Bring a yacht North.

[Air O'Nautical]

Didn't go far today....but, docked in Belhaven NC.

Dinner onboard is best and I'll ensure to be up for the shove off in the morning.

 

[Turtlesboat]

Hey, that's my life ambition too.

 

[Turtlesboat]

Spoon river in Belhaven is some great food.

 

[Air O'Nautical]

Today, was very boring compared to the ocean. I actuality washed the top sides today underway for something to do.....The build in pressure washer is a nice touch.

Tomorrow will be at least Norfolk or beyond.
Haven't shut the genny down, fueled or added water yet.....love this boat!

 

[Gofirstclass]

Mark, this has been a great thread to watch. I've enjoyed your narrative and the photos. Last summer I got the chance to take a 58' boat from Seattle to Stockton, CA. The sea state we encountered three days in a row was like the pics you showed in post #129. The boat did well. Me, I gave back breakfast one morning but then did well from then on.

That is one beautiful boat you're on. It would be a pleasure to make a trip like you're doing on a boat like that. Keep those pics and narrative coming!

 

[BritLady]

Love the pics and the boat. What an incredible opportunity you are all having. Stay safe and have a great time!

 

[Larry]

Mark, it will be boring up till you hit the lock and the bridges just before Norfalk....

 

[Air O'Nautical]

Underway at sun up......

Chugging along we passed that sail boat, sport fisher passed us....

Boat is very hard to steer in the shallow water, weaves back and forth looking for deeper water.....and wind blowing to 32kts....again. The Auto pilot is working hard to keep us going straight. Slowing down to give a gentle pass for boats going the other way is almost funny.
Slowing from 9kts just seems wrong!

 

[Air O'Nautical]

More thinking about the adjustable prop on this boat.

I'm wrong when I said its limited by engine temp.
Engine temp is rock steady at all settings..but, It does have enough prop angle adjustment underway to load the engine enough to stall it! I haven't but its possible.
This go's against everything I thought I knew about proper loading an engine with the correct prop. None of this seems to really matter to this craft because, it gets up to hull speed +\- a knot or two no matter what you do.....

Regardless, I'll continue to let the capt. set the power and in the skinniest water I'm good if someone else is at the wheel.
I almost had a heart attack when the depth sounder went to 1.5 !!
Before being informed its set to account for the draft plus a foot buffer....

The fun cont.....

 

[Air O'Nautical]

This makes sense about the prop.......

Long Range Cruisers (LRC's) will necessarily carry quite a sizable fuel load, typically some 12% to 15% of the vessel's displacement. With such a highly variable load on a long range trawler yacht or other long distance power vessel, if fitted with a CPP, the pitch can be increased when the vessel is light, and decreased when loaded without having to vary the engine rpm, and will provide maximum use of the engine's power.


When running free with wind and waves 'pushing' you along, the pitch can be made greater in order to properly load the engine. Conversely when headed into the weather, the pitch can be made more fine. Much like shifting into overdrive or second gear, depending on the requirement.


While it is true that a Fixed Pitch Propeller (FPP) can be more efficient than a Controllable Pitch Propeller, it is rarely given that opportunity... The FPP can only be maximally efficient at one rpm with one horsepower input amount and one load condition: i.e. those for which it was specifically designed. At that one rpm and load, the FPP is designed to absorb all the power that the engine can produce. At any other rpm, or any other vessel loading, the FPP cannot operate efficiently, being either over pitched or under pitched.


A correctly sized Controllable Pitch Propeller on the other hand is able to be efficient over a wide rpm range, and over a wide range of vessel loading. This is so because the propeller's pitch can be adjusted as needed in order to absorb all the power that the engine is capable of producing at nearly any rpm.


Even aboard a planing power vessel, one can use a CPP to provide fine pitch and higher rpm to get going, and increased pitch with reduced engine rpm once up to speed. If the vessel has two engines, and speed is to be low, one engine can be dropped out, and its propeller feathered to reduce the drag of the stopped propeller.


The Controllable Pitch arrangement will allow the engine rpm to be varied as needed for the most favorable reduction in engine vibration and noise, as well as to eliminate cavitation.


Finally, there will be no anxiety as with a Fixed Pitch Propeller over whether or not the correct pitch has been calculated for the vessel. As many boaters have discovered, predicting ideal propeller pitch is far from an exact science...! With the wrong fixed pitch propeller, efficiency will be very poor indeed.


With a Controllable Pitch Propeller, you can make pitch adjustments under-way to suit a wide variety of conditions. It is not a difficult matter to choose the appropriate pitch with a CP. One will quickly learn what works best, even without fancy instruments. Once you have sailed with CP, you will be very reluctant to go back to FP -- by comparison FP will suddenly seem rather primitive.

 

[Air O'Nautical]

Is this it?
PARK ISLE PASSAGEMAKER

I had a 3.5hp outboard that didn't have reverse.

I just looked at that pics link......that is the exact boat, same linens and everything.
I believe it's a unicorn...as in a one of.

 

[Turtlesboat]

better hurry, looks like Rusty is catching up to you.

 

[Air O'Nautical]

Docked again due to running low on some most important provisions...

Neat little stop over....we made it a pit stop, not even shutting down the main.

 

[Turtlesboat]

WHAT!!! you have to have a steak while you're there. it's really good.

 

[Air O'Nautical]

Just some boats along the way..

Notice how the sail boats don't have any sail up.....(powerboat wannabes)
That other one looks like its could use a little love.

At a blistering speed of 9 whole knots were bound for Tide Water Marine in Norfolk just before night fall.

 

[Air O'Nautical]

WHAT!!! you have to have a steak while you're there. it's really good.

Funny, we got 6 steaks to go from there!

Lightly seasoned and waiting until I fire up the grill in Norfolk....

 

[Kreole Kid]

In the offshore oil industry those are called "jack up" rigs. Where's Kreole kid when we need him to fill us in!!!

LOL I worked on a couple of those puppies back in the 90's. DON'T MISS THAT!!!

 

[dc380]

"At a blistering speed of 9 whole knots were bound for Tide Water Marine in Norfolk just before night fall."

Mark

If you were retired with nowhere you had to be in a hurry, would 9 knots work?
I'm thinking a full displacement trawler and following the warm weather is what I want to do.
But I have zero experience on one.

Dave

 

[Alex F]

Funny, we got 6 steaks to go from there!

Lightly seasoned and waiting until I fire up the grill in Norfolk....

Those guys are great. VERY accommodating staff. The steaks are actually very good as well.

Did you take Alligator/Pungo Canal or did you go through the sounds?

 

[Air O'Nautical]

"At a blistering speed of 9 whole knots were bound for Tide Water Marine in Norfolk just before night fall."

Mark

If you were retired with nowhere you had to be in a hurry, would 9 knots work?
I'm thinking a full displacement trawler and following the warm weather is what I want to do.
But I have zero experience on one.

Dave

God yes....
Retired with money to go up and down the coast following the sun sound like heaven to me.