Leg 2 - Charleston, SC to Port Clinton, OH
- April 10, 2000
8:30 am - My friend Dave Little and I departed Columbus, Ohio in a rental car for Charleston, South Carolina.
8:00 pm - We arrived at the marina (Buzzards Roost) in Charleston and were pretty tired. Our plan is to return the rental car in the morning then head out of Charleston.
Larry, Dave and Me toasting to the upcoming adventure ! - April 11
8:00 am - We returned our rental car, got the boat running, then encountered a couple minor setbacks. By the time we resolved those issues, it was too late in the day to continue. The new plan is to depart Charleston tomorrow morining.
We take a break after a problematic morning! - April 12
8:00 am - We have everything in order this morning and are on our way. We left Charleston and headed up the intercoastal. Our destination is an anchorage about 18 miles north of Georgetown, SC. That will be about 80 miles for the day.
8:00 pm - We anchored in the mouth of Bull Creek for the evening. As I was posting these pictures tonight in the middle of nowhere, I was complaining about the slow AOL. Dave busted out laughing. He can't believe I'm complaining about speed in the middle of a swamp !
Roughing it - dinner after our first day on the water. - April 13
7:00 am - We got up and it was much colder than yesterday. It is around 50 this morning and windy. Larry made eggs and sausage, handed me mine, I sat it on my seat and sat right in it ! Hopefully the rest of the aday won't be quite as bad as that ! Our destination is an anchorage in the Cape Fear area. That will be about 80 miles for today.
8:00 pm - Well, today went pretty well except for some bad weather in one part of the intercoastal (see picture below). We made it 98 miles to Wilmington, NC where we anchored for the evening. We did break the coffee pot in the weather, but we can improvise there. We hope to make it to Beaufort, NC by tomorrow night. If all goes well in the next couple days, we should make Norfolk, VA by Sunday evening. - April 14
7:00 am - We got up to cold with a light drizzle. It is around 45 this morning and windy. We all slept fairly well and are ready to head up the ICW (intercoastal waterway) and get some fuel and supplies.
11:00 am - Got 200 gallons of diesel, ice, and filled the water tank. That should last us a while.
6:30 pm - We dropped anchor for the evening in a small cove in Peltier Creek (NC) that had houses all around it. Due to lack of Sprint signal, I was unable to post pictures and info tonight.
Storm in the distance as a dredge barge passes us. - April 15
7:00 am - Departed Pelitier Creek anchorage for an anchorage just before Alligator River.
1:00 pm - Encountered rain and some choppy waters as we crossed the Pamlico River and travelled up the Pungo River.
8:00 pm - Anchored at the mouth of the Alligator River in preparation for our trip through the river in the morning. Wind was fairly calm and we forsee no problems. Once again, no Sprint PCS signal, but I expect to have one by tomorrow night.
Heading up the Great Dismal Swamp channel.
Look...no hands! Larry in the rain.
(found this one and added 8-16-07) - April 16
7:00 am - Departed for an anchorage just south of Norfolk, Virginia. We plan to use the autopilot for the first part of the trip up the Alligator River. We encountered heavy fog for the first part of the trip, but that didn't slow our progress.6:00 pm - Anchored for the night just south of Norfolk in preparation for our trip into Norfolk in the morning. Dave will be leaving tomorrow night, so it's just Larry and me frome here. I have a signal tonight, but weak, so I just posted text for now. Tomorrow night I will have some pictures from the last few days for you.
The fog was really thick this morning. - April 17
7:00 am - Left our anchorage for Norfolk. We had thick fog again this morning, but passed through it in about an hour. The various swing bridges are slowing our pace somewhat, but we plan to be in Norfolk by around 5 pm.
12 pm - Well, it didn't take as long as expected to get here. We are presently docked at the Tidewater Yacht Marina in Portsmouth, VA right across from Norfolk. We went out for lunch at Baron's Pub and got groceries and a ride back to the marina from a character named "Moe" who needs a rod bearing in his ride in a bad way. We are in for some bad weather for a few days, so it's good to be at a dock.
Camelot at Tidewater Yacht Marina in Portsmouth, VA - April 18
Dave left at about 10 this morning. We gave Moe a call and he picked us up to go to Boat US for some supplies. We also went to a place that sells charts and bought the ones we need for the trip North. We did find out that the trip won't be as simple as first planned. Larry was told that we could go up the Delaware bay into the Hudson river, but it looks like we will have to go outs ide up the coast and into the Hudson river. I'll have more on that as we go.
We bought and installed a new Marine VHF radio today to replace the problematic one we were using. No more problems there.
Today we have high winds (30+ mph) and rain. The waves in the Chesapeake bay were 8' - 12' so we may be here for a few more days. It was so rough, the waves tonight were breaking over the dock where we are tied up at now. When we know for sure about the departure date, I'll be posting it. - April 19
Today, we continue to get the boat ready for the trip through Chesapeake Bay and wait for the weather to improve. I have had some free time to say the least, so I have created a virtual tour of Camelot. Check it out.
7:00 pm - We will be leaving tomorrow morning for an anchorage in a place called Pungoteague Creek. I'm not sure about the signal strength of Sprint out there, so thisw may be the last update for a few days.
Bad weather keeps us in Portsmouth, VA another day. - April 20
7:00 am - Departed Norfolk for trip through the Chesapeake Bay. Weather was great today with calm water and wind. We used the autopilot for a majority of the way today. Larry got quite a bit of varnish stripped from several components outside.
6:00 pm - We took on 100 gallons of diesel and anchored for the night in a cove in the town of Crisfield, MD. This town is the "crab capital of the world" supposedly. Didn't get any crab this time. Maybe next stop. Weather is supposed to be bad for the next couple days. We'll see what comes of that.
Sunrise with Larry at the helm.
When I first posted pictures back in 1999, I never really looked at this one and never posted to the original page.
After reviewing them again, it has become one of my favorite of the trip and is my windows desktop background!
(found this one and added 8-16-07)
An aircraft carrier on its' way into Norfolk.
They have crabs here !.- April 21
7:00 am - Departed for trip north. Weather has been bad today with a following sea that's a real pain.
12:00 pm - Went through a bad lightning storm.
5:00 pm - Anchored behind Tilghman Island, Maryland for the evening. We're supposed to get more storms tonight. Our distance travelled today was around 70 miles. Pretty good for the weather we had !
Lighthouse in Chesapeake Bay.- April 22
7:00 am - Departed for trip to the North end of the Chesapeake Bay. We should make Delaware Bay by this evening.
3:00 pm - Entered Chesapeake & Delaware Canal. Only 15 miles more to go to get to the Delaware Bay and our anchorage.
4:00 pm - Stopped at a marina in the canal to change some problematic fuel filters.
5:15 pm - Problems fixed and back under way !
8:00 pm - Dropped anchor in front of a Nuclear Power plant for the evening. Headed to Cape May, NJ in the morning.
Suspension bridge in the Chesapeake & Delaware Canal.
Scenic anchorage in Delaware Bay !
Larrys plumbers crack... not the first time he's shown us this side!!
(found this one and added 8-16-07)- April 23
7:00 am - Departed for trip to Cape May, New Jersey at the mouth of the Delaware Bay. This will be a short trip of about 50 miles. At our present speed, we should be there by noon.
12:30 pm - Arrived to a ghost town called Cape May. We really didn't think every marina would be closed today, but they were. Holidays !! We tied up for the evening at Utschs' Marina and will be heading out tomorrow morning before they can bill us ! We have heard that some bad weather is on the way, so we want to get out of here and make it half way to New York City before it hits. We most likely will have some delays in the next couple days according to the Marine forecast.
5:00 pm - Helped a retired guy named "Rob" tie his sailboat up behind us. After some conversation, we learned he lives up in the Hudson River. He gave us some pointers on places to stop and also let us know where to go to have the masts taken down (we have to do that to go through the Erie Canal). We will be heading out of here together tomorrow morning and he's gonna try to keep up !
Larry working on the rusty bike.
Saltwater does some nasty things to bare steel!
(found this one and added 8-16-07)- April 24
6:45 am - Left for the Manasquan Inlet which is approximately half way to New York City. The Atlantic is surprisingly smooth, so we should make good time today.
1:30 pm - After doing some calculations, we found that we couldn't make it to Manasquan Inlet before dark. The only other stop possible was Atlantic City, so we pulled in here for the evening. We docked at the Trump Marina.
6:00 pm - We have learned that bad weather is on the way, so we may be here for several days.
View of Atlantic City, including Trumps' Taj Mahal and the Showboat (slanted building).
Camelot docked at Trump Marina.- April 25
8:00 am - Woke up to high winds and rain. This weather is supposed to pass by tomorrow night, so we should be on our way again on Thursday.
Bad weather even for a duck !- April 26
8:00 am –High winds continue today. Seas are 6-8 ft outside. This weather is supposed to pass by tomorrow, so we should be on our way again then.
4:00 pm - It looks like we are definitely out of here tomorrow early. We're headed for Sandy Hook, NJ and plan to anchor there. The weather is supposed to get bad again Friday, so we hope to be in the Hudson River by then.Check out the Trump Marina where we are docked until 4/27.
- April 27
7:00 am - Departed for final leg of Atlantic journey to New York. We will most likely anchor in Sandy Hook, New Jersey this evening.
7:00 pm - Arrived at Sandy Hook, NJ and dropped anckor in a cove next to some condos. From here, we can see New York City and will be passing through there tomorrow around noon. Keep your fingers crossed for clear weather. Should be able to get some good photos tomorrow.
Shot of Larry and Nick heading into New York Harbor.- April 28
8:00 am - Departed New Jersey waters and headed for the Hudson River.
9:30 am - As we approached the Verrazano Narrows Bridge that marks the entrance to the Hudson, we saw a problem. The fog was pretty thick and the ships were pretty big, so we decided to anchor at the mouth of the river until the fog lifts (hopefully by noon).
1:00 pm - Passed the Statue of Liberty and Manhattan. Pretty impressive sight from the water !
4:30 pm - Docked for the evening at Tarrytown, NY. Took on 100 gallons of diesel (we're getting really great fuel mileage). We will head for a marina approximately 60 miles North in Kingston, NY tomorrow evening.
Varrazano Narrows Bridge shrouded in fog.
Nick with the Statue of Liberty in the background.
Larry with the World Trade Center in the background.
Larry with the Statue of Liberty in the background.
(found this one and added 8-16-07)
Larry with Manhattan in the background.
(found this one and added 8-16-07)
Shot of the Staten Island ferry passing the Statue of Liberty.- April 29
7:30 am - Departed for a marina in Kingston, NY on the Hudson River.
5:00 pm - Reached Kingston, NY and got a dock for the evening. We made about 60 miles today which is good considering we are going upstream. Tomorrow is a short day to Castleton, NY where we will remove the masts and wait for the locks to open on the 1st of May.
Larry and I at 7:00 this morning. I wasn't quite up to speed yet.
The supposedly famous Kingston lighthouse.- April 30
7:00 am - Departed for short (approx. 30 miles) final leg of Hudson River. Our destination is a marina in Castleton, NY just South of Albany.
1:00 pm - Arrived at Castleton Boat Club. We borrowed a van from Tom and went to the store for a load of provisions. When we got back, we started the process of removing the masts. The first step was to remove the booms and secure the roller furler. Tomorrow comes the actual removal of the masts. More to come on this project.
Mountains of New York are a common sight now.
Camelot at the Castleton Boat Club with booms
removed and ready for the masts to be removed tomorrow.- May 1
7:00 am - Started the day by beginning the process of removing the masts. This involves removing the steel wire "stays" that support them. Then we make sure all wiring is disconnected and lines are secured. The crane is then positioned and the masts are pulled up out of the hull.
11:00 am - Both masts are removed and are on the deck.
11:30 am - Left Castleton for Troy, just North of Albany, NY.
2:00 pm - Arrived at Troy and tied up at a marina for the evening. Tomorrow morning we will head up to the entrance of the Erie Canal and begin that journey.
Camelot at the Castleton Boat Club with her Mizzen
mast removed and ready for the Main to come out.
Camelot at the Castleton Boat Club with her
masts removed and ready for the Erie Canal.
I believe this is the replica of the ship
that explored the Hudson River.- May 2
7:30 am - Departed for the trip through the Erie Canal lock system.
8:00 am - It is raining and cold as we pass through our first lock without problems. Due to the rain, I haven't taken any pictures yet.
9:00 am - We got rammed by another guy as he was leaving lock 3. Several stainless rail posts were bent on our boat and he lost a bit of gelcoat. The guy gave us a bottle of wine (as if that would fix it) and his address for later contact.
12:00 pm - PROBLEMS !! As I was following the 3 other boats we have been locking with, my RPMs go up and we lose speed. Turns out all the bolts connecting the prop shaft to the engine fell out ! We coast to the edge of the channel and drop anchor. No major damage done when bolts fell out, so we reinstall them and think we are on our way. WRONG Turns out the starter decides this is the perfect time to quit working. We call a towing company and they want $3000 to move us !!! We locate a closer guy who tows us to a dock for much less and we tear into the statrter. In the past, we had a problem with the front seal of the engine leaking oil and we didn't realize it, but the rear had leaked too. It must have filled the bell housing, ‘cause the starter was full of oil ! We disassembled the starter and cleaned it thoroughly. After reassembly, it worked like new !
We will be on our way again early tomorrow and I'll have pictures for y'all then.(just a reminder - click on photos to enlarge)
- May 3
7:30 am - It is a great morning with no clouds and is warming up. We left the marina for the continuing trip westward. You know how they say that things always happen in threes ? Well, they're right ! As we backed out of our slip, we then put the boat in forward and... NOTHING ! No forward gear ! So we dropped anchor and checked the transmiision. No fluid. Put fluid in and got back to the dock. After further examination, it seems that a bolt wore a hole through the transmission cooler and all the fluid leaked out. Got out the torch and soldered that problem.
8:30 am - Back underway again.
2:00 pm - Encountered an overheating problem. Cleaned the raw water strainer and problem fixed.
6:00 pm - Reached Lock 14 where we will spend the evening. We came approximately 60 miles today. More good weather on the way for tomorrow too.
Waterfall flowing into the Erie Canal.
View from inside one of the many locks.
Happy hour is upon us!!
(found this one and added 8-16-07)- May 4
7:00 am - Entered Lock 14 for the continuing trip West.
12:00 pm - Went through Lock 17 (see pictures below). This is the worlds highest loift lock at 40.8 feet.
7:00 pm - Made it to the town of Sylvan Beach on the East side of Oneida Lake. This is a really cool town that is based around boating and appears to be pretty lively in the summer. We are going to bed early tonight so we can get out of here by 6 am tomorrow for the trip across the lake and up the Oswego Canal to Lake Ontario. We will be meeting up with Myron and Ken, who will be replacing me for the remainder of the trip. Myron has bought a digital camera and will be e-mailing me pictures, so we should be able to continue with the updates of our progress.Check out the New York Canal System information site.
- May 5
6:15 am - Started 22 mile trip Westward across Oneida Lake. Lots of fog on the lake this morning, but a great sunrise !
2:30 pm - Made it to Oswego, New York where we will meet Myron and Ken. I'll be leaving tomorrow morning. Later this coming week, I will be adding more pictures taken throughout the journey that weren't originally included on the site.
11:00 pm - Ken and Myron arrived and will continue the trip from here.
Great sunrise on Oneida Lake !
The last lock opens and we can see Lake Ontario- May 6
9:00 am - Myron, Ken and Larry departed for Rochester, about 60 miles West.
4:00 pm - Camelot arrived at Rochester and docked for the evening. Tomorrow will be approximately a 75 mile trip to the entrance of the Welland Canal.
Lighthouse on Lake Ontario at the entrance to Oswego
The crew heads out on Lake Ontario
Myron figures out how to use the camera- May 7
7:00 am - Departed from Rochester, headed for the Welland Canal about 75 miles West.
6:00 pm - Arrived at St. Catharines, Ontario at the entrance to the Welland Canal. Tomorrow will be the trip through the Welland and out into Lake Erie.
The marina at St. Catharines, Ontario- May 8
Went through the Welland Canal to Lake Erie with no problems. The crew will spend the night at the South of the entrance to the canal. Tomorrow will be the trip to Erie, PA.
Entering a lock on the Welland
Good view from the bow of Camelot
Myron. What else can you say !- May 9
7:00 am - Departed the Welland for Erie, Pennsylvania. At some point along the way, the dingy broke loose and had to be retreived. In the process, the rear rail was damaged on both sides. Arrived in Erie, PA in the afternoon.
Sidewheel steamer in Erie, PA harbor
We finally get some use out of that ! (the inflatable, not Myron)- May 10
9:30 am - Weather reports say 6 foot waves at max, so Camelot departed Erie, PA and headed for Astabula, Ohio.10:30 am to 4:00 pm - Weather reports were wrong! Bad waves in excess of 10 feet! Lost the Danforth anchor when it broke loose and could not be pulled back on deck. Also lost half the grill and things shook loose that Larry didn't think were able to be shook! Finally arrived in Astabula, Ohio to a ghost town. No marinas are open, so the Camelot picks one and ties up for free. No phone service, so no pictures today.
A sad note for Larry and Ken - The Wild Turkey Bourbon Plant in Kentucky burnt to the ground today. Since that's their favorite drink, toast one to them today!
- May 11
7:00 am - Departed Astabula, Ohio and headed for The Flats in Cleveland, Ohio. Hopefully we'll have some phone service so pictures can be sent to Nick for posting on the page.
4:00 pm - Arrived in Cleveland with no problems along the way. Still no phone service, so pictures will be posted this weekend when we return home. Headed for Catawba tomorrow.
Cleveland as viewed from Camelot- May 12
Camelot and the crew left The Flats (Cleveland) and should have arrived at Catawba Island around 6 pm. They had to hide up in a river for a couple hours today as bad storms passed, but they made good time until about a mile from Catawba. Then a shoal slowed their progress somewhat but that's another story...
The guys can see Catawba Island and West Harbor now!
(if they only saw that shoal!!)Check out a virtual tour of the Camelot HERE.
Check out a shot of the Navigation setup we are using on the Camelot HERE.
- April 21
