: 11 hours and 35 minutes
- Total Distance: 802.2 nautical miles since leaving Sarasota
- Total Engine Fuel Used since leaving Fort Pierce: gallons
- Total Generator Fuel Used since leaving fort Pierce: gallons
- Fuel Added: 769.4 gallons
- Fuel Price: $2.61 per gallon
- Fuel Cost: $2,008.13
Written by Les.
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