Too much fun - Boat Shows to Bahamas edition

It's been a busy couple of months and, I admit it, I've been careless about keeping up the blog with so many other things to do...like enjoying the warm Florida sunshine...so...

A quick recap - after the Sail to the Sun ICW Rally ended in Miami in mid December, I spent a couple of weeks recuperating at No Name Harbor. I then cruised back north to Cocoa Florida, where I am still, to park the boat while Aduana and I went up to the Toronto Boat Show. It was great fun to meet up with so many of you there, and also later on at the Miami Boat Show.
Returning from my annual dose of winter weather, I got to work on some deferred maintenance issues - as in VERY deferred maintenance, like repairing a soft foredeck.

Lesson learned - when you install a windlass, or do any sort of work that involves breaching the deck's fiberglass skin, always drill out the area, fill with resin, and redrill the holes. Otherwise you end up with a very challenging repair job a couple or so years down the line. I should have known better, so now you can learn from my experience.
On the bright side, my Quik windlass is now very strongly mounted on a very solid foredeck, and the electrical connections have all been upgraded. I'm quite pleased, even if it did take what seemed like forever. Ok, I've been taking life easy....I admit it. That's what you're supposed to be doing, out here, when you're not fixing your boat.
The next must-do project is a new genoa, using a Sailrite kit. Some of you will remember I also sewed my own mainsail several years ago. This project will be a lot easier with that experience behind me. Be watching for an article in Cruising World on this project in the future.
For those planning on doing the ICW, this next item will be something of interest - in September's Sailing South issue of Cruising World, be watching for my article on 'the Highs and Lows of the ICW'.

This article will address the issues of bridge heights and shoaling problems on the ICW. With cruisers purchasing larger, 'ICW friendly' boats, masts are now very commonly over 60 feet off the water, with the controlling height of the ICW supposedly being 65'. Well, that isn't quite true, and I'll be discussing it, and how to deal with the problems of low bridges and tall masts.
As well, I'll be discussing the current state of ICW shoaling, the problem areas and how to deal with them.
If you, or anyone you know, is planning an ICW voyage, this will be a must have issue - and I told my editor I'd tell y'all that! Don't let me down!

The 2017 Sail to the Sun ICW Rally is coming along very well, with just under a third of the available slots sold as of the beginning of March.

I've upgraded the site so that you can now sign up and pay directly from the site, along with other changes promised last year - so you see, I really haven't been that lazy after all. 

As in years past, we will have the one day Annapolis seminar, the great parties, the sundowners, touring and all the rest of that great stuff that makes doing the ICW so enjoyable. For more details, check out the 2017 Sail to the Sun ICW Rally page. 

The Rally is so enjoyable in fact that I will let Sail to the Sun ICW Ralliers Frank and Mary Grace Stitch tell you about the S2tS ICW Rally Reunion held recently in the Exumas. Several of the Ralliers who were stateside flew in for the event, and...well, here's the link to Let It Be's blog article - Sail to the Sun Rally Reunion. Just to give you a taste of the fun these guys are having, the photos here are from Marg's blog above, linked here again.

S2tS Rally members hanging out...

Tom and Louise in the Exumas...

This particular Rally group has been hanging together since the rally formally ended in Miami in mid-December. Several of them crossed the Gulf Stream as a group, and they've been meeting up in the Abacos and Exumas for the last several months - snorkelling, sailing, dining aboard each other's boats, dining out, basically destroying their livers if you really want to know...but they've been having a blast.
This is of course what a Rally is supposed to be about - the cameraderie of good friends having a great time together. I cannot tell you how proud I am to see this....and almost as proud as I was when I found out from the group's FB page that they were entering the races in George Town, Exumas, as the Sail to the Sun ICW Rally team! They placed third in their class, which was pretty darn good I think - and rumour has it that had they not taken time to sit down for lunch together rather than tend the sheets, they just might have come in first. This is a bunch that understands what the priorities are!

That's it for now - as always, you can follow the adventures of Aduana and myself via the Sailing and Cruising page on Facebook.

S2tS Ralliers snorkelling over the reefs

The Great White North - aka Toronto Boat Show

Hi everyone - for those of you attending the Toronto Boat Show, I've appended my speaking schedule below. Hope to meet lots of you while I'm there - please don't be shy about introducing yourself. Neither Aduana nor I bite!
If you're planning on doing the ICW this coming fall, don't miss the two hour seminar - it's got lots of the information you need to know. For those for whom the ICW is more distant, the one hour seminar will probably satisfy your current needs, and you can get back out quickly to buy more boat stuff!
This year, I've got a new seminar, on the Bahamas, how to cruise them, how to get there, provisioning and just a whole bunch of useful tips to help you enjoy yourself in that turquoise paradise.
If Cuba is in your plans, check out my Cuba seminar, in which I discuss how to enjoy your time there, as well as some of the quirks of this superb cruising grounds.
Naturally, there's lots of time for your questions, with a Q&A session after every seminar. And if that's not enough time for all the questions, there's a couple of on-site pubs we can head off to after the seminar! Not quite sundowners, but close enough...
I'll have copies of each of my seminars available on DVD for sale after each presentation. Remember, each purchase helps keep me out of Canada from October to April, doing this neat cruising stuff that I get to share with you at seminars and here on LiveBlogging.
Note - if you're interested in the 2017 Sail to the Sun ICW Rally, I'll be available to speak with you anytime during the show that I'm not speaking, eating, drinking or sleeping. Ok, scratch drinking from that...
We are already 20% subscribed for this year's Rally - if you're interested, don't hesitate to get your deposit in to guarantee your place. For more details on the Rally, click through to Sail to the Sun ICW Rally

The Rally That Just Won't End!

Well, we made it to Miami, those for whom Miami was the goal anyhow, on December 12 as planned. A few of the boats stopped earlier, having reached their winter destinations, or to tie up their boat to go home for Christmas.

We then had a great last blast at the Coconut Grove Sailing Club in, where else, Coconut Grove in Miami. Beautiful spot, beautiful views, great meal! Thanks to Commodore Janice and the staff, who helped make it such a great time.

Let me back up now a bit before getting to what's going on now.

The Sail to the Sun ICW Rally had a great time exploring Savannah and area before heading out into a lovely warm day on the ICW. There were stops at Fort Frederica, Jekyll Island, Cumberland Island, St. Mary's for a great Cruisers' Thanksgiving dinner with over 100 other cruisers heading south. Then we were on to Fernandina Beach, with the city, after Hurricane Matthew, finally getting round to providing a dinghy dock for those anchored out. Fernandina is one of my favourite stops in Florida.
From there, it was on to St. Augustine, a proverbial favourite for all. You can see how well that went from this video featuring our Sail to the Sun ICW Rally Dancing Queens singing at karaoke....
and we spent several days there before continuing south to Cocoa.
Note - the rumours of my having sang 'It's a Beautiful World' in the style of Louis Armstrong are entirely false, and there is no video of such an event - and neither did I pay to purchase any non-existent video of something that never really happened. Honest!

Our local hangout - Ryans Pizza Pub!

On to Cocoa... as they did last year, Cocoa rolled out the red carpet for the Rally, with a swag bag including a great burgee, a mayor's reception, and some great dinners. There was also a tour of the Kennedy Space Center which everyone just loved, another of local brew pubs (!) and several nights out for dinner at some great restaurants. It was with some sadness that we departed Cocoa. The great reception and the friendly locals are always a highlight here.
Now a hint - look for the Cocoa event to be even BIGGER in 2017, with some events planned for all cruisers, not just the ralliers. Look for a special two day event....with a major media sponsor and things happening that will be of interest to everyone in your crew. This will be a 'don't you dare miss it' kind of event in other words.

So the day after our closing dinner at Coconut Grove, I and Mauna Kea headed off to No Name Harbor. They needed some sewing on their dodger and I needed a haircut. I only wish my sewing was the equal of the great haircut I got... (thank you again Laurie!).

Sweet Pea on a buoy from the Bahamas....

Then, what do our wondering eyes does appear , not reindeer - but Valentine, Blue Lady, Sweet Pea and Let It Be - four of the other rally boats that were in Miami. Suddenly, No Name Harbor looks like a Sail to the Sun Rally Reunion, as everyone waits for a window to cross over to the Bahamas.
And this wasn't happening just in No Name. Back in Daytona, Reflections II and Osprey were getting together and planning to finish their trip south before crossing over. Several of the group were ensconced in Marathon, enjoying life in Boot Key Harbor. This group was really hanging together...and my liver was suffering badly as a result!

Finally, the big day - night really - came, and I woke up to an empty harbor, since I won't be leaving for the Bahamas until after the Toronto Boat Show. 

(You can see my schedule for speaking there from the link - I'll be discussing the trip south from the Great Lakes to Miami via the ICW, and also Cuba, and a new seminar this year, Cruising the Bahamas!)
I was able to watch the fleet's progress to Bimini via their AIS units and it was truly interesting to see how well they did for first timers heading over. The conditions were challenging for the first third, laid down a bit for the second third and were positively great for the last part of the crossing.
So, another fun filled, safe and successful Sail to the Sun ICW Rally comes to an end. I'm already missing these folks as they continue to Sail to the Sun! Fair winds....
UPDATES:
As noted, I'm speaking in Toronto during the boat show there later this month. Don't miss it if you're in Toronto and be sure to introduce yourself.
The Sail to the Sun ICW Rally website has been updated with information on the 2017 ICW Rally, and we already have three boats and crews signed up to go. Don't wait if your plans include heading south this fall, as this year's Rally will be even better - see the 'hint' above, along with some other exciting details I'm working on now. If you'd like a Rally brochure, email me at ICW.Wally@gmail.com and put Rally Brochure in the subject line.
Until your trip south, here's some photos of the 2017 crew to 'whet' your appetite until you wet your hull!

They look like they're up to something!

There's sailing and there's how Let It Be sails

Our Bloody Mary delivery on Thanksgiving Morning at St. Mary

The crew of Blue Lady

Captain of Blue Lady...

Frivolity in Cocoa!

Luxury Living on the ICW

Today's blogpost is about what has unexpectedly become one of the highlights of this trip. 

While planning the Sail to the Sun ICW Rally stops, I began to panic when I came to organizing the Savannah section. It seemed that no marina could take more than five boats, and two told me flat out that they wouldn't even consider reservations until ten days to two weeks before our arrival.
When you're booking for 20 boats, that makes it time to panic.

Then, out of the blue, I get a message on Facebook from Ted Arisaka, a member of Windmill Harbor Marina on Hilton Head Island. Why not bring the Rally into Windmill Harbor, a lovely marina protected by a lock? What an idea? Could this marina handle the group?

Well, not only could they handle the group, they rolled out the red carpet for us and made everyone a huge fan of what can only be described as one of the nicest marinas I've ever stayed at. Well, everyone but Let It Be, Frank and Mary Grace's 44 foot catamaran, which couldn't fit in the lock. They took a slip at Skull Creek Marina, about a mile or so away.
The Rally crew started rolling into the anchorage outside Windmill Harbor shortly after noon, waiting their call to enter the lock. Because of the depths in the entrance, the shallow draft boats entered first, and were directed to their slips while the rest of the group waited patiently at anchor. One by one, we entered and cleared the lock until we were all tied up at our assigned slip in perfectly still waters with no tide at all. How pleasant is that? It reminded me of the Great Lakes, not having to worry about tide.
Then the fun started. Ted and his lovely wife Patti hosted a pizza party (24 pies!) at his home that evening, while everyone oohed and aahed at the view. Just spectacular, as you can see.

That's Ted behind those pizza boxes!

The following day, most of the group headed out for Savannah to explore. Others just hung out and enjoyed the yacht club and facilities, which were made available for our group - bar, dining, tennis, gym and sailing.  I could get used to living like this.
Most of us ended up dining in the clubhouse that evening after a (very) happy hour at the bar and, as expected, the food was delicious - and very well priced too I have to add. 

Wednesday, they had some small boat racing on Harbor 20s planned, but the wind didn't co-operate. A few folks headed for the pool instead. Others in the group were enjoying community and home tours of the 'plantation', as it's known. Some even did laundry - dedicated souls that they are, I salute them while in my getting kind of filthy jeans! I can do laundry tomorrow, they still pass the sniff test. (note: if you're a real cruiser, you know what that is!)
Wednesday evening, we were hosted to a reception (complete with nibbles, wine and beer) and a presentation by JR Richardson, the founder of the South Carolina Yacht Club. 

View from Ted's property

Ken (Mauna Kea) and Ted exchanging burgees

Clubhouse at Windmill Harbor

JR discussed the history of Hilton Head and of the development of Windmill Harbor - a story he knows well, being one of those intimately involved with this community and the island itself from a young age. Some of the photos of historic Hilton Head were amazing, and his personal anecdotes were well received.
Everyone, and I do mean everyone in the Rally thoroughly enjoyed their time at Windmill Harbor. One came to me openly astonished to tell me that as they walked around looking at the many beautiful homes, neighbours would step out and say "Are you the sailors? Welcome to Windmill, we're so glad you're here."
It's just that kind of southern hospitality and charm that made it so great to be there - and so hard to leave on Thursday morning.
Here's the best part for those of you cruising south - Windmill is open for transients and they'd love to have you visit them too. Check out their website and, on your way south, consider trying something a little different - and a lot nicer than most marinas you'll come to. That's not taking anything away from the many great marinas the Sail to the Sun ICW Rally has stayed at - but Windmill Harbor is just a cut above almost every place I've ever been.


Remember, you can also follow the Sail to the Sun ICW Rally at www.cruisingworld.com/wheres-wally. Our precise location can be found via my Delorme Inreach device, and that map is found at Where's Wally?
If that's not enough Rally excitement for you, you can like and follow us on Facebook at the Sail to the Sun ICW Rally page.
The Sail to the Sun ICW Rally page is now at Jekyll Island, and preparing for Thanksgiving at the St. Marys GA Cruisers Thanksgiving Potluck. Stay tuned.

Food, Fun, Frivolity and Friendship - it's a Floating Feast!

It used to be that when I went south, I'd lose a few pounds by the time I got to Miami - long days, skipping lunch, just moving about on the boat or rowing to shore all took the pounds off. Not a bad thing considering that I was then in bathing suit territory, although my days of strutting about in a speedo are long gone...
But the Sail to the Sun ICW Rally has been one fun day after another, and most of these fun times are involving food, food and more food. And as we continue, I'm noticing that my jeans are, well, they aren't as loose as they were in Annapolis and my lovely, svelte figure is not quite, well, so svelte any longer.
It all started in Coinjock, where the Rally group dined out - make that feasted - on prime rib - and man, it was great. Not long after that, we're doing a potluck and wine and cheese in Dowry Creek Marina.
Then at River Dunes, a great meal in the clubhouse restaurant. And we also did a shrimp bbq while we were there, which I mentioned in my last post...31 pounds of shrimp, plus all the extras everyone brought down for the party.

Dockside in Beaufort NC

Of course, walking down the waterfront in Beaufort NC meant passing some great restaurants, so lunches were usually outside overlooking the anchorage, along with a couple of brews....
A special surprise at Beaufort - two of this year's ralliers, Jim Schwartz and Sharron Randall, who had to cancel their trip due to family issues hosted a wine and cheese on the docks for the entire group, and what a great time that was! Thank you again guys, that was so special, and very much appreciated by all.
Then we went to Swansboro, where this small but wonderfully friendly town's restaurants hosted a mini feast on the town docks, with each restaurant providing its share of a signature dish. Some of us then went on to have dinner at one of these restaurants, and I can assure you, the prime rib at the Icehouse is just wonderful, and thanks to Michael Dunleavy for that treat.
Are you starting to see a pattern here? Travel, eat, travel, eat some more....and of course, all of these events involve adult bevies, which doesn't help the waistline at all. Even worse, the great offerings at Osprey Marina - like chocolate raspberry jam.... What's a guy supposed to do?

In Southport, a couple of days later, Frank and Mary Grace, from the catamaran Let It Be, hosted the rally group to oysters, which we shucked and ate on the docks, overlooking the ICW.
Then - we headed for Georgetown SC and not one, but TWO eating events....the Taste of Georgetown, and the following day, another oyster fundraiser for a local school.
Best of all, about two thirds of the way through the afternoon, the organizers started serving blue crab along with the oysters. There were also grits, hot dogs, and the beer and wine was priced at whatever you wanted to donate.

Oblivious to all but that oyster!

Blue crabs anyone

By now, I was ready to hit the nearest store and buy a size larger pair of pants, and a new belt for them.  I suspect I may not be the only one either!










Remember, you can also follow the Sail to the Sun ICW Rally at www.cruisingworld.com/wheres-wally. Our precise location can be found via my Delorme Inreach device, and that map is found at Where's Wally?
If that's not enough Rally excitement for you, you can like and follow us on Facebook at the Sail to the Sun ICW Rally page.
On to the low country next. See you in Charleston!

Croquet Madness, Shrimp on the BBQ and More!

From Midway Marina, the 2016 Sail to the Sun ICW Rally's next stop was Elizabeth City. While this meant a bit of backtracking, since we hadn't run the Dismal Swamp - it was badly beat up during Hurricane Matthew - it was a trip well worth the detour in the group's opinion.
Elizabeth City, the Harbour of Hospitality, is known for its friendly locals, Rose Buddy receptions, and free dockage. Along with drinks and nibbles, each lady is given a rose, a tradition started back in 1983 and continued by the Chamber when the founders passed away. The Sail to the Sun fleet was this year's first Rose Buddy reception - and if they are unable to reopen the Dismal soon, it may be the last for this year as well, sorry to say.
With time to enjoy the city, the group spread out to explore the museum and other sites, while several of us headed for Byron's Hot Dogs. This small restaurant makes absolutely great 'dogs', and sells them for $1.25 - $2.50, depending on how you dress it. Best of all, the Coconut Pecan cake for dessert was amazing. This is one of those hole in the wall establishments that, should you be lucky enough to discover it, is the ones you always remember.

The next day in the early morning fog, the goal was to cross Albermarle Sound and get into a safe anchorage at Tuckahoe Point before the near gale force winds predicted late in the day struck.
Albermarle Sound was calm, flatter than I've ever seen it in 28 previous trips.
Last year coming north and fleeing Joaquin, gusty winds blew out my dodger and bimini while propelling me along at 7.2 knots...the Sound can be like that sometimes. You never know. Despite being a shallow body of water, or perhaps because of, it's one that bears caution while crossing if there's any serious weather about.
The S2TS fleet was soon across and tucked in safely for the night, watching the front come over the horizon. Reports from those who crossed the next day were that it was 'sporty' - so sporty in fact that the bridge was closed due to high winds. It was a good choice to leave when we did.
The winds were lighter than expected the next morning and of course, the Alligator Pungo canal offers good protection.

Everyone set off for Dowry Creek Marina, but that day wasn't without it's problems. One of our two smaller boats, a Cape Dory 28, managed to back down on the dinghy painter and, you guessed it, wrapped the prop.
Everyone got involved in the 'rescue', one of the group donned a mask and went in, but wasn't able to remove the line, so Steve, in his Seaward 26, our other small boat, towed it to a dock at the end of the canal where they were finally able to get the line off and Sweet Pea finished the trip under her own power.
Meanwhile, in the confusion, another of our boats managed to wrap a prop and required towing assistance to the marina. There, Frank from Let It Be donned his dive gear and quickly had the problem sorted out. It's a resourceful group we have here!
In any event, the multiple problems in the canal reminded me of last year's rally when we had a rash of stuffing box leaks, including mine, and which necessitated tows for two of us. Is this year's epidemic to be wrapped props? I sure hope not, and for the moment, everyone's boat is running well. Still, as we know, things happen on boats. It's all part of the adventure, as was everyone pitching in to solve the problems.
Nick and Mary at Dowry Creek hosted our group with a wine and cheese reception which was most welcome, and provided an opportunity for everyone to talk about the excitement of the day. The next day was given over to shopping in Belhaven, boat chores and laundry. Some things just don't change!

On the way to our next marina, River Dunes, I stopped at the seafood dock in Hobucken and picked up 31 pounds of fresh caught shrimp. The plan was to have a shrimpfest that evening, and what a party that was. 
In fact, during this year's Sail to the Sun ICW Rally we've already seen some great parties, and the fun is just starting to ramp up. One comment was that the Rally was just a floating two month long party - that's not really all that far off actually. 
The following day, we convened by the pool to play croquet - and the ladies won the first game, but with a considerable amount of creative tactics, such as kicking the ball through wickets and turning the wickets sideways for the men's shots. The men were far too polite to notice this of course. The next game was a tie, with the men winning the third game, making the overall result a tie. Everyone seemed quite satisfied with that.
Our next party the following evening was a dinner at River Dunes with Bob Laverty playing. Turns out that some of the crews knew Bob, from Cape Cod.
Bob is a fellow boater with a great voice, and just as last year, provided an evening of great music for us. The meal, chile and clam chowder, which doesn't sound inspiring, was superb, as I've come to expect here. There's a reason this marina has been judged as one of America's top 25 marinas.
We've also been blessed with some really good sailing conditions, and several times at the dock I've heard tales of the crews hitting hull speed during the day. 
This is despite some naysayers claiming you cannot sail on the ICW. Truth is, there are a lot of areas you can, and even more in which you can motorsail. It just requires some determination to get those 'emergency white things' up the mast, which this group does with enthusiasm!
That's it for this post - stay tuned as we head on to Beaufort NC, home of Edward Teach, also known as Blackbeard. 
You can also follow this adventure at http://www.cruisingworld.com/wheres-wally, and also follow our location on the Where's Wally Delorme Map, which will give you our precise location.
If that's not enough Rally excitement for you and you want to follow the fun on a daily basis, click to our Facebook page, Sail to the Sun Rally - it's almost as much fun as being with the crew! Just look at their smiles!

 
 

Are We Having Fun Yet? OH YEAH!

part of the Rally fleet on the lock walls

Between Matthew, the Annapolis Sailboat Show, the Sailing and Cruising Dinner, the Sail to the Sun Cruising Seminar, and prepping for the Sail to the Sun ICW Rally and the kickoff wine and cheese dinner, and getting from Naptown to Hampton, I've actually not had a lot of time to blog and keep you up to date. I'll try not to let that happen again!
I will tell you this, it's been an exciting couple of weeks, and the culmination of all this activity was October 17, when the 2016 Sail to the Sun ICW Rally left Hampton - 19 boats heading south towards their cruising dreams. And although we've only just ended day two, it's been an amazing two days already.

Sail to the Sun Cruising Seminar, Greg from Mantus speaking

Part of the leadup to the Rally was the Sail to the Sun Cruising Seminar, held at the Annapolis Maritime Museum, where more than 60 boaters listened to Lin Pardey, Dave Skolnick, Jeff and Jean Grossman, Joan Conover and Greg Kutsen discuss cruising. Topics included crossing the Gulf Stream, cruising as a couple, the Bahamas, the ICW, anchoring, ending with Lin discussing proper maintenance while cruising.
At the end of the day, we held a Q&A session, and then a opportunity for those attending to share nibbles and adult beverages with the speakers. Wonderful session, with many people commenting on how much value there was in the day for them. Be watching here for an announcement of a similar day long session later this year in Florida!
Next morning, it was time to sail to Hampton VA - and the winds were kind, either very gentle out of the south making for easy motoring, or stronger from the north making it possible to sail.
In Hampton, our kickoff wine and cheese was hosted by Dave, the manager at Bluewater Marina - and thank you again Dave for a great time! Much appreciated.
Guest speakers were Ed Tillett from Waterway Guide, who discussed current issues on the ICW and how to keep track of them using the Waterway Guide app online; and Bill Knowles from the Salty Dawg Rally, who explained his rally program to the group. All in all, an excellent session.
The following day, it was an o'dark:30 departure from the docks to get to Great Bridges and the lock there. Our original plan was to 'do the Dismal', but flooding due to Matthew has closed the Dismal, possibly until spring. No one is quite sure yet just how bad the problems there are, but there are many downed trees and new shoaling to deal with before it reopens.

Brad removing masthead gear

Dockage now looked to be an issue with the change in plans. With some kind assistance from Atlantic Yacht Basin, we scored the required slips for everyone as well as putting a few of our vessels on the new free dock at Great Bridge and on the walls following the lock.
With the flooding, our big issue was bridge clearance for the taller boats. The first problem bridge was right after the Great Bridge lock - and sure enough, Reflections was too tall even after having removed his masthead gear - all but one item that put him one inch over the limit. Back to the dock and back up the mast. Such fun!
Next came the Pungo Ferry bridge, which was showing 63.25 feet at the notice board. Seems someone measured Reflections' mast height wrong - it wasn't 62.5 as Brad had been told - it was 63.4, enough to stop Reflection from proceeding.  Now what?

Look Ma! No, wait...don't look!

Ken, from Mauna Kea, hopped over and went out to the end of the mast - wasn't enough to heel the boat over that teeny little bit and Ken is not a small guy either.
Then Ken saw some older teens swimming and 'volunteered' them to help out. Three got on the rail, and one clambered out to the end of the mast like he'd sailed on tall ships his entire life - and that extra bit of weight made the difference - according to Brad, about a half inch of clearance as they went through.
Tomorrow, we may get to watch it all again as we come to the bridge here in Coinjock...we're hoping the water will have gone down just enough this won't be necessary.
Oh, and thanks to Terry here at Midway Marina for putting together the required dockage on such short notice when we discovered the Dismal was not happening for us.
So how is the rally crew handling all this excitement? Pretty darn well, from the laughter and chatter going on at the restaurant at Coinjock Marina, where the boats' crews filled half the restaurant to feast on their excellent prime rib dinner.
Thanks also to Cruising World for hosting this blog - you'll find future updates on the Rally every couple of days at http://www.cruisingworld.com/wheres-wally, as well as the Where's Wally Delorme Map which shows you exactly where the Sail to the Sun ICW Rally is at any given time.
Make sure you bookmark the Cruising World link so that you can follow the Rally on its way south. If you want to watch the fun on a daily basis, follow us on Facebook, at Facebook Rally Group - it's almost as much fun as being with us, but without the mast climbing!
Tomorrow morning, we're off to Elizabeth City and their Rose Buddies reception, the first of this year's cruising season - and sadly, possibly the last for this year since the Dismal is closed until spring.
Stay tuned for more fun with the 2016 Sail to the Sun ICW Rally!

Here Comes Matthew - Anchoring Techniques to Save Your Boat

This is going to short and sweet, and is meant for those whose boats are at risk from hurricane Matthew. Here are three excellent articles on anchoring techniques.
One that I see as having merit is the tandem anchoring technique. Don't forget chafe gear, and don't stay on your boat - it can be replaced, and we'd hate to lose you....Good luck, and our prayers are with you during this time.

http://www.sailmagazine.com/cruising/cruising-tips/setting-tandem-anchors/

http://cruising.coastalboating.net/Seamanship/Anchoring/Two_Anchors/index.html

http://www.petersmith.net.nz/boat-anchors/tandem-anchoring.php

Update on the ICW 2016

I'm currently heading north to Annapolis for the sailboat show, and due to the winds being out of the north - despite the ongoing lies from the NOAA weathermen about south winds - I've been plugging along at about 70 miles per day on the ICW. That pace forces me to break all those great rules I give people at the boat show seminars... you know the ones - pace yourself so you don't overtire, arrive at the ICW trouble spots at half tide or better, work the currents when you can....all those tips that make the ICW an enjoyable passage.
As a result, I've been getting into parts of the ICW at less than optimal times, and observing the ICW at less than its best.
The news isn't all bad actually, but there have been some surprises. The biggest one is South Carolina, which I'll come to in a bit, but first, an overview. Since I'm going north, you'll get this in reverse order....
Florida of course presents no problems, other than Matanzas, a few miles south of St. Augustine, and it's no big deal. Although it feels scary, just stay well over towards the beach, about 20 feet or so off the buoys and watch your depth sounder. Even at low tide, you shouldn't see much under 8 feet of water. As you come out of the inlet going south, start moving over towards the center of the channel, again watching your depth sounder so you don't move over too quickly.
Coming into Georgia, the big three are still the big three - Hell's Gate, Little Mud River and Jekyll Creek. Of the three, Hell's Gate is the one that's most likely to cause you trouble, not because it's any more shallow, but because of the currents there.
Go to the buoy in the river when you enter - don't shortcut it. Aim for the buoys you see ahead of you, staying to the center of the channel. Look behind you frequently to check you're still in the channel, not being pushed out of it, as the current will be on your beam, not ahead or behind as is usual. The buoys here feel rather far apart, so a close watch is critical.
Most importantly, if you draw over five feet, don't enter Hell's Gate at low tide - give it an hour or so. There's typically 7- 9 feet of tide in this location, so every hour you stand by will add another foot to the depths. Best is to enter at half tide and rising, so that if you do get pushed out of the channel and aground, the tide will rescue you.
Little Mud River is, as usual, a mess. It shallows out to under five feet, so again, you don't want to be coming through it on a falling tide. Waiting until you're an hour into the tide will give you a foot or more extra water under the keel and that will be adequate for most boats.
I found that the best depths were to the east (left side going south!) of the magenta line, and since I was on a rising tide, I zigged and zagged looking for better depths - there weren't any! Again, remember the mantra - Half Tide Rising - it'll get you through.
Should you arrive in this area and the tide isn't in your favour, there are several spots you can anchor out nearby, or you could trek 8 miles up the Darien River to the free dock at Darien. It's a nice town with a couple of decent restaurants nearby. Just remember, you'll have to come those 8 miles back and if the tide is against you, it's a looong 8 miles. For a taste of Darien, check out this video I made when last there...

 Jekyll Creek actually seemed better this trip through, despite a report on Waterway Guide I read calling out three foot depths - which I didn't find - so that skipper was clearly out of the channel. I touched once at five feet, but plowed through the silty mud and found that had I zigged over to the left about 40 feet or so, I'd have had 6 feet beneath me. It seems as if the currents have cleared this channel out a bit, but I'd still not try it on a falling tide.
South Carolina was a surprise. I've been finding the water to be overall somewhat more shallow than in the past, and I don't think it's just that I've been pushing through.
The good news is that the bad patch at Isle of Palms, just north of Charleston, has been dredged. There's still lots of shallow water in the area from the Ben Sawyer bridge to Isle of Palms marina, but it's not the problem it was last year and the year before.
The 1.5 mile stretch just south of Mclelandville is shallowed out to about 4 - 5 feet in places, so again, most cruisers will be wanting a rising tide to get through. There's a shoal patch at red 42, and it's dodgy from 39 to 42 - it's very difficult to discern any sort of a channel in the area. Further south, it runs about 6 - 7 feet for a considerable distance.
Again - go with half tide rising! The good news is, if you arrive at low tide, the creek into the Leland Oil Docks has been dredged and you'll find 7 - 8 foot depths all the way to the marina.
Two good sources for up to date information on ICW conditions are the above mentioned Waterway Guide, and the Salty Southeast Cruisers Network. Both of these websites feature cruiser submitted reports, and both vet all reports before posting them. Just remember - the boater might be in error, as the Jekyll Creek post shows - so take all warnings with a grain of salt.
What about the rest of the ICW you ask? That will be my next blog post, I've got to get there before I can report on it! In the meantime, if you'd like to see my full webinar on transiting the ICW, you can view the trailer to the video below...lots of great tips to make your trip easier.
Have you purchased your tickets for the Sail to the Sun Cruising Seminar yet?

This day long event will be held at the Annapolis Maritime Museum on October 10, the Monday of the boat show. Featured speaker is Lin Pardey. Also speaking are Jeff and Jean Grossman, Dave Skolnick, Greg Knutson and myself. Topics to be covered will be cruising the ICW, effective couples' cruising, effective anchoring techniques, crossing the Gulf Stream to the Bahamas, and cruising the Bahamas. There will also be a round table question and answer session following the seminars, giving everyone the chance to ask their own questions of the group. It will be a lively session, I assure you.
As noted, it's an all day seminar with a lunch, and a happy hour following, and you won't want to miss it. For more information and for tickets, go to https://www.eventbrite.com/e/sail-to-the-sun-cruising-seminar-tickets-26973144401
Finally, due to a cancellation due to illness, there is one remaining spot on this year's Sail to the Sun ICW Rally - and about three couple's hovering over it wondering if they should join.
If you're interested in having the best time on your trip south this year, check out the details at the Sail to the Sun website, and request a brochure.
If you're seriously interested, don't hesitate, because one of those three could make up their mind at anytime and grab that last spot!

Day long Seminar Featuring Lin Pardey

This fall, during the Annapolis Boat Show, the Sail to the Sun ICW Rally will be hosting a day long seminar event for both Rally participants and members of the cruising public. The Sail to the Sun Cruising Seminar will be held at the Annapolis Maritime Museum and is geared to helping cruisers new to cruising on their way south, with seminars discussing the ICW and the Bahamas.
If this is your year to cast off the dock, this is the seminar with the information you need and want from the people who have been there and done that - Lin Pardey, Jeff and Jean Grossman, Greg Knutson, Dave Skolnick, Wally Moran and more - and if you're still in the planning stages of cutting the lines, this seminar will provide you with valuable information towards your goal.
Our featured guest speaker is cruising icon Lin Pardey, who will be discussing offshore sailing - and who better to discuss this topic? This seminar will be of interest to newbies and old salts!
Also speaking will be Captains Jeff and Jean Grossman on the topic of couples training. Jeff and Jean also assist new cruisers in every phase of purchasing a boat and entering the cruising life, and will be able to address your questions on those topics during the anything goes Roundtable discussion following the speakers' talks.
Captain Dave Skolnick, past president of the Seven Seas Cruising Association, will be discussing the topic on every new cruiser's mind - how to cross the Gulf Stream. Dave's tips and advice will make this tension fraught decision much easier for all captains crossing the Gulf Stream.

Speaking to a crowded room, I discuss cruising the ICW

If you've ever worried about your anchoring skills,

"Though this be madness, yet there is method in't."

Osric: A hit, a very palpable hit.

For those who remember their Shakespeare, this quote comes from the fencing scene in Hamlet where Hamlet is killed by the poison on the tip of Laerte’s foil.
Hamlet scores a hit, which is denied by Laerte, leading to Hamlet’s requesting a judgement on it.

The scene has certain parallels with what just happened in Miami Beach. 

You’ll recall that Miami Beach began enforcing their one week anchoring ordinance this past spring after several years of no action (since it was illegal!) and you’ll recall that I and others stated that it was illegal for them to do so.

Cruiser and local veterinarian Dr. Michael Tenzer decided to stand up to the injustice and was given two tickets for illegally being anchored on two different occasions by the Miami Beach police. One of these was given on the day that we held a demonstration in Miami Beach at the anchorage to protest the harassment of boaters legally at anchor.

Mike consulted with a number of people, including Boat US and myself, and then hired a lawyer to contest this ticket.

To make a long story much shorter, the City of Miami Beach knew damn well that they were in the wrong and, when someone confronted them with it, they bailed. They settled with Dr. Mike, agreeing to issue no more tickets to anyone at anchor in Miami Beach's South Beach anchorage, and to pay half of his $10,000 legal fee. 

I happen to have some issues with that aspect of the settlement - since the City of Miami Beach admitted it was wrong, it should have paid for the entire cost of Mike's defence. That is now water under the bridge. What's done is done and I'll take half a win over no win at all. In any event, I'll be discussing this settlement further in another post very soon after some further research and discussion with Dr. Mike. Watch for it.

For those following the battle closely, this is now the fourth time that a legal challenge against a local anchoring ordinance has been defeated in the courts or through legal action or the threat thereof - out of four incidents. The others were in Naples, Sarasota and Stuart. A fifth fight involved duking out the legal issues in the media and we won that one also.

In Naples, local boaters forced the police to give one of them a ticket for violating a local ordinance that stated boaters could not anchor within a certain distance of, I believe, a seawall (news story). The judge, in deciding, hammered Naples for its actions (news story and also this news story).

In Stuart, Vince Sibilla took on the locals three times, losing twice until he hired a maritime attorney, Barb Cook Esq. She forced the city to back down with the threat of a civil rights lawsuit - (see story here), and the City also partially reimbursed Sibilla for his attorney's fees, plus agreed to stop enforcement of the illegal local ordinance.

In Sarasota the City Attorney figured it out before the illegal ticket got to court (online story here) and actually recommended that Sarasota consider repealing the illegal ordinance.

Finally, I took on Melbourne and its Mayor in 2007 over an illegal three day anchoring ordinance. Following a story I wrote published in Southwinds Magazine (story here) on page 31, Melbourne stopped enforcing its illegal anchoring ordinance.

What's my point? Here's where I'm going off the reservation because almost all of the people leading the anchoring fight don't agree with me on this. 

The only wins we have had in the anchoring fight - five to date as noted - have not been in the Legislature. They've been in the courts, with reference to the law. Four of them involved lawyers schooling the cities as to the rights of boaters. 

Yet the organizations involved in fighting on your behalf - the SSCA, Boat US, MTOA and others - want to sit down with legislators and 'craft' laws that work for us. And just what have the results of this approach been? 

First of all, we got the 2009 Pilot Program that saw five areas of Florida get specialized rules along with mooring fields. We were assured at that time that there would be no local legislation enacted during the life of the Pilot Program, ostensibly 2014, now 2017. 

Despite that, on July 1, 2016, a new state law saw five areas of Florida deemed off-limits to overnight anchoring. Those areas included the family home of one of the bill's sponsors: Fort Lauderdale's Middle River. Two other areas in Miami Beach include the properties of the two most toxic dirtsiders I know of - Frederick Karlton of Sunset Lake, and Mark Gold of Venetian Causeway.

I assure you, more and more communities in Florida are going to attempt to get on this bandwagon. Already, Palm Beach and Boca Raton have tried, and I'm hearing rumours that Gulfport and some other cities are starting again to enforce illegal ordinances. For sure, Miami Beach is going to continue to fight against us until they can move us out, using whatever measures they can, such as the no dinghy tie up law they've enacted.
In fairness, perhaps the legislative route might have worked had we had a paid lobbyist as we did the year previous. However, the money wasn't there for this, although the City of Fort Lauderdale had a paid lobbyist for this action, and Miami Beach put significant local resources into the fight. We cruisers simply don't have access to that kind of money. 

In my opinion, I think we need to let the legislature do whatever it wants - and then take them to court using the Public Trust Doctrine, along with other maritime laws and precedents that support our cause.

That won't be cheap either, the courts never are, but we're spinning our wheels fighting in Tallahassee. It's the old joke about why you shouldn't fight in the mud with pigs (or legislators!)....because the pigs enjoy it! 

The reality is that legislators answer to their constituents, not transient boaters, and especially the wealthy ones who are financing this fight against us. Winning in the legislature is difficult, and will take a tremendous amount of time, effort and money. And, a win can be turned around on us in the next legislative session. The fight simply doesn't end if we choose to fight there. We've been fighting this fight for over 30 years and we're still fighting it. It's time to change tactics.
A fight in the courts on the other hand, should we win - and I admit there are risks to going to court, like losing - will be permanent. The court's decree trumps Tallahassee. It ends the fight.
Yes, we saw several years of peace after the enactment of 327.60, the law that stopped Florida municipalities from creating local regulations, but pressure from those same municipalities has put us into the situation we're now in. Laws can always be changed, and politicians, especially Florida politicians, can always be bought to change them. That's just how it is.

But as we can see - we're four for four in the courts, while we're losing badly in Tallahassee. Maybe we need to rethink our strategy before it's too late for us.

One last comment - I believe that the upcoming legislative session in Florida will be our biggest battle yet. I suggest you get ready for it - prepare to spend time, and to open your wallets, to defend our rights.
Otherwise, prepare to lose them.

Thurston Howell III on LiveBlogging? What's that about?

Yes, it's Thurston Howell III

It’s been an exciting several weeks since my last blog post. The 2016 Sail to the Sun ICW Rally is now 2/3 full, and there are only a few spots remaining. The itinerary is set up, but not set up in stone because experience shows that there are invariably some last minute surprises - great ones - from cities, towns and marinas wanting to join in on the fun. I like to leave room for the impromptu - it’s what makes a trip such as this so exciting. If you’d like to see the itinerary, check out the website, www.ICWally.com

Week before last, as many of you know, I lead the Vientos de Cambio/Winds of Change rally to Marina Hemingway from Key West, and that was a most exciting trip. It certainly changes the dynamics of being in Havana when you’re there with 30+ other people rather than on your own - and in a very good way too. We all had a fabulous good time and a group of people got to know a little bit of what Cuba is all about. Be watching for a video very soon on the trip.

The only downer on that trip was that I was unable to hold the online Hangout in Havana that was planned for June 1 - the wifi in Hemingway simply wasn’t up to it. 

I was barely able to get online for email most of that day, much less conduct a webinar requiring lots and lots of bandwidth. That webinar will be rescheduled for sometime in the next week or ten days - I just have to find a location to conduct it from - many areas of the Bahamas also have issues with dependable wifi - such as here at Guana Cay. Stay tuned for an announcement on Facebook Sailing and Cruising.

As I write this, I’m now back in the Abacos in Marsh Harbour, and just loving it. This is my first trip into the Abacos, and it’s considerably different from the Exumas, Eleuthera, or the Out Islands. Some will definitely prefer these other locations, while some enjoy what I’ll call the ‘Bahamas Lite’ ambiance of the Abacos.

Hope Town - beautiful small town in Abacos

Why ‘Bahamas Lite’? It’s like this - in most areas of the Bahamas, you’ll not find American style hardware stores, full line grocery stores, pharmacies and so on. But in Marsh Harbour, where I am now, you’ll find all of these and many other amenities that appeal to the casual cruiser who wants a different - but not TOO different, cultural experience. What you won’t find here - at least, I haven’t as yet, are rake and scrape bands and other cultural norms for the Bahamas.

You see this difference most clearly in the pubs catering to the tourist crowd. Very few locals around, unlike in other parts of the Bahamas. A beer is $6, 50% more than on most other islands. 

The hotel tourists wear high end casual clothes, co-ordinated to the max. The boat charter people aren’t far behind them, which looks kind of odd when you see them coming in to the dock - I mean, who dresses up like that to go sailing? The yachties - high end sportsfisherman and big powerboats - all sport brand new deck shoes that, honestly, look like they’ve never been worn. 

The yacht crew types, usually the youngest of the crowd, all hang together, some in crew uniforms, others in shorts and t’s. They’re easy to spot, and easy to chat with too, unlike their owners, who are generally quite standoffish. That’s if they even bother to come ashore to hobnob with we lesser types.

these guys...must be cruisers!

The cruisers, well, we stand out because we look - how do I put this? A bit careless about our dress? T-shirts rather than fancy printed tropical shirts, and well worn rather than Bermuda shorts? Flip flops instead of pricey boat shoes? Hair cuts a bit past the ‘best by’ date?

The difference between cruisers and these other groups, excepting the boat crews, are that they are only ‘experiencing’ cruising, while we are ‘living’ the life. I guarantee you, you’ll not ever see these people at a ‘rake and scrape’ somewhere down island, or at a beach sundowner’s party.

Actually, that’s not quite true. I can’t recall what island I was anchored out at last year, but it was somewhere in the Exumas. A big boat, well over 100 feet, anchored up and very shortly, a 26 foot Intrepid and a smaller boat were launched. On shore, the crew set up tables and a tent, white linen, crystal and all, for about 20 people. 

Meanwhile, not a soul could be seen on deck on the big boat except for an occasional crewperson.

About mid-afternoon, the Intrepid and a big inflatable started to bring people from the megayacht plus a second big boat that had just arrived. Every man going ashore was dressed in clothing that would have put Thurston Howell III, of Gilligan’s Island fame, to shame. White slacks, belts and shoes, blue blazers, the whole clichéd thing. The women were, thankfully, more tastefully dressed.

Everyone stood about for 20 minutes or so with a drink in hand, then on command sat down to their meal, served by the crew of course. Within a short time, well before sunset, they were back on the big boat. 

Beach in the Abacos...

At no time could you hear the least noise from the group either - no singing, no laughter, no voices raised in an ‘anchor discussion’. It was all very...well, very ‘civilized’ - read booooring! It didn’t look like a lot of fun to me. I've seen more excitement in a corporate boardroom meeting.

The crew worked until sunset to clean up and returned the next morning to break down the tents, after which the boats raised anchor and motored off.

I’m sure it’s very nice to be fabulously wealthy or friends of the fabulously wealthy, and to be catered to all the time. Nonetheless, I can’t help but think of the pleasure and camaraderie these people missed out on in not setting up their own party, not wandering to the water’s edge and splashing about, not coming ashore in small dinghies rather than large tenders - one with a landing craft type front that opened out on the beach, I kid you not. Can’t get those Jimmy Choos wet, can we?

I mean, who in hell wears Jimmy Choos on a tropical beach? Who are we kidding here?

I’m 100% certain that had any of us from the anchorage wandered over to talk to the guests, we’d have been shooed off by the crew. As a result, none of us wandered down to that area of the beach. 

Contrast this with a cruisers’ beach party - you’re in danger of being sucked in if you’re within 100 yards of the group, and handed a cold beer and a plate of food - regardless of how you’re dressed.

Ok - the conclusion? Maybe I’m just a poorly dressed, flip flop’s from K-Mart kind of guy in a small sailboat who likes noisy parties - but at least I, and all the other cruisers I know, understand how to have a good time, and the importance of being on the beach with friends to watch yet another beautiful sunset.

Sunset at Marina Hemingway

For those wanting more information on the Sail to the Sun ICW Rally, you can get further information, including the current itinerary, at www.ICWally.com. The cost of the Rally is $895 US and includes all navigational assistance, advice, parties and potlucks, plus discounted dockage rates at many marinas, and much more.

Included in this is all the friendship from fellow southbound cruisers that you can handle! I promise you, by the time you reach Miami, you’ll realize the two conclusions all the other past Rally participants have come to - one, you should have gone south years ago (like you thought!) and two - the Rally will have been the best investment in safety, fun, friendship and great memories that you’ve made in boating in years.