Great Loop Cruise Video

From my IT guy:
"Try compatibility mode. I think Microsoft changed something recently that is forcing you to have to do this for some things to work.

Click the gear at the top right, then Compatibility Mode Settings then add the website to the list.

Let me know if it works, I believe it will. I could add some text to the website to advise people they may need to do that to see the video. This is a Micro$oft thing out of our control."

So far it still doesn't work on my Surface, but I'll keep you advised if I learn more.

Got it up on my Surface Pro. Wish I could tell you exactly what I did, but I just played with the settings under compatibility view and something clicked. So it's definitely a Microsoft issue. Like I tell people when I teach them about GPS, "play with it, play with it, play with it".

The Start

Well, today was the official start of the Great Loop for us as we exited Charleston Harbor and turned north, and what a beautiful way to start, with an ocean run up to Georgetown in 3-5' well spaced swells. Sunny and mid 60's. Only excitement at all came when the CG announced a gunnery exercise and we realized we would be passing 2 miles west of them. They requested that we give them 6 nm clearance which wouldn't be possible, but they were nice enough not to shoot us.

In about 20 minutes we'll be entering Winhah Bay.

OK if you can cruise near high tide. So far we've done most of our cruising near low. (such is life on a slow boat). We passed Lockwood's Folley with 1.8' under our transducer (inches under our keep), grounded at Shallotte Inlet at the south cut by marker 82 an hour before low, and our eyes never left the depth finder for the last half of the run from Georgetown to Charleston (and we never broke 6kts) from about marker 9 near Little Crow island till we hit Charleston Harbor. Above Cape Fear everything was pretty good, including above Carolina Beach by R154A which was surprising. There were a few spots up above Topsail that got skinny, but were passable. Everything above Beaufort was a cakewalk. Our draft is about 4'10", but we're protected with a keel, and the bow is the deepest part when running slow. If I had a 5' draft and no keel we'd be having props reconed.

Today was our first time in the ocean since Cape May. It felt wonderful being able to go on autopilot and take our eyes off the depthfinder for basically the first time since we left Southport (except for above Myrtle Beach to Georgetown).

Pascal, you've got more guts than me (or your crazy) to run south of Cape Fear in the ditch at night. You don't need to see the bottom to know what's happening down there. You need to see the ripples, current lines and banks (none of which can you see at night). On our boat the boss usually drives (driving boats bores me) until we see less than 3' under us (I take over when the stress level rises. I'm the back seat driver). At least 100 times on Sunday's run I'd tell him to move 10' or 15' or even 5' to the left or right to find deeper water. Every time he looked at me with a skeptical look, only to find I was dead on every time. Then there's the little day spoilers you see during the day, but not at night like the 30' x 3' tree trunk we passed this afternoon (most of it below the surface). Nope, when I get caught on the ditch after dark my blood pressure goes way up.

As for cruising north in February, it's all a matter of timing. We cruise about 1 to 2 weeks a month and then lay up for 2 or 3 weeks. That'll put us on the Hudson River when the Erie Canal opens (or heading for Nova Scotia if it doesn't). When we get back up to Wilmington we'll lay up for an oil change, etc. and begin the next leg in March. This is a pleasure cruise, not a transport. (Yeah, the pace took me a little getting used to after 26 years of getting to my destination asap. )

Hence Plan B

The Start


Fort Sumpter, Charleston S.C.
Next time we pass this (summer 2015) we'll be crossing our wake at the completion of the Great Loop.

Update- Shallotte Inlet/ Bowens Pt.

Last week we grounded at marker 82. Just came through now (at full high tide) There are 2 additional markers (81 & 80) and a major dredging operation underway (2 Weeks crane barges, one big dredger waiting to go into place and 4 tugs). Marker 81 is sitting about 10' inside of where we grounded. The channel is about 30' wide between 81 & 82 and we saw 8.2' under our tansducer full high tide (about 10'-11' depth) about 4' above MLW. Hopefully it'll be better by the time others are making their voyage north in a month or two.

Next up: Lockood's Folley

Lockwood's Folley

There's another, smaller dredge operation going on here. the space between the yellow can marking the dredge's anchor and marker 48 is a bit less than 30'. Coming through about an hour after high tide, 3.1' above MLW we showed 5.1' below our transducer (about 8' depth) at one point between 48 and 48A.

From here it should be a cakewalk all the way back up to Wilmington.

We've all wished that forever, but it's not likely to happen. Remember, recreational boats mean squat. It's purpose is commerce, and there seems to be fewer and fewer barges on it every year. The shoaling is nothing new. Certain inlets and areas have been notorious as long as I've been running the ditch. One thing that has definitely improved since the first time I ran it are the markers. A lot more, and do you remember the days when they laid the solar collectors flat which made perfect nesting platforms for the Ospreys? My biggest grumble about the ditch these days is the number of docks that have been permitted. These people put 1500' of dock across the wetlands, a floating dock on the end, and then no boat. I picture retired lawyers sitting up in their kitchens with binoculors looking for people to sue. Seems almost like a conspiracy to drive cruising boats outside. Without all the docks there might be more large boats using the ditch, and they'd help keep it dredged with their movement. If the only thing on the ditch are boats with a 22" draft, eventually you'll have a 24" depth.