We raised anchor at 8:00 AM on Wednesday, April 1st, motor-sailing with the genoa for several hours. At 1:00 PM we rafted up to s/v Release who was on a mooring ball at Vero Beach City Marina. An afternoon of re-provisioning was followed by the second of this voyage's Chipman Point reunion dinner parties, as Ken and Francie of s/v Release, Gene and Ginny of m/v Free to B, plus Grace's crew walked together to the Atlantic Ocean and had dinner at a local italian restaurant, while their two dogs, both named Skipper, kept each other company onboard Free to B.

Laundry and engine maintenance consumed Thursday until it was nearly time to gather for the community happy hour at the marina.

After pulling up to the marina service dock, we headed out at 9:45 AM on Friday, April 3rd. The wind that filled in about noon allowed us to motor-sail with the genoa until shortly before 7:00 PM, when we transited the opening bridge at Addison Point, near Titusville, anchoring on the north side of the bridge.

About 8:30 AM on Saturday, April 4th we raised anchor. The late afternoon wind was put to use, motor-sailing with the genoa for the next several hours. About 6:00 PM we anchored near the Seabreeze Bridges at Daytona Beach.

On Sunday, April 5th we weighed anchor at about 7:00 AM, motor-sailing with the genoa on and off during the first several hours of the passage. We anchored north of St Augustine, on the Guana River at about 5:15 PM.

At 7:30 AM on Monday, April 6th we hauled anchor, motor-sailing with the genoa only for a short while. After a fuel stop in Fernandina Beach, we crossed the Georgia state line in perfect timing to get to see a fleet of US Coast Guard vessels escorting a submarine out to sea. At 5:15 PM we were anchored near Cumberland Island.

About 7:45 AM on Tuesday, April 7th we raised anchor, motor-sailing for a short time with the genoa during the day's passage. As we transited St Andrew Sound we passed through a wall of fog. Shortly after 5:00 PM we anchored near Dolbow Island.

Wednesday, April 8th at about 7:45 AM we hauled anchor, motor-sailing with the genoa on and off for several hours. We successfully transited the notoriously shallow Hell Gate two hours before low tide, and anchored shortly before 7:00 PM in the Herb River near Thunderbolt.

At 8:45 AM on Thursday, April 9th we weighed anchor. We got to turn off the engine and sail using only the genoa during two intervals of about three-quarters of an hour each when we transited across Sapelo Sound and Port Royal Sound; during the second interval of free passage we not only crossed the South Carolina state line, but also got to hail Gene and Ginny on m/v Free to B as they passed ahead of us. We motor-sailed with the genoa on and off for most of the other hours of the day's passage, made it just in time to pass the Lady's Island Bridge at their 4:00 PM scheduled opening (which is followed by two hours of no openings), and anchored at 5:45 PM on the Coosaw River. (There was an upcoming Air Show in Beaufort, and "they" were practicing; so, we got to see (and hear) many of the aircraft as they were airborne near and far from Grace that afternoon and evening.)

Shortly before 8:30 AM on Friday, April 10th we raised anchor, motor-sailing with the genoa on and off for most of the day's passage. Once again we made it just in time to pass the Wappoo Creek Bridge at their 4:00 PM scheduled opening (which is followed by two and a half hours of no openings). Once again we got to turn off the engine and sail using only the genoa for about forty-five minutes as we transited Charleston Harbor. We then arrived an hour early at the Ben Sawyer Bridge for their 6:00 PM scheduled opening. As we were pulling into Dewees Creek to anchor at about 7:30 PM, a gentleman in a skiff pulled alongside Grace and invited us to tie up to the dock at his estate; we were graciously welcomed by Bobby and Janet Kennedy; as the morning rain shower passed the next day, we got to chat with Bobby before casting off at 9:15 AM. (By the way, their island estate is for sale; if anyone is looking, give us a comment and we will put you in contact.)

Motor-sailing with the genoa on and off for several hours of Saturday, April 11th's passage, we anchored at 6:00 PM near Butler Island, north of Georgetown.

Shortly after 10:00 AM on Sunday, April 12th we raised anchor. After stopping for fuel, we anchored at 3:15 PM for our first time near Enterprise Landing on the Waccamaw River.

On Monday, April 13th, shortly before 7:00 AM we weighed anchor, crossed the North Carolina state line, and tied up to the free dock in Southport at 5:15 PM.

About 2:00 PM on Tuesday, April 14th we got underway, making over nine knots of top speed as we headed up the "daisy patch", motor-sailing with the genoa on and off for most of the short passage, which concluded at 5:15 PM near Wrightsville Beach.

Today shortly after 7:00 AM we hauled anchor and dropped it again at 3:00 PM in Mile Hammock Bay.

During multiple days of these passages our progress has been greatly aided by many hours of favorable current boosting our speed. We have gotten to see numerous dolphins, pelicans, and eagles, plus loons, ducks, egrets, herons, roseatte spoonbills, manatee, turtles, skates, two rays that came out of the water, and one alligator.

Above: the submarine, and some of its escorts, as they passed Grace's stern.