Norfolk, VA to Carrabelle, FL March-May 2020

We arrived at our home port day before yesterday, and spent yesterday packing and schlepping the first carload of stuff -- including the Ship's Cat and her supplies -- to our house.

When still underway, we didn't encounter any marinas that were closed... although co-located restaurants were usually either only doing take-away (usual) or were altogether closed. The latter was less common, but I suspect in those instances the restaurants just may not have ever had enough business to make that switch viable.

We were also able to fuel every time we wanted to, although that was only in Georgetown prepping for the ocean run to Southport, and then again at Top Rack prepping for the Chesapeake run.

That said, we could tell from the news that we were maybe always just one step ahead of a closure, so our last several legs were each twice and long as our usual pace... and that in turn meant we "zoomed" on past several of the stops we would have usually made. And we bypassed a couple of our usual en route family visits by doing that, too.

The last leg, 140 NM from Top Rack to Annapolis... on plane except for through Portsmouth... just wasn't our favorite. Plus it started out a bit rough, with choppy seas... but at least that eventually laid down enough to be OK and at one point even got smooth for a while.

-Chris

We have made it to Charleston Harbor Marina and the usual shutdown businesses. There was no indication that transients and fuel were any problem for them. Had I a good anchorage at hand at the end of this day, that would have been preferable to the bouncy place we find ourselves in. Glad we have this heavy boat tonight! Glad you made it home in good shape, Chris.

Any reason you didn't go on down to the City Marina - much better facility.

I know more than a few including me that don't like the City Marina.

I have stopped in the Charleston area easily 20+ times for up to a week at a time.... a half dozen at the City Marina and it was my least favorite.

I know few that recommend iit including a great friend that lives in Charleston and kept his boat there for years...till he tried elsewhere.

I prefer the Maritime Center if the wx isn't from the NE, St John's for just stopping for the night and not going into town, Isle of Palms if I have been downtown recently, Ashley for longer term.....

I was actually asking Rich.

We have stayed there many times and loved it for lots of reasons.

menzies said:

I was actually asking Rich.

We have stayed there many times and loved it for lots of reasons.

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I dunno, just ignorance of all the solutions, I suppose. Easy in and out since we are only staying 13-1hours. Our tiny water supply cannot support doing the laundry; so we moor on laundry days and git-r-dun with me refilling the tank after each load just to keep from having to fill it all at once or forgetting in the morning. We will be in the marshes for awhile now, or at sea if these winds will just quit.

Not uncommon to visit a place some people like and others not so much.

Personal preference is what keeps the world going round.

psneeld said:

Not uncommon to visit a place some people like and others not so much.

Personal preference is what keeps the world going round.

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Yep.

Though I have never ever met anyone who did not like Cumberland Island!

Or for that matter, very few who did not like St Augustine!

menzies said:

I was actually asking Rich.

We have stayed there many times and loved it for lots of reasons.

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"Poof! ItMF"

menzies said:

Yep.

Though I have never ever met anyone who did not like Cumberland Island!

Or for that matter, very few who did not like St Augustine!

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Visiting a place is not necessarily the same as liking one marina or not in the area.

You are way off base in this one.

We now have no home to take this boat to since the Moorings Marina in Carrabelle today informed the boat's owner that no vessels are allowed entry during the virus crisis. Some discussion with him ensued in which he mentioned that he just might come to the boat to continue living aboard the boat and sending us home. We are OK with whatever choice he makes and will continue plugging along in the meanwhile. And of course there is now an impending executive order by Florida's governor to all non-essential persons to stay at home. We know all marinas in the Miami area and probably all south of there are closed as well. Our reaction from here at the Marineland Marina was to stock up on food soon after we arrived today and to top off fuel to a full 2000 gallons tomorrow morning. Then we will be ready for whatever follows.

Now for Maryland where all waters are closed to recreation. What happens when all the Canadian and others headed north of there get to MD?

rgano said:

We now have no home to take this boat to since the Moorings Marina in Carrabelle today informed the boat's owner that no vessels are allowed entry during the virus crisis. Some discussion with him ensued in which he mentioned that he just might come to the boat to continue living aboard the boat and sending us home. We are OK with whatever choice he makes and will continue plugging along in the meanwhile. And of course there is now an impending executive order by Florida's governor to all non-essential persons to stay at home. We know all marinas in the Miami area and probably all south of there are closed as well. Our reaction from here at the Marineland Marina was to stock up on food soon after we arrived today and to top off fuel to a full 2000 gallons tomorrow morning. Then we will be ready for whatever follows.

Now for Maryland where all waters are closed to recreation. What happens when all the Canadian and others headed north of there get to MD?

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Where exactly are you? Marineland FL?

Right now at 1813 on the second of April, we are anchored off the channel at New Smyrna Beach. Tomorrow, around 50-60 miles farther along the track. Wash and repeat every day until we get to The Moorings @ Carrabelle which marina has now called the owner back to inform him that his slip is waiting for us. Wonder if somebody will come meet us and tell us we are quarantined? Ae are in far more danger from shore-based people than the reverse. At our 5.5 foot draft, I am afraid we are a bit too deep for the inside passage in the Keys.

Stay on your boat

Boater to Titusville Marina this afternoon, "Is your fuel dock one?"

Titusville Marine to boater, "Yes, but if you come to our fuel dock, you may not get off your boat."

Filled up the go-juice yesterday and now have enough to go around the tip of Florida and up to Carrabelle on the Forgotten Coast. Hoping for some decent weather to run down Hawk Channel to Channel Five to get into FL Bay.

Rich:


Any insight into why the Moorings in Carrabelle changed their mind?


Vicariously enjoying your cruise.


Cheers,
Mrs. Trombley

This boat had been kept there before, and I can only assume that they reconsidered after the owner did some arm twisting in the right quarters.

We found a marina in Fort Lauderdale that will let us spend the night on Sunday. We will replenish our meager water supplies and get down to lower Biscayne Bay to be in position to run the Hawk Channel to Channel Five when weather is ok. Once into Florida Bay, we are home free.

rgano said:

This boat had been kept there before, and I can only assume that they reconsidered after the owner did some arm twisting in the right quarters.

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The marina probably reconsidered when the owner stated that since they would not let him moor, he considered them to be in breach of moorage lease and he wouldn't pay for the empty slip for the next year! Follow the money, it will win out every time . . . unfortunately in many cases, but fortunate in this case.

Today we fought our way through Sunday boaters and low bridges too numerous to even curse at to get to the only marina in the Fort Lauderdale area which is accepting transients. Squeezed this 55-ton beast with 19-foot beam into a 20-foot wide slip so the admiral could conduct a multi-part laundry drill with the onboard washer/dryer while I stood over the water tank fill to our small tank with a hose trying to keep up with her. Got off boat to sign in visit a 7-11 and order take-out from a nearby restaurant. Back to boat and to strip off clothing and scrub down in the shower before dinner. Tomorrow off the anchorage near the cruise ship terminals before a 0500 underway on Tuesday headed down Hawk Channel to Channel Five and escape from SE Florida and the diseased and closed Keys. We have learned to conserve water and think we can make this 150 gallons go for a week based on the last four days of anchoring and water use. That could get us to Carrabelle if we find a lot of nice weax to run off shore in.

rgano said:

Today we fought our way through Sunday boaters and low bridges too numerous to even curse at to get to the only marina in the Fort Lauderdale area which is accepting transients. Squeezed this 55-ton beast with 19-foot beam into a 20-foot wide slip so the admiral could conduct a multi-part laundry drill with the onboard washer/dryer while I stood over the water tank fill to our small tank with a hose trying to keep up with her. Got off boat to sign in visit a 7-11 and order take-out from a nearby restaurant. Back to boat and to strip off clothing and scrub down in the shower before dinner. Tomorrow off the anchorage near the cruise ship terminals before a 0500 underway on Tuesday headed down Hawk Channel to Channel Five and escape from SE Florida and the diseased and closed Keys. We have learned to conserve water and think we can make this 150 gallons go for a week based on the last four days of anchoring and water use. That could get us to Carrabelle if we find a lot of nice weax to run off shore in.

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That seems a very small water tank for that size boat?

rgano said:

We have learned to conserve water and think we can make this 150 gallons go for a week based on the last four days of anchoring and water use.

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menzies said:

That seems a very small water tank for that size boat?

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Yeah... Note to owner: Add a 300 gallon water tank soonest.

-Chris

The boat was designed for island cruising and anchoring with a watermaker aboard. The owner has no issues with Bahamas cruising his boat with guests aboard, but the WM is not being used in the clouded ICW, and is a severe limitation. I am not sure what will happen when he gets remarried in the coming year/months. First wife never experienced this boat which has a curtain rather than door across the master head entrance. I imagine he will have to make a few mods.

When we got to Channel Five into Florida Bay from the Hawk Channel, we turned the corner on this 1661-mile delivery and started heading north toward home. To get to Channel Five for a daylight run through Channel Five we had to get underway from our anchorage in Miami at 0500. We were escorted by the police picket boat with his blue flashing lights for the entire run down Government Cut where five cruise ships are quarantined. Maybe they were afraid we were part of a sick passenger escape plan? Then we had the pleasure of meeting another inbound cruise ship at the turn in the channel in the dark - what fun. After a quiet anchorage in Jewfish Hole at Long Key, we went up to Little Shark River. Listening to the NOAA forecast of 5-7 foot seas of the south Gulf coast this weekend, we hustled past a planned stop near Everglades City and ended up here in Marco Island at anchor off the channel (no marina here can handle us). Tomorrow we go to Fort Myers Beach where Salt Sam's Marina has a nice side tie awaiting us where we can sit out the weather. Not sure just how all the remaining 300-plius miles will all work out, but the last 190 or so are going to be open water. We think we could be at end of journey in a week, three and a half weeks after departing Norfolk.

Daaaaad, are we there yet!

rgano said:

Tomorrow we go to Fort Myers Beach where Salt Sam's Marina has a nice side tie awaiting us where we can sit out the weather. Not sure just how all the remaining 300-plius miles will all work out, but the last 190 or so are going to be open water. We think we could be at end of journey in a week, three and a half weeks after departing Norfolk.

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If you haven't been to Salty Sam's, the floating docks side tie furthest from shore can have smoking current when the tide is in full flow! Look at it on Google maps satellite view. I was a couple of slips over from the pirate ship in 2016. If they have you further inshore, probably not a big deal. I would time for slack current which is different from high and low tide because of the large body of water it's filling.

Ted

I have been to Salty's before and knew to ask for a tee-head with this boat. Our information from Salty Sam’s Marina was that we were assigned to the tee-head of D Dock which would allow us to come in, turn around to head into the strong flood tide current and wind, and just sidle into the pier using the bow thruster to push that way and the engine idling ahead and judicious rudder to keep us parallel to the pier and from being blown downwind/current. We had used this method before with great success. After rigging all the fenders and lines for a starboard side landing, we arrived to find a 36-foot boat trailing a 12-foot dinghy taking up enough of the tee-head to make our landing problematic. I informed the marina of the issue, and the dock master, who to this point had not sent any dockhands to help because we had agreed it would not be necessary, said we could use a side tie on the downwind and down current side of a long pier, across from a larger vessel moored on the upwind/current side. So we pulled out in the stream and re-rigged lines and fenders for a port side landing. The new mooring featured a long floating pier with a vacant “half” slip defined by a finger pier jutting into the area, meaning our bow would probably stick some small distance into the half-slip once we were securely moored. There was a pirate-theme tour ship moored on a parallel, downwind/current pier leaving a gap of maybe 70 feet for our use. I knew about halfway into my first approach that I was too far downwind/current and drifting toward the pirate ship to make it work and hurriedly went into reverse and repositioned for a second attempt. If you ram a parked pirate ship, do they swarm aboard yelling “Arrgh?” Anyway, back in the real world, my second attempt had the bow well in toward the waiting dockhands, with us sheltered from the wind by the vessel across the pier, and away from the pirate ship. However, neither the current nor the stern were playing along with this scenario with the stern quickly settling on a course toward the pirates giving us such a great angle with the pier that use of a spring line, had we been able to get it into the hands of the helpers on the pier, would have been impossible. Backing clear this time was a non-starter because that was going to scrape our 55 tons of steel down the side of the pirate ship (did I see cutlasses waving in the air over there?). I was beginning to see us wedged in this “slip” but thought there was enough room to pivot around if I could avoid the end of the half-slip’s finger pier now nearing our starboard beam. With Mary on the headset aft (I have zero astern visibility from the pilothouse due to the wide boat deck) advising me whether or not we were going swing into anything, I clutched the engine to neutral and gunned the throttle while holding the hydraulic bow thruster control in order to push the bow to port (the engine has a power take off to the hydraulic pump). The current, pushing us away from the pier, kept the big clipper bow swinging over the heads of the dockhands and prevented the bow contacting the pier as I frantically used the thruster to prevent us from hitting the finger pier to starboard. Whenever I needed to use the engine to move us ahead or astern, I had to remember to throttle the engine back to idle before moving the clutch lever because nothing but very bad things would have happened had I forgotten. However, I never let go of that thruster knob until we had pivoted about 135 degrees and I began to see light at the end of the tunnel – I am sure the pirates were sad to see our escape. I informed the marina we were done with that little exercise and convinced them to get that damned dinghy moved before sidling into the tee-head and getting secured without our big airbag fenders ever touching the pier like I actually knew what I was doing. Where’s my rum and coke?! With the wild weather in the forecast, we may be here longer than the two days we had planned.

Glad you arrived safe and sound!

Ted

If you need anything, don't hesitate to reach out. I'm social distancing here, in extreme boredom.

Ted

Thanks for the offer, Ted. After three weeks aboard, my wife said she would never let me buy this boat. But I must say mechanically it is sound as the dollar (is that even so anymore?), and I have enjoyed NOT having to sweat over some busted piece of gear in a hot engine room. Daily post run check is about ten minutes long and good to go again the next day, day after day after day. I have changed a couple Racor elements after a good sloshing at sea.