Firefly Log
5/15/2011 Arrived Oriental, NC with Firefly in tow around 1530. Weather unsettled and sky looked like it was hosting a battle between competing fronts. Winds SW around 15-20 kts. but dark clouds at higher altitudes swirled and raced across the sky in an apparent state of anger. Launched Firefly and took her out for a quick spin to Whittakers Creek where we met friends. The good news was that all systems, both mechanical and electronical, worked and this fine little vessel seems ready to make the 50 mile trip to Orcacoke Island. That will serve as our real sea trials before heading to Maine.
5/15/11 Oriental to Ocracoke Island
TD 0850 TA 1130 Fuel 12.5 EH 490.7 OD 52.5.
Left Oriental at 0850 under flat seas and sunny skies. Dominick Pagnatta led us over to Turnabout Bay which is across the Neuse river from Oriental and to the northeast about 15 miles. After turning into the bay, we entered an old canal with just enough depth for Firefly. The banks of the canal were sloped and overgrown with thick brush and alive with animals of the marsh. Birds and flies controlled the air space and the summer sounds of frogs and insects sang from the tall grass Upon exiting we entered Long Bay which led into West Bay and then to Pamlico Sound. Dominick headed west toward home and we headed toward a waypoint 15 miles NE of our position. Pamlicao Sound is very shoal and in the deepest part our fathometer read 18'. After reaching our waypoint, we turned toward the SE and skimmed across the Sound to the convoluted and narrow channel leading into Ocracoke's basin known as Silver Lake. The basin, around which many shops are located, was like a mill pond and our hotel/marina at the opposite end from the entrance. Ocracoke reminds me of communities like Vinalhaven or Martha's Vineyard, and the center of town is lined with low hanging trees and a narrow street typical of small island communities.
5/18/11 Ocracoke to Oriental
TD 0840 TA 1040 EH 492.7 OD 47.5 sm
Departed Ocracoke under sunny sky and flat seas. The few days spent there were wonderful, exploring this small community on bike and sampling delectable food. As we neared the end of the narrow channel we were squeezed to one side by an approaching ferry and felt our prop contacting the sandy bottom- a sickening sensation. However, it only lasted a few seconds and we lurched forward on our way back into Pamlico Sound. The trip was easy and relaxing as Firefly skimmed across The sound, out of the sight of land. Again, all systems appeared to be working admirably and I kept thanking my understanding wife for giving the affirmative nod a few years ago to splurge and buy the autopilot which seems so essential these days. Too quickly we were back in Oriental where I spent the rest of the day doing touch up, last minute tinkering. Tomorrow my son and a friend fly in and Friday the three of us will be off to the northeast while Lin drives the truck and trailer back to our horse farm in Southern Pines.
Norfolk, VA - Kent Narrows, MD
5/21/11 TD 0610. TA 1234 OD 137 nm (6023.6 nm) fuel 42 gal. AMS 24nm
Marina: Mears Point. Hotel: Holiday Inn Express
Greeted the new day at 0430 and met the crew in the lobby of Marriott Hotel at 0600. A short walk to the maria and we were underway 10 minutes later. Once again the weather gods were showing much kindness as we experienced a near perfect day with gentle northerly winds that barely caused whitecaps. Up and down the Chesapeake were scores of fishing boats, many of whom towed a pair of flagged objects the size of small beer kegs about 30 feet apart. We could not figure out their purpose but thought it could have to do with dragging a net for bait fish. We were all impressed by the many weekend fisherman in their small and open boats as well as the commercial crabbers and dozen or so large commercial vessels plying their way to ports in Philadelphia or Baltimore.
The first hour of this leg was quite smooth but the second hour saw the winds building and whitecaps forming. Firefly slammed and shuttered a couple of times but we adjusted the trim and speed until we reached a comfortable balance. An hour later, the wind and waves both dissipated and the Chesapeake was again flat and still. After arriving in Norfolk yesterday, I noticed some water in the bilge- not a lot - but enough to make me obsess on how it got there. Water inside an Arundel's wooden core is not a happy thought and causes nightmares that lead to madness or, at the very least, deep depression. After mopping up every drop last night after dinner, I waited until the end of today and am happy to report that the bilge was completely dry. This has caused much relief and put my obsessive nature temporarily to rest. Tomorrow we go 120 miles to Cape May and the good weather still looks to be holding. We'll see........
Kent Narrows, MD to Atlantic City, NJ
5/22/11. TD 0548 TA 1357 OD 150 Fuel 42 gal E/H 515.7 AMS 15.8 kts
We were under way as the sun rose as an orange ball and soon after was blocked by the gry and lasting clouds. Although the water was flat and we were in shorts when casting off, that quickly changed. By the time we arrived at the top of the Delaware Bay, the wind was blowing directly on our nose and the waves were kicking up. It became bouncy and wet. And during that crossing, three or four times the chart plotter decided that it wouldn't talk to the autopilot and the old, familiar "No Data" message appeared. The Delaware Bay is very shallow save for the commercial shipping lanes and consequently can get very nasty. Firefly behaved like a work horse and just kept going as we tweaked the trim and speed to make the crossing as comfortable as possible.
We arrived in Cape May in in late morning and decided to continue to Atlantic City. The seas were building and in spite of NOAA's predictions for SE winds, they hammered us on the nose from the NE. Somewhere between Cape May and Atlantic City, our radar quit working for no apparent reason. This will have to be resolved as it will likely be necessary when we get to Maine.
All in all a good day but a long one. Atlantic City is a hell hole and we are looking forward to getting an early start in the morning. Our plan is to go inside (ICW) because I discovered water in the fuel/water separator and don't want to chance getting stuck offshore. If it seems under control, we'll duck outside at the first chance.
Atlantic City to New York City
5/23/11. TD 0611 TA 1234 OD 97.4nm (5,622nm) E/H 522 Fuel 38.6 AMS 17.3kts
It was really nice to get out of Atlantic City, even under clouds, rain and fog. We stayed in the Trump Hotel and Marina and the place is like a movie set, flashy and made to look opulent, but behind the facade is a cheaply built and poorly maintained facility. The walls in the rooms were so thin that the college kids who were having a football game in the hallway sounded like they were in my room. The buffet in the hotel restaurant looked great but the mistake was tasting it; it makes the Golden Coral look like a 5 star establishment. I was awakened at 1:30 by a woman in the hall whining to her friend about her lousy husband; "Oh, he never appreciates me after all I've done for him, sob, sob". I yelled out, "quiet!" but it she kept on. So then I filled my 64 year old lungs to capacity and yelled out "QUUIIIEEETTT!!!" and she mercifully ended after muttering something.
Because I was concerned about water in my fuel tank, I called our club's official mechanic, Pete Guild, and decided to heed his advice and go inside the ICW to Manasquan. The trip turned out to be really nice; smooth, reasonably fast and only had a few no wake zones. Once we left Manasquan and turned out into the ocean for the last leg of the day, the seas were 3-4' but fairly comfortable because of their configuration. I stopped and drained water out of the racor filter 4 times and had to prime the engine each time. The other problem I encountered concerned the outdrive trim; the engine might be trimmed at 0 degrees and the trim display might read 4. The weird thing was that it would not trim below whatnot was reading. At one point, the triangular orange warning light came on but before I could get the owners manual to see what it meant, it reset. I'm not sure what that was all about.
We arrived at The North Cove marina in NYC which is very close to ground zero and are staying at the New York Yacht Club for the night. It's always a pleasure to be here and to be surrounded by such beautiful paintings, models and furnishings.
The Snug Harbor Marina is a throwback to the 1950's. Small, family owned, a little run down but absolutely charming and genuine. The restaurant, located in the front of an old cinderblock storage building that's badly in need of paint, is 20 feet from the marina office and opens at 5:00am. It offers a limited but protein rich breakfast which we eagerly sampled.
As we approached the Cape Cod Canal, dozens of small fishing boats congregated at the west entrance and we noticed a swift current against us. This must have been the manifestation of the mysteries of fishing where art and science blend into a discipline of their own. Tides, currents, wind, moon phase, water temperature and fish migration randomly converge and create perfect natural conditions for the angler.
Oriental, NC - Norfolk, VA
TD 0646. TA 1545 OD 181 sm (6,029). Fuel 44 gal. AMS 22.3 mph
Marina- Waterside Marina. Hotel- Marriott Waterside
Calm weather and flat water prevailed throughout the day and the geography was perfect as I'm re-readig Pat Conroy's book, "The Prince of Tides", which takes place in a small southern coastal community much like the ones we passed today. We watched fisherman setting nets for flounder and crabbers hauling pots in the brackish water we skimmed across. The marsh grass looked golden and it seemed to go forever. To get to Norfolk, you get a good introduction to NC rivers. They are impressive in both number and size but not so much in depth, averaging around 16'. We left Oriental on the Neuse River, turned into Bay River, then the Pamlico River, which eventually led us to the Pungo River, Alligator River, North River and finally the Elizabeth River.
The only complaint this type A personality had today was having to wait for bridges and a lock to open, as well as a construction barge to move out of the way, for northbound traffic. When we arrived in Norfolk it seemed like a culture shock; we had traveled from a small quiet community to a busy port, filled with iron and steel ships of every description. We first encountered commercial ships and tugs, then naval vessels and fast harbor patrol boats. The marina is next to a park and as I write, there is live music and this little corner of the city is alive with a youthful exuberance that I have not seen in some time. Not a bad place to be.
Norfolk, VA - Kent Narrows, MD
5/21/11 TD 0610. TA 1234 OD 137 nm (6023.6 nm) fuel 42 gal. AMS 24nm
Marina: Mears Point. Hotel: Holiday Inn Express
Greeted the new day at 0430 and met the crew in the lobby of Marriott Hotel at 0600. A short walk to the maria and we were underway 10 minutes later. Once again the weather gods were showing much kindness as we experienced a near perfect day with gentle northerly winds that barely caused whitecaps. Up and down the Chesapeake were scores of fishing boats, many of whom towed a pair of flagged objects the size of small beer kegs about 30 feet apart. We could not figure out their purpose but thought it could have to do with dragging a net for bait fish. We were all impressed by the many weekend fisherman in their small and open boats as well as the commercial crabbers and dozen or so large commercial vessels plying their way to ports in Philadelphia or Baltimore.
The first hour of this leg was quite smooth but the second hour saw the winds building and whitecaps forming. Firefly slammed and shuttered a couple of times but we adjusted the trim and speed until we reached a comfortable balance. An hour later, the wind and waves both dissipated and the Chesapeake was again flat and still. After arriving in Norfolk yesterday, I noticed some water in the bilge- not a lot - but enough to make me obsess on how it got there. Water inside an Arundel's wooden core is not a happy thought and causes nightmares that lead to madness or, at the very least, deep depression. After mopping up every drop last night after dinner, I waited until the end of today and am happy to report that the bilge was completely dry. This has caused much relief and put my obsessive nature temporarily to rest. Tomorrow we go 120 miles to Cape May and the good weather still looks to be holding. We'll see........
Kent Narrows, MD to Atlantic City, NJ
5/22/11. TD 0548 TA 1357 OD 150 Fuel 42 gal E/H 515.7 AMS 15.8 kts
We were under way as the sun rose as an orange ball and soon after was blocked by the gry and lasting clouds. Although the water was flat and we were in shorts when casting off, that quickly changed. By the time we arrived at the top of the Delaware Bay, the wind was blowing directly on our nose and the waves were kicking up. It became bouncy and wet. And during that crossing, three or four times the chart plotter decided that it wouldn't talk to the autopilot and the old, familiar "No Data" message appeared. The Delaware Bay is very shallow save for the commercial shipping lanes and consequently can get very nasty. Firefly behaved like a work horse and just kept going as we tweaked the trim and speed to make the crossing as comfortable as possible.
We arrived in Cape May in in late morning and decided to continue to Atlantic City. The seas were building and in spite of NOAA's predictions for SE winds, they hammered us on the nose from the NE. Somewhere between Cape May and Atlantic City, our radar quit working for no apparent reason. This will have to be resolved as it will likely be necessary when we get to Maine.
All in all a good day but a long one. Atlantic City is a hell hole and we are looking forward to getting an early start in the morning. Our plan is to go inside (ICW) because I discovered water in the fuel/water separator and don't want to chance getting stuck offshore. If it seems under control, we'll duck outside at the first chance.
Atlantic City to New York City
5/23/11. TD 0611 TA 1234 OD 97.4nm (5,622nm) E/H 522 Fuel 38.6 AMS 17.3kts
It was really nice to get out of Atlantic City, even under clouds, rain and fog. We stayed in the Trump Hotel and Marina and the place is like a movie set, flashy and made to look opulent, but behind the facade is a cheaply built and poorly maintained facility. The walls in the rooms were so thin that the college kids who were having a football game in the hallway sounded like they were in my room. The buffet in the hotel restaurant looked great but the mistake was tasting it; it makes the Golden Coral look like a 5 star establishment. I was awakened at 1:30 by a woman in the hall whining to her friend about her lousy husband; "Oh, he never appreciates me after all I've done for him, sob, sob". I yelled out, "quiet!" but it she kept on. So then I filled my 64 year old lungs to capacity and yelled out "QUUIIIEEETTT!!!" and she mercifully ended after muttering something.
Because I was concerned about water in my fuel tank, I called our club's official mechanic, Pete Guild, and decided to heed his advice and go inside the ICW to Manasquan. The trip turned out to be really nice; smooth, reasonably fast and only had a few no wake zones. Once we left Manasquan and turned out into the ocean for the last leg of the day, the seas were 3-4' but fairly comfortable because of their configuration. I stopped and drained water out of the racor filter 4 times and had to prime the engine each time. The other problem I encountered concerned the outdrive trim; the engine might be trimmed at 0 degrees and the trim display might read 4. The weird thing was that it would not trim below whatnot was reading. At one point, the triangular orange warning light came on but before I could get the owners manual to see what it meant, it reset. I'm not sure what that was all about.
We arrived at The North Cove marina in NYC which is very close to ground zero and are staying at the New York Yacht Club for the night. It's always a pleasure to be here and to be surrounded by such beautiful paintings, models and furnishings.
New York City to Snug Harbor, RI
5/24/11 TD 0650 TA 1536 OD 132nm (5,755nm) Fuel 37
EH 528.7 AMS 21.2
It was as hard to leave the New York Yacht Club this morning as it was easy to leave the Trump Hotel the day before. We motored out of New York Harbor under overcast skies and threaded our way through the back door leading into Long Island Sound; up the East River, past Rikers Island and around Suny Maritime. As we passed Rikers Island and saw jets landing at LaGaurdia, we couldn’t help but think of Strauss-Kahn who attempted to leave via the one but ended up in the other. Once in the Sound, we went directly to McMichael’s Boatyard in Mamaroneck and had the fuel sampled for water contamination. The good news is there seems to be very little in the tank but I’m still left with the nagging question about how it got there. It had to be either bad fuel or a leaky fuel fill. After 1 ½ hours we were off, but this time in fog that looked like it was made in Maine – thick and heavy. Nevertheless, we hummed along at a prudent speed and were aided by our radar that functioned the whole day. As the afternoon started to wear on and conditions became bumpier with 3-4 seas, we went into Snug Harbor, just west of Pt. Judith, RI. The marina we’re in has to be taken from a picture postcard and across the bay in Galilee you see lots and lots of commercial fishing boats which make the shrimp fleet in Darien, GA look tiny. I am sorry to have forgotten Lin’s camera, which could have captured this rare and beautiful sight, but it will be etched in my memory for a long time to come.
Snug Harbor, RI to Kennebunkport
5/25/11 TD. 0635 TA 1505 OD. 176nm (5,931) Fuel 50 EH. 537
AMS. 23.6kts
Snug Harbor, RI to Kennebunkport
5/25/11 TD. 0635 TA 1505 OD. 176nm (5,931) Fuel 50 EH. 537
AMS. 23.6kts
The Snug Harbor Marina is a throwback to the 1950's. Small, family owned, a little run down but absolutely charming and genuine. The restaurant, located in the front of an old cinderblock storage building that's badly in need of paint, is 20 feet from the marina office and opens at 5:00am. It offers a limited but protein rich breakfast which we eagerly sampled.
As we poked Firefly's nose out of the harbor and into the waters of Pt. Judith, we weren't sure what to expect regarding weather. NOAA has missed several times on this trip and today we listened to predictions for rain, N to E winds, seas building 3-4 feet and occasional thunder. It turned out that today was one of the few perfect days you rarely get. Flat, gently heaving seas, sun and light wind characterized the conditions the entire way.
As we approached the Cape Cod Canal, dozens of small fishing boats congregated at the west entrance and we noticed a swift current against us. This must have been the manifestation of the mysteries of fishing where art and science blend into a discipline of their own. Tides, currents, wind, moon phase, water temperature and fish migration randomly converge and create perfect natural conditions for the angler.
The canal, both entering and exiting, was tame and gentle, the polar opposite of my last experience when, at 3:00 in the morning, our 38' sailboat was in such turbulent conditions that it pitched for 45 minutes, burying its nose deep into steep seas and, as it fell off every wave, ventilated its prop. Water had gushed in through the hawsepipe, flooded the bilge and blew out our radar which, unfortunately, had a connection under the floor boards.
Heading NE, we saw blue lights off Scituate streaking toward us; the Coast Guard decided to board and check our safety equipment. 15 minutes later, we were on our way and no ticket, just a couple more compliments on the style and design of our boat. I asked them how they select boats to board and they confided that, during the hot summer months, they choose the ones with the pretty girls.
As we passed Gloucester, we decided to head for Star Island, which is among the Isles of Shoals, and took a spin around its picturesque harbor.
We arrived in Kennebunkport a half hour later, to little fanfare. We expected the breakwater to be lined 3 or 4 deep with cheering, waving and whistling well-wishers, but they must have been expecting us tomorrow. No press boats rushing to greet us at the entrance marker, no brass bands, no ticker tape parade and no newspaper interviews. Very disappointing considering that we logged 852 nm in 6 days. Perhaps we'll sneak out before daylight tomorrow morning and come back in so we don't disappoint them.
My final comments concern Firefly. This little vessel has received at least a dozen compliments on this trip alone and once again has verified its reputation as a reliable and lovely vessel with a seaworthy design, sea-kindly response and beautiful, graceful lines. She represents the best in design, construction and performance and remains in a class by herself.
Totals:
Overall Time: 6 Days Sea Time: 40.75 hours Nautical Miles: 852 (980sm) Fuel: 254 gals. Engine Hours: 46 Average Moving Speed: 20.9kts (24mph)
Overall Time: 6 Days Sea Time: 40.75 hours Nautical Miles: 852 (980sm) Fuel: 254 gals. Engine Hours: 46 Average Moving Speed: 20.9kts (24mph)
