Reflections on Fall 2023

There is always something for us to do when we are on the boat, and it is only after we get home, catch up on life requirements and take a breather, that we have time to reflect on the various aspects of the trip. Before leaving the boat in Jacksonville, we made sure her lines were secure, fenders out and tied down correctly, and covers securely fastened. Fairly high winds are predicted for this week, so I hope the lines hold as they should. We washed her from top to bottom and had time to put a little wax on some spots that we didn't get to before departure. She is also loaded with fuel and water in preparation for a fairly quick departure when we return. 

We are not really concerned that we will have any moisture problems, however we did leave a DampRid bucket in each sink to absorb excess humidity and we put all of the pillows and bedding in sealed bags. We also put the majority of our clothes in vacuum bags to avoid having to clean them on our return. We installed the exterior window covers to limit sunlight getting into the salon.

The trip home by plane was uneventful with no delays. We drove down to Rock Hall the next morning to pick up the car. The marina still has a few boats in it, but our dock was completely empty and ready for the long cold winter.

Overall, the trip south went very well. Other than our stop in Washington, NC, we did not spend much time at any one place. We stopped at a few different places along the way and were able to anchor out a couple of times. It all adds to becoming more familiar with the ICW. Different than our first trip, we had no fog to deal with on this one. The weather was quite a bit colder, but not uncomfortable. It is ironic that we were actually wearing shorts and t-shirts when we left Maryland on November 15 and then had to bundle up as we passed through the southern states. As in the past, we met some very nice people and traded stories about our boating adventures. There were a few frustrations, such as the Seakeeper not working and the dinghy battery dying. We had quite a few shallow water areas that kept us alert and a few heavy traffic situations. We had two great nights on anchor and one that was a little tense. I still don't know if we were dragging our anchor or not, but it was concerning and resulted in some lost sleep. It is all part of the adventure, and of course another story to tell.

Being back at home allows me to gather all of the trip data and record it in spreadsheets for future reference. For those that don't know, I love keeping data and statistical information, so I have many spreadsheets with maintenance records, usage data and all of our expenses. I also keep an hourly log where engine data is recorded when we are doing long runs. Boats don't have odometers to indicate usage. The engines have hour meters to show how much time has been put on them. This helps determine when service such as oil and filter changes is needed. For those curious about these things, here are some statistics about the trip:
Starting Engine Hours: 240
Ending Engine Hours: 324
Distance Travelled: 853.4 Nautical Miles or 981.4 Statute Miles
Diesel Fuel Used: 1248.13 Gallons
Average Nautical Miles per Gallon: 0.70
Average Statute Miles per Gallon: 0.81
Lowest Diesel Fuel Price: $3.839 - Wacca Wache Marina, SC
Highest Diesel Fuel Price: $5.10 - Palm Cove Marina, Jacksonville, FL
Average Fuel Cost: $4.452 per gallon
Number of Anchorages: 3
Number of Marinas: 11 (including our final stop)
Longest Stay: 4 Nights in Washington, NC
Number of Ocean Passages: 3
Shortest Distance Travelled in One Day: 7.0 Nautical Miles (Fernandina Beach to Cumberland Island Anchorage)
Longest Distance Travelled in One Day: 102.8 Nautical Miles (Hilton Head to Fernandina Beach via Ocean Route)
Shortest Travel Day: 1 Hour (Fernandina Beach to Cumberland Island Anchorage)
Longest Travel Day: 8.75 Hours (Southport, NC to Wacca Wache Marina, SC)
Average Speed: 10.5 Nautical Miles per Hour

All in all, it was about as expected. Perhaps on the return trip we will spend a little more time at some of the locations. We'll see how things go.