Rhode Island to Florida in 460 DA

Excellent! Thanks for the update on the journey! Be safe! :smt038
 

I am in Fort Pierce, FL. The weather is poor today.20-25mph winds with higher gusts and 6-9 foot seas. That gives me a little timeto catch up with this thread and do some chores on the boat.
My last post was from Myrtle Beach, SC. I left Myrtle Beach on and once again,took the outside route. I went out a small inlet just north of the Myrtle BeachYacht Club and had good seas all the way to Charleston, SC. Charleston is acool place, lots of restaurants and bars, tourists, etc. I had a good meal anda few beers at a local brew pub and headed back to the boat.
On Monday morning, I left Charleston and headed out on the Atlantic again andarrived in Savannah, GA. I have been here once before and liked it. I had aburger and a couple of beers at a local brew pub (see a pattern here?) then metup with some friends to watch the Patriots play the Jets. Good friends, goodbeer, good game. Good night!
I considered staying another night and finally left Savannah at noon. I made itdown the 15 mile Savannah River to the ocean in about 45 minutes, turned southand pushed on to Amelia Island, FL. I intended to put in further north, but Iwas having a good run and thought I had the sunlight and fuel to make it toAmelia Island. This is the first real mistake I made on the trip. I miscalculatedmy fuel. I hold 400 gallons of fuel. I did not fill up in Savannah. By the timeI made to Amelia, one tank read ONE gallon and the other 2.5 gallons. The fueldock closed at 5pm. It was 4:40pm and I had a few miles to go, against thetide, into the inlet. I wanted to run slow to conserve fuel but I had to makeit to the dock by 5. To make a long story short, I got there at 5, filled upand drank a rum and coke. It was a very nerve wracking couple of hours as I sawmy fuel dropping, night coming and no alternatives. The rum and coke tastedGREAT! I stayed for two nights. I had dinner each night at O'Kanes Irish bar.The Harp beer, steaks and burgers were very good.
I left Amelia, headed back to open water and headed for Daytona. I pulled in tothe Ponce de Leon inlet and stayed at the Lighthouse Boatyard. It is 14 milesfrom downtown Daytona but the inlet was nasty, the sun was directly in my eyesand the ICW guide had a page and a half warning about entering this inlet. Iwas nervous. Another rum and coke. I stayed for the night and woke up to asmall craft advisory.
Yesterday, it was raining with thunderstorms andlightning in the morning. It was supposed to pick up all day. I consideredgoing down the ICW, but I thought I would go out the inlet and see how the seaconditions were. It was pretty flat and the sun was making an appearance. Idecided to go the 50-60 miles to Cape Canaveral and pull in there. When I waseast of the Canaveral entrance, I calculated time and fuel (properly this time)and decided I could keep going to Fort Pierce. I seemed to keep the squalllines to my north the whole time and pulled in 10 minutes before sunset.
Here I sit today with lots of wind and a poor forecast. Brewpub?
 
A few facts:
I have put 2013 gallons of fuel in since I left RI. THe total fuel bill so far is $7,370. The average price per gallon was $3.66. The cheapest fuel was at Vinings Landing Marine Center in Little Creek, VA @ $2.16 per gallon. I checked the receipt again to be sure. $2.16 per gallon!
I have only spent two days in the actual ICW. I have been running at sea at around 21 knots most of the time. I only got beat up on one day, but it was a long day!
 
Manhattan.jpgStatue of Liberty.jpg
 
Great stuff...oh so jealous...keep us living vicariously through your posts....
 
Thanks for the updates!
 
Sailor, looks like you have no issue keeping yourself "entertained" with trvelling on fumes :grin:.....Oh man, that was interesting story, but no need to do it again...:grin:.

What was the mileage you traveled when you burned 2013gal?

Keep the posts and pics coming. Be safe.
 
Sailor, nice write up and we'd sure like to see more pics. So, after making this trip single handling the boat, would you do it again solo, or would you line up a crew member to join you?
 
Sailorjerry,

Which way did you go around Hatteras?
The "Dismal Swamp Canal" or the "Albemarle and Chesapeake Canal".
I have a South bound friend in Norfolk, trying to decide which way is better...
Thanks,
Mark.
 
[video=youtube;XcnsywME2Fs]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XcnsywME2Fs[/video]

Nearing Oriental, NC on Pamlico Sound.
 
[video=youtube;G26p0zPBl-A]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G26p0zPBl-A[/video]

On the ICW, south of Norfok, VA.
 
I did the Albemarle and Chesapeake route. It sounded like the Dismal Swamp would be cool to do if you wanted to take your time and had some company. I was running from cold weather and I wanted to get to Ft. Lauderdale on a schedule. I am going to the Admiral's parents house for Thanksgiving. Also, I am solo on the trip and I think I would have been dismal in the Dismal!

Air O'Nautical said:
Sailorjerry,

Which way did you go around Hatteras?
The "Dismal Swamp Canal" or the "Albemarle and Chesapeake Canal".
I have a South bound friend in Norfolk, trying to decide which way is better...
Thanks,
Mark.
Click to expand...
 
I am happy that I did it solo because it is something I wanted to do. I learned a lot, gained some experience and confidence by being on my own. I would love to have had my fiance aboard because....of a lot of things....
Gofirstclass said:
Sailor, nice write up and we'd sure like to see more pics. So, after making this trip single handling the boat, would you do it again solo, or would you line up a crew member to join you?
Click to expand...
 
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