11/05/2009, Offshore about 60 miles from Charleston, SC
Heading South Fall 09 XIII
Thursday, November 05, 2009 - 9 AM Offshore about 60 miles from Charleston, SC Water temperature 74 F
Offshore trips are always memorable. Some of them are better remembered than experienced. Salty sailors talk about having new material for Sea Stories as they lick their wounds. It's too soon to tell to predict how this one will be remembered. It's kind of like "Don't count your money till the dealing's done".
We averaged close to 6 K yesterday under sail on a downwind run. We turned off course 30 degrees to keep our speed up and to reduce the chance of an accidental jibe. The winds became light and variable about 7 PM and we cranked up the engine. By shift change at midnight, the wind was 30 degrees off our nose. Patti took over and I went to bed.
At 5 AM, the diesel stopped running. Patti woke me up to work on the engine while she sailed the boat. There was air in the Racor fuel filter and the engine stopped due to lack of fuel. The mystery now is why there was air in the Racor. We had been using the front tank and it appears there may be a problem with the vent in that tank. I switched to the aft fuel tank and after filling both filters with fuel, the engine started and ran smoothly. Never a dull moment.
By the time the engine was ready to run, the wind had picked up and our course was a close reach. After running the engine for awhile to make sure it was fixed, I shut it down and we went back to sailing. We are now on a reach doing over 6 K with a full main and staysail. The Monitor wind vane is steering the boat. It's a blue sky, dry air day out here. The wind is blowing 15 to 20 out of the NW. Every once in awhile a wave breaks over the bow and the spray flies over the boat. It's not cold but I'm wearing my foulies to keep from getting soaked.
With any luck, we'll be anchored in Charleston by 10 PM tonight. But then again "Don't count your money...........
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11/04/2009, About 15 miles offshore of Beaufort, NC
Heading South Fall 09 XII
Wednesday, November 04, 2009 - 10 AM About 15 miles offshore of Beaufort, NC Water temperature 70 F
We're offshore heading for Charleston, SC. We'll pass Frying Pan Shoals around midnight tonight and should arrive Charleston sometime Thursday evening/night. We're on a downwind run right now and rolling around a bit. Patti is asleep getting ready for shift work.
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A fellow boater sent us this picture that he took when we were passing him in the Dismal Swamp Canal last week. Notice the water color. The brown color is from tannin.
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