Holiday time in St Augustine and time to head south

Amekaya has been nestled here in St Augustine for 3 weeks today and it is now time to continue moving south. We always enjoy the time here and could probably stay longer but we really look forward to warmer weather further south.

We arrived here the 6th of November after a 50 hr offshore passage from Beaufort, NC and jumping ahead (or back) in the season to very comfortable weather. The couple of nights we spent at the dock we had air conditioning on but for many of the nights over the past 2 weeks we've had to run the heat to be comfortable.

Tonight is a beautiful moon shining on the water as I'm sitting in the cockpit admiring the moon and the stars with the occasional beacon from the lighthouse crossing the sky.  Earlier this evening we had dinner with another Island Packet friend, Lee Laurie from Sydney, AU as the town was packed with revelers for the long holiday weekend. The excitement and verve created makes it fun to be here. But, time to leave tomorrow.

It's hard to believe the 3 weeks have gone so quickly. Almost ever day and evening we were with friends we've known for awhile or friends we just made. We have been lucky enough to meet other Island Packet owners and share experiences. Being proximate to my older daughter and sharing the holiday with her and her family is also a wonderful blessing. Plus I got to see her and kiddos on several occasions adding to the pleasure.

In between the socializing we got lots of boat chores accomplished including provisioning for current requirements but also more stuff to put away for our time in the Keys and in the Bahamas. There is always a lot to do. But, I've been able to find some time to do some investing to make money to help offset some expenses. Before we started out I thought I could work part-time but at this point I can't imagine how I would do that.

So now we're set to leave early in the morning to go to Daytona Beach for a couple nights. There were some places we really enjoyed when we were there last year and we want to visit them again before we head on down the road.    

Some additional thoughts on our recent passage and days in COSA

Our recent offshore passage from Beaufort to St Augustine was uneventful but the dearth of wind made it long and unexciting. The lack of wind was mostly the result of timing due to weather. When we plan our voyages we normally look at the conditions where we are going. Those conditions are more important than those along the way because our boat is equipped to be reasonably comfortable in many unpleasant conditions of travel. But, conditions on arrival could be lethal. Linn and Larry Pardey say that land is the enemy of boats and it is true. Most bad things happen to boats when they come in contact with some point of land.

We have been reevaluating our travel strategies to ultimately sail more, anchor more and enjoy the journey rather than be rushed into passages that result in less enjoyable travel. In this passage we had several destination constraints to consider. The first was that a major cold front was to pass through the northern Florida region Saturday evening which meant we needed to be berthed before it hit. Secondly, the St Augustine channel is considered a fair weather channel although it is deep and wide it can be treacherous. We've come in it twice before at night but if we had our preference we would come in during daylight on an incoming tide with the wind behind us. Friday afternoon before 1620 was when all those conditions would be present. Saturday was possible but with the unknown arrival of the cold front it would be a gamble. As it turned out it came through much later than anticipated and was not an issue here in St Augustine. A bailout option could have been either the St John's or St Mary's river inlets but as it turned out they got hammered. Once again our "safe" decision to come when we did and planning to arrive when we did made our trip safe but denied us the opportunity to sail.

In the passage from Beaufort there are 5 class "A" or commercial inlets (Cape Fear River, Charleston, Savannah River, St Mary's River and St John's River) that could be used to breakup the passage or provide safe harbor but in bad weather it may not be safe even to enter them. There are a few other inlets that would be even less safe to enter in an emergency.

So when planning for long-distance passage it's rarely a question of when you want to leave but when do you want to arrive.

Upon arrival our plan was to get a slip for 2 nights and then go to a mooring for the remainder of the time. Since Sunday was forecasted to be stormy we opted for a third night in the slip before going to the mooring field. With the wind and significant current getting in and out of a slip can be challenging if not damaging. As it turned out Sunday was not bad but we used the time to accomplish other tasks. Our purpose for going in a slip was to provide an opportunity to complete routine maintenance and fix items that developed during the passage. Upon arrival we needed an engine oil change, change engine fuel filters, wash the boat, add water, flush lines, remove refuse and fortunately this time there was nothing to repair.

During the passage we were able to split the watches and each get a fair amount of rest so even though we were tired upon arrival we were not beyond a good night's sleep. The first night of arrival we walked across the street for dinner on the patio of a very nice local eatery, took a short stroll and then went to bed.

Tasks for this week have been pretty well programmed although we do have some time planned to meet up with some other cruisers we met in Cape May. Our current task list will take us through to the middle of next week as we get ready to move on down the coast and beyond after Thanksgiving. After that we can begin to relax and really enjoy our town and spend more time with family nearby.

Back to the sun

We left the marina at Cherry Point MCAS before daylight at 0530 on Wednesday 4 November to go offshore directly to St Augustine. We had received our weather routing information from our weather routers, Dane and Jennifer Clark, the night before with way points that would keep us in the Labrador current and out of the Gulf Stream. Although we had to motor we made it to St Augustine in time for the Bridge of Lions opening at 1330 on Friday 6 November after traveling about over 400 nm.

We left Cherry Point's Hancock Creek in the dark with a light mist. The challenge was getting out through the narrow channel with unlit marks through shallow water to the Neuse River which we did securing our lines and fenders before heading toward Adams Creek and the ICW. Nautical twilight began as we were heading down the river.

Dolphins in Adams Creek.

Departing Beaufort Inlet.

Scheduling our trip required lots of considerations. Last year we made the trip from Beaufort to St Augustine to in about 57 hours. This time we were leaving from Cherry Point which is about 30 miles above Beaufort. Additionally we needed to stop for fuel. Jarrett Bay Marina had an excellent fuel price and was right on the waterway and they opened at 0800.  We fueled up and got out of the marina in heavy current and then out the channel into the ocean before 1000 heading southwest. We always look at the arrival conditions and when we need to get in based on tide, wind, weather, visibility. Our optimal time to arrive was Friday afternoon within an hour of high tide.

When we got offshore wind was blowing nicely but directly astern. Wind gauge showed the wind between 175-180 degrees the entire time. We could have flown the spinnaker but with the chances of rain high I didn't want to have to put it away wet so we motored instead. We followed our waypoints and were able to make excellent time. A couple of times we considered sailing but the apparent wind was never very strong and with the weather front coming through on Saturday we needed to keep up speed.

During the trip we had numerous visitors. We saw more dolphins on this passage than I think we've ever seen. Starting on Adams Creek just off the Neuse River and then every few hours offshore, even at night and also in the channel coming into St Augustine. At one point we counted 12 dolphins playing in the bow wave. Sighting dolphins has always been considered a good luck symbol and we counted on that to follow through for us. As our passage was uneventful their luck held out. The repairs and maintenance we did have begun to pay off in improved performance and reliability over the condition of the boat when we bought it.

We also had some unusual visitors. Off the coast of North Carolina we had a monarch butterfly land on the lines for the dinghy and ride for a few hours. We also had a small wren riding on the boat for a while.

Sunset on Thursday. Wednesday was overcast.

Also during the passage we saw several Navy ships conducting firing exercises and had one sub cross behind us on its way into port.

Our passage consisted of 4 way points. The first just north of Frying Pan shoals about 70 nautical miles SSW of Beaufort. Rather than making the slight turn to the SW we continued 20 nm to get across the shoals so we would stay in deeper water and there are marks and obstructions in closer that we needed to avoid in the dark. The next point was about 70 nm about 20 nm off Myrtle Beach. The next point was 90 nm just off Beaufort, SC and then to a point 85 nm south about 30 nm off Cumberland Island, GA and then to St Augustine. We were able to keep up an average of just under 8 kts. Once we made our final turn we slowed down to ensure we didn't arrive too early. The trip from Beaufort NC to St Augustine we made in about 50 hrs.

Avenida Menendez in front of the St Augustine Municipal Marina.

After refueling we got into our slip for a weekend of maintenance after the 900 mile trip from Oxford, MD which we left 12 days earlier with spending a week at Cherry Point and an extra day at Dowry Creek. Now for a few weeks in St Augustine to enjoy the sun and warmer weather.