Southbound- No Reservations!
October 2023
Hi everyone,
Ed had the Margarita on land preparing for our Southbound run, making sure all was well. We stocked the boat on Sunday Oct. 8, with all of our food, etc.
The wind was brutal, and Ed said, “We have to get to the fuel dock and get fuel so we can depart early Monday morning.”
Omg, everyone who was watching us at the marina saw how powerful this wind was.
So I was so psyched to have John, our boat neighbor, jump on board to give me a hand.
Next, Rowland wanted to help, then Kevin… we had a lot of helpers but Ed pulled out of our slip before any more hands were on deck.
Like he always says to me, “What are you worried about? The wind is your favorite Angel… Archangel Raphael…” I know, but it truly was a strong, strong wind, cold, and more energy behind it.
We stayed on the fuel dock for our early departure.
Day 1, Monday , October 9
We departed at dawn, 6:20am. As we headed down the Mystic River, all of the inside of our windows were totally fogged up. We couldn’t see a thing…
The instruments were way too bright due to the fact that I forgot to dim them down, so we were both having night blindness.
Ed ran up top to navigate the boat, and I ran and grabbed a squeegee to clear off the front windows.
I had to grab a sweatshirt for him too, it was really cool this morning, 55 degrees.
Finally, we both got our bearings and cleared the windows and calmed down for our journey.
It was a crazy start of our trip- as everyone knows, it’s boating…
As we traveled into Long Island Sound, the waves were relentless all day and they were building, a lot.
Windy, cold, and just really uncomfortable waves. They were not what either of us expected…
We all know this time of year the Long Island Sound can show her attitude, and she truly had one that day.
We both kept saying, “Why is it so cold in here?”
Well, we discovered the AC pump that makes our heat blow is not working! Oh well, I went and plugged in our portable heater to make us warm.
I was so happy when the sun came up and started to warm the boat up along with the electric heater.
Finally, after Ed drove on a different heading , hugging the CT shoreline, the waves calmed down a little. But between the cold air and white caps, it was a rough start.
We pushed through it, and I was happy for another adventure. The first day is always the hardest because we are getting into our routine.
Ed kept telling me, “Just imagine you’re riding a roller coaster…”
We both talked it over and agreed, “Let’s tuck into Port Washington, NY and hopefully grab a mooring ball and make dinner.”
Perfecto, we grabbed a mooring ball at, 5:20pm.
The sun was going down quickly, so it was a perfect area to watch the sunset. It was beautiful first day even though the Long Island Sound was a bit sporty…
Made a great dinner and called it a night.
Ed explained to me when we had the Margarita on the hard, we forgot to burp the AC pump and it must’ve blown the AC pump. We usually have a spare of everything, but not this one particular type.
He mentioned he will check it out when we stop.
Day 2, Tuesday Oct. 10
Departed Port Washington early at the first sign of Ed’s “girlfriend”, Dawn.
We were chugging along. Looking at the amazing lights of the city skyline from this angle is just spectacular; it was pitch black when we departed.
Eds said, “Have your camera ready as we cruise through the city in the East River.”
I was so excited, it was calm, a beautiful morning, and a ten…
As we were approaching the East River, all of a sudden, the port engine started screaming out an alarm saying “Coolant Level Low…”, which means, low anti-freeze.
Ed shut it off the port motor and restarted it a few times trying to figure if the computer would fix itself.
No luck! The alarm was still screaming.
I said, “Ed, let’s turn around and go back to our mooring ball and figure this out.”
He agreed, so we did just that.
Ed took off the sensor, checked all of the wires, thinking it was a bad sensor in the port motor.
It wasn’t the sensor, thank God. He checked all of them, making sure the other motor was good.
All good…
We waited until the port motor was cool enough to remove the cap, and sure enough, it showed it was a little low. We put in anti-freeze and va-voom, we were up and running…
Next, the coffee wasn’t hot in the coffee pot that we owned for 9 years! It seemed to have died.
Ed said, “Just give me a minute and I’ll look at it later.”
Oh well, things happen in threes. You always have to have Plan B.
We had fresh coffee, so we strained it through filters for a cup of hot coffee. We were both cracking up.
The New York skyline always takes my breath away; it’s New York, and it truly never sleeps.
I love checking out all of the buildings from this angle, watching all of the helicopters coming and going, bringing in the executives, the barges, water taxis zipping up and down delivering people on this river…
I love the huge container ships coming in from the ocean and the cruise ships departing. It never is dull, it just is unreal to me.
We got out into the Jersey Shore, and wow, wow, wow, it was so kind to us, beautiful skies, calm gentle rollers, and an amazing second day.
Ed rewired the chord to our coffee pot as we cruised along the Jersey Shore. Perfecto, fresh hot coffee in the morning and no garbage to our landfill.
At about 4:00, the waves and wind started to kick up, and instead of trying to push on, Ed suggested “Let’s pull into Barnegett Inlet , NJ and grab a dock at the fishing community and call it a day.”
It was awesome, we grabbed a dock at the marina where all of the fishing boats are. It’s rough, but if you want fresh fish, or the scoop on the seas, you ask the fishermen. This is their living. They were icing down, boxing up, and trucking out spinner sharks. They had caught a lot of them.
It was great; we went to the local fish restaurant, then watched the sun go down… It’s just amazing how hard our fisherman work and restart the next day at, 3:00 AM to do this again!
Day 3, Oct. 11
We departed at 6:10 AM. We headed out and wow, wow, wow, the Jersey Shores were spectacular and so peaceful. Watching the fire ball sun rise from the oceans horizon just is breathtaking to me. And we had hot Java too.
No wind, just calm, calm, calm… There were butterflies migrating south with us, along with the dolphins playing on our wake.
We both decided to keep chugging along to Sunset Marina in Maryland, staying on this spectacular ocean. It was well worth it…
This marina was packed with mega sportfish. I had never in my life seen so many beautiful, huge gorgeous sportfish at one marina. The people were amazing and this marina was a ten.
Got some fuel and they had a fabulous restaurant onsite too. Another amazing run, especially when the ocean was in our favor. Everyone knows that our Ocean can be a mighty vixen. I truly respect her.
Day 4, Oct. 12
The marina emptied out the fishing boats, they went offshore at 3:00 in the morning, offshore 25 miles, straight out for big tunas… and more.
That’s when we knew it will be a fabulous day on sea. We met another couple with the same boat as us, it was great talking with them.
They charter a 62’ Offshore and run people from Maine to Florida. Or, wherever they wish to travel.
We met them when we tucked into Ocean City, Maryland. They traveled in front of us, heading to Norfolk where we were heading.
When we pulled into Bluewater Marina, in Norfolk, they were directly behind us. It was great meeting them in person; we have been talking to them on the radio for two days. It was also great exchanging boating adventures. They invited us on their boat to check it out. The people you meet along your journeys are pretty great.
Next a huge Nordhaven yacht pulled behind us yelling, “Margarita, Margarita!”
They were boaters that we met a few years back, called “Blessed”. They stay at our marina in Stuart, FL.
They live in California, and have traveled on a lot more adventures on their boat than us. It’s such a small world with like-minded people. So outgoing and fearless to cruise like this…
Day 5, Oct. 13
Cruised to the beginning of the Pungo River Canal to anchor out. When you arrive here, the sunsets take your breath away. It gets pitch black, no light pollution at all… it’s like being in another world.
Ed’s barbecuing and yelling to me, “Meg you have to see the size of these bats!” I stepped out into our cockpit and wow, they were huge!
Well, bats were flying around us, crazy. Plus the stars were incredible !
The barges run 24/7 up and down the Pungo River Canal at night, and you can’t drive in this canal at night. It twists and turns through a huge swampy forest, lush with wildlife. We had an early morning start again.
Day 6, Oct. 14
We know our run today is Moorhead City, NC. We needed fuel and we like to stop at Jerrit Bay. Bruce treats us great, and gives us fabulous fuel prices. He’s a great person we have known since we started this adventure.
Chugging along today, and it’s spectacular! Sunny calm day, we checked out all of the eagles, ospreys, monarchs, dolphins, butterflies…
It was just a fabulous run. As we got into the Nuese River, however, that was another story.
The wind kicked up huge waves, darkness, raining, wind gusts up to 40, AND we had to get across to the other side.
This is when things get me crazy. I just talk a lot to my angels to calm myself down. The boat can handle this, it’s just in my head…
Ed just kept changing headings for a better ride. It was for three hours plus, relentless.
Everyone who goes boating knows how the weather can change in a heartbeat.
The sailboats out here though were just loving this wind, it was crazy wind. They were so laid over, I couldn’t believe my eyes.
Finally, as we got closer to land, I felt the waves were calming down a bit. We rang Bruce at Jerrit Bay for fuel, as we approached Adams Creek. Bruce said, “Meg, ring me when you run under the bridge.”
Well, there was no cell service and it started to pour… I mean a WHITEOUT of rain. We had to slow it down to see.
I texted Bruce, and that worked, so that was great. Ed and I got into the dock, and it was raining so hard it was wild.
Ed had to make a dam with lines so the rain wouldn’t roll into the fuel tanks. You have to be a MacGyver with boating…
After about 15 minutes, it started to lift. It was crazy rain…
We departed from there and got to Moorehead City Yacht Basin. We met up with our boat neighbors Ann and Mark on their boat, “Into the Mystic”.
We got settled in, and all four of us went out for an amazing dinner. It was fabulous.
We met another couple traveling all the way from Halifax, Canada; it was their first adventure on their boat. They were loving it…! It was cool talking with them. They were heading to Jacksonville, FL.
She texted me saying “I have bruises everywhere from this trip!” I cracked up. We always return from any boat trip and see a bruise somewhere, unknown where it came from.
Day 7, Oct. 16
We headed out and it was another great day. I found a marina where we could tuck in and leave the Margarita for a month, Deep River Marina in Southport. It’s where the ferry takes 2,000+ people daily out to Bald Head Island…
We had another long haul to get there, and we cruised all day. Ed thought the Wrightsville Beach Bridge would mess up our timeline, because it only opens on the hour and this time of year the sun goes down really quick; it’s a blackout in the water.
Well, we arrived there, and a huge Sportfish yacht heading to the Ft. Lauderdale boat show was waiting for the bridge to open.
Ed said, “You got this, the water board’s reading 17, go for it.”
“No way, Cap! I’ll wait until the bridge opens”
Ed replied, “We’re going under it.”
I’m putting our small antennas down. Watch the top! I’m up top watching freaking myself out, but we got it!
Well, we gained an hour of daylight just by getting under this bridge. We flew down the Cape Fear River; the current was 2 knots in our favor, there was no wind and were heading to a new marina.
We just made it in. We docked the boat, made food, and the next morning, Ed repaired our AC pump so we will have heat for the next leg of our trip. We both cleaned the inside and outside of the boat, then made arrangements to get home.
We had met more cool people on their adventures South.
We are all snowbirds in some way.
Traveling is the best education you can give yourself!
Day 8, Early morning Tuesday Oct. 17
Another crazy long day of cars, flights, Ubers and more. Now that we are back to reality, we can cherish another fond memory of another amazing adventure on the Margarita!
Sea you soon,
Meg and Ed
