Southern Migration

Started out from Annapolis (at 40 degrees) the other day and we're following a compass course of 180 degree. Waiting for it to get warmer day by day.

Here's a panoramic video from the main salon as we're cruising along at 12 knots.

Southern Migration - YouTube
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Very cool! The traffic should be thinned out by now. Please keep us up on your travels. We left from Baltimore Dec. 10 one time cold and short days. Watch for the blinking red and green Christmas lights if cruising after dusk. They can be confused with navigation lights.

Stay warm. I'll keep up with your progress. It is possible that we may be in Ft. Pierce as you come by there.

dvd said:

Started out from Annapolis (at 40 degrees) the other day and we're following a compass course of 180 degree. Waiting for it to get warmer day by day.

Here's a panoramic video from the main salon as we're cruising along at 12 knots.

Southern Migration - YouTube
dvd

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Great video! Puts us there on your cruise

The lower Chesapeake was a bear yesterday with wind opposing the tide, but we made it through Norfolk with all the military ship traffic and anchored in Deep Creek Basin for the night. Woke up to a bridge and deck covered in heavy frost.It warmed up nicely, though and now we are anchored in Broad Creek just north of the Albemarle Sound.

My wife is doing her "stairmaster" routine on our stern steps and using her yoga mat on the foredeck. Me? I'm up on the flybridge sitting in the sun having a beer.

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dvd said:

My wife is doing her "stairmaster" routine on our stern steps and using her yoga mat on the foredeck. Me? I'm up on the flybridge sitting in the sun having a beer.

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Life is good! Sounds like our house/boat. Also, probably one of the (several) reasons that women tend to outlive men.

DVD, I saw you are planning to cross Albemarle Sound in the AM. Here is something you may want to be aware of you at the Alligator River entrance channel.

Diana and I crossed the Albemarle Sound southbound last week and re-surveyed the known Alligator River Entrance ICW trouble spot … with its westward shoal and mis-charted Magenta Line.
As you can see from the attached screenshot, the depths are fine if you follow the navaids, NOT necessarily the Magenta Line.
Southbound, you would honor R6 and the G7-R8 pair, then (importantly) depart the charted Magenta Line, honoring floating navaid Red 8A, to stay off encroaching Long Shoal Point, finally re-joing the ICW and the charted Magenta Line at G9.

Captains Mark & Diana Doyle
OnTheWaterChartGuides

Thanks (the screen shot didn't show). That's the second round of advice we've received for the same spot, so we'll be keeping a close lookout in that area.

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Greetings,
Sounds (pun intended) like a great trip. A slight hijack, if I may. Mr. Moonstruck. What the heck does "honor" the marker mean? I've also heard "favor" the marker. Does this mean stay away or stay close. These are terms I wish were more clear. Can't one say..."Stay closer to green markers"?

RT Firefly said:

Greetings,
Sounds (pun intended) like a great trip. A slight hijack, if I may. Mr. Moonstruck. What the heck does "honor" the marker mean? I've also heard "favor" the marker. Does this mean stay away or stay close. These are terms I wish were more clear. Can't one say..."Stay closer to green markers"?

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Well Mr. RT, I suppose one could put it that way. However, if one chooses to honor the marker that would be OK too. I would usually say to stay close to the marker.

You may be familiar with the Alligator River entrance from the Albimarle Sound. The marker locations change fairly frequently. The last time I went in there going South, I had to run West to the 2nd marker. Then turn back SE toward the next marker. I am not certain if that is the way it is today.

DVD, glad you have a good weather window for the crossing. That body of water can be a bear. Fair winds to you.

Hey, dvd, is that a Rocna or Manson Supreme up there on the pulpit?
'sok, I'm not trying to start another anchor discussion, just interested...

Rocna 20 which I just bought after a difficult time finding one on the East Coast. Almost had to settle for a Manson.

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Me??? I UPGRADED to a Manson...but that's the other thread.

I'm not quite sure what all the talk is about the "magenta line"....I knw what it is but have ignored it my whole career as it is meaningless unless someone has a "good explanation" on why it's important compared to the navaids and following the "lay of the land".

I taught Captain's Licensing for over 5 years and never even had one student discuss it.

I would never follow it in the NJ Intracoastal for sure.

psneeld said:

I would never follow it in the NJ Intracoastal for sure.

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Same here. I think that was just a reference for how to negotiate that tricky area using paper charts. We always run with paper charts and the C-Map cartridges together. I do not use the magenta line except in large bodies of water with markers a great distance apart. In fact the C-Map cartridges do not show the magenta line. I usually favor the outside of a turn where the current runs for the deepest water.

Limited/intermittent connection but Albemarle Sound was like glass! entered Alligator River without issues about 2 hrs post high tide & never saw less than 10 ft. Anchored for the night in Campbell Creek.
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Just us and the shrimp boats in Oriental, NC. This is definitely a cruising-oriented town. We stopped by the hardware store to pick something up and they asked if we wanted a ride to the grocery store. After buying stuff and starting to walk back to town, a fellow stopped and asked if we wanted a ride back to our boat. We have no idea how he knew we were cruisers -- kinda afraid to ask.

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DVD wrote:

"We have no idea how he knew we were cruisers -- kinda afraid to ask."

As one who has both cruised and lived in a town where cruisers often come through (Carrabelle, Florida) I could tell you. But you might take it as an insult (although it would not be intended to be such), so I won't.
.
Sounds like a great trip. Please keep us posted!
.
John

jwnall said:

DVD wrote:

"We have no idea how he knew we were cruisers -- kinda afraid to ask."

As one who has both cruised and lived in a town where cruisers often come through (Carrabelle, Florida) I could tell you. But you might take it as an insult (although it would not be intended to be such), so I won't.
.
Sounds like a great trip. Please keep us posted!
.
John

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DVD, who else would be walking back toward the docks carrying groceries?

John, your post brought back a memory of Carabelle. We were taking a friends boat down to Sarasota, and a transmission packed up going into
Carabelle. I think we were towed into the Moorings Marina. It was late after we got the transmission out of the boat. We were scruffy looking, but hungry. We walked over to a convenience store to ask where a restaurant was open. He said that this late it would be a long walk across the bridge. We took off. A deputy sheriff pulled up beside us, and asked where we were going. We told him. He said he would take us. When we got there families were lined up to get in. Children were everywhere. Of course the deputy had to open the doors for us. I think they lost the handles. Everyone looked at us kind of in a weird way.

I saw their stares then realized what they thought, so I turned to my friend Bill and said, "this is going to be great after that prison food we've been eating". The parents started drawing their children closer.
Everyone was really nice, and the restaurant gave us a ride back to the boat. Life was good in Carabelle, but it seams something happens every time we go in there.

dvd said:

Just us and the shrimp boats in Oriental, NC. This is definitely a cruising-oriented town. We stopped by the hardware store to pick something up and they asked if we wanted a ride to the grocery store. After buying stuff and starting to walk back to town, a fellow stopped and asked if we wanted a ride back to our boat. We have no idea how he knew we were cruisers -- kinda afraid to ask.

dvd

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Oriental NC is a town of about 800 people. Everyone there knows everyone else, so you were new, in November, there was very little chance you weren't a cruiser! It is one of the friendliest places! Glad you got to visit! Sorry we missed you!

Besslb said:

Oriental NC is a town of about 800 people. Everyone there knows everyone else, so you were new, in November, there was very little chance you weren't a cruiser! It is one of the friendliest places! Glad you got to visit! Sorry we missed you!

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Next time you are coming through let us all know. There are several folks on this site that are a short distance from Oriental and a couple that are right there in Oriental.

We really don't need much of an excuse to have a party. Right Bess.

Anybody passing tru hollywood on the ICW give a shout and say HI

Yes, Southern Migration, mostly sunny here today in Fort Lauderdale with forecast high of 79 degrees, get out your shorts when you get further south.

Looking forward to shorts weather - had them on for a few hours walking around Oriental, but it's still too cold on the water. Had a good day today putting in about 95 miles ending in Bucksport Landing on the Waccamaw River. Hope to make it to Charleston in the next day or so where we will take a layover day or two. Cold front coming through tomorrow, but warming up again after that.

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DVD-I used to live down in that area, just a bit above Little River, SC. I have stayed at Bucksport many times. You'll enjoy the trip down the Waccamaw-it really is a beautiful trip. Too bad your timing won't give you a day in Georgetown, it is a neat little place. We used to stop at the free dock downtown and then stay in the Belle Isle Marina overnight. You will love the trip down to Charleston. When you cross the Santee River, look for dolphin-we used to see them all the time way up the river and waterway.

Enjoy the trip!

It was a beautiful run yesterday from Bucksport to Charleston. That Waccamaw river area is really nice, even in December. I can imagine how georgeous it is in spring & summer. Even saw a number of dolphin.

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I suspect that someday I'll get tired of sunrise/sunset pictures, but there's something about a sunset over water that is just too hard to resist.

Took this a couple of minutes ago while anchored on Redbird Creek just off the Ogeechee River in Eastern Georgia.

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