Southport, NC, to Charleston, SC

After listening to the forecast on Monday morning (12/28), we decided to leave the ICW and sail from Southport, NC, to Charleston, SC--an estimated 20-hour trip across Long Bay.  This would save us 4-5 days on the ICW (slow going).  Well, the forecast was pretty accurate, but the timing of each wind event was way off.  So, we motored until 8pm when the winds finally came off our nose and moved to the northeast, as we had thought would happen much earlier in the day.  The headsail went up and the engine went off.

If dozens and dozens of dolphins were the highlight of our first ocean passage, my seasickness was the low point.  The seas were sloppy and confused, making me feel like a ping pong ball in a Jacuzzi.  Ginger ale and pickled ginger be damned.  I was seasick.  David sailed us through the night, with winds topping out at 23-25 knots.  With only 4’ of sail out under the high winds, we were scooting along at 6.5-7.5 knots.  Happy to see the light of day, we entered the Charleston channel early Tuesday morning and tied up at the City Dock around 11am.  Neither of us had slept that night, so we tidied up the boat, took a 2-hour nap, showered, heated up leftovers, and went to bed at 7:30!  We have slept long and hard here in Charleston and have loved walking miles and miles through this beautiful, historic town. 

Our sights are set on Savannah via Beaufort, with some motoring on the ICW and hopefully more Atlantic sailing……weather being our guide…….

For now, here are some pictures from our first ocean passage:

Lighthouse on Bald Head Island

Bald Head Island Light after the fog lifted

A shoal at the mouth of the Cape Fear River.........birds sitting on it.........good for birds, not for boats

This boat was zigzagging back and forth collecting depth readings

Four freighters waiting to be piloted up the Cape Fear River

The dolphins!  At one point we estimate there were a hundred swimming with us!