S/V Sjokolade

7:00pm Monday, October 23 - we arrived at the Masonboro Inlet about 730 this morning, anchored, had a huge bacon, eggs, hash browns, and bagel breakfast.

We will stay here for a week up river in a marina until Pete and Mike's brother Mark join us for the final leg to Ft Pierce. We will go offshore all the way unless forced in by nature or engineering.

The last 3 days have been a big mix of wind, waves, and sun. During the days the winds were so light that we motored much of the time but each evening we were able to set our sails and turn the motor off, enjoying only the sounds of the boat rushing along in the water. The ocean swells were at times difficult to navigate below as the boat would lurch, lift, and drop in an unsteady rhythm making each step a solemn march, and each hand a third unsteady leg. Coffee went into a donated French press, and previously boiled eggs and yogurt became the breakfast norm.

At night, I took the early watch, Mike the later. I woke him as late as I could, between 12 and 1:00, and then I would reappear around 5:30 or 6:00. These watches were a simple solo affair consisting of 3 minute horizen and system checks every 15 minutes, interspersed with reading, games, staring at the stars, and listening to the voices in the rigging, waves, and boat. I never could make out quite what was being said, but I listened intently, straining to catch just one plain word, recognizing it was not to be, the language was not mine, but from another time, another world. I knew what was being said, I just couldn't catch the words.

7:00am, Saturday, Oct 21 - We have just departed the Chesapeake Bay outside of Norfolk VA. There is no wind and the swells minimal, though we are rolling a bit. There is a lot of traffic on the VHF, particularly the clear broadcasts of the young men and women aboard the Navy vessels leaving and entering their base in Norfolk. Clear and concise, you know exactly what they want, unlike the private sector fishing and sailing vessels that respond.

Our route will take us along the infamous Cape Hatteras, past Diamond Shoals, and into Masonboro Inlet. It will take about 48 hours. On our way out two container ships passed us and each other in the ships channel.

7:00am, Saturday, Oct 21 - We have just departed the Chesapeake Bay outside of Norfolk VA. There is no wind and the swells minimal, though we are rolling a bit. There is a lot of traffic on the VHF, particularly the clear broadcasts of the young men and women aboard the Navy vessels leaving and entering their base in Norfolk. Clear and concise, you know exactly what the want, unlike the private sector fishing and sailing vessels that respond.

Our route will take us along the infamous Cape Hatteras, past Diamond Shoals, and into Masonboro Inlet. It will take about 48 hours. On our way out two container ships passed us and each other in the ships channel.