Hello from St Augustine!

(Written January 9)

Monty and I survived the trip! This was my longest trip without autopilot, made far harder by single-handing. The only problem we had involved the winds picking up to an uncomfortable level on the first night. How bad was it? WELL.....

I had the choice of setting out just before dark and sticking close to shore or heading out earlier, when winds would force me to swing farther out to sea. I made the mistake of departing earlier. I have sailed in fairly high winds along shore, where waves did not have a chance to build up, and it worked well.... but that first night, the wind picked up and up and up, probably to 25, gusting 30knots.... although I didn't pull out the gauge to test things. I took down the main sail and sailed along under mizzen and 1/3 of the jib and it was still too much. The torrents of salt spray, the boat pitching, the crack and slap and creak.... Monty (who detests noises in the dark) repeatedly wanted to go out on deck to look for land and, after taking him out to (maybe) pee (again!) and seeing him getting washed toward the stern by a wave rolling along the deck, I dried him off and locked him in his crate overnight. With him out of the way, I could sail better and decided to heave-to. This reduced noise and chaos by about 2/3, a huge relief.... although occasional waves loomed up in the dark before tossing our 30,000 lbs around like a cork, moving about the boat was hazardous, and much in the cockpit was wet and salty before things calmed at the blessed sunrise.

The remainder of the journey felt nice and peaceful by comparison and, by Saturday PM, I sailed SLOWLY against the current into St Augustine harbor entrance, waited for the Bridge of Lions to open at 4:30 (they will only interrupt the busy street traffic at half-hr intervals), and sailed past mounds of oysters

to raft up with my friends Skip and Jane. Cynthia arrived the next day, Skip generously drove me to the airport to get her, and we spent the night rafted up to their boat.

Now I'm ten miles south of there, relaxing on the ICW with Cynthia, Monty, and Lucy.

Cynthia is cooking and talking about fishing, I'm planning to rip into engine repairs (alternator) once she is out of the galley, and the dogs are enjoying being aboard with their special humans. Monty especially is enjoying the leather-ette handbag I found on the beach in Charleston and uses it as a nest or seat...

Cynthia is STILL waiting to find out if her work will fall through or if she will return on Saturday as planned. I will head south asap, once I've made a few repairs and have received my new autopilot.... and maybe ship out the problematic one. Of course, the problematic one is working now...

I can't wait to get to Bahamas! I haven't been there since pre-Covid! Maybe by Feb 1? 

PS: Jan 16: Cynthia caught four very tasty bluefish on her visit and she and Lucy are now back in MI. Monty and I did a bunch of errands and dropped her off at the airport in a rented car, then enjoyed a party with Skip and his friends and family. Here is a bowl of local shrimp they cooked up:

Monty shows his anger at me by growling and showing his teeth: he seems upset that Cynthia and Lucy are gone and has gone back to sleeping in the cockpit away from me.

And I'm on a mooring in the busy harbor right out in front of St Augustine, watching the busy tourist scene and making repairs. I'm hoping to finish enjoying coffee in the morning sunshine before Monty gets too impatient to get to shore....

Next stop is either Ft Pierce or Bahamas, depending on weather window...