Not our easiest passage… although I feel like I’m saying that a lot lately.
After tropical depression Nicole moved on, it was time for us to do the same. We left into a SW breeze, which was exactly the direction we needed to go. We spent a lot of time beating, and the starboard tacks were a bashfest. Midnight found us just off Port Royal Sound with 105 miles to go, and I assumed we’d need to figure out a new destination for the week. The wind faded back, so we rolled up the jib and motor sailed past Tybee Roads. I wasn’t sad to be motoring through there – there had to be at least 20 ships at anchor, and under sail we’d have been heading straight into the anchorage or tacking like crazy. I made it past the inlet without having to deal with any shipping traffic, and it felt like we were beginning to make some real progress.
By the time my watch was over, the wind was back and finally began the shift that had been forecast to happen much earlier, and once again we saw gusts up to 30. Two competing wave trains meant the occasional good slam, but once the wind set up and the new wave train established itself, we were off like a rocket. The ocean was an amazing shade of green, and Mother Nature treated us to the kinds of hard-earned views you only experience offshore including more visits from dolphins. We made some serious miles and reached St. Mary’s inlet around 1300, dropping the hook off Cumberland Island around 1530.
Unfortunately we didn’t get to explore – three of four hatches in the forward stateroom leaked, and a lot of stuff, including our bed, was soaked in salt water. Looks like we’ve got our next big boat project lined up, and we’ll need to find a place to get our cushions deep cleaned so they don’t develop mildew. I’m sure it’s going to take several cleanings to get all the salt water out of there, but that’s part of boat life. I won’t pretend I wasn’t upset and frustrated, but I’m learning to roll with all the unexpected things this life throws our way.