After 12 days transiting down the ICW at 50 miles a day (8hrs of good daylight and averaging about 6 mph) and including a couple "lost days" sitting out high winds, we finally got a good weather window that would allow us to get out on the ocean for 48hrs of steady motoring/sailing. We exited the ICW for sea at Georgetown, SC at the Winyah Bay inlet.
It turned out to be a good passage with initially around 18hrs of motoring in light winds down past Charleston, then a full day of pleasant sailing with steady westerly winds off Georgia.
Highlighting the day was a large pod of dolphins, over 25+, that came to play with us, riding the bow wave and the side wakes.
We had clear blue skies and steady winds for the entire day and hoped to see a green flash at sunset, but there was a little too much haze on the horizon - so, just a normal pretty sunset.
The wind slowly clocked around behind us and gradually died during the night forcing us back to motor sailing but that was ok as we needed to proceed slowly so that we would not arrive at the St Augustine inlet before sunrise. The inlet has shifting sands from the currents and the buoys are moved as the channel changes - meaning the buoys are not where they are shown on the chart and you must navigate in using your "eyeballs" not your instruments. The inlet was rough as we entered at first light against a strong outflowing current but the channel is wide and relatively deep (18-30ft) and we had no problem safely entering back into the ICW.
By 0900, we were secured at the St Augustine Municipal Marina and ready to enjoy the warm Florida weather. Heavy snow is forecasted for Virginia this weekend, so we are very happy to be in Florida, even if it is unseasonably cool (60 degrees).
We are now on a mooring ball at St Augustine for the next few days enjoying the Florida weather and St Augustine sights. We will sit here while a cold front with thunderstorms and strong winds blows through, then head further south towards the Keys and even warmer weather.
Highlighting the day was a large pod of dolphins, over 25+, that came to play with us, riding the bow wave and the side wakes.
We had clear blue skies and steady winds for the entire day and hoped to see a green flash at sunset, but there was a little too much haze on the horizon - so, just a normal pretty sunset.
By 0900, we were secured at the St Augustine Municipal Marina and ready to enjoy the warm Florida weather. Heavy snow is forecasted for Virginia this weekend, so we are very happy to be in Florida, even if it is unseasonably cool (60 degrees).
We are now on a mooring ball at St Augustine for the next few days enjoying the Florida weather and St Augustine sights. We will sit here while a cold front with thunderstorms and strong winds blows through, then head further south towards the Keys and even warmer weather.
