Day's Events:
Wx - high of 85F forecast [but feels like 89 in a.m.], humidity 66%, Wds WSW 7, mostly cloudy, possible TSM.
Laundry - Marg took the sheets to their laundromat, close by, with her bag of quarters; nice and clean.
Planning travel days - friend Duane McMartney asked how we plan our days, etc. So...you asked for it:
Internet resources - for on the Loop we use the AGLCA [America's Great Loop Cruisers Association] website and its daily forum, which provides great up-to-date info about conditions and problems. Some incredibly knowledgeable people share their experience and offer references; including where narrow channels are located, when to cross open water [go-no go decision making, etc]. We also use WaterWay Guide every day [see below].
Our typical planning day includes:
*Check the wx - look at The Weather Channel app, for local forecasts and all along the waterway; 'Windy' app - great graphical presentation of winds, waves, speed/direction, for the next week, all over the world; NOAA's Marine section [other wx apps are based on NOAA]; Weather Underground - a backup app to The Wx Channel; Windfinder app. Loopers recommend at least 3 wx sites before making travel decisions, to see if they agree - don't make a decision on only one with the others saying something else. This is most important when crossing any large body of water - the Gulf, the Chesapeake, going outside the coast line, larger bays or sounds.
*Tides & Currents - an app, Tides Near Me, gives us tidal predictions [high, low, etc], also sunrise, sunset, moonrise/set times; the tide times change daily, usually moving forward about an hour each day. You can look up anywhere you want, but since it knows where you are at all times [via the GPS], it will automatically initially reference the tidal stations close by.
*AGLCA forum - we receive an email at 04:30 daily with the comments, by thread/topic, from loopers over the past 24hrs. We pick and choose what we want to read for that day. There are often comments about marinas, restaurants, sightseeing, etc.
*Travel map for that day - I review the waterway route that I programmed into the electronic navigation tools [phone, tablet, chartplotter] the evening before, identifying potential 'trouble spots' which our other main navigation resource, The Waterway Guide, may have highlighted. e.g. for our route to Thunderbolt, there were 6 areas with shoaling warnings - one in particular, Hell Gate - which I make a note of on our paper guide [ Alan Lloyd's Navigation Notes - it has mileages, compass directions, distances between markers, cities, bridges, locks, etc all listed in order as we travel the ICW northward]. I also add a note of tidal times expected at our destination [we want to come in on a rising tide if possible if there is any concern about depths].
*Marina decisions - we review potential marinas weekly, and contact them by phone, or via internet registration. The Waterway Guide is our primary search tool for marinas, or anchorages, info for the ICW route itself with marina details, bridges, locks [includes heights, times, etc. for both], tourism, fuel prices, reviews by boaters, etc. On-line, it links to the specific marina, warnings about travel conditions, contacting authorities, etc. We also have some of this in their printed coil binder.
*Daily log book - I enter the plan for the day in a Daily Planner [coil binder, 1 day/page], noting departure time/wx, engine hours, tank status, tides, mileages at destination with tides, etc. Also, when diesel purchased and pump-outs done [legal aspect for some States and in Canada], any maintenance; and a cumulative summary of travel data.
Photos - Duane asked if we stay up all night to get the sunrise pics! The older I get, the earlier I go to bed; but then the earlier I get up too. I'm usually up between 0500 and 0530. Marg is much more laid back than me and stays up later and arises later [unless we need to be departing early, e.g. 0700]. A few of this marina and the big boats; nice landscaping, well maintained; laundry rooms [$1.50/load]. The sailboat next to us [75ft, twin masts], an engineer, said he cannot do the loop due to high masts; but does deep sea races in New England to Nova Scotia. The blue sailboat next to him is >100 ft, single mast, steel hull [we think]. The yacht yard has several near mega-yachts [in photo]. Their reputation rivals that of Orange Beach's Saunders Boat Works, where we had our work done in April.
Tourist - it was so hot and humid by 11:00, overcast, and TSM predicted, that we decided not to go to the Botanical Gdns. Happy to hang around and take it easy [while doing a few 'chores' of course]. Boating takes a lot more energy for us older people, especially when low on the learning curve.
MECHANICS:
Wiper blade switches - pulled off the wires for both the mid and the STBD wiper switches, sandpapered off the corrosion, dabbed with WD40. Hopefully no more problems.
Fenders+ cleaning - cleaned the large balls and the fender board; also started cleaning the power cord; don't see much difference between 409 All Purpose, OxiClean, or SprayNine, using a scrubby sponge; however, SoftScrub seemed to be more effective.
Water tanks - filled the fwd tank, using a filter on the hose. Good to keep the water used and being refreshed.
That's all folks. Since there is a bit of a CV19 resurgence in States lifting restrictions, we continue distancing and only eat take-out; will do from a Caribbean restaurant down the street here tonight - I'm having serious crab cakes on Caribbean rice, w/ a Caesar salad; Marg is having giant shrimp with a spinach salad. Tomorrow, we head for Beaufort [pronounced beeufort, like in 'beautiful'], SC, to the Ladies Island Marina, downtown, only 47 miles.
Comments:
Duane - 7 Jun 2020: Now I understand why you need to get up so early to plan your day