Norfolk, VA
To see as much of the world as we can,
Using the smallest carbon footprint we can,
Spending the least amount of money we can,
Making as many friends we can.
The Elizabeth River and the Norfolk waterfront.
A cute little yawl that sailed by yesterday.
Today we fixed the fuel tank sender. Instead fo complicated math, the fuel gauge works again.
Also, we saw this, today.
That's some kind of big Navy ship being pushed up the Elizabeth …
Nauticus Sailing in the Elizabeth River.
You can see from the reflections on the water that conditions were super calm.
Yesterday, going ashore, we met four sailors we knew. And waved at some others we'd seen in the ICW heading north. It's amazing to continue to run into folks …
Started: The free dock near the Great Bridge bridge, 36°43.25′N 076°14.26′W, ICW mile 12.
Anchored: Hospital Point, Norfolk, 36º50.61'N 076º17.93'W, ICW mile 0.
Log: 12 mi. Time: 5 hr. Engine: 5 hr.
Norfolk. Our home port. And for good reason.
Started: Coinjock Marina, 36°20.87′N 075°56.96′W, ICW mile 50.
Docked: The free dock near the Great Bridge bridge, 36°43.25′N 076°14.26′W, ICW mile 12.
Log: 38 mi. Time: 6 hr. Engine: 6 hr.
Except for some drama, today featured a …
Started: Alligator River, 35°40.49′N 076°03.50′W, ICW mile 99.
Docked: Coinjock Marina, 36°20.87′N 075°56.96′W, ICW mile 50.
Log: 50 mi. Time: 8½ hr. Engine: 8½ hr.
We started at mile 1095 on the Atlantic ICW on 22 April. We're …
Started: Bonner Bay, 35°09.61′N 076°35.65′W, ICW mile 159.
Anchored: Alligator River, 35°40.49′N 076°03.50′W, ICW mile 99.
Log: 50 mi. Time: 9¾ hr. Engine: 9¾ hr.
The day started with an odd squawking or shrieking. Likely a bird in …
Started: Beaufort Town Dock, 30°40.24′N 081°28.17′W, ICW mile 204
Anchored: Bonner Bay, 35°09.61′N 076°35.65′W, ICW mile 159
Log: 45 mi. Time: 8 hr. Engine: 4 hr.
The rain was real "wrath of God" rain. Not figuratively, but literally …
We've lost our fuel tank sender. It doesn't report anything below about ½ tank. It simply drops from ½ to "not working at all" mode. I looked at it with my trusty multimeter. It is dead.
It's a standard Teleflex sender. Nothing special; easy to replace.
But.
Until we replace …
Started: Fernandina Harbor Marina Moorings, 30°40.24′N 081°28.17′W
Anchored: Fort Macon, near Beaufort, NC, 34°42.10′N 076°41.14′W
Log: 358 nm. Time: 60 hr. Engine: 60 hr. Fuel 36.7 Gal.
Part I — except for the fuel gauge — went flawlessly. Since …
Started: Coconut Grove near Dinner Key Marina, 25°42.92′N 080°13.63′W
Moored: Fernandina Harbor Marina Moorings, 30°40.24′N 081°28.17′W
Log: 304 nm. Time: 60 hr. Engine: 60 hr. Fuel: 56 gal.
Even when stuff started breaking, this was still an epic …
"...That I shall say good night till it be morrow."
Today: laundry, last-minute supplies, weather.
We'll miss Miami. In particular, the last two nights were beautiful. The three of four days previous, however, were gusty and crappy. The Dinner Key Mooring field is a world of extremes: flip-flopping between …
We had an amazing storm this morning: 45 kt gusts. Quite alarming to hear that racket inside Red Ranger. The mooring lines held: Dep Chief David gave us some old firehose which we cut up to make chafe guards. Nothing on deck was damaged: we try not to leave things …
Thursday the 17th WX info:
--N-bound vessels Bahamas-Florida and the long US ECoast should enjoy benign weather beginning Mon21 or (may be more likely) Tue22 With benign weather (either little wind or maybe modest favorable wind) thru about Sat26 or Sun27.
Sweet!
This doesn't go as far into the future …
I think we've done our last Biscayne Bay day sail. Our next sailing day(s) will be our passage north.
Here's the video of this week's outing: Sailing Day II.
Here's a video from last month's outing: Sailing Day.
Here's the weather forecast summary that we're looking at …
Sometimes we do things that are completely stupid. Sometimes less completely stupid. And once in a while, we make something good out of something abysmally dumb.
The filler for the fuel is in a low-spot on the starboard side of the deck, almost as low as the scupper drain. That …
We're closing in on time to start migrating north for the summer. We have to be north of Cumberland Island, GA, in about six weeks. The Commodore has said that we'll be leaving Miami in about three weeks. We're looking at several big challenges on this voyage.
The leg to …
We flew to the San Francisco area this week. The trip is epic because it reflects some of the decisions we made before buying Red Ranger. It illuminated some of our previously dim understanding.
Some years ago — never mind how long precisely…
The full quote: "Some years ago--never mind how …
Learning a new place is exciting. Indeed, when living on a boat, it's an essential skill. But it's also a ton of fun. How do we learn a place? I think there are a few phases.
Phase I. Find Something. Anything.
You don't know where things are. You don't even …
Coping with operator error is difficult.
The ColRegs (The International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea) are required on boats. Rule 20 describes when lights must be used (sunset to sunrise and restricted visibility). Rule 25 describes lights to be used on sailing vessels.
We have both version of the …
It's time for our weekly sailing outing. Questions were raised. Answers, however, are not forthcoming.
The winds from about 120° (something like ESE or maybe SE by E) at 10 to 11 kt here in the mooring field. Once out in the bay, the winds were actually 15 kts gusting …