Day Six-Tuesday Dec 7-Heading Toward Beaufort, SC

Another chilly morning on the ICW.  Temps in the 20s and still the northwesterly winds bringing more cold air from our neighbors from the north.   I spoke to our buddies on FROST  BITES last night and they stayed in the ditch yesterday too.   They are about a day or so ahead of us now.   Two of the three delivery crew need to be back in Ct for work tomorrow.   So they have pushed a bit harder than us.

Today we hope to cover 150 miles or so.   We haven't decided on a destination as yet.  We may peek out at the Atlantic at one of the inlets to see what conditions look like.  Although the forecast is for more heavy winds that aren't supposed to abate until late today.  I feel that tomorrow will be soon enough to travel on the outside and make some good time.

We are starting down an area with numerous bridges that open due to low clearances.   Yesterday when we were approaching Charleston the bridge tender on the Ben Sawyer Bridge would not open for us.  The bridge had about 35 feet of clearance and our bridge roof was less than that with only our outriggers being too high.  He informed us that it is a Coast Guard regulation to lower the outriggers if the boat itself can make it through.  I had heard rumors about this mandate but hadn't experienced it prior to this trip.  So we will have to practice this procedure today.   This will also be the case down in Ft Lauderdale while traveling to and from our slip in the New River.   So I will have ample practice to get it down to a science.

Thanks to Beth for posting Kelly's great photos of our trip.   I hope she continues posting if we keep sending them from the boat each day.

Capt David

Added photos to previous posts

Now that Beth is back in Maryland she has uploaded photos to our posts from the past few days.  If you scroll back thru the postings since ALL THE TOYS left the Chesapeake on Day 1, you'll see some interesting photos courtesy of Kelly.

Day Five-Monday Dec 6-Heading to Charleston

It's Monday am and time to get back underway after a day off from running south.   Beth visited with her family who live closeby and Kelly and I washed the boat down.   After three days of travel she needed a bath for sure.   We also did some provisioning and passagemaking plans during the day.   We will stop in Charleston, SC tonight and give the weather a close look before venturing out into the Atlantic tomorrow.

Steady Hand at the Helm - Captain Dave

More to follow when we are secure in Charleston.

Captain David

We are in Charleston, SC at the Ashley Marina.   We arrived here about 2:30 or so.   Not much business for the marina with all the cold weather.   We ran the entire day inside the "ditch".   The winds are still pretty heavy so we decided to stay inside.   We may do the same tomorrow and run down to Thunderbolt in the "ditch" too.   From there we hope to make better time south on short hops outside where there isn't so many bridges and cutbacks.   It is very chilly here with temps in the 40's during the day and an expected low in the high 20's tonight.  Brrrrrrr!  Hope it gets warmer as we make our way to Florida.   Beth is back in Maryland and is trying to post some of our pictures on the blog.   Check it out later on.

TOYS on the Waccamaw River: Hurrying S to Warm FLA

Crew comments to follow.

Crew comments...that would be me, Kelly Jo!

Another wonderful sunrise and brisk day in the ditch! When I think of a ditch, I generally think of muddy water or a gravel trough alongside an old country road. So naturally I thought that the ICW was going to have somewhat unpleasant scenery. I mean who really wants to travel via a ditch? However, I have found it incredibly wonderful. The landscape changes frequently. For instance, this morning we left the Waccamaw River which had an eery barren and backwoods feeling...then this afternoon we passed several towns and homes along the channel that were distinctly South Carolina...later the water became a warm blue and on either side of the ditch were canals, bays, and sounds tucked away behind long sea grass blowing in the winter breeze. Besides the cold spell we seem caught in, we spotted many palms standing tall  along the channel banks. Dolphin sightings are getting more frequent. I think laughing dolphin-like squeaks of joy sound from me with each sighting...Today they were feeding right in front of our bow. It was so exciting.

The last ten to fifteen miles to Charleston were a little nerving. Our whole run down seemed to perfectly coincide with the leaving tide making for some really shallow spots along the ditch. At one point our depth sounder read 2.6 ft! Wow! I'm not sure I would ever want to run the ICW at night. Glad we are doing it during the day...and that I have a solid captain. I watched others scream on by...maybe that is why so many end up grounded.

Charleston is a neat historic city. Lots of young people and lots of beautiful boats! I bet it is wonderful in the summer months.

Day Four-Dec 5-Morehead City to Pawleys Island, SC

The days run yesterday was great.   We covered a lot of ground outside (in the Atlantic Ocean) which avoided a lot of the timed bridge openings along the way.  The boat and crew handled the 5 to 6 foot seas well.  We pulled into the Wacca Wache Marina about 4:15pm and secured the boat.   We plan to sit here until Monday morning as the weather forecast is for very breezy conditions and I do not want to venture out and risk crew safety or overtax the boat systems.   We have covered a lot of ground in the last three days more than I had anticipated.   So we are about a day ahead of my projected schedule.   All the more reason to take a lay day and rest up and clean the boat thoroughly.  

I will let the crew post their comments below.

Captain David


We departed Morehead City, NC (Point Lookout) at 7:30AM heading out to sea.  All weather forecasts were good.  We always check multiple sources:  NOAA buoys, Intellicast and Ocean Prediction Center.  Managed a 25kt speed as we set our course for Cape Fear, 90 miles SE of Pt. Lookout as the NC Coast curves away from the sea between those 2 points.  GORGEOUS day in the ocean!!  We were approximately 20-30nm (nautical miles) offshore with waves around 4-5' to start but then leveling out to 1-2' swells.  All the fishermen in the area out there with us were yakking on the VHF about what a beautiful day it was.  It really doesn't get any better than the conditions we had out there.

We arrived off Cape Fear around 11:30 and then set our course towards Little River Inlet at Calabash, NC (40nm).  The clouds started to thicken overhead and since we were only about 5-10nm offshore at Cape Fear, we were able to use our smart phones and check the forecast again.  Winds had been NNW and were expected to shift SW 15 late afternoon.  We would be tucked safe inside in the ICW before those winds and waves perked up.  Entered Little River around 12:30PM and made our way down "the ditch" towards Wacca Wache Marina.

d

TOYS' "Rooster Tailing" it Down "The Ditch"

Weather is expected to be perky tomorrow -- winds 15-20 -- so the Capt has decided to take a lay day (rest day) here.  I will depart the boat on Sunday afternoon for my return flight to BWI and back to the "daily grind".  It's been a fantastic trip on a fantastic boat!  I have full confidence that Capt Dave and Kelly will have a great finish to reach FLL.

First(& Last) Mate Beth

Day Three-Saturday, Dec 4 Morehead City, NC to Pawleys Island, SC

It's 6:40AM and we've got the engine heaters on and GPS warming up.  Looking at the NOAA forecasts the Capt has decided we're going to go offshore from here down to MYR (Little River Inlet).  Forecast is N 10-15 with 3'waves to start.  Winds are expected to diminish and waves drop to 2'.  Gale warnings offshore starting late tonight so we have a window of great weather to go outside (offshore) for about 110 miles.  This way we can travel faster and NO BRIDGES!!!  If we stay in "the ditch" today, we'd have 3-4 bridges that open on the hour and 1/2 hour.  Nice wind, waves and temps, so TOYS will frolic in the ocean today.

Cozy Berths in Marina near Calabash, NC on the ICW

We will be approx. 10 - 20 miles offshore so it's very safe for boat and crew.  Any boat going offshore has to have the proper insurance, which TOYS does.  Capt Dave of course has his USCG license, Beth has offshore certificate from Safety at Sea training, and Capt-in-Training Kelly has ASA (American Sailing Assoc) sailing certification, plus was born and raised in Alaska where she and her family had a 45' Nauticat sailboat and sailed Prince William Sound. 

Next stop is Wacca Wache marina in Pawleys Island where we'll be visiting with Beth's Dad and stepmother Barb, plus try and give TOYS a bath while the weather stays warm.  Today's hi is 53 in Pawleys and a balmy 48 tomorrow!  So much for the warm, sunny South...

Day Three-Saturday Evening.

Toys is in a slip at the Wacca Wache Marina close to Pawleys Island, SC.   The run outside of about 140 nm went well.   The winds were out of the NNW at about 15kts and seas were about 5 to 6 foot.   Toys performed well and we were able to average about 25kts for the whole trip.  We ducked back inside the Intracoastal Waterway at Little Rive Inlet and made our way south for about 40 miles to the marina.

TOYS Sitting Pretty at Wacca Wache Marina, Pawleys Island, SC

 More to follow tomorrow from captain and crew...

We spent most of the day on the outside as mentioned above. It was so refreshing to see deep blue again. I haven't seen blue water for a long time. On the outside, I enjoyed learning more about radar. With such wide open seas it was sometimes hard to see where the coastline ended and the blue horizon of open ocean started. It was probably one of the best days on the ocean anyone could ask for. We even passed by Cape Fear without fear! I'm glad to say that we didn't join the multitudes of vessels resting on the ocean floor all around Frying Pan Shoal.

Nearing our destination of Wacca Wache we watched  a sailboat ahead of us dodge what looked like a log in the river. I didn't think much about it, but Beth noticed this log was moving more than any normal log would in the current. It was a RACCOON! Who knew that raccoons could swim across a large river? I sure didn't. It was a little bitty guy. I am glad we slowed down because in the aftermath of our wake this little guy wouldn't have had a chance.

Looks like we have beat out the storms. Others are getting hammered around us but here at Wacca Wache we are tucked away. I highly recommend Wacca Wache Marina as well. Everyone here is very helpful and kind. I've decided I like southern hospitality. I'm learning the states are more diverse than I had thought.

Captain-in-training Kelly Jo

Day Two-Friday Dec 3rd Coinjock to Morehead City, NC

The crew had shore showers this morning at the marina.   We cast off our lines about 8:15am and started down the "ditch" toward Morehead City, North Carolina.   Winds were brisk and so were the temps!  NNW winds about 15 to 20kts keeping temps down in the 40's well into mid morning.   We made much better time today since we only had to wait for one bridge to open to let us through.  That was the Alligator River Bridge and it opens on demand.   So no worries there.

We lost track of our buddies on "Frostbites" as they had left the marina before we did.   However we had plenty of company along the way.  Several sailboats and a few powerboats slowly making there way south from places like Maine, Ontario and one from Austria.   They must have gotten a late start to be traveling south this late in the season.

We averaged about 20kts for today's run, covered about 150 miles and ended up in the "Portside Marina" here in Morehead City.   We fueled up "Toys" and are planning  to leave early in the morning so we can make it to Wacca Wache Marina just a bit south of Myrtle Beach, SC tomorrow evening.  

More to follow from the "Crew".

Captain David

ALL THE TOYS Crew: Capt-in-Training Kelly and First 'n Last Mate Beth

The crew appreciated the slow start this AM while we waited for daylight to get underway.  Since we're not familiar with these waters and "the ditch" has long stretches with no nav (navigation) aids whatsoever, you don't want to venture out in the dark.  It was OK to leave in the dark from Herrington Harbour South (HHS) yesterday as those are our home waters and we know where all the nav aids and shoals (shallow areas) are.

As the Capt said, winds were brisk and caused lots of waves on Abermarle Sound, the 1st big bay we transited today.  Winds were from the N so when we entered Abermarle we only had 2-3' waves.  By the time we got to the S shore and entered Alligator River, they had grown to 5'.  Not a good time to be below in the cabin where you really felt the "rolly-polly" rockin' ride!  The Alligator River Bridge is another "infamous" ICW spot.  It's a swing bridge - the middle part pivots to open or close -- and as it's wide open to the N, if the winds are blowing over 30kts, the bridge doesn't open, cause it wouldn't be able to close.

Sunset Light Show over NC Waters

Our next big open water area was Bay River and the Neuse River.  These run into Pamilco Sound which is the huge sound on the back side of NC's Outer Banks (Hatteras, Ocracoke, Nags Head).  Even though it's called a sound, it's more like part of the Atlantic Ocean as the fragile Outer Banks are the only thing between you and the sea.  We found a lot of "Bubba Gumps" here -- shrimp boats.  However, we had about 15 miles of wide open water and were able to get TOYS running at 28kts which helped us make good time.  If you're a sailor, like we are, going 28 kts and 150 miles in one day is unbelieveable!  :-)

When we arrived in Morehead City we fueled up and chatted with the dock hand and his faithful companion Dixon (black lab).  He told us there was a powerboat about 4 miles offshore (there's an inlet here that takes you right to the ocean) that had called them and was dragging in (yes, dragging!) an 80 inch blue fin tuna!!  The fish was too big for them to get on their boat so they were having to drag it.  Dock hand said it probably weighed about 300 lbs!  The blue fins run in the Fall and the yellow fins in the Spring.  Morehead City and Beaufort are fishing meccas.  Seems like everyone has a fishing boat here.

Dinner onboard was homemade turkey veggie soup and cornbread muffins.  With the obligatory glass of vino.  Finished the evening watching a movie and turned in early.  Want to head out around 7AM tomorrow for our run to Pawley's Island.  Weather forecasts sound favorable for an offshore 40 mile run from Cape Fear to Myrtle Beach (Little River Inlet).  Weather turns NASTY Sat PM so we will be safe and sound back in the ditch.

First & Last Mate Beth

Today I started to conquer my fear of the VHF radio. It's not that I have never used one before, but I find it awkward and unnatural. However, after hailing several bridge tenders it is getting easier and I think I might actually enjoy it now.

I'm surprised how rocky rivers and inland sounds can be. I had know idea that there was even this much water inland. It has been fun to join all the other boats heading South.

Besides enjoying all the awesome learning opportunities, I love exploring new places. We even saw dolphins this afternoon right as we hit MM 200. This was a first for me! 

Morehead City, NC. is a neat little town. I would like to come back here during the summer. I have a feeling things are hopping, especially the night life along the boardwalk. I definitely would reccommend this marina to others heading south.

Capt-in-training Kelly Jo

Day One Thurs, Dec 2 -Herrington Harbour South to Coinjock, NC

Captain and crew were up early, 4:30am.  Temps were in the 30's making releasing dock lines a bit of a challenge.   We left the slip at 5:15 and slowly made our way out of Herring Bay with the help of clear skies and a bright moon.   The heavy winds (NW 20 gusting to 30) died down overnight making it easy to get out of the slip and motor by moonlight the first hour.  Beautiful moon reflection on the water!

By sunrise we had made about ten or fifteen miles south toward Norfolk.   At 11:15am we were in Hampton Roads, Va!   The boat handled great!  We were turning about 1600rpm and doing about 20kts over the bottom.   Winds were out of the northwest at about ten to fifteen kts and waves were about 2 feet except for when we passed the mouth of the Potomac where they increased to 4 to 5 feet.   Temps were in the high 40's to low 50's with mostly sunny skies.

Warship Heading to Sea in Norfolk

Norfolk was bustling with commercial and military vessels. After passing three warships as they were coming out of Hampton Roads, we were told to slow down as to not make no wake and to make plenty of room for the submarine. That's right we saw a submarine and it was escorted by Coast Guard vessels and a few helicopters.

Submarine Following Warships out to Sea

Norfolk is where we entered the Inter-coastal Waterway (ICW) which is fondly referred to as "the ditch".  The challenge here is getting through 5 bridges that have to open on demand (1st bridge or on the hour (the 1 right after the one that opens on demand - who makes these decisions?!) and 3 others that open on the hour and 1/2 hour.   We probably lost about 1 hr waiting for the bridge openings.

BIG BIG anker, Teeny Tiny Bridge-- tugs pushing tanker thru small bridges in Portsmouth, VA

While waiting in one of the areas we hailed a powerboat in front of us on the VHF --42' Hatteras "FROST BITES".  Found out they're delivering that boat to Stuart, FL!  Their Capt is Capt Dave, too.  They encouraged us to follow them into Coinjock, NC (which was our desired final destination) as their Capt Dave is very familiar with "the ditch".  We were a bit concerned that we wouldn't get to Coinjock before dark.  We met up with them on the dock at Coinjock, and exchanged cell phone info.  ALL THE TOYS will stay in touch with them to FLA if we keep similar plans. 

FROST BITES was jealous that we have a fully enclosed bridge (the top part of the boat where you steer from) as they were quite cold all day.  We were in comfortable luxury!

Entering the Locks with our "FROST BITES" Friends at Great Bridge, VA

We pulled into the marina at Coinjock, NC at 5:15pm last night, topped off the fuel tanks and had a nice supper at the nearby restaurant.  The dock hand here was fantastic!  Very friendly and helpful even though he was looking to get off work at 6PM.  HIGHLY recommend the marina and restaurant.  

I will let the crew post their comments about the days run and some of the interesting military vessels we encountered along the way.

Captain Dave, Capt-in-Training Kelly and First/Last Mate Beth