PS

We had a smooth Gulf Stream crossing: key to that, and why we left Beaufort SC asap Wednesday, was that we managed to get across the stream before the front hit with its counter stream North winds. :)

Warming Up and Building Up

0815 AST Friday 3225N 7540W Wind N 32kts Seas 12ft Cloudy 6.0 kts beam reach 105T with 4 Reefs in the Main, and the Staysail.
As we ate dinner the sunset was glorious and the winds eased: but we knew what was coming. Happy to write that all tummies have now found their sea legs, and everyone tucked into Lemon Marinated Salmon over Tortellini with an Alfredo Sweetcorn sauce and Courgettes.
The front hit at 0230 and the winds and seas have steadily built. We are riding along with tiny sails, but quite safely as long as we hold on. Best to all: and to all land-bound sailors, especially JOP, wish you were here! John and Nancy, with Bob and Matt Glaser.

A Little Bit Bumpy

32.16n 78.18w motorsailing at 90 true in light NE Seas 5ft confused
1020am Atlantic ST It's not too smooth out here and we have some "awkward" motion that has got some tummies unhappy. We have covered 115nm since leaving Beaufort SC at 4pm almost exactly on our intended course of 90T We were sailing last night for about 8 hours in a good wind and averaging 7 kts. Now we have hit an eddy of the Gulf Stream and also the expected lighter breeze. Best to all, John and Nancy, with Bob and Matt Glaser.

A Little Bit Bumpy

32.16n 78.18w motorsailing at 90 true in light NE Seas 5ft confused
1020am Atlantic ST It's not too smooth out here and we have some "awkward" motion that has got some tummies unhappy. We have covered 115nm since leaving Beaufort SC at 4pm almost exactly on our intended course of 90T We were sailing last night for about 8 hours in a good wind and averaging 7 kts. Now we have hit an eddy of the Gulf Stream and also the expected lighter breeze. Best to all, John and Nancy, with Bob and Matt Glaser.

Staged at Beaufort SC for Passage to St Martin

It's cold in Hampton VA at this time of kicking off to sail to the Caribbean, so this year we are staged in Beaufort SC at Dataw Island Marina. Much warmer! Crew will arrive tomorrow Wednesday and we will leave either tomorrow pm or Thursday am.

 

All is almost in order: we ripped out the old refrigeration system last Thursday, and installed a new one - same Frigoboat system but this time the compressor is properly sized : we found out when ordering the new system that the old compressor was too small!  The good news is that the new system was in by Sunday evening and we splashed back in the water on Monday...and the darn ice box is now verrrry cold at zero degrees F ! Yippee!!

 

This is our first post to the blog via email: if it works then we will be emailing updates here.

 

Best to all,

John and Nancy

Sailing Along Florida's Coast "Downhill" in a Norther

Here's a pic taken at Dawn on Saturday, December 22, off Fort Pierce.

 

We were sailing downwind in apparent 25kts, with a tiny main, the staysail, and a handkerchief of a jib, making between 7.5 and 8 knots.

The previous day when we had set off from St Augustine the true wind was NW 30kts +, and that held through Saturday afternoon, so we made great time to anchor in the Keys just north of Channel Five bridge on Sunday at 1700: we were not sure of the name of the bay where we anchored, so we christened it "Baie de Christian Dior."

The next day was Christmas Eve, and at noon we pulled into Harbor Cay Club and a warm welcome from Hayden and Radeen, and Gary and Cathy.

Adventuress Resplendent

Here we are finally getting going on our new blog for our sailing aboard Adventuress, an Island Packet 420, which we have owned for a year now. This photo was taken in the Chesapeake late October 2012, after completing an extensive refit. Note the new canvas - dodger, bimini and a full cockpit enclosure: a beautiful labor of love by Nancy! Also Adventuress is resplendent with her freshly painted raised waterline - the old one was about three inches below the waterline astern.

Someone recently wrote in an email "It's a cruising boat, not a work of art."  We believe, however, that those two concepts are not mutually exclusive. What do you think?

We will be back aboard this week and will be cruising a while, starting from Beaufort South Carolina where she is presently docked, and heading South. As always, we are not sure exactly where we are going, but we do know it will be a fine adventure!

JFK
Lancaster PA
December 9, 2012