Although I’ve driven over the Card Sound Bridge many times and even boated under twice (during our low-tide, depth research phase), I suddenly realized just how high our mast really is. Until now it was just a number. But suddenly I realized that our mast was just about 15 feet less than driver’s eye level on the roadway up there. Now I had a perspective of how unprepared I would have been to find myself up there having to make repairs should anything bad happen to the boat and Phil. And then my mind added the rocking of the boat. And I imagined looking down and swinging out to see port side of Our Tern, then starboard side, and then my mind added the bobbing - forward and aft too! Let’s just hope that vision never comes true!
There were a couple boats fishing under the bridge (just west of the channel) and a couple kayaks anchored off the pillars to the east of the channel. And then, there was a catamaran, under sail, heading straight through the center of the channel, right under the bridge.
Here comes the Mariner’s Quandary: The boat under sail has the right of way. But we have such a deep draw; we can’t get outside the channel without hitting ground. And so, Phil starts processing the data, estimated speeds: of both boats, current direction and speed, wind direction and speed. Ok, he’ll cut our speed and pray they don’t loose wind or blow their tack out of the channel. And so he processed some more data and plays out potential scenarios. What if they head west and cross our path? What if they tack to head east and blow the tack or lose wind? And then the dreaded: what if they stay center and crowd us into the bank? Closer we grew at our whopping 2 knots! It was like a bad action movie, time crawled so slowly. Finally their mainsail turned sharply about and off they went, east of our path, clearing the pile-ons. As usual, we took our half, right down the middle!
With two fixed bridges under our belt, we had only two more shallows and two bridges left to contend with. The bridges are side-by-side at Jewfish Creek near Gilbert’s Resort along US1. The new fixed bridge is rumored to be one foot taller than card sound’s bridge (but still not posted on-site - nor listed on the most recent US Coast Guard Chart #4 update).
Since the shallowest point of our cruise was just past the Jewfish Bridges, we want to arrive on the hour or half hour closest to high tide. And since this point is 4 hours later than ocean high tide, we plan to arrive for the 2pm draw bridge opening. That means slowing down to 3 knots. Which means letting that rain catch-up with us again! I went below to fix tuna salad sandwiches and open the cookies! This called for chocolate! We managed to finish eating just in time to cover Cuka for the next rain shower. And so, we let that rain pass over and head out to sea.
By the time we reach the mouth of Jewfish Creek, we had sun in our face. We were greeted by a pair of jet skiers who slowed to assess the grey skies behind us, eventually voting to make a quick run out, to flirt at the edge of the storm, and then buzz back past us mid-creek as they returned the rental skis before their hour ran out.
We radioed the bridge tender at ten minutes out. He replied that he would open in 15 minutes. (Why aren’t these guys on Atomic time or cell-phone time?) And so we arrive about five minutes early. The current coming through the channel was strong and a bit squirrely. Phil did a great job of skating on the current. Or perhaps skiing (if you can use either word when describing a 16,000 pound boat!). Then came a 50’ yacht came right up behind us. He churned the silt some and changed the current a bit, but Phil adjusted well. And we both waited. Right there, under the official US1 bridge.. waiting for NOBODY to drive across the old US1 bridge (that is now just a private drive to a small hotel and Marley’s Bar and Grill)! And I’m still not sure why they still have that bridge on schedule for weekends! Which reminds me that I need to write an editorial to the local paper about that!!!
2 pm Gilbert’s Drawbridge
As promised, the bridge did raise (at 2:05 Verizon time). And once again we were off like a turtle. Carefully reviewing the notes from 5 weeks before, we stayed tight to port when we round the point… don’t drift out far of we’ll hit the bank of the channel. First we look at the tide…and finally find some thanks for the rainy three days. These steady rains from the north have blown a lot of water into Blackwater Sound and Jewfish Creek. We’re deeper than normal. And to prove it, our depth sounder actually came to life for a moment and registered a whopping 3 feet!
As we passed through we recognize the “locals” here in the neighboring pond. We passed a liveaboard we know that was recently breached by a reefed in the Bahamas and then sailed here only to run short of money and help (as so many potential cruisers do when under funded) . And then we passed Liberation (the boat I acquired as salvage after Tropical Storm Ernesto in 2006) now a semi-refurbished liveaboard.
The familiarity was comforting. Not only did we know the people and boats, but we knew the water. We’d sailed here many times. Under far better weather to be sure!
As we neared the north entrance to Dusenbury Creek, Phil and I grew silent. Although we could blame our melancholy on the weather or the fatigue of the voyage, we both knew the darkness was not due to either of those. It was due to the ending of the adventure. Just a few more miles and we would be parking her for months. No more sailing until the work is done: leaking windows and hatches to seals, refrigerator compressor to replace, hot water tank to purify, oven to buy and install, generator to install so it can run that fine AC, miles of wiring to be replaced, a bolt of sunbrella material to sew, and the other 58 things still on the surveyor’s original hit list!
With the rain once again behind us, we were continually being passed by other boats whizzing through the Creek. Their wake was so bad that it rocked us to heel 20 degrees our depth gauge went bonkers, claiming we had 146’ feet below us. LOL! No bother resetting it now. We know the layout.