The weather delay in New Jersey set up a nice offshore sail and some very pleasant inshore travels.
Below is a quick update of recent events. The map below is derived from Andante’s SPOT tracking page. You can see a real-time version of this map at anytime by clicking the “tracking” link on this page.
October 18-23: Stuck in Atlantic Highlands NJ for several days waiting for the big northeaster (eventually subtropical storm Josephine) to blow itself out. Took a side trip (via fast ferry) into Manhattan and spent a night in Brooklyn with my daughter. Good times.
October 23-25: Rolly offshore sail down the coast in fairly light NE breezes but substantial NE swell from the offshore storm. The seas weren’t huge (models: 6-9 ft; buoys: 5-7; eyeballs: 4-6) but the wave direction coupled with light winds made for sloppy sailing and really challenging cooking. Otherwise all went well and I was even able to get a reasonable amount of sleep both nights.
While still several miles offshore and about 8 hours before reaching our anchorage, Andante’s autopilot ram made some terrible screeching and grinding sounds and then quit working. The 80’s-vintage Autohelm rams used plastic gears which are known to wear out eventually. Apparently after 38 years of gradual wear, 48 hours of very intense steering in large quartering seas was the final straw for this unit. Fortunately this failure occurred near the end of the passage and I was able to hand-steer the rest of the way to shore and through Hampton Roads to an anchorage in Portsmouth, VA.
I will install a replacement ram when we get to the yard in NC and then repair the old one (using aftermarket metal gears) to keep aboard as a hot spare.
October 26: Left Portsmouth, VA at Mile 0 of the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway (ICW). Though it requires passing through numerous bridges and locks and canals, the ICW is a dependable and safer route around Cape Hatteras for boats whose draft and air draft are compatible. Andante requires 6.5 ft of water beneath her and 62.5 feet of air above. The ICW standards are typically 12 ft depth and all bridges (except two!) either provide 65 ft of clearance or open in some manner (lifting, swinging, etc.).
The first part of the trip is very industrial, passing through massive naval shipyards and container terminals and coal loading piers. But this very quickly gives way to nature as the ICW winds through some very beautiful marshlands and quiet rivers. The first night we stopped just short of Albemarle Sound on the upper reaches of North River, around ICW mile marker 56.
NOTE: Miles on the ICW are measured in statute (vs. nautical) miles. This seems weird until you understand that the US Army Corps of Engineers is responsible for building and maintaining the ICW.
October 27: Today we crossed Albemarle Sound, sailed the length of the Alligator River, and navigated the 20-some mile Alligator River – Pungo River Canal to a small cove a few miles northeast of Belhaven, NC. ICW mile marker 127.5
The autopilot is a big help when single-handed and its loss is definitely being felt. Yesterday it was necessary to stand at the wheel for all 11 hours of the trip. Today I rigged up some “reins” that allowed me to steer while sitting comfortably on the cooler we keep behind the cockpit. Still not as good as having a working AP but definitely a big improvement!
Next: Hoping to reach the boatyard in Beaufort, NC (mile 200) in a few days.
