Leg #2 ~ Daytona to Norfolk

The second leg of our loop journey is now in the log book. We left Daytona Beach on July 19th and arrived in Norfolk on August 17th having traveled 759 nautical miles, nm.

The majority of this leg of the journey was along the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway, ICW passing from northern Florida through Georgia, South Carolina and North Carolina and into Virginia.

Before leaving Daytona Beach we took time to do some boat maintenance including changing oil and filters and having the bottom cleaned and zincs changed as needed. It was amazing that our propeller zinc needed changing since it was change in April right before leaving Texas.

I also tested my newly fabricated fuel vent capture system, which prevents vented fuel from going overboard. I had seen a similar system at a marina in Alabama however it is no longer available from the manufacturer so I fabricated my own from an old soap bottle, a piece of starboard and two suction cups and it works great!

The first segment of this leg took us 46 nm from Daytona Beach to St. Augustine FL. Like many coastal cities St. Augustine is filled with history. We enjoyed discovering what this city had to offer including a distillery and concerts in the park.

Just north of St. Augustine we crossed the mouth of the St. Johns River east of Jacksonville. As we crossed the river we crossed paths with the SpaceX Dragon recovery vessel Shannon. Based in Port Canaveral, Florida the ship is active recovering elements of regular launches from Cape Canaveral. The ship is named after Shannon Walker, the first female NASA astronaut to fly on SpaceX’s Dragon capsule during the Crew-A mission.

From St. Augustine we traveled 53 nm to Fernandina Beach on Amelia Island, which is the northern most island in Florida. We truly enjoyed visiting this dynamic small town including a memorable visit to the Palace Saloon, the oldest bar in Florida.

As we passed the north end of Amelia Island we passed Fort Clinch which traces its history back almost 300 years having played a part in the war of 1812, the Civil War and the Spanish American war. This was one of many military bases, current or historical we saw along our travels.

After Fernandina Beach we crossed into Georgia, the third state on our loop journey and the sixth since leaving Texas back in April.

Not far into Georgia we passed Kings Bay Naval Submarine Base, which is home base for the US Atlantic fleet submarines. The base is off limits to the public made evident by the naval police patrol. At present eight Ohio class guided or ballistic missile submarines are supported from this facility.

Our first stop in Georgia was Jekyll Island, which is another island steeped in history back over 300 years. Most interesting was the history of the Jekyll Island Club that was in existence from the late nineteenth until the early twentieth centuries.

What started as a hunting and fishing club became a winter retreat for the era’s rich and famous. A meeting at the club in 1910 is credited with the founding of the US Federal Reserve system and the countries first condominium was built as part of the club by JP Morgan in 1896. Many of the guests at the club arrived by yacht including JP Morgan aboard his 306 foot Corsair II.

Apart from the Jekyll Island Club the island is also known for Driftwood Beach, which is 1.3 miles of beach filled with sun-bleached trees. The bird life and sunsets on the island are also memorable.

As we traveled north along the ICW in Georgia we stopped at the locally famous Sunbury Crab Company just off the waterway in Midway, GA. We were greeted at the dock by the owner and enjoyed a dinner of local seafood. This is a gem we had heard about from other Loopers and very glad we made the stop.

View at left of Odysea II from the Sunbury Crab Co.

From Sunbury Crab Co. we traveled 52 nm passed Savannah into South Carolina for a visit to Daufuskie Island, which before this trip we had never heard of, however are glad we discovered. With a permanent population of only 500, the island is only accessible by water and has a rich Gullah history. Author Pat Conroy based his novel The Water is Wide on his time teaching on Daufuskie.

Watch for Tides and Currents

As we moved north the tides and associated currents increased markedly. Along the Gulf Coast and Florida, tides were normally less than two feet while in South Carolina we encountered tides as high as seven feet especially around full moon. This created currents up to five knots as the tide ebbed and flowed, which was not a problem navigating however a consideration when docking. As much as possible, we would enter and leave the dock at or near slack tide to minimize the affect of currents.

From Daufuskie we cruised 27 nm past Hilton Head Island and then the Marine base on Parris Island, up the Beaufort River to Beaufort SC. As we arrived, we learned the difference in pronunciation of towns of the same name in South and North Carolina. Beaufort SC is beau like beauty and Beaufort NC is beau like slang for boyfriend. We found this easy to remember with this saying, South Carolina is beautiful but her beau is in North Carolina.

In Beaufort SC we met AGLCA Harbor Hosts Vicki and Mack McGahee who were great hosts giving us a ride to a local farmer’s market and having us to their home for dinner. America’ s Great Loop Cruising Association, AGLCA’s Harbor Host program helps connect cruisers with locals for just this type of comradery and assistance. Vicki and Mack’s hospitality made our visit to Beaufort memorable and one of our favorites to date.

From Beaufort SC we traveled 27 nm north to Edisto Beach and then 44 NM to Charleston. As we entered Charleston Harbor the wind picked up to over 15 kts, which created waves of over four feet making our entrance to Charleston a bit bumpy with at least one wave over the fly bridge! We docked without incident across the harbor from the USS Yorktown aircraft carrier museum and only blocks from Charleston’s historic downtown.

From Charleston we traveled 56 nm passing inside of Sullivan’s Island, Isle of Palms and DeWees Island to Winyah Bay and into Georgetown SC where we spent the weekend. When at all possible we try not to travel on the weekend to avoid busy boat traffic on the waterways and also to allow more time to get to know a town. In most cases we attend a local church, which gives a deeper appreciation and connection to local communities.

In Georgetown we met some locals through a mutual friend who greeted us with a bag of boiled peanuts, which is a local tradition that really made us feel welcome.

From Georgetown we traveled 56 nm to North Myrtle Beach SC and then the next day 38 nm to Southport NC. The stretch of the ICW between Myrtle Beach and Southport is home to the often treacherous Rock Pile, which is a narrow section of the ICW created by blasting rock. There are stories of boats hitting the side of the channel and damaging props. Following advise we traversed this section at low tide to have maximum visibility of the rock sides of the channel

We enjoyed our stay in Southport meeting Kay and Robert Creech, another AGLCA Harbor Host couple. The porch of their home on the Southport waterfront is regularly filled with locals and cruisers.

From Southport we had plans to travel 54 nm up the ICW and anchor off of Camp Lejeune however these plans did not work out.

Best laid plans….

We had traveled about 35 nm when an engine alarm sounded and shortly there after the engine shut down. We quickly dropped anchor on the edge of the channel and started to troubleshoot the problem and plan for a tow.

It was our first experience with our towing insurance and I have to say it went better than expected. We first called our insurance company and they reached out to Towboat who dispatched a boat that arrived within an hour of our first call. The dispatcher also located a marina nearby where we could dock for the night. While waiting for the tow I changed fuel filters and was able to clear the error and start the engine. I ran the engine on idle without incident until we arrived at Swan’s Point marina in Sneed’s Ferry NC. Running the engine made sure all systems were fully lubricated while being towed. We were also able to dock under our own power. A weather front was forecasted for the next afternoon so we stayed docked for an extra day and I took the opportunity to flush more of the fuel system.

After the wind had died down we traveled without incident 38 nm to Morehead City NC. Once we were docked we took advantage of the marina’s courtesy car to restock our filter supply, fill propane bottles and visit the grocery store. Courtesy cars are a service we truly appreciate from marinas especially in towns where other modes of transportation such as Uber or taxis are not available.

From Morehead City we traveled 21 nm across the Neuse River into Oriental NC for the weekend. We truly enjoyed the people and the community of Oriental. I was especially impressed with Inland Waterway Provision Company next to the marina for its wide selection of marine parts and equipment and a great local owner. On Sunday morning we attended Oriental Methodist Church service in a park overlooking the Neuse River.

From Oriental we continued 41 nm north, crossing the Pamlico River into the Pungo River to Belhaven NC. We only spent one night in Belhaven, however enjoyed a great meal at Spoon River restaurant and a visit to the local hardware store. We also took advantage of free laundry at the marina.

Our travels north took us along North Carolina’s Inner Banks and a series of rivers and canals that are more protected than the open waters of Pamlico and Albemarle Sounds.

From Belhaven we traveled 48 nm, first east along the Pungo River and canal and then north in the Alligator River before arriving in Columbia NC. As we traveled up the Alligator River the wind picked up and the seas built to an uncomfortable three foot following sea. This was made worse when we had to hold station waiting for the Alligator River bridge to open. We learned that we should have communicated more with the bridge tender for a more timely opening.

What a difference a day makes. As the sunset over the Alligator River the wind died and the next morning we woke to calm seas. Leaving Columbia we continued north across Albemarle Sound and up the Pasquotank River into Elizabeth City. Coming up the Pasquotank River the density of crab pots increased dramatically, which made navigating a challenge.

From Elizabeth City there are two route options north to Norfolk either straight north up Dismal Swamp Canal or around through Currituck Sound into the North Landing River and through the Great Bridge Lock. Many people avoid the Dismal Swamp route due to concerns of logs and debris in the canal. At the same time we have heard from a number of people that say the Dismal Swamp was one of their favorite sections of the loop so we decided to give it a try and we were not disappointed.

We left the marina at 6:00 a.m. to make sure we were at South Mill Lock at the southern end of the Dismal Swamp Canal for the 8:30 opening. From there we moved through the canal slowly dodging downed trees and floating logs; however nothing unpassable. For sure not a day to use auto-pilot! We arrived at the Deep Creek Lock at the north end of the canal with time for lunch for the 1:30 opening.

Our passage through the Dismal Swamp Canal and locks was smoother than we thought so were able to press on to our berth in Norfolk a day earlier than planned bypassing our stay in Chesapeake VA.

As we came down the Elizabeth River into Norfolk we passed numerous Naval Ships, which was very impressive. We were up close and personal with the guided missile cruiser USS Vicksburg (CG 69), destroyer USS Nitze (DDG 94), amphibius assault ship USS Kearsarge (LHD 3), and the USS Wisconsin (BB 64) battleship museum.

As we finish the second leg of our Great Loop journey we look back at the past months. We left Houston Yacht Club 123 days ago on April 18th, spent 83 days on the boat and traveled 2,180 nautical miles. During this time we burned 1,124 gallons of fuel with an average cost of $3.90/gallon. We spent most nights in marinas with an average total cost of $78/night.

We are back in Texas for some time with family and friends before we return to the boat in early September to set out and explore the Chesapeake Bay. Thank you to everyone who is following and supporting our travels.