2800Mile ICW Cruise Completed

BEARFORT, NC TO CAROLINA BEACH, NC - November 9-13, 2008

I forgot to mention last time, our first encounter on this trip with a commercial tug and barge on the Waterway. Of course, it took place on a curve in a narrow stretch of Adams Creek. Tug operators are usually very helpful in these situations but if there is any doubt which side he will pass you on, call him on the VHF - the sooner the better.

Before you call, be sure you are familiar with the terms "one-whistle pass" and "two-whistle pass". The tug operator may very well say something like, "I'll pass on two whistles" or "I'll give you a one-whistle pass". They assume you know what that means. A one-whiltle pass means the vessel signaling will be moving to ITS right. A two-whistle pass means the vessel will be moving to ITS left. That sounds simple enough but when that big barge and tug are closing on you and taking up half the river, you may not have a lot of time to say to yourself, Let's see, one whistle means he's going to his right, right? So he's coming toward me, that means I must move to my left, right?"

Just so I'm sure I have it right, I made a little diagram and taped it at the helm so I knew instantly which way I needed to move, on either a one or two-whistle pass, whether the other vessel is approaching me or overtaking me. And, by the way, if you get a "toot" from another rrecreational vessel, don't assume they know what a one-whistle toot means. Again, if there's any doubt, give them a call on the VHF to make sure.

Another time, I'll talk about how to participate in a good "slow pass", but for now, let's get back to Beaufort!

On November 9, we arrived at Towne Creek Marina. We had a 15kt crosswind and getting into the slip wasn't pretty. We struggled to get those lines over those tall pilings, finally succeeded
and got tied up securely in the slip. We registered at the marina office and received a complementary marina T-shirt and hat - a marina first for us. Elaine did a load of laundry while I hosed down the boat and filled the water tank. We had a great grouper meal at the restaurant on site that night.

On Monday, we took the marina's courtesy car to the supermarket and the hardware store. After returning to the marina, we put things away and walked downtown. Beaufort is another of those neat old southern towns with nicely restored homes dating back to the 1700s. The cemetery at the Methodist Church has gravestones dating back to not only the Civil War, but to the War of 1812 and the Revolutionary War as well. The waterfront is packed with unique shps and restaurants, and the maritime museum as also worth a visit.

Tuesday, November 11, brought us a beautiful day. We fueled up and left the marina. All the ICW, non-ICW markers, and alternative routes just seemed to make sense on this sunny day with calm winds and a slack tide. It can be a different scene in nasty weather.

From Beaufort, NC on south, the tides and currents are more of a factor in navigation. We're not used strong currents and big tides on the Chesapeake, so for us it is an added challenge. There were only a few places on the trip that we actually planned our day around the tides or currents, but you need to be aware of their impact on your boat at any given time. Starting at Bearfort, NC, you are closer to ocean inlets which can strongly affect tides and currents on tthe ICW.

Morehead City is another nice town to stop at with all amenities for boaters within a reasonable walking distance. we passed through the big commercial turning basin at the port in Morehead City and headed down Bogue Sound with a favorable current.

When the wind is right and the firing ranges are operating, you can begin to hear the action 30 miles before you reach Camp LeJeune. As you get closer, there are signs and lights telling you if it's okay to proceed through the ranges. Patrol boats may also be present when the ranges are firing to keep ICW traffic clear. The anchorage at Mile Hammock is adjacent to Camp LeJeune. It is a popular stopover because it is quite a distance to the next anchorage. On our first trip down the Waterway, we were treated at the anchorage to helicopters making "touch and go" at the adjacent range into the evening hours. They barely seemed to clear the sailboat masts as they approached the nearby landing zone. This time all was quiet, and we couldn't have had a better place to spend Veterans Day.

November 18 yielded another beautiful fall day as we headed for Wrightsville Beach, NC. We timed the restricted openings of the Onslow Beach Highway Bridge and the hourly-opening Surf City Swing Bridge pretty well and received several dolpin escorts along the way. It was especially sweet to sneak under the 20' vertical clearance Wrightsville Beach Highway Bridge which opens only hourly and is known for its strong currents. On our previous trip in the sailboat, we saw near colision and one hard grounding near the bridge as boats tried to hold back against the current waiting for the bridge to open.

Wrightsville Beach is a stop with easy access to provisions and Atlantic beaches, but since it was still relatively early in the day, we pushed on another 11 miles to Carolina Beach at SM 295. Holding was not good for us here as we tried a half-dozen locations before successfully getting the hook to set. We still didn't feel overly comfortable with the anchorage until the winds died down late in the evening. We were off first thing nest morning before the winds picked up. The challenges for the day ahead were Snow's Cut and the Cape Fear River.

Next time - Cape Fear River toward Beaufort, SC.

Your comments and questions are welcome.

Ed
 
CAROLINA BEACH, NC TO CHARLESTON BAY, SC (November 13-17, 2008)

There was good news and bad news when we awoke on the morning of November 13. The bad news was, we were blanketed in a thick fog. The good news was, we could take time for a leisurely breakfast of egg sandwiches and a second cup of coffee while the fog burned off.

We left the anchorage at SM295 at 11:00 a.m. and headed into the 1.5 mile Snow's Cut. This cut is referred to in one guide book as "The Parking Lot" for its opportunities to put boats aground. The cut is affected by tide and current from both ends. The Carolina Beach Inlet is near the east end, and the west end if affected by strong currents from the Cape Fear River which flows into the Cape Fear Inlet. The good news is that it is only 1 1/2 miles long!

Range markers helped guide us from the end of Snow's Cut into the main channel of the Cape Fear River. This river is known for its strong currents. It is one 11-mile stretch or the ICW that you want to time your passage, if you can, to avoid the worst of the current against you. We timed it to have the current going with us down this stretch but we also had a 15kt headwind which made for a rough ride. Despite the headwind, the strong current propelled us at times to over 9kts at 1600 RPM. Normally at 1600 RPM, we'd be doing 5kts.

We finally go off the Cape Fear River about 1:00 p.m. We were careful to stay in the center of the ever-shoaling entrance to the southboud ICW channel at SM 308, a mile or so before the Cape Fear Inlet. We headed on past Southport, NC which is another popular cruiser stopover. That night we stayed at South Harbor Village Marina near SM 312.

November 14 took us on south across the Shallotte Inlet which can produce a major cross current. We watched boats ahead of us involuntarily drift to the right as the tide rolled in from the inlet. Temorary ICW markers are moved freuqently here as well as at similar inlets to mark the deepest part of the ICW. Sometimes there will be non-ICW markers in these areas, so it is important to follow the channel markers with the little yellow squares and triangles on them which designate them as ICW markers.

We arrived at the Sunset Beach Pontoon Bridge at SM 338 about 11:30 a.m. and anchored in the the channel for an early lunch while we waited for the noon bridge opening. This bridge is the last of its kind on the ICW. It swings open and closed on its pontoons by means of underwater cables.

Heading on down past Lockwoods Folley Inlet and Holden Beach, NC, the ICW follows the Little River into South Carolina. Just inside the boarder at SM 342, we anchored for the night in the Calabash River. The river entrance was shoaled. Temporary floating markers guided through the 5' entrance. Other boats made it into the anchorage later in the day, but some boats started in and then decided not to enter. From the anchorage we watched the casino boats from nearby docks north of Myrtle Beach, SC carry passengers out the Little River Inlet into the Atlantic for an evening of food, drink and a little gambling.

November 15 took us down the Pine Island Cut thru the stretch north of Mrytle Beach, SC known as "The Rockpile". Guide books urge caution thru the rock ledges abutting the deep portion primarily where the channel narrows between SM 350-353. Passing and being passed can be hazardous, especially by commercial vessels. Guide books suggest calling ahead on VHF to determine if there is any commercial traffic transiting this area. If there is, it may be wise to wait until the stretch is clear. We know one Annapolis boater who learned this the hard way a few years ago when the wake from a commercial vessel pushed his boats onto the rock ledges.

For those in need of a shopping or dining fix, Barefoot Landing beckons on the east bank of the ICW at SM 354. The free courtesy dock for boaters visiting shopping center has been replaced by a commercial marina. Just south of Barefoot Landing, gondolas high above the Waterway carry golfers across the ICW.

The Pine Island Cut empties into the Waccamaw River at SM 375. For us, it is one of the prettiest stretches on the Waterway. Spanish moss drapes the trees lining the mostly uninhabited banks. There are a number of good marinas and anchorages along the Waccamaw, but our favorite anchorage is Prince Creek at SM 380. On this night we were anchored in total isolation in this narrow tree-lined creek. The only light was a bright moon and the only sound was that of the owls hooting in the darkness.

Next day, we continued down the remaining 25 miles of the peaceful Waccamaw. It is easy to imagine how native American indians saw this area long before us. We saw large turtles sunning themselves on rocks and logs at the waters' edge. We also saw bald eagles and, of course, an occasional dolphin.

At SM 403 is the intersection of the ICW and the channel to Georgetown leading off to the west. Georgetown is another of those picturesque waterfront towns that delight ICW cruisers. It is a great place for a stopover with marinas and an anchorage. You can anchor just off the town and dinghy to the dighy dock just across the harbor near the clock tower.

South of Georgetown the ICW enters the Four Mile Creek Canal. This canal intersects both the North and South Santee Rivers. We anchored in the South Santee River on November 16. The trees near the shores are gone now and we find typical tall marsh grasses lining the shores. There isn't much wind protection but holding is good. Currents can be strong. On the Chesapeake, where currents aren't normally that strong, we are used to setting our anchor and lying with our bow to the wind, but with strong currents on most of these rivers and creeks, current will dominate and determine how the boat lies. There were three other boats anchored with us on the Santee that night, all of whom we had seen before on the Waterway.

November 17 took us through more marshy area past Me Clellenville, SC. The ICW is boardered now by the Cape Romain National Wildlife Refuse for about 15 miles. We alsays enjoy the udeveloped stretches of the Waterway. In the afternoon, however, the landscape changed as we got closer to the outskirts of Charleston, SC. Tall sea grasses gave way to more wooded areas and more of South Carolina's state tree, the palmetto palm. Homes started to spring up along the banks as we got closer to Charleston.

We had planned to anchor on Deewees Creek that night but checked the NOAA forecast and decided we would be better off to get across Charleston Bay while we still had a good weather window. The next day was looking a little grim weather-wise, so we continued on.

Our normal routine is to look at the charts and guide books, and listen to the weather forecast each evening and plan for next day. On the way down, we usually look about about 50 miles south and pick out primary anchorage plus a couple alternate anchorages nearer and farther afield. It is good to have an alternative or two in case, you make better or worse time than you had planned. A small anchorage may already be full, while restricted bridge openings, wind, current, and the unforseen can change your plans on a daily basis.

I'll pick up at Charleston Bay on the next post. Your comments and questions are welcome.

Ed
 
CHARLESTON, SC TO SAVANNAH, GA (November 17-21, 2008)

Boat names are fun by themselves to check out, but when two boat names interact with one another it adds a whole new dynamic. The case in point was on November 17 when we heard over the VHF a boat named MONDAY MORNING requesting a slow pass around a boat called SUNDAY AFTERNOON! Both crews and those listening in got a chuckle out of that encounter. Earlier in the trip, we saw a sailboat coming toward us. As it drew closer, we could see that its mast permanently removed. We checked the name on the stern when it passed and it read SO WHAT!

We headed across Charleston Harbor on November 17. Fort Sumter of Civil War fame came clearly into our view to port and the Charleston skyline was off in the distance to starboard. Several sets of range markers assist with navigation across the Harbor. Charleston can be a great stopover. Everything that makes a good stopover is there with lots of things to see and do. Marinas are more plentyful than anchorages. We had visited Charleston by car, but not on our ICW trips.

Once across the Harbor, we entered Wapoo Creek at the mouth of the Ashley River.
This leads us to Elliot Cut which is short and narrow and can produce a very strong current. Elliot Cut flows into the Stono River where we anchored on the night of the 17th. Next day, winds were forecast to be around 20kts. Since the terrain of the shoreline varies so much in this area, from marsh grass to forests, and the winding rivers and creeks can end up flowing in any direction, it is difficult to determine how the winds will affect the day's journey. There were plenty of locations to anchor so we decided to head out and were prepared to alter our day's run if it got too uncomfortable. We were fairly protected on the Stono, Wadmalaw, south Edisto and Ashepoo Rivers covering the first 40 miles today. Then we came to the Coosaw River which was big and nasty! About 8 miles of the Coosaw was all we could take so we ducked into an anchorage at the mouth of Lucy's Point Creek. We dropped the hook, but were still being beaten up by the wind and waves coming off the Coosaw. There was a low fixed bridge guarding the mouth of the creek but we lowered our antenna and mast and slipped under the bridge into much calmer waters for the night.

Next day, things settled down and we headed to visit friends in Beaufort, SC. It's pronounced BEW'-fert, SC as opposed to BO'-fert, NC. It's best not to get the pronunciations mixed up when talking to locals in either town!

We passed a working dredge on the Coosaw where the river narrows at Brickyard Point. There were single large yellow floats about 50-75 feet out on each side of the barge, so it wasn't clear which side to pass. Common sense said go outside of the floats, but we called him to make sure. He directed us to pass between the barge and the float on the starboard side. You can't always tell what appendages are protuding underwater from these dredges nor which way and how far those appendages protrude. Boats behind us tried to go outside the floats and were diverted inside by the captain of the dredge.

It was only a short run to Beafort from Lucy's Point Creek so we took our time. We couldn't' get into our slip at the downtown marina before noon. We fuleld up and then were helped into our slip by the friendly, competent staff skilled at directing boats to slip easiest to enter in the strong current of the Beaufort River. That night we had dinner with friends and spent the night at their home. After relating our story about anchoring under the bridge on Lucy's Point Creek, we learned that was very close to their house. We could have tied up to their community dock there and they could have met us by boat and taken us to their house. We also learned that bridge we slipped under on Lucy's Point Creek appeared in a scene from the movie Forest Gump. We'll have to watch that movie again!

On November 19, after a leisurely breakfast, our friends took us to the supermarket, West Marine, and the Post Office before returning us to the marina with the fresh laundry we had done at their house. By the way, the marina also has a courtesy car which you can sign out for an hour at a time to hit the grocery, etc.

Beaufort is a lovely town. It has a nice main shopping street with unique shops and restaurants and lots of beautifully restored southern homes on streets lined with live oaks draped with Spanish moss. Beaufort has served as the backdrop for many movies. The homes and other sites used are included in tours offered by horse and carriage. The old parish church dates back to the early 1700s. The adjacent cemetery has grave stones dated back to the Revolutionary War.

After saying goodbye to Beaufort on November 20, the ICW took us past Parris Island Mrine Base on the Beaufort River and across 6 miles of the Port Royal Sound. We saw a dozen dolphins that afternoon. We never get tired of seeing them buzz the boat to check us out. We ended up that night anchored in Jarvis Creek at SM 580.

On November 21, the ICW took us on a variety of bodies of water including Calibogue Sound, Cooper River, Ramshorn Creek, New River, Walls Cut, Wright River, Fields Cut, Savannah River, Elba Island Cut, Willmington River, Burnside River, Skidaway River, Veron Riverl Hells Gate Cut, Ogeechee River, and Redbird Creek where we anchored for the night - all these bodies of water in one 50 mile day! One thing you say about the Waterway - it's never boring!

We're in Georgia now and we passed Moon River, made famous in the song. It is, however, not "wider than a mile" as the song suggests! We also passed Savannah on the 21st. IT is another great town to visit as we have done by car. we're told that it is better to stay at a marina or or near the ICW and take public or other transportation to Savannah as opposed to going the 8 miles up the Savannah River to the city. Again, major currents on the river play a factor in that decision. On the way south after crossing the Savannah River you will see the cemetery on the right depicted in the book and movie Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil.

I'll pick up here next post. Your comments and questions are welcome.

Ed
Bay Ranger
 
Ed, great story. Look forward to meeting you at the CBGT in Langford in less than two weeks. Our t-shirts this year have a Ranger Tug and a C-Dory on them. We've got 4 R-25s in attendance!

Charlie
 
SAVANNAH, GA TO ST. MARY'S, GA - November 22-28. 2008

One maneuver that will serve you well on the Waterway is the "slow pass". It is helpful both when passing or being passed in confined channels. When a faster semi-displacement or displacement vessel is about to pass you in a narrow channel, he my call you on the VHF and indicate his intentions to pass to your port or starboard, depending on the situation. We acknowledge his call, try to move over a little if possible, and tell him we will throttle back to idle speed. This allows him to pass you at a slower speed and reduces his wake. Immediately after his stern passes our bow, if it is clear astern, we turn across his wake and position ourselves directly behind him. He is usually watching and he will know then that he can resume his normal speed. It is also nice to call and thank him for the slow pass.

The maneuver can be followed whether the passing vessel calls or not. If a vessel is breathing down your stern and has not called, you can call him and say something like, "Vessel astern of Bay Ranger at SM 432 (or Green 12 on Jones River) I'm throttling back to idle speed so you can give me a slow pass". Wait until he acknowledges before you throttle back! Sometimes, they are just not paying attention and don't realize how close they are to you.

If you are overtaking a vessel in a narrow channel, call and say something like. " Whipperrwill this is Bay Ranger on your stern. I'd like to pass you on your port side". They will usually slow down, which allows you to pass slowly and easily. Not everyone observes these courtesies. but for those who do, it make life a little better.

We anchored on Duplin River on November 22. Next morning we were having a leisurely breakfast when we saw frantic arm waving from the first mate of the only other boat anchored anchored there which just happened to be upstream from us. It seems the captain was at the bow hauling anchor when his windless jammed. The anchor was off the bottom and they were drifting toward us in the current. The captain's priority seemed to be getting the windless unjammed rather than avoid a collision with us. The first mate may have been too inexperienced to attempt to change the course of their boat.

In our quickest anchor haul ever, we were able to move our of his way. He remained on the bow focused on fiddling with the windless as he drifted past us. Perhaps he didn't realize the aanchor was off the bottom, I don't know, but he looked pretty surprised when he drifted past us! He quickly returned to the helm and got the boat under control. We stood by until he finally finished sorting out the kink and got the anchor the rest of the way up. As we left, he called to thanks us for standing by.

We crossed the 5-mile long St. Simons Sound and the St. Andrews Sound. St. Andrews Sound is one of the 4 most nortorious bodies on the ICW according to one of our guide. It deserves great respect because the marked ICW channel takes you around the long spit off the south end of Jekyll Island. It is about 3 miles from Jekyll Point out to ICW Red#32. When you round this marker, you are as close to being in the Atlantic Ocean that you will be on the ICW. Needless to say, a good weather window is essential for this crossing. It's another few miles back inland to reach the protection of Little Cumberland Island Island. We were now on the Cumberland River and we anchored next to Cumberland Island after a 44 mile day. We watched the wild horses on the island near the anchorage and enjoyed another beautiful sunset.

I should mention that before we crossed St. Andrews Sound, we passed Jekyll Island, former playground to the wealthy of yesteryear. Today it features golf courses and beaches worth a visit. Bikes are available for touring at the Jekyll Island Marina and tours of the historic part of the island are available. It is interesting to see the "cottages" of J.P. Morgan, Rockerfellers, and other noteables who vacationed there.

We slept in on the 24th and enjoyed another of Elaine's great ham and egg breakfast sandwiches. We watched the wild horses, read, played cards, napped and Elaine knitted, on this sunny, calm day. We were taking an extra day here to try and time our arrival at St. Mary's, GA for the annual cruisers' Thanksgiving get together.

Winding on down the Cumberland River on the 25th we crossed the lon, narrow 9-mile long Cumberland Sound. There are a number of range markers for navigation along this stretch. Along the way, we passed King's Bay nuclear sub base at SM 707. Be sure to follow ICW markers there because there are Navy patrol boats just waiting to help you find the right course! Also near this point is the turn to port if you want to anchor near the Cumberland Island Visitors Center and visit by dinghy.

We had read about it, cruisers along the way had encouraged us to attend, the timing was right, and now we were headed for the Cruisers' Thanksgiving Celebration at St. Mary's, GA. We turned off the ICW at SM 712 for the 5-mile ride up the St. Mary's River to the town. We fueled up at Lang's Marina and settled into our slip.

On Wednesday, November 26, we took advantage of the free shuttle the organizers had arranged and hit the Super Wal-Mart on the edge of town. On the way back, we stopped at the Post Office where we had our last batch of mail forwarded. After unloading groceries and catching up on mail, we toured the town. Like other southern towns we have visited, we found neat old restored homes and residential streets lined with live oaks covered with Spanish moss.

Walking back toward the boat, we were stopped by a man in the parking lot of the local newspaper. He asked if were here for the cruisers' Thanksgiving. When we answere yes, has pulled out his tape recorder and interviewed us for podcast to be aired on Thanksgiving morning.

Ann and Lynn aboard SeaTramp were the organizers for the event on the cruisers' end. We checked in with them and told them what dish we were bringing to the event. Over 85 boats signed up for the event. Ann and Lynn organized the list of dishes the cruiders would bring, made nametags, coordinated sign-up sheets for the shuttle and served at the point of contact on VHF for information and questions.end Local St' Mary's boaters and other townspeople baked hams and rosted turkeys for the entire crowd. One of the local boaters owns the hotel in the old downtown area. For the last 8 years, or so, he has turned over the restaurant, lobby and bar at the hotel for the Thanksgiving Day event.

About 160 cruisers and another 75 local boaters and other townspeople took part in the feast. It took eight banquet tables to hold all the food. The cruisers brought a dazzling array of side dishes and desserts. You could tell that the cruisers came from far and wide by the dishes they brought. In addition to the full range of traditional and delicious Thanksgiving side dishes, there were more exotic dishes including Canadian turnips with maple syrup, bourbon sweet potatoes, and baked rutabaga! It was a feast we will not soon forget.

It's on to the Sunshine State next time! You're questions and comments are welcome.

Ed
Bay Ranger
 
Great yarn Ed. What a great TG get together. You won't find quite that spread at Langford but we do have good music and a great time. Look forward to meeting you and Elaine and hearing more about your trip. Hope the wx is good, I've got about a 110 mile trip up the bay from the Potomac...

Charlie
 
ST. MARY'S, GA TO FORT PIERCE, FL - November 28 - Decenber 7, 2008

With full bellies and pleasant memories of the cruisers' Thanksgiving in St. Mary's, GA, we headed back down the St. Mary's River to the ICW. At SM 740 we left the ICW again for the 20-mile run up the St. Johns River to Jacksonville, FL. The St. Johns River is wide and fast-moving with lots of commercial traffic. We anchored on November 28, our first night in Florida, on the loop of the river that runs behind Blount island.

We had been out 36 days from Annapolis when we reached the Florida state line. Not bad. We could have made it sooner, but what''s the point? We're in no hurry. We have all winter ahead of us!

Our purpose for visiting Jackonville was two-fold. We had friends to visit in East Palatka, FL, and we had a 250 hr engine service due. I had contacted Yanmar when we got close to the 250 hr mark, and they gave me the name of the nearest service center, which just happened to be in Jacksonville. So it tied in nicely with visiting plans.

We heard in St. Mary's that the Jacksonville Christmas Boat Parade and Fireworks were scheduled for Saturday night, November 29, and here we were! We tied up to the bulkhead near Jacksonville Landing at the city center and had a ringside seat for the festivities.

After the colorful Christmas Boat Parade, the river re-opened for regular traffic. A big barge chugged by and anchored right in the middle of the river about 1/4 mile from us. It turned out to be the fireworks barge. All evening the two main downtown bridges across the St. Johns had been closed for the boat parade. They were also closed so that additional fireworks could be set up to be fired off from the bridges as well. There was also another location on the opposite shore where the fireworks were set up - four locations in all! The display from all locations was coordinated to music from Jacksonville Landing. It was one of the most spectacular shows we've seen!

On Sunday, November 30, we took the boat on in to Lamb's Marina on the Ortega River on the west edge of Jacksonville for Monday's engine service. Our friends met us at the marina and whisked us (and our laundry!) off their lovely home further up the St. Johns for a relaxing 2-day visit.

Tuesday morning, December 2, it was back to the boat and off again down the St. Johns past the many commercial ports and the cruise line terminal to a quiet anchorage at the entrance to Mill Cove. From there, it was on to the ICW and south to Fernandina Beach, FL. Don't let the plywood and gypsum plants fool you, Fernandina Beach is another nice stop. It has a nice marina and a convenient anchorage adjacent to downtown. The business district of this town of 12,000 has tree-lined streets with ornate building facades sprinkled with an adequate number of restaurants and pubs.

After Fernandina Beach, we travelled through cuts with long stretches of undeveloped shoreline. There was very little commercial or pleasure boat traffic. We did see lots of dolphins and a couple of golden eagles along the Tolomato River. North of St. Augustine, FL, beautiful homes began to appear along the banks.

St. Augustine, at SM 777, was founded by the Spanish in the mid 1500s. it has a beautiful skyline dominated by Castillo San Marcos, which was built in the late 1670s. Around the next bend, the famous Bridge fo Lions over the Matansas River beaconed. The bridge is currently nearing completion of a major 5-year renovation. Needless to say, St. Augustine is worth a visit. Marinas and anchorages are right downtown.

We had previously visited the city, so we pressed on to an anchorage just off Fort Matansas at SM 792. This fort, built by the Spanish in the 1660's is even older than Castillo San Maros, but not as expansive. Here we wrapped up a 55-mile day on a beautiful Florida December day.

December 4 took us another 50 miles south through the rapidly developing area of Palm Coast. They do seem, however, to be doing a resonably responsible job of developing residental areas while retaining trees and natural habitat.

We're on the Halifax River now, and have passsed under a couple of bridges in the Daytona Beach area which would have required an opening with our sailboat. Those now make 14 opening bridges on our route that we have been able to slip under, unopened.

Despite seeing very few cruisers today, we were the seventh boat into the anchorage on Rockhouse Creek at SM 843. The anchorage is very narrow, but with our shallow draft there always seems to be a spot for us. Ponce De Leon Lighthouse which marks the Ponce De Leon Inlet is clearly visible. At 159 feet tall, it is the tallest lighthouse in Florida and one of the best preserved lights in the country. We ended another 50-mile here with another beautiful sunset and a striking night time view of the lighthouse bathed in floodlights and sending out its welcoming beam.

The sun was shining and there was hardly a ripple on the water as we slipped out of the anchorage past the other boats early on December 5. As we headed for New Smyrna Beach, FL, dolphins were everywhere. We was at least 30. We also had our first manatee sighting of the trip. The Canaveral National Seashore stretched for miles south of New Smyrna Beach. providing todays' beautiful scenery.

We had planned to get fuel at a marina in Titusville, FL but a boat ahead of us radioed the marina requesting diesel. "How much do you need?", asked the marina operator. "About 30 gallons", came the reply. "Sorry, we have no diesel on site. It has to be trucked in and the guy won't come for less than 100 gallons." The two of us combined didn't need 100 gallons, so we went 20 miles on down the way and fueled up. Availablity of fuel, however, is not a problem in most areas of the Waterway.

The huge NASA Vehicle Assembly Building looms on the horizon and can been seen for 25 miles from the north as we cruise down the Indian River. It was dominating the landscape for most of the day. We anchored just south of the building on December 5.

December 6 brought us to a nice anchorage guarded by the remains of a 200-foot green concrete dragon aat SM 914. Actually, there is not much of the dragon left but rubble. Back in the day, an eccentric woman lived on what is now called Dragon Point near Eau Gallie. She had the dragon built for her grandkids to play in and on. Supposedly,four people could fit in its head.

"Idiot!" and "Braindead!" were a couple of the kinder terms hurled over the VHF at one 65-foot fast cruiser who refused to slow down for anyone as it plowed south on the Indian River as we neared Vero Beach, FL. A string of a dozen boats tossed about violetly by this discourteous oaf drew a wave of responses, most of which were less than constructive! Later in the day, we were photographed by a helicopter with "Boat Pix.Com emblazoned on its fuselage. Later, we casually mentioned this event to our son and daughter-in-law in an email. They ended up suprising us when we got home with an aerial photo of Bay Ranger taken that day. It was a unique gift and will serve as a life-long rememberance of this trip.

In Fort Pierce, FL, we decided to take a break for a week after 46 days and about 1,100 miles into the trip. We'll pick up there next time as we head across the Okeechobee Waterway to Florida's Gulf Coast.

Your comments and questions are welcome.

Ed
Bay Ranger
 
Ed,
Your story from St Johns River on down brings back such pleasant memories. We too stayed at the Jacksonville Landing for three nights. Without the fireworks. The same anchorage at Ponce Inlet. Had the same problem with Titusville for diesel fuel.
Next year we hope to follow more of your travels.

Looking forward to more of your postings.
captd
 
Ed, if you don't mind my asking, what was involved in your 250 hr service and what was the cost? i have one coming up, and will in all likelyhood do it myself, but then again , maybe not, thanks for your input and the great journal you are sharing with us, tina and steve, we got no clue!!
 
Notaclue -

I have the Yanmar 110hp turbo engine. The 250 hr service included the normal fluid changes and filter repacements, clean air filter, tighten all major nuts and bolts, adjust alternator belt tension, check wiring, clamps, and impellers, clean water mixing elbow, and clean turbocharger. I could have done all those except the last two. My mechanical skills are limited! The cost was 6hrs labor @ $80/hr plus materials. I know that's a chunk, but it's early in the warranty period and I felt better about having a certified Yanmar service center do the work in case there are any problems down the road.

One of my concerns was whether the turbo was clean, which it was. I know I'm supposed to run the engine hard, which I don't probably do enough, but apparently it was okay.

Ed
 
FORT PIERCE, FL, ACROSS OKEECHOBEE WATERWAY, AND UP GULF COAST TO BRADENTON, BEACH, FL ON ANNA MARIA ISLAND (December 7-20, 2008)

On our '02-'03 ICW trip, we spent the winter (mid December to early March) at the Fort Pierce, FL City Marina. We found it to be a great place for us. So we decided to take a break and revisit this city of 38,000 again this trip. The main thing that changed since '02-'03 was the marina itself. It had been severely damaged by Hurricane Frances since our last visit and only about two thirds of the marina was rebuilt. Because the marina is now smaller and its popularity is still very high, they have placed a 35-foot minimum charge for slip rentals. The good news is that they have opened an "annex" called Fisherman's Wharf about 1/4 mile from the main marina with no 35-foot minimum.

The marina is in an ideal setting next to the old downtown business district. It sits on municipal parkland along the riverfront with a park and public library on the south and the Manatee Education Center, Ft. Pierce Visitors Center, and the city recreation center immediately to the north. All of these facilities have a constant stream of programs and activities in which to participate. The city itself has plenty of dining and shopping possibilities and the recently renovated 1923 Sunshine Theater has a full schedule of professional theater prductions and entertainment. In addition, the Chamber of Commerce has monthly theme nights to attract people to the downtown area. The park next to the marina has one of the largest farmers markets we've ever seen with local produce, homemade foods, plants and flowers, and quality crafts, and live music every Saturday. Finally, the regional bus runs between Ft. Pierce and Stuart, FL and stops at a major shopping center in between. On this visit, we were able to catch both Ft. Pierce's Christmas Boat Parade one weekend and their land-based Christmas parade through downtown on the following weekend.

On December 15, we resumed our journey south. At SM 987 we turned to starboard into the St. Lucie RIver and passed the great little town of Stuart, FL, population about 10,000. We visited this charming town by bus from Ft. Pierce and it is well worth a visit. St. Lucie River turns into St. Lucie Canal as you head toward the first lock. Locking through was pretty straight forward. We were the only boat in the lock. The difference between this and the Dismal Swamp Canal Locks is that, here the lines are permanently hanging down the lock walls. At the Dismal Swamp, you had to rig your own lines and hand them up to the lockmaster. Just after the lock, we turned into the Corps of Engineer Campground with marina slips at Okeechobee Waterway (OWW) SM15. With our National Park Service Golden Age Pass, we were able to get the slip for half price, which was $12/night.

We walked across the St. Lucie Lock to the nature trail the next morning after a leisurely breakfast. We didn't see any exotic wildlife but saw lots of evidence that some had been there. NORTH STAR, a Nordic Tug 32 whom we had met in the anchorage at Mile Hammock, NC, locked thru ahead of us this morning. We followed each other to the next lock. The St. Lucie Canal is wider than the Dismal Swamp Canal and the vegetation is a brighter green. There were lot of flowering trees and bright spring-like greens.

We waited for a commercial tug to come through the Port Mayaca Lock from the west, then it was our turn. Turns out the lock was open on both ends so we motored thru slowly into Lake Okeechobee. After clearing the lock, we turned to port to head down the Rim Route around the south end of the lake. The lockmaster called on the VHF to tell us that the Rim Route was closed. Apparently, debris from the last hurricane had not yet been fully cleared. NORTH STAR had also intended to take the Rim Route. It was too late in the afternoon to make the 25-mile lake crossing, so we both ended up anchoring on the lake near the lock for the night. Fortunately, it was a calm night, otherwise, we would had had to backtrack through the lock and spend the night in the canal.

Lake Okeechobee is the second largest freshwater lake in the U.S. which does not boarder on on Canada. (Lake Michigan is the largest.) There are only a couple of navigational markers on the main part of the lake but the good old chart plotter took us right past them. The Lake Route turns south and joins the Rim Route at Clewiston, FL.

From Clewiston to the next lock at Moore Haven, there was a tall earthen dike on the shore side and marshland on the lake side. The marshland did not appear to be designated as a wildlife sanuary but it could have been. We saw the largest concentration of shorebirds there that we had seen anyplace on the trip. We also saw our first alligator in the wild! We only saw a couple gators that day because it was col and cloudy. I wonder how many saw us!

We locked through the Moore Haven Lock at 12:30 p.m. into the Caloosahatchee Canal. It was sparsely populated and lined with scrub trees with an occasional plam. After Lake Hicpochee, the canal was straight as an arrow. Cattle grazed on both shores. Had it not been for an occasional palm tree, this canal could have been in any of a number of states. We locked through the Ortega Lock at 2:30 p.m. and ended up at the town dock of LaBelle, FL for the evening. We walked into town for groceries and a roasted chicken for supper. The sunset reflected beautifully on the calm river.

December 18 was another beautiful day on the water. We walked back into town first for pastries and a newspaper. Coming back past the park, we saw banners the upcoming Swamp Cabbage Festival in February. Maybe we'll hit that on the way back!

Somewhere around LaBelle, the Calsoosahatchee Canal became the Caloosahatchee River. It gets wider, has some nice gentle turns and lush green shoreline. There are colonies of nice homes interspursed among major orange groves. We passed thru Franklin lock, the last lock, toward Ft. Myers. Fancier and larger numbers of homes spilled out of Ft. Myers along the river. Recreational boat traffic was heavy in the Ft. Myers area and so were dolphin sightings.

We had to adjust to more frenzied boat traffic in Florida in our little tug. All the way down we were used to larger boats with big wakes slowing down for smaller vessels. It seldom seems to happen here and when it does, it is usually someone who has come down the waterway. I guess there are just so many boats here that people figure, if they slow down to pass slower boats, they'll never get where they are going.

We ended up anchoring off "Ding" Darling National Wildlife Refuse on December 18 after making the turn north into San Carlos Bay on the Pine Island Sound. December 19 was another perfect cruising day. Clear skies and temps in the 70s. We cruised among the island in Pine Island Sound, Placido Harbor, and Lemon Bay. Some of the islands were uninhabited and some had secluded homes, only accessable by boat. We passed the auto ferry that served several of these islands. The water is a beautiful blue-green. The sky was filled that night with stars reflecting on the calm water in the anchorage on Lemon Bay. This is what Florida cruising is all about!

We awoke to dense fog on the December 20th - our first fog of the trip. We dealt with it by having another of Elaine's bacon and egg breakfasts and a second cup of coffee. Nothing beats that routine for burning off a morning fog! Several long stretches of manattee no wake zones slowed our progress after the fog lifted but we were in no hurry. We only had 40 miles left on our journey south. That 40 miles provided a variety of waters to cross including the long narrow channel going into Venice, long lagoons like Little Sarasota Bay, and big water like Sarasota Bay that empties into the Gulf.

On our 58th day, we arrived at the Bradenton Beach Marina on Anna Maria Island where we spent the next 9 weeks. I'll pick up there on the next posting, talk about what makes Anna Maria Island a great place and I'll highlight those 9 weeks.

I intend to follow that with a couple more postings to include brief highlights of the trip north and some statistics on the trip including a summary of expenses, amount of fuel used, engine hours, number of marina nights vs nights at anchor, etc. I'll also have some final thoughts and about the trip and what we'd like to do next time down!

Your comments and questions are welcome.

Ed
BAY RANGER
 
Actually, cleaning the turbocharger on the Yanmar is very easy. It's in the manual.
 
WINTER STAY ON ANNA MARIA ISLAND, FL

According to best-selling author Joyce Carol Oats, "It's where we go and what we do when we get there that tells us who we are." Maybe another defining factor would be ... how we get there!

Our ICW journey finally brought us to Anna Maria Island, FL, and the town of Bradenton Beach. We arrived at Bradenton Beach Marina on December 20 and stayed for 70 days. We had visited the island before by land, so we know what to expect. Good friends spend the winter in a condo near the marina and that is what prompted us to make this our final winter destination.

The marina is relatively small but it has all the basics - friendly staff, clean showers and restrooms, captains' lounge with big screen TV and internet access, laundramat, and reasonable monthly rates. Best of all, it is located right across the street from miles of white sand Gulf Coast beaches.

Anna Maria Island is a narrow 10-mile barrier island just south of Tampa Bay. The Gulf of Mexico boarders the west side of the island. The ICW runs along the east side through Anna Maria Sound which connects Tampa Bay to the north with Sarasota Bay to the south. Two drawbridges connect the island with the city of Bradenton to the east. Another drawbridge at the south end connects to Long Boat Key which leads toward Sarasota.

Anna Maria Island is considered "Old Florida" - no fancy highrise condos, big expensive hotels, or franchise restaurants. It consists of towns of Bradenton Beach, Holmes Beach, and Anna Maria that sort of all run together. The commercial "strip" running through the center of the island north to south is dominated by locally-owned shops, restaurants, and tourist services. Small hotels and rental properties line the main street. Mostly modest permanent and seasonal homes, schools, churches, and libraries, completed the landscape.

Another great feature of Anna Maria Island is the free trolleys which run the length of the island. They run about every 20 minutes and stop frequently along the main road. There are also good bus connections with the city of Bradenton. At the south end of the island, the trolley shares a bus stop with the bus that goes into Sarasta for a whopping 65 cents for seniors.

After getting ourselves, our clothes, and the boat all cleaned up, our first order of business was to hook up with our friends who were down by car for the winter. After catching up with them, it was time to prepare for Christmas in Tampa. We dug out the presents we had carted along and stowed in the cave (quarterberth) along with some decent clothes. Our son and twin grandsons arrived by car on the 24th to take us to our daughter-in-law's parents for an extended family Christmas celebration. Post Christmas activities included a trip to a nature preserve on Honeymoon Island west of Tampa and a productive day of fishing on the Manatee River. New Year's Eve was quickly upon us. We went by car with our friends to Bradenton for dinner and a movie. The celebration continued when we returned to the beach to watch the fireworks.

After giving 14 boat tours at the cruisers' Thanksgiving clelebration in St. Mary's, GA, we emailed Jeff Messmer at the Ranger factory and requested some brochures. They were awaiting us on or arrival at the marina and we continued to give tours of Bay Ranger to lots of interested folks throughout our stay ther as well as all the way north.

After the holidays, we quickly settled into a comfortable routine. It doesn't take much to entertain us. Some beach time with a good book; shelling along the beaches; visits to the island's libraries; some shopping; exploring various parts of the islandby foot or trolley; housekeeping chores; sunsets at the beach; some TV; doing taxes; visits by friends; fishing; watching people fish; some gin rummy and euchre; and an occasional breakfast, lunch or dinner out at a variety of inviting restaurants. On the weekends there were farmers markets, flea markets, craft shows, and the Bradenton Seafood Festival. We also made a couple of trips by bus to Sarasota to visit the Ringling Brothers Circus Musem and Estate, a classic car museum and to St. Armand's Circle for shopping and a nice meal.

All in all it was a pretty laid back winter on very laid back island. One of our favorite restaurants had a daily tradition of hands out rum punch to all their customers at sunset and everyone goes out on the balcony to toast the sunset and sing "You Are My Sunshine".

In the final days on the island, we started putting things on the boat back in their "travel" positions, stocked up on provisions, had the bottom cleaned and zincs replaced ,and reluctantly prepared to leave.

Next time I'll hit ta few highlights of the return trip and provide some statistics, a budget summary, and final thoughts about the trip.

Your comments and questions are welcome.

Ed
Bay Ranger
 
HIGHLIGHTS OF THE TRIP NORTH - FEBRUARY 26 to APRIL 19, 2009

All good things must come to an end and on February 26, 2009, we headed home. On the second day out, we pulled into the Sanibel Island Marina. We walked as much of the island as we could. Bikes would have been useful here as it is a beautiful island with more to see than our feet would take us. The "Ding" Darling Wildlife Refuge is well worth a visit. The marina was first class. We even got "complimentary" fresh muffins and a newspaper delivered to the boat each morning. The restaurant on the marina, Gramma DOt's was excellent.

Heading back across the Okeechobee Waterway, we stayed at another of the Corps of Engineer campground marinas at the Franklin Lock. East of LaBelle, FL, on a hot sunny day, we cruised past over 30 alligators. Most were sunning themselves on the bank but a few were in the water. Some had to be at least 12 feet long. We found them fasinating!

Before crossing Lake Okeechobee, we chatted by radio with Ed aboard his C-Dory 25. He was completing the Great Loop. We finally met him in person at a Ft. Pierce, FL anchorage. He hails from Boulder, CO and began his year-long cruise last fall in Souix City, IA. We crossed paths several times heading north and he visited us in Annapolis when he passed through last month. We recently received a postcard from him with a picture of the Statue of Liberty on it. He was preparing to cross the Erie Canal.

It was near Vero Beach, FL that we met the Ranger 25, Lucky Finn heading south. I promised Darrel that I'd get signed up on the Tugnuts site and talk about our trip. As you may have read elsewhere on the site, Darrel and Dee had to return to Montana shortly thereafter for some medical care for Dee. We sincerely hope they are able to resume their travels to the Bahamas next year.

A space shuttle night launch was scheduled about the time we were passing Cape Canaveral. It was a once in a lifetime opportunity to see a launch in person. We were in the area a day ahead of the scheduled launch. We called Towboat U.S. to get some local knowledge as to where the best spot was to watch the launch from the water. They told us to go through the Canaveral Barge Canal to the Banana River, turn left and we'd see the restricted area signs near the overhead power cables. We anchored as close to the restricted area as we could. A law enforcement patrol boat came by and put his fenders out with intention to board us. After pulling along side and talking to us, he decided not to come aboard. I think he saw Gerry the Geranium through the window and figured we were probably not a serious threat to the launch!

As night fell, we could clearly see the launch pad bathed in floodlight with the shuttle poised for launch. The moon was full, making it a perfect scene for the next night's launch. On the day of the launch, we slept in, relaxed and watched other boats arrive and the nearby roadside fill up with RVs awaiting the spectacle. Federal and state patrol boats kept boats from even thinking of straying into the restricted waters. Their periodic announcements about huge fines and imprisionment for crossing into restricted waters were also effective! In the afternoon, however, the patrol boats started to leave. This was not a good sign! We turned on the radio to find out that the launch had been postponed due to a fuel leak during the process of fueling the rocket for the launch. Talk about disappointment! The launch was rescheduled in few days but there were no guarantees that it would go then, so we headed on north. We ended up watchig the launch from Daytona Beach, FL, 60 miles north. It was still impressive, but not as good as a ringside seat.

South of Brunswick, GA, we got too brave in a shallow anchorage and wacked something hard in the water with the propeller while backing up. It left us with a slight, but irritating vibration. We decided to head into Brunswick and get it fixed. There was a recommended prop shop near Brunswick and they arranged for a diver to remove our prop and take it to their shop outside of town. It was not badly damaged and they had it back to us promply and remounted. The diver also removed an old crab trap line from behind the prop.

Brunswick Municipal Marina is another gem of a marina. It is a block from town and we had a pleasant visit there. It has a nicely restored main street with interesting restaurants and shops. The town has live oak trees dating back over 900 years. The library and the town's farmers market are also located near the marina.

Weather held us up up several days in Beaufort, SC. We timed the Cape Fear River right so we were with the current for a nice ride to Wrightsville Beach, NC. We were boarded by the Coast Guard for a safey inspection the morning we left Southport, NC. Of course, it was one of those mornings that I forgot to turn on the VHF radio, so they came flying up next to us with lights flashing! We passed their inspection with flying colors. I think they just wanted to check out "that cute little tugboat"!

On the trip south, we experienced beautiful autumn foliage, particularly in Virginia and the Carolinas. Springtime presented a whole new color pallet on the trip north with lots of spring greens, colorful azaleas, dogwoods and redbud trees in bloom along the shores. It was nice having spring all the way from the Carolinas to Maryland.

In Hampton, VA we managed to lose our anchor. We had trouble setting it in some locations with a rocky bottom on the Hampton River, so we went to Mill Creek where we knew we had a nice mud bottom. We lowered the anchor but it was not setting. We pulled it up and the anchor was gone. I probably forgot to secure the shackle with seizing wire when we took possession of the boat, but that was the first thing I did when I got the new anchor!

We had a perfect weather window for three 50-mile days up the Chesapeake Bay from Hampton, VA with overnight anchorages near Gwynn's Island, VA and on Mill Creek at Solomons Island, MD. It was a hazy day on our last day out headed for Annapolis on April 19, 2009 - Day 176. The Bay Bridge was he first familiar landmark we spotted, followed by the three old WWII radio towers that populate Greenbury Point at the mouth of the Severn River. Although it was the closest landmark to us, we finally picked out Thomas Point Lighthouse hiding among hundreds of fishing boats out to take advantage of the first weekend of trophy rockfish season on the Bay.

We turned into Back Creek and headed toward our slip on the final half mile of the trip. Strangely, it seemed simultaneoulsy a very long time and a very short time that we had been gone. It seemed long because it had actually been 6 months since we left. AT the same time, it seemed a short time since we had been gone because everything was so so familiar and unchanged. It was almost as if we were returning for an afternoon ride. Either way, it was good to be home! As I said at the start of this post, all good things must come to an end.

My next post will be my last installment about this trip. I will post statistics about the trip, budget info and some final thoughts.

Your questions and comment are welcome.

Ed
Bay Ranger
 
Terrific Ed,
Thank you for sharing. I will be looking for your bottom line. You seem to have the discipline to document your trip by keeping a ships log and a record of expenses. I nor Dee are very good at doing this. Maybe the next trip. I am writing this on a little note book computor ( wife just gave me for our anniversary) It will work well for that. As well as all my charts for back up. I have got a GPS antenae to plug into it as well.

Your story is a good learning experience. Losing your anchor reminded me how lucky we were with a 45 ft. Chris. After spending the night at anchor the shackle fell apart on the deck the next morning. We could have been on the rocks that night. Now all shackles are wired. Losing your anchor was a cheap lesson. Could have been your boat.

Another thing I have learned from your story is to spend more time in one place and to get off the boat to do the local points of interest. We should have stopped and rafted up for a cool one that day in Vero, We were not in that much of a hurry. Next time. 😳

Darrel
 
Ed,
Now if you would have those in power to set you up with the Bay Ranger photo album we could see some of what you saw on you 2800 mile cruise. Surely you have some pictures of the fall colors as you were heading north.

All those in favor say aye. 😉

captd
 
captd -

I'll work on that. I even have a picture of Luck Fin headed south toward Vero Beach!

Ed
 
SOME BAY RANGER ICW CRUISE STATISTICS:

62.4% of people think statistics are boring, and 37.6% think not. Just kidding! But stats can some help in planning future trips

As I mentioned at the beginning, Bay Ranger covered 50 rivers, 40 bays and harbors, 31 creeks, 20 sounds, 12 cuts or channels, 8 canals, and 6 locks on our 178-day 2800-mile cruise.

The 178 days break down as follows - 28 nights at anchor and 16 marina nights on the trip south, then 70 days at the Bradenton Beach Marina on Anna Maria Island, FL. On the return trip we spent 21 nights in marinas and 28 nights on the hook.

Breaking those days down further, going south we had 7 weather delay days (where we had to hole up in an anchorage or marina) and 14 days of planned stops to sightsee, visit or rest. On the trip north we had 8 weather delay days and 9 days of planned stops.

When I add 70 days in Bradenton Beach, 23 days of planned stops and 15 days of weather delay days, it total 108 days in which we were sitting still. Surprisingly, that means we actually spent only 70 days of the 178-day trip underway, averaging 40 miles/day to cover the 2,800 miles.

Our general plan was to cover about 50 miles per day. But there were days where it was only 20-30 miles to our next planned destination and there were other days when we did 60 miles. I didn't record on a daily basis how many miles we traveled. We averaged about six hour/day underway. We could have done more, but that was comfortable for us.

AVERAGE MONTHLY EPENSES FOR THE SIX MONTHS:

Amt Expense Comments

$250 Food The boatload of canned goods, pasta, cereal, snacks, and other
non-perishables we packed, which lasted us most of the trip, are not included
in this figure. Our grocery trips were mostly for fresh fruits and veggies,
bread, dairy and meat.

$250 Diesel We used 602 gallons total for 423 engine hours for an average of 1.4 GPH.
That's not a super consumption rate but we were loaded for a six month
cruise. We do better here on the Bay. We had less than 100 engine hours
on the boat when we left and consumption improved as the trip went on.

$465 Marinas This includes the 70 nights on an extended rate @ $20/night, and an
average of $38/night or $1.50/ft/night for our 37 transient marina nights.

$200 Meals We really didn't eat out all that much!
Ashore

$495 Maint/ This included 250hr and 500hr engine services, replacement and
Repairs/ installation of battery charger, bottom cleaning, diver for to remove
Supplies prop, prop repair, CQR anchor replacement, zincs, lots of butane for stove,
misc supplies.

$285 Other Included shopping, entertainment, gifts, postage, car rental, etc.
Shore
Expenses

$1945 TOTAL We live pretty simply, and found this to be a reasonable amount for us.
AVERAGE
MONTHLY
EXPENSES

FINAL THOUGHTS

No two cruises are alike. Even if we repeated the same trip again,the weather, anchorages, marinas, experiences, expenses, and statistics would all vary. But I hope some of what I have shared will help some who my be planning, or just thinking of an ICW trip, an idea of what we experienced.

The Ranger 25 made a great ICW boat for us. She drew a crowd where ever we docked. It handled any sea conditions we encountered and sailed over the shallowest of waters. We were warm when we needed to be warm and cool when we needed to be cool. We found the v-berth and dinette seating both comfortable. We were satisfied with the butane burner when we anchored out and the electric burner when we were in a marina. The chart plotter took a lot of the angst out of navigating although our paper charts and guide books were indispensable. We packed everything we wanted to take and had room to spare. Next time, we'd probably take folding bikes and add solar panels.

One of the things that made our trip relaxed was the lack of any kind of itinerary. The fewer "hard and fast" date to commit to, the better. I can't stress that enough, if you have that luxury.

A few boat modifications when we found essential were a good bimini, a retractable screen door from AIRA Retractable Screen Systems, the sport racks to carry the dinghy, and a custom outboard motor mount. We had an additional battery to give us 420 amps of house batteries plus the dedicated starter battery. We eliminated the dedicated battery for the thrusters and had them wired in to the house battery bank. We also added a large shelf across the foot of the v-berth which held all of our everyday clothes without having to root around in the cave or the under-berth lockers.

We added doors to the cubbys above the windshield to keep things from falling out and we also installed a wireless indoor/outdoor thermometer. We carried 10 extra gallons of fresh water in 2 5-gallon cans secured in the cockpit. We also carried a 5-gallon can of diesel fuel which we did not use. We carried a Rand McNally Road Atlas which helped us see the big picture on where we were and it came in handy when we rented a car.

I can't say enough about my first mate, Elaine. She loved being on the boat as much as I did. She fell in love with the Ranger Tug at first site when we saw it at the Trawler Fest in Mystic Seaport, CN in the summer of '07. It took me a little longer! You have to like the person you're traveling with A LOT on a cruise of this nature and duration. Needless to say, we've got that going for us. Elaine was the master packer, queen of the galley, navigator extrodinairre, and handled anchor and docking chores throughout the trip. Most of all she helped me keep my head screwed on straight, both on and off the boat as she has for the last 44 years! One last statistic: she knit 16 sweaters, 9 hats, 4 pair of socks, and 14 pair of baby booties during the trip!

One test of a good cruise is whether or not we'd do it again. Our answer is a resouding yes. We hope to head north in 2010 and cruise the Hudson River, Erie Canal, take the canals to Ottawa and Montreal, and come back down through Lake Champlain. We met John and Marylin on Snug Tug at the Chesapeake Bay C-Dory/Ranger Tug Gathering and they are doing that trip right now.

If all goes well, we'll consider heading south on the ICW again in, perhaps, 2011. This time the Florida Keys will be our winter destination. Of course, this is IF the idea of doing the Great Loop doesn't call too loudly! After all, we've already completed about a third of it!

I hope some of you have enjoy reading about our cruise as much as I have enjoyed re-living it through these postings. Hope to see some of you on the water someday, somewhere. Keep those Ranger Tugs on the move!

Your comments and questions are always welcome.

Ed
Bay Ranger
 
Great story Ed and Elaine. I have no questions, just a very big well done and I'm sorry we missed you at Langford. If you ever get down to the Potomac mouth on the bay, give me a ring and we'll come out and play or host you our pier/home. My bride, Sally, wants to know where Elaine kept all that yarn? In the dingy or in the "cave", and how many grandkids do you have anyway! 😛

Charlie
 
Give us all enough advance notice to have a conga line down the ICW!

Sparky
 
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