On May 25th we set out for a 619 NM trip from Brunswick, GA to the Chesapeake Bay. Here are some highlights of the trip:
A well fed crew is a happy crew – If you ask Amy about things she misses from living ashore she will undoubtedly say a big kitchen. When we were lucky to housesit for our friends Judy & Jay, Amy took some time in the bountiful kitchen to precook and freeze some meals. These delectable dishes included – beef stroganoff, risotto with chicken, lemon, and basil, chicken enchiladas, and baked manicotti. On the trip we just threw in the oven and heated up in disposable aluminum pans.
In search of the Gulf Stream – The heart of the Gulf Stream proved elusive. Adjusting course the most we could find was around 2 knots. On previous trips we found 3 knots.
Rolling along– In the Atlantic our primary point of sail was a run. This can be slow, but with waves and current pushing directly from behind, we had a steady, comfortable ride. We lost our wind as we approached Cape Hatteras and had to motor sail until the wind returned around Kitty Hawk.
The Chesapeake challenge– As we entered the Chesapeake Bay on the 28th, we became wary of a constant stream of severe weather warnings related to a stationary front producing large storm cells over multiple states. As the sun set we could see dark cloud cover in almost all directions. With gusts in high 30’s knot range producing big waves we decided to get the sails down and motor with only one of us on watch at a time. This way we one of us could get rested while the crew on deck could better react to changes in wind velocity, direction, as well as boat traffic. This turned out to be a good strategy because we ran into a fleet of offshore sailboats racing south in the pitch dark and rain! Some had AIS and communicated their intentions by radio so we could get out of their way. With others I saw a green or red lights pop out of the rain and made adjustments: red- port to port pass, green- starboard to starboard.
Pit Stop – By sunrise we had had enough of the wet weather and got a slip at Calvert Marina in Solomons, Maryland. It has rained not stop since we arrived and it is so cold we have had to run the heater! I miss Georgia. We hope to adventure out to explore the area before we depart to Annapolis Wednesday.
