Today was a milepost, in several ways. We completed the IntraCoastal Waterway when we passed mile zero in Norfolk, Virginia. In the process we have covered 993.6 statute miles and been underway 139 hours and 15 minutes!
Now we have Chesapeake Bay, Delaware Bay, the New Jersey coast, New York City, Long Island Sound, Buzzards Bay, Cape Cod Bay, Massachusetts Bay, and the coast north of Cape Anne to transit before reaching Maine and the Bay of Fundy. We're actually about half way to Maine - we just cover a lot of named places before getting there.
The engine is performing well after replacing the transmission oil cooler and the engine oil cooler last week. The fuel seems to be a bit dirty and we're replacing a Racor fuel filter about every six to seven days, but that's not bad. Soon the remaining fuel in the tanks will be scrubbed clean. Fortunately, our fuel filters are set in a housing that lets us switch from one filter to another with a 180 degree rotation of a handle, so when the engine starts to sputter a little, I open one of the engine room hatches and flip the handle to the unused filter; that night I change out the dirty filter for a new one so we can repeat the process a week or so later! Not as good as having clean fuel to begin with, but better than having to shut down the engine on the spot and change the filter in a hot engine room.
Our next destination is Washington, DC, where we'll meet up with friends who'll be aboard for a week while we cruise down the Potomac River to Solomons, Annapolis and Baltimore, Maryland.
All is going well.
Monday, May 26, 2008
Friday, May 16, 2008
Georgetown, South Carolina
On Wednesday, May 13th, we stopped at a marina in Georgetown, South Carolina, so Judy could return to Merritt Island and Orlando for some American Heart Association business; she'll return on Saturday and we'll be back on the waterway on Sunday (weather permitting). In the meantime, I'm taking care of some little boat projects.
We took on 142.2 gallons of diesel yesterday morning and were for the second time able to calculate our burn rate while cruising. We'd cruised 88 hours since our last fill-up just before departing Manatee Cove Marina. During that time we'd operated the generator for about four hours - it burns about 1/2 gallon per hour at "normal" load. All that means that we're burning about 1.6 gallons of diesel per hour while running the main engine - very good news in these days of extremely high diesel prices on the water (it's higher than diesel for cars).
I've also replaced the electric horn which had decided to stop working the day we started our trip. The marina was able to order one from their wholesaler and had it delivered the next day.
The last day on the water our navigation computer had decided it didn't want to operate, and after much work it is again working properly. We use it as a backup to paper charts and the electronic chart plotter, and in some instances it is more helpful than either of our primary navigation aids. It displays our location (via an independent GPS) on up-to-date electronic charts in real time, and when it is working we rely on it if we have to go into a narrow anchorage or have a question about where we are in relation to shallow water or a charted obstacle.
When Judy returns on Saturday we'll do some shopping to get a few food items that we need, and on Sunday morning head north. We should be in the Chesapeake in a week to a week and a half, depending on where we stop along the way to sight-see.
Julie and Khepera are doing well. They seem to lounge around a lot, but they do that at home, also. Khepera goes outside to walk the decks in the morning, while I keep my eye on him while having my coffee. Julie seems to prefer to stay inside - it's been windy and I think that bothers her.
We took on 142.2 gallons of diesel yesterday morning and were for the second time able to calculate our burn rate while cruising. We'd cruised 88 hours since our last fill-up just before departing Manatee Cove Marina. During that time we'd operated the generator for about four hours - it burns about 1/2 gallon per hour at "normal" load. All that means that we're burning about 1.6 gallons of diesel per hour while running the main engine - very good news in these days of extremely high diesel prices on the water (it's higher than diesel for cars).
I've also replaced the electric horn which had decided to stop working the day we started our trip. The marina was able to order one from their wholesaler and had it delivered the next day.
The last day on the water our navigation computer had decided it didn't want to operate, and after much work it is again working properly. We use it as a backup to paper charts and the electronic chart plotter, and in some instances it is more helpful than either of our primary navigation aids. It displays our location (via an independent GPS) on up-to-date electronic charts in real time, and when it is working we rely on it if we have to go into a narrow anchorage or have a question about where we are in relation to shallow water or a charted obstacle.
When Judy returns on Saturday we'll do some shopping to get a few food items that we need, and on Sunday morning head north. We should be in the Chesapeake in a week to a week and a half, depending on where we stop along the way to sight-see.
Julie and Khepera are doing well. They seem to lounge around a lot, but they do that at home, also. Khepera goes outside to walk the decks in the morning, while I keep my eye on him while having my coffee. Julie seems to prefer to stay inside - it's been windy and I think that bothers her.
Thursday, May 1, 2008
Underway!
We cast off lines from our dock at Manatee Cove Marina at 1105 this morning (Thursday) and by 1400 had transited the Banana River north to the Canaveral Barge Canal and across the Canal to the Indian River Lagoon. About 1840 we anchored for the night in Mosquito Lagoon about three miles north of the Haulover Canal, between Titusville and New Smyrna. We're in a rather exposed area and the wind has picked up, again, to around 12 knots; not a bad anchorage nor too windy, and we're just about 300 yards off the ICW in eight feet of water.
While we were eating dinner topside (at our new eucalyptus table and chairs) we noticed that the pine forest about 1/2 mile to our west was burning. 'Tis forest fire season in Florida, with dry easterly winds to fan the flames. We tried to call someone to report the fire but after contacting the Fish and Wildlife Commission and being transferred to the Forestry Division, the call was routed to an operator who evidently was out for dinner!
Tomorrow night we'll be in Daytona or a bit beyond depending on what time we get underway in the morning.
The weather today was beautiful with temps in the low 80s, sunny skies, and a constant breeze out of the east.
While we were eating dinner topside (at our new eucalyptus table and chairs) we noticed that the pine forest about 1/2 mile to our west was burning. 'Tis forest fire season in Florida, with dry easterly winds to fan the flames. We tried to call someone to report the fire but after contacting the Fish and Wildlife Commission and being transferred to the Forestry Division, the call was routed to an operator who evidently was out for dinner!
Tomorrow night we'll be in Daytona or a bit beyond depending on what time we get underway in the morning.
The weather today was beautiful with temps in the low 80s, sunny skies, and a constant breeze out of the east.
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