Many of us have cruised the Chesapeake, some to the far reaches north and south. Fewer of us have gotten out of the Bay, perhaps tasting the waters of Long Island Sound and New England or traveling down the ICW to points south.
If you have made it to the bottom of the Bay there is an opportunity to cruise the North Carolina Sounds, the Albemarle and the Pamlico, that will put a smile on your face. The Albemarle is first up and a circumnavigation to some of the small towns on the Sound can be done in a week or so. The Pamlico is a bit further south. It includes the towns of Oriental, the sailing capital of North Carolina, Belhaven and New Bern, all charming stops.
The Albemarle Sound runs west to east about 50 miles. You inevitably cross the Sound on ICW treks but often without stopping in any of the small towns off the ICW routes. This is a shame because those towns offer some great cruising experiences, and quite often, free dockage. To see them all or pick and choose you may want to consider completing the Albemarle Loop https://albemarleloop.com/
Read more in the August isue of PropTalk
Century Club: mike pitchford
entering the harbor in Hertford
The happy creew in Georgetown SC
After two false starts, a host of mechanical issues, the trip north from Florida back to the Chesapeake Bay began on Memorial Day. The weather generally cooperated and the good ship and crew covered 831 miles of ICW from Daytona, where the final repairs to the boat were accomplished, to Norfolk.
The last two days were just about 200 miles each, long days, ten hours, and more than I would like to do regularly. There is a certain fatigue that sets in on a long day. Maybe is is just late afternoon and maybe is is the extra few hours over normal, not sure. But my crew would just as soon avoid it in the future.
The boat stayed in Norfolk for a couple weeks while we drive home to Annapolis. The yacht club's first of two long summer cruises would be back in Norfolk so we saw no beg need to get back to Annapolis only to be down the bay again so soon.
loaded the truck with stuff tht did not need to go home to the Bay on the boat
Time to make the 1200 mile trip home to the Bay from South FL. The boat had other ideas. First it was a failing battery charger. I caught that early and had it replaced before the trip was to start.
On departure day the bow thruster offered little actual thrust. We left anyway and planned a diver at the first stop to clean the thruster prop, the suspected issue. Along the way the engine was running about 14 degrees hotter than normal.
We talked to our boat mechanic and determined he had likely installed a defective thermostat. We turned around and headed back to the home slip, a full day 130 mile round-trip getting nowhere.
The mechanic came on Monday and sure enough, it was a bad thermostat. Once replaced the engine temp was actually about three degrees cooler than before. Bonus!
Late in the day the diver came, cleared a lot of hard growth from the backside of the bow thruster blades and bang, it was working as intended again.
On Tuesday we made a 163 miles run to Daytona. It was about eight and a half hours, all good. The next morning we departed early with a plan to get to Jekyll Island for the evening. The boat had other ideas.
Upon first acceleration to planing speed the automatic trim tabs (ZipWake) did not operate as usual. The control screen indicated Interceptor failure. So for the second time this trip we turned around and headed back to the departure slip.
A morning of trouble shooting and an afternoon looking for a haul-out and repair marina followed. We left the boat and flew home the next day. The replacement parts have been ordered. Hopefully the trip can restart Memorial Day.
family pool time over Easter
The winter season is fading. The last hurrah is Easter with the family. It was a great time!
All kinds of visiting boats this winter, most waiting to go to the Bahamas
Signs of spring are appearing around the Bay. This entry coincides with the spring equinox. Daylight is gaining. Boat yards are becoming hives of activity after a long, cold, quiet winter. April is just around the corner, followed by May and genuine Bay boat time!
Plans are set for us. The boat will head north at the beginning of May. In the mean time the marina in Florida that is our winter home is full of transients gearing up for some Bahamas time before heading north. The come, provision and wait for the right weather window to make the 60+ mile crossing to Bahamian waters.
winter ice on the cove
Wish it was more. However, duty calls and so I find myself leaving Florida in winter to fly to San Antonio, on a mission.
This boat nname is what I have been doing, work wise, instead of boating
With two trips back home to Annapolis and four trips to San Antonio to work my boat time in February was limited to just 10 days!
ususual visitor near our winter slip in FL
Working is definitely getting in the way of enjoying the baot in Florida this winter. I got back to the boat late on a Thursday and left it mid day on Monday bound for San Antonio TX.
Distinctly Flordia Art
After a few days in very cold Annapolis we got back to Florida. There, the cold Janaury was fading and e were finally getting the "weather we paid for".
Night Heron posing for a photo in Florida
Winter on the boat will be different this season. I have a consulting gig that takes me to San Antonio TX mid week for several days. Generally this will be every week.
So, we have a boat in Florida, to escape the cold winter in Annapolis. I have a small corporate apartment in San Antonio. It is a work focused and monastic life there. And, of course, we need to be in Annapolis and home home some days over the winter.
The biggest part of all this is logistics. Flights are a challenge (but getting lots of Southwest points). Rental cars, Ubers, trains and time zones all add to the mix. It is a wonder I don't run out of underwear.
For this ten day run I was supposed to be in San Antonio but my favorite crew-mate and life partner was sick, the Flu. So, I worked from the boat while making her meals every day for a week. She survived the Flu and my cooking, so it is all good.