I'm in a ditch and barely have internet. But Admiral Amy does have the internet. So I stole her blog post today about spending the summer on the boat
About my summer adventure… I’m spending the month of June and July living on a sailboat with the Captain. (For those of you who are properly horrified to hear me refer to my boyfriend as the Captain, it’s important to note that he refers to me as the Admiral.)
The Captain (also known as Captain Gladiator or Captain Crankypants, depending on his mood and mine) has been living on the boat since October and chronicling his adventures here. I’ve spent a little bit of time on the boat with him (two weeks in January and one week in March), and I’m pretty excited to move on to the boat with him for a couple of months. In part because I haven’t seen very much of him recently, and I’m looking forward to some quality time. But more and more, I’m getting excited about the boat trip itself, learning how to sail and having a mostly carefree time.
I’ll have some materials I need to prep my fall classes, and I have some research work that I’ll do on board. Outside of that, our only agenda is to sail north to meet friends for the Best Vacation Ever in Martha’s Vineyard at the end of June, and then we’ll probably stop a couple other places up there before a nice sail back.
I expect I’ll have (and will write about) a lot of challenges, too. (Strangely enough, the one thing I’ll rarely have to go without on the boat is internet. If only we could get pipeless hot water as easily as one can get wireless internet.)
In a move I can only interpret as preparation for the summer, my TV died yesterday. And there’s no way I’m replacing it now, just before I put all my things in storage for the summer. I really need to get the carcass out of my living room, as my eyes keep wandering over to it, hoping for some sort of resurrection.
Tuesday, April 29, 2008
Steal this Blog
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18 comments:
A sneaky tactic, but at least you confessed.
I've now got two great blogs to follow!
When you said steal, I thought you meant ideas, not the whole post!
Glad you're joining me on the other blog, Ross!
Hey Ross, I'm at the base of the Alligator River. It should be called Mosquito River. On the trip south in November and again now, there are plenty of insects.
I weighed anchor at dawn this morning, and went out into the river. The wind was from the north, straight down the river. It's just enough so that the boat hobby-horses and there is occasional bridge slap. I turned back and re-anchored.
I'll keep monitoring the wind today. I'd like to do a little mileage. After the Alligator River, I have to cross Albemarle Sound. If I do both tomorrow, it would be a long day. Although, the wind is predicted southerly tomorrow, so I could probably sail the whole thing.
Sorry Amy. If you post about sailing or the boat, I'm going to steal it wholesale.
Mi blog es su blog, hon.
Scott,
I am just curious. Why are you sailing so far inland in NC rather than more in the Pamilico
Sound between the mainland and islands like Hatteras and so on? I thought the sailing would be good going up toward Middletown, Englehard, Stumpy Point, etc since you would have land on both sides yet still more out into the ocean. I am sure there is a good reason and was just wondering what it is?
I can certainly understand why you wouldn't want to motor all day into the wind & seas; besides the unpleasantness I bet you're slowed to a crawl.
The Maine Cat 30 that I recently chartered was powered by two 8 hp four-stroke outboard engines. In calm conditions she'd make about 5.5 ~ 6 knots. Fuel consumption was very low and both engines were easily raised (electrically) when sailing to eliminate prop drag. However on my last day it was necessary to power directly into 18 ~ 24 kt winds for about 17 miles and we slowed to a 3 ~ 3.5 kt average. Also, whenever passing though legs that were more exposed there'd be 2 ~ 3 foot seas and the engines would do a sort of semi-cavitation thing. Apparently the props are high enough so that they'd momentarily leave the water and the engine rpm would race. It wasn't a full blown cavitation in which the engines would go so fast that they'd be screaming, but it didn't sound so great either.
I found that this was very different from any of my mono hull and large cat experiences. Typically they'd power into these conditions with only about a 15 ~ 20% drop in speed. I guess that this is one of the compromises one has to accept when you're showing a lot of windage and yet carry only 2 feet of draft with a very light displacement hull.
It's good that your schedule will allow you to hole-up as necessary to avoid the really bad days.
Good question Rose. When I first came out on the Neuse River, I had a beautiful day sail. Some people call the town of Oriental and the Pamlico Sound, the Annapolis and Chesapeake Bay of North Carolina.
The day was going so well that I decided to do an overnighter and go up Pamlico Sound. But towards evening the wind and waves built up.
A lot of ocean sailors will say that some of the worst seas they've encountered have been in shallow inland waters. I still have a post percolating in my mind about the physics of waves, and why the waves in these areas are nastier than ocean waves.
But anyway, that was the point where I felt I had to make a decision about going up the Sound or sticking to the ICW. If the boat was in better shape (there are still lots of maintenance issues), and I had more time (I'm on a schedule and can't wait days for the right weather), I would have gone up the Sound.
If I do the trip again, I'd like do more of it coastal sailing. And maybe when Amy and I are in Virginia we could park the boat down here for a season and explore.
Hey Ross, that's exactly what I was starting to experience this morning. It wasn't that bad, but speed was degraded, lots of hobby-horsing, some bridge slap, and prop cavitation.
The boat just isn't much fun to take straight into the wind. That's the compromise of a lightweight catamaran. There have been lots of monohulls passing me this morning while I'm at anchor. I'm sure they are having no problem traversing the Alligator River.
I'm still crossing my fingers that the wind will slack off this afternoon. It does feel a little weaker now.
Oh, and there was some drama on the ICW yesterday. A 50 foot Sea Ray lost power and started taking on water. It was interesting listening to the conversations on the vhf with the Coast Guard, SeaTow and other boats.
The Sea Ray must have collided with something on the Pungo canal. I bet the captain was regretting HIS decision to stick to the ICW and not go up Pamlico Sound.
After a couple hours on the canal, I finally passed him where he had been towed to the mouth of the canal. I anchored nearby for the night and watched all the activity. When I awoke this morning he was gone. That's going to be an expensive tow. This is one of the most deserted areas of the ICW. The closest boat yard is 40 miles away.
Scott,
Thank you for the explanation. That makes alot of sense. It is too bad since I think it be neat to sail close to inside of the island parts of NC like Hatteras National Seashore, Kill Devil Hills, Kitty Hawk, Duck on so on. Pamilco Sound all the way up to Knotts Island or Back Bay. So, I gather there is alot of shallow ground between NC mainland and its islands?
Another question that is probably dumb is that I guess the wind affect you greatly even when you motor without the sails up?
Hi Scott.. I check in on your blog from time to time, and it's good to see that (for the most part) you are having fun. I really like your Web Cam and mapping feature.. Not sure if you are up for any software mods, but it would be nice to have a date/time stamp on your provided coordinate (like you do with the web cam).
Kyle and I, with our Gemini, are up in Rhode Island at the moment (certainly beat the crowds) so we will miss you when you swing by Norfolk soon.
It's great to follow your adventures - thanks for sharing
Rose, going into the wind, the hulls and bridge deck act like a sail or parachute and push the boat backwards.
Maryanne, sorry I won't see you guys in Norfolk. I want to see Peter's progress on building his tugboat . Unless you guys are heading farther north, we should cross paths sometime this summer.
My laptop has been slowly dying over the last couple weeks. A band of pixels along the bottom of the screen first died, and now the entire bottom half of my computer screen is fried. This may be the end of my laptop.
I'm at the Dismal Swamp Visitor Center. I may soon be without the interwebs for the last leg of the trip to Baltimore.
Hi Scott,
I found some interesting info on Dismal Swamp.
The Dismal Swamp Canal is living history. Connecting the Chesapeake Bay in Virginia via the Elizabeth River and the Albemarle Sound in North Carolina via the Pasquotank River , this is the oldest continually operating man-made canal in the United States. Its inclusion into the National Register of Historic Places and its designation as a National Civil Engineering Landmark are honors worthy of its colorful past. What keeps it alive and colorful today are the myriads of pleasure boaters who transit this unique waterway every year on the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway, which provides a protected inland channel between Norfolk, VA, and Miami, FL.
Over 200 years ago, transportation was the lifeblood of the North Carolina sounds region and the tidewater areas of Virginia. The landlocked sounds were entirely dependent upon poor overland tracts or shipment along the treacherous Carolina coast to reach further markets through Norfolk.
Both George Washington and Governor Patrick Henry of Virginia felt that canals were the easiest answer for an efficient means of internal transportation. In 1784, the Dismal Swamp Canal Company was created. Digging began in 1793 and progressed slowly since the canal had to be dug completely by hand. Most of the labor was done by slaves hired from nearby land owners. It took approximately 12 years of back-breaking construction under highly unfavorable conditions to complete the 22-mile long waterway. By 1805 flat-bottomed vessels could be admitted into the canal, where tolls were charged to allay the continual expense of improvements and maintenance.
By 1820 the Canal was recognized as an important part of commercial traffic between Virginia and North Carolina. In 1829, improvements to the waterway made it possible to accommodate deeper drafts. The 1860's and the onset of the Civil War put the canal in an important strategic position for Union and Confederate forces. Wartime activity, however, left the canal in a terrible state of repair. The repairs and maintenance needed by the canal made travel difficult.
A new era for the canal came in 1892 when the Lake Drummond Canal and Water Company launched rehabilitation efforts in 1896. Once again, a steady stream of vessels carrying lumber, shingles, farm products, and passengers made the canal a bustling interstate thoroughfare.
With the 20th century, however, improvements in modes of transportation meant another downturn for the canal. By the 1920's, commercial traffic had subsided except for passenger vessels. In 1929 it was sold to the federal government for $500,000 and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers operates and maintains it.
Today, visitors and navigators travel where famous explorers and Presidents have stood and literary greats have been inspired for over 200 years. For example, astride the two states' border is the site where the infamous "Halfway House" hotel was built in the late 1820s. The hotel was a popular spot for marriages, duels and those escaping the law. Since the hotel was on the state line, these last simply walked to the other side of the hotel to avoid being captured in either state. It is also said that Edgar Ellen Poe wrote "The Raven" during one of his stays at the hotel. Boats today follow the course of James Adams' Floating Theatre, where Edna Ferber got the idea to write the novel "Showboat," upon which the famous musical is based.
The Dismal Swamp Canal Welcome Center is the only Welcome Center in the continental U. S. greeting visitors by both a major highway and an historic waterway. Located in Camden County on scenic U. S. Highway 17, the original Ocean Hiway, just three miles south of the VA/NC border, the Center sits on the banks of the Dismal Swamp Canal, part of the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway. The Canal is listed in the National Register of Historic Places and has been designated a National Civil Engineering Landmark, honors worthy of its colorful past.
Due to its unique location, the Dismal Swamp Canal Welcome Center has become the "Gateway to Northeastern North Carolina --the Historic Albemarle Region," including the "South's prettiest town," Edenton, and Elizabeth City --one of the "Top 100 Small Towns in the US."
It is located little over an hour away from Colonial Williamsburg, VA, and North Carolina's beautiful Outer Banks, approximately four hours from Washington, DC, two hours from Richmond, VA, and less than an hour from Virginia Beach. Travelers on Highway 17 in North Carolina enjoy lovely historic towns, such as New Bern and Wilmington. Myrtle Beach, SC, is six hours south of the Center.
In the midst of the metropolitan area known as Hampton Roads, Virginia, and extending well into North Carolina, there is a unique primeval forest inhabited by a variety of mammals, 21 species of reptiles, 58 species of turtles, lizards, salamanders, frogs & toads, and over 200 species of birds, as well as history, mystery and lore... the Great Dismal Swamp.
The Great Dismal Swamp is a geological wonder. For millions of years before the Swamp was formed, it was under the sea. It is viewed by naturalists and other scientists as one of the best outdoor laboratories in the world! This natural treasure emerged as a landform when the Continental Shelf made its last significant shift.
Just who discovered the Great Dismal and when is unknown. Colonel William Byrd II was a member of the commission that surveyed the North Carolina/Virginia state line through the Swamp in 1728 and provided the first extensive description of it. In May 1763, George Washington made his first visit to the Swamp and suggested draining it and digging a north-south canal through it to connect the waters of Chesapeake Bay in Virginia and Albemarle Sound in North Carolina. Joining with several other prominent Virginians and North Carolinians, he formed two syndicates known as the Dismal Swamp Land Company and the Adventurers for Draining the Great Dismal Swamp. This group hoped to drain the Swamp, harvest the trees, and use the land for farming.
The company purchased 40,000 acres of Swamp land for $20,000 in 1763. Washington directed the surveying and digging of the 5-mile long ditch from the western edge of the Swamp to Lake Drummond, known today as Washington Ditch. In the late 1700's, Riddick Ditch was completed. Together these ditches provided a way to transport logs out of the Swamp and drain it as well. The Adventurers soon realized, however, that the task of draining the Swamp was enormous and gave up that part of their plan to concentrate on lumbering. They cut much of the cypress trees for use in shipbuilding and the cedars for shingles and other products.
By 1796, Washington had become disappointed in the management of the Dismal Swamp lumber business and contracted to sell his 1/12th share to "Lighthorse" Harry Lee, father of Robert E. Lee, who never was able to come up with the purchase price. So Washington's share passed on to his heirs upon his death in 1799.
Camp Mfg. Company, a predecessor of Union Camp, acquired all the Dismal Swamp Land Company's property in 1909. Lumbering continued in the Swamp and by the 1950's the last 20,000 acres of virgin timber were removed. In 1973, Union Camp donated its Virginia swamp holdings to the Nature Conservancy which, in turn, deeded it to the Department of the Interior for creation of the Great Dismal Swamp National Wildlife Refuge. The Refuge consists of 107,000 acres of forested wetlands surrounding Lake Drummond, a 3,100 acre natural lake located in the heart of the swamp. William Drummond, the first Governor of North Carolina (1663-1667), discovered the oval lake which still bears his name.
Even though the average depth of the lake is only six feet, its unusually pure water is essential to the swamp's survival. The amber-colored water is preserved by tannic acids from the bark of the juniper, gum and cypress trees, prohibiting growth of bacteria. Before the days of refrigeration, water from the Swamp was a highly prized commodity on sailing ships. It was put in kegs and would stay fresh a long time. People spoke of the magical qualities of the Swamp's tea-colored water and how, if it were regularly drunk, it prevented illness and promoted long life.
Scott,
Since the Swamp's tea-colored water if regularly drunk, might prevent illness and promoted long life, maybe you could bring me back some?
Rose, some of the water was chocolate colored, but I doubt it was very sweet. Other water along the ICW has been tea colored, and I attribute that to the cyprus trees in those areas.
I've updated my position and have the webcam going. Wish I had it going for the days trip in the Dismal Swamp and into Portsmouth/Norfolk. It was pretty interesting. I did take some pictures and I'll post them soon.
I'm still working on my computer problems and some boat maintenance. I'm really looking forward to reaching Baltimore. There are all sorts of things in my basement which will fix things aboard and make life more pleasant.
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