The shake-down
These are the highlights of the first trip to move the boat from the purchase point in Portsmouth, VA to winter the boat in Jacksonville, FL. The trip took 10 days. Considering that we averaged only 8 knots and the winter days were short, this was actually pretty fast. On one leg we made 103 miles.
Day one on the cruise south had s series of firsts: First lock experience at Great Bridge ( I think we dropped all of 2 feet),
first bascule bridge (Battlefield Blvd. at Great Bridge)
and first swing bridge where the Centerville Twpk. crosses the Albemarle and Chesapeake Canal.
Sights along the way included the passing commercial fishers, Christmas week at Jekyll Isle and ICW sunsets.
Finally, arrival in Jacksonville and Hearken’s new home for the winter season and time for some overhauls and upgrades.
Along the way, every night offered a new and more spectacular sunset to silhouette the new boat.
December in North Carolina can get pretty cold at night.
