Reinicializar a pesquisa
Americas Great Loop
  • 45North
  • 45North

Americas Great Loop

The Great Loop from Florida follows the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway, the Chesapeake and Delaware Bays, the Hudson River, the New York Canals, the Great Lakes, then south on the Inland Rivers to the Gulf Coast and back to FL to complete the Loop. Leia mais
SeguirResumoResumoCalendárioCalendárioFotosFotosCompartilharCompartilharLista de metas
Os mais novos primeiro
  • Inicio da viagem
    30 de março de 2025
    45NorthAmericas Great LoopViajante

    Our Great Loop Adventure

    20 de março, Austrália ⋅ 🌬 25 °C

    Counting down to departure for the US on 30 March and working through my voluminous pre-departure checklist of logistics. My intention is to (learn to) provide something of a diary of our trip, hopefully with some video from time-to-time, and hopefully not just replicating tourist/travel items that are easily found on line. I'll try to keep it personal to us and interesting to anyone interested. Be looking for creative input from Lorraine.

    Departure from Florida north on the AICW is 14 April... a bad day for the RMS Titanic but a good one for us, I hope!    Leia mais

    Ver tradução
  • 45NorthAmericas Great LoopViajante
    2
    Country Music Hall of Fame, NashvillePoster from Cash's tour of Australia in 1971.School kids get a trip to the Country Music Hall of FameNashville's full-size replica of The ParthenonView of the Tennessee State Capitol building, one of the oldest working state capitols in the nationThe famed Station Inn... venue for live gigs including (often) The French Family Band.Old boiler at the Marathon Motor Works. Anyone remember Marathon cars?

    Nashville

    30 de mar.–4 de abr., Estados Unidos ⋅ ☁️ 11 °C

    Arrived from LAX (ex-MEL) and waited for brother Graeme and Lorraine to arrive from Houston (ex-AKL). Drove out to our hotel in Opryland.

    Have enjoyed exploring Music City even though the weather has been changeable, including trying to 'tornado' us overnight on Wed... lashing rain but quite mild. Onward to Miami tomorrow for 4 days.Leia mais

    Ver tradução
  • 45NorthAmericas Great LoopViajante
    Majestic Hotel 'back in the day'.Ocean DriveOcean DriveOcean DriveOcean DveSignature Bridge constructionSouth BeachSouth Beach at dusk

    Miami

    4–9 de abr., Estados Unidos ⋅ ☁️ 27 °C

    Miami is worth the effort. We're staying on the beachfront in South Beach and anyone who's familiar with art deco Napier in NZ will instantly see that this whole precinct is Napier on steroids. Whereas Napier's art deco rebuild originated from a deadly earthquake, Miami's originated from a deadly hurricane. Ocean Dve, where we stayed, was wall-to-wall art-deco hotels all built in that era. We visited the Art Deco Museum for fantastic images of the history of the district.

    We've enjoyed the Hop-on/Hop-off bus tour and a harbour cruise... and we've experienced the expansive beach and warm Atlantic Gulfstream waters. The H0p-On/Off bus is the usual excellent way to get an early sense of a city. We also rode the driverless MetroMover--for its whole route(s)--which provides another, this time elevated, view of part of downtown Miami. Not to be missed! I videoed the whole route (through the leading windscreen)... but only for those who might like that sort of thing. Although guided, it runs on rubber tyres. The harbour cruise takes you around the various man-made islands proximate to the Venetian and MacArthur Causeways, past numerous billionaire residences and the mind-boggling ocean cruise terminal.    Leia mais

    Ver tradução
  • 45NorthAmericas Great LoopViajante
    The Brightline train at West Palm Beach station, after an 80-min run from Miami.
    Exterior of West Palm Beach station, showing 'Brightbikes' on their chargers.'Brightbikes'... eBikes... I mean, some of these US cities just get things right!Driverless people-mover pauses at the station.Lunchtime at Jensen Beach, Stuart, FL. This one's for Maurice & Beverley.'Whitehall'; Henry Flagler's residence in West Palm Beach and now a museum.Some of Henry's dining room crockery. There were about 15 different sets.The 'Clewiston Comet' ready to depart Clewiston, FL.Inside the Observation Car, Bay Biscayne, originally ran on Flagler's Florida East Coast railroad.Boxed lunch provided on the 'Comet'...Capn Preston, doing his 'other job'...Wait... did they misspell 'Cain'? Ah... no...Safety briefing with Captain Preston aboard 45 NorthGraeme & Lorraine proving that although it's a tough life, they're up to the challenge...No, not kitchen waste. It's from our first provisioning shop at the local Publix supermarket.'Gator sunning itself in the Eagle Bay marshlands near Okeechobee. From our airboat.Evening shot of the moon over the Loblolly Marina, Hobe Sound, FL.Finally,,, departure from the marina into the Indian River, thence all points north.

    Hobe Sound

    9–13 de abr., Estados Unidos ⋅ ☀️ 27 °C

    Hobe (rhymes with 'robe') Sound is part of the AICW up the coast from Miami, and is a smidge north of West Palm Beach. This is where Captain Preston winters '45 North' and it's where we'll board the vessel on 10th and get ready for our departure north on 14 April. We take the 'Brightline' up to the West Palm Beach stop (an 80-min ride at up to 130 km/h between stations) where Preston meets us. He has some stuff to do so hands us his rental car for a couple of days. We drop him off and proceed to the Henry Flagler Museum ('Whitehall') to learn about the man who did the most to create Florida as a destination, by building a massive hotel at St Augustine and then by building a railroad mostly over the sea to Key West.Leia mais

    Ver tradução
  • 45NorthAmericas Great LoopViajante
    First Mate Graeme at the helm
    Must be a millionaire's residence45 North at rest at MelbourneThe white hose is filling our fresh water tankIn Melbourne Harbor MarinaWe noticed an 'old' Fleming 55 tied up. One size smaller than our vessel.TWA - True Wind Angle; AWA - Apparent Wind Angle; COG - Course Over Ground; HDG - compass headingTWS - True Wind Speed; AWS - Apparent Wind Speed; SOG - Speed Over Ground, STW - Speed Thru WaterTrip Log - Hobe Sound, FL to Melbourne, FL

    Day 1: Hobe Sound, FL, to Melbourne, FL

    14 de abril, Estados Unidos ⋅ ☀️ 27 °C

    8 hrs. This will be our first day on the 'Loop' (Florida-to-Michigan). I don't intend to write a long narrative for each day, but thought I'd register a few thoughts and observations on these first couple of days, as we settle into the daily routine and as various experiences begin to become routine. Also, I'll endeavour to include some trip-log detail from the Nebo software that Preston runs.

    We depart the private and anonymous Loblolly Bay Marina into Peck Lake on the Indian River. 'Loblolly' comes from the name of a genus of pine tree that is common to this southern climate, and I think there's a less complimentary local usage of the word, as well. But the marina is part of a private gated community (and the residents want to keep it that way, no admittance to riff-raff!). We sign in with the gate-guard, and thereafter display a certificate on our rental car dashboard to facilitate our regular coming-and-going.

    This is the beginning of the long navigation up the Indian River that Preston finds 'boring'... so Graeme and I will get to run the boat over lengthy portions while Preston attends to documentation and paper work below. He will be keeping one of his dolphin's weather eyes on whomever is steering though, to make sure we're 'in the channel' at all times.

    We run about 80 miles and eventually slide into the Melbourne Harbor Marina in the late afternoon. I've been to Melbourne, FL, three times over the past couple of decades, so we three go uptown (which is nearby) to see if I remember anything of the main drag. I don't, so we stop at Meg O'Malley's Restaurant & Irish Pub for dinner. We negotiate the double track of the Florida East Coast Railroad, which carries freight trains between Jacksonville and Miami, some of them doing 80 km/h through the centre of town (with MUCHO lusty blowing of the horn, it has to be said). Lorraine thinks the 5-chime locomotive airhorns sound as good as the whistle on US Sugar's ol' 148. I do not disagree.

    I'll add some images. Any videos you can speed up while playing.    Leia mais

    Ver tradução
  • 45NorthAmericas Great LoopViajante
    The AICW as we see it on a paper chart.
    The short 'Haulover Canal' takes us from the Indian R into the Nth Indian R, thence New Smyrna Beach'Outriggers Bar & Grill' at the New Smyrna Beach marina.We eat 'at home' tonight...

    Day 2: Melbourne to New Smyrna Beach, FL

    15 de abril, México ⋅ ☁️ 27 °C

    8 hrs. A superb day dawns in Melbourne, and we are back on the ICW by 0830. It's breezy today, and Graeme and I--still learning how to handle the wheel--have our work cut out to maintain steadiness along the channel. Added to our challenge is that the wind, quartering from the NW, moves across the water and seems to make the surface 'move'. In turn, this makes one think the boat is turning when it is not, and the instinctive reaction is to steer it back. The solution? Stay on the screens.

    We are accompanied at times by dolphins and, from time to time, get glimpses of the elusive manatee. We are now out of the 'boring' and broad parts of the Indian River and into a more confined waterway. Sometimes we even have to navigate the boat around corners.

    We arrive at the marina and are moored around 1630, in time to crack a stubbie and get some snacks onto the table in the cockpit. We crank up the grill (bbq) for some superior sausagian cuisine, but it's up on the flybridge and the wind blows the gas flame out, so Graeme repairs to the galley and breaks out the frying pan. Lorraine has made a nice coleslaw.    Leia mais

    Ver tradução
  • 45NorthAmericas Great LoopViajante
    Sunrise over New Smyrna Beach Marina
    Breakfast... Preston cooked muffins and eggs 'over easy'!The Bridge of Lions, built in the 1920s2Happy Birthday Lorraine! Gnocchi, salmon, crab, truffled fries, osso buco, and local beerSt George St, St AugustineSt George StCastile de San MarcoCastile de San Marco1This ships clinometer on 45 North has a story to tell. See the attached document.About William Graham ClaytorPDF

    Day 3: New Smyrna Beach to St Augustine

    16 de abril, México ⋅ ☀️ 28 °C

    8 hrs. Today we run up the ICW from New Smyrna Beach to historic St Augustine, the 'oldest city' in North America. We tie up at the St Augustine Municipal Marina beside the historic 1920s Bridge of Lions, and right on the edge of town.

    We find that we're too late for the tourist trolleys, so go for a walk up the nearby tourist-trap mall, St George St, then around to the 'Saint' Italian restaurant on the historic St Augustine bayfront, where we score an excellent table on the balcony, overlooking the Matanzas Bay and the bridge. Here we celebrate Lorraine's birthday in suitable style.

    Thus replete, we wander off into the dusk to examine the nearby Castilo de San Marcos, a VERY old fort that is now a national monument. Look it up, and you'll know as much about it as we do.

    We don't have any daylight left to find the original (and famous) Flagler hotels, both now civic amenities. Back to the boat...    Leia mais

    Ver tradução
  • 45NorthAmericas Great LoopViajante
    Departing St Augustine Municipal Marina with Bridge of Lions in the background
    1Departing St Augustine and waiting for the drawbridge (Bridge of Lions) to openUS warship warned us to 'stay clear'...45 North at 2400 rpm and 14 mphPrime ribeye courtesy of the skipperThe captain does the honours...

    Day 4: St Augustine to St Marys

    17 de abril, México ⋅ ⛅ 29 °C

    7 hr 18 min. Today we cross the state border into Georgia. We depart the slip early, to get ahead of a couple of sailboats (that take longer to manoeuvre) at the work-of-art, 1920s double-leaf, bascule drawbridge called the Bridge of Lions (look it up!). The two catamarans that are following us turn left up the ICW, but we forge directly ahead, out into the Atlantic Ocean.

    To save some time (Preston is thinking about building a small buffer so we can spend a few days at historic Charleston, SC), we go straight out to sea through the St Augustine Inlet and turn left to sail up the coast. It means we miss Jacksonville, FL, but we also miss some same-same tedious bits of the ICW.

    There is a light rolling swell on the starboard bow into which 45 North pitches gently with absolutely no rolling motion, thanks to the stabilisers. We cruise along the coast in genteel fashion, encountering a few sailboats, a large barge under tow, a warship doing a crew change at sea, and a big, slab-sided car carrier. A Sea-Hawk chopper from the warship gives us a low-altitude once-over and then proceeds to do some exercises away to our starboard side.

    We relax, and kick back. 45 North runs due north under auto-pilot and we just have to make sure our track ahead is clear. Adhering to his normal engine management process, Preston takes the opportunity to open the engines out for a 15 minute burst at 2400 rpm. Whereas we'd normally cruise up the ICW at 1430 rpm, 9 mph, and 7.5 gal/hr fuel consumption, we now surge ahead to 14 mph and 35 gal/hr consumption. But it's only for a brief quarter of an hour and our range is scarcely affected. When the throttle is subsequently retarded, it feels as if we're standing still!

    Eventually, we turn into the St Marys entrance and follow the channel in a serpentine route across Cumberland Sound and on to the bucolic village of St Marys, and its small marina, which is a favourite of Preston.

    We tie up, and an ever-helpful dockhand offers to take us on a golfcart tour of the viillage. From this, we suss out where to have an off-boat breakfast tomorrow and we locate the excellent submariners museum, with an hour-and-a-half to spare. St Marys as a town serves the nearby US Naval Submarine Base of Kings Bay.

    We dine on the boat... prime rib steaks on the bbq courtesy of Preston, and a coleslaw, sweet potato and spuds with peas courtesy of Lorraine, and cleanup courtesy of Ferg.    Leia mais

    Ver tradução
  • 45NorthAmericas Great LoopViajante
    Morning at St Marys
    Passing the US Navy submarine base45 North lying alongside at Jekyll Island MarinaZacharys Riverhouse at Jekyll Island Marina

    Day 5: St Marys to Jekyll Island

    19–20 de abr., México ⋅ ☀️ 29 °C

    3 hr 50 min. A short one today. We rise without a rush into a totally still morning and wander 'uptown' to breakfast at one of St Marys' numerous eating houses. Graeme wonders how come such a small town has as many eateries and bars as it has.

    Preston remains aboard and gets ready for our departure, by which time a breeze has arrived. We slip away and curve back down the St Marys River. At the entrance we turn left and head up Cumberland Sound towards a restart of the ICW. In the process we pass the entrance to the East River and the Kings Bay Naval Submarine Base. There's a boat tied up to one of the wharves and is partly covered and being worked on. A Navy security launch sits nearby to ensure that we don't come away from the ICW and towards the base.

    Four short hours up the ICW via the East River and Jekyll Sound brings us to the Jekyll Harbor Marina, where it's rush hour and we're number three for docking. Preston goes off to run an errand and G & L and I get the marina's free golf cart and trundle off to do a circuit of the island and see what we can see. It's something of a resort and convention island, with excellent RV and camping places plus up-market hotels. We arrive back at the marina in time for Happy Hour and dinner at Zachary's Riverhouse.

    After cheese grits with blackened shrimp (moi), blackened mahi-mahi fish, and hush puppies (fried corn-bread balls), and greek salad with blackened shrimps (Lorraine) and a few local beers (GH and moi), we waddle back to the boat.

    Tomorrow will be different...    Leia mais

    Ver tradução
  • 45NorthAmericas Great LoopViajante
    Georgia bridges
    Sidney Lanier Bridge carries Route 17 into Brunswick, GA.Zoom in to follow the ICWSunbury marinaSunbury Crab Co restaurant, back barSunbury Crab Co restaurantSunbury Crab Co restaurant, back barSunbury Crab Co restaurantSunbury Crab Co restaurantSunbury Crab Co restaurantProprietor (with her husband) of the Sunbury Crab Co, Elaine. What a great crew of staff!

    Day 6: Jekyll Is, GA, to Sunbury, GA

    19–20 de abr., Estados Unidos ⋅ 🌧 19 °C

    7 hr 36 min. To paraphrase Daniel Emmett, we're glad to be in the land of cotton! Another stupendous morning, and we slip the slip at around 0830 after Preston has cooked biscuits and sausage for breakfast. Well... it was supposed to be sausage, but Nina's fingers had apparently slipped when packing for Preston and we had a few burger patties in there as well. But we'll survive! We're heading for Midway, GA, today (actually, not so much 'Midway' as an historic old place called Sunbury), where we have bookings at both the local marina and the Sunbury Crab Co. restaurant, which Preston has advised we MUST dine at. And so we shall.

    Our waitress last night at Zachrys at Jekyll Is marina introduced herself as 'Hollis', and what an excellent Georgian ambassador she was. With her accent (How y'all doin?), Graeme thought she'd said 'Haul-arse', and Lorraine had to caution the two of us against our sniggering.

    Another cloudless day... scarcely a breeze. We depart and curve our way up the Mackay River, passing under a sight quite unique to Georgia... a bridge that has been closed and bypassed by a new structure high enough to accommodate the masts of sailboats on the ICW. The old bridge remains, with the channel spans removed, and exists as two stub-end fishing platforms.

    Graeme and I obtain some advanced helm experience in confined and curving waterways. Hopefully. we'll get better... (from somewhere in the bowels of the boat, "Ferg... where are we goin'?"). Yessir, we can only improve...

    The ICW, on this portion of our sinuous voyage, takes us from the Mackay River, across Altamaha Sound, up the Little Mud River, across Doboy Sound, up Old Teakettle Creek and then the Laurel View River to dock at rustic Sunbury.

    G & L go 'into town' for a walk and look at the history (this used to be an important seaport), Preston goes up the dock for a swing and a chat with his wife, and I get some Aussie news on my laptop.

    At 1830 we repair to the (very) nearby Sunbury Crab Co. restaurant, where proprietor Elaine welcomes ua and agrees to a shoulder-hug photo with me ("Watch where you're putting that hand, buster"). We had sausage and fried wings, then fried flounder, lobster sauce with shrimp, black-eyed peas and collard greens, blackened shrimp with fries, and local beers. No, we didn't all eat that... it was our bill.

    Back to the boat to watch some TV and to sleep the sleep of the innocent.    Leia mais

    Ver tradução
  • 45NorthAmericas Great LoopViajante
    Sunbury sunrise courtesy of Graeme.
    Zoom in to view our journey up the ICWAnother evening... another marina. Isle of Hope, Savannah.1Dinner on the Savannah waterfrontNot another cocktail menu! Bugger... I'll have to try it.Crikey! Here's what was in my souvenir glass...Here's my souvenir glass for ordering that Artillery Punch.Our daily log. Zoom in.

    Day 7: Sunbury to Savannah

    20–21 de abr., Estados Unidos ⋅ ☁️ 28 °C

    4 hr 10 min. Half a day today, up another sinuous portion of the ICW, again with the company of dolphins, and into historic Savannah for an afternoon of exploring. What will be open on a Georgian Easter Sunday? We'll see.

    Well, we pulled into the Isle of Hope Marina in a southern island suburb of Savannah, tied up, and left Preston to it as we ordered up an Uber and rode into the North Historic District of downtown Savannah, to catch a hop-on/hop-off bus tour... a 90 min circuit, and stay aboard if you want more; which we did to get back to the waterfront precinct for a very late lunch/early dinner. A totally excellent exercise!

    The so-called 'Spanish Moss' (which they tell us is neither Spanish nor moss) hanging from the Live Oak trees is such a 'down-home, southern feature, we can't help but think of numerous movies we've seen, including Forrest Gump, quite a bit of which was filmed in Savannah and its parks. Tonight we'll go back to the boat and get "Midnight In The Garden Of Evil" up on Prime Video. None of us has seen this and we should, as it features much of the Savannah we've just explored.

    Tomorrow, it's onwards to Beaufort (say BEW-fit) South Carolina, but tonight we have Georgia on our minds.    Leia mais

    Ver tradução
  • 45NorthAmericas Great LoopViajante
    Crossing Port Royal Sound towards the mouth of the Beaufort River. Parris Is Marine base ahead.
    A Fleming convention at Beaufort marina... our 58 and two 55sBeaufort Visitor Centre... the old arsenal.Some Beaufort historyBeaufort harbour foreshore, with the Memorial swing bridge in the background.

    Day 8: Savannah, GA, to Beaufort, SC

    21–24 de abr., Estados Unidos ⋅ ☁️ 28 °C

    6 hr 09 min. Remember to say 'BEW-fert'. We still have Georgia on our minds, and it's hard to believe we're in the city of Savannah as we depart on the Skidaway River, with a hard right rudder to immediately negotiate the first turn from the marina. The various suburbs are just through the trees, but you can't see them. Savannah is a major ocean port. There's a lot of industry around here. We get out of town safely.

    Another day of cautious cruising on the sinuous ICW follows, with Graeme accruing some more helm-hours in his virtual logbook.

    Despite tying up at Beaufort's Safe Harbor Marina right at downtown, at 1400, we're too late for the various horse-drawn and golf-cart tours of the town. The last ones are just leaving and they're all booked out. Seems we're not the only visitors in this historic town.

    We walk around and visit the Visitors Centre and an original house that is now a museum that presents the history of Beaufort... first the War of Independence then indigo then cotton then slavery then the Civil War (often known in the south as the War of National Aggression) then 'reconstruction', and now tourism.    Leia mais

    Ver tradução
  • 45NorthAmericas Great LoopViajante
    The waterway looks to be wide, but the navigable channel is not. At times we're down to 9 ft depth.
    Approaching our marina across the Ashley RiverGumbo, jambalaya, tomato pie, and mashed potatoes. Fried green tomato for starters, at "82 Queen St"

    Day 9: Beaufort, SC, to Charleston, SC.

    22–25 de abr., Estados Unidos ⋅ ☁️ 23 °C

    5 hr 02 min. We depart Beaufort on another glorious morning and immediately encounter our first swing bridge... the Richard V. Woods Memorial Bridge, shown on our charts as Ladies Island Bridge. This was the bridge that featured in the Forrest Gump movie. Unfortunately for we tourists, we do not get to see it 'swing', as it's high enough above the water for us to easily slide beneath.

    We head off, on a mirror-smooth surface, up Mulligan Creek, past the Merritt Field Marine Corps Air Station and into St Helena Sound, and then jump across country, courtesy of a series of cuts made across the marshland, to enter the South Edisto River and onward via another winding course to the Stono River, the Elliot Cut (Wappoo River), and finally into Charleston's Ashley River and directly across it to the Charleston City Marina, where, at 1400, our booking scores a very convenient mooring (considering the length of some of their finger piers. One is 1,700 ft long before you have another 630 ft to go to the shore!). With a strong flooding tidal current and under advice from the marina dockmaster, Preston swings 45 North through 180 deg and slots us into a space between two other vessels. We make fast and thank our lucky stars for the berth.

    We leave Preston to his 'chores' and catch the marina shuttle bus into town, where we visit the Information Centre, look for a SIM card for Graeme, and walk a few blocks to a restaurant that Preston has recommended.

    More images to come...    Leia mais

    Ver tradução
  • 45NorthAmericas Great LoopViajante
    Super yacht tender "Powerplay" moored beside us.
    Super yacht "Mogambo", moored ahead of us.Tour buses at the totally excellent Charleston Visitors Centre; once a train station.1The "Best Friend of Charleston", the second steam locomotive to pull a train in South CarolinaA red-painted door on any house signifies the house has no mortgage debt.1In honour of nurses!

    Day 10: In Charleston

    22–25 de abr., Estados Unidos ⋅ ☁️ 22 °C

    We are tied up at the "Safe Harbor" (that's the company that owns the marina) Charleston City Marina. Next to us, and five metres away on the other side of the pier, is "Powerplay", an ocean-going tender (support vessel) for a luxury super yacht, "Mogambo" owned by Jan Koum, the co-founder and CEO of WhatsApp.

    Today we breakfast aboard, then catch the marina shuttle uptown to board a 90-min bus tour of the city; as usual, a superb use of time, with an amusing and professional driver.

    Later, we examine a full-size replica of one of the very first steam locomotives to operate in the Americas, the "Best Friend of Charleston", and then visit the Charleston Museum to learn something of the history of this old town.    Leia mais

    Ver tradução
  • 45NorthAmericas Great LoopViajante
    Cornbeef hash on hash browns with eggs over easy. Wot's not to luv...
    A model of Fort Sumter as it was intended to be.Ol' Glory flying at half mast (for the late Pope Francis) over Fort Sumter.1This shell (yellow tape), fited from Fort Moultrie, landed unexploded into this inside wall4For Kate. I'm following the green routeing.

    Day 11: In Charleston

    23–26 de abr., Estados Unidos ⋅ ☁️ 20 °C

    Today I left the others breakfasting boringly on the boat and hiked to the restaurant right at the marina… where I luxuriated with corned beef hash on home-made hash browns with 2 eggs over-easy. Yum, yum, y’all!

    Then we Ubered across town to the Port of Charleston, where we caught the ferry for a 35-min ride to Fort Sumter, where we had an hour that included a ranger talk (not that the ranger talk coming over on the ferry wasn’t memorable enough). Fantastic, superb, excellentissimo!! Google it. The story of Fort Sumter, as part of the American Civil War (oops… sorry southerners, the ‘War of Northern Aggression’) is of terrific interest, at least to me. Is it acceptable for a man to love a war story? Well, I love this one!

    By the way, here’s a map for Kate.    Leia mais

    Ver tradução
  • 45NorthAmericas Great LoopViajante
    Farewell, Charleston!
    The stream may be broad but the channel is where the boat is and it's narrow.A floating drawbridge... the only one we'll see.'Company' traffic encountered at Georgetown Marina. An early model Fleming 55.Cap'n Preston cooks... and delight us all.A delighted 'all of us' dining in the cockpit. Lorraine fixed rice and vege dishes🤪

    Day 12: Charleston to Georgetown

    25–26 de abr., Estados Unidos ⋅ ☀️ 27 °C

    The name "Carolina" is derived from "Carolus," the Latin form of the name Charles. The original charter for the area, granted in 1629 to Sir Robert Heath, included the name "Carolina" or "Carolana" in honour of King Charles I. It should be noted that the French explorer Jean Ribault also used the name Carolina in the 1560s when attempting to colonise Florida, establishing Charlesfort in what is now South Carolina. However, the British colonists eventually established settlements in the area, retaining the name in honour of King Charles I, and later acknowledging his son, Charles II.

    Back when the locals were still fighting the British colonists and the British were fighting the Spanish who had colonised Florida, South Carolina was the southern limit of the civilised America of the day.

    It's interesting that, having wanted for so long, to see the end of British Rule, the Carolinians then retained the nomenclature that had been originally given in honour of His Majesty. I guess that in the Carolinas they don't hold grudges.

    8 hrs. We continue our voyage up the coastal Low country that we've been negotiating since leaving St Marys a week ago. Low country indeed! For all of this time, the average elevation of the land we motor through is between 0 and 1 ft asl. Pockets of land rise a bit above this, and people have been quick to build on them and stretch looooong walkways out to jetties and boat lifts. No serious rec boater on the ICW keeps their boat moored in the water..

    Once again, the length of our 'day' will be largely dictated by tidal requirements at various portions of the journey. Today, we'd scheduled an 0800 departure to secure a good tide condition on some lengthy shallow sections, but we awake to our first foggy morning on this trip, so we have a leisurely breakfast while we cool our heels. And the tide ebbs...

    We head out of Charleston, into the Cooper River estuary, then past Fort Sumter and directly into the ICW. From time to time, pods of dolphins follow us; perhaps we're stirring up the fish.

    We have some lengthy portions today that require captain Preston's close attention. At times we have just 7 ft under the boat... and we draw 5! At one point, a barge tow (except they don't 'tow', they shove from behind) has grounded to one side of the channel. It's captain has a conversation with Preston and tells us he'll do his best to keep to the side of the channel for us. When we pass, his engines are Full Ahead and his thrashing prop wash is churning up black mud.

    For much of the trip, Preston is sitting on the edge of his seat, as they say. My old Canadian mate, Milt Deno would have said, "I was sitting so lightly in the seat, you could have cut washers off my ass." Later, when we're sitting around the cockpit table in the Georgetown marina having pork spare ribs (grilled on the bbq by captain Preston), I observe that Preston does indeed appear to be an inch or two shorter.

    He promises us tomorrow will be different (easier navigation) and more scenic than was today's extended marshy vista.

    At one point, while Graeme is steering, Preston--down in the wheelhouse--looks out and sees what he thinks is a log and we're heading for it. He's about to warn Graeme to change course when he realises it's an alligator... the first one he's ever seen in the ICW. The reptile passes behind us and we watch it swimming for the far bank.    Leia mais

    Ver tradução
  • 45NorthAmericas Great LoopViajante
    Hows the weather?
    This boat moored beside us at the Myrtle Bch Yacht ClubPart of the kid's park...Cypress trees like to have their feet in the waterThis has, at some time, been a rice field. Now permanently flooded.The vista along the 'Ditch' approaching Myrtle BeachOur turn-in to the Myrtle Bch Yacht Club. A stranded yachtie awaits the tide to get off the rocks.Graeme and I have the lines for the dock-people. Preston has to slide us in stern-first.Lipsmackin' at Lucy's, Barefoot Landing, Myrtle Beach.

    Day 13: Georgetown to Myrtle Beach

    26–27 de abr., Estados Unidos ⋅ ⛅ 25 °C

    6 hr 22 min. Preston cooks breakfast muffins in the air fryer, and we slip our bonds at 0830. We are promised a more scenic and pleasant vista today (and easier navigation) as we head up the ICW for a destination that sounds, from Preston's description, like an amalgam of Queenstown NZ and Luna Park, on steroids. But we will have no time for such trivial and frivolous pursuits... we will have grocery shopping to do!

    We have a more scenic and leisurely cruise along the ICW today. We encounter more traffic and pass through two swing bridges that open for us. We encounter more traffic today, mostly fisher rec boats and jetski terrorists. Eventually, we reach the 'ditch', as Preston calls it.

    There is an almost constant string of houses along the banks that all look the same or similar, with the requisite jetty at the front, and runabout or pontoon picnic boat, usually sitting on a boat-lift. Many other houses are individually architectured and are obviously owned by a more wealthy sector. The 'ditch' (ICW), which runs parallel to the beach and between one and two km distant from it, is also fronted by numerous restaurants. We do not see the sea at all.

    By 3.00 pm we are stern-in and tied up. We Uber uptown to Lulus restaurant at Barefoot Landing, a large restaurant and entertainment precinct. Greg Norman's 'Australian Grille' (don't they know that a 'grille' is a portion of the front of a motor vehicle whereas a 'grill' is a bbq cooker?) is next door. Lucy's is one of several around the US owned and operated by the late Jimmy Buffet's wife. We then Uber to the nearest Publix and do a big grocery shop before returning to the boat.

    Looking at the stern of many 'lifted' boats as we make our way along the ICW (and zooming around the waterways in Miami), I have been astonished by the multi-engined outboard setups I've seen. 3, 4, 5, and even 6 engines clamped across the transom of some vessels. I ask Preston if that makes the boat go 3, 4, 5, or 6 times faster than a single. He thinks not, but the guy will have 3, 4, 5, or 6 times the maintenance bill. I reckon these guys must have accountants who advise them to spend money before the taxman gets to them.    Leia mais

    Ver tradução
  • 45NorthAmericas Great LoopViajante
    Lorraine captioned this photo 'maps conferring'.
    This is a Boatel. There's a few of them to be seen along the ICW.Floating casino, goes out up to 15 miles offshore for a 5-hr round trip.Pastel potpourri of pads on the North Carolina ICW.

    Day 14: Myrtle Bch to Wrightsville Bch

    27–28 de abr., Estados Unidos ⋅ ☁️ 26 °C

    7 hrs. We are provisioned and watered, we still have 800 gal of fuel, our blackwater tank has plenty of capacity (Preston wants to know who among us must be blocked up and not 'doing enough'?), Graeme unties us, and by 0830 we're turning out of the Yacht Club Marina and back onto the ICW, northbound. The stranded yacht has gone. Within 15 min we're crossing the Little River and are in North Carolina. Since one of my favourite singers, James Taylor, hails from this state, Carolina is also in our minds.

    It’s a scenic run up the waterway, but turning out into the Cape Fear River, we run upstream with a stiff breeze on our port bow and a stiff ebbing current. We dodge a couple of vehicle ferries, a clutch of downbound fast-boats, and overtake a sailboat or two. We’re showing 15 mph through the water but just 10 mph 'over the ground'… thus a 5-mph current against us.

    Soon though, we’re able to turn off into the ICW again, via Snow’s Cut, and then run about 12 miles from Carolina Beach up to the Wrightsville Beach Marina. At times, we're showing the tide to be a foot lower than the usual low, so we tip-toe along some areas with not too much below our keel. We arrive at the marina where we are berthed conveniently on the outside facing the direction of departure tomorrow. The staff take our lines and do a pump-out for us... the opportunity being too good to pass up.    Leia mais

    Ver tradução
  • 45NorthAmericas Great LoopViajante
    Another vessel has been moored tightly ahead of us.
    Another Boatel.We wait 7 min for this one to swing. No wurries, mate...!Some Fleming Yacht tech details.Lorraine snapped an Osprey and chick nested on a channel marker. I zoomed in for detail... sorry.Crossing the Cape Lejeune Marine Station firing range.

    Day 15: Wrightsville Bch to Beaufort, NC

    28–29 de abr., Estados Unidos ⋅ ☀️ 23 °C

    With about 80 miles ahead of us, and a drawbridge schedule to make (the bridge is about 100 yds ahead of our mooring), we slip our bonds at 0750 on a very fresh but very still and bright morning, call the bridge tender, and get an immediate opening. Five miles to go, and we'll have a second bridge tender to talk to. We're early, and have to wait 7 minutes for him. Better than being 7 min late, as that can ruin your whole day!

    Forget the South Carolinians and their lovely city of 'BEW-fert'... the North Carolinians have a different twang, and they say 'BOH-fert' (as WE would expect).

    We motor up long cuts and channels (some quite shallow) that connect estuarine and tidal portions of intracoastal waterway; Middle Sound, Stump Sound, the New River inlet, Bogue Sound, to Morehead City and the Newporet River at the Beaufort Inlet.

    We tuck away into Homer Smith's Dock & Marina and are safe for another night. Graeme and Lorraine and I wander a block to a convenience store to restock on milk. Then Preston and I take the marina courtesy car and drive to a couple of supermarkets for an abortive sortie for me to get some 'hot' salami. It seems that Americans don't eat a lot of spicy salami. I am surprised, as I thought we had flown thousands of miles to be in the global headquarters of salami consumption.

    Preston has a chat with the dockhand and it turns out he's a fan of New Zealanders! He was over in Auckland, involved with the Americas Cup and later made two trips to tour NZ; one to the Sth Island and another around the Nth Island. We also see a motor yacht called 'Kiwi' tied up at the marina,    Leia mais

    Ver tradução
  • 45NorthAmericas Great LoopViajante
    1A testament to 45 North's stabilisers.
    Knit one, purl one, knit one, purl one...Lorraine shoots an arrival pic of BelhavenThe marina dockies are ready for us. The young couple behind are grateful...Ready for action...Dock-hands at the readyI've seen possums in Australia suss one of these out in a week. Apparently the birds here do, too!This hyena flicks in the wind and, apparently, is a very effective anti-bird deterrent.Preston and Graeme work on our forward shore-power coupling.Young couple had sailed from the Bahamas. 5 yrs aboard.First time the sausage fenders have seen daylight on this trip. They're not really heavy.Sausage fenders in action...Three vessels, including the wee sailboat, are connected here.Belhaven scene, from Lorraine.Mine host in the brewery. His brews were interesting but not, I think, award-winning.You tapped the card on the screen, and poured it yourself. Billed automatically.Tap the screen with a finger to see details of the brew.1Nebo did not pick up the first 17 or so miles of our day.

    Day 16: Beaufort, NC, to Belhaven, NC

    29–30 de abr., Canadá ⋅ 🌬 17 °C

    Some easy cruising today. On another bright and calm morning, Preston cooks hot (spicy) sausage and Graeme cooks the eggs, before we fire up, untie, and slip away beneath the Beaufort Highrise Bridge and upstream into the Newport River thence due north along the Adams Creek Canal, the Adams Creek estuary, and out into the broad Neuse (say NOOSE) River. Our Nebo trip-logging software goes on strike for this portion of the run, so doesn't show us between Beaufort and the Neuse River.

    I was able to get some good steering practice ('mostly/sometimes' sticking to the channel) but now it's onto auto-pilot for the 30-mile run downriver to Pimlico Sound before--following a plotted course--45 North turns to port, into the Bay River and then Gale Creek, for access to the Pimlico River canal that takes us through to Goose Creek and the Pimlico River proper. We cross the 5-mile wide river and enter the Pungo River, for a further 25 miles up to Belhaven for the evening.

    A breeze has sprung up and we have one-foot waves in the Pungo, but Graeme is not disturbed from his nap and Lorraine does not drop a stitch!

    We pass several sailboats and one, surprisingly, has no sail up (in what we consider to be perfect wind conditions) and is motoring along and tolerating the rolling motion (which Preston tells me would be a lot less if they had some sail on).

    The stiff breeze challenges us in docking, but the dock hands are there and take our lines. The young couple on a small sailboat beside us are also docking and are grateful for the timely shelter we provide them from the wind. For the first time on our pelagic peregrination, we require a forward cable connection to shore power AND the use of our sausage fenders (see photos).

    Safely docked, Graeme and I stroll over to the nearby brewery, just to scout it out, you understand. Sadly, the beer's not great, but gladly, we have some lively repartee with mine host and the young yachtie couple. Lorraine has gone for a walk around town and brings us back some great images for the blog.

    Graeme and I return to the ship and to the fragrance of a leg of (Australian) roasted lamb. Preston joins us for a roast dinner of magnificent property and proportion prepared by Lorraine.    Leia mais

    Ver tradução
  • 45NorthAmericas Great LoopViajante
    Another Belhaven house.
    2Leaving the Pungo River and entering the long cut connecting to the Alligator River.Leaving the long cut behind and entering the Alligator River.Negotiating the 3-mile-long Alligator River Swing Bridge heading for Albemarle Sound.Prime rib dinner in Coinjock.1For Kate...Step off the boat and into the pub...1A creative shot courtesy of Lorraine

    Day 17: Belhaven to Coinjock

    30 de abr.–1 de mai., Estados Unidos ⋅ ☀️ 28 °C

    We're off the dock at 0730 and I'm there to see it. Graeme still greets me, with 'Good afternoon'. I mean... what's a bloke to do? I AM retired, after all!

    As soon as we exit the Belhaven channel, we're back on the ICW. We motor up the Pungo River and enter a long, straight cut of 21.2 miles (well, with one slight bend in the middle) that conveys us to the Alligator River thence Albemarle Sound and the North River. Our destination today is Coinjock, NC, where we have a dinner reservation at a famous prime rib restaurant.

    Leaving the long cut, we motor out into the Alligator River and cruise for 20 miles along this broad, 3-4-mile wide stretch of water. A couple of other motor vessels close up on us as we approach the 3-mile long Alligator River Swing Bridge, so that we and a sailboat can all move through on the one swing. We continue up the Alligator until it opens onto the Albemarle Sound. This entails a 14-mile voyage across what looks like the Pacific Ocean, such is its vastness. Accomplishing that, with a gentle south-westerly breeze and the gentlest of swells, we then run up the North River for another 13 miles, then along a cut for 2.5 miles to reach Coinjock Marina for the evening.

    Crossing Albemarle Sound we open the engines up for a scheduled 15-minute 'burst' at revolutions 2,400. As usual, this nets us another 2-3 mph at 4 x the rate of fuel consumption. But they say to do it after so many hours of cruising at 14-1500 rpm, so we do.

    We dock around 4.45pm and top up our fuel tanks. Preston’s sister and husband arrive from Norfolk and after drinks we repair to Coinjock’s Sandbar—literally 40m from our mooring—for the finest prime rib I can remember, with jus and the most pungent horseradish sauce. Lorraine has softshell crab deep fried in a superb, tasty coating, reminiscent of the KFC “11 secret herbs and spices”, only better!

    And so ends Day 17… one month to the day since we all departed from Downunder. Apart from a thunderous downpour while we were in an Uber in Myrtle Beach and another 30-min one here at Coinjock, our weather has been glorious.    Leia mais

    Ver tradução
  • 45NorthAmericas Great LoopViajante
    "Thank you Captain - pass on the One, please."
    It doesn't get better than this!What a lift-bridge looks like when it's open for you...Naval vessels at Norfolk. I think these are civilian-crewed supply vessels.

    Day 18: Coinjock, NC, to Norfolk, VA

    1–3 de mai., Estados Unidos ⋅ ☀️ 30 °C

    WE awaken to yet another bright, calm morning, but our alarm clock is someone beside the wharf with a lawn mower! Good on them!

    We're off the dock by 0730. Graeme's on the lines while Preston inches the boat forward for him, and I set about chammying things down after last night's thunder storm and downpour.

    We motor up the short remainder of the North Carolina Cut and into Coinjock Bay from where the channel soon leads us into Currituck Sound and the North Landing River. The ICW takes us through North Landing River in a narrow channel, belied by the visual breadth of the river. The river presents as a sound at this location. depth in the channel is around 13 ft and around us in the 'bay', 3, 4, or 5 ft. You could walk across this wide river at this point. We talk to a southbound tug... he wants us to pass on his 'One', ie port-to-port. Preston moves across for him and we briefly see 8 and 9 ft of water beneath us.

    At 30 statute miles (yes, we only have 30 miles of the Atlantic ICW to negotiate), we're into the sinuous North Landing River proper and heading up to the Albemarle & Chesapeake Canal that will lead us up to the Great Bridge Lock (the first for us on this voyage) thence into the southern branch of the Elizabeth River and finally the Lafayette River at Norfolk.

    The Great Bridge Lock isn't really a 'lift-you-up-or-down' arrangement. Rather, it's to control the salinity level in the North Landing River and thus also Currituck Sound by limiting tidewater from the Elizabeth River flowing back down the canal to the North Landing River. Graeme and I hold the lines on our port side but the boat doesn't get any lower, before the gates ahead open and we pull in our lines and lead our procession of about 15 other vessels (that have gathered behind us since we left Coinjock, and are probably mostly 'bLoopers') out into the Elizabeth River.

    Our voyage towards Norfolk--about 12 miles distant--is delayed several times as we wait for bridges to open and, in one case, a tug holding a barge against a dock while a massive crane is walked onto it.

    A coal train crossing a bridge holds us up at one bridge as does a caboose hop at another as we arrive into industrial (and naval) Norfolk. Some of the bLoopers behind us peel off and head for the Waterside Hotel and its marina. The American Great Loop Cruisers Assn is holding its annual Rendezvous here at the moment.

    Preston's brother-in-law, who dined with us at Coinjock last night, meets us on the dock at the Norfolk Yacht & Country Club just into the Lafayette River, and PHASE ONE of our great journey is done.

    Having started from near West Palm Beach rather than down in Key West, we've negotiated about 90% of the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway and what an experience it's been! Graeme and I crack a beer while Preston and Sam take 5 oil samples from the engines.

    PHASE TWO will take us from here to Waterford, NY, where the Mohawk River meets the Hudson River., PHASE THREE will take us through about half of what is known as the 'Erie Canal' (more correctly, the New York State Barge Canal) to Oswego on Lake Ontario, and PHASE FOUR will be the Great Lakes from Oswego via the Welland Ship Canal, Cleveland, and Detroit to Traverse City, Michigan.

    We three walk to the yacht club restaurant for a celebratory dinner. Tomorrow, we'll shop and then explore some of Virginia's history.

    Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.......    Leia mais

    Ver tradução
  • 45NorthAmericas Great LoopViajante
    The Elizabeth River (left), Norfolk Harbour (centre), and Hampton Roads (right).
    NY&CC marina with Hampton Blvd Bridge behind.Norfolk Yacht & Country Club. The jetty to 'our' dock.1Preston went online and purchased Oz and NZ flags for us. They were delivered in Norfolk.At the Nauticus Maritime MuseumThe interpretive displays for kids are superbThe Nauticus Maritime Museum and the USS WisconsonStanding beside one of the Wisconson's three gun turrets with triple 16"/50 cal naval 'rifles'.Record on gun turret of Wisconson's cruise missile launches against Iraqi cities in 1st Gulf WarOff shore wind turbine parts ready for assembly and shipment out to sea.The small grey building on the right is HQ of the US Army Corps of Engineers, who maintain the ICW"The Tide", light rail system in Norfolk.

    Day 19: At Norfolk, VA

    1–3 de mai., Estados Unidos ⋅ ☀️ 28 °C

    We leave the marina and Uber out to a nearby car rental agency. We're intent on a trip out of town to Colonial Williamsburg and perhaps Yorktown. It is not to be... there are no cars available. We later find that naval personnel and dockyard workers are a BIG customer of the smaller agencies. We could go out to the airport and get one of the big names (and probably some Frequent Flyer or AAdvantage points for Ferg), but we decide it's too far. We may have dodged a bullet, as the highways are said to have been very busy.

    So, we call up another Uber and head downtown to the Visitor's Centre for some local advice. They're excellent, and so is the centre. We're directed a short stroll to the Nauticus Museum and the battleship USS Wisconson. We leave the Visitor's Centre, and stop five doors down at a D'Egg diner where we have what was supposed to be 'smoko', but turned into an early lunch due to the extended time for the orders to arrive at the table, then another block to the Nauticus Museum. The interpretive displays and activities in this museum are simply incredible. No wonder there are school parties being bussed in. We are able to fit in a too-brief look around the Wisconson before we have to make our way over to the nearby wharf to embark upon a 2-hr harbour cruise. This concentrates on the military history of this fascinating naval town, and we see and learn about many vessels currently in port, and some of the shipyard maintenance processes. The size and scale of the USN footprint here is breathtaking.

    We grab some grocery items at a convenience store downtown, call an Uber, and head back to the marina.    Leia mais

    Ver tradução
  • 45NorthAmericas Great LoopViajante
    Remains of old fish processing factory, kept as a memorialAfter two glasses of water and the smell of my two margaritas, Graeme is looking a bit woozyView from the restaurantRestaurant bar1Aaaaaarrrrr! Making friends with Cap'n Blackbeard

    Day 20: Norfolk, VA, to Reedville, VA

    3–4 de mai., Estados Unidos ⋅ ☁️ 23 °C

    W're off the dock around 0750, and head out into Norfolk Harbour, closely tailed by an outbound container vessel. Preston says, "He'll go faster than us. I'll let him go by and cross his wake." The Norfolk pilot on board talks to an inbound warship, also with a Norfolk pilot and the two of them discuss how they're going to do the cross (the warship waits for the box-ship to pass). We're soon clear of the harbour, and with Newport News away to our left, we're soon crossing above the Hampton Roads Bridge Tunnels, where a construction project is installing a further two tubes.

    By 0900 we're pointing out into the vast Chesapeake Bay, and soon thereafter we turn left and start a long traverse north up the bay, destination Ingram Bay then Reedville on Cockrell Creek. Preston has decided, due to forecast winds later in the evening, that we'll be better off docking rather than anchoring out, which we were going to do. Reedville is a convenient 'jumping off' point for our two-day voyage up the Potomac to Washington DC.

    Apart from the house-fly-sized black flies (you can't see how they manage to be away out here over the water) who are enjoying the benign conditions of our following breeze, we see a couple of distant bLoopers going our way and numerous ocean-going ships heading up or down, presumably to or from Baltimore. We follow the bay coastline, around 4 or 5 miles off to our port side, but off to starboard there is nothing but the horizon.

    Eventually, we're able to turn left and motor into Ingram Bay then Cockrell Creek and finally into the Fairport Marina, across the creek from Reedville. Reedville is and has been (since 1874) a fish-oil processing port, processing an oily fish called 'menhaden'. There used to be several processing plants but now only one remains. The town was even known, during one early era, as the wealthiest town per-capita in the US.

    We dock, have a beer and a shower, and make our way off the jetty to the rustic little restaurant nearby.

    To say this was a 'downhome' country America experience would be an understatement. We made friends with the staff and had an enjoyable and relaxing evening until eventually we were the only patrons left..

    Tonight, there may be a storm out on the bay, but it shouldn't affect us in our sheltered mooring. Tomorrow, we commence our voyage up the Potomac to Washington DC.    Leia mais

    Ver tradução