11/21/2009, isle of hope, ga
We have seen lots of dolphins out in the ocean at night and in rivers and harbors. Can you imagine how hard it is to get a shot of them. Here is a photo of Sea Hawk pushing a load of fuel up the Savannah river. there were many dolphins playing in their bow waves. We chatted on the radio and they say that the dolphins are there alot and they often walk to the bow to hang over and watch them!
We took a short run to Isle of Hope GA to get back on anchor and to see the historic district, be near a store and still have access to the Savannah train station. More later...
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11/20/2009, Thunderbolt, GA
Today we saw a little of everything... first down the ICW (see video) with Bink to the Wynah inlet... then out into the open ocean, sailing through the night past Charleston, SC and on to Savannah, GA. We were in dense fog from about midnight to 9 am.
Entering the Savannah channel at 2 PM (photo) we thought we were home free. I guess we didn't look at the chart closely or look at the current tables (at all!)... it was 12 miles up the inlet against a 3 knot current, and then the 5 miles up the Wilmington River, which is very casually marked... arriving in the dark in Thunderbolt after running aground twice! The first time we just bumped over a shoal in the middle of the channel just off the Savannah river. The second time Bill drove the boat off the channel in the dark trying to navigate by chart plotter. We already know that it takes a few seconds to refresh the screen... and those were a critical few seconds as we were going around a sharp bend in the channel. There we sat, stuck fast like a car in a snow bank. high centered (you can feel that). We laughed a bit about our blind faith in the plotter (we know better) and moaned a bit about the sparsely marked channel. We did know the tide was rising... so Lara served up spaghetti and Helen's turkey meatballs. After maybe 20 minutes we felt the the boat move a little, then it rotated, and then it was free... (we are learning or relearning everyday!) Here is a little video from the beginning of the day...
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11/19/2009, Calabash river
We are all glad that we brought our warm clothes! It did get nice at the end of the day...
We have decided to go "down the ditch" (ICW) with my friend Bink on Eventyr since he is traveling solo from NC to Florida.
Here is where I will go back and put in a story about what happened on the way to Calabash River, SC!
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11/17/2009, Wrightsville Beach
Today, a walk on the beach and an early Mexican dinner at the surfer's hang out. But that misses a bunch of the story...
I think we last posted when it was raining in Morehead City. And I think you all knew that we would be sick of the rain and wanting to move. So on Saturday evening we moved our boat out of the slip in Morehead City and travel the few miles to anchor in taylor Creek in Beaufort, NC again (so Pete and I could use our beer tokens at the Dockside Restaurant). We were up early and, despite having the anchor fouled on some random line in the harbor, we sailed from Beaufort at 0800.
Once we were 15 miles south west of Beaufort the sun came out and the sea was calm. The wind blew at about 15 so we could set a broad reach. When we started, our destination was Wrightville Beach, NC. Then the wind died and as we looked at our arrival time, we decided to push on to Charleston... As the sun set, we chatted with some other boats who were headed to Marsh Harbor in the Bahamas! "Three days" they said... "hmmm" we said. We contacted our weather folks, checked our fuel and water and took a 90 degree turn to the East to head across the Gulf Stream. the night was spectacular and the wind blowing 5 to 10 out of the north promising a lump but OK passage and we were all entranced by the warm waters of the Bahamas....
At about 11 pm with everyone asleep but Bill, the engine sputtered again. Pete was rousted and we again found a clogged filter... With some mucking around we fired her up again and we off with Pete back in his berth... again the engine sputtered and again Pete came up on deck in his skivies. After a short discussion we opted for the closest port: Wrightville Beach, NC. We plotted a course that would have us at the outside bouy around sunrise. Under full sail we cruised back to the US, arriving in time to have Pancakes with Maine Blueberries abord Starbound. So, here we are... being here now.
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11/12/2009, Morehead City, NC
Rain rain rain
We moved over here to get out of the wind and be clear of any boats that were going to drag anchors in the big wind. Most of what we have seen is lots of rain.We have bailed the dingy once already...
Showers a nice here and we have treated our selves to Pizza and fresh baked goodies from a bakery in town. We have installed our "5 Mile WIFI" system and that does allow us a better connection although the Marina's WIFI doesn't seem to work right so we have a hard time keeping a connection. The same has been experianced by some of the other boaters holed up here.
Although it has been nice to relax here, we are all ready to move on to warmer and dryer places!
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11/10/2009, Morehead City, NC
Isobel passed out, waiting for the next passage.
At the Beaufort Docks, the day was spend completing little projects such as the fuel filters change, checking the Trisail for how it would sheet. Pumping out the waste tank and filling the water, buying gas and testing the dingy engine (it runs!)
Then we talked with all the people around the marina about the impending storm (Winds to 45 and offshore seas to 20'!) Where to go and how to anchor. Finally we ran into an Irish couple who were on a Hallberg Rassy. They were headed to Morehead city because it was protected, less expensive than Beaufort and they provided slips with piers to tie to. Pete and I created a spider web of lines around the boat so it will be clear of the floating docks. (Lara had purchased 110' of 5/8" line that I cut into 3 lengths and spliced big loops to make more dock lines).
Then, inside the boat the discussion turned to the concept of Complete. Like a job complete. And then we went on to discuss Myths (Pete having a memory full of good Greek and Scandinavian myths) Isobel drummed on the floor with the measuring spoons and bill nodded off...
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11/08/2009, Beaufort, NC
Here is sunrise from sunrise. The clouds are at the Gulf Stream. We were there...
Best laid plans... We had a great weather window and motor sailed to the edge of the gulf stream. Excitement was high, some nerves were running, and everything seemed to be perfect... Then the engine started to sputter... a quick check found sediment in the fuel filter, lots of it... indicating a bad load of fuel that we had taken on in Oriental NC. After a few minutes of discussion, we aborted the passage with some disappointment.
We did get to see another beautiful sunset and a bunch of dolphins playing around the boat. That was magical.
Being 35 miles off shore, we could not make it back to Beaufort by dark, so we sailed slowly back to the channel marker, arriving about 2 am. We then Hove-to (Which is a way of parking the boat in the middle of the ocean) until 5:30... as the sun came up we motored slowly into Beaufort. The day was spent tracking down someone to "polish" our fuel and clean our tanks... unfortunately, not something we are set up to do (easily) ourselves. We inflated the dingy, mounted the engine, added oil, rowed to town and buy a gas can... rowed back to the boat as the sun was setting.
We will review the weather tomorrow and weigh all of our options...
Here is video of us leaving Oriental (after taking on bad fuel!) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uN4a4bt-G8Q
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11/06/2009, Oriental NC
Pete goes up the mast to check the rigging and remove the Wireless wind instruments ( we are trying to track down something that is interfering with our Single Sideband Radio.)
We are expecting a freeze here as the high pressure slides over us. That same high will provide us with a good start to cross the Gulf Stream tomorrow night and Sunday. We are all excited and a little nervous! Fuel is topped off with extra jugs filled in the stern lazerette. Water is filled to the brim with extra jugs.
We have storm sails all set to go if we need them. Secondary anchor is stowed with it's chain the sail locker. Fridge is filled... now we just continue to watch the weather...
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11/05/2009, Oriental NC
Arrival at Oriental NC
We had a wonderful day sail 52 miles from bird islands to Oriental NC. Mostly under sail doing as much as 7.5 knots which is theoretical hull speed for Sunrise.
The morning started with the retrieval of the two anchors we had put out the night before... one to the north and one to the south, since the wind was forecast to and did clock 360 degrees overnight. We devised a strategy for undoing the one wrap and retrieved both anchors with only a few minor " learning experiences". Then we sailed 52 miles across Pamlico Sound, often out of site of land, but never in more than 20 feet of water!
Tomorrow we start with the final preparations for our crossing to the Virgin Islands.
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and that you made a later port of call at Oriental.
i hope you got my other email.
best j&h
I realize that I did not give Pete a suitable introduction. He is from Dorset also. He grew up sailing with his family, including a year they spent doing an Atlantic circle: sailing to the Azores, Portugal, Canaries, across 21 days to the Caribbean. He has helped deliver several Swans from the NE to Florida. He own's "Sea Pod" which he has been working on in preparation to solo sail.
When we were in Portland ME, taking the offshore medical course, Pete and his brother were there also. After a dinner out and some other discussions we felt he would make a good addition to the boat. We were right. Smart, thoughtful and quick to act. Willing to do anything on board. He also generates some good conversation being a philosopher.
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