USA Arrival

Hi everyone,

We arrived in Morehead City, North Carolina yesterday evening at dusk.  The tide was ebbing (of course) and we stemmed up to 2 knots entering Beaufort Inlet.  Once in it was an easy motor to the anchorage S of Sugar Loaf Island.  We anchored at 34 42.9N 076 42.6W in 2.5m over sand.

Under first ICW bridge, still flying Q flag

Here are the usual plots...

Track

Arrival Track

Graphs

Here are the vital statistics...

• Distances/Speeds
• Route Distance = 500nm
• Log Distance = 547nm
• Track Distance = 529nm
• Duration = 5 days 10 hours (130 hours)
• Average boat speed = 4.2kt
• Average ground speed = 4.0kt
• Average day's run = 125nm (through the water)
• Best day's run = 131nm
• Minimum boat speed = 3 kt
• Maximum boat speed = 7 kt
• Weather
• Minimum wind speed = 0kt
• Average wind speed = 7kt
• Maximum wind speed = 20kt (gusts to 27kt)
• Apparent wind angle range = 0 to 180
• Seas up to 1.5m
• Swell up to 1.0m
• Mostly scattered small cumulus, occasional rain squalls
• Engine
• Total = 61 hours (47%)
• Failures
• Two autopilot rams (both old)
• Stars
• The engine (including its new mounts)
• Autopilot (Raymarine SPX5)
• Starlink for accessing Weather Radar, GRIB files and email
• the cook!

Overall it was an OK passage.  We had some nice sailing but a lot of motoring too.  And it was hot and humid.  The thunderstorms coming off Georgia were very scary on the weather radar but happily didn't reach us well offshore.

Motoring across a calm sea

Cloud-watching

The entry into Beaufort Inlet was well buoyed since Morehead City is a commercial port.  The ebb tide was fairly strong in places and setup some choppy seas.  Once inside the sea was calm and we easily stemmed the tidal current up to our anchorage.  There was about half a knot of tide at anchor.

Stemming the ebbing tide entering Beaufort Inlet

Up the channel towards Morehead City

Anchored off Sugar Loaf Island

This morning we weighed anchor (still heavy) and motored the mile or so around to the Morehead City Yacht Basin.  Going under bridges is always 'fun'.  All fixed bridges on the ICW are at least 66' high so we fit under them easily.  We'll have to watch the depth carefully with our 6'6" draft.

Our first ICW bridge

Channel towards Yacht Basin

Transient boats berth at the end of the MCYB jetty hammerheads.  Once tied up there we used the CBProam app to clear in to the US.  Amazingly the app gave us our clearance and cruising permit within minutes.  No need to visit an office or be visited by officials.  We are officially in the US.  Awesome!

At Morehead City Yacht Basin

Trust all's well where you are!

USA Inbound Day 2

Hi everyone,
At 1200 today we were at 34 04N 076 51W steering 020M, motoring at 5 knots.  Blue sky with scattered high cloud.  The wind was 2G5 from the NW.  Our noon to noon run by the log was 121nm.  No current.  We had 35nm to run to Morehead City.

Motoring through the calm

Sadly we have continued to motor throughout the last 24 hours.  For about 10 hours we motor-sailed with sufficient wind to improve our speed by a knot.  We expected we'd be motoring for much of the passage and that has indeed been the case.

At sunset for the last two days we've been intercepted and examined by pods of dolphins.  Always nice to see them.  Overnight a few flying fish have ended up on deck and were returned to the water the next morning.  Nic managed to rescue one which got into the cockpit.

The morning a couple of jet fighters flew overhead, probably at about 2000'.  Couldn't identify them but they made a lovely noise.

We've contacted the local OCC (Ocean Cruising Club) Port Officer.  She will drive us to customs to clear-in tomorrow morning.  The OCC has some great folks.  Join today (if you've completed a 1000nm+ passage on a small boat)!

USA Inbound Day 1

Hi everyone,

At 1200 today we are at 32 03N 077 43W steering 000M, motoring at 5 knots.  Isolated rain clouds nearby but a mostly blue sky..  The wind was 2G5 from the W.  Our noon to noon run by the log was 118nm.  We have 1 knot of gulf stream current with us (at last).  And we have 180nm to run to Morehead City.

A non-tropical sky!

Yesterday afternoon we motored from about 1400 until 2130 in very light airs.  The thunderstorms coming off the Georgia coast reached us in the evening as a set of rain squalls.  Winds only gusted up to 25 knots.  They allowed us to sail until 0800 this morning when the wind died entirely again.

This morning we transferred 80 litres of diesel from jerries to the main tanks.  That filled the main tanks giving us plenty to make Morehead City.  There's no way we'd make it all the way to Norfolk so our change of destination has another good reason.  We've been reading up on the ICW between Beaufort and Norfolk.  Looking forward to motoring with scenery, pubs and fuel docks!

Today it's 32C in the cabin, the water temperature is (apparently) 42C and the air 29C.

Trust all's well where you are.

Bahamas Outbound Day 2

Hi everyone,

At 1200 today we were at 29 58N 077 52W steering 350M, close reaching under full main and single-furled yankee at 5 knots.  The haze had cleared and there was barely a cloud in the sky..  The wind was 5G9 from the WNW.  Our noon to noon run by the log was 131nm.  We'd made about 110nm along our route due to adverse current.

Dawn Today

The adverse current stopped during the morning.  Finally we're making decent progress over the ground.  And it is a little cooler.  Only 33C below this afternoon.  The water is still 39C but the air outside is 29C.  We're lucky we've had no thunderstorms.

One of the great advantages of Starlink is we can view weather radar sites, for example on windy.com.  The E coast of the US has good weather radar which extends well offshore.  Right now Georgia is a mass of thunderstorms and they're pushing offshore a little.  We're hoping they die away this evening before they reach us.

At about 1400 the wind died further and with boat speed under 3 knots we turned on the engine.  We've been motoring since.  A SW breeze is meant to appear this evening and give us another day's sailing.  Two of our three autopilot rams have died on this passage so far.  Both were several years old so I'm not surprised.  We're now using an old Raymarine ram.  Hopefully it will last!

The autopilot failures have convinced us it'd be wise to end this passage in Morehead City, NC.  That's about 260nm north.  We can clear-in there and have a rest.  And from there it's about a week's day sailing via the Intra-Coastal Waterway (ICW) to the Chesapeake.

Trust all's well where you are.

Bahamas Outbound Day 1

Hi everyone,
At 1200 today we were at 28 03N 077 27W steering 040M, close reaching under single-reefed main and single-furled yankee at 5.5 knots.  It was hazy with barely a cloud in the sky..  The wind was 11G16 from the SW.  Our noon to noon run by the log was 130nm.  Sadly we'd only made 90nm along our route due to adverse current.

Nice Sailing Today

Last night we shut down the engine at 2300 after about 9 hours motoring.  It was, and still is, sweltering weather.  It's coolest on deck in the breeze which is about 30C.  But we have no bimini so we stay out of the sun sitting in the companionway.  Below it's 35C and humid, and only gets down to 30C at dawn.  It's getting about 1C cooler each day.

Happily the hazy sky is Saharan dust.  It is stopping development of thunderstorms which is a VERY good thing.  We should clear the area of adverse current sometime in the next 24 hours.  And we're close-reaching in the hope of eventually reaching the gulf stream which will be with us.  We should get back all we lost with interest.

Last night we had a small waxing moon for a few hours after sunset.  It was partly cloudy and the hazy sky dulled the stars.  The clouds cleared and we had a great sail under the stars.  We were furling and unfurling the yankee as the breeze came and went.  The boat is loving this close-beam reaching, tramping along at 6 knots.

Our Starlink system took a very long time to boot this afternoon, and this morning we gave up on it.  So if these daily posts don't continue don't worry - weather conditions are benign and Starlink's sweating just like us!

Bahamas Departure

Hi everyone,
At 1200 today we were at 26 40N 076 59W steering 040M, beam reaching under single-reefed main and full yankee at 4.5 knots. It was hazy and partly cloudy with low puffy cumulus clouds. The wind was 8G12 from the SSE. We had just passed through Man'o'War passage into the Atlantic Ocean. 

Motoring across a glassed-out sea

It's now mid-afternoon and we're motoring. The wind is predicted to go around to the SW then W tonight, but so far it has only died, leaving a glassed-out sea and a short 1.2m SE swell. The predicted 1 knot SSE flowing current is actually 2kt or so. Oh well, we're donking along with the air in the cabin at 35C. Our instruments say the water is 39C and the air 30C.

Here's hoping this evening's wind eventuates.

Trust you're cool where you are!

Last Weeks in the Bahamas

Hi everyone,

The last three weeks have flown by.  After Cheeseburger in Paradise we sailed to Black Sound on Green Turtle Cay, then Hopetown and then back to Marsh Harbour.  Here in Marsh Harbour we've been preparing for our departure from the Bahamas.

Burger at Sundowner's

Two of the passages were very short.  From Black Sound to John Cash Bay near Marsh Harbour was 27nm and we had a great sail.  We anchored at John Cay Bay to await the next morning's high tide into Hopetown.

Black Sound Arrival Track

Black Sound to John Cash Bay Track

Hopetown Arrival Track

Hopetown to Marsh Harbour Track

Black Sound on Green Turtle Cay appears to be recovering from hurricane Dorian more slowly than White Sound.  We took a mooring for US20/night, the same as White Sound.  Donny's marina was up and running with a new jetty.  We used their laundry and loos.  It's a 15 minute walk into New Plymouth from there.

Rear-view arriving in Black Sound

Rebuilt Marina Jetty

New Plymouth is quite an old town.  Many initial settlers were Loyalists who moved there during or after the US War of Independence.  Lots of pretty buildings with many sadly not rebuilt after Dorian.

Well-kept New Plymouth cemetary

Hurricane-damaged house

Nic in her happy place

The happy place

New Plymouth's small supermarket

Interesting memorial to Loyalists

New Plymouth store

New Plymouth house

Another hurricane damaged house

Wrecking Tree cafe

Sundowner's Bar & Cafe in New Plymouth

From Black Sound we sailed to Hopetown with an overnight stop to await the tide.  Hopetown is on another Sound.  Like the others the entrance is shallow but inside there's 3-4m.  We needed 0.5m of tide to get in safely.

Entering Hopetown

The conspic lighthouse in Hopetown is the last operating kerosene burning, hand-wound lighthouse in the world.  Well worth a look.

Famous Lighthouse

View from the top of the lighthouse

We took a mooring here too. US$25/night or US$150/week.  It was a very short dinghy ride to Hopetown Marina Resort whose loos we could use.  Their bar & cafe is good and they have a pool.

Most of the town is on the E side of the Sound.  There's a dinghy dock next to Capt'n Jack's.  It's a nice walk up and down the road past all the pretty cottages.  Apparently you can buy one for US$2M.

Capt'n Jack's Bar & Cafe

Dinghy Dock next to Capt'n Jack's

Hopetown House

Even the mailboxes are pretty!

Hopetown Marina Resort

Local sailing vessel on the Sound

A seat with a view

We spent this morning readying Zen Again for sea.  This afternoon we cleared-out using 'click2clear' then a quick visit to the nearby Customs office.  The forecast isn't ideal but it's OK.  Thunderstorm activity is meant to be easing, but so are the winds.  Unsure how far north we'll get.  Ideally to the Chesapeake but failing that hopefully Beaufort, NC.

Trust all's well where you are!

Cheeseburger in Paradise

Hi everyone,

As I alluded to in our preceding post, a famous cheeseburger awaited us.  Each 4th July the Green Turtle Island community runs a fund-raising event on nearby Fiddle Cay.  Cheeseburgers and drinks are free.  Merchandise is sold to raise funds for the island.  Particularly relevant following hurricane Dorian.  Once upon a time the event was known as 'Stranded Naked'.  Now it is 'Cheeseburger in Paradise'.  Any relationship with Jimmy Buffet's song is unclear.  The location certainly merits the name.

Been There Done That!

This morning we were up at dawn and ready to sortie to Fiddle Cay.  We didn't want to spend long there since it has a reputation for becoming rowdy later in the day.  Who'd have guessed that with free beer, rum & spirits?  Two rain storms came over and we filled our water tanks from them.  By 1100 the storms had cleared and we dinghied over to Fiddle Cay.  It was just over a mile and consumed about 15% of our Torqeedo 1103's battery.

MacMansions on Green Turtle Cay
(some actually very nice)

Rain storms clearing away from Zen Again

Approaching Fiddle Cay

Dinghy Ashore
(our dinghy wheels attracted a lot of attention for some reason)

Walking around the shore past scores of anchored motor boats

Around the headland past more motor boats

Approaching Cheeseburger HQ

Spectacular Location

Oh, Escuse Me Ladies!

Enqueued for Cheeseburgers

Queue lengthening behind us

Wonderful Volunteers

Yes!  Cheeseburgers in Paradise!

Silly Grins

Time for Rum

Rum & Coke in a treasured souvenir
(sadly they had no ginger for a Dark'n'Stormy)

How Good is This?

During our brief stay on the Cay we encountered a couple of American families we'd met at the Green Turtle Club bar a few days ago.  Nice to see them again.  Everyone - locals, Americans and others - were in good spirits.  The Americans were of course wishing everyone a 'Happy 4th".

So cruisers, put this waypoint in your navigation system.  Just go there.  A wonderful destination for a worthy cause.

We took the opportunity to buy our merchandise at the Green Turtle Club last week.  They had a stall selling last year's and this years goodies.  As the photos show, we both have Cheeseburger in Paradise long-sleeve, UV resistant shirts.  And a nice plastic glass (we don't have real glass aboard Zen Again)!

Here's the event's Facebook site.

Trust all's well where you are.