UPDATE: Waiting for the Blow to Pass (40 to 45 Knot Winds)

We are waiting for weather to calm down today at Harbour Village Marina so we can move down to Southport Marina tomorrow and on to SC for the weekend.  For the past couple weeks this weather pattern of a front every 3^rd day seems to be holding true to form. The section of the ICW we are transiting now (Morehead to Myrtle Beach) has many headaches to deal with on top of the weather. There are many shallow spots that have to be passed only at high tide. There are old bridges that do not open in high winds and new bridge construction that close the ICW for a day or two at a time.

We ran aground yesterday near high tide crossing the New River Inlet on the ICW and we were in the channel according to buoys and where the Army Corp of Engineers November waypoint survey said the channel was. Oh well, it’s been 15 years or more since I ran a boat aground. I guess I needed a reminder of why this should be avoided. It’s not good for the boat, crew or the captain’s attitude toward our government employees responsible for keeping our waterway channels marked.

  

We had a wonderful visit from our son Joe, daughter-in-law, Deidra and grandsons, Chris and Brian over the weekend while in Morehead City. We had fun going to the Maritime Museum in Beaufort and seeing the Christmas Boat Parade in Morehead City and the boys spent the night with us on the boat. We hated to see them leave Sunday.

Monday we moved “Wind Dust” from Morehead City to Swansboro where we stayed at Casper’s Marina. Tuesday we left Swansboro and headed for Topsail Island. Tuesday was not a fun day due to running aground and having to wait for bridge openings but we made it safely to Harbour Village Marina.

Capt. JP say’s we (USA) should start a new job creation program that employs construction workers to replace all ICW Bridges that have to be opened for passage of commercial and private vessels. It’s true this would put a few folks out of work (the Bridge Tenders) but most of them need an attitude adjustment anyway.