This blog will chronicle our (Pat and Patty Anderson's)
cruising adventures on the Great Loop!
This morning started with a little uncertainty - it was a bit foggy, and although there was some visibility, was it enough, and would the fog hang around or lift? It was time to leave Charleston, but we did not want to compromise our safety! We had breakfast, walked Baxter, turned in our restroom key, filled our water tank and got ready to leave. Fortunately by 9:30 a.m., the sun was peeking through and we pulled out of City Marina with great memories of Charleston! Somehow leaving Charleston, we managed to lose two of our fenders that we have had for 12 years. One was flat and all them are seriously undersized, so I see this as an opportunity, not a loss!
There were a few photo opportunities leaving Charleston Harbor, but I passed. I did not need more pictures of the Battery. I did not need more pictures of the tour boat. I did not need more pictures of Fort Sumter. Russ Portner told me I do not need to take any more pictures of any houses because Toni has them all (you have to know Russ and Toni, whom we love dearly, to understand the deep truth of Russ's words!).
In truth, we are on a mission now. We need to get a little way past Swansboro, North Carolina, by Sunday. That is 242 miles in six days, or about 40 miles a day. Now, that does not seem like a lot, but when you cruise at 2,000 RPM and your speed rises and falls depending on whether the tidal current is with you (7 - 8 mph) or against you (4.5 - 6 mph), how long it takes to travel 40 miles can vary quite a lot. We covered our 40+ miles today in about seven and a half hours, which should tell you that the tidal current was almost always against us today! There was remarkably little of visual interest along the way, too!
Our mission is to get to Benton and Ann Blalock's home on the ICW in Newport, North Carolina, by Sunday so we can pull Daydream out of the water and do the first of a number of services that will need to be done on the Loop, which include oil and filter change and lower unit lube. Benton graciously offered to help us out in response to my plea on C-Brats, but he will be leaving Tuesday for a week, so there is kind of a short window where we can do the service, A double bed, a shower, and dinner are evidently part of the deal too! Thank you, Benton and Ann! Of course, if it is getting tight, we will put the hammer down and burn some fossil fuel!
Our mission is to get to Benton and Ann Blalock's home on the ICW in Newport, North Carolina, by Sunday so we can pull Daydream out of the water and do the first of a number of services that will need to be done on the Loop, which include oil and filter change and lower unit lube. Benton graciously offered to help us out in response to my plea on C-Brats, but he will be leaving Tuesday for a week, so there is kind of a short window where we can do the service, A double bed, a shower, and dinner are evidently part of the deal too! Thank you, Benton and Ann! Of course, if it is getting tight, we will put the hammer down and burn some fossil fuel!
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| Sunset at Five Fathom Creek |
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| Shrimp boat passing by our anchorage |
We are not exactly sure where we are headed for tomorrow, too many of the Active Captain entries about 40+ miles away say "No pet access and beware of alligators" - but we think we have found a spot called Bull Creek Bend, which the Active Captain entry says "Don't tell anybody about this spot, we want to keep it all to ourselves." And it has a sandy beach for Baxter!
I have many extra fenders. Hang on! Still crave pet pix though....
ReplyDeletePat, we have a day long committment on May 8 and a few days before so don't burn too much fuel! In heading for Norfolk from Albemarle Sound, use the Dismal Swamp Canal, not the other one. 6' depth, 6mph speed limit and less traffic. Norfolk is a great place to stop, Stbd heading North. Watch Chesapeake Bay wx carefully, I have some broken crew bones in 8' seas when the weather weasels said 1 to 2'. Travel safe!