Cruising with Osprey

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Florida!

06 November 2009 | Fernandina Beach
We are safe and sound in Florida! It was a pretty exhausting trip so I will keep this short. Docklines were dropped in Charleston at 09.00hrs. We followed the long shipping channel back out to the Atlantic. The first half of the trip was amazing - perfect in fact! Warm sunshine, beam NW winds (as forecast) and dolphins playing in the bow wave. The wind died out at sunset (not forecast) so we were motor sailing. About 1.00am the winds picked up again, from the NE, and were accompanied by increasing seas and swells - exactly as forecast! At this point it was all hands on deck and strapping on for the ride. I have never been so glad to see the sunrise - everything looks better in the light! Our "bail out" plan (remember it had been forecast to get "challenging") had been to duck into St Simon's inlet first thing in the morning if it was nasty but after much thought and discussion we decided it was safer to carry on to the St Mary's inlet which is bigger, deeper, wider and has jetties built out to protect you from the swells as you make your way in. This meant another four hours of crashing about in nasty 5 - 6 ft swells. But Osprey handled it like a champ and once I realized how well she was riding the waves I was less afraid. So, we made it in - have learned a lot and feel relieved to have gained some experience without breaking anything! We're off to dinner with "Charisma" tonight.

Nav Notes: Distance: 167 nmiles. Time : 25 hours. Av speed: 6.6 knots

Cruiser's Notes: Fernandina Harbor Marina - not the most scenic of spots but v. convenient from the inlet. $1.75 a foot. Showers / laundry room have been refurbed since we were last here - v. nice. Moorings are first come first served - none available when we arrived at 10.00am!
Comments
Vessel Name: Osprey
Vessel Make/Model: Shannon38 #33
Hailing Port: East Greenwich, RI
Crew: Tom & Vicky Worosz
About: We have cruised to the Bahamas and back twice ad are now back on land for a while. This Summer (2012) we have outfitted ourseleves with motorcycles and are heading off for a month long "land cruise'

Who: Tom & Vicky Worosz
Port: East Greenwich, RI