End of Day 1 Beaufort NC USA towards Guernsey

This Blog entry is an edited version of the message we sent back whilst we were on the passage.  The original, without pictures, was sent by radio with a laptop that controls a modem connected to the HF/SSB radio.  With that set up we can contact one of the SailMail stations to send the daily text message to my daughter Charlotte in Guernsey who then forwards it on to a list of family members.

2359hrs (EDT, GMT -4) Fri 29 May 2020

Dear All,

So we're off!  It was a very early start for us for 2 reasons.  Firstly, a very large thunderstorm decided to pass close by us in the anchorage at Beaufort at 0430hrs which disrupted our sleep and saw us checking around on deck that all was well.  Secondly, we needed to get going to catch the last of the ebb tide out of Beaufort.  So the anchor came up at 0830hrs and we moved onto one of the town docks to refuel and take on water.  Whilst we were doing that, the crew of Sandpiper, Stephanie and Martin, came over for chat.  They have a USA cruising permit that lasts until October and had, like us, wanted to sail north to Canada but with Canada still closed to cruising yachts and with no foreseeable change, they were in a bit of a quandary.  We gave them the details of the yard we have used in Deltaville, in case that should help.  It would have been lovely to have stayed to talk for longer but we needed to get going and they too had jobs to do.

Our last glimpse of America (Cape Lookout) on a rather overcast and grey day

We actually got going properly at 0915, catching the very last of the ebb down the channel away from Beaufort.  It was very grey as we left and remained that way as we passed Cape Lookout and its shoals.  

Cape Lookout lighthouse just visible in the mirk

We had a glimpse of the low-lying land around Cape Lookout Bight but found it hard to see the lighthouse.  For the whole day the wind has been lighter than expected, but it is likely to be quite strong over the next 3 days, and there's nothing wrong with a fairly sedate start to find your sea legs.  

I was off watch in the afternoon and we entered the Gulf Stream just as I got up to come back on watch at 1800.  As I write this, in between keeping a close eye on some thunderstorms that are brewing off the warmth of the Gulf Stream, we're getting a nice 3.5knot push from the current.  The thunderstorms are all around though, so I'm sure that we'll have plenty of work to do tonight trying to dodge the close ones. 

Thunderstorms all around us depicted in yellow on the radar screen

Nicky writes:  well, it's now 0330 on 30 May and this hasn't yet been sent.  Reg spent his watch mostly in torrential downpours, watching the march of the yellow thundery blobs across our radar screen and wondering how best to avoid them, if it was at all possible.  For the most part, it wasn't and the wind went up and down (from virtually nothing to 30kts) and all around in direction as the storm cells approached (fast), dumped a load of rain on us and departed (slowly).  I had to get out of the bunk at one point to provide additional manpower for some sail handling but for the most part I got to stay down below, inspecting my eyelids, nice and dry. By the time my watch started we were almost clear of the last of the storms, which made for a far more relaxed watch, though I did take in the second reef in the mainsail towards the end.  So we're now pootling along, fairly gently (at around 5.5kt).  I could unroll a little genoa but we've had plenty of excitement tonight - let's save that for daylight!

Love to all,

Reg and Nicky

Passage statistics:

Position at midday 29 May: N34 31 W76 34

Position at midnight 29 May: N34 10 W75 112

0915hrs to midday distance: 15 nautical miles (average 4.6 knots)

0915hrs to midnight distance: 86.9 nautical miles (average 5.9 knots)

Total miles covered:  86.9 nautical miles

Approximate distance to go (GPS route to Guernsey): 3644 nautical miles

End of Day 1 Beaufort, North Carolina, USA towards Guernsey