Oct 30, 2011
We spent an extra day in Coinjock due to gale force winds posted for Albermarle Sound. When we woke up this morning there was ice on the dock! We are moving into a transitional period when there are stronger cold fronts coming through the area. Last night it was blowing 35 kts and gusting even higher. There is a swing bridge on the Alligator River that we have to go through and they don't open in winds that are blowing higher than 34 miles per hour. The winds have been out of the North for the last several days. These are favorable for us because we can set out the jib while motoring. This gives us an extra one to one and a half knots. I figure that we can motor along at 5.5 to 6.0 kts. With the jib set and drawing, we'll make 6.8 to 7.1 kts.
We departed the dock at 0715 and dropped anchor at Bear Point (35 deg. 40.4' N x 76 deg 03.5' W) at 1500 hrs. The distance was 52 miles so we made an average speed of 6.9 miles per hour. Distance on the Intracoastal Waterway is measured in statute miles rather than the traditional nautical miles used at sea. The nautical mile is longer. The distances I am posting for the ICW are statute miles
There is an unbelievable hoard of boats heading South for the winter. At the Bear Point Anchorage we had about 20 vessels anchored. the Wx was good and fell to almost calm during the night. Water depth was around 10 ft so I paid out 60 ft of chain which gave me a scope of 6:1. The recommended scope for anchoring is at least 5:1 and can go as high as 9:1 if Wx conditions are stormy.
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