Our Weather Window - Hampton Roads, VA to Boston Harbor, MA

My friend Cliff on Oasis, a 70 foot Delta ocean going trawler, currently heading north called it three days ago (Monday) when he said that Friday will be the start of a weather window.  Cliff has 20 plus years of cruising experience.

That said, when he made that prediction the weather was, in a word, "horrible."  The deep low Monday over the western plains with a trailing cold front down through Texas kicked up massive thunderstorms and a Category 5 tornado that wiped out an Oklahoma town and took 16 lives.  That weather system is still dominating our weather as I write this article.  There is rain along the entire east coast.  A warm front is approaching Norfolk and the temperature outside is already 70 degrees.

Current conditions as of Wednesday, April 30

My friend and soon to be crew member for the trip north, Phil, turned me on to a thread pertaining specifically to our trip north.  The person initiating the thread was a sailor, and his concerns pertained to a sailboat transiting at 5 to 6 knots.  The respondents, who also appeared to be sailors, commented on four key issues that I must also take into consideration; weather windows, favorable winds, temperature and the Cape Cod Canal (CCC).

Temperature: You definitely need warm clothes on a sailboat at this time of the year.  We on the other hand will be warmly ensconced in the cabin.  It is highly unlikely that we will go on deck except for a constitutional if we are on calm seas or if for some reason we need to make port.

The Cape Cod Canal: The CCC is definitely an obstacle for a sailboat as the current reaches as high as 4 knots each day.  Great if it's going with you.  Not so good if it's against you.  The CCC is 7 statute miles long.  The 63 can maintain 8 knots by hitting the power (30 gallons an hour at 12 knots).  So the cost of powering through the canal is 23 additional gallons.  Fortunately for us, slack tide is at 7:43 AM on Sunday morning.  The canal is at our 394 NM mark or 46 hours from departure.  Assuming an 8 am departure we arrive at the canal at slack tide.  Further, we can adjust our speed while underway to hit our mark on time.

Finally, we get to the most important part.  The weather window.  We appear to have ours.

OVERVIEW:

The forecast for Friday, May 2, the day of our departure, shows the low pressure that has been wreaking havoc for the past four day moving off to the northeast as high pressure builds in from the southwest.

NOAA forecast for Friday, May 2

Saturday's forecast shows the isobars (pressure gradients) moving even further apart indicating lower wind speeds.  The low moves even further north over Canada.

NOAA forecast for Saturday, May 3

Sunday shows a low forming over northern NY with a trailing cold front along the coast.  Possibility of showers and increasing winds.  Possibly a problem but not when viewed in relation to our route as  explained below.

NOAA forecast for Sunday, May 4

MARINE FORECASTS: Now we look at specifics.

Note: In the following paragraphs I show a relevant range of forecasted conditions pertaining to our location on each day of our cruise.  The symbol *** shows the specific forecast(s) that pertains to our transit of that section of the coast.

FRIDAY: Starting at our point of departure from Hampton Roads, the marine forecast is very favorable with an improving trend (lower winds) as the day progresses..

THU NIGHT:  SW WINDS 10 TO 15 KT...BECOMING W AFTER MIDNIGHT. WAVES  2 FT.

***FRI: NW WINDS 10 KT...BECOMING SW IN THE AFTERNOON. WAVES 2 FT.

***FRI NIGHT: SW WINDS 5 TO 10 KT. WAVES 2 FT.

SATURDAY: North of Cape May, where we will be on Saturday morning, the winds and seas are favorable with west winds between 5 and 10 knots and seas 2 to 4 feet.

FRI: W WINDS 10 TO 15 KT. SEAS 3 TO 5 FT.
FRI NIGHT  SW WINDS 10 TO 15 KT. SEAS 2 TO 4 FT.  

***SAT: W WINDS 5 TO 10 KT...BECOMING SW. SEAS 2 TO 4 FT.

***SUN: W WINDS 10 TO 15 KT...BECOMING NW AFTER MIDNIGHT. SEAS 2 TO 4 FT.

SUNDAY MORNING EARLY:  As we arrive at the Cape Cod Canal the weather gets a bit more complicated but we find ourselves in protected waters.  We could see seas building on Saturday night to 5 feet as we approach Block Island.  The forecast for Sunday night does not effect us as we are will past the CCC and into Cape Cod Bay.  That said you can see that the winds and seas kick up as they day progresses.

SAT:  SW WINDS 5 TO 10 KT. SEAS 3 TO 5 FT.

*** SAT NIGHT: SW WINDS AROUND 10 KT. SEAS 3 TO 5 FT.

SUN: SW WINDS 15 TO 20 KT. SEAS 3 TO 5 FT.
SUN NIGHT: W WINDS 15 TO 20 KT WITH GUSTS UP TO 25 KT. SEAS
 4 TO 6 FT.

SUNDAY MORNING THROUGH NOON: The Sunday forecast that pertains to our transit of Cape Cod Bay shows winds picking up (10 to 15 knots).  However, having transited the CCC we are now running within 5 miles of shore and we should be in calm waters with a southwest wind.

SAT NIGHT: SW WINDS AROUND 10 KT. SEAS AROUND 2 FT.
*** SUN: SW WINDS 10 TO 15 KT WITH GUSTS UP TO 20 KT. SEAS AROUND 2 FT. A CHANCE OF SHOWERS.
SUN NIGHT: W WINDS 10 TO 15 KT WITH GUSTS UP TO 20 KT. SEAS AROUND 2 FT.

SUNDAY AFTERNOON: Finally, we arrive in the Boston Harbor area where we transit President Roads, the Hull Gut and Hingham Bay on our way to our destination.  We just may need to don our rain gear as we pull in to our slip at Hingham Ship Yard Marina.  Even the gusty winds will be mitigated as we dock by the marina's location, which is considered a hurricane hole.

SAT NIGHT: SW WINDS 5 TO 10 KT. WAVES 1 FOOT OR LESS.

*** SUN: SW WINDS 5 TO 10 KT WITH GUSTS UP TO 20 KT. WAVES 1 FOOT
 OR LESS. A CHANCE OF SHOWERS.
SUN NIGHT: W WINDS AROUND 10 KT. WAVES AROUND 2 FT

Written by Les

Norfolk Adventures 2014 - Parade & Tattooo

Before writing this, I went back and reviewed the article I wrote on June 8, 2011 entitled "Norfolk Adventures - Day 245 to 248 - Norfolk, VA" to make sure I did not repeat myself.  Below is a link to that article.  I think did a good job of capturing the city's flavor.  It's worth reading.

www.mvguideddiscovery.blogspot.com/2011/06/norfolk-adventures-days-245-to-248.html

As you know, we arrived last Friday after a somewhat slow trip on the ICW due to the bridges that open on a rigid schedule.  Friday night, we had torrential rains connected to a front that produced a tornado in Elizabeth City, NC.  We were just 20 miles east of there at Coinjock the previous evening.

Guided Discovery at night in Norfolk

Saturday we awoke to a beautiful day and a parade that started at 10:00 AM with its reviewing stand right by the marina.  The parade kicked off the 2014 Norfolk NATO Festival, an event that celebrates the founding of NATO.  All 28 NATO countries had floats that symbolized their culture.  Interspersed were bands and civic organizations that came out to support the program.  It was a lovely parade.

Portugal (I think)

Romania

Slovenia

Spain

United Kingdom

Turkey

Norway

Model A Ford Club

Italy

One of many bands providing great music

The United States float captures our culture perfectly

After the parade we wandered to a parkto the event itself  (two football fields from the marina).  Here we found 28 tents, one for each country, promoting tourism.  Each tent had a sign that identified the country's political system and the size of its armed forces.  In the center was a beer garden with music. Diana could not resist knackwurst and sauerkraut.  I could not resist the bratwurst.

View from Nauticus Museum on the NATO Festival festivities

The "crew" poses in front of seven of the circle of 28 NATO country tents

Sunday we experienced another part of Norfolk's culture when we attended the Virginia International Tattoo, a part of the Virginia Arts Festival Spring 2014.

Explanatory Note: The next two paragraphs explain what is meant be the term "tattoo."

"In the old days, field musicians were vital to commanders as the sole means of relaying orders during battle. For marching, the bands kept the company or regiment in proper cadence, and served to beat the daily duty calls and ceremonies such as Reveille, Taps, the General, the Assembly and the Retreat. The distinctive and colorful uniforms were necessary to distinguish them easily on the battlefields, and were often the reverse color of those worn by the line soldiers.

The term "tattoo" derives from the cries of the 17th and 18th century Low Country innkeepers, who, as the fifes and drums of the local regiment signaled a return to quarters would cry, "Doe den tap toe!" -"Turn off the taps!" The sound of the "taps" caused the innkeeper's customers to depart and return to their barracks. The word "tattoo" evolved over time, and refers to what developed as a ceremonial performance of military music by massed bands today."

I need a better camera

I borrowed a paragraph from their website to give you a sense of the spectacle we enjoyed.  Their "hype" cannot capture the thrill of the performance we observed to a packed house (at the afternoon performance).

"The spectacular Virginia International Tattoo performances will once again inspire audiences, leaving them with a renewed sense of pride and optimism. The Virginia International Tattoo invites military and non-military bands, drill teams, bagpipe and drum bands, highland dancers and more from around the globe to create a unified and extraordinary performance. The Virginia International Tattoo offers an astounding display of patriotism and the spirit of international cooperation. Inspirational music…majestic massed pipes and drums… show stopping drill team maneuvers…colorful and elegant dancers…ALL give reasons for the crowd to roar!"

Kodi and I enjoyed a 4 mile morning walk on Monday.  Then it started to rain and it has been raining off and on every since.

Good news: Tuesday morning two technicians (JT and AJ) arrived at 8:30 AM to resolve a leak at the port transmission sensor.  The confirmed the diagnosis made by Rafael Betts from Performance Power System in Stuart and proceeded to resolve the issue.  They also found and corrected a fuel leak and installed a After Cooler Condensation Valve Hose that was missing when we took possession.  As of today, there a no open issues on Outer Reef's Warranty Issues list. Hurrah.

The next article will deal with the weather related to our 480 nautical mile trip from Norfolk to Hingham Massachusetts.  Stay tuned.  It will be interesting..

Written by Les

Lock 103 - Coinjock to Norfolk

Reader Note: I published two articles this morning (i.e., 2:20 AM).  Be sure to check out "Calm after the Storm - Belhaven to Coinjock."

Strange title you say.  Well, not really.

We did a total of 102 locks on our Great Loop adventure.  We had to do another one today, our first with the 63.  Hence, "Lock 103."

A little background.  Diana dreaded the locks and worried for months about how we would meet this challenge prior to departure in October  2010. She rapidly became quite competent and we successfully negotiated 101 of the 102 locks without incident.  The lock on the Ohio gave as a big scare but we made it through (with a little rub rail damage) and the error, getting detached from the lock wall, was entirely my fault.

The Great Bridge Lock was our first with the 63 and it was a snap with the Glendenning Remote.  I stood on the Portuguese Bridge and guided the 63 into the lock and then moved to the port side walkway as we tied up to the wall.  We did not even need our communicators.  Adding to the "easiness" was a 2 foot drop.

Our 103rd lock

The rubber bumpers made it even easier

Now to the trip.  I had estimated an easy 43 nautical miles for the run between Coinjock and Norfolk, which is 33 less than yesterday's (76 NM from Belhaven to Coinjock).  What I forgot is the bridges.  This stretch has four bridge that do not open on demand.  The North Landing swing bridge opens on the hour and half hour.  The Great Bridge & Lock bridge open on the hour only.  We had some waits.  Diana got some practice "holding station" and did pretty well.

North Landing Swing Bridge opening

The 43 NM trip took one hour less than yesterday.  We departed at 7:43 AM and docked at 3:25 PM.  A very slow ride, which was reflected in our fuel burn (26.5 gallons) and fuel efficiency (1.6 NMPG).

This segment had some very skinny (shallow) water, especially on the Currituck Sound, which was our first major stretch of water.  In retrospect I should not have attempted this at low tide.  Live and learn.

Port screen: Chartplotter at 50 feet, Starboard Left: Chartplotter at .3 mile zoom, Starboard Right: Sonar

That said, the exercise helped me perfect my shallow water navigation.  Active Captain advises running the first part of this 14 mile sound by keeping the boat dead on the magenta sailing line.  This proved to be good advice for the entire Sound.  I perfected my technique by zooming my port (primary) navigation screen down to 50 feet (see Explanatory Note below), splitting the starboard screen between a chartplotter at .3 miles, so I could see the buoys ahead, and sonar on the other side so I see the depth trend line.  It didn't hurt that Darrell and I had used a lead line at St Simon to estimate the transducer's location.  I was confident that I had at least two (2) feet between the transducer and the keel.  The proved accurate when we got a sonar reading of 3.9 feet (or 3 feet 10 inches).  Add the two foot margin and you get 5 feet 10 inches.  Subtract out 5 foot draft and we were still floating on 10 inches of water (and going VERY slow).  I need to be more tide conscious.

Explanatory Note: The closer you zoom in the more precise the relationship between the "boat" sand the sailing line.  That's the good news.  Zoom in tight (50 feet) and all you can see is the sailing line.  Hence the need for the second chartplotter set to look at a larger area.  When the zoom level is 500 feet the boat will look like it's on the sailing line yet it could be off by 50 to 70 feet.  In a narrow channel like the Currituck Sound that could easily put us aground.

We arrived in the Norfolk / Portsmouth area around 2:30 PM.  Since leaving Florida we have been cruising in pastoral scenery.  The ship refitting industry in this area is obviously very different.

Norfolk scenery

US Navy warships being refitted

Approaching Waterside Marina

We docked at Waterside Marina, which is right on the city's waterfront with total access to downtown Norfolk.  This our kind of Marina.

Guided Discovery at Waterside Marina

We beat the forecasted rain and thunderstorms by at least two hours.  I spent at least 40 minutes tying up the 63 for the anticipated high winds.  The winds were gusting to 20 kts and I had to use the engines/thrusters to reposition the boat and fenders.  We had 5 fenders secured to the starboard site

We have now completed the first segment of our journey north to Hingham Massachusetts.  Those of you who regularly follow our travels know that we will be joined on May 1 by Dick and Phil who are driving our car up from Sarasota.  They will accompany me on a straight shot 465 mile 55 hour run from Norfolk to our final destination at the Hingham Shipyard Marina.  Assuming we have an adequate weather window, we will depart Thursday and arrive at the marina on Sunday morning.

Phase 1 Statistics: Fort Lauderdale, FL to Norfolk, VA

• Distance: 933 Nautical Miles (1,057 Statute Miles)
• Total Traveling Days: 25 since leaving Stuart on April 2
• Days on the Water: 14 since Stuart
• Fuel Used: 820.4 gallons (Fort Lauderdale to Norfolk)
• Fuel efficiency: 1.13 NMPG (1.3 Statute MPG0
• Average Marina Cost: $128.24 per night

Note: Total distance and fuel consumption is from Fort Lauderdale.  Time enroute is from Stuart, FL starting on April 2.  The nine days spent at the Palm Beach Boat Show and the week waiting for Darrell and Sue at Stuart are not considered as traveling days.

Written by Les.

Calm After the Storm - Belhaven to Coinjock, NC

The storm I described in the previous article ended on Monday evening after a four day run.  We chose to stay at Dowry Creek Marina for two more days to enjoy this very special place and two days of lovely weather.

Guided Discovery on a stormy morning at Dowry Creek

On Sunday evening we were invited to a pot luck dinner at Dowry Creek's club room.  We met some very special people and were entertained by Paul's guitar and folks songs.  While the storm raged outside with winds gusting to 35 knots (and finally 40 knots on Sunday) we sat and chatted with fellow cruisers and liveaboards.

On Tuesday evening we had scheduled the courtesy car for a return trip to the Spoon River restaurant in Belhaven.  We were joined by two couples doing the Great Loop, Burke and Stel on Estrellita (Monk 42) and Capt Jon and Pat Pitney on Satisfaction (Carver 53 Voyager).  Burke and Stel had just started their journey, having left Charleston just days ago.  John and Pat started from St Louis, which makes the timing of their journey very similar to ours in 2010 when we started from Chicago.  We have met some wonderful people and had many great times sharing courtesy cars.  This was no exception.

Lester, Pat, Stel, Diana, Burke and John

The trip from Belhaven to Coinjock.

We left at 6:58 AM to cover the 73 nautical miles from Dowry Creek Marina to Coinjock Marina.  The weather was totally cooperative with clear skies and winds that started out light, built during the morning to 15 knots and the died down as the afternoon progressed.

Our route took us east along the Pungo River and then 30 plus miles northeast on the Alligator and Pungo River Canal.  After the canal we headed north along the Alligator River to the Alligator River Bridge, which had been closed off and on when winds approached 35 knots during the four day storm.

The bridge represented a serious obstacle to traffic moving north during the storm as there are no marinas between Dowry Creek and the bridge.  If it was closed when we got there we would have had to return 45 miles to dowry Creek (or said another way, we would have wasted a day and burned close to 80 gallons of fuel ($320 at $4.00/gallon).

Alligator River Swing Bridge

Once past the bridge we crossed Albermale Sound with waves under one foot and headed up the North River to the Coinjock Marina; arriving there at 4:00 PM.

Look at the photo below for the navigation aids at North Shoal Point.  This is one tricky piece of water just before you enter Albermale Sound.  I know this for a fact as I almost ran aground here in 2011.  Actually, look close (blow it up by clicking on it) and you will notice that the sailing line goes to the left of the red lighted buoy.  Follow the line and you run aground.  Active Captain shows this as hazard and give GOOD advice for negotiating it, which is run a straight line from G9 to G7.

Hazardous shoal just south of Albermale Sound

Statistics:

• Departure Time: 6:58 AM
• Arrival Time: 4:10 PM
• Distance Covered: 72.8 Nautical Miles
• Time Enroute: 9 hours and 12 minutes
• Average speed: 7.9 knots
• Average RPM: 1,400
• Fuel Consumption: 61.24 gallons
• Fuel Efficiency: 1.3 NMPH

We took on 62.4 gallons of fuel at a very reasonable $3.84 per gallon.  I generally do not take on fuel until I've burned at least 200 gallons.  However, today was different.  I wanted to verify the accuracy of the fuel burn data from the Cat engine monitors against the readings on the site gauges of the main fuel tanks.  As a result we departed Dowry Creek with full fuel and did not run the generators.

Explanatory Note: Sea Ray drove me crazy with dumbed down fuel gauges that showed considerably less fuel than we we actually had.  When my tanks showed empty I still had close to 100 gallons.  I spent considerable time developing correction factors for 16 points on the fuel gauge.  Outer Reef by contrast provides site gauges on the fuel tank that allow you to see exactly how much fuel is in the tank.  There are no dash mounted fuel gauges.

My quest today was to see if the fuel burn on the Cat engine monitors matched the fuel burn as determined from the site gauges.  The monitors showed port burn at 30.09 gallons with starboard at 31.15.  The site gauges showed approximately 30 gallons burned on each side.  I took on 30 gallons on the port side and 32.4 gallons to starboard.   This was a very favorable outcome.  I can trust both the site gauges and the engine monitors.  HURRAH!!!

We also made some new friends and further confirmed that the old cliche, "It's a small world," holds true. Well, it's especially true in the cruising community, which we have become part of.

Larry & Sue, Tim and Les (Diana took the photo)

Back to Dowry Creek for a moment. As I walked up the dock Tuesday evening I did a a double take when I saw an Ocean Alexander 50.  Could this be Darrell and Sue.  No way.  They were in Charleston doing repairs.  I looked real close and confirmed that it was a different OA 50.  This in itself is a big deal as there are very few OA 50s on the water.

The OA 50 was on the dock at Coinjock when we arrived.  The owner, Larry Iverson, inttroduced himself as I was securing the 63.  Turn out he knows Darrell and Sue, and had talked with them in the process of buying his OA 50 which was now enroute to its new home port in Norfolk.  I also met Tim, and experienced Captain who was helping Larry move the boat north.  We had a lovely dinner at the Coinjock Marina Restaurant and then adjourned to Guided Discovery for a late night tour.

All in all a very spectacular day.

Written by Les
.

Today's Weather and Guided Discovery

The NOAA weather forecast for Sunday at 3:00 AM was for northeast winds 25 to 35 KT with gusts up to 40 and seas 9 to 12 feet on the open waters.  At 8:00 AM, NOAA showed the same winds but had upped their wave height prediction to 9 to 14 feet.  Their forecast was prefaced with "GALE WARNING IN EFFECT THROUGH LATE MONDAY."

Not good weather especially for a run  north along the Alligator River and across Albermale Sound. Further, with a gale warning in effect it is highly likely that the railroad swing bridge over the Alligator River will be closed making the passage to Coinjock impossible.  We decided to stay put.

The key to go/no go decisions is the ability to compare forecasted to actual conditions.  Is the weather behaving the way the forecasters said it will?  Guided Discovery is incredibly well equipped to deal with this critical comparison.

One extremely good decision was to equip the 63 with a weather station and two Garmin GMI 10 Marine Instrument Displays, one of which is used exclusively for weather.  This allows us to see what's going on where we are located.  Some of the most useful screens are displayed below.

Wind direction and speed at a glance

Wind speed, wind direction, temperature and barometer
This is the display we leave on all the time

Wind graph showing wind speed for the past 6 hours

The wind graph is probably the most valuable especially in a weather situation like today.  We set the graph last night for 6 hours and winds to 50 knots.  In the above photos, the digital readouts change constantly. The graph allows us to see the trend.  In the above graph you can see  the winds building as the morning progresses.  This is an indicator that the weather is behaving as forecasted.

We can get the NOAA weather forecast in one of three ways at the dock; from our computer, from our ipad and from the Garmin 15 inch multifunction displays.

Both Garmin multifunction displays showing Sirius Satellite Weather

Forecasted high and low pressure with fronts graphically displayed.  Note the low pressure area off South Carolina

Sea conditions showing wind direction, wind speed, wave height and wave direction

In the above photo wave heights are displayed in color to note activity in an area. The colors change from light blue (calm water) to deep magenta (waves 30 feet or more).  Wave direction is shown by arrows. Specific wave heights are obtained by tapping on a red arrow.  In the photo above the wave height at the encircled "X"  are 13.1 feet.  Another indicator that the wave action is behaving as forecasted.

Precipitation occurring at the moment (lousy photo)

Using Sirius Satellite Weather we can get the forecasted highs & lows, fronts, wind direction, wind speed, wave heights and wave direction from right now and for the next two days in 12 hour increments.  This allows us to gauge the trend.  Most important, we can get this information while underway and out of cellular signal range, which is critical for long range cruising.

At the dock we are now using NOAA (www.weather.gov) rather than Weather Underground, which tends to dumb down the data.  NOAA tells it like it is and the site is more robust.

Additional data that we can get in cellular range is from a great ipad application called Buoy Data.  While hard to see in the photo below, we can tap on the buoys for each state.  The buoy's are listed with their locations. Tap on one and it gives you the location on the map in addition to the latitude and longitude. This is particularly helpful especially for cruisers like us.  NOAA display buoys with the name of their location, which is great for locals but difficult for cruisers transiting an unfamiliar area.

In the photo below we are looking at the data for Duck Pier NC.  The map shows the buoy on the Outer Banks north northeast (NNE) of Albermarle Sound in relation to our location in Belhaven.  This data is particularly critical for us this morning as it provides a good indicator of the winds that are likely to effect our transit in the open 30 mile stretch of the Albermarle Sound where we would be headed directly into the wind.

The data at 8:30 AM shows the following:

• Wind direction: N (10 degrees)
• Wind speed: 26 knots
• Wind Gust: 31 knots
• Atmospheric Pressure: 30.11 inches (1019.7 mb)
• Air Temperature: 51 degrees Fahrenheit (10.5 degrees Celsius)
• Water Temperature; 49 degrees Fahrenheit (9.3 degrees Celsius)

Data for a buoy critical  to our decision making on whether to stay or go

The 63 could easily handle the 3 to 5 waves that we would encounter late in the afternoon (assuming they didn't close the swing bridge) on the 30 mile stretch of Albermale Sound.  However,  we would be taking the waves head on (i.e., off the bow). We would experience some pitching and a lot of spray.  Slightly uncomfortable but not unsafe. That said, docking could be a problem as the 63 presents a "barn door" and with winds at 25 to 30 knots she would be pushed around.  I suspect that the thrusters could neutralize their effect but would not move us very quickly.

Meanwhile as we sit here in Belhaven at Dowry Creek Marina we are pinned to the dock by the northeast wind.  We have four fenders taking the load.  Last night before going to bed at 3:00 AM and this morning at 7:20 I needed to adjust the fenders.  I do not know how to calculate the effect of wind pushing close to 85,000 pounds of boat but I can state that I can barely move the 63 in zero wind.

To adjust the fenders I needed to turn on the engines as the hydraulic bow and stern thrusters are driven by the engine's power take-offs.  I was actually able to adjust the fender solo using the Glendenning Remote Control. Holding the remote in one hand and the fender line in the other I was able to re-position the fenders.

Important Lesson:  When I tied up on Friday I put out two fenders positioned horizontally against the pilings. This was clearly inadequate in light of the forecast.  The result was that as the tide change the fenders slipped out of place and the rubrail contacted the piling.  Bad luck.  The metal bolt head (smooth and round) that hold the piling in place made contact with the rubrail and slightly damaged the fiberglass (but fortunately not the rail itself.  This could have been a lot worse..  Not a big deal but it served as a reminder that I have to be vigilant and constantly think ahead.

Written by Les.

Rough Weather - Beaufort to Belhaven NC

We spent four days in Beaufort, partly due to the weather and partly because this is a nice place to stop. That said, even if Beaufort was not a good place to stop we would have had to stay there because of the weather.

Diana and I pose with the Beaufort Docks courtesy car
Notice the jackets - It's getting colder as we move north

We stayed at Beaufort Docks, which is right at the heart of their downtown area.  We took several walks, toured their historic district and enjoyed two of their restaurants, a quaint little coffee shop called Beaufort Coffee Shop and Wine Bar and dinner at Clawson's.  We also took advantage of their courtesy car (actually twice) and did some serious provisioning.

We had not used a courtesy car since 2010 when we completed the western rivers on our Great Loop adventure.  Beaufort was in the "serious" courtesy car business.  They had four, all Buick Roadmaster Wagons from the early 90s.  The two we used had over 180,000 miles and were in rough shape.  But they got us where we wanted to go.  Perhaps that was their justification for $2.50 per foot.

Readers will recall that we traveled to Beaufort on a 25 hours overnight cruise (4/13-14) from Charleston, SC at the tail end of a weather window.  That window closed on late on Monday evening with heavy rain and strong winds out of the northeast.  The strong winds persisted through Thursday.

On Friday, the winds were predicted to be northeast at 10 to 15 knots, which while not ideal, was the lowest winds in past four days.  The winds were also predicted to be out of the northeast for the next 5 days as the strong low pressure center over Florida moved slowly northeast.  You might say this was a one day weather window.  We decided to take advantage and cruise 67 miles further north.

Explanatory Note: Strong low pressure, especially over the ocean, produces high northeast winds and big waves.  The slow moving storm coming out of Florida was forecasted to produce northeast winds of 20 to 25 knots and 7 to 10 foots seas from Friday night through Monday.  As I write this early Sunday morning I can testify to the accuracy of NOAA's weather prediction.  It was dead on.

Explanatory Note: Wind over open water produces waves.  The higher the wind and the longer the fetch (distance) the higher the waves.

Departure was early as usual for a long cruising day.  Today's route took us slightly east to the Beaufort Inlet and then north through Morehead City's commercial harbor to the ICW.

We encounter a freighter being towed into port

The ICW for this stretch consists of canals, rivers (Neuse and Pungo) and sounds (Pamlico and Albermale) that make up the North Carolina Inner Banks.  The canals and narrow parts of the rivers are easy, calm water as there is little fetch except for long stretches with winds coming straight down the canal.  The wider parts of the rivers and the sounds are prone to rough water.

We pass a 75 foot vintage yacht built in 1930 in pristine condition

The we overtake a one barge tow
(Not as intimidating is the 15 and 25 barge tows we encountered on the Mississippi)

We pass a group of commercial fishing trawlers

This was the case as we proceeded north.  The Neuse River has a north south orientation and was choppy with 2 to 3 foot waves.  The Pamlico Sound was the roughest with 3 footers on the nose.  That said, except for a little spray, the 63 rode smoothly with negligible pitching.  Further, running the boat from the pilothouse with great windshield wipers was a piece of cake.  We would have been miserable on this run if we were still "driving" the 48 Sundancer.

As we turned north on the Pungo River I called the Belhaven Marina and discovered that they were booked solid for the night.  Lesson 1.  Do not leave port without a reservation when you are driving a 63 footer. However, we lucked out.  The dockmaster directed us to the Dowry Creek Marina just 3 miles further east. They had room on their gas dock and we were set for the night.

Guided Discovery at the gas dock

Dowry Creek Marina lounge, pool, office and owner's residence

This was a classic 'mom and pop" marina and it was very together.  In fact it was top rated by over 135 cruisers on Active Captain.  The only downside was fixed docks but that was mitigated by a 1 foot tide. Very friendly and for the second time we had a courtesy car (180,000 mile Dodge Durago), which was necessary as the marina is 6 miles from downtown Belhaven (small town with one traffic light).  We also got a great deal on fuel at $3.85 per gallon (we took on 328 gallons) and dockage was a very reasonable $93.00 per night (as compared to Hilton Head and Beaufort at the $200/night mark).

When we checked in, Mary, the owner provided some very important local knowledge regarding the Alligator River Railroad Bridge.  Turns out this swing bridge closes if wind start gusting to 35 knots.  Since there is no place to tie up in the 40 miles between Dowry Creek and the bridge, boaters have had to turn around and return to Dowry Creek (or an 80 mile round trip - read expensive $280 for 70 gallons at $4/gal).

We looked at the forecast Saturday morning and it called for northeast winds 20 to 30 with 35 knot gusts and heavy rain. We called the bridge and they said it was very likely that they would have to close.  We decided to stay put.   The forecast was dead on.  It blew 20 to 25 where we were with a few gusts to 30 and we were relatively protected.  The Alligator River bridge is close to Albermale Sound and the outer banks.  Winds their were much higher.  I'll bet it closed.

Saturday was a wet and windy day.  I'll let the photos tell the story.

We are at the center of the slow moving rain

Looking to port

looking to starboard (windward side)

Returning from a potty break with full rain gear (jacket, pants and hat)

On Friday night after dinner we discovered a new restaurant called Spoon River and decided to go there for dinner if we were pinned down by weather.  Saturday's dinner was spot on.  This was a gourmet restaurant in the middle of nowhere.  Belhaven population is 1,639 with an average household income of $17,434 as compared to NC's $44,000 average). Speaks to the old cliche "if you build it they will come."  Well the owners build it 16 months ago and they're making it.  Trip Advisor gives it 5 stars and so did we.

Spoon River - 5 star restaurant

You pick out your wine at their well stocked wine shop and they open it at the table

Tasteful decor and a full house on Saturday night

The weather forecast for Sunday is even worse than Saturday especially as you get closer to the Outer Banks.  NE winds 25 to 35 KT with gusts up to 40.  Seas 9 to 12 feet on the open waters.  Odds are the swing bridge will close.  We plan to stay put, catch up with maintenance and generally enjoy a quite day.

Happy Easter and Happy Passover!

Written by Les.