Normally we're underway for Florida/Bahamas the first week of January but, not this year. We usually have temps in the 30s/40s in early January and once we're south of Hatteras in the 60s.
This year we had ice on the lake the first week of Jan and now on the 24th it is still around 20deg during the night. There was snow in Florida yesterday.
I watched the geese transit between open water spots. The lead goose is the icebreaker. He pushes up and breaks a path through the ice for all to follow.
This is the third snowfall of the season (one each week) and has been the coldest with temps down to 15.
But warmer weather is coming. It will be 21 tonight, but going into the 40s tomorrow and nothing below 30 for the next week, so we are heading out tomorrow, the 25th.
I thought the boat was mechanically ready to go but when I checked the batteries (with salon temp 38deg), they were only at 12.2v, that's halfway discharged. They are 7yrs old which is the recommended lifespan, so we headed to Norfolk and got 4 new batteries. Now we're ready. Was a bit of a challenge getting 250lbs of batteries down the dock and up the ramp and over to the boat, but mission accomplished.
It'll be chilly for a few days but I've seen some 60deg days in the 10day forecast in the Carolinas.
And actually, as long as the sun is shining, its in the 60s in our cockpit with the sunroom effect of our enclosure - and sunshine is in the forecast tomorrow.
At night we normally stop at a marina and plug in to shore power and run our heater. But, there are a couple spots where we have to anchor with no heat. For those nights we are trying a new inverter and electric blanket. Will see how it works.
Off for Norfolk and the Atlantic Yacht Basin marina tomorrow.
