After the record setting heat in Charleston, we decided we'd head North a bit faster. The inside ICW route was full of bridges, shallows and strong currents so we covered about 5 days of travel with a long overnight passage in the Atlantic. We left the marina about 7 and motored down the channel to the pass. From there, we turned North with 3 options on passes where we could duck back into safety if things went poorly. Happily, it went well and we covered about 215 miles and came in the Cape Lookout near the city of Beaufort, N.C. We dropped anchor just off the ICW and toasted a successful crossing. It wasn't as windy as we had hoped, but we had enough to use the sails to keep us at a comfortable angle of heel for the 35 hour trip. Motor sailing isn't our favorite way to go but at least the sails were up!
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On our way out the channel, we passed historic Ft. Sumter where the
first shots of the Civil War were fired. |
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If you look closely you can see the bell in the center. It constantly clangs to
warn mariners of a shoal or other danger. In dense fog or a dark night,
the sound can be quite comforting. |
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David caught a Spanish mackerel and a King mackerel so we had
plenty of fresh fish for several days. After the second fish, we
quit putting lines out since we don't want to catch what we can't eat. |
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| Red sky at night, sailor's delight. |
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| In the open ocean, the sunsets and sunrises can be almost surreal in their beauty. |
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