From SIGMACHI...Views From The Crew...Fogged in ...Morehead City, NC

Greetings from SIGMACHI  located in fogged in conditions in Morehead City, NC harbor!  Really fogged in and forecast is for Ocean Fog all day!  

After a week in Oriental NC we left Whittaker Pointe Marina on Monday morning and almost as soon as we entered the Neuse River...fog enveloped us again.  

In wintertime I operate SIGMACHI from the lower helm which is comfortably enclosed with a 360° view
  The instrument panel is directly below the Radar array mounted on the front of the flying bridge.  Radar showed us the way...HOWEVER...we later found out that the radar transmission signals interfered with the reception signals of both navigation programs on the Garmin chart plotter and my IPad.(This I didn't know until fellow mariner Rip Tyler wrote an evening Email to me expressing concern that we were traveling in a "fog warning" and probably using Radar with the two navigation instruments located on the dashboard of SIGMACHI  (located BELOW the "open array Radar antenna) and neither having any EXTERNAL ANTENNA above and away from the Radar transmitting antenna. ) Boy-Oh-Boy Rip's caveat was so CORRECT!

Actually as soon as we did cross the Neuse River and entered the beautiful Adams Creek-Canal the fog lifted and and navigation was by sight!  After taking on about 120 gallons of diesel fuel at Jarrett Boat Works SIGMACHI had the good fortune to be following a tug boat and barge for several miles into the industrial section of Morwhead City's industrial harbor.Heavy fog again set in.

Then it happened...the tug became STILLED and its captain notified SIGMACHI that he was stopping and for me to pass him!  Dense fog enveloped SIGMACHI and we were in the middle of the channel.

At idle speed we continued confident the two chart plotters and Radar would guide us to Spooner Creek where we had planned to anchor for the night.  


Two chart plotters with cursors going in different directions and a track course that  looked like evasive submarine maneuvers in some WW2 naval movie...we were lost in the foggy harbor!  That was about 5:45 pm on Monday Jan 13th, 2020.  Fortunately Jeanne and I found a navigation buoy. that gave us a location from the charts on the now untrustworthy chart plotters...and there was both water depth and room to the East of the channel and together we SET THE ANCHOR!  

As I pen this entry at about 9 AM on Jan 14th, we are still comfortably anchored, generator running and apparently FOGGED IN ...hopefully not for the rest of the day!

After we were safely anchored I perused SIGMACHI's Emails; I discovered Rip Tyler's caveat about Radar potentially influencing GPS signals when the chart plotters did not have external antennae located away from and higher than the Radar array...  BINGO!  That (interference) is exactly what had scrambled the chart plotter cursors in the densest of fogs!

I called Rip and Beth Tyler (our AGLCA Harbor Hosts back on Campbell Creek) to thank Rip for his revealing Email about the potential Radar interference with my internal GPS antennas on my Garmin chart plotter and IPad...and therein lay the answer to the "scrambled" cursors in the fog!  Thank you Rip!

Jeanne and I will spend the day catching up on business and reorganizing our pantry. Pantry?  Yes, the Vee berth is crammed with supplies and foodstuffs....sorry no spare berths at the moment on our waterborne safari!

Tight Lines!

Alan
Alan & Jeanne Cecil
(and Molly our cat)
Aboard SIGMACHI 

Note: The attached photo shows the location of the Radar array on SIGMACHI. 

Addendum: 10:23 am..fog has lifted.  2nd picture is our nearest neighbor!

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

18.08.03...From Alan and Jeanne Cecil...UPDATE on SIGMACHI's crew, the boat, and this weekend's plans to catch up with our sailing club! AND...the SOS Seafood Feast on Saturday in Rock Hall, MD...

Greetings All,  Yes it is time for  a comprehensive summary since our last written post and amplification of our posted video!  Jeanne and I arrived home last Sunday night (July 29th) from a week on SIGMACHI in Deltaville, VA.  Yes, we were to take SIGMACHI on a maiden voyage of about 20 miles  to a Marine Trawler Owners Assn (MTOA) Rendezvous in Kilmarnock at the Indian Creek Yacht and Country Club....but severe winds and monsoon like rains early in the week kept us at or away from the dock.  Away from the dock?  Yep, so far away on the leeward side of the dock that there was a 4 foot gap between SIGMACHI and the wooden dock planks.  Such was the velocity of the wind that the lines on the starboard side of the boat (two forward and two aft, two spring lines, and two breast lines) left permanent line indentations in each of their respective wooden pilings. SIGMACHI has a high freeboard.   We were unable to get ashore for a 33hr. period.  Another time when we had successfully disembarke...
Read more

SIGMACHI...Views from the Crew...Tropical Storm/Hurricane Preparation

Good Morning All SIGMACHI  is at Atlantic Yacht Basin, in Chesapeake, VA . The boat is hauled for fixing a trim tab  and rudder post repairs and some other things.  This is a great place to be with the threat of Isaisa scheduled to come this way Tuesday morning. Monday Jeanne, Molly (our boat cat) and I moved to the Red Roof Inn in Chesapeake for the next three nights because SIGMACHI 's air conditioner does not operate while the boat is out of the water.  We also chose a room on the second floor.. as  the tropical storm's tidal surge and rains might cause flooding.  Jeanne is so wise! This "winter cruise" on SIGMACHI will have lasted 2 weeks short of 8 months....didn't have any destination other than Florida.  Now, for the first time we have a schedule to keep....Both Jeanne and I have medical appointments commencing August 11th. It will take at least 3 travel days to reach Pasadena,  Maryland from Chesapeake, VA.   James Taylor, at Atlantic Yacht Basin, has inst...
Read more

View from the Crew: SIGMACHI has stayed "Put" all day and for a 2nd night on Madision Bay. Day 2 of SIGMACHI 's Fall Cruise

Image
Jeanne and I are on a 3 week cruise of the Eastern Shore of Maryland.   We are presently in Madison Bay off of the Little Choptank River...not very far from the mouth of Slaughter Creek and very near to Poverty Point Farm.  Many duck/goose hunting safaris were launched from PPF by Betty G. Fisher back during the 1960s & 70s .  I should know; I was there many times!  Haven't been in this "neighborhood" for about 50 years! Madison Bay was selected as an anchoring ground yesterday after a phenomenally beautiful 59 mile run from Nabbs Creek.   The forecast for today was selected as a safe harbor from all winds except those from the north.  This proved correct; all day a steady wind was from the east at 14 mph.  There was no notable landing spot in Madison Bay and we didn't care!  SIGMACHI is completely well stocked with provisions! Saturday we rested and did some boat work, some business work and yes...naps!/ We stayed securely anchored here for two nights in about 7f...
Read more