On Monday we departed Daytona Beach where we left the boat for a brief shore respite to visit with my sister, Elaine and and her husband, Ron. My daughter Daniele joined us for a casual weekend of culinary excess and chocolate, but it was Easter so those chocolate calories do not count; unfortunately my scale did not get that fax.
Several days ago wanting to exit the ICW for an ocean passage, thereby avoiding some of Georgia, on the shore of the St. John's River and were treated to a view of a grand old vessel the Atlantis II, a 219' Woods Hole Oceanographic Research Vessel that supported the deep-diving three person submersible Alvin, that was instrumental in the of exploration of the remains of the R.M.S. Titanic. Atlantis II in her 33 years of service covered over a million miles on 468 cruises while spending 8,115 days at sea in every ocean in the world, visiting 78 nations and over 112 ports while conducting marine research and engineering projects. In 1963 her second voyage was interrupted when the U.S. Nuclear Submarine "Thrasher" sunk 220 miles east of Cape Cod in 8,400 feet of water, tragically extinguishing the lives of 129 sailors. Atlantis II aided in the search and recorded the first photographs of the remains of the Thrasher, earning her commendation form the U.S. Navy. She was the among the first research vessels to employ female officers and crew and welcome female scientists:) If you're interested, she's for sale for $8,800,000.
Day one of our ocean passage was calm and peaceful; Pelicans, flocks of Common Terns, Wilson's Storm Petrel and Northern Gannets provide eye candy for the soul; small ocean waves gently roll under the hull providing a womb-like peacefulness. In the distance city-block-size freighters appear on the horizon, later providing navigational challenges with their speed and unyielding bulk as we traverse inlets.
Early in the second day in the ocean, as the wind picked up above 20kts, agitating the seas, (and us) making for an uncomfortable passage( a decidedly erroneous weather forecast by NOAA) we went into St. Simon's inlet back to the ICW while still in Georgia. As we round the first bend of the waterway our progress is noted by majestic Bald Eagle who warily watches from his lofty perch on a bleached tree branch. Again I was reminded of the natural beauty of the hundred of miles of salt marsh that provide nourishment for the ecosystem.
While in the ocean I hoped to catch a glimpse of any of the few remaining North Atlantic Right Whales that are migrating up the coast from Georgia and Florida where they calve, to the NE from NY to Nova Scotia where they spend the summer. One of the most endangered whales in the world, fewer than 450 North Atlantic right whales are alive today, the species initially decimated by whaling, is today struggling to survive in an ocean that threatens their survival by entanglement in commercial fishing gear and strikes by behemoth transport ships; nearly three-quarters of the known whales bear scars from past entanglement in fishing gear, while 29% of documented right whale deaths since 1970 are from collisions with ships inflicting a fatal blow to the slow moving baleen whales. Interestingly NOAA, in association with the National Park Service, USCG, the Fund for Animal Welfare and other partners, has developed system whereby ships can receive real-time warning about the presence of whales through a free app (Whale Alert) on their iPhone or iPad. The location of the whales is detected through a system of acoustic buoys that listen for the right whale calls in and around the Stellwagen Bank National Sanctuary. Hopefully this and other conservation/preservation measures will save the whale population.
When underway we always monitor a pair of VHF radios, one always on Channel 16 the U. S. Coast Guard distress and hailing channel where we are privy to a stream of messages from the CG; among them messages regarding the North Atlantic right whale speed restrictions and voluntary vessel rerouting in certain geographic areas at certain times: http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/pr/shipstrike/. All too frequently we hear "Pan, Pan, Pan" announcements from the Coast Guard regarding information on a signal they received form an EPIRB or a report of a vessel that is "overdue," not having arrived at its destination as planned; mariners are advised to keep a lookout for the vessel. We almost never have a postscript to these announcements; although we know that one of the "overdue" sailboats reported missing last fall as we cruised south never did safely arrive, it's owner/captain, a surgeon from Charleston presumed lost in the never-to-be underestimated, unforgiving sea.
This morning as we depart the pristine ToogoodooEdisto River in SC., dolphin lazily frolic, (is that an oxymoron?), pied-billed Grebes appear and disappear beneath the calm surface, as a marbled Godwit pokes the muddy shore seeking a breakfast feast. We are on our last 30 mile jaunt to Charleston where friends Charlie and Gloria will join us for days of culinary decadence in the midst of historically magnificent architecture.
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