Moving On

About three weeks ago, I headed north from Fort Pierce. Impatient to get going and seeing only small waves on the "marine current conditions", I did not wait for incoming tide or even slack tide. I suppose not caring may also have affected my decision... but I swept out with the outgoing current and into the riffle at the entrance. A few waves swept over the bow, but it WAS a pretty calm day and all was well... eventually.
Now, let's see what my daily captain's logs say...

Captain's log: Caught the outgoing tide as I was impatient. The current swept me out very nicely, but the rip at the entrance was nasty.

After fighting through that, I heaved-to in the near-zero wind until it picked up a bit. The forecast said east wind, but it was a bit more north-east and I could hardly get away from land, but very gradually did so. Wind picked up until I was moving along at around five or six knots by sunset. Forward running lights were, once again, OUT: was that issue up forward where I had problems in Maine or where? During the night, the wind gradually died until I had to drop main, reduce jib, and heave-to just before sunrise.  

5/2/2024

Captain's log: Beautiful stars and phosphorescence last night: SO nice to be back in darkness! Wind died to nada by sunrise & no wind until about noon, although the gulf stream pulled me along north at about 3.5kts.

I needed a bath and some exercise, so swam and scrubbed bottom in about 1500ft of water. At noonish, the predicted SE wind showed up... as a NW wind: oh, well! Still, I'm trying to keep a bearing about 60deg, so that is fine. Wind is perhaps 5 kts, adding a 2 or 3 kts to my speed. Waves have increased a bit since my swim, so that is probably all for this trip. 

A small bird came by and checked the compass for directions...

I find that sailing with Monty is FAR more stressful than sailing alone. I really liked having him aboard for living near shore and loved having him for living ON shore, but he disturbed my peace of mind when I didn't want to leave the boat. I would like a higher-energy companion for long walks, but like having a staid friend for long sailing trips. I don't know WHAT I would want for living on a boat in St John: how do I find company for walking, swimming, kayaking, etc?

1pm: bird came aboard and went from place to place, probably searching for food or drink. I put out water for bird. A swallow flew around the boat.

Figure out running lights (Found damage to bowsprit platform (perhaps from rough Ft Pierce entrance) and separation of running light wires there. Made repairs to wiring that should last for a year or two.)

Captain's log: starting around 10:30pm I ran into several rips out in the Gulf Stream. I could hear them making an odd rushing sound from several minutes away and they smacked the boat a bit. Curious. Saw a rocket launch just as I hit the first one. Location is about 30 21.8x79 38.7

soak chickpeas

5/3/2024

Captain's Log: 5:40am: Around midnight I woke to the sound of a pod of dolphins breathing, so I turned out the lights and walked to the bow. They rushed around in the glowing water for at least a half hour before one whacked into the bow and shot water into the air... and onto me: I imagined the ribbing the others might have given him for his awkwardness. Then I sang to them for a bit (several water songs) and they played some more. Very sweet and healing to be there, under the bright stars, with the crew of dolphins.

I am finding it very pleasant to not talk to anyone, to not pay attention to anyone, to just relax with myself. This is the first I've been sailing alone since fall of 2021, before I got Monty. While I completely loved him, having another soul aboard for whom I feel responsibility gives me serious stress, on top of weather/wind/waves. 

By 5am the wind finally came up enough that I didn't need to heave-to frequently.

Cook/can chickpeas

Nice big salad for dinner w newly cooked chickpeas

5/4/2024

Captain's log, 5:30am: 32 14.4 x 77 56.2

Decent wind last night, varying from light up to “time to reef”. 

Was singing “Love like yours will surely come my way” and smiling or weeping at Monty's memory: I am grateful to have had such a love in my life... and tend to gloss over the hair-pulling frustration. Was also modifying the song to “every day, I'm getting older, every day it is growing colder” because that describes the temperature drop of the last few days as I sail north. 

5/5/2024

Looks like I will get to Cape Hatteras about sunset. Waves are much larger today, perhaps 4'. (rounded it at about midnight and got into calmer waters around 2am 5/6. 

5/6/2024

arrive in Chesapeake tonight? (maybe midnight)(Nope, will be around 6am tomorrow as wind is far lower and less favorable than forecast.)

5/7/2024

Captain's log: 3:25am: wind FINALLY came up nicely around 3am, so am now making good time toward Norfolk, 6am eta at entry

Heard a couple loons calling to each other. Nice. 

Anchored and napped in afternoon when wind stopped

Sailed wing-on-wing for a while. 

Got to Deltaville late at night and dropped anchor and slept. Chilly

Deltaville was not ready for me, so I visited friends in St Michaels (and their dog, of course)

, then sailed to Annapolis for the first time (snagged a mooring there for a couple days), and will shortly head back to Deltaville. Let's hope I can make it down there as winds are not going to be favorable.

Written some days later: done painting my bottom in Deltaville. Nice boat yard.