Just hanging out
24 January 2010 | with too much time on my hands
and too much WIND
It's amazing how a disaster brings out the calls from friends and well wishers. No, I guess what's really amazing is just how many people have gotten in touch to say they care about us, and wish us a safe rest of the way home.
And with thanks to all of you, Al and I have to report that we are now behind schedule, due to weather waiting once again. After leaving St. Aug., we were able to make only 40 of our planned 50 miles Saturday. Winds were increasing, and coupled with an unfavorable tide slowing us to 4.7 MPH, we tucked into Ft. George River and set the hook with extra aplomb. We had a feeling we would be in store for a few days of forced R&R because of a front coming from the west. It is set to bring a violent increase in wind Sunday night and Monday as it passes.
Yea. It's Sunday afternoon now. We started the morning with winds in the 18 MPH range and they have built to a steady 30+ MPH as of now. I really don't want to see the "increase" from this. Part of being a cruiser, I suppose.
So here we sit. It's quite lovely out, temps in the upper 70"s, sunny, just windy as anything. If you've read the blog lately, you will understand the reticence on our part to go anywhere while the forecast is for more wind. So here we sit. We are 635 miles from our home port. At an average of 50 miles per day, that's 13 days from now. But for this wind. And it looks like Tuesday might be the first day we can get moving again. And if I sound like I'm getting anxious to get back home, you are probably right. After all, that is our destination now. And I would like to reach it within a reasonable time.
With no way to get off the boat, I have to ponder the fact that the return trip has just been so much of the same. Three days sitting at Rose Island because of wind. Six days at Bimini due to winds. Three days at Ft. Pierce, for a wind storm. Laid up and hauled out for a day in St. Aug. 'cause of the wind. And now two days here ---WIND! Too much wind for a little boat like ours on the channels of the ICW. SO much for the theory that state one can still travel the ICW when the weather offshore is bad. This wind has grounded nearly everyone, with the exception of the trawlers and large motor yachts. And of course, there's no reason to be in a hurry, because the bridges won't open when the wind is higher than 25 MPH.
So here we sit.