Intercoastal Waterway Annapolis MD to Wilmington NC

Recently did a trip on a yacht as a crew member the yacht was named Seabiscuit 2 a Catalina Morgan 440 down the Intercoastal Waterways from Annapolis Maryland to Wilmington North Carolina. The length breadth and width of the waterways is amazing, an awesome experience for an Aussie.

Here' a few sample pics.

The people i met in Oriental North Carolina were the finest i have met anywhere in the world.

America be proud.

And a special thankyou to the FA/18's and F15 Squadrons which buzzed our yacht for a whole day and night at low level, almost continuously... Amazing... past CoinJock Bay near Cape Hatteras an isolated place.

ILOVEJETNOISE.COM

We met a solo yachtsman on a yacht called Agile Dolphin whose anchor winch was stuck shut drifting in 8 feet of water with a keel at 5 feet that can make you nervous, we pulled up alongside and freed the winch he was happy, he will remember the three Aussies who helped him for a while as there was no-one else for thirty miles around.

The yachts mast was 62 feet high and some of the bridges were at 64 feet scraped the antenna twice we were cheered by at least 30 boats near the Beaufort bridge

On other isolated areas you needed to call up the Bridgemaster on the Coastgaurd radio to lift the bridge if you didn't know the "exact" description of the bridge name they didn't answer you back.



Pickup Herrington Harbour


Leaving Herrington harbour


Norfolk Virginia


Norfolk Virginia








Oriental NC


Lookout Bight Beaufort


Out in the Atlantic


Like this, will swap the Sprinter for one


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wuwDe6qWDIY

Plus + Most things
Minus - Biting Flies in Chesapeake Bay and Root Beer

Thanks for the description and pics.

The pics are on another server. I copied some which I find typical for Intercoastal trips to here so they aren't lost someday. vic

Pickup Herrington Harbour









Oriental NC

Re: Not Intercoastal, but delivery

So this isn't the Intercoastal. It's part of the St. Lawrence Seaway

Likely my last local sailing in 2013. From Lake Ontario up to Lake Erie. Youngstown, NY to Buffalo, NY boat delivery. Not really much sailing on the trip because deliveries are often pretty mercenary. Mostly motoring. We jib reached most of the way into Buffalo. (We had no mainsail aboard.) Relatively warm in the daytime when the sun was out. Pretty cold otherwise, but really decent for November. My quilted Carharts weren't pretty, but were warm.

Some pictures.

The C&C 34+ that we moved.



A Beneteau 36.7 we locked through with.
Note the Canadian Coast Guard Vessel CCGS Private Robertson V.C. in the background.



Waiting for commercial traffic Lock #3.
Pleasure Craft have absolutely no priority.



The Flight Locks internet grab picture. The trees are not that green in November.



CCGS Private Robertson V.C. Nov. 2013 lock pic grab



As we approached lock #1 we monitored Channel 14. I heard we were locking through with the Robertson. I also heard the Robertson request a "half fill". I commented to the other guys on our boat that locking might be easier with the half fill the Canadian Coast Guard requested.

So Lock #1 we got a slower fill. I suspect it was "half".

Lock #2 and flight locks #4 - #6 seemed to be a typical fill. I commented that the Robertson "half fill" request must not have been passed on.

Lock #7. Once the gates closed we had a slow rise of filling water, then we seemed to stop lift and start lift (based upon watching the lock walls). I commented that the Robertson must have complained about not getting their "half fill" after lock #1. After about 15 minutes of excruciatingly slow rise the water suddenly boiled and slammed us against the wall with our large (fortunately for us) fenders taking a bit of a beating. We were busy with our own boat so I didn't see what happened to the Robertson, but I suspect that she went against the wall also. The total rise time in Lock #7 was over 20 minutes.

After we were up I commented to the line handler that the fill seemed to take quite a while. He didn't elaborate, but replied, "Yep. Normal is about seven and a half minutes.". I figure the Robertson must have made the slow fill request again at Lock #7. I suspect that they also commented about not getting that in the previous locks. So-o-o, the operator made certain to give them the slow fill as requested. It just shows, be careful what you wish for.

vic

Welland Canal

http://www.offshoreblue.com/cruising/welland-canal.php

http://pics.boatnerd.com/v/shipping...n+VC+Lock3+2013-1105+IMG_3934_stitch.jpg.html

http://www.boatnerd.com/

The Beneteau's are popular in the US and one of my favourites, was that one alloy hull?

Amboman said:

The Beneteau's are popular in the US and one of my favourites, was that one alloy hull?

Click to expand...

Nope. Plastic. I don't believe that I've seen an alloy hull yet. There's a pretty strong Beneteau 36.7 one design contingent on the Great Lakes. There's some well attended regattas in Buffalo, NY, Chicago, IL, and Toronto, Ont.

That particular boat was leaving our area heading to Buffalo, NY for sale. I've since briefly spoke to the delivery skipper. During the night sail to Buffalo his green delivery crew didn't stomach the Lake Erie chop very well. Lake Erie has a motion all its own. I didn't ask if he put them on the helm. That often helps if someone is a bit queasy. vic

Sometimes you can be deceived with different expanses of water. Chesapeake Bay was very rough and partially intimidating we sailed almost the whole time , yet the much anticipated Atlantic crossing from Beaufort to Wilmington was almost flat and we motored all the way with some sail.

Which one is you in the pic's?

Boat definition = Bust Out Another Thousand,

Fully understand why people sell them and move on, Herrington harbour, i think was $10,000 per annum slip fees, hooley dooley. Being crew is a better option.

Amboman said:

...
Which one is you in the pic's?

...

Click to expand...

Fortunately for everyone I was taking the pictures so my ugly mug isn't included.

Amboman said:

... Boat definition = Bust Out Another Thousand, ...

Click to expand...

Also, a hole in the water into which you throw money.

I have a J/22 which I drysail at a yacht club on the Niagara River, Lake Ontario. We tow the boat on trailer to quite a few away regattas. My drysail fees are a bit over 500 bucks a season to keep the boat on the pad and use one of two jib cranes for launching. Then there's Club dues, a minimum for bar/restaurant, assessments, ... I store my boat next to my garage over winter. Other than doing it the way I do, I really couldn't afford to own and maintain a sailboat. A larger boat is likely not in my future.

OPB. Other people's boats is the way to go.

Chesapeake Bay does seem to have a wave pattern of its own too.

vic

Hey Aqua, I hear you! I perhaps have the opposite problem - it is because I have the sailboat that I probably will not be able to get the Sprinter!
I don't believe "Break open another thousand" will even cut it these days!
I do manage to keep my boat in the water for about a thousand a year at it's present location, 'though it was about $7,000 a year when I lived aboard at Port Credit, west of Toronto.