Days Events:

wx - nice, sunny, 69/84, winds SE 5-8.

Travel - crazy! We left St. James Marina at 08:10 and within 1-2 hours, especially after we left the Cape Fear River, there were boats passing us in both directions, constantly. It only worsened and the ICW was choppy all day from so much boat traffic. Reinforced our needing to avoid travel on the weekends.

Passed a couple of tows, one pulling a large barge in the mouth of the Cape Fear River, and one assisting a huge dredge more upriver - see photos. The large tow has an elevated bridge and obviously is used to tow large vessels or barge loads. The dredge has the black diamond between 2 black balls, which indicate that is what it is - a dredge. The channels have to be routinely dredged to keep the depth deep enough - in this channel, it is 48 ft for large ocean-going tankers/freighters/etc. In the AICW it is only 9-12ft.

Marina - they asked us to hold off entering the channel to the marina until 15:30/3:30 due to our slip was to be on the fuel dock and they were swamped with runabouts wanting fuel; so we cruised on down the ICW, dodging traffic, or letting them go around us actually, until it was time to return. We have finally learned that there are scant boating manners due to the narrow channels and so many boats on the water, and what we experienced is likely normal for everyone [except for those who are serious 'wakers' and everyone complains about them], and we will be constantly waked so we now just stay on our course and go with the roll! The wind picked up just for us at the time of docking but no problems bringing her [the boat] in for a port side tieup into the wind, with the 2 dockhands there to help.

Photos - one of a large marina with large boats, along the way. It's amazing how many boats, big boats, and big marinas we see. The tow and the dredge; the pizza!!

Tide effects - we have been experiencing tidal effects when tied at a marina because we are on the boat 24/7. There are 4 tides per day along the Atlantic coast, so every 6 hrs there is either high tide or low tide, ranging from a 1 ft to 9 ft. change in the past 6hrs. The tidal currents cause our boat [all boats] to rock 'a bit' and it is worse about the mid-point of the cycle, i.e. at the 3 hr point, but lasting for awhile sometimes. One would think that after being on the boat for almost 4 months, we would be used to it.

Fathers Day - our Jeff and Chris/Dana called this evening; they are doing well.

MECHANICS:

Fuel filters - checked the Racor primary filters and they are now at the red line, 10 in.Hg vacuum; didn't want them to suddenly quit during the journey tomorrow, so changed both and the engines are running fine. The filters were black [don't know how black they should be when dirty]. The marina will dispose of them if they are double bagged. Tues, will change the generator filters and the secondary ones for the 5.9's. Will post some photos of these tomorrow or Tues.

Throttle - no problems today. The reservoir pressure remains stable at 92, so dropped it to 85 psi.

Oils - both engines are at the 'minimum' marks on the dipsticks; if still there tomorrow, will add a quart of oil to each. This will be the first needed 'addition' since the last oil change, 250hr ago.

Strainers - water is clearer and can see the strainer better; clean.

That's all folks. Remember to keep some distancing but keep in touch.

Tomorrow, we go to Beaufort, NC, and the Beaufort Docks Marina, 65 miles.

Tonight, we have having homemade pizza delivered to the boat!! It is the best pizza we have ever had [we think!] - see photo! A relatively thin crust, homemade mozzarella, plum tomato/basil sauce, olives, Canadian bacon, pepperoni, spinach, sun-dried tomatoes. We only ate half and will have the rest tomorrow.

Comments:

Jim R. - 20 Jul 2020: Few places beat the beauty of the Eastern Shore - makes you want to reread the old Michener book

Ernie R - 21 Jun 2020: I was wondering where the blog went for a couple of days! Hate that about the pool, maybe a bottle of TB cleaner would work on that too! You know, if you will run fast enough to get swim platform out of water it will stay clean!

Scott Patterson - 22 Jun 2020: The saga continues . Have been enjoying your blog. Bill, my son, and I have formed the Wake Boat Haters club. They have done serious damage to his pier in Chattanooga . Remember this is fun and your having it.

Ernie R - 22 Jun 2020: A pizza that looks that good I could not just eat half!! --

Tom - 22 Jun 2020: Rob: your daily adventures with mechanical issues is setting you up for a post retirement career as a marine mechanic. Marg: enjoying your photo gallery but a close up of the females on the sand bar would have been appreciated