Southbound from Norfolk

We just bought our first Trawler,a 42ft Present named Sweetwater. Had a guy go over the boats systems with me and we went got filters 1st day. 2nd day hired a captain to show us how to steer, dock & anchor. Left Norfolk yesterday late and made it to our first lock before Dismal swamp. Today we made it through 2 locks and now at Elizabeth City. A lot of learning in 3 days. Any guidance for our trip to Florida would probably be helpful. Especially since the biggest thing I've ever navigated was a bass boat. Me and my Wife "the Admiral" thank you in advance.

Hey Russell,
Congratulations to both of you!! I'm sure you will have lots of great info about your trip south offered by the "locals".
Where did you end up for a home slip??


1983 Present 42 Sundeck
Twin Lehman 135's

If the Capt is experienced...he/she will have several possible stops every day lined up for you with provisioning and recreation recomendations.

If not ask here....the good ones not only can drive but have a good idea of what is available along the way.

I got the impression they no longer have a captain on board. But I could be misreading it.


As to suggestions for your trip,
look behind you almost as often as you look ahead to make sure you are truly lined up in the channel between the markers.
Also watch behind you for faster boats coming up behind you that might not slow down as they pass you.
If a boat comes up behind you and asks for a slow pass, or you ask them, slow to idle speed for the pass to allow the passing vessel to come by as quick as possible while making the least wake.
If you think you are list or in shallow water immediately slow down or come to a stop till you figure things out.
Don't rush to meet a time table.
Keep a close eye on the weather.
Don't be afraid to ask for local knowledge.
Keep track of where you are on a chart as you go.
Use Active Captain but take the information with a grain of salt.
Go offshore and bypass Georgia if you can. The ICW is very twisty and turns there and eats up a lot of time.
You can put bridges and locks in as way points to get a better idea when you might arrive there so you don't waste time waiting for them to open because you got there to soon or late to meet there schedule.
Keep your radio on and listen to it.
Make sure you know for a fact what your depth finder is set up to tell you. As in whether it's telling you true water depth, off set to tell you the depth of the water under your keel/props or some meaningless number because it's never been set up correctly.
Know the exact air draft of your vessel so you don't waste time waiting for bridges you could pass under or waste the bridge tenders time on unnecessary openings.

I'm sure others will think of other things to add.

Oh, and have fun!

Haven't dicided yet where we'll keep her. But we won't be able to get her all the way. We have to leave for a job on the 5th of next month. Well have to find a temporary marina till we get back. Maybe along Florida /Georgia line.

You are right CaptBill, one day of training and me and the wife headed out on our own. Thank you for the suggestions. We have a whole lot to learn. We will be crossing Albemarle Sound tomorow.

And we are having a blast.

Safe travels, Pipeliner. To the good advice you have received, I would add that when anchoring, observe the state of the tide. Allow enough water beneath your keel so that you'll still be afloat at dead low tide.

You should have no trouble finding a secure slip around Jacksonville, if you choose to schedule your layover here. Let me know if I can provide local knowledge.

Man that's awesome. Living in the Norfolk area, I've limited my search from Del to NC (mainly because I don't want to deal with the ICW) and I have sailing experience! Y'all are buying what I assume is your first boat and sailing it down half of the Eastern Seaboard! Safe sailing and enjoy it.

That trip is a no no for me during hurricane season. My insurance doesn't cover it.

Go offshore and bypass Georgia if you can. The ICW is very twisty and turns there and eats up a lot of time.

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My good friend Bill, this is one piece of bad advice in our strong opinion. Georgia is perhaps the most beautiful part of the trip, with lots of side trip and gunkholing (anchoring)opportunities, a destination for cruising unto itself. Better than almost anything Florida itself has to offer.

We encourage new folks to take the ICW the entire way, slowly at least once, then decide for themselves what parts to skip via the ocean. For us the latter ended up meaning virtually all of eastern Florida and as much of North Carolina as practical from Beaufort to the SC line.

We found the Waterway Guides to be excellent, easy to use resources, with good support from the folks who write and publish them. Having looked over the guides published by the Doyles in recent years, those are really great as well, maybe even better. Ann was a big fan of the Kettlewell ICW chart book and always had it right by the hem when she was at the wheel. We like resources that are easy to use in any conditions and for which someone is accountable for what is said. I'd also advise trying to find the old, now out of print of the late Clairborne Young's guides which give a wonderful flavor of what's around you and its history. His web site, cruisersnet, is still running and has updated tools I find easier to use than AC.

We are based in New Bern now, right on the river a half mile or so south of marker 28. New Bern is a nice side trip, one of the most charming towns on the whole trip. If the Pipeliner comes through here I would be happy to spend some time with them and some charts and walk them through it. With a little advance notice I might be able to meet them in Morehead City or Beaufort, and if Ann isn't at her teaching job she might join us. This offer applies to any TF member making the trip.

Something I wish I'd known coming up through the GA ICW: don't navigate by the magenta line on your chartplotter. Believe your eyes and your depth finder (properly configured, as Captain Bill notes) and look for smaller temporary nav aids in areas known to be shoaling. I agree with George that the ICW in GA is beautiful and would not miss it unless I was on a tight delivery schedule.

Greetings,
Mr. c. I concur. The "low country" has a charm unto it's own. Yes, twisty, turny, dangerously shallow some places, significant tidal ranges (8'-10' in spots-makes picking an anchorage and/or a passage through some areas with enough low water depth tricky to say the least) and neat little spots of interest.
I will say, too late now, but Mr. P missed one of those hidden gems along the Dismal Swamp route-Lamb's Marina. Great stop for fuel (both diesel and non ethanol gas), pretty good restaurant, laundry and shower facilities, clean and well kept, courtesy car, pretty good general store for light provisioning and super friendly southern hospitality. About 5 miles north of Elizabeth City on your port side when southbound.

OK, OK, you guys have a point. And I should have added to my Georgia comment that it's worth doing at least once if you've never done it. Sometimes I look at that trip from a delivery captains point of view. Not from a pleasure trip perspective.

So by all means enjoy the Georgia ICW. You will see it most of it at least twice after all, as you twist and turn through it.

fryedaze said:

That trip is a no no for me during hurricane season. My insurance doesn't cover it.

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That's a good point. Check with your insurance company. Brunswick, GA seems to be the southern limit during hurricane season for some insurance companies. No matter where you end up, it's all good though.

Capt. Bill gave sound advice. The part about checking behind you is extremely important. George was right about the Georgia ICW. It is probably a little early for you to take offshore passages. Oh, yeah the GA ICW on a rising tide as much as you can.

My hat is off to you and your admiral. You've go spunk. Sometimes we make this stuff more complicated than it really is. Safe journey to you.

We are with Capt Bill on liking offshore. However, this trip I don't think is the time for that.

READ

ASK

Have tow coverage.

Read information on alerts and warnings and hazards available on several web sites for this area. They are regularly updated. Cruisersnet and Waterway Guide. Assimilate all the information you can. Look at the charts carefully with that information in hand so you know where there are known problems.

Ask those at marinas, especially those who came from the other direction. Before entering tricky marinas, ask dockmasters the secret code to a safe entrance. Call tow captains and ask about areas you're approaching and have concerns over. They are extremely helpful as they had to help the last person who didn't ask.

And if you do run aground, be careful. Don't cause more damage trying to get off. Use the tide and tow services to your benefit. In most cases you'll be able to get going again and have no damage. Experienced boaters run aground with all the shoals on your trip. Don't be ashamed of it. Everyone was new once. That also applies to docking. If you're struggling and you have to back up and try again 10 times, then just do it 10 times. You'll learn. But be oblivious to any onlookers. Don't know if in operating your bass boat you ever slid over to the dark side of a pontoon boat, but they are far more difficult to dock in the wind than the boat you purchased is.

Moonstruck said:

Capt. Bill gave sound advice. The part about checking behind you is extremely important. George was right about the Georgia ICW. It is probably a little early for you to take offshore passages. Oh, yeah the GA ICW on a rising tide as much as you can.

My hat is off to you and your admiral. You've go spunk. Sometimes we make this stuff more complicated than it really is. Safe journey to you.

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wiser words never posted......

Pipeliner: When you get south of Pamlico into the ditch proper, south of the Surf City bridge a few miles there looks to be some channel markers WAY close to the western bank. Looks like they drifted out of place. They didn't, believe them.

Be super careful anywhere where a channel to an inlet crosses the ditch. Current can shove you sideways unexpectedly, and sand moves all over. Sometimes they move the markers to suit, sometimes not.

Good luck and have fun!!!

Thank y'all for the tips for our first ever trawler voyage. This is kind of a delivery , and training and a relaxing cruise. We were going to try to get her to New Orleans, but we have to get home to go on a job on the 6th. We will get her as far south as possible, maybe Florida or Georgia line. Then we have to find a nice marina and leave it for a few months. Hoping to get one with a yard so we can get some stuff done on it.
Stopped in Bellhaven for the night. Was gonna go to Beaufort tomorrow, but as I was coming in to marina the starboard engine quit. Finally got it cranked and had no forward or reverse. It was quit a show !!! Admiral was not happy with me... Lost lots of fluid from transmission. Put a quart in and then had forward, mechanic coming tmr. Think I blew front seal. So gonna hang out till whenever I get it fixed. If anybody is bored y'all come help... Bring a FL 135 Trans...

Man I hate to hear that! Hope it's not too much of a headache to fix.

Congratulations on successfully handling your first mechanical failure!

Not uncommon for a Borg warner to lose the front seal. Fluid then leaks into flywheel housing. Trans has to come off the back of the engine. Usually seal can be replaced right there without tearing trans apart.

Clutches can be burned if they were slipping. Check for burnt smell in remaining fluid. Usually a good idea to refill trans and test it under load in both directions. If it works ok, then pull it and change seal.

Any updates Russell?? R U running or fixin'??


1983 Present 42 Sundeck
Twin Lehman 135's

Safe passage!

Putting Trans back in now !!

If you are looking at leaving her in the JAX area there are two good marinas on the ICW just south of the St Johns. On the east side Beach Marine and on the west Palm Cove. We kept PASSAGE at Palm Cove for 13 years before buying a house on the water last year. Great crew there.

Pipeliner said:

Putting Trans back in now !!

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Cool!!!

Was it the front seal?

PITA getting the splines to engage. Cursing is allowed there.

Good to put some grease on the splines, too. Keeps wear to a minimum.

Do not let the bridge tenders Lure you too close to the bridge. Remember it is your boat and you are in command. before approaching an unfamiliar Marina call on the VHF And ask about depth and any current conditions you might need to know about. I learned that one the hard way.

motion30 said:

before approaching an unfamiliar Marina call on the VHF And ask about depth and any current conditions you might need to know about. I learned that one the hard way.

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Also ask the tow captains if you don't have information from another local source. I've always found them very cordial and helpful.