Onward’s Cruise Journal 2016
Chesapeake & ICW South


Updated: 22 Oct 16


October 2016


1 Oct 16; Saturday; Baltimore


2 Oct 16; Sunday; Baltimore

3 Oct 16; Monday; Baltimore

4 Oct 16; Tuesday; Baltimore
  • •

5 Oct 16; Wednesday; Baltimore

6 Oct 16; Thursday; Baltimore

7 Oct 16; Friday; Baltimore

8 Oct 16; Saturday; Baltimore

9 Oct 16; Sunday; Baltimore

10 Oct 16; Monday; Baltimore

11 Oct 16; Tuesday; Baltimore
  • •

12 Oct 16; Wednesday; Baltimore

13 Oct 16; Thursday; Baltimore

14 Oct 16; Friday; Baltimore

15 Oct 16; Saturday; Baltimore

16 Oct 16; Sunday; Baltimore

17 Oct 16; Monday; Baltimore

18 Oct 16; Tuesday; Baltimore
  • •

19 Oct 16; Wednesday; Baltimore to Annapolis
  • We ran off to Safeway to get the last bit of fresh stuff and 8 bags of groceries later were back aboard. Our dentist called to say they could finally finish Peggy's crown work and volunteered to pick her up at a pier when we reached Annapolis. Peggy stowed stuff while I freed Onward from the connections to the pier. At ~1015 we were free at last and back to the roaming life. The day was sunny with almost no wind and we were able to make a rapid transit to Annapolis. This was Onward's first return to the Annapolis harbor since they reworked the mooring field which can now handle boats to 55'. As usual, Peggy did a defy pickup of the mooring pennant only to discover they have made them very short. As I had not prepared a mooring line for this occasion we had to make another approach. How quickly skills like preparing for a mooring pickup erode after being sedentary for a month! Once moored, I launched Venture and rushed Peggy in to a dock in Eastport where someone from the dental office fetched her. While waiting, I was able to get a pumpout from the harbor boat (VHF-17; $5). The operator told me that West Marine now has the screw-in pumpout vacuum hose adapters for sale and some services are offering reduced cost or more frequent service if a boat has one ready for them. I will look into this.
  • About 1700 a nicely repaired Peggy was ready for a pickup. After fetching her, we decided to have a quiet night aboard. Nice.

20 Oct 16; Thursday; Annapolis to Solomons
  • Onward was underway by 0700 on another beautiful day.

21 Oct 16; Friday; Solomons to Hampton
  • Anchored at 1830; rain

22 Oct 16; Saturday; Hampton
  • Dinner; Ray

23 Oct 16; Sunday; Hampton to North River
  • dM @0700 7152

24 Oct 16; Monday; North River to Belhaven

25 Oct 16; Tuesday; Belhaven to Beaufort
  • •

26 Oct 16; Wednesday; Beaufort - offshore

27 Oct 16; Thursday; offshore

28 Oct 16; Friday; Offshore to St. Augustine
  • Picked up the USCG LNTM for Region 7 when we came in close to shore at St. Marys. Learned that all the navigation marks for the St. Augustine inlet were moved off station by hurricane Matthew. I could not find any updates on the internet about current status. I called the USCG Sector Jackonville and managed to get to the person in charge of navigation aids. The report of problematic aids did not include St. Augustine inlet but he did not have a specific report that they had been replaced. I called SeaTow St. Augustine and learned that some of the marks were in place. I called TowBoat US St. Augustine and learned that the sea buoy and most of the red marks had been replaced.
  • On looking closer at the inlet on the chartplotter, I realized that I had left detailed waypoints for the inlet channel last year when I found it a challenge. I was able to watch a fishing trawler make an exit on AIS and then watch Cats Meow and a large sports fisherman make the entrance and they followed the route I had marked. I now had a lot of confidence. I followed the route and saw a min of 20' at 1445-1515; local low tide was at 1457.

Inlet Report: 28 Oct 2016
  • The current LNTM reported the navigation marks for the inlet had all been carried off station by Hurricane Matthew.
  • I contacted USCG Sector Jacksonville and talked to the person in charge of navigation aids. The current list of off-station marks did not include St. Augustine; but he did not have a specific report that they had been replaced.
  • I called SeaTow St. Augustine and learned that some of the marks were in place.
  • I called TowBoat US St. Augustine and learned that the sea buoy and most of the red marks had been replaced.
  • I had left detailed waypoints for the inlet channel last year when I found it a challenge.
  • I was able to watch a fishing trawler make an exit on AIS and then watch the AIS of Cats Meow, a 72' cat and a large sports fisherman make the entrance and they followed the route
  • I followed the route and saw a min of 20' at 1445-1515; local low tide was at 1457.

St. Augustine Inlet Waypoints
27º 54.93' N 81º 15.46' W; E end of inlet channel; W of R&W buoy
27º 54.87' N 81º 15.64' W
27º 54.88' N 81º 16.28' W
27º 54.87' N 81º 16.53' W
27º 54.82' N 81º 16.70' W
27º 54.70' N 81º 16.92' W
27º 54.58' N 81º 17.19' W
27º 54.50' N 81º 17.38' W
27º 54.28' N 81º 17.88' W; W end of inlet channel; leading to Bridge of Lions
Note: these waypoints mark the route safely followed by SV Onward on entering St. Augustine Inlet in Nov 2015 and Oct 2016. They are provided for reference only; captains navigating the inlet are responsible for selecting and following a route based on their own best judgement and available aids.

29 Oct 16; Saturday; St. Augustine

30 Oct 16; Sunday;

31 Oct 16; Monday;