Total: 2117.4 miles, 328.2
hours
The winds really
picked up overnight. Even in this
protected harbor surrounded by 3-storied buildings and tall trees, the boat
healed at the dock. The wind also blew
the enclosure, making the chain, that weighs it down the bottom of the enclosure,
clang onto the seats periodically through the night. It was loud enough to wake me each time it
clanged.
We were ready for departure around 8 am, but
needed transfer to fuel dock for a fill-up before entering the lock. By 8:30 we
were once again heading north.
Pete has another
work project that will take all morning, so I spent it at the wheel. The current and wind were against us for most
of the day. Crossing the Port Royal Sound was messy and slow. Once we were heading up the Beaufort River,
the current was in our favor.
Our instruments
on the pedestal are giving us problems.
The RPM needle no longer works. Pete pulled it apart and cleaned the
contacts. It worked for about 5 minutes then quit again. We set the engine
speed by what sound about right. The volt meter seems to be misrepresenting the
readings, but we have confirmed that we are indeed charging the batteries while
motoring. We also have to watch the
engine temperature. It seems to vary a
few degrees up and down when we are cruising. This is concern and Pete plans to
change the engine impeller once we are in Charleston. We constantly have steam
coming out the exhaust and when the engine is straining, we see black
smoke. We probably need to have the
rings checked/replaced on the engine once we are home.
I mentioned this because as we approached
Beaufort, I needed to increase the RPMs to make the noon opening of the Ladies
Island Bridge. Instead, I slowed down to
time the 12:30 opening. As I was slowly
making my way north, a tug came up behind me. I asked him to pass, explaining
that I was trying to time my arrival with the 12:30 opening. Once he passed and put about 1000 feet in
front of me, he called to let me know that he was going through the bridge and
I could follow him. I called the
bridge tender, who said I could pass as long as I was right behind the tug. I
increased speed, but there was no way I could close the distance. I backed it
down and told the bridge tender I would wait for the 12:30 opening. Looking at all the traffic backed up on the bridge
once it was closed again, she probably should have let me pass a minute behind
the tug rather than 14 minutes later, stop current bumper-to bumper traffic
again for another 5 minutes for me to pass, backing traffic up even further. I
know, I know…there are rules to follow.
The skinny areas
were not a problem this afternoon as the tide was up. Green marker 177 on the
Ashepoo Cut still looks like it will be high and dry at low tide. We made sure that we gave it a wide berth.
As we approached
B & B, Elijah was waiting for us on the dock. Once secure, Pete took Bailey
for her walk and I went in to pay up and buy 3 pounds of fresh, off-the-boat
this morning, shrimp and Texas Pete’s Cocktail Sauce. Pete wanted some shrimp cocktail for dinner
tonight and I didn’t have horse radish to make the cocktail sauce.
I pealed all the
shrimp and put 1/3 in to boil, and two other packages into the freezer. The cocktail sauce was really good and dinner
… YUM!
B & B is not
a marina. It is a working dock for shrimpers. Hence, it has no facilities,
water, electric, or wifi, but a great deal for fresh shrimp! With the changes in Garmin and Active
Captain, there are no recommendations anymore for here. It is a shame, as it is a great place to
stop, especially with a dog. Just
yesterday, Garmin/Active Captain set out an email stating that starting May 23
will launch their new site. We will make
sure that our recommendation for B & B will get entered.
After dinner we
read, Bailey was walked, and we called it a night.
~ ~ ~ /) ~ ~ K & P
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