On Wednesday, May 13th, we stopped at a marina in Georgetown, South Carolina, so Judy could return to Merritt Island and Orlando for some American Heart Association business; she’ll return on Saturday and we’ll be back on the waterway on Sunday (weather permitting). In the meantime, I’m taking care of some little boat projects.

We took on 142.2 gallons of diesel yesterday morning and were for the second time able to calculate our burn rate while cruising. We’d cruised 88 hours since our last fill-up just before departing Manatee Cove Marina. During that time we’d operated the generator for about four hours – it burns about 1/2 gallon per hour at “normal” load. All that means that we’re burning about 1.6 gallons of diesel per hour while running the main engine – very good news in these days of extremely high diesel prices on the water (it’s higher than diesel for cars).

I’ve also replaced the electric horn which had decided to stop working the day we started our trip. The marina was able to order one from their wholesaler and had it delivered the next day.

The last day on the water our navigation computer had decided it didn’t want to operate, and after much work it is again working properly. We use it as a backup to paper charts and the electronic chart plotter, and in some instances it is more helpful than either of our primary navigation aids. It displays our location (via an independent GPS) on up-to-date electronic charts in real time, and when it is working we rely on it if we have to go into a narrow anchorage or have a question about where we are in relation to shallow water or a charted obstacle.

When Judy returns on Saturday we’ll do some shopping to get a few food items that we need, and on Sunday morning head north. We should be in the Chesapeake in a week to a week and a half, depending on where we stop along the way to sight-see.

Julie and Khepera are doing well. They seem to lounge around a lot, but they do that at home, also. Khepera goes outside to walk the decks in the morning, while I keep my eye on him while having my coffee. Julie seems to prefer to stay inside – it’s been windy and I think that bothers her.