Isle of Hope, GA November 11, 2022

Update – Wakely, Stan and I have survived Hurricane Nicole with no damage to the boat or the crew.

We did experience a great deal of wind and rain but other than that, all is good.

The weather is improving and tomorrow we are planning to continue our journey. We are heading to Jekyll Island GA.

From Jekyll Island we go to St Augustine, Titusville and then the now known final destination, Jupiter, FL.

I want to mention and deeply thank Rick Sirvaitis for securing a dock for Wakely in Jupiter. His kindness and assistance will allow Wakely safe harbor as I travel back to CT for Thanksgiving.

Thank you Rick!!

Will keep the updates coming and

Keep cruisin’

Isle of Hope, GA, November 9, 2022

Let me first address the issue at hand. We stopped in Savannah so that our crewmate, Randy Bourne, could catch a plane back to Connecticut. Now, not to misunderstand, Randy flying home just before a hurricane hits was not because he was scared. Randy flying home from Savanna was always the plan.

I must say that Randy joined us in Norfolk, VA, and enjoyed a week of perfect weather, and great food and provided Stan and me with great company. But, he did miss the harrowing ride down the Jersey shore in pea soup fog, the electrical problems in Atlantic City, the snotty seas of Delaware Bay, and Hurricane Nicole. Randy is a very smart fellow.

Now, as far as Hurricane Nicole, Wakely, Stan, and I have decided to hunker down in Isle of Hope, GA, just outside of Savannah. It is approximately 20 miles south of Savannah.

We had many conversations on whether to continue South but decided that the best chance of avoiding Nicole’s worst was by staying as far north as possible. We are hoping for the best. The full impact of the storm is not supposed to hit us until Thursday. We are double and triple-lined and have all bumpers over the side. We will ride the storm out on Wakely in Isle of Hope.

Wacca Watche, November 4th, 2022

Jumping back in time, we had an incredible experience and coincidence just South of Myrtle Beach, SC at a marina called Wacca Wache Marina (great name).

Approximately 5 miles before the marina on a creek with all “S” turns, we were stopped at a low bridge waiting for it to open.

As we waited, two more Back Cove 41’s (the sister boats of Wakely) formed a line right behind Wakely. The Boats’ names were Infinity and Lucy Goose. Then, a Back Cove 37 joined the line behind the three original Back Coves. The coincidence of having four Back Coves stopped together in the southern part of South Carolina at a swing bridge was coincidence enough. But it got better as the three 41’s were all going to Wacca Wache Marina.

Once the bridge opened, the four Back Coves formed a convoy and we charged down the creek, making great “S” turns and having a great deal of fun. If you have ever had the opportunity to convoy down a tight creek at top speed, you get the adrenaline. If you have not, I don’t recommend it.

But, the coincidence continued when we arrived at Wacca Wache as Lucy Goose final destination is exactly where Wakely is heading. The Yacht and Racquet Club of Boca Raton. And, even crazier, one of the crewmates on Infinity lives in the same building and same floor as Catherine and my rental unit. Life is great.

Aphrodite

Coincidences continued to abound at Wacca Wache as fellow Riverside Yacht Club vessel Aphrodite pulled in next to Wakely. APHRODITE was built and launched in May of 1937 for Wall Street financier and later Ambassador to the Court of St. James, John Hay (Jock) Whitney of Manhasset, Long Island.

Best described as a “Commuter Yacht”, this elegant and sleek 74-footer would each morning whisk Mr. Whitney from his large two-story boat house westward down Long Island Sound and thru the East River to his Wall Street office.

APHRODITE’S guest list over the years reads like a “Who’s Who” in the worlds of government, business and entertainment with such luminaries as Fred Astaire, Sir Laurence Olivier, Spencer Tracy, Katherine Hepburn, Henry Ford II, FDR advisor Harry Hopkins and Nelson Rockefeller aboard for summer day cruises down Long Island Sound. APHRODITE also once served as the site for a birthday party for Shirley Temple.

Charleston, November 5, 2022

After a wonderful stay in Wacca Wache, Wakely was off to Charleston, SC for a stay at the Bristol Marina. Charleston is a beautiful city that I highly recommend visiting. Vibrant with classic 1700 and 1800 buildings, Randy and I walked miles through this beautiful city.

Hilton Head, November 6, 2022

Following Charleston, we made headway to Hilton Head Island where Stan owns a home. This allowed Stan to stop at home and pick up some needed items. This was followed by a great dinner with my long-time friends Jeff and Ellen Wolfson. It was great seeing them.

Savannah, November 7, 2022

Following Hilton Head, we made our way to Savannah, GA for what has turned into a long-term stay at Isle of Hope Marina sitting out Hurricane Nicole. However, we did get the opportunity to visit Savannah which is another beautiful city. The city is renouned for squares. That is the city was built as a series of squares that allowed the citizens to protecy themselves from Indians, the Spanish and later the British. Today, they are lovely parks surrounded by gracious old homes.

Below is a video of Forsyth Square, one of Savannah’s many squares.

So, Stan, Wakely, and I are sitting in Isle of Hope Marina, just south of Savannah, today, Wednesday November 9th , 2022 waiting for Nicole to arrive. The winds are increasing and the storm is expected to arrive tonight and through Thursday. We are hoping to continue our journey on Friday and arrive in our final destination early next week.

Keep Cruisin

November 3, Wrightsville Beach North Carolina

Following the excitement of our first day in the fog, our electrical problem in Atlantic City, and the rough waters of Delaware Bay, things have settled down. After leaving Annapolis on Friday, October 28, we continued south to Solomons Island on the west side of the Chesapeake Bay. This was a pleasant 50 Nautical Mile cruise down the Chesapeake.

While Solomon’s Island is a beautiful area, Stan and I were lucky enough to dock at Beacon Marina, the home of the Anglers Seafood Bar and Grill where we were treated to the worst Karaoke ever.

While Stan and I were tempted to stay for another night of Karaoke, we had to get to Norfolk, VA on Sunday, October 30 in order to pick up our crew mate and dear friend Randy Bourne at the Norfolk Yacht and Country Club. This 100-nautical mile run from Solomons Island to Norfolk was another nice day with the wind pushing us south along the Chesepeake

I am always amazed when I cruise through Norfolk, home of a massive naval base. This time through we were lucky enough to catch a glimpse of the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower, a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier.

With Randy on board, we left Norfolk and headed to Coinjock, NC to connect with Maria and Bob Dwyer and for the Prime Rib. First, Maria and Bob Dwyer are the in-laws of my niece Taylor Bell. Maria and Bob are avid boaters who own a beauitiful Sabre 42 power boat. And, Coinjock NC is the home of the best Prime Rib in the world.

However, before arriving in Coinjock, we had to go through a lock. Locks along the ICW are designed to create a series of steps where boats either climb or descend as they travel upstream or downstream.

The next day we continued from Coinjock to Bellhaven and the Dowry Creek Marina.

Leaving Norfolk is the beginning of the “real” Intercoastal Waterway and things change drastically. The Waterway is a caravan of boats all heading south for the winter. And, it is treacheroulsy narrow and shallow. Speed is greatly reduced as Wakely cannot pass other boats at speed as her wake would rock the boats we are passing. In addition, the waterway’s channels are shallow and narrow. Shoaling, when sand builds up, is very dangerous as it can stretch into the channel. The crew needs to be on a constant state of alert in order to avoid running aground.

One story worth noting is that we were following a 52 foot cabin cruiser down the channel when all of a sudden she veered sharply to port (left). A crewmate jumped out of the cabin to wave us off as they had just collided with a shoal. They managed to back off the shoal. However, in the process they lost power in one of their engines. They were making headway on the other engine but taking on water when the Coast Guard came to their rescue.

After leaving Bellhaven, we continued on to Beaufort, NC where we again met up with Bob and Maria Dwyer for a hamburger dinner on Wakely. Wakely is very pretty at night, if I say so myself.

Tonight as I write this blog, I am sitting in Wrightsville, NC. We stopped here to let Randy spend an evening with a cousin he had not seen for many years. We have been out for nine days and we are getting into a routine that allows us to keep up a very full schedule of cruising, arriving in port, making any necessary adjustments to Wakely, filling her up with fresh water and fueling up every few days.

Tomorrow we cross into South Carolina and stop at Georgetown before continuing onto Charleston and Hilton Head, SC.

Stick with Stan, Randy, Wakely and me as we move ever closer to our final destination, where ever that may be.

Keep Cruisin.

On my previous blog, “FOG, ELECTRIC ISSUE AND GOOD SAMARITANS” there is a video of Wakely and Baroness crashing through the waves.

It looks like a picture, but it is a video. If you click the picture it will reload as the video and click again to see what “snotty” seas look like.

October 28, Annapolis, MD

Three days into the cruise and so much has happened. Catherine waved goodbye to Stan and me as we left Riverside on Wednesday, 10/25 in dense fog. We were starting a 120-nautical mile run to Atlantic City. The fog was so thick that at times we could not see Wakely’s bow. Cruising down the East River in New York, the buildings were almost entirely blanketed in fog. This is when a boater completely appreciates and depends on radar which allows one to see other approaching vessels. We used radar the entire trip as the whole way was fogged in. The radar worked perfectly.

Eight Hours later we arrived in Atlantic City mentally exhausted and fog blind from the foggy experience.

Atlantic City

We docked at Farley State Marina at the Golden Nugget and grabbed a quick dinner before collapsing into bed and dreaming of a sunny Thursday.

Thursday dawned a beautiful day and we rose early to make our 95-nautical mile cruise from Atlantic City to Delaware City, DE. We prepared to leave and I turned the ignition and NOTHING!! The engine would not make a sound. Stan and I tried everything we could think of to troubleshoot the problem with tremendous cell phone help from Peter Roestenberg, Wakely’s Engine Technician, and Israel Novak of Back Cove Yachts. They tried so hard to help and it is greatly appreciated. Unfortunately, we could not troubleshoot the issue.

At the end of the day, a technician from Atlantic City arrived to look into the problem and when we realized what it was, I was so disappointed. There is a system on Wakely called a Fireboy. It is designed to put out an engine fire automatically. If the system is not engaged, the engine will not start. The AC technician was looking for possible reasons the engine would not start when he accidentally touched a loose Fireboy wire and the engine came to life. For a loose wire, that only needed to be tightened with a screwdriver, the day was lost.

Atlantic City to Delaware City, DE Rock Hall, MD

Friday dawned with bright sun and Stan and my spirits were high as we fired up Wakely’s engine and headed out towards Delaware City. We cruised down the New Jersey coast and into the Cape May canal in relatively calm waters.

In the Cape May canal, we were approached from behind by “Baroness”, a good size 55ft Ocean fishing boat. A boat built for deep sea fishing far off the shore in heavy seas. I slowed down and called her on the radio asking if she would like to pass us on the port side. She replied that she would and thanked us for our courtesy. As she passed, I asked if they had heard any marine forecast for Delaware Bay, a historically rough patch of water. Baroness replied she had not and that the bay would be fine.

A little while later, after Baroness had gotten ahead of us by about a mile and entered the Bay from the canal, she radioed us again and informed us that the Bay was completely snotty (a nautical term for huge waves). And, offered to lead us through the Bay, breaking the waves as we went. This would allow Wakley to maintain a better speed and reduce the banging caused by the huge wave effect. Baroness had to wait, bobbing in the water, approximately 30 minutes before we caught up to her because, without her kindness, we were only managing 7-8 knots. Once we tucked in behind this good/great samaritan, we were able to increase speed to 15 knots. It was still rough, but not as bad as it would have been without Baroness.

With the kindness of this gentleman and his vessel Baroness, we made great time and got through the bay with time to spare. As there was still daylight, we pushed on to Rock Hall, MD. which put us closer to Annapolis which was our goal for today.

This morning we left for a quick 20-mile run across the Chesapeake Bay to Annapolis, MD where I am sitting now. Earlier this afternoon we took a walking tour of the U.S. Naval Academy and I wish that I had had the brains to even consider such a fine school. However, seeing all the cadets gave me a tremendous feeling of pride and hope for our future naval officers.

Tomorrow we cruise 48 miles to Solomons Island and then to Norfolk, VA where we will add a new character to our story. Randy Bourne will join us for our cruise from Norfolk, VA to Savannah, GA and we look forward to the fun and humor he will bring.

Loving every minute and looking forward to more adventures.

Keep Cruising.

Hello Friends – Yes, I am introducing a new edition of Cruising with Kramer!

I’m excited to share that Stan Thurley and I are once again going to cruise the ICW South from Riverside, CT to Florida. An estimated 1,500 nautical mile cruise over 3 weeks.

Technically speaking the The Intracoastal Waterway (ICW) is part of America’s Great Loop. The Great Loop is a continuous waterway that recreational mariners can travel that includes part of the Atlantic Ocean, Gulf of Mxico, Intracoastal Waterways, the Great Lakes, Canadian Heritage Canals, and inland rivers of America’s heartland. It is approximately 6,000 nautical miles.

Stan and I will be cruising on Wakely, the Back Cove 41 that we cruised North on the ICW from Marco Island, FL to Riverside, CT in May of 2020. That trip took 14 days and was right at the height of the Pandemic. We are confident that this cruise will be more relaxed and allow us to explore ports such as Annapolis, Savannah, and St. Augustine.

Below is the preliminary itinerary. But, as with all cruising, there are many things that can drastically change an itinerary, or what boaters call a Float Plan. Weather can keep you in port for days at a time, mechanical failure can waylay you in an out-of-the-way place waiting for replacement parts, and hitting floating debris can stop you, just to name a few. We were lucky in 2020 as little of this happened. Will we be as fortunate again?

I am looking forward to once again venturing out onto the ICW and testing Wakely, Stan, and me as we attempt a smooth cruise from Connecticut to Florida.

Stay tuned for more updates as the October 25th departure date draws closer. And, if you are interested in more information on Wakely and the ICW, please refer to my January 15th, 2020 Post.