Life in the Fast Lane: Green Flag to Norfolk

"Life in the Fast Lane" is proving a perfect name for this series.  Things are happening so quickly and often we are moving so fast (40 MPH) on rough or bumpy water that it is difficult to blog.  That said, I always seem to be in a catch up mode with my blog.

Note to Readers: A big thanks to those of you who have commented on your enjoyment of the blog and my writing.  I'm glad you are enjoying.  I love writing about our cruising adventures and making a record of what I'm finding is an incredible life experience. From time to time Diana and I reread articles.  It's amazing how much you forget at our age but how it all comes back, rather vividly, as we reread our adventures.

Also, I love your comments.  Someday I will figure out how to reply.

The weather for Saturday was still being influenced by the powerful cold front that had been moving across the eastern US from the very start of our trip. As of Saturday, it was right at the coast.  Now winds were shifting to the northwest as a high pressure was building in.    This produced the following for our projected route to Norfolk:

• Wrightsville Beach and Beaufort: Seas 2-3 Winds NW 10-15
• Cape Hatteras: Seas 5 to 7 Winds NW 10-15
• Cape Hatteras to Norfolk: Sea 4 to 6.  Winds NW 10-15

The forecast suggested a 70 nautical mile run on the ocean to the Beaufort Inlet with the rest of the trip on the ICW.  The 180 nautical miles between the Beaufort Inlet and Norfolk contain considerable open water on the Neuse, Pamlico, Pungo and Alligator Rivers and the Albermale and Currituck Sounds where we could run at 40 MPH.  The last 30 miles to the end of the ICW pose no issues with regard to weather but are a slow go due to bridges that open on the hour and half hour.

We departed Wrightsville Beach at dawn (6:30 AM), headed south to the Masonboro Inlet, which was confusing due to extensive dredging operations, and turned north for Beaufort.  Our average speed to the inlet was 42 MPH (34 knots).on 1 to 2 foot seas that started on the port forward quarter producing a bumpy ride.  An hour later they had moved to the port aft quarter and the ride smoothed out.

While on the open water we checked the buoy reports for Cape Hatteras and north to Norfolk and confirmed that the predictions were holding up with 5 foot waves reported at the buoys.

We arrived at the Beaufort Inlet at 8:40 AM.  By 9:05 we had connected with the ICW just north of the Morehead Bridge.  Except for a few no wake zones and a few spots where we needed to run slowly, we cruised at 41 MPH for most of the trip.

At 4:53 PM we hit the first of four bridges on the last 20 miles of the ICW that had slowed Diana and I down when we passed this area about two weeks ago.    It took us hours to get through these bridges which open only at set time on weekdays.  The 64 hit this stretch on a weekend when bridges open on request.  Talk about luck.

Norfolk provided a "golden" opportunity to buy really cheap fuel.  Waterways Guide's fuel price website showed that Atlantic Yacht Basin at mile marker 15.2 was selling diesel at $3.49 per gallon, which is an INCREDIBLY low price.  We arrived there at 5:30 PM and started fueling.  I had estimated that we needed 851 gallons.  The attended said they had high speed pumps and that we would be able to make the Great Bridge which only opens ONCE on the hour.  The word "high" is the problem here.  His pumps may have been "fast" but they were not "high" speed. We calculated early on that they were pumping at 30 gallons per minute.  We needed 28.4 minutes to fill our tanks.

Watching a "gas" pump meter is like walking paint dry and it is especially frustrating if you are trying to make a bridge that only opens once a hour.  My calculation showed that we would be finished very close to 6:00 PM but would miss the bridge opening if we paid for the fuel in the conventional way (i.e., attendant takes your credit card to office, processes the charge and returns for your signature).  Solution.  We proposed to the attendant that he run the card the old fashion way and have my friend sign the invoice.  The attendant agreed and we cleared the dock at 6:01 just in time to be the last boat in line.  Talk about life in the fast lane or good luck, whichever you prefer.

Leaving Atlantic Yacht Basin at 6:01 PM

6:02 PM following a very slow moving sailboat under Great Bridge
The wall ahead is the northbound door of Great Bridge Lock

Immediately beyond the bridge is the Great Bridge Lock, which open in conjunction with the bridge. This is an easy lock with a 3 foot lift (drop in our case), rubber padding on the north wall (i.e., no fenders) and an attendant who places your lines around the bollard (talk about service).  By 6:20 we were out of the lock. We cleared the last bridge at 6:37 PM and docked at Waterside Marina at 6:45 PM.  I had left Waterside Marina 14 days ago on Guided Discovery for the 57 hour non stop run to Hingham.

Approaching Waterside Marina Norfolk

Estremo had made 250.6 miles in just under 12 hours for an average speed of 21 MPH.  For comparison, it took Guided Discovery approximately 48 hours and four full days of cruising to accomplish the same distance.  Further, a slow moving trawler cannot take full advantage of a weather window so you have to add 8 days for weather down time.  Life if the fast lane has its advantages.

We enjoyed a bottle of Chateau Montrose 2000 Medoc Grande Cru Classe on the aft deck.  Unfortunately we had not provision well and only had potato chips to accompany the wine.  Me thinks the captain would have done slightly better however he did not accompany the mate to the grocery store.  Oh well, you get what you pay for.

Sunset as viewed from the 64

Sophocles and I had a lovely dinner at 456 Fish and walked by the Battleship Wisconsin on the way back to the boat.

Battleship Wisconsin

Notice the number "64"

Final numbers for four days of running:

• Fort Lauderdale to Fernandina Beach: 300 NM (345 SM)
• Fernandina to Charleston: 212 NM (243 SM)
• Charleston to Wrightsville Beach: 162 NM (186 SM)
• Wrightsville Beach to Norfolk: 251 NM (288 SM)
• Total Distance Traveled: 925 NM (1,063 SM)
• Total Fuel Used: 2,890 gallons
• Total Time on the Water: 42 hours
• Miles To Chicago: 1,535 NM (1,765 SM)

Estremo at Waterside Marina

The weather for Sunday was perfect for a 400 NM (460 SM) run to Troy, NY which would puts us in position to start the Erie Canal.  Stay tuned for some twists and turns in the next article, "Yellow Flag on the Hudson."

Written by Les.

Life in the Fast Lane: No Wake, Hit the Brake!

When we finished our amazing 212 nautical (243 statute) mile run on the ICW from Fernandina Beach to Charleston I was optimistic that we could make Beaufort today (268 statute miles) on the ICW.  Turns out I was overly optimistic.  I remembered going slow through North Carolina, I just forgot how extensive the development was along the ICW through Myrtle Beach, North Mrytle Beach and beyond.

The weather Friday morning still forecasted 4 to 6 foot seas on the outside making the ICW our best option.  So at 7:08 AM we were on our way.  At 10:28 AM we reached Mile Marker 400 having covered 69 statute miles for an average speed of 29 MPH.

Lovely home along the IWC

Then we hit the brakes.  At 4:55 PM we had reached MM 305 indicating that we had covered a total of 164 SM.  It had taken six hours and 27 minutes to cover the next 95 miles.  Our average speed for that period was just under 15 MPH. No wake zones put us in go slow run fast mode..

Endless pier, floating docks and marinas

Then at 4:55 PM at MM 305 we hit an open stretch of water and we poured on the coals (well diesel fuel) and cruised for 20 minutes at 45 MPH.  Then it was back to stop and go.

Estremo rooster tail.  We are moving very fast (40  MPH)

An unusual scene

We revised our destination to Wrightsville Beach where we arrived at 6:07 PM.  We had covered 186.4 statute miles in 11 hours for an average speed of 16.8 MPH.  We fell 81 SM short of our goal to reach Beaufort tonight but are still ahead of where we thought we would be by 120 miles when we developed plan to reach Norfolk via the ICW in four days.

Shrimp boat close to Wrightsville Beach

The total distance traveled today was 162.1 NM (186.4 SM).  Time on the water was 11 hours.

We finished the evening with Chateau Pichon Longeville Contesse De Lalanmde 1990  Grand Cru Classe (Pauillac)

Final numbers for three days of running:

• Fort Lauderdale to Fernandina Beach: 300 NM (345 SM)
• Fernandina to Charleston: 212 NM (243 SM)
• Charleston to Wrightsville Beach: 162 NM (186 SM)
• Total Distance Traveled: 674 NM (775 SM)
• Total Fuel Used: 2,034 gallons
• Total Time on the Water: 30 hours
• Miles To Chicago: 1,768 NM (2,053 SM)

Written by Les

Life in Fast Lane: Fort Lauderdale to Charleston in Two Days - Part 2

I awoke early (5:00 AM) on Thursday morning to access the weather.  The question we went to bed with was whether we would run outside to Georgetown South Carolina or continue north on the ICW.  Now it was time to gather the information that would enable us to make a decision.

NOAA forecast map for Thursday

I combined five resources, NOAA Weather, my Great Loop Log, Active Captain, tide charts and "local knowledge" from the "Navigator" (i.e., Sue Lister), to get to the answer and laid them out on a tracing of the coastline from Fernandina Beach to Norfolk.  The combination of weather along the route and accurate distances enabled us to estimate where would be and what conditions we would encounter. Once completed it showed, conclusively, that we could make Norfolk in four days on the ICW and that it would be unwise (that's not strong enough - foolhardy) to attempt a run on the outside around Cape Hatteras.

Fernandina Beach, FL to Beaufort, NC

Beaufort NC to Norfolk VA

Here's a brief summary of the near shore forecasts (distances are inside on the ICW) :

• Thursday: Fernandina to Hilton Head (163 SM): Seas 4 to 5 increasing 4 to 6.  Thunderstorms
• Friday: Hilton Head to Georgetown (163 SM): Seas 4 to 5.  Thunderstorms
• Saturday: Georgetown to Beaufort NC (203 SM): 3 to 5. South winds 15-20 gusting 25 knots
• Sunday: Beaufort to Norfolk (212 SM): 3 to 5 with wind out of the north

Explanatory Note: As the forecasted high pressure builds in on Sunday the seas would likely come out of the north producing a head sea.  This would have made for a tough 212 mile run.

Now I needed "local knowledge" of the next 200 statute mile run on the ICW.  This prompted a 7:00 AM call to Darryl and Sue (Present Moment) to get Sue's wisdom.  During our travels in April from Stuart to Hilton Head Sue was the "official" navigator.  I relied on her experience, which far exceeded my own.  Sue has run the ICW no less than 5 times.   She provided me with the following hazard information all of which involved shoaling (i.e., shallow water):

1. Jekyll Island: MM 680 to MM 685 page 38
2. Buttermilk Sound: MM 660 to 664 page 36/37
3. Little Mud River: R194 to G195 page 36
4. Florida Passage: MM 606 page 34
5. Hell's Gate: MM 601 to MM 602 page 33
6. Ashepoo Coosaw: MM 515 to 518 page 30
7. Ben Sawyer Bridge: G117 to G121 page 27

High tide was at 10:00 AM at Bruswick GA (Jekyll Island) some 42 miles north.  This was very favorable as it would enable us to traverse obstacles 1 through 5 on a rising or falling high tide.  The key was getting on the "road" at the right time and getting the first obstacle on the rising tide.  Our 7:40 AM departure was just right and the 64's incredible speed enabled us to accomplish our goal.

Stormy weather at departure

The weather at our departure was overcast with rain showers that got heavier during the morning.  There was no fog and we mostly had good visibility (and as a result we did not use radar).  We also were very lucky with regard to thunderstorms as we saw none during the entire run.

As mentioned in the previous article we made 94 nautical miles between departure and 12:36 PM when we encountered our first no wake zone.  By 1:45 PM we were passing the Thunderbolt Marina just east of Savannah and at 2:30 PM we were off Hilton Head, which I had tentatively designated as our destination. With almost 6 hours of daylight remaining and strong confidence in the amount of fuel remaining we made a decision to head for Charleston.  This allowed us to pick up 98 statute miles and opened the possibility of making Norfolk in three rather than four days.

Thunderbolt Marina at 1:45 PM
Diana and I stayed here in 2010 while on the Great Loop

Now to the "promised" excitement.  Obstacle #6 was the Ashepoo Coosaw Cut-off between MM 515 and MM 518.  Our timing was not good for traversing this 3 mile stretch, which was identified as a known shoal area with no plans to dredge.  We were approaching it just after low tide.  The question was whether we should run the cut-off or continue east on the Coosaw and run out to the coast.  Running to the coast and then north to Charleston added miles and exposure to the rough (4 to 6 foot) seas.  However, at that point in the journey, we were close to Charleston.  Running the cut-off shortened the distance and kept us on calm water.

I decided to get some local knowledge from the local Sea Tow operator and called them on Channel 16. Sea Tow (Jim) said we had at least 6 feet of water at low tide and that the bottom was very soft mud.  He also told us to respect (i..e, closely adhere to) the range on the chart.  Estremo draws 4 feet 4 inches fully loaded. We were down 800 gallons which translates to 6,000 less pounds.  Further, because of her surface drives we have the ability to raise the propellers.  Combining local knowledge with our higher displacement and the fact that we were past dead low tide resulting a "let's try it decision."

We entered the cut-off at 4:55 PM at idle speed (7 knots) and watched our depth drop quickly to 2.7 feet (from the lowest point of ther bottom).  At mark G181 we recorded 2.6 feet (5:04 PM) and at G177, where the cut-off ended, we saw 2.6 with the props kicking up mud.  As soon as we cleared the cut-off depth increased dramatically and the Lamborghini was off any running.

Ashepoo Coosaw Cut-off - narrow and shallow

Ar 5:34, we briefly saw 4.6 feet under the keel as we traversed the Watts Cut.

At 7:40 PM we arrived at Charleston City Marina and tied up on the north end of the 1,530 foot Mega Dock.  We immediately took on fuel.  We now had our second opportunity to determine the accuracy of fuel usage.  Our trip totals said we had used 828 gallons.  We had also used 12 hours of generator time, which we had estimated to burn at 2.5 gallons per hour (30 gallons).  I predicted we would take on 858 gallons.  We actually took on 851.  The error rate is less than 1% (actually .0094%) or stated another way "estremo" accurate.  The 64, unlike most boats, has precise fuel information.  This is great for running long distances with confidence that we will not run out of fuel.

Estremo on the Charleston Mega Dock

The thunderstorm finally caught up with us and we experienced heavy rain with lots of wind and lightening.  No problem, we were tied to the dock having deli sandwiches with a bottle of 1986 Cheval Blanc (Saint Emilion) which we had opened hours earlier.  A fitting end to an exciting day.

Final numbers for two days of running:

• Fort Lauderdale to Fernandina Beach: 300 NM (345 SM)
• Fernandina to Charleston: 212 NM (243 SM)
• Total Distance Traveled: 512 NM (588 SM)
• Total Fuel Used: 2,034 gallons
• Total Time on the Water: 19 hours
• Miles To Chicago: 1,498 NM (1,723 SM)

Written by Les

Life in Fast Lane: Fort Lauderdale to Charleston in Two Days - Part 1

Did I mention that a Pershing 64 is the yacht equivalent of a Lamborghini?  Well in fact I did (see my last article( Life in the Fast Lane: Italian Style") and it truly is!

As I started to write this article at 12:36 PM on Thursday we had just encountered our "official" no wake zone.  From 7:40 AM when departed Fernandina Beach to the "present moment," we have traveled 104 miles in 5 hours on the ICW.  I'll get to why we are on the ICW later.  But first I want to talk about Lamborghinis.  The ultimate thrill for someone who owns a $400,000 performance machine is to take in out on the track and push it to its limits.

The ultimate thrill (at least for now) with a Pershing 64 is to run the Intracoastal Waterway at speed, which is what we were doing until we hit the "caution flag" (i.e., No Wake zone).  Consider that to average 20 MPH we had to run better than 40 MPH in order to make up for numerous slowings to pass other boats. At speed we were curving left and right to follow the magenta line making 30 degree, 45 degree and even 105 degree turns at 40 MPH while concentrating intently to keep Estremo in the deep water through some VERY narrow channels.

In many ways it's like playing a video game.  Our "game," which David, Soph and I played magnificently, involved following the magenta ICW course line on chartplotter, looking out the windshield to spot buoy's, verifying the buoy's location on the chartplotter and, where necessary, using binoculars to identify the buoy number. Unlike a video game, where you simply start a new game if you "die," there is no tolerance for error. Make a mistake and the journey ends with the boat stuck high and dry on the hard or worse.

Now to the journey.  Monday and Tuesday were spent at Ferretti's Fort Lauderdale facility learning about the boat and dealing with issues discovered in the process.  By Wednesday we were ready to leave.  Only problem was the weather.  Seas were forecasted to be 3 to 5 with 15 to 20 knot southeast winds off Fort Lauderdale on Wednesday with deteriorating conditions along our route through Sunday as a massive cold front running north to south across the country made it way east.

You may recall when I started this series it did not look good for offshore running.  As of Sunday May 11, a strong cold front associated with a deep low pressure center over northern Lake Michigan that trailed south to Texas was forecasted to move east slowly.  NOAA was forecasting for each of the preceding four days winds out of the southeast at 15 to 20 knots with seas of 4 to 6 feet and a chance of thunderstorms each day.  This raised questions as to how the 64 would handle the range of seas (head, quartering, beam and following) that we would surely encounter on a 2,460 nautical mile run.

Well we found out very quickly.  As we exited the Port Everglades inlet we encountered 4 to 5 foot waves in the channel related to the southeast wind.  The 64, like most boats, does not like a head sea.  She pounded on some of the five footers.  First important lesson.  Running at speed in a head sea is hard on the boat.  She needs to run a head sea in less than 3 feet to run at speed.

We quickly turned north and ran close to shore.  The 64 sort of liked the beam sea and we were able to run at 34 knots (39.1 MPH).  I say "sort of" because while the boat handled the turbulence the crew and contents were another matter,  Moving around on an unstabilized boat is difficult (and dangerous) at speed in rough seas.  Further side loads dislodged stuff in the salon refrigerator resulting in bottles and cans rolling on the salon floor.  We knocked the power operated port window shade off its mounts.

We had departed Fort Lauderdale at 8:45 AM.  At 11:05 AM we were off the St Lucie Inlet (Stuart Florida) and were considering the possibility of a run to St Augustine as originally planned.  However, we had a fuel question.  We knew that the boat was topped off when we arrived on Monday for the orientation and sea trial.  What we did not know was how much fuel was burned on Monday's run off Port Everglades and Tuesday's local ICW cruising and docking practice session.  Hence, we decided to pull into Fort Pierce to refuel the boat.

Explanatory Note: Fuel consumption and fuel remaining are critical issues when cruising long distances. My 48 Sundancer's fuel gauges were notoriously inaccurate.  Sea Ray "dumbed them down" so that owners would not run out of fuel. When my gauges showed empty I still had 100 gallons (50 in each tank).  Same problem on my old 44 and, for that matter, every other Sea Ray that I was involved with.

The Pershing 64 suffered from a programming problem on its engine monitoring system.  The port and starboard monitors each showed 925 gallons or a combined total of 1,850.  Since the boat holds 925 we knew that was incorrect.  Feretti's technicians were unable to reprogram the computer before our departure. As a result we could not determine fuel remaining.  Nor were we sure of the monitors "Trip Totals" as it pertained to usage.  Hence the stop to refuel at Fort Pierce.  We would start out with full tanks and have plenty of reserve to get to St Augustine and have a baseline from which to measure.  We took on 391 gallons.

Explanatory Note: According to Pershing's "Trip Totals" we had burned 329 gallons since Monday.  Note the 62 gallon discrepancy.  What part of that was Trip Total was inaccuracy and what was generator burn. Again the need for a baseline.

We were back on the water in exactly one hour.  Again we ran close to the coast to take advantage of lower seas, which were still running in 4 to 5 footers with high southeasterly winds, and the ability to quickly turn into the ICW at Cape Canaveral if seas worsened.  We also had an "out" just north of Cape Canaveral at the Ponce Deleon Inlet if we decided to go around the Cape.

Explanatory Note: Winds and seas can change dramatically in the vicinity of a cape as proved by the number of wrecks that occur in these areas.  Cape Hatteras being a notorious example.  I'm sure Cape Fear in the Southport NC earned its name.

At 5:36 PM we were off St Augustine in 3 to 5 foot seas off the starboard aft quarter.  There were few white caps suggesting that the winds were somewhat diminished.  At that point we had used 593 gallons and were making 34 knots with a fuel burn of  115 GPH.  With 383 gallons remaining and over 2 hours to sunset (8:12 PM) along with "tolerable" seas we decided to continue to Fernandina Beach.  We called Fernandina City Marina for dockage and fuel.  They accommodated us by holding their gas dock open unitil we arrived at 8:25 PM.  We took on 792 gallons, 18 more gallons than indicated by our Trip Total (774 gallons).  The 18 gallons represented 7 hours and 10 minutes off generator usage suggesting that the 23 KW generator burns 2.5 gallons per hour.  We had validated that the fuel consumed by each engine were extremely ("Estremo") accurate.  This is a big deal.  We now have confidence on fuel consumption and fuel on board.  WOW.

We attempted to celebrate with a bottle of Caymus 2004 Special Selection.  However, it needed to breath. So we had a late dinner at the Salty Pelican and then adjourned to the boat to drink the now "perfect" wine. A fitting end to a very productive day.  We had traveled ____ miles and were now just a few miles south of Georgia.

Stay tuned for Part 2.  It's exciting!

Life in the Fast Lane: Italian Style

The Pershing 64 could easily be characterized the Lamborghini of the waterways.

2014 Pershing 64 - Estremo

2010 Lamborghini Murcielago

This is a spectacular high speed express cruiser that as I said in the previous article, was "born to run."  She is capable of a top speed of 47.5 knots (55 MPH).  To put that in perspective, there are very few boats that can run at 55 MPH let alone a 79,145 pound displacement express cruiser.

Here the Pershing’s vital statistics (repeated from the previous article):

• ·        Overall Length: 65.7 feet
• ·         Beam: 16.4 feet
• ·         Draft: 4 feet 4"
• ·         Power: Two MTU 1623 HP diesels
• ·         Displacement: 79,146 pounds (empty)
• ·         Maximum Speed: 47.5 knots (55 MPH)
• ·         Cruise Speed: 42 knots (49 MPH)
• ·         Fuel Burn at Maximum Speed: 168 GPH
• ·         Fuel Burn at Cruise Speed: 142 GPH
• ·         Fuel Capacity: 925 gallons
• ·         Available Fuel: 832 gallons (10% reserve)
• ·         Type of hull: Modified V (planning hull

The Pershing 64 is a perfect boat for entertaining and long weekend cruises to a wide range of distant destinations. She can gets there fast and gets home just as fast (weather permitting).  For example, Charlevoix Michigan at 300 miles north of Chicago was one of our favorite destinations.  It took two days to get there on the 48 Sundancer, which cruised at 30 MPH.  The Pershing 64 gets there in just under 6 hours. When time is a consideration, a five day "holiday" gives you four days on the ground in Charlevoix.

In the plan photos below you can see some of the 64's unique features.  Starting with profile notice the shafts and propellers, which extend  "way" out under the swim platform.  These are surface drives that turn left to right to aid steering and up and down to maximize the boat's trim (and therefore its speed).

Pershing 64 Plan 

The center image shows the 64's main deck.  Working from the stern forward almost 60% of main deck is outdoor space.  There is a spacious sun pad on the bow and a spectacular sun deck on the stern over the garage (technically the lazarette).   

Estremo at Ferretti's Fort Lauderdale Headquarters

Forward of the stern sunpad is a starboard settee and table under a roof that retracts into the hardtop for full sun exposure.  On the port side is a sink and electric barbecue grill.

Barbecue Grill

The salon is easily 12 by 12 with an Italian leather sofa that wraps 270 degrees around an adjustable table (that expands into a dinner table).   In the photo below you can see a glass wall aft.  That wall lowers making the entire salon open.  

Salon looking aft

Along the port side are cabinets with 6 doors.  From forward to aft: Door 1: Refrigerator; Door 2-3 Glassware; Door 4 Shelves; Door 5-6 Open storage.

Doors 2-3: Glassware comes with the boat and TV on lift

Forward of the salon to starboard is the control station.  The 64 has one multifunction 12 inch screen (a Furuno Navnet 3D) flanked by a Furuno autopilot and Furuno RD 33 display.  The "business end" includes digitized engine and drive train displays, the latter enables the operator to fine tune the angle of the surface drives and "flaps" (trim tabs) to optimize the boat's performance.

Control station

The galley is located to port and down four stairs.  Appliances include a refrigerator & freezer, a small microwave, electric stove top and dishwasher.  Up in the salon under the port settee is a complete set of fine china, silver and glassware; service for six that comes as standard equipment.

Port settee with four drawers containing silver and china

Galley down

Below decks there are three staterooms.  The master and V-berth have ensuite heads

Master stateroom looking aft

Master stateroom looking to starboard

Master head

V-berth stateroom with queen size bed

Guest stateroom with side by side bunk beds

Guest head

The engine room is located in the stern.  It is chockablock full of equipment.

Starboard MTU V10 1,623 HP Diesel

Kholer 23KW Generator

Chilled Water HVAC system

The 64 has crew quarters that is accessed from an 8 step ladder under the aft deck settee.  It has one bunk that sits atop of the ship's washer and dryer.  It also has it's own head.  The crew's quarters is located just forward of the engine room.  Note: The location of the washer and dryer is perfect if you have a captain.  It's not so perfect when you do not (i.e., you have to climb the ladder to switch from washer to dryer and then transport the dry clean clothes up the ladder).

Ladder down to crew quarters

Washer and dryer in crew quarters

Finally, we come to the garage and the passerelle. A passerelle is a ramp that extends from the transom to permit boarding in a stern-in tie to a quay, which is very common in Europe.  On the 64 the passerelle is configured to work as a crane for lifting a tender or jet ski into the garage.

Passerelle that doubles as a lifting crane for the tender or jet ski

The garage will house an 11 foot jet driven tender or a jet ski

.

One very happy new owner

Written by Les.

The Next Adventure: Fort Lauderdale to Chicago on a 64 Pershing

My friend decided that he needed a new boat and proceeded to buy a spectacular new 2014 64 feet Pershing.  He asked if I would help him move the boat from Fort Lauderdale, where she currently lays, to her new home in Chicago, a distance of 2,460 nautical miles.  Of course I said "yes."

Pershing 64 (stock photo)

Here the Pershing’s vital statistics:

• ·        Overall Length: 65.7 feet
• ·         Beam: 16.4 feet
• ·         Draft: 4 feet 4"
• ·         Power: Two MTU 1623 HP diesels
• ·         Displacement: 79,146 pounds (empty)
• ·         Maximum Speed: 47.5 knots (55 MPH)
• ·         Cruise Speed: 42 knots (49 MPH)
• ·         Fuel Burn at Maximum Speed: 168 GPH
• ·         Fuel Burn at Cruise Speed: 142 GPH
• ·         Fuel Capacity: 925 gallons
• ·         Available Fuel: 832 gallons (10% reserve)
• ·         Type of hull: Modified V (planning hull)

This is the quintessential high speed luxury express cruiser and a very different boat than the Guided Discovery.  Guided Discovery’s basic statistics (length, beam, draft and displacement) closely match the Pershing’s but that where it ends.  The Outer Reef is a semi displacement hull with two 503 Caterpillar diesels.  Her optimum cruise speed is 8.4 knots (9.7 MPH) at 1,400 RPM.  Her maximum speed of 13.4 knots is for "rare" occasions due to its inefficient fuel burn of 50 GPH.  The Pershing moves fast but has limited range, 280 nautical miles mile with 10% reserve.  The Outer Reef moves slow but can cover 1,638 nautical miles with a 10% fuel reserve at optimum cruise.  Drop the 63's RPMs to 1,200 and the speed drops to 7.6 knots while the range increases to 2,208 nautical miles.

The other major difference is that the Outer Reef 63 is stabilized allowing her to cruise slowly with stability in seas.  The Pershing’s planning hull is not stabilized so that in a sea she has to run at speed to maintain stability.  Further, she does gain any benefit from running at her hull speed, 10.8 knots, as her fuel consumption at 1,200 RPM is 45 GPH.  Essentially that translates into 18.6 hours of run time (with a 10% reserve) or 200 nautical miles.  Even at idle (9.4 knots) she burns 23 GPH producing a range of 340 miles. This baby was born to move.

Note: Guided Discovery at idle (700 RPM) has a 2,925 nautical mile range at 4.5 knots.  She is capable of crossing the Atlantic Ocean (in 20 some days).

Here’s some perspective.  Guided Discovery needed 57 hours to cover 480 nautical miles between Norfolk and Hingham Mass.  She burned 383.6 gallons.  The Pershing could do that trip in just over 10 running hours.  However, her fuel burn at just over 1,200 gallons requires a fuel stop enroute.  Still, she would be able to complete the trip in one day.

My friend asked me to construct a preliminary route based on his goal to reach Chicago ASAP.  This translates into a coastal run from Fort Lauderdale to the mouth of the Hudson (at New York City).  From there we cruise up the Hudson to Waterford where we pick up the Erie Canal and cruise west to the Oswego Canal with a destination of Oswego, NY.  From Oswego we head west on Lake Ontario to the Welland Canal, which connects Lake Ontario to Lake Erie.  Again we head west on Lake Erie to Lake Saint Clair at Detroit, connect to Lake Huron, where we head north to the Straights of Mackinac and Lake Michigan.  From there it’s 300 nautical miles to Chicago.

Below is the tentative cruising plan:  

FROM TO MILES CUM TIME FUEL MARINA Fort Lauderdale St Augustine 234 234 6.7 735.4 St. Augustine Municipal Marina St Augustine Georgetown 240 474 6.9 754.3 Georgetown Marina Georgetown Beaufort 165 639 4.7 518.6 Beaufort Docks Beaufort Norfolk 209 848 6.0 656.9 Tidewater or Waterside Norfolk Atlantic City 187 1035 5.3 587.7 Senator Frank S. Farley State Marina Atlantic City Troy, NY 218 1253 6.2 685.1 Troy Downtown Marina Troy, NY Oswego 218 1471 6.2 685.1 Oswego Marina Oswego Buffalo 146 1617 4.2 458.9 Pending Buffalo Detroit 231 1848 6.6 726.0 Detroit Yacht Club Detroit Alpena, MI 197 2045 5.6 619.1 Thunder Bay Shore Marina Alpena, MI Charlevoix 170 2215 4.9 534.3 Charlevoix Municipal Charlevoix Chicago 245 2460 7.0 770.0 Burnham 2460 7731.4 Total fuel 4.2 Cost per gallon 32472 Fuel Cost

In constructing this plan I used a conservative 15% reserve (786 gallons) and chose stops where the marina could accommodate a 64 footer.  A total of 12 runs are required with run times of 5 to 6 hours.  With daylight savings at this time of year we have at least 14 hours of daylight each day and the potential to make two runs per day including up to two hours for refueling.

Explanatory Note: Passagemaker used a 10% reserve when they calculated Guided Discovery's range at different speeds.  I chose a 15% reserve to account for the fact that the fuel consumption charts supplied by Pershing were for MAN rather than the MTU engines installed on the boat and we have not measured actual fuel usage by running a distance and topping off.

Now to the weather.  As of Sunday (May 11) when I started this article it did not look good for offshore running.  A strong cold front associated with a deep low pressure center over northern Lake Michigan that trailed south to Texas was forecasted to move east slowly.  NOAA was forecasting for each of the preceding four days winds out of the southeast at 15 to 20 knots with seas of 4 to 6 feet and a chance of thunderstorms each day.  Of concern was our inexperience with the 64.  How would she handle the range of seas (head, quartering, beam and following) that we would surely encounter on a 2,460 nautical mile run.

Now to the plan: Three of us were going to meet in Fort Lauderdale on Sunday evening, participate in the new boat delivery process on Monday and with the cooperation of the weather, unlikely based on the forecast, and the boat (i.e., making it through an orientation and sea trial with no deficiencies - also unlikely) we would be on our way on Tuesday.

I departed Hinghan Shipyard Marinas for Boston's Logan Airport at 1:00 PM on Sunday to catch a 3:10 flight.  Diana and Kodi drove me.  After a very short 35 minute ride I was at the airport.  Since completion of Boston's Big Dig getting to the airport is considerably easier.  Things were going well until I got to the gate where a 15 minute delay ultimately turned into a two hour and 15 minute delay resulting in a 5:25 PM pushoff.  Oh well, "if you have time to spare, go by air."

Written by Les.