The contrast couldn't be greater: four wonderful days heading south in the Chesapeake; six days in the ICW ranging from tedious to borderline catastrophic.
The Chessie included one day in which we averaged an unprecedented 7 knots under sail (partially furled genny alone, to boot!). Saw a few dolphins, pelicans and even a U.S. Navy submarine (yes, it was on the surface!)
The ICW included: three groundings -- two that required a tow; one overheating engine which required days of work on the heat exchanger and necessitated a stay in an uncharted boat yard (literally, I can't find it on my Garmin charts) and a "water ingress" situation that could have been a disaster (loose raw water hose).
The only good thing was the helpfulness of the folks in North Carolina at (uncharted) Forest River Shipyard -- Axson (father and son) and John for their mechanical advice and hospitality and Zach for lending a hand during maneuvers to and from the dock. If you draw more than about 3 feet, it's a heart stopping entry through a razor-thin channel, but it turned out to be worth the stress.
Tonight we head offshore. Weather router Chris Parker tells us to expect to motor across the Gulf Stream in light air, so I sure hope that engine keeps humming along!
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The crew of Symbiosis welcomes your questions and comments about our voyage.