Thank You Captain

     Despite the rain all day, today was a pleasure to be on the Intracoastal Waterway (ICW).  We managed to get an early start at 0715 this morning at Hospital Point, Mile 0 on the ICW charts.  As with last year, we took the Virginia Cut, route 1 of the 2 available routes to the Albemarle Sound, which by the way is how we judge all waters when it comes to wind generated waves.  We didn't make it to Albemarle Sound today, but we did make it to Buck Island, our anchorage south of Coinjock, NC.  In the 58 miles we traveled today we only encountered 5 other boats heading south.  Last year we started our adventure 3 weeks later in mid October and were surrounded by many boats, 20 or more, on this the first leg.  This year we traveled for miles at times and never was passed by another boat.  We did have one "Chucklehead" who thought because we didn't slow down for him to pass us, he didn't have to slow down either.  Obviously he does not know the rules of the road or how to execute an easy pass, aka slow pass.  An easy pass first starts with the boat wanting to pass you contacting you by VHF radio.  After the details have been worked out, port or starboard side pass, the passing boat will approach your stern, at which time you the lead boat will slow down to idle speed.  The boat passing the lead boat slows down and passes on the predetermined side at a slow speed just faster than the lead's boat idle speed so as not to create a wake that would rearrange your galley from a wake that rolls you from side to side.  Having any part of your boat's interior rearranged by another boat's wake is not a good thing.  It's bad enough that Mother nature does it from time to time.  After he has passed you, you fall in behind his stern and the other boat resumes it's speed.  One boat that passed us today executed a perfect text book easy pass.  Thank you Captain.