HERRINTON BAY NORTH CRUISE LOG

4/18/02
  	Took the boat up Bethel Creek to condo dock and loaded clothing, food, computers, medicines, etc on and stowed all.  Freezer is full to overflowing.  Took cars back up to condo after doing last minute afterthoughts.  Ritters picked us up at 5:15 and over to YC for dinner and on to boat by 8:30PM for nite.

4/19
	Up at 8:00AM and away at 9:15, Ruth Ellen following.  STW averaged 5.9-6.1knots and SOG 6.9-7.4knts.  Arrived Eau Gallie Y.C. at 2:15PM.  Clear skies all the way with light wind, about 6MPH.

4/20
	Holding tank alarm light on and so ask Mike to pump us out.  Slight tilt of boat that was bothering us is not eliminated. 

4/22
	Up at 7 and away at 8AM.  Light wind and calm water all he way.  Ran at 2400RPM and averaged 7.2 SOG.  Arrived Titusville at 1:00PM.  Backed into slip easily, no wind or tide.  Bought Betty boat shoes as a Xmas present.

4/23
	Cloudy with haze as we leave Titusville for the 42 mile trip to Halifax River YC in Daytona.  Cold front blows thru all day long, wind 13-18 MPH on the nose. Arrived HRHC at 2:30PM.  Ate with Cronmeyers; we met them at Eau Gallie YC.  All ate rack of lamb. Delicious.

4/24
	Off to Palm Coast Marina.  A short run of 25 miles. Calm sea and light wind.  Near Palm Coast we see a sunken power boat, 45-50 feet.  Apparently cut the corner from marker to marker and hit the rocks. Heard later that two young men had just bought the boat and this was their first run. Porta-bella sandwich for lunch and tempura shrimp for dinner at Henry's and Flagler's.

4/25
	Couldn't get a reservation at St Augustine Municipal Marina and so went to Conch House Resort Marina right near the inlet.  Backed into a slip from a narrow 50ft wide canal; bows from boats protruding.  Trip was short, 24 miles, with a strong current with us and 15knt wind behind us.  Ran at 2350 RPM and SOG was as high as 8.8 knts.  Left at 9:00 and arrived at noon.

4/26
	Left Conch without running into anything and arrived Beach Marine.  1st nite had good dinner and nice service. Next nite good dinner and lousy service.

4/28
	Made the short run to Amelia Yacht Basin.  After docking found that we were leaking or pumping with bilge pump some oil or diesel fuel.  Checked for leaks but couldnt see any.  However noticed that rear starboard engine bracket was loose.  Will have to stay over  to get repairs.  Doctor Dockside wa ssupposed to have fixed this. Ate steak and curly potatos and peas on board.

4/29
	Called for mechanic at 8 sharp and he came over soon after.  Had to go back for magnet and then was able to retrieve bolts and washers from under the engine. Tightened bolts up, and gave me the magnet. NO CHARGE!  Said he couldn't charge me for just tightening 2 bolts.  Also told me that stuff in the bilge was antifreeze.  Leaked out of bottle I had just bought. The bottle collapsed in on itself and cracked.  Maybe someone can explain. Left for Jekyl Island Harbor Marina at 9:30AM.  Green head flies galore.  Betty killed over 30 and we finally closed windows and put inscreens on side windows.  Crossing St Anndrew's Sound was increasingly rough with west wind blowing against an incoming tide from the ocean.  Just enough spray to salt up the windshield, but not enough so wipers could keep them clean.  Had to go out three times to spray with cleaner and wipe with paper towels.  Arrived Jekyl at 2:00PM, docked against the flow into a tight squeeze alongside dock.  Ate at Seajay's, I had Low Country Boil.

4/30
	Today was a short run up to and across St Simon's Sound.  Very quiet all the way, altho the flies were thick.  So, we closed up and only had to kill a few.  How they got in, we don't know.  Even one moth came from somewhere.  Arrived at 2-Way Fish Camp at 11:30 and called dockmaster but got no answer.  Luckiky we got the attention of 2 men who helped us dock.  Had to turn into the tide get in gracefully.  Later figured out that I hadn't pushed "on" button on mike. Betty pulled muscle in her leg going up/down steep ramp.  Can hardly stand on it.

5/1
	Decided to go Half Moon Marina instead of going to Kilkenny in order avoid crossing St Catherine's Sound in the afternoon when the winds would be up.  It is 4-5 miles up a creek from the ICWW, with all marks on the marshy shores.  They take us back and forth across the creek.  No restaurant so we eat lamb chops and a box of spinach on board. Didn't eat the box, just the spinach.  We don't go up the ramp here.  Tide is 8-9 feet; shore power box is high up on a pole reached with a ladder.

5/2
	Up early but don't leave because weather is very threatening to the north.  Front is over Atlanta with high winds and hail and moving toward the coast.  So we sit and watch the Weather Channel. Gradually the direction of the front shifts farther north than Savannah and we're able to leave around 9:30.  Turned up the ICWW about 10:00 and arrived at the entrance of St Catherine Sound in a strengthening wind which eventually peaked at 28MPH.  Fortuneately, for most of the crossing it is on our stern and so we ride that part comfortably, but start rocking and rocking as we turn in toward entrance of the ICWW.  That lasts about 40 minutes and gradually eases as we reach the shelter of the shore.  Arrive Palmer Johnson Marina around 2:30 and and do a poor job of docking which I blame on the wind and current.  Later we walk (Betty going slowly) up the long dock to River End Restaurant only to find it deserted.  Closed only a few weeks before leaving this big marina with no eatery.  It was one of the best on the waterway.

5/3
	Off at 8:00 for Hilton Head Island and the Shelter Cove Marina.  Cross the Calibogue Sound in calm winds with strong current pushing us along at 8.4 knts.  Find green marker #1 above Hilton Harbor Marina and proceed 6 miles up Broad Creek.  It seems to be longest 6 miles ever.  Arrive there and find our slip, K 19, and again have trouble docking. The slip is as far away from office restaurant as possible.  So much so that we register and pay fees electronically.  Later we walk for 20 minutes to reastaurant.  Betty pretty much back to normal but still goes up/down ramp using left leg only to push with.  Coming back to boat we spot and flag down a jitney with a friendly driver who takes back to K 19.  He explains that the jitney is Disney Resort service, not the marina. We decide to stay another day because we 're able to finally get a slip for Sunday nite at Beaufort.  This is important beacause we have mail waiting there for us.

5/4
	Just hanging around today; so decide I can't wait for rain to clean boat and so hose and mop decks and pilot house floor(deck).  Amazed how much better everything looks.  Cocktails and roast chicken for dinner on board.  Really didn't want to walk twenty minutes to restaurant.  As always chicken is juicy and tasty when cooked in the convection oven.

5/5
	We get going at 7:50AM and run back down the creek to marker green#1 and then back North on ICWW.  Takes 40 minutes and after running North for about 40 more minutes we see a local Cruise boat come out from creek between sand bars to ICWW.  That's the advantage of local knowlege.  Rest of trip to Beaufort (Bewfort) is uneventful.  At dock we take on fuel, 108 gals.  Trip hours from Vero Beach where we filled tanks is 50 running hours.  Roughly 2.3 gals per  hour.  Ate at our favorite Bewfort Restaurant, Plum's.  Everything delicious but I have bout of regurgance.  Not serious but does require that I go to men's room for little while.

5/6
	Away at 8:45AM after helping others get off against strong current and out of our way.  Find our turning point off ICWW at Fenwick Cut and run 4 miles down the South Edisto River to the Edisto Marina which is just 2 miles South of St. Helena's Sound.

5/7
	Left early in order in get to Bohicket Marina in early afternoon and somehow not yet determined or understood got lost and went out of our way by more than 20 miles.	We couldn't locate our position on our chart using GPS bceause the reading was off our chart.  Found a fisherman who knew where he was and so was able direct us back to the ICWW.  Finally arrived at Bohicket at 3:30 PM.  Showered and napped and went to dinner. Had wonderful meal of veal meat loaf and fried green tomatos and shallots.

5/8
	Another early rising for a 46 mile run to Isle of Palms, Wild Dunes.  Didn't get lost and arrived at 2:00PM.  Restaurant closed for renovations and so dinner on board; scallopped potatos with cheese, spinach and bacon wrapped steaks cooked in the convection oven. 

5/9
	An even longer run scheduled for today, 52 miles and so off at 7:30 AM.  Ran for close to 35 miles with wind on the stern and favorable current 1.5-2.5 knots and making 7.8-8.2 knots most of the time.  Later had current against us and reduced us to 5.8-6.1 MPM.  Arrived Harborwalk Marina in Georgetown and Betty off to have hair washed and I find a store that has a baster that I need in order easily fill coolant resevoirs. At 6:00 we're off to dinner at River Room on the boardwalk of downtown Georgetown. We've been here several times and have always had a great meal.

5/10
	Today is an easy run of 34 miles to Hague Marina.  About 10:30 I notice that the bow of the boat has risen sharply, so turn the helm over to Betty and go up to the bow.  Our bow bulb under water, so I check the stern and see that it is down below the boot stripe.  Back in the pilot house I check the engine room and bilge and see that it is flooded.  I go down and find that I'm calf deep in brackish water.  Check the automatic bilge pump thinking it might be clogged.  Apparently not.  Some 5 minutes earlier we had passed Wacca Wache Marina so immediately turned back and calling them on VHF to alert them to our problem.  Within minutes of docking they came aboard with a little Honda  generator and pump.  Finally pumped out and discovered that Rule pump was burnt out and that shaft log was leaking with engine in gear.  Mechanic was  able to slow the leakage and new Rule pump able to cope easily with amount of leakage.  But at first opportunity we'll have to replace that coupling.  We also have to replace the alternators.  Don't know cause of their failure.  Mechanics have different opinions.

5/11
	Start off for Myrtle Beach Y.C. in a drizzle that shortly turns into thunder and lightening storm.  Put wipers on and Betty gets our cloth mop out and keeps the windows from fogging up on the inside.  Everyone on the ICWW is traveling slowly with running lights on.  We keep looking for signs of clearing, just rains harder.  We do our version of Anti-rain dance and as we reach the marina the rain stops.  New pump copes with the still small amount of leakage.  Saturday, and so no mechanics anywhere.
 	
5/12
	Day starts out calm but wind increases thruout morning, 18-25 MPM, but favorable current and so average 8.5 knots most of the way.  Arrive at Southport Marina about 2:00 PM in strong on shore wind from inlet.  Slip is inside outer dock and we 're able to back  in using the wind as an aid and dock with help of dockgirl.  She's quicker and more effecient than all dock boys we've run into.  Plan to stay over Sunday and get mechanic to look at our problems on Monday.

5/13
	Mechanic says alternators are putting out proper voltage, 13.35, but replaces belts on both using our stock.  Next tightened bolts on stbrd engine using locktite.  Next cleaned up shaft log surface and eliminated leakage.  I tackled the problem of water  in the lazarette left over from the leakage in the engine room.  I pump out 20 buckets of water and free the clogged impeller on that pump. 

5/14
	Left Southport at 8:00AM and headed up Myrtle Grove Sound in an increasing offshore wind that peaked at 33MPH and left us coated with salt spray. Had to clean windshields twice  after salt smeared them. Missed the opening on a bridge by 5 minutes and had to wait an hour for the next opening.  Made the next bridge cause we're only 19'3" high and its verticle height was 20'. Alternators again began to put out less than 12 volts.  Who's right or who's wrong about them.  Shaft log started to leak again, but pump is coping.  Bolts on bed of stbrd engine still tight.

5/15
	Made the run to Dudley's Marina about 40 miles without any problems.  Had the mechanic there check alternator output and determined for sure that they are not putting out.  Will have to continue to use generator as batteries run down until we get to Herrington.  Shaft log tightened again.  Seems to have stopped leaking, but don't for how long.  Will have to keep checking periodically as we go.  Ate dinner at Cap't Charlies,  established in 1958 and still going strong.  Both of had our first soft shell crabs of the trip.  Delicious.

5/16
	Left  Dudley's Marina at 8:ooAM and proceded up the Snow Marsh utilizing many ranges established largely for commercial waterway traffic, but also very beneficial for us. Wind increased as we went but not to the speeds of yesterday.  Arrived at Harbour Village Marina at 1:30 Pm and as always we were berthed far away from marina office.  Eventually a car was left for us to use and so we went around to sign in.  No restaurant here and so ate aboard.  Cooked lamb shanks wrapped in foil in convection oven.  Well cooked but not as tender as home cooked.

5/16
	The run from  Dudley's to Beaufort, N.C. ends in Bogue Sound below Morehead City which is sort of a sister city to Beaufort.  Looked for red can #16A to turn into Downtown Beaufort area and couldn't locate it.  Wandered around for awhile and finally located green can #1 leading into Downtown Beaufort.  Went into marina under the bow of 200' line and then turned boat and backed into slip withou hitting other boats. A tight squeeze.  Ate lunch on 2nd floor of Dockhouse Restaurant and watched the 200' ship leave dock.  Crew of 6-8 scurrying all over the ship hauling in lines and bumpers. Finally away with ships horn booming and being answered by another of equal length.  Ate dinner late because hamburgers at lunch were immense.  Shared a plte of steamed shrimp. More than enough.
	Checked weather reports and decided to stay in Beaufort for Friday and Saturday nites and also because it would give us chance to get Betty's blood sample analysed and faxed to her Doctor in Vero.

5/17,18 & 19.
	Rain, wind ,fog and cold.  Sat here at Beaufort, N.C. waiting it out.  The 'low' just wouldn't move. Icemaker not working very well.  Makes 2 cubes on a cylcle.  Water apparently not filling each cube receptacle.

5/20
	Left Beaufort at 9:10AM and made the 9:30 opening of the low bascule bridge and then on to the shortcut to the ICCW.  Wind started to pickup a little but we were on the narrow waterway by then  The Pamlico was calm but wind picked up to 20-25 knots as we entered the Pungo River and we pounded our way to Bellehaven and the haven of its harbor breakwater.  Docked alongside instead of in a slip, which we like if it isn't on the outside with passing boat wake.  Took one of their golf carts on a half hour trip to the Food Lion and ABC and stocked up on some essentials.  Ate that nite at the River Forest Buffetand enjoyed the salad and especially the fried chicken.  We were early in the line and so took 4 legs between us.  Latecomers wondered why no legs.

5/21
	Used the cellular phone alarm and rose at 5:30 AM and underway by 6:20.  We got off the Pungo River before winds blew and made the long run up The Pungo River/Alligator River Canal in calm water.  When entered the Alligator River it was already blowing at 25-30 knots, but right on our bow and so we plowed thru it with spray over the top.  Windshield wipers going off and on all the time.  Hit the Alligator swwing bridge behind two other power boats and the tender kindly held the opening for us even though we were a good 10 minutes behind.  Turned into the channel for the marina and for the first time rocked and rolled, but only for about 5 minutes.  Backed into slip and unfortuneately ran over our stern line and wrapped it around the port side prop.  Finished docking and tried to free the line, but no luck and with boss lady of the marina arranged for a diver to come and untangle us.  While under he checked our 'zincs'  Said they should be good for another 4-6 weeks. Ate on board, pizzas.

5/22-23
	Decided to stay here another day since our forworded mail had not come yesterday, and because forecast was for more of the same wind.  I checked engine room bilge pump and found that Wacca Wache mechanic had not properly put it into its base screen.  Fixed that and we'll be drier. Filled water tanks, and did laundry.  Betty washed hair.

5/24
	Up at 5:30 AM again and away at 6:45 for an early crossing of the fearful Albemarle Sound.  Sound stategy (no pun) because wind was light.  We bounced gently with the wind on our port beam.  Could have been a lot worse.  Made the roughly 25 miles in a little over 3 hours and then twisted our way up the North River to Coinjock at the 50 mile marker on the ICCW.  Norfolk, Va is at 0 miles on the ICCW.  Did a little cleaning on stainless rails, but too hot for much.  Betty out for a walk while I write this.

5/25
	The 50 mile run from Coinjock to Wtaerside Marina in downtown Norfolk is the most frustrating of all on the ICWW.  Many bridges with ten to 12 feet clearance, none opening on demand.  Some open only on the hour, others on 20 minute intervals and others on the half hour.  And we're not able to get from one to the next in time while making 7.5 knts.  Nevertheless, we finally arrived at Waterside at 4:10PM and talked to Carol shortly after.  Afro-fest was going on with Waterside the center of it all.  Carol and Jim drove in from Virginia Beach but not alble to find parking and difficult to find and pick us up.  Without cellular phones we never would have found each other.  Anyway off we went toVa Beach  to The Grate Steak House for a great meal.

5/26
	Leave Waterside  with regret at 9:30 AM and go 15 miles down the Elizabeth River to Hampton Roads Downtown Marina.  Last time we were here was during a hurricane..  Carol & Jim come for dinner at Pier 21 restaurant.  Pleasant company and dinner.  Decide to spend Memorial Day here.  Off to Deltaville Yachting Center Marina on the 28th.

5/28
	Deltaville was a 50+ mile run for us and so we were away by 6:45AM in order to get as far up the Bay as we could before the winds blew up.  The wind never blew up.  The Bay was as calm as a mill pond.  Turned into Pianketank River having misread some marks.  Finally called Deltaville Yachting Center on VHF and told them we were lost.  They were able to tell us where we were from the info we gave them and we went back out into the Bay and proceded to Rappahonet River (sp) and into the Deltaville marina community and finally to the Yachting Ctr. that used to be Dozier's.  Had trouble with their 50 amp shore power; blew their circuit breaker.  Five o'clock and all workers going home and so nobody  paying much attention to us.  We don't know if problem is with their equipent or ours.  Finally Owner comes along and plugs us into new outlet and voila, we have shore power.

5/29
	Destination today was Smith Point Marina and again the Bay was extemely calm.  Not even a hint of a wave anywhere.  Came in toward shore at our turning mark and found the entrance to Smith Point Cove and wound around the marks to where the marina was hidden.  The owner, an ex-navy Captain came down to help us dock.  He recoginized us and remembered that he had repaired our 'water pressure pump' two years ago.  Later he drove us to a restaurant about 10 miles away,  and dinner over we were driven back to the marina by what can only be described as an old 'duffer'.  He wandered from side to side of the road nearrowly missing or being missed by oncoming traffic, all the while telling us his life story.
Obviously we made it.
5/30
	Off to Zaunhizer's Marina at the Solomons.  Again blessed with windless Bay and arrived without any problems.  Were told by Dockmaster that stores were only a short distance away and that we could use their bikes.  So off and away only to find that the stores were about 5 miles away and our unused legs were barely able make it.  But again we rise up with super human effort and make it there and back.  Restaurant requires reservations at either 5:50 or 8:30 and we opt for 5:30.  At 5:30 we're the only ones there, but it soon fills up and by 6:00 all tables are taken. 

5/31
	Last leg is to Herrington Bay North Marina, ESCAPADE'S new home.  We come in past Herrington Bay South Marina and follow along the shore to 'North'.  Unable to raise Dockmaster on VHF and so telephone yard office.  Learn that there is no docking assistance, but we plead for help because we're new here and so help will come soon.  After awhile we call again.  Yard man is supposed to come down to help.  He doesn't, but office lady does  and we are successfully tied up.  Find that shore power outlet is not 50amp, but 2 30amp outlets.  Dig out our splitter from the lazarette and hook it up. Have to be very careful when hooking it up; correct sequence is necessary.  Called Beth and told her we have arrived and they will come to marina next day.


						FINIS