December 24, 2013 On Christmas eve morning the winds were down from the six days of averaging above 20 knots to around 12 to 14 knots SSE, so we decided to make sail for Georgetown. We got the main and genoa up by 8:30 am and pointed the boat west. We saw a rainsquall on the horizon to the south, but it appeared to be moving away, but within an hour of setting sail the wind was up to 25 + knots and the seas were 4 to 6 feet, so we headed up and took in two reefs, easing the strain and the ride considerably. In another hour the squall was past and we shook out the reefs. As we crossed the bank off Cape Santa Maria at the north end of Long Island we got a hit on one of our lures. We were doing about 8 knots at the time, so the getting the line in was a challenge. The work was eased considerably when a shark took the back half of our tuna off for us.

When we were about 10 miles from the Black Rock entrance to Elizabeth Harbor the wind came aft, so we struck the sails and raised the spinnaker, which brought us nicely in through the channel and right down through the Vollyball Beach anchorage until we bagged it just off Monument Beach an hour before sunset. It had been a busy day of shifting winds and sail changes with a fine ending at ease in a protected harbor.