Pulp Friction
Fernandina Beach – a tourist trap bookended by two giant papermills. It’s really someone’s idea of hell on earth or a poorly executed site gag. Hurricane Irma had raged through here at the end of 2017 and caused a good …
Foghorn Leghorn
Sailing in fog is at times an enlivening experience. While all your senses are muted and you can be disoriented to the point of panic, if you can disconnect your rational brain from your body, there’s a good chance you …
Aleta and the ICW: A “Hystorical” Rant
Position: Aleta The Valiant is a wonderful boat with a storied history. It was designed by Bob Perry back in the 1970s with the help of some friends. In many ways the original Valiant 40 was probably one of his …
Winter Has Come to Charleston
Position: 32°47’08.0″N 79°54’23.9″W Locals tell us that they’ve never seen weather like this in more than 20 years. Yeah, Charleston gets a few flakes once in a while, but they never stick around. (Just like those flaky tourists on cruise …
How to Find Aleta
Several people, well at least one, have asked, “How can I track you?” Unlike most things boaty, the answer is simpler than it might be with other endeavors. Knowing where ships are in all weathers and conditions and to avoid …
Run for Salvation
North Myrtle Beach lies just over the state line at approximately mile 340 of the ICW. We are at least 17 days behind schedule. The timeline is mostly in my mind because one of our first rules for this adventure …
ICW Endeavors
Position: 33°54’52″N 78°14’13″W There’s a pattern emerging already: almost everything we assumed about this part of the journey has been incorrect. Beginning with our timeline. We left Portland for Baltimore on December 1, and, naïve me, I thought we’d set …
Aleta Takes a Walk
“Aleta’s gone!”, Carol suddenly cried out. “What do you mean, gone?” “Look – at my Navionics – she’s dragged her anchor and – gone! Oh, my god!” We’d gotten in the habit of turning the Navionics charting app on our …
Trial and Error
What is it about learning? Some get it out of the way quickly, others spend a lifetime figuring things out. The question that’s always rattled around in my mind is who gets bored more easily – the educated or the …