Happy Spring to all our friends and family. Paul and I are on the move again, heading north to take advantage of the longer days and summer months on the way.
We spent some lovely time in Georgia and North Florida over the winter. Georgia has some sea islands with unique nature that charmed us both. Spanish moss dripped off the trees and dappled weak winter sunshine, and armadillos foraged in the undergrowth. Shorter days made us enjoy the weekends even more, taking long walks and bike rides when the weather permitted.
Jekyll Island, Georgia was my first time seeing an armadillo in the wild. It was incredible and giggle inducing. They are not subtle creatures- in either their appearance, or actions. The best way to find an armadillo on Jekyll is to stand still and wait until you hear loud rustling and routing around. They will stand on their hind legs and peer at you with tiny eyes, like they have lost their glasses. Their tails look like miniature alligator tails. They are, in a word, magnificent.
Cumberland Island, another wild Georgian state and national park area, was home to herds of feral horses. They aren’t exactly thriving on their own, but they are in a weird grey area of the law, so they roam the island’s beaches; arguments between stallions are common, but it does make a romantic picture to see a small family of horses grazing on salt marsh by the ruins of old mansions. Also, more armadillos.
We spent the majority of our time in Amelia Island, FL but for the most part it’s not a destination I’d recommend to our fellow boat travelers, or land travelers, and we sustained some serious damage to our boat due to strong currents and winter storms, as well as extensive black dust all over boat (and probably lungs) from the local paper mills. We are still trying to clean off the remnants.
Because of the damage, Bluebelle needed some time on the repair dock, so we traveled to Thunderbolt, Georgia, one of our favorite suburbs of Savannah. Thunderbolt Marine was a perfect stop, they were professional and helpful, and we repaired our bowsprit, installed a new trampoline, and anchor chain, as well as having our sails tuned up. We left shiny and improved in both boat and mood. By the time our repairs were finished, the season had turned into full blown summer heat.
Thunderbolt is a tiny town. Everyone says hello and good evening when out walking, and I spent many afternoon walks trying to pet local cats and listening to our favorite mockingbirds. We attended the local “Blessing of the Fleet” where a priest blessed all the shrimp boats before the start of the season. Unfortunately, the industry has reduced dramatically with climate change and the vast amount of seafood imported from Asia (there is only 1 shrimp boat left in Thunderbolt), but they still are willing to bless any boat that wants it, including small crafts from locals. We refrained from the blessing but did watch the local parade-all 10 minutes of it.
When Bluebelle was ready, and our weather window opened, we set sail north to Cape Lookout, in a 286 nautical mile journey, which was a lovely 2-day sail along the coast. No squalls, no lightning, and multiple dolphin encounters. We arrived at Cape Lookout/Morehead City/Beaufort after dark, and slept at anchor very deeply, before moving to anchor in the tighter but more protected Beaufort, NC.
After a few days of rest and preparing, we set sail for the next leg north- Beaufort, NC to Cape May, NJ, which was another 330 plus nautical miles, and included rounding Cape Hatteras, NC.
Without going into detail, I will say this was our most advanced sailing conditions yet. All the forecasts underestimated the sustained wind speeds, and the swell height. The only thing in our favor was that both wind and seas were following, and I will say that our boat sailed the fastest its ever sailed. After rounding Cape Hatteras and turning downwind, we spent 5 hours riding on adrenaline and swell, until conditions finally calmed and we were able to rest.
Paul and I take 4-hour watches, and long sails mean that we are never sleeping at the same time. This is the most difficult part for me, because I really sleep better when we’re both in bed. However, after that slog, I slept so hard on the couch it was like being in a coma. When I awoke after a two-hour powernap, I found new life; cleaned the cabin, cooked a pizza, cut up a bell pepper, and took over so Paul could take his 4-hour (much earned) break. We still had over 24 hours of sailing left, so we needed rest and sustenance.
Luckily the second half of the journey wasn’t eventful, minus a few dolphins and rays, and a chilly night. Turns out, the summer weather in the south has not yet reached the northeast, and jackets and gloves I had stowed away needed to be pulled out and put back on. We arrived in Cape May, New Jersey on Sunday before sunset; we poured a glass of wine, cooked a hot dinner, and then slept in bed under a feather comforter while the coasties marched on shore.
Its invigorating to be on the move again, and while we don’t move fast, we do try to cover a lot of miles. We are both looking forward to spending the summer in the beautiful Northeast states and maybe even further north.
With love from Paul and Lindsay, the brave crew of the Bluebelle
TIBURON MARINO 