Coinjock, NC to Elizabeth City, NC. Distance: 34 nm /Time: 7 hrs
So, I’ve decided to purchase a small, portable generator for the boat. There are a couple of reasons for this. The first is that when at anchor, even with a lot of sunlight, my solar panels can’t quite keep up with the electrical demands of the boat–especially the refrigerator compressor, which is the single biggest consumer of power on the boat. It is an older Dometic system for one, and the insulation around my freezer/fridge is 44 years old and not working very well. The only way to permanently fix it is to totally tear apart the entire galley–a full-time, six-week project. (I’ve seen other Shannon 38 owners do this, but I am not willing to.) Instead, I’ve coated the inside with inch-thick insulation, which helps a lot, but the compressor still has to run most of the time.
I have 740 watts of solar panels, which theoretically should be enough to take care of my needs. The problem is my mizzen boom. It always blocks at least some of my four panels, which means that at most, I only see about 450 watts being produced. What I learned when stuck at anchor in Daytona with no motor (i.e., no way to charge my batteries other than solar) is that the net loss on the boat each day (assuming Florida summer sunlight) is about 15% of my batteries. That means I can go about six days before I’m down to 10% charge. Then, I’d have to run my engine for many hours to get them charged back up. Diesel engines do not like to be run for long periods without a load on them. My engine is already 44 years old; I don’t need to be doing anything detrimental to it. Also, that takes fuel away from being able to get somewhere.1
A small, 1600 watt, portable generator, on the other hand, could produce 7000 watts (90% of my batteries’ capacity) in about five hours. That would probably take about a gallon of gasoline. And, it would fit in my cockpit locker. So, once every six days, I could pull it out, run it for 5 hours, and top off my batteries. I estimate cost of fuel being about $25/month. And that’s assuming I’m constantly at anchor and not motoring anywhere (when my engine alternator would also charge the batteries).
The only other solution (besides running the diesel engine or a portable generator) would be to buy more solar panels, but there is really no place other than the top of my dodger to mount them (which isn’t a good solution for a number of reasons). The other consideration is if I ever start doing longer passages, my daily electrical consumption is even higher because in addition to the items I’m powering at anchor, I’m also running the autopilot, the radio, the GPS, the sonar, and the radar (and at night, running lights). Even with additional solar on my dodger, my batteries would likely be drained every few days under these loads.
So, last night I did a lot of online research for portable generators and decided that the best all around bet would be Harbor Freight’s 1600/2000 Predator. And, lo and behold, there was a Harbor Freight in Elizabeth City (E-City, as we called it in the Coast Guard), and within walking distance of the bike shop. There was also a Food Lion grocery store right across the street from the Harbor Freight. With any luck, I’d be able to walk my bike to the bike shop, drop it off, then walk to Harbor Freight to get the generator, then take an Uber to the grocery store, then another back to the boat. I needed to do all that before 7 pm when the bike shop closed because they weren’t open on the weekends. It was about a 7-hour trip to E-City, so I would need to be tied up to one of the free city docks to get it all done in time; any anchorage would be too far away to get it all done.
It seemed from the research I had done on the Navionics and NoForeignLands apps and the city’s website that I had five options for free dockage in downtown E-City: There were three what they called “bulkhead” tie-ups (basically, a seawall with cleats built into it against which one parallel parked a boat) and some perpendicular, piling-type docks adjacent to those. Two of the bulkhead wharfs were on the far side of the downtown drawbridge while another bulkhead and the piling-type docks were before the bridge. They evidently also had access to showers and bathrooms, although that part was unclear.
There was also the Pasquotank River Yacht Club. This was past the bridge and around a bend. It looked very small, but in the yacht guide, it said that it had two transient slips and had reciprocity with DIYC, so assuming the depth was good there and they had room, that might be an option, too.
In the morning then, enroute to E-City, I would have to make a number of phone calls: The first to the bike shop to see if they thought they could fix my bike before next Wednesday (when I hoped I would have my new charger installed and be leaving E-City). The second would be to Harbor Freight to see if they had the generator I wanted in stock. And the third would be to the yacht club.
I woke up at 6:00 am, had my tea, then started prepping the boat for getting underway. I was a bit excited because it was supposed to be a perfect day, weather-wise, and there was a good chance I’d be able to actually sail the second half of the trip for a few hours.
The wind had moderated a bit, although it was still from the north. But, because of that, the water was moving back into Currituck Sound, so the current was coming from the south now–opposing wind and current (although they were both pretty mild). I looked at my dock line setup and tried to figure out a good way to get off the dock by myself. I ended up not doing a very good job.
I didn’t anticipate how much the boat’s stern would swing into the dock once I released the bow line and the wind pulled it off the dock. I was planning on the wind to do that, but forgot about the pivot point of the boat being 2/3 of the way forward, meaning that instead of the nose swinging off the dock, it was more like the stern swinging into the dock. Luckily, because the current and winds were light, and the fortunate fact that my outboard engine (mounted on my stern railing) was about 1/2″ above the level of the dock, I didn’t experience any damage. But, had the water been just a bit lower, my boat another foot forward from where it was tied, or the winds stronger, I would likely have damaged my outboard and stern railing. As it was, I was able to muscle the boat away from the piling and get clear. But, the launch was not very satisfying. I’d rather have made a better use of physics. I think moving my fenders aft next time would be the ticket.
But, as ugly as it was, I did get clear by myself then turned 180 degrees south, backtracking away from Coinjock the way I had approached it six days prior. Ah well, not exactly progress north, but who cares! I had no agenda, and E-City sounded fun! Over the next hour I cleaned up the dock lines, fenders and fender boards, and extended the solar panels. It was especially important to get as much solar as possible since my engine was not producing power to my house batteries anymore.
The first three hours was spent transiting the winding ICW south back to Albemarle Sound. I passed a couple of tugs and some sailboats heading north, and some cabin cruisers passed me heading south. It was a lovely morning, with winds out of the north/northeast at about 8 knots as forecast. I took advantage of the time moving south to call the bike shop. They said they could get me in and would try their best to get me repaired by Wednesday. However, they warned me that if the wheel needed replaced, the might not be able to get one in by then. I then called Harbor Freight, confirming they had the generator I wanted in stock.
Next was the yacht club. This was important because the free city docks (which I was pretty sure I’d find space at this time of year), while very conveniently located right downtown, didn’t have water, and more importantly for me at the present, no electrical hookups to charge my batteries. They also had a 48-hour staying limit. I figured I would pull up to one of the free bulkhead (because the piling-type slips looked too difficult to get into single-handed), stay there for 2 days so that I could easily drop off my bike, buy the generator and get provisions. Then I’d head out to anchor for a couple of days, and then, hopefully, I could get a day or two at the yacht club, which probably had electricity and water. (In case the generator idea didn’t work out, I would need a backup to charge the batteries by then.) That would take me right about to Wednesday, when I hoped my replacement charger would have arrived.
When I called the number listed in the yacht club directory, it was answered by a guy named Barry. I told him I was trying to get a hold of the Pasquotank River Yacht Club, and he replied that he was the treasurer. I told him that I was looking to see if I could get a transient slip for a day or two next week. He said that it probably wouldn’t be an issue, but that there were other options. He then proceeded to tell me that he was also one of the “Rose Buddies” at E-City.
So (and this is very cool), E-City has this tradition going back to the early 80’s where designated volunteers (typically, long time boaters themselves) meet and greet boaters arriving to the free city docks. They help with the dock lines, provide welcome packets with coupons for the local establishments, provide a briefing on all the town has to offer, and even provide car rides to help boaters run errands! It’s pretty amazing.
Barry was one of these Rose Buddies and told me more details about the free docks. I explained my plan for the next few days, and he said that although the city docks ostensibly had a 48-hour limit, he said I could basically remain there for the extent of my visit if I needed to because it was off-season and there would be plenty of room. Awesome! That meant if I could get the generator working (and assuming there weren’t any city ordinance issues about me running it downtown), I might not have to go out to anchor or to the yacht club. We agreed that the bulkhead south of the bridge would be the best bet for me (off Mariners’ Wharf Park). He told me to give him a call on channel 16 when I was approaching downtown; he lived less than a block away and would help me with my lines. He also gave me the number of another Rose Buddy (David) who also lived close by and would help me if Barry was for some reason unavailable. Incredible! Not something you’d see in Florida, that’s for sure!
So, I was all set. The GPS said my ETA looked to be sometime between 2:30 and 3:30 pm, which should be plenty of time to get to the bike store before 7 pm. Harbor Freight and the Food Lion were both open even later. My plan for the day just might work!
About this time, I excited the ICW into Albemarle Sound and turned west-northwest up the Pasquotank River, heading for E-City about 14 miles away. This gave me winds right off the beam at about 8 knots, so I hoisted the mizzen (so easy now that I had lubed the mast track!), unfurled the Genoa, and turned off the engine. Glorious! I was moving along between five and six knots, it was sunny and about 78 degrees, I had Stick Figure playing on the Bluetooth…life was good! I was surprised at how comfortable I was setting the sails this time; probably the first time ever.
For the next two and a half hours I sailed right up the very wide Pasquotank towards E-City. The only negative to the whole thing was the proliferation of crab pots. They were everywhere! Just when I’d get the boat all trimmed up and balanced, I’d have to disengage the autopilot to veer left or right around a string of three or four pots. It was really annoying. But, First World problems, right?
One cool thing I passed was the Weeksville Dirigible Hangar. According to Wikipedia, this had been Naval Air Station Weeksville, an airship manufacturing, storage and test facility built in 1941 for servicing airships conducting anti-submarine patrols of the US coast and harbors during WWII2. It is located approximately 2 miles southeast of the present day Coast Guard Air Station Elizabeth City.
I also passed a sunken sailboat, the only part showing was the upper part of its mast. Talk about a hazard to navigation! I was glad I had been keeping an active lookout and noticed it! I wonder what the story is with that….
About an hour out from E-City, the wind started dying, so I cranked the engine and motor-sailed for about 30 minutes, bringing my speed up to about 6.5 knots at cruise rpm. I also needed to prep the boat for docking and lower my solar panels, so when about 30 minutes out I doused the sails and spent the time inbound prepping the boat for docking3. Looking at the winds and the angle of the bulkhead, I anticipated a starboard-side-to tie off would be best, and so set up a port, stern, and two spring lines on that side of the boat. The area near the drawbridge where all the docks were looked narrow on the chart, meaning there would be little maneuvering room, so I decided to also set up a bow and stern line on the port side, just in case (since doing so while trying to maneuver in a tight area would be difficult if not dangerous).
As I approached downtown, I contacted Barry on the radio, and both he and David showed up to help handle my lines. That gave me great comfort. As I got closer, I could see that the bulkhead was completely empty, which gave me even more comfort. However, because of the way the winds were channeled through the downtown area, to have my bow into them (which would give me better control of the boat) I’d have to do a port-side-to tie off. It’s always good to be prepared, especially single-handed! As I approached, another motor boater who had just arrived at the piling-type slips showed up to help, too! (My reputation for my docking skills must have proceeded me!) lol The winds were actually pretty light, so the approach and tie off went without an issue.
For the next 20 minutes or so, Barry and David gave me and the other boater a complete rundown about the town’s history, the bathrooms and shower facilities (free and $5, respectively, about 100 feet from where I was tied off!), the best restaurants and bars, etc. It turns out that I had arrived on First Friday, so a bunch of stuff would be going on that evening, all within a couple of blocks of my boat. So cool!
It was now about 3:30 pm and I really wanted to get my bike dropped off, so I spent the next 15 minutes further securing the boat, then pulled my bicycle out of the V-berth, unfolded it, then set out for the bike shop about 2 miles away.
The problem with my bike was that the freewheeling was frozen. This meant that there was no coasting. That is, the pedals would spin whenever the bike was in motion. If I tried to stop pedaling, the chain would pop off. So, I couldn’t pedal the bike normally, and couldn’t ride with my feet on the pedals, coasting. I would either have to walk beside the bike (slow), or I could do one of these:
Since that would be faster than walking, I lowered my seat so my feet would reach the ground, and kept the pedals folded so they wouldn’t get in the way, and off I set! I must have looked pretty silly, but it worked and was at least twice as fast as walking. I could even coast at times, setting my feet up on the top of the forks to avoid the pedals.
The only problem was that even though the pedals were folded up, if my leg so much as touched one of them, bam, off would pop the chain! I had to stride in a very bowlegged manner, which got very tiring. Inevitably, I would lose concentration, let one of my legs come in a bit, touch the pedal as it came around, and knock the chain off. Then I’d have to stop and put the chain back on, remind myself to keep my legs wide, and set off again. Sometimes, if I was going over a curb or another obstacle right when one of the pedals was on its downstroke, it would hit the ground, with the same result. I think I had to stop and put the chain back on about 10 times in two miles.
But, I finally made it to the store, and the young lady who seemed to be running the place remembered my phone call and gave me the same…assurances? that they would try their best. That was all I could hope for. I used their facilities to wash all the grease from the chain off my hands and set off to walk to Harbor Freight about a mile away.
They indeed had the generator I wanted there, and so I purchased it, and even though I could see the Food Lion right across the street, there was no way I could lug the 50 lb, boxed generator that far, so I sent for an Uber, who showed up 10 minutes later and dropped me off at Food Lion. I put the generator in a cart, then took it to Customer Service, where I asked if I could store it somewhere while I shopped. They graciously took it behind the counter, and I grabbed another cart and spent the next half hour getting groceries. I actually had a lot to get, because I had purposely been letting the pantry get low so that Nicole and I could provision it together with a lot of the things she liked to cook. But, since she wasn’t going to be coming aboard, I needed to stock up with my normal stuff.
After checking out, I retrieved the generator, went outside with now two carts of stuff, and got on the Uber app to get a ride for the two miles back to the boat. But, to my dismay, Uber said there were no drivers available! What? I had never seen that in all my travels. Sometimes the app said a driver wouldn’t be able to pick me up for 10 or 15 minutes, but never, “No Drivers. So sorry!” 🙁 And here I was with a grocery cart full of meat and dairy products sitting in the afternoon heat!
I decided to try Lyft, but the updated version of the app had to download first (of course!), and that took forever because the cell service sucked. When it finally did download, and I went through the process, it wanted me to authorize the payment before it even checked if a driver was available. I didn’t like that idea, especially after what I had experienced with Uber. If an Uber driver wasn’t available, a Lyft driver probably was not, either. I had left the Uber app session open-ended, meaning that it said it would get back to me if it ever found a driver, so I hoped that would turn into something.
In the meantime, though, I started eyeing people coming out of the Food Lion, with the intention of approaching someone who looked nice to offer them $20 to take me and my groceries and generator to my boat downtown. Just when I thought I had a guy picked out, the Uber app dinged and said a driver would be with me in 10 minutes. It was the same guy who had dropped me off! (I guess E-City has but one Uber driver.) So, I waited for him and eventually made it back to the boat.
After stowing all the groceries, I hoisted the generator into the cockpit, planning to deal with it the next day. I decided to cover it up with a tarp, though, so no one would walk away with it. (It’s a good thing I did, because it ended up raining all the next day.) By now it was 7 pm, so I headed out to explore First Friday downtown, hitting the local brew pub first, which had a wonderful waterfront venue and live music. It was a lovely night, right next to the drawbridge and only about 500 feet from my boat. I had a beer and relaxed, really appreciating this cruising lifestyle, perhaps for the first time.
It had been quite a day! The stress of getting off the dock by myself, all the phone calls, then the almost three hours of single-handed sailing, the single-handed docking, the bike-striding two miles (using muscles I’ve probably never used before), more walking, and a lot of shopping…as the beer took effect, I suddenly realized that I was very tired. I took a quick walking tour of the downtown area, stopped at Big Boss Burritos to get one of their massive burritos to go (using my $5 off coupon!), then went back to the boat and ate half of it before finally crashing.
- Before I had my lithium, I had an old set of golf cart batteries, with 450 amp hour capacity. However, they were shot, and on my Dry Tortugas trip, we had to run the engine about an hour and a half every day to keep the batteries charged. Because of my broken ribs, we had to motor back (i.e., we needed calm water) and barely had enough fuel to do so because we had used up so much running the engine. ↩︎
- It is the only remaining steel airship hangar built during World War II and is based on the Goodyear Airdock in Akron, Ohio. Due to steel rations, an additional hangar was built out of wood, which would in following decades become known as the world’s largest wooden structure [4][5] before its destruction by fire in 1995. In 1986, an aerostat manufacturing company, TCOM Corporation, relocated to Elizabeth City, refurbished the hangar, and eventually returned it to active service once again as a manufacturing and test facility.[8][9] Today, former NAS Weeksville site is now known as the TCOM Manufacturing, Production and Test Facility[9] for airships and aerostats and an active airfield for lighter-than-air aircraft operations. ↩︎
- For Serendipity, this means lowering the two outside solar panels which could hit dock pilings, etc. (Unfortunately, doing so greatly reduces my lateral visibility, something that is much needed when docking!) I also prep my docklines, meaning I have them tied to the boat’s cleats and draped over the lifelines so I can quickly throw them to a dock hand (or, if I’m alone, grab them and jump onto the dock). I also get my fenders on deck, ready to deploy once I’m tied up. ↩︎