Boston to Bradenton

KAHI LIMA, BOSTON TO CORTEZ, FLORIDA (approximately 1500 miles)

Day 1 July 18, 1971 Sunday

0751 Underway for Bradenton (Cortez), Florida. Wind NW, clear. Said goodbye to Joyce and Diane (Blanchard).

2253 Tied up at basin Cape Cod Canal. Moved to anchorage.

Day 2 July 19 Monday

0900 Underway through Cape Cod Canal.

1130 Came back to a dock in a little cove just outside the Canal. Too rough outside. Overcast. Rain. No chart for this area. No apparent leaks in thunderstorm except between hatch boards and hatch.

Day 3 July 20 Tuesday

0830 Underway. Passed through Hens and Chickens Shoal in late afternoon at low tide and high swells. Came through breakers at mouth of Westport Harbor.

2000 Tied up at Tripp’s Boatyard, Westport Harbor.

Day 4 July 21 Wednesday

0830 Underway.

1745 Tied up Point Judith Pond, Point Judith Neck, R.I.

Day 5 July 22 Thursday

0820 Underway.

1500 Anchored Great Pond, Block Island. Fog all morning, went off course.

Day 6 July 23 Friday

Day 7 July 24 Saturday

0100 Went through Shinnecock Inlet.

0130 Tied up at marina at Shinnecock Inlet.

1005 Underway through Long Island Inland Waterway. Stopped at Tuthill Cove, Moriches Bay for lunch.

1930 Tied up Beaver Dam Creek, Bellport. Ran aground 2- or 3-times during day.

Day 8 July 25 Sunday

1045 Underway. Rain in morning. Fuel in stove [alcohol] has lasted a week with some still left. A lot of marshes but no mosquitoes, just a few tiny green bugs. A lot of dead Eel grass in water. People all over digging clams with their feet or tongs. Power boats do not slow down, did a lot of rolling in their wake. Stopped for a head call, bent bowsprit on dock. Slight rain in afternoon.

1950 Tied up at Cedar Island Beach, near Fire Island Inlet. Ran aground 2 times during today.

Day 9 July 26 Monday

1040 Underway. Rain in morning. Wind picked up in afternoon, used engine. Sailed the majority of the distance through Long Island Inland Waterway. Spent today through a maze of marsh canals looking for Bascule bridges. Lowest bridge went through without opening 27 feet.

1800 Tied up at dock on the other side of the channel from Atlantic Beach, Bannister Creek, 1 mile from East Rockaway Inlet.

Day 10 July 27, 1971 Tuesday

0715 Underway. No problem through Rockaway Inlet.

1630 Went through Manasquan Inlet. No problem. A pretty fast run today about 31 nautical miles from Rockaway to Manasquan.

1800 Tied up at Burlew’s Anchorage, Crabtown Creek, Manasquan, N.J.

1950 Moved a few hundred feet to Seaview Marina dock.

Day 11 July 28 Wednesday

0725 Underway through New Jersey Inland Waterway. Made wrong turn after Point Pleasant Canal, went down Metedeconk River about a mile. Used jib in following wind about half of day.

1740 Tied up Waretown Creek, Waretown, just across Barnegat By from Barnegat Inlet.

Day 12 July 29 Thursday

0800 Underway.

1340 Tied up marina at Manahawkin bridge, Manahawkin Bay, Hillard. Headwind Force 6 and dead Eel grass makes progress almost impossible, choking up prop.

1455 Underway reefed.

1630 Tied up behind bulkhead on other side of bay, Surf City.

Day 13 July 30 Friday

Spent the day at Surf City. Wind Force 6 in morning. On-and-off showers in afternoon. Laundry.

Day 14 July 31 Saturday

Spent the day at Surf City. Strong south winds. Brief shower in afternoon.

Day 15 August 1 Sunday

0757 Underway. Brief showers, mist.

1905 Anchored in creek across channel from Ocean City. Used motor most of day. A lot of winding creeks, thoroughfares, marshes, drawbridges and expensive homes in Ventnor, Margate City, etc.

Day 16 August 2 Monday

0645 Underway. Almost hard aground. Cannot estimate tides. Stopped to prepare for day. Ran engine all day. Ran aground a few times. Channels very narrow. Ran aground only a boat length from buoy.

1630 Tied up Schellenger Landing, Cape May. Gas, telephone call, food, etc.

1945 Anchored in Cape Island Creek behind Schellenger Landing.

Day 17 August 3 Tuesday

0850 Underway through Cape May Canal.

1910 Tied up Hancock’s Harbor Marina. $17.50 overnight. Cohansey River, Delaware Bay, Greenwich, N.J. A fast run with a following wind building up to Force 5. Sighted about 12 ships during day.

Day 18 August 4 Wednesday

0930 Underway. Against current. Used engine all day. Stopped and walked for gas. Wind 5 N. [Force?]

1915 Anchored Scott Run, Chesapeake and Delaware Canal.

Day 19 August 5 Thursday

0920 Underway through Chesapeake and Delaware Canal. Rained all night, cleared in morning. Also rained on-and-off yesterday. Boat grounded at an angle during night. Spent ½ of afternoon at Chesapeake City. Land has changed from marsh to rolling, wooded, green hills.

1945 Anchored Cabin John Creek, Elk River.

Day 20 August 6, 1971 Friday

0830 Underway.

1800 Anchored Swan Creek at Gratitude, near Rock Hall, Maryland.

Day 21 August 7 Saturday

0810 Underway. Majority of boats here are sail. Spent most of afternoon at Annapolis and the Maryland Clam Festival. A lot of people and activity. A tremendous amount of boats here and of about every make.

2125 Anchored Poplar Island, off Tilghman Island.

Day 22 August 8 Sunday

0915 Underway. Wind north. Hot. A lot of jellyfish and crabs.

1900 Aground at entrance to Honga, Maryland, Hooper Island.

Day 23 August 9 Monday

0300 Tied up at Honga. Ran aground all the way in.

1630 Underway. Aground where I tied up all morning and part of afternoon. Island natives friendly but slow paced. Mosquitoes. Still hot.

1905 Tied up Hoopersville, Hooper Island, Maryland.

Day 24 August 10 Tuesday

0905 Underway. Honga River and Tangier Sound provide an inside passage from open Chesepeake Bay.

1305 Tied up Deal Island, Deal Island, Maryland. Force 5 or 6 headwind. Spent day at Deal Island and Chance, Maryland.

Day 25 August 11 Wednesday

Spent the day at Deal Island. Headwind Force 5 or 6. Thunderstorm in evening.

Day 26 August 12 Thursday

Spent the day tied up at Chance, Maryland, across the basin from Deal Island. Wind north Force 5 or 6 in morning. Thunderbird speedboat Pegel III, Cleveland, Ohio (trailered) ride to Smith Island, Maryland and Crisfield, Maryland.

Day 27 August 13 Friday

0705 Underway. Lower Eastern Shore low woods and a lot of marsh. Less than 6 sailboats sighted since Poplar Island.

1805 Anchored Occohannock Creek, Scarborough Neck, Shields, Virginia. Wind N.E. Force 4 or 5. A fast run of approximately 42 miles.

Day 28 August 14 Saturday

0730 Underway. Overcast, light rain in morning. Wind Force 4 or 5 N.E. [wing-and-wing all day]

1700 Tied up Willoughby Bay, Norfolk, Virginia. A fast run of about 44 miles. Willoughby Bay Marina $2.04 overnight. Laundry.

Day 29 August 15, 1971 Sunday

Gas, food, telephone call, etc.

1000 Underway. Stopped for lunch downtown Norfolk.

1630 Tied up Deep Creek, Virginia at entrance to Dismal Swamp Canal. Motor all day. Ships and piers since Willoughby Bay.

Day 30 August 16 Monday

0805 Underway through Dismal Swamp Canal. Approximately 40 minutes to get through Deep Creek lock, 15 minutes to get through South Mills lock. About 6 boats through canal during passage. About 4 ½ MPH in canal. Engine all day.

1750 Tied up Elizabeth City, N.C. Moved to Forbes Bay to anchor.

Day 31 August 17 Tuesday

0905 Underway. Rain all day. Sail all day. Wind ENE.

1735 Anchored Little Alligator River, south side Albemarle Sound about 1 ½ miles north of US 64 bridge, at mouth of Alligator River.

Day 32 August 18 Wednesday

1010 Underway. Thunderstorm during night, rain in morning.

1240 Anchored Second Creek, Alligator River about 2 miles south of US 64. Force 5 headwind.

Day 33 August 19 Thursday

0705 Underway.

1800 Tied up Belhaven, NC. A run of about 50 miles. Four pleasure boats seen between Elizabeth City and Belhaven. Transited Alligator River-Pungo River Canal. Mostly Cypress swamp since leaving Portsmouth, Virginia. Moved to anchorage.

Day 34 August 20 Friday

Spent morning in Belhaven.

1055 Underway. First Shrimp boats at Belhaven.

1700 Anchored Gale Creek, Hobucken, NC, west end of Pamlico Sound. Traffic increased slightly.

Day 35 August 21 Saturday

0730 Underway.

1935 Tied up Morehead City, NC.

Day 36 August 22 Sunday

Spent day at Morehead City and Money Island Beach, across the waterway. Strong headway. Lot of boats here, large sportfishing fleet.

Day 37 August 23 Monday

Spent day at Money Island Beach. Strong headwind in morning. Thunderstorm and rain in afternoon.

Day 38 August 24 Tuesday

0655 Underway. Wind back around to north. Went under bridge dedication in Bogue Sound. Delayed about 45 minutes at Camp Lejuene Marine Base Firing Line.

1930 Anchored Mile Hammock Bay, Camp Lejuene Turning Basin at New River and New River Inlet, NC.

Day 39 August 25, 1971 Wednesday

0725 Underway.

1935 Anchored Carolina Beach, near Cape Fear, NC. A run of about 50 miles under sail only.

Day 40 August 26 Thursday

0940 Underway. Rain in morning. Shrimp boats under construction at Holden Beach, NC. Wind east. Sail only mostly wing and wing.

1825 Tied up near Shallotte Inlet about 10 miles east (north) of NC, SC. Border, on ICW.

Day 41 August 27 Friday

Spent day berthed near Shallotte Inlet. Hurricane Doria. No problems. Not much wind. Hard rain during night. Listening to WAPC-AM, Jacksonville, Florida.

Day 42 August 28 Saturday

0650 Underway. Land cut canal most of day. Motor all day.

1945 Anchored Collins Creek, Waccamaw River, about 15 miles north of Georgetown, SC.

Day 43 August 29 Sunday

0730 Underway. Spent most of the afternoon at Georgetown, SC. Gas, phone call, food, etc. Overcast most of day. Light showers and rain on and off in afternoon and evening.

1930 Anchored Duck Creek about 15 miles south of Georgetown, 10 miles north of Cape Roman National Wildlife Refuge. Sailboats a rarity hereabouts. Kahi Lima only one under sail since North Carolina.

Day 44 August 30 Monday

1115 Underway. Rain and/or overcast all night and morning.

1815 Anchored Graham Creek, in back of Bull Bay, about 30 miles north of Charleston, SC.

Day 45 August 31 Tuesday

0740 Underway.

1500 Checked into Charleston, SC Municipal Marina. $2.04 @ foot overnight. Laundry, haircut, etc. Docked in front of Herman Cat boat docked with at downtown Norfolk. (bound for Mexico from New York) ‘Fat Cat”.

Day 46 September 1 Wednesday

0740 Underway. Delayed about 1 ½ hours because of strong current in Elliot Cut just outside Charleston. First current like this since North Carolina. Wind has been between east and west for a few days.

1915 Anchored Ashepoo River, Fenwick Island.

Day 47 September 2 Thursday

0710 Underway. Wind picked up to about Force 5 in afternoon. Passed Parris Island Marine Training Base, just outside Beaufort.

1910 Anchored Skull Creek, Hilton Head Island. Steak dinner with “Fat Cat” crew, George (father) and Charlie (son). (did not catch last name) at anchor.

Day 48 September 3 Friday

0740 Underway.

Day 49 September 4, 1971 Saturday

0835 Underway. With and against currents all day. Strong Force 4 east wind gusty. Brief shower in morning and afternoon. 2030 Anchored Delegal Creek, Vernon River, Georgia, with “Fat Cat”.

1940 Anchored Mary Creek, Sapelo Island. Finished first gallon stove alcohol. In company with “Fat Cat”.

Day 50 September 5 Sunday

0720 Underway.

1945 Anchored Little Cumberland Island, Little Cumberland River. Ran aground on approach to anchorage. Wind still east-northeast, with and against currents. A lot of sounds past 3 days. Brief shower in morning.

Day 51 September 6 Monday

0730 Underway. Aground most of night. Storm in evening.

1115 Entered Florida in Cumberland Sound.

1200 Tied up Florida Marine Welcome Station, Fernandina Beach.

1500 Underway.

1940 Anchored off Sawpit Creek, Black Hammock Island, about halfway between Fernandina Beach and St. Johns River.

Day 52 September 7 Tuesday

0845 Underway.

1905 Tied up City Dock, St. Augustine. [barely made it under “Bridge of Lions”; had some boys on bridge worried!]

Day 53 September 8 Wednesday

0705 Underway. Stopped for gas. Stayed because of rain at Ormond-By-The-Sea. Motor all day. Wind east or east-southeast. Course mostly 150◦. Narrow waterway between trees make sailing too difficult.

Day 54 September 9 Thursday

0730 Underway. Wind west-southwest. Spent ½ of morning at Daytona Beach (downtown).

1910 Tied up Ariel, Indian River North, about 8 miles south of New Smyrna Beach. A lot of lovebugs. Frequent sightings of Dolphins [correction] since at least as far back as Morehead City, NC.

Day 55 September 10 Friday

0655 Underway. Stopped for gas, stayed because of thunderstorm at Cocoa, Merritt Island.

Day 56 September 11 Saturday

Spent morning at Merritt Island. Phone call, food, laundry, etc.

1245 Underway. Anchored out during thunderstorm in mid-afternoon.

1950 Anchored off Melbourne.

Day 57 September 12 Sunday

0720 Underway. Hove to during thunderstorm and rain in afternoon. Moved to marina at Vero Beach. Discontinuing use of main cabin light battery, large 6V ‘Hot Shot”, dry, inadequate for reading or seeing well. Purchased at beginning of trip.

Day 58 September 13, 1971 Monday

0700 Underway. Stopped at Fort Pierce in morning. Squall in afternoon. Indian River and certain other places have “spoil banks” on each side of the channel from dredging. Most look like small wooded islands. No marsh, or very little, since entering Florida.

2000 Anchored Pendaruis Cove, south fork of St. Lucie River, Okeechobee Waterway.

Day 59 September 14 Tuesday

0855 Underway. Rain and or overcast in morning and early afternoon. A wait of 1 ½ hours for St. Lucie Lock to open, 40 minutes to lock through. In St. Lucie Canal most of day. Headwind all day. Slight trouble with weeds. Slight delay for long train and hand operated (cranked) R.R. drawbridge. Brief stop at Indiantown (marina).

1900 Anchored St. Lucie Canal, Port Mayaca, junction of canal and Lake Okeechobee. Engine all day.

Day 60 September 15 Wednesday

0710 Underway into Lake Okeechobee via Route 1 which goes out into the lake. Thousands of bugs on the boat and me on the way across. Spent 1 hour at Clewiston. ½ of day in Lake Okeechobee, ½ in Okeechobee and Caloosahatchee Canal. 10 minutes to lock through at Moore Haven Lock. Engine all day.

1830 Tied up Indian Hills Marina, Citrus Center, about 10 miles west of Moore Haven.

Day 61 September 16 Thursday

0710 Underway. 10 minutes through Ortona Lock. 10- minute wait, 10 minutes to lock through at Olga Lock. Not the boat season in Florida: 1) very few boats seen out 2) no one at marinas to collect dockage 3) marinas close at 1730 and don’t open until about 0800.

1910 Tied up marina Deep Lagoon, Fort Myers. Engine all day.

Day 62 September 17 Friday

0725 Underway. Over the side a few times, mostly to clear dead grass from skeg.

1905 Tied up Palm Marina, Englewood. Phone call.

Day 63 September 18 Saturday

0720 Underway.

2005 Tied up Cortez Marina, Cortez [Bradenton]. Motor all day.