We left Anchorage Marina around 1:00pm on Sunday, 10/16/11 with a SW wind. Sailed out of the Potapsco River and tacked down the Bay. Anchored on the Magothy River around 6:15pm. Our new crew on this leg of our journey is Iris, the cat. The next day we sailed and then motor-sailed to the Solomons. Saw many other migrating "snowbird" sailboats cruising their way southbound. On Tuesday, we sailed, then motor-sailed, then motored, then sailed down the Bay to just off the Piankatank River-Milford Haven, a nice private anchorage through the swing bridge just south of Gwynn's Island. The next day we mostly motored to the Poquoson River and found another private anchorage in Chisman Creek. We stayed there through Thursday to let a cold front pass and to prepare the boat for an offshore passage. On Friday, 10/21/11 we had a nice broad reach, starboard tack sail to the end of the Chesapake Bay. We encountered a warship leaving the Bay and a submarine entering the Bay passing each other. We hove-to just north of the Bay-Bridge Tunnel to let them both pass. We sailed south in the ocean down the coast of the outer banks. Wind was 5-10 K variable all night. The wind picked up around 6:00am Saturday- 10-15 K around Cape Hatteras. Sailed directly downwind- wind increased 15-25 K with 3-5 ft waves which were very close together. We had a double reef in the main which was pancaked to the spreaders by 6:00pm. Overnight wind increased and we were dealing with 5-7 ft. waves on our stern- a crazy ride all night and into Sunday. At around noon, the wind decreased to 10-15 K from the NE, but the waves were still close together- about 3 second intervals. We had a lot of porpoises running with Trilogy that day. Conditions calmed after 9pm- started the engine to keep up 5-6 K speed. On Monday 10/24/11, the wind picked up again around 3:00 am and we were able to turn the engine off and sail comfortably on a starboard tack with just the mainsail until morning. The wind shifted to the N and then NW, 10-15 K with 2-4 ft. seas- a truly beautiful and most enjoyable sail. It was a bright , clear sunny day and our wind generator was working away. We are also pleased with our autopilot since we refined it. We decided to keep sailing until we could hit a class A inlet in the morning- St. Simon's Sound, which leads into Brunswick, GA. We sailed, then motor-sailed SW to Georgia with a N wind. On Tuesday, 10/25/11 we arrived at our anchorage south of the marina on St. Simon's Island at around 10:30am. Stayed here two nights- dingying into the marina and a public dock to go to town. We decided to leave on Thursday morning but had S wind, so we motored down the ICW into Florida, anchoring at Fernandina Harbor. We left early the next morning and motored again- good speed, mostly with the current- all the way to St. Augustine and anchored by the Castillo de San Marcos fort. Yesterday morning was rainy (we hear it was snowing back home!) We requested an 11:00am bridge opening- the Bridge of Lions. We motored south, then up the San Sabastian River to the River's Edge Marina, St. Augustine. What a great marina- close to town, well protected, deep water and a very friendly and helpful dockmaster. We rode marina bikes into town this morning. Trilogy will spend a month here while we rent a car to travel home to be close to my father, who is having surgery tomorrow, to help our good friend Captain Keith deliver his boat to the BVI and to spend Thanksgiving with family. Pictured: the stone wall built by Leiby, Uncle Dan and me while Trilogy was in Baltimore; Iris on the boat; the submarine and warship in the Chesapeake Bay; at sea, Cape Hatteras light in the background; helmswoman at sea; doing dishes; starting a night watch; Poirpose video; derelict boat in Fernandina Harbor (good thing he's got his anchor down!); ashore in Fernandina Harbor; Trilogy anchored at Fernandina; at the Castillo de San Marcos fort; me, stopping traffic on the bridge; Sunday morning bike ride.
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