INTERMISSION

Ihana is moored in Charleston, South Carolina, for Thanksgiving.  Her crew is in California, having turkey with our kids, grandkids, brothers, and assorted friends and relatives.

1 if by land, 2 if by sea, but 3 IF BY AIR ...

Sailing resumes late next week.

Ihana in the Charleston City Marina

Ihana - AIS details

Bicycle Commuting

"No.  You can't ride bicycles on the docks.  It's not safe."

Well, actually, the farther-out docks are only about 1/2 this wide, but still ...

And, besides, the marina staff rides golf carts on the docks!

Fit to be TIDE

Really high tides yesterday and today - new moon, winds, whatever.  8 foot difference!  These pictures were taken within an hour of high tide and low tide (not exactly at the peak).  In the Charleston City Marina, South Carolina.

Follow our AIS position

When we are underway (and when I have our Automatic Identification System turned on), and when we are in range of and have our signal picked up by the appropriate repeater stations - you can see us on the internet!

Go to either:
  shipfinder.com    or
  marinetraffic.com
and search for Ihana

shipfinder.com

marinetraffic.com

We've come over to the Dock side ...

Having fun here in Charleston. Nice to be in a marina and off the ocean. [The dock side ...]

Friends have boats (bigger boats), and CARS!  We got a free city tour yesterday with Ken Roetzel, then dinner with him and the Leddys on his boat here in the harbor marina.  Caught up on sleep after the 11-12 hour crossing on the outside on Sunday - the Leddys estimate we had 4 to 5 foot seas out there; no wonder we were so tired. Ilona got the boat clean (on the outside); hosed off the salt. Finally got some things we needed at a hardware store, grocery, and Radio Shack - so can do some repairs. Later.

Today: Riding with Helen and John to Trader Joe's (!) this morning, then maybe some boat straightening and minor repairs and maintenance. Or maybe a bike ride into town.  Or maybe dinner with Diane and Frank Albani.

Now: Coffee on board with The Ilona (are there any more of these out there?).  The To-Do List is up to  about 25 items.  Cruising really is boat repairs and maintenance in exotic locations ...

Charleston !!!

We're here!  Today we motorsailed on the outside (i.e. out in the Atlantic Ocean), from Georgetown SC (pulled the anchor before sunrise) to the Charleston City Marina.  Almost 11 hours; winds up to 16 knots, 3-foot seas.  Fun. We're exhausted!

Not planning to move the boat again until after Thanksgiving, or later - so we are safe and ashore for awhile (well, still living on the boat, in the harbor).

Lots of friends here -
1. John and Helen Leddy (s/v Aqua Mirus), who we buddy-boated with today from Georgetown to Charleston.  Met them during Hurricane Sandy while we holed up in North Carolina.
2. Ken Roetzel (know him from the Northern Lights Sailing Club)
3. Frank & Diane Albani (s/v Utopia) - met them in Atlantic City, then again in Annapolis - they are here through Thanksgiving.

Best part of the trip - still - is the people you meet and sometimes travel with (hopscotching and reconnecting at various marinas).

We have a week here to relax, sightsee, eat, reprovision and repair.  But first - dinner and sleep!

The Big Chill

I used to think that The Big Chill was a movie, filmed down here in the South Carolina lowcountry.  Instead, it turns out that it refers to the local weather ...

Georgetown, SC

Made it down the Waccamaw River today, from Myrtle Beach to Georgetown, South Carolina. Beautiful!

We are spending tonight at the Hazzard Marina (owned by Boss Hogg, maybe?)

Happy Shabbat, everyone!

Where we are going tonight

Beth Elohim - Reform Synagogue in Georgetown, SC

Along the Harborwalk in Georgetown, SC

Freezing here, going south

It's incredibly cold here in Myrtle Beach, SC - same as back home in Minnesota!  [While traveling, I am wearing SIX layers, including 3 of fleece and my foulies, and complaining constantly.]

We're going to keep traveling south now, heading for Charleston SC as fast as possible.  Hope to be there by Monday or Tuesday. We will then use the Charleston City Marina as our home base for a few weeks (including a trip to see our kids and grandkids for Thanksgiving). Might have to backtrack to Myrtle Beach because of pre-booked air tickets (by land, not by sea), but gotta get this boat souther sooner.

This means we can do Charleston BEFORE Thanksgiving, not after, and so continue getting down to warmer weather sooner than mid-December. [Not looking forward to the run from Charleston to Florida in December, tho.]

We should have been a lot further south by now; hope to make up for lost time and lost temperatures.

Safe and tucked in, in Southport NC.

We made the run down the (appropriately-named) Cape Fear River today.  18 knot tailwind, with expected waves from a fetch all the way down from Wilmington.  Started at slack water; got REAL exciting when the tide ebbed and we had that - and the wind - pushing us.  Cold, but okay with a downwind run.  Then colder when we got back into the "protected" ICW and got a side wind.

We're now in the St. James Marina, surrounded by condos and protected from the wind on all sides - it's almost warm.  Plan to stay through the nor'easter coming up at us tomorrow (rain, wind, cold), then see what happens next.

Nice to stop early, for a change, and to not have to go anywhere tomorrow (well, except for provisioning, restauranting, and sightseeing.)

Along the IntraCoastal Waterway

Views from s/v Ihana, as we travel the ICW through southeastern North Carolina -

much of the ICW is really deserted, other parts: not so much

approaching one of the swing bridges,
waiting for it to open (along with many other boats)

heavy traffic on the ICW -
this was on a Sunday, one of the few days with
absolutely gorgeous warm weather

one of the inlets to the ICW from the Atlantic Ocean -
lots of shoaling here as the sand is washed in and dropped

We have nothing to fear, but ...

... but for the Cape Fear River (where we are now at).

We're at the beautiful Carolina Beach State Park Marina, on the Cape Fear River.  We have about 10-12 miles to run down the river next, to Southport NC.  It would be better on an ebb tide, giving us a healthy 3+ knots of tail current (but we can also handle the 2 knots of flood, if it works out that way.)  It's only a difference of 1/2 and hour or so.  And we made it through the Snows Cut connection from the ICW [flowing inside the barrier islands], to the Cape Fear River - with a 3 knot foul current (and we still made a good 4+ knots over the ground.)

But it is so nice here, we may hang out for another day or so.  About 2 miles through the park to the city of Carolina Beach (read: groceries, supplies, restaurants, pubs) - maybe tomorrow's road trip will be on a road (if it's nice, we will dig out the bicycles).  There are only about 6 boats in this marina (2 other sailboats, the rest fishing boats), with space for 50 or so.  And they have diesel (filled up), pumpout (will empty out), water, 30-amp power, laundry, showers, shore-heads; everything a real marina would have for less money (just like a state park has cheaper shore camping than a KOA-type campground.)

It was in the 70s today - finally had an enjoyable day; traveled 37 miles.  And NO shoal-ly hits!  But several other boats weren't so lucky; saw one or two stuck hard aground, and there were continuous calls on the VHF to TowboatUS and Sea-Tow.  The ICW was usually 11-15 feet deep except inside the inlets from the ocean.  Thanks to Active Captain (dot-com), we knew where the bad spots were, as reported by fellow cruisers on-line.  Let me repeat:  THANKS ACTIVE CAPTAIN!

Now we have only 76 more miles to reach Osprey Marina, just south of Myrtle Beach, SC.  We have to be there in time to fly out for Thanksgiving on November 20th; that's 15 more days (averaging 5 miles per day).  Piece of cake!

Supposed to get cold again tomorrow - oh, well.

You know you're a cruiser when...





           You know you're a cruiser when...  
         

you've read 240 books in the past year and only bought one

Laundry day starts by lowering the dinghy … and checking the gas tank in the outboard.


When finding a West Marine, or a Costco, makes your day.


Watching sunups and sundowns over the water always capture your soul.


You get the urge to move if you've stayed in one place too long.


You write lists of lists


You go out to dinner and order a drink named "Hurricane" just hours before the hurricane hits! Hey, you know you have already done everything you can do until the real hurricane hits you...sitting in Norfolk, VA, awaiting Hurricane Sandy to arrive.


You have more spare engine parts than underwear.


You talk more about anchorages than your grandchildren!


You end up talking about anchors and toilets with people you just met.


I go right to "do you have a water maker ?"


speaking about anchors, with what should we replace our 200 lb Danforth that is lying at the top of Albemarle Sound. It goes into a hawse, so only certain types fit.


The first things you ask in each new location are directions to the supermarket and chandlery.


I can sniff out the supermarket, but, I need support in convincing Evan I need a washer and a water maker !

As to replacing your Danforth, I'd go for a scoop type anchor -- Rocna, Ultra, Spade. You'll sleep well at night. We'll be doing our Happy Hooking webinar with SSU again sometime this winter. We cover everything about anchoring there and in our book, Happy Hooking. The Art of Anchoring.


you talk about the inside rain (condensation) with other boaters waiting out the effects of the hurricane.


Let's not forget the proverbial "is there a free town dock"?


Everyone that does not have a watermaker and who traverses the oceans wishes they had one


That's what I say !! and.. if you have a water maker why not a washing machine ??


And if you are thinking about adding a watermaker, add the biggest one you can, it's well worth it, especially for using the washing machine I wanted, but didn't have!


We remade our watermaker and put a new 4.5 inch membrane in in Durban so now make about 200 Lph and the washing machine works a treat. Just need to look after the membranes and pumps and it runs well.


You know you are a cruiser when you do not get involved in multi/mono hull arguments or anchor techniques/equipment discussions...these are left for "experts" a/k/a armchair experts... after all, cruising requires entertainment ;>)


You cycle your clothes through stages... 'Clean, good for dinner'... 'Still pretty clean, good for daily wear'... 'Kinda dirty, but still good enough for onboard wear'... 'Oooh, that smells, time to wash'


your two favourite topics of discussion are laundry and weather.


You realize the people on shore have this questioning look.

        [from comments on a discussion thread of the Seven Seas Cruising Association.]

Shoal-ly Hit

Spoonerism alert:

I thought the common expletive sounded something like that ...  :)    This version is a lot more appropriate for us.

The ICY Double-U

And here I thought it was ICW.  Nope, it's Icy W.  As in "Frost Warnings".  And we are in Carolina!

Today was Day 3 of our marathon attempt to souther (is that a verb?) ourselves as fast as possible, and the weather is getting colder!  Today I wore 6 (SIX!) layers on top, including 3 (THREE layers) of fleece in addition to my big yellow foulie jacket.  And two pairs of wool socks under my foulie boots. And 3 layers of pants, including of course my long undies.  And my dorky hat.  And I was still cold. And I don't even wear that much back home in Minnesota!

And we were motoring for 10 (TEN!) hours, non-stop (except for waiting for two bridges to open). 

For the first time, we ran the diesel forced-air heater system much of the day, inside the cabin - so the one not driving could escape to warmer climates.  We would just plain not be able to do this trip without this heater system.  [Note: Next boat must have a totally-enclosed cockpit.  Or be located in Arizona or, better yet, Death Valley.]

Thursday: Belhaven NC to Oriental NC, 56 miles,
Friday: on to Morehead NC, 30 miles.
Saturday (today): on to where-are-we, NC, close to Wilmington, 73 miles.

But, the good news: We are now only 80 miles to Myrtle Beach, SOUTH Carolina (or 106 if we go to our preferred marina near there), so we will 1) probably get there in time to catch a plane to see our kids and grandkids for thanksgiving, 2) without the boat, 3) in a much warmer state, and 4) get to spend a few or several days just plain sitting, reading, and soaking up heat (see: diesel heater, above).

Did we mention that the rum does help, but only after we stop for the night?

Upcoming events:  More dodging shoals on the Icy-W.  A passage down the (appropriately-named) Cape Fear river. More (too much) experience dealing with tides, current, shoals, and cold.

We are staying in marinas - we are just too cold and tired to mess around with anchoring in thin water, and need the safety of being tied (tightly) to a dock so we can get some sleep.  As usual, we are way over budget.

North Carolina pictures - Inner Banks

Foggy anchorage - upper Alligator River

Secondary anchor light for foggy night

Following another boat into the Alligator-Pungo Canal

Happy Hour at "Camp Dowry Creek"
during Hurricane Sandy

View through a portlight during the near-miss
of Hurricane Sandy

Potluck supper at "Camp Dowry Creek"
during the Hurricane Sandy Hostage Crisis

Ihana, tied up at the dock for Hurricane Sandy.
Note the dodger and bimini tied up or down,
the lashings over the mainsail and genoa,
the dinghy tied on the foredeck,
 the spiderwebbed lines to the pelican poles, and the fender-boards.

more pictures from Carolina

Dowry Creek Marina

Dressed for commuting on the dock during the hurricane.
[Not a costume party - this outfit is for real]

at Mark Doyle's discussion/workshop
while waiting out the hurricane

updating the Blog 

after Sandy left, at Dowry Creek Marina

Ihana, at Morehead City Yacht Basin

View from the dock, Sanitary Fish Market & Restaurant
at Morehead City, NC

Frigid Frost & Mediocre Marinas

Well, at least we have heat on the boat.  We sailed and motored another 56 miles today, and are now in Oriental, NC.  And it was cold all day!  Dressed as if we were home in Minnesota. We can't get south soon enough. 

We're in a marina here; it seems that many marinas in the southeast are competing for the shittiest marina prize, and I'd like to nominate this one, the Oriental Marina & Inn.  They compete for short finger piers, and putting the docks as close together as possible so it is impossible to turn into a slip.  That, and a dock-full of laughing hyenas (read: assholes) having a great time while we were trying to dock. And don't even get me started on pelican poles. Next time we won't come in so cold and tired, and early enough to anchor out.

We got beat up a little today, covered 56 miles coming across the Pamlico Sound and up the Neuse River. But at least we escaped from the hurricane hole after a week. The waves weren't all that bad today, and we did get some sailing in, but the cold was pretty bad.  And look what's coming - see below:

Frost Advisory

Statement as of 3:43 PM EDT on November 01, 2012

... Frost advisory in effect from 3 am to 9 am EDT Friday...

The National Weather Service in Newport/Morehead City has issued
a frost advisory... which is in effect from 3 am to 9 am EDT
Friday.

* Temperatures... 33 to 37.

* Timing... late tonight through early Friday morning

* impacts... tender vegetation may experience damage... though with
soil temperatures still in the 40s... a widespread killing frost
is not expected.

Precautionary/preparedness actions...

A frost advisory means that frost is possible. Sensitive outdoor
plants may be killed if left uncovered.

Headed South

We will be leaving the marina this morning - finally - headed south.  It's been a great time here (well, except for the hurricane), but time to go.