I slept better than I expected I would, but I’d be lying if I claimed not to be nervous. The Gulf Stream can be a true beast if conditions aren’t good, and even in settled conditions I had no idea what to expect. Besides, I’m always nervous before an offshore passage, even though I’ve now […]
We didn’t have far to go yesterday, so we started the morning with breakfast in town at a cute little bakery. We even got a bit of breeze (and by a bit I only mean 5-10kts mostly on the nose), and the Indian River was deep enough outside the ICW channel that we were able […]
As usual, we were on our way with the sunrise. I was glad we chose not to stay in Daytona for the week – I don’t think it would have been my scene – but it wasn’t a bad stop for the night. With the current running hard against, at points we were down to […]
…alternately: I’m just trying to find the bridgeHas anybody seen the bridgePlease(Have you seen the bridge)I ain’t seen the bridge(Where’s that confounded bridge) The Crunge – Led Zeppelin While the current was still running in our favor, we cast off our lines once more. It was a beautiful morning with a light haze, but shortly […]
It was cold overnight on anchor, but we slept like the dead. We were up early, and it was amazing how much the anchorage changed with the change in tide –we could now see the oyster beds all around us. We took our time over breakfast before getting under way, and it was nice to […]
Cheesy title, but fitting. We left the dock as the current neared slack to head offshore. It felt strange to be heading offshore on a holiday, and I was feeling a bit melancholy. On the way through Port Royal Sound, I texted family and friends, and I’m not sure if that made it better or […]
It was wonderful to spend a night on anchor again, and I loved how peaceful our little anchorage was. We got under way as the sun rose and had favorable current most of the way. This section took us through miles upon miles of untouched marshland, and I loved watching the marsh awaken. Dolphins fed […]
If you now have The Proclaimers’ “I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles)” stuck in your head, you’re welcome – I do too. We needed to leave Charleston Harbor Marina at slack tide – the currents run hard, and our slip was in an awkward spot to get out of with the fuel dock just behind us. […]
Offshore sailing makes me nervous. Unlike being on Long Island Sound, there’s not always a convenient, nearby spot to duck into. Once you’re out there, you’re out there. We always choose our weather windows carefully, but I have a healthy respect for the elements and never take the time offshore lightly. Our sail to Charleston […]
Alternately, “You Can’t Always Get What You Want”. Now that our world revolves entirely around weather, we dedicate a lot of time to checking forecasts. We use Predict Wind, Sailflow, Windy and TZ iBoat, plus Weatherbug and Weather Underground to check local forecasts at our current location and our destination and conditions in between and […]