Cruising on Ondine
Sailing with Jim and Shawn
| Vessel Name: | Ondine |
| Vessel Make/Model: | Bristol 39 - 1968 |
| Hailing Port: | Wicomico Church, Virginia, USA |
| Crew: | Jim Lamb, Shawn Lamb |
10 April 2022
Hospital Point, VA
We traveled only about 12 miles from Great Bridge to Hospital Point. We are 0.2 miles from the termination of the Atlantic ICW. We have traveled 1019 miles on the ICW south and 1019 north, plus extensive travels in the Bahamas.
10 April 2022
Great Bridge, VA
We had a nice trip up the Currituck Sound and stopped at the free dock in Chesapeake, VA. The dock is next to the bridge and lock at Great Bridge. It is an excellent lace to get off the boat and walk in the park.
10 April 2022
Great Bridge, VA
We had a nice trip up the Currituck Sound and stopped at the free dock in Chesapeake, VA. The dock is next to the bridge and lock at Great Bridge. It is an excellent lace to get off the boat and walk in the park.
08 April 2022
Broad Creek
Another long day, over 12 hours from Dowry Creek, up the Pungo River, the Pungo River -Alligator River Canal, Alligator River and across the Albemarle Sound.
06 April 2022
Dowry Creek Marina near Belhaven
We left Beaufort at first light and motorsailed our way north. The day started calm and we fought the current up Adams Creek to the Neuse River. We passed Oriental, and kept on truckin'. The wind picked up a bit as we reached the mouth of the river. By the time we exited Goose Creek and entered the [...]
Walburg to Laurel Hill
There are several ways to avoid the bridge. We chose a day-run out into the ocean. We left Walburg Creek after a beautiful and calm night in a well protected anchorage. Anchor was up before the sunrise and we headed carefully out into a calm ocean.
We motorsailed north. Our goal was to pass Hilton Head and enter Port Royal Inlet or St. Helena Sound, depending on our speed. The wind and tide were with us and we proceeded to St. Helena Sound. This allowed us to by-pass Savannah and Beaufort (pronounced bewfort in SC). That saved a day or two and a lot of switchbacks.
We chose to enter the sound and turn right up the Ashepoo River. This river greets you with the following remarks in Active Captain, "Charts Incorrect, This area is not as charted. Shoals are in very different places and may be have no water. Be very careful if you decide not to try the Ashepoo-Coosaw Cutoff. Take it very slowly and don't trust your charts.".
Well I started the day entering the ocean at St. Catherine’s Sound Inlet finding only 6 ft of water at high tide where there was supposed to be 10-12. No warning there. Was I about to have a serious problem on this little river? Probably not. We were entering with a rising tide and an extra 6 feet of water under us. I did follow the charts carefully and they seem to be exactly right. No problem if you use care. I would gladly go that way again.
An extra bonus was that we did not have to travel the Ashepoo-Coosaw Cut, which is in terrible shape for shoaling only a year after dredging. This set us up for a good start at high tide the next day. We did in one day a trip that could have taken 3 on the ICW.
We ended at Laurel Hill anchorage, just 3 miles from Watts Cut.
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