Ship's Log
SUMMARY OF ATTEMPT TO SAIL TO BEAUFORT IN JULY 2006
30 June 2006
     The trip started off just as planned.  I had completed my checklist the day prior and only needed to pick up ice and my crew on Friday.  My crew member, John (pictured right), met with me at the marina immediately following the marine 96.  We were underway about 12:45pm.
     So far, so good.  We had no troubles motoring south along the New River.  I used my GPS to plot the markers in case we had to navigate back in the dark.
The crew
    All went well until we got to Stone bay.  In the middle of Stone Bay, the engine sputtered and died.  We threw up the sails in order to keep going, but were slowed because of the southerly wind.
     Still, no worries.  We had to tack a few times, but John was making headway as I checked the engine.  Turned out to be bad fuel.  I switched cans, cleaned the carburator, and away we went.  Yeah!
     Picture approaching the Snead's Ferry bridge (left).
Sneads Ferry Bridge
Sneads Ferry Channel
    Now, if you read my log of the Swan Point trip, you'll know I had trouble in the channel here before.  In addition to changes made by hurricanes, etc the current is wicked moving west to east.  So, I was VERY careful to stay straight between the markers.
     Unfortunately, as I learned from the tow boat, the channel no longer follows those markers. 
     Yup, we ran hard aground!  The blue dashed line (right) is the path I went.  The brown is the actual channel.  In the vicinty of marker 16, the water is only 3 feet deep.
     It took us several hours and $40 before a tow boat finally got us free.


     Instead of continuing north, we spent the night in Mile Hammock Bay.  Pictures below:
Other Boats in Mile Hammock Bay Sunrise
LSM-45
LSM-45
WW II landing ship, commissioned in 1944
    Other  boats at anchor                            Sunrise
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