The
Miura is
a seaworthy
boat of solid construction, with heavy-duty rigging, a 4000 lb. lead
fin keel, a skeg-hung rudder 
and a relatively short mast for its size. Some would say that she is
underpowered, that is, until they see the MIURA’s performance in heavy
weather where it excels in speed and stability. She has a large “tumblehome”
that is, rounded sides that give her a pot-bellied appearance. It explains the
class name “MIURA” chosen by the designer, Oswald Berckemeyer, which
is after a breed of pot-bellied fighting bulls in Spain.
Displacement is moderate at about 10,000 lb.; the beam is 10 feet; the
draft is close to six feet (when fully loaded) and mast height is only 45 feet
above the water line. Her theoretical maximum speed is seven knots but her
average speed, under sail or power is 5 ˝ knots or less.
She’s comfortable for a couple, although four good friends or a family with
two children could
manage for a period of time. Storage for supplies is quite good
with many lockers, nooks and crannies.
Actually, interior designs of the MIURA
are all different, as hulls and decks are built to a fairly standard design,
leaving the outfitting to
individual
owners. As a result, interiors of MIURAS
range from luxurious to Spartan. Drinking water storage (including carrying two
six-gallon Gerry cans on deck) at a total of about 60 US gallons is adequate for
about two, or at the most, three weeks’ cruising. Diesel fuel tanks hold about
40 US gallons that, with our new Yanmar 2GM20 diesel, gives a cruising range of
about 400 nautical miles. That is plenty when using
auxiliary power only for entering or leaving cramped quarters. Our MIURA
has a full complement of integrated Autohelm electronic navigation equipment,
including a GPS (Global Positioning System), radar, autopilot, log, depth
sounder, sea water temperature gauge and a computer with navigational software and charts.
Other safety and creature comforts include, VHF and Ham/SSB (Single Side Band) radios; an engine-mounted alternator, a
wind generator, two 50 Watt solar panels, and a 1000 watt electric power generator; an EPIRB (Emergency Position
Indicating Radio Beacon) with an attached GPS; AM/FM/CD radio; and a library of books, music CDs and DVDs. The latter can be played on our onboard
computer that also holds our navigational, radio email and weather and
position reporting software.
Now we will write about
"The Ditch." The Ditch is that part of the Atlantic ICW (Intracoastal Waterway)
that stretches along the southern part of the east coast of
the United
States from Norfolk (Mile 0) in Virginia to
Miami in Florida (Mile 1089) . 
The
other parts of the ICW are from New York that, except for the
shallowest-draft vessels, requires going offshore when passing the state of New Jersey. The
ICW then continues inland via the Delaware and Chesapeake Bays to Norfolk.
Beyond Miami the ICW continues to Key West. The Ditch makes it
possible to travel along the east coast without ever having to enter the Atlantic
Ocean. It winds through a large number of inland waters including bays,
sounds, rivers and manmade channels. Many of the manmade channels
and natural bodies of water are extremely shallow. To quote from US Coast Pilot
No. 4: “The Federal project for the ICW has controlled water depths of at least
12 feet from Norfolk, Virginia (Mile 0) to Fort Pierce, Florida (Mile 966),
thence 10 feet to Miami, Florida (Mile 1089) and thence 7 feet to Key West,
Florida (Mile 1244).” However, that’s the plan. Hurricanes that occasionally
hit the southeast coast of the US and inadequate funding of the Corps of
Engineers, an Army unit responsible for dredging the ICW, mean that controlled depths
are not constantly maintained. The MIURA with its relatively deep draft, runs the
risk of frequent groundings. Also, many of the dredged channels,
even in the largest sounds, are quite narrow. These narrow channels, and
sometimes-heavy commercial and recreational power boat traffic, make it next too
impossible to sail for, say, about 90 per cent of the way. It’s therefore
necessary to rely on auxiliary power (the iron sail) for most of the way.
Obviously, the ICW appears an insult to the MIURA that was designed to
cross oceans under sail.
However,
as our experience shows there are many redeeming features of both the MIURA
and the Ditch that make 
for a good compromise. For example, there are more than 140 bridges that span
the ICW. With only two exceptions the fixed bridges are built to the
regulated clearance of 65 feet at MLW (Mean Lower Water.) One of the bridges
appears to have suffered from a slight miscalculation in that its clearance is 64 feet only. One fixed bridge, at Mile 1087 in Miami, that for all intents and
purpose is the end of the Ditch, has a clearance of only 56 feet. The MIURA with
a mast height of only 45 feet can thus travel the entire ICW without
the need to unstep the mast or go offshore into the Atlantic Ocean. In fact, it
is possible also to travel across Florida, using the Lake Okeechobee route, to
reach the Florida west coast and connect with the Gulf ICW that borders most of the
US states on
the Gulf of Mexico. The remaining 90 bridges crossing the ICW need to open to allow passage. Many
of these bridges open on demand but those in urban areas that carry heavy road traffic have restrictive opening
schedules during peak hours. Of course, boats that
cannot clear the 65 ft. fixed bridges must go, for at least part of the way, offshore
and brave the various capes, including the infamous Cape Hatteras. The Gulf
Stream can be a problem also. Waves patterns, described as "the elephants"
because of the shape of the waves, can develop when winds from the northern
quadrant hit the opposing Gulf stream current. It can be dangerous.
With the shallow waters, narrow
cuts and commercial traffic around the clock, is it safe only to travel the ICW
during
daylight hours. Travel must therefore be planned for arrival at an
anchorage or marina well before sunset. There are many safe anchorages and a
multitude of good marinas along the Ditch. Of course the less draft a vessel
has, the more anchorages and marinas will be available. Some anchorages must be
entered on a rising tide. Tidal range must also be taken into account because in
some locations along the Ditch, especially in South Carolina and Georgia, this
can be as much as eight feet. Several times during our trip, described below, we
had been able to enter an anchorage safely on a rising tide but were prevented
from leaving in the morning on a low tide. With few exceptions though, bottoms are just muddy or hard sand and
when traveling slowly, groundings are normally not a serious problem.
The
perceived safety of inland waters is only relative though. Heavy winds blowing over
large but shallow bodies of water can set up a nasty chop.
This can be so severe that, under these conditions, traveling the wide and
shallow sounds and bays can be extremely hazardous. This applies particularly to
the Albemarle and
Pamlico Sounds and the Neuse River. Also, there
can be strong and
confused currents near the many navigable and impassable ocean inlets along the
Ditch. These currents not only move the numerous sandbanks faster than the US
Coast Guard can relocate the buoys but they can also easily force slow-moving boats out of the
generally well-marked channels. The Matanzas ocean inlet
area, with its high banks of dredged sand, is probably the worst for grounding
along the
whole ICW. Finally, the inevitable conflict between some inconsiderate power
boaters and sail boaters using the narrow channels adds to the risk of
groundings and collisions. Cruising the ICW can therefore be equally or may be
even more demanding than venturing offshore. It can be tiring, especially,
when traveling shorthanded. The scenery constantly changes as the Ditch traverses five eastern states.
Along
its way there are many small towns that are of historic significance and most
have good shopping facilities, fine restaurants and friendly people. Places like
Belhaven on the Pungo River; Beaufort (pronounced Bowfort) in NC; Wrightsville
Beach near Wilmington; Barefoot Landing near a huge outlet center; Georgetown;
historic Charleston; Beaufort (pronounced Beewfort) SC; Savannah in Georgia;
Jekyll Island of mega-millionaires’ fame; Fernandino Beach; Titusville near
the Kennedy Space Center; Vero Beach; St. Augustine – the oldest town in the
south; and Fort Lauderdale and many other places along the Ditch are all worth
extended visits.
“Snow
Birds”, as these cruisers are called, leave Canada and the northeastern US to
go south with their
boats well before the first blasts of arctic weather cross
the Canadian/US border. Thousands and thousands of “Snowbirds” set sail to travel south
for the warmer climes in Florida, the Bahamas and beyond. During fall and again
the following spring, the Ditch becomes a virtual highway with long processions of
boats cueing up for bridges to open and vying for space at the multitude of
anchorages and marinas along the way. Most marinas and favorite anchorages are
quickly crowded. Despite the many “No Wake” zones, regularly patrolled by
the Coast Guard and local marine police, some power boaters turn up the throttle to
get there faster. Not all power boaters and sailors stick to the protocol where
both boats slow down to allow the powerboats to overtake with minimum wake.
Overtaking is particularly dangerous at a stretch of the Ditch referred to as
the “Rock Pile” where rocky ledges are hidden just below the water surface on both
sides of the channel. It’s not unusual to see a wreck half submerged on the
channel's shorelines.
Near
the various ocean inlets that are the better departure points for crossing the
Gulf Stream to the Bahamas Islands or for departing for the Caribbean further south,
there are large flotillas waiting for “weather windows” before proceeding
offshore. All in all, it is an almost festive mood along the Ditch as groups of
cheerful cruisers try to stay ahead of the cold fronts and dream of
visiting
sun-drenched
and palm-fringed beaches. It’s a different world compared with the automobile routes
used for southbound land-based travel. Route 95 is the super highway. It’s
almost certain, figuratively speaking, that no one would take much notice it a
car fell down an embankment. The parallel Route 1, nearer the coast, provides a more
leisurely way because at least it has stoplights where it passes through towns and
villages. The most easterly road, the one nearest the coast and the ICW,
is Route A1A - the tourist road. The later provides for a pleasant and slow drive and is for
most of its length very scenic apart from the row upon row of condominiums and
hotels and motels that line it near popular tourist destinations. Now compare any of
these
roads with the Ditch. While often in sight of A1A, the Ditch is an entirely different
world. First, the pace of travel by boat is only at about five or six knots, say, six
miles per hour. People on
boats and on land take time to wave to each other. Hospitality along the ICW, generally,
is outstanding. The cruising community has a lot of camaraderie and
friendships are easily formed. There’s plenty of advise and, sometimes, spare
parts are given for free when needed. It’s a relaxed world of “yesteryear” just as one
would imagine life must have been in the rural US about forty or fifty years
ago.
The
departure for our cruise south, starting in Annapolis MD on the Chesapeake Bay,
was late 
because of
a delayed return from an overseas assignment. We cast off our lines in early-November 1999. Also,
as usual, there were the numerous last-minute jobs that “needed” to
be done before departure. Some claim that holding back for these last minute
jobs is just an excuse for delaying casting off and starting the great journey.
However, it’s more like balancing between weather windows and the convenience
of doing pre-departure work in surroundings where one knows the way around.
Cruisers prefer leaving the Chesapeake Bay in mid-October,
that is, immediately after the conclusion of the Annapolis Sail Boat Show. The Bay at
that time of the year normally has great weather and anchorages around Annapolis are
filled with boats from shore to shore for the boat show. Starting the
cruise earlier poses the risk of running into the tail-end of the hurricane season. Leaving later would require having to travel south much faster to
keep ahead of the approaching cold fronts and winter storms.
Our MIURA is named “Bojangles”. She was named so by
the first owners, Justin and Susan Malan. They sailed her, with another couple,
from South Africa to the States in 1985. We understand that their Atlantic crossing was uneventful apart from rough weather when approaching Brazil. It
almost resulted in the loss of a crewmember overboard. It probably explains why
the other couple, immediately after having made landfall in Recife, returned to
South Africa. We stuck with the name “Bojangles”. Not only is a name- change
supposed to bring bad luck but also we liked this unique name that we have never
seen on another boat. In conformity with South African
regulations the name “Bojangles” is painted in foot-high letters on the
weather cloths around the cockpit. We kept these as well and Bojangles is therefore easily recognized
and is now well known in her usual cruising grounds.
Before
leaving on our cruise, Bojangles was completely refitted. By that time she was
about 15 years old. Although 
lightly sailed since her South Atlantic crossing, a
survey of the rigging was needed and stays were replaced. We re-powered the boat
by replacing the old but reliable Yanmar YSE12 with a new and more powerful Yanmar 2GM20(F) diesel. How’s that for brand loyalty? Much against Tony's initial
dislike, a headsail furling gear and furling headsail were fitted. It's more
seamanlike to hank-on sails best suited to the particular winds and circumstances.
However, sailing friends had told us "to get with it" and make cruising life a bit easier on
ourselves. It was
a good investment. All electrical wiring, plumbing and LPG (propane) tubing was
replaced. We also had installed an AeroGen wind-driven electric power generator in the hope that it
would assist in keeping up with the ravenous demand for electric power for
refrigeration. Sea trials were conducted in mid-1999 and the final adjustments
were made just before our departure. We were fortunate to have marine
contractors who were familiar with the MIURA. Southern Cross Marine of
Annapolis, managed by Marc Mayo - ex Zimbabwe, did the interior and electrical
works. Garth Hitchens and Steve Madden - both ex-South Africa of Madden Mast
& Rigging, did the rigging
and Quantum Sailmakers of Annapolis cut the new 140% headsail.
At
first look, nautically speaking, they appear to match like a square peg in a
round hole. The MIURA and “the Ditch” appear incompatible. First,
let us tell you about the MIURA. She’s a 31 feet sloop-rigged sailboat,
designed and built, primarily, for long-distance offshore passage-making and,
specifically, for the annual race from Cape Town in South Africa to Rio de
Janeiro in Brazil. The story goes that during the deepest days of Apartheid,
South African cruisers were not particularly welcome at many of the nearby and
distant cruising destinations. One country, Brazil, apparently placed sport
above
politics. In that spirit an annual ocean race from one country to the other was
established. The desire to give cruisers with smaller budgets a chance to
participate is said to have led to the design and construction of the MIURA Class.[1]
Actually, our MIURA was sailed by two young couples from Cape Town to Brazil.
One couple returned to South Africa from Brazil and the owners continued to
cruise the Caribbean and then the southeast US to eventually arrive
in Annapolis in late 1985.
