Warm today, mid 20s and sunny. I was up at dawn and had another good day. Took a detour in to Darien and had lunch out, then came back down to the coast via a couple of narrow cuts and anchored here mid afternoon. Walked a couple of km to get dinner and stocked up on groceries and caught an Uber back.
All is good aboard. I’m well stocked and ready for another week or so of plodding south. Should be across the Florida border tomorrow.
Stopped to anchor here for the night. Very quiet and peaceful, in a creek in a nature preserve.
Smooth sailing today, sunny and nice, temperature low 20s. More of the same tomorrow.
I took a detour up the Savannah River to see downtown Savannah, but there is no place to stop downtown so carried on.
There are a couple of towns I’m going to visit tomorrow, Darien and St Mary’s.
Yesterday was grey and rainy. Had an uneventful run from Charleston to Beaufort, where I had a meal ashore and a brief visit with my old pal Christian.
Today was an easy run. I anchored here for the night, and went over to the dock at Daufuskie Island for dinner. The local general store/eatery has Taco Thursdays. Interesting spot.
Tomorrow I’ll be in Georgia. Cruising along.
Last night was at anchor about 20 miles north on the ICW. Today I came into Charleston and anchored here, went ashore for the afternoon, and am now hunkered down for the night. Tomorrow I’ll noodle down to Beaufort.
I like the ICW all through here. Most of it is empty and isolated, with a mix of natural and man made channels. There is almost no traffic. Current is highly variable up to about 1.5 knots. Always interesting.
This is my second trip through here by boat. I came north on Mazurka in 2019, and it was all novel. This time I’ve got more time to look around and gain perspective.
Traveling on Escapade is a joy. I’ve settled on a waterway cruise speed of 6.8 – 7 knots through the water. Hardly any wake, and fuel consumption < 4 l/hr. The pilothouse is marvelous. Good visibility and comfortable all day.
I entered South Carolina this morning. Today was quiet and fine. Not much boat traffic. Most of the day was in the man-made cut that runs inland of Myrtle Beach. Not the most interesting scenery until you get to the Waccamaw River. I stopped for lunch at a canalside bar.
I’m anchored here in the middle of the Waccamaw National Wildlife Refuge. Nobody around, very peaceful and quiet. Haven’t seen an abundance of wildlife but am keeping a watch. I was fascinated by this area when I came through on Escapade. It’s a meandering river through a Cyprus swamp.
Tomorrow it’s down the river to Georgetown, where I’ll stop for lunch and maybe go to a grocery store. Then press on south towards Charleston.
Today was a fun day.
I was underway about an hour before dawn. Left the inlet in the dark, and ran about an hour to the Carolina Beach inlet, then the ICW cut over to the Cape Fear River.
I timed things so that I could easily visit Wilmington, which is about 20 miles up the river. Caught the tide up and back. There is a big port there.
Wilmington was delightful. There is a public dock downtown, and lots of shops and restaurants. I wandered around, had a great breakfast, and picked up some supplies.
After coming back down the river I continued south on the ICW, stopped in Southport to take on fuel and water, and anchored here just off the ICW in Lockwood Folly’s River.
I’m slowing down now. Rather than rushing to south Florida to leave the boat and travel to Ontario for Christmas I’m now planning to stay aboard and meet up with folks in Marathon Dec 28. Looking forward to more relaxed travel with stops and diversions like today’s as a result. I like the next couple of hundred miles through South Carolina and Georgia.
I filled up today in Southport NC. Here are stats for the segment from Portland ME including my last fill in Atlantic City.
Days: 18
Motor hours: 154
Distance traveled: 1,059 nautical miles / 1,961 km.
Fuel used: 1,034 l / 274 gal
Furnace use accounted for almost 20% of the fuel used. 11 l/day on average. But I haven’t been cold.
Backing out furnace use that’s 4.7 nmpg at an average speed of 6.9 knots. 1.4 gal/hr.
Today was a straight line between Morehead City and here. I was about 9 miles from the coast at maximum. I left Beaufort at dawn with a bunch of southbound boats. Most headed south around Cape Fear. By midday as forecast it was calm. Very relaxed trip at 8 knots. I got in to the inlet about 3:45 and anchored here. Nice quiet spot, lots of locals visiting the beaches.
Tomorrow I think I’m going to take a side trip up the Cape Fear River to visit Wilmington. Weather is forecast to be sunny and calm for the next few days, with daytime highs in the mid 20s. I sort of rushed through this area last time through, so am going to explore a bit.
I got underway this morning before dawn, and got into Beaufort with lots of daylight left. I’m now anchored here. Went ashore and had a nice meal out, crab cakes and veggies. Yum.
Another nice day, sunny and not cold. I think the overnight low is expected to be about 12C.
I think tomorrow I’m going to hit the ocean again and go down to Wrightsville Beach. The ICW isn’t very interesting between here and there, and the weather looks good for a dash outside.
Only one picture today, of a FPB. These are well known offshore power boats developed by Steve and Linda Dashew. First one I’ve seen in person.
I’m anchored here for the night. Beautiful day today, calm and sunny and temps in the teens. First time in a while I haven’t had the heat on during the day. Feels good.
Today I was underway at 0700 and didn’t stop. Across Albemarle Sound, into the Alligator River, and through the 20 mile long Alligator-Pungo Canal. I got out of the canal just as it was getting dark.
Tomorrow takes me closer to the coast, through Morehead City.
Boating Adventures 