Fixin to Get Cold

The temperature has already started dropping and should dip below freezing by 2100 -- and stay there for the next 72 hours -- so I'm going to make a concerted effort to keep the fresh water lines and salt water intake from freezing this time. I can keep the cabin fairly warm with the little electric heater, but the area under the cockpit, where the water lines are, is completely separate.

The only way to heat that compartment is to either remove the engine cover and let the cabin heat it, or run the engine. My plan is to run the engine every 4 hours or so, but if the salt water intake freezes, I'll have to use the cabin heat to thaw it out -- running the engine while the intake is frozen could burn up the impeller.

So, I'm going put myself on a watch and run the engine for about 30 minutes every 4 hours. I guess it's sorta like what I'll be doing when under way, but at least I'll get more sleep.

I mounted the outboard on the stern pulpit today, and put up the SSB antenna (but didn't connect it to anything). I also sanded and cleaned the decks; Since I didn't have time to put down the non-skid, I wanted to at least take the gloss off. It's actually not bad -- almost like it was when I bought the boat in the first place. I've also been stowing gear below for the last few days and almost have a handle on it. I need to do a little more organizing of my tools and supplies but feel it's probably good enough for now.

The next major project will be my radios. I'll eventually need to climb into the starboard cockpit locker to wire them up to the batteries, but can still do a lot in the cabin first. I'm not crazy about climbing down there in sub freezing weather, but don't think I'll have much of a choice.

Voyage watch:

Although the timing and route will ultimately depend on the weather, I've pretty much decided to make a straight shot offshore from Sandy Hook to either Norfolk or south of Diamond Shoals (North Carolina). I'll have several choices for stops along the way, e.g., it's about 24 hours from Sandy Hook to Cape May, so I could stop there the second day if need be. It's another 24 hours or so from Cape May to Norfolk, so that would be a good place to go in on the 3rd day.

But after that, I'd need to clear Diamond Shoals completely before I could come in. However, I don't think it's too much more than 24 hours south of Norfolk, so it would be the 4th day anyway. The current forecast looks like I'll have at least that long before then the next front comes through, so I'd like to get as far south as possible. However, I'll stop and tuck in as soon as the forecasts dictates

One way or another, I'm going to have to sail 24 hours a day for several days, and at least the first few will be pretty cold. I'll keep an eye on the forecast, and if it looks like it's warming up, I may delay my departure a couple more days, but I don't want to get caught by another cold front, or I may never get out. The wind has already picked up, so I'm glad I'm still on the dock -- I think we've got gale warnings from now until Thursday pretty much up and down the coast.