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Update #1 from Griffin on the ICW
Saturday, 1500 hours, Middle of Albermarle Sound, onboard M/V Griffin.
Isn't technology grand! Andrew and I are both sitting in front of our laptop computers banging away at the internet through cellular modems while Dad drives the boat at 17.6 knots. As we can't see the nearest shoreline due to the fact we are 6 or 7 miles from the nearest land, he is using the Magellan GPS moving map to steer-by.
We spent the first day running down the Chesapeake. Andrew and I decided to act manly and not take Dramamine prior to underway. We made it down the serene Severn River but within 15 minutes of hitting the bay we were scrambling through the 5 boxes of yet to be unpacked groceries looking for the stuff. Made it with several minutes to spare and both started feeling fine within an hour or so. The old salt never even knew what we were up to.
Seas in the northern bay were 2 to 3 feet. Not technically "Bad" but enough to have the dingy jumping up and down and stressing the H out of the davit. It finally broke something so we decided to pull into Solomon's Island and drop off the dingy and pick up some fuel. Underway again, southbound by Noon.
About 1:30 the starboard engine overheated. Brought her down to idle and spent 37 minutes troubleshooting. Added a gallon of water and anti-freeze to the engine, and took about a pint of water and junk out of the fuel filters, and got underway again. Engine ran fine after that so we are supposing the engine sucked a plastic bag over the cooling water intake, or possibly the waves caused cavitation, and that’s what caused the overheat. No symptoms since so we are optimistic!
Due to the two delays, getting in to Norfolk before dark was out of reach so we decided to stop for the night in Hampton at the same marina the boat stayed at last winter. I know the entrance at night having done it last year so we made our way in at 6:15 and tied up.
Unfortunately, the fresh water was secured for the winter at our slip so we couldn't wash the salt off the boat right away as I had hoped. We decided to go have dinner at the restaurant and save Wendy's turkey platters for another meal.
Refueled and washed down the boat in the morning and got underway by
8. We entered the Intracoastal Waterway at Norfolk and have been plowing
along as fast as we can ever since. There have been about 7 drawbridges
that we have gone through, and one lock. Many of the bridges have restricted
opening hours and we have had 10-15 minute waits.
The hunting season is in full swing here in the Carolinas. We have passed numerous camouflaged boats filled with hunters dressed like trees. We would all like florescent orange caps and Dad things we should paint big letters on the side of the boat that say "COW!", or "Not a Duck!".
Haven't seen many more southbound ICW travelers yet.
We had two choices for a destination tonight. Coinjock or the Alligator River. In the guidebooks Coinjock looks like a booming metropolis with two marinas, restaurants, US Coast Guard Station, etc. Alligator River is much smaller. Well we got to Coinjock early enough to press on to Alligator River where we are due to arrive in 30 minutes. Coinjock turned out to be a minute little North Carolina hamlet with about 20 houses. If Alligator River is half the size we are in for an interesting night! Dad is looking forward to it because he likes the name, and the guidebook says the marina restaurant specializes in food that goes with Scuppernong Wine!
We will report in tomorrow with a further update of the adventures on the ICW!
Jon, Russell, and Andrew.