The Cumberland Island channel, our refuge, is exposed to the 30 knot winds. To our west a sandbar one to two feet under the water breaks up the large seas still visible from our helm. Looking for anchorages in the winds is an exercise in futility. We chose to temp fate again. With the tide nearing high we plan to skirt over the 2 foot shoals at the north end of the channel and rejoin the ICW.

What is up with that bilge pump? Are we taking on water?

25 meters of shallow water separate us from the ICW. The now slack tide and nearby marshes of this area make the waters tolerable. Yet, the winds still make our rigging sing. Our channel coming to an end we can wait no longer broach the shoals. Anne and I take a collective inhalation and hold our breath as the depth sounder's readings slip to 5 feet. Creeping through the skinny water, we finally exhale as the depth climbs to 8 feet. Back in the waterway! Onward to our planned anchorage, Brickyard Creek.

Mixture of fear and adrenalin that once sustained our constant attention now leads to exhaustion. The winds above the marshes have slipped to 20 knots yet they continue to erode our remaining energy. Anne skippers the boat as I investigate the bilge, see image attached. Everything appears to be in order. I re-open all the through hulls and cycle the bilge pumps. It appears the float switch on our lower bilge pump is the only casualty of the day. It functions properly, but once switched on by water in the bilge it will continue to run until manually shut off. The damage to the float switch is a bummer, but all in all we feel lucky with the day's outcome.