After cruising Florida for 3.5 years we say goodbye for now. Our
track log shows the many places we sailed and explored. Some very
favorites were Loggerhead Key in Dry Tortuga, Looe Key and Apalachicola.
We’ve said goodbye to Florida and hello to Georgia. We will continue
north and explore all the east coast has to offer.
Sailing on the ocean with storms brewing, it sure is comforting to know the USCG is above in an Airbus MH65. As we always take precautions, hopefully this is as close as I’ll get to one on the ocean unless it is official Airbus business,
First light after a night passage, always anticipated and
appreciated. The dim glow of lights from the shoreline, a sliver of
moon, and stars above was comforting as we made our way north about 10
miles off shore. Stephen and I took 2 hour watches on a thankfully
uneventful passage with silhouetted dolphins jumping beside us and the
sparkle of phosphorescence behind the stern. Although uneventful, the
sea was incredibly rolly and uncomfortable, tossing us side to side all
night. 22 hours after we raised anchor we moored in the oldest city in
the US. A good long nap and we’ll be ready to explore.
Our new favorite spot on Vesper while on a slow passage. Could use a little more wind today, but we make the best of it!
Today we transited our first lock aboard Vesper. After being off the open ocean for many months, there's something symbolic about the doors opening before us as we venture to new adventures.
The view from 54 feet above. Glad I wasn’t the one to go up, although I kind of want to. But I’m terrified of heights so maybe not. Emily and I raised and lowered Stephen with lines and winches, although he had to climb a lot to help us out.
Some days it’s about the destination and not the journey. Today trekking north on the ICW was a little akin to interstate driving. Although like driving in a Tesla because we have autopilot and don’t have to steer. But not like a Tesla because we move along at 8 mph. After 5-6 hours we had a little open water so we raised our sails to check all our rigging, making sure everything was in good order after having some work done. Better inland than out on the open sea. Raising the sails and killing the engine instantly brought a sense of peace and pure joy, transitioning the day from destination to journey, just the way we like it.
This won’t be the last dolphin pic. I’ll apologize now. I love them every single time. Countless times, dolphins have marked a pivotal point in our journey. It is as if they are saying follow me, everything will be all right. Three weeks behind schedule and a long, hard week of disappointments, we finally left the dock today. This dolphin and his buddies swam beside us for a while after we left the dock, marking the start to another new adventure!