Whales, dolphins and a Million stars all around
16 November 2009 | Fernandina Beach, FL
Al
We are finally out of Charleston. SC!
We replaced the water pump on the engine, got both anchors up without hitting anyone which was fun with contrary wind and current, moved over to an empty spot and re-anchord on one hook. Wind and current combined to settle us too close to other boats so we decided to move and found we had fouled the anchor on somehing, three hour later with the aid of a cockpit winch assisting the windlass we had hauled the anchor to the surface with a monster chain wrapped around it from and old mooring. Getting free of the chain took a while but was easier than getting the whole mess to the surface. Later someone told us we could have used our BoatUS insurance for a diver, wouldn't have gotten free any sooner but would have been a whole lot easier on my back!
So we stayed an extra night in Charleston finally getting under way on Saturday afternoon about 1500 in a fair northerly wind that was light.
Clearing the channel I saw whale(s) and dolphins and overnight on an oily calm sea we motored along under a sky full of stars and meteors.
Sunday found us still motoring though by mid-morning we were beam reaching under the geneaker in calm seas, a most pleasent sail and our first of this journey. We were motoring again by late afternoon when we were visited by Maddies first dolphin, a very large male. Maddie was delighted, laughing and dancing on the foredeck, later a large pod payed us a visit and she was even more excited!
About early afternoon we had a gentle fair breeze so we hauled the Geneker up on deck to see how it would set. It is in a sock so after sorting out a few kinks it was set and under it and a full main we reached along at a comfortable 5knots. As sunset approached the wind died so we started up the iron genny again and motored on towards St. Mary's.
In flat calm verging on fog we motored in the St. Mary River around 0100 with, of course, a foul current which here runs pretty strong. We made the anchorage off of Fernandina Beach by 0230, got a hook set and turned in. So far this was our most pleasent off-shore segment of this journey.