10 November 2006  Up to see the dawn break and another beautiful day full of promise; however, no wind!  Motor sailed most of the day for 77 miles arriving at the York River at dusk.  Bum decision on my part to push on to the South shore to gain shelter in a now freshening wind.  It took an age to cross the river and pick up the shipping channel.  I had planned to head up to Crab Neck to shelter in the lee of the land; however, my marks were not lit and we ended up a long way offshore with little shelter.  As it turned out the wind did not materialize so it didn't matter.  I wish we had stuck with Hazel's plan to anchor on the North shore in Mobjack Bay.  That way we would have anchored in the fading daylight rather than the pitch black and avoided several stressful moments dodging the ubiquitous Chesapeake Bay crab pots.  It has yet to sink in with me that we aren't in a hurry and there is another day!  Hazel had a productive day stitching a leather cover on the wheel; no mean feat with an autopilot that moves the wheel each time you try to put a needle through.  Nice job, looks and feels great.  I sliced some lanyards - not so nice a job.... more practice required. 

11 November 2006  Veterans Day in the USA and of course Remembrance Day in the UK.  Fitting that we should sail past the might of the US Navy through Norfolk, VA.  However, today's threat was ever present with very obvious exclusion zones around the ships, guards armed with machine guns on the prow of even those vessels in deep refit and roving patrols in high speed, heavily armed RIBs.  An impressive sight all the same and an awesome show of the US's ability to project their military might if one were needed after recent events.  We made a weather decision last night not to head offshore as planned as the forecast was for a depression to form and deepen as a cold front cleared the Virginian coast.  We decided we did not want to be in the Gulf Stream with 30 kts and that rather than wait 3 days in Norfolk to press South down the Inter Coastal Waterway (ICW).  Our decision was justified as we rounded Hampton Roads and the wind freshened to 20-25 kts.  First casualty - baseball cap over the stern!!  The new main handled well; however, we have yet to train it to fold and lay properly on the boom, which proved a challenge in the now 30 kts of wind as we dropped the sail to motor up the Elizabeth River under the Jordon Hwy Lifting Bridge, the N&W Railroad Lifting Bridge and on down the ICW.  One bridge operator asked 'did we really sail that thing over from England'!  We replied by saying we were sailing our vessel on to cross the Pacific, to which he replied 'in that case I take my hat off to y'all'.  We made 40 miles from the York River down the ICW until bad light stopped play.  We passed through the Great Bridge Lock and lay to the piles on the South side of the river just before Great Bridge for the night.  Both tired after negotiating the (substantial) shipping in Norfolk, and sitting under the warm sun all afternoon.  Happy with the decision to drop South via the ICW as the colours of the Fall were still very much in evidence along the banks.

12 November 2006  Up at dawn after a good night to a heavy and menacing sky.  Caught the 0700 opening of the Great Bridge bascule and pressed on down the Albemarle and Chesapeake Canal.  Lots of floating debris but an easy passage down to the Turnpike Centerville Swing Bridge where we were treated to a great but rather nonchalant flying display by a Bald Eagle.  We caught the 0830 opening (on the half hour) and headed into the North Landing River when the ominous look to the sky turned to reality; the wind swung through 180 degrees and blew at 25-35 kts and the rain became horizontal.  The passing of the cold front!  The river picked up into short steep waves of about 3 feet, which was a little disconcerting in 15 feet of water when you draw 6 feet, and the visibility dropped to less than 100 yards.  Hazel gave me vectors to the next mark and used the radar to shape our course.  Glad it worked as it was the one system we hadn't checked since last we used it in anger in May!  This weather set the tone for the remainder of the day and we fought one 'shower' after another in much colder temperatures after the cold front had passed.  We are now riding at anchor, and lots of chain, in 30 kts of wind in Broad Creek off the North River, NC.  The forecast is for the gale to blow out around 4 am, so we should be able to cross the 14 miles of the Albemarle Sound in the morning.  The weather report off Cape Hatteras is 45 kts and 18-20 ft seas.  Broad Creek with 30kts is not so bad after all!

13 November 2006  We woke to a breezy morning.  The weather forecast was for 15-20 kts this morning reducing to 10-15 kts this afternoon, so a good day under sail was envisaged.  We unfurled the headsail and set out across the Albemarle Sound.  We quickly reduced the amount of sail up as the winds rose to 25-30 kts and the waves rose to 3-4 ft.  This may not sound very high, but in a short sea it gets quite rough.  The 14 miles across the Sound turned out to be very uncomfortable and gave Oasis and the rig a good shake as both winds and seas were on the nose.  We could have been crossing the Wash off King's Lynn!!  Never under estimate how quickly a sea can build, particularly in shallow water.  I think we learnt this lesson at least once before in the English Channel.  Once into the Alligator River, things calmed down and we made a total of 38 miles before anchoring just South of Tuckahoe Point.  The casualty of the day was the DSC Aerial for the ICOM 802 Radio, which was eaten by the KISS Wind Generator in a particularly severe gust; modification required!  Shame we haven't any metal coat hangers on board!!

14 November 2006  A very quiet day after yesterday, with calm winds.  Entered the Alligator and Pungo River Canal first thing for 21 very straight miles along the tree lined Canal.  The colours of Autumn were pretty and we saw another Bald Eagle in a tall dead tree stump that looked as though it could be a favorite perch.  We managed to sail across the Pamlico River before entering a second canal to join the Neuse River.  The winds came round onto the nose again, but less than 10 kts.  We motor sailed most of the day, for a 50 mile day.  We anchored behind Maws Point in the Neuse River where we watched 2 of the USMC's new Tilt Rotor aircraft maneuvering over the Outer Banks.  We finished off the steering today, whipping a Turk's Head at the top of the wheel; this was easier said than done, with Steve constantly moving the wheel whilst navigating the river bends.  The wind dropped early evening to give a beautifully still evening.  There was no ambient light at all in the anchorage, which made it hard to distinguish water from sky in the pitch dark. 

15 November 2006  An early start, still oily calm with a light mist over the river.  Spent the morning motoring down the Neuse River watching the pelicans and other water fowl fishing.  For such an ungainly bird, the pelican is an awesome aviator, able to use ground effect to fly only inches off the water between wing beats to gain height and glide again.  We saw more commercial shipping than we have to date.  Entered Adam's Creek, opposite Oriental, for the 20 mile run down to Beaufort, NC.  The area is more built up than last year when we came North and there are some serious waterfront houses being built.  Started to pick up a favourable tide just before Jabber Creek, where we saw our first pod of Dolphins.  Took a short cut down to Beaufort Bascule Bridge before mooring at Beaufort Dock Marina to weather the gale force winds forecast for tomorrow.  The faces were familiar and friendly; however, it seems to have a more commercial feel than last time we were here.  We have fond memories of Beaufort and the kindness people showed us, as this was our first landfall in the USA.

16 November 2006  Awoke to DSC alarm on the VHF issuing a Tornado Warning for the area!  The weather has lived up to the forecast with gales and severe thunder storms.  Some of the thunder storms have been sufficiently violent to spawn tornadoes and some areas have suffered severe damage.  Really glad we are not at sea.  Last time in Beaufort, we experienced a tropical storm that gave gusts of 60 kts and produced 14" of rain - maybe its us!?!  The weather has given us a good day for domestics, post some letters and make some calls to the UK.  We are now faced with a difficult decision as to whether we go off shore from here to the Bahamas or drop further down the ICW to Southport or even Charleston, SC.  We have a good 2 day weather window, but there appears to be a depression forming South of Bermuda on Sunday, which if it deepens, could give us some nasty conditions.  We will see what this evenings forecasts show before making a decision.

17 November 2006  Agonised over the weather charts for the next few days and made the decision to go offshore.  Conditions had calmed down after a pretty wild and windy night.  Made ready for sea and left the dock full of promise in the knowledge that we would probably have a rough first 12 hours with the expectation of calmer weather as the day progressed. However, Neptune had other ideas.  We hadn't gone far before we got first sight of the surf, which was dramatic to say the least.  The channel looked relatively calm with no breaking water, but just before we were committed to leaving with a strong foul tide that would have precluded a return to harbour without a long and painful struggle, a USCG Cutter left the harbour ahead of us.  We could hear his engine notes change each time he tried to make way through the seas and fell off of the 6 foot waves; this was no place for 35HP in a yacht that doesn't go to windward particularly well in a flat sea!  We turned across the tide and crabbed somewhat deflated back through the commercial docks to rejoin the ICW once more.  The decision not to go was sound, and it would have been foolhardy and bad seamanship to do anything else, but after all that preparation, physical and mental, not to go again was a bitter pill, particularly as we knew that we would be able to peel off the miles under favourable winds had we got out there.  But the ICW it was.  The alternative of sitting and waiting in Beaufort for things to calm down as the weather window closed on us again was not appealing.  The passing of the Cold Front had bought significantly colder temperatures and we added clothes as the day progressed.  So much for heading South to warmer climes! 

18 November 2006  The 'unpredictable' low pressure forecast to form of the SE Coast of the USA was becoming more predictable with Storm Force conditions and 50 Kt winds now in the forecast.  Perhaps the ICW is not so bad after all!  We made steady progress with some canny timing on bridge openings to get us just South of Southport and Cape Fear by tonight.  This part of the ICW has not been particularly inspiring, with long stretches behind dunes with the Ocean beyond them.  We have seen many more Dolphins today feeding in pods wherever currents join and the water mixes.  Tides have been strong in places.  It is strange to be working the tides once more like we used to in the Solent having sailed in the all but tideless Chesapeake Bay for the last year and a half.  Anchored tonight in Dutchman's Creek in about 12 ft of water ready for an early start.  The days are short and travel on the ICW is only really possible in daylight, so up with the birds just before dawn to make the most of the light.  No matter how hard it is to get up and raise the anchor it is a spectacular time of day and the light is at its best.  Forecast is for 37°F overnight, so it will be a fresh morning!

19 November 2006  Left before dawn to get as far South as possible before the storm hits.  The ICW ran straight behind the beach towards Little River, SC.  This is where Oasis was based when in the USA before being bought by the previous owners, Graham & Belinda Berry and crossing the Atlantic the first time to England.  We picked up a foul tide as we went through the town and had 2.5 kts against us for the rest of the day.  I had forgotten how it feels to claw every mile against a fast running river.  The river behind North Myrtle Beach was narrow and rocky, and tree lined all the way down until we hit Golf Course Country.  Each resort of Condo's seemed to have bigger houses and bigger boats and a more lush Golf Course than the last one.  We then entered the Waccamaw River, after a very helpful bridge operator at the Socastee Swing Bridge let us through ahead of schedule, which meant we made an extra 5 miles before night fall.  The Waccamaw River was tree lined with some wonderful shaped trees with bare root systems hanging on to the swamp edges, really spooky like a film set.  We anchored in a old oxbow for a peaceful night.

20 November 2006  The day began again before dawn for a run down the Waccamaw River, which wound it's way through tree lined swamp for many miles until we entered Winyah Bay.  We could easily have been sailing down the Orwell in Suffolk as we crossed the Bay.  However, the birdlife made it different as we saw Bald Eagles, Turkey & Black Vultures and more Pelicans - not many of those near Ipswich!  The wind began to pipe up as we entered the Estherville Minim Canal, which could just have easily been the Wytham!  Even the steel works of Georgetown looked like the Sugar Beet Factory at Bardney across the Fen in Norfolk.  Today we had a fair tide on the ebb and a tail wind that made for a very pleasant 8.5 kts albeit in a cold North wind.  We wound our way through the open marsh land of the Cape Romain National Wildlife Refuge and anchored in Whiteside Creek.  The Creek is a little exposed for our liking but bad light stopped play.  The forecast is for the low just off the coast to intensify overnight to give severe storm force winds and dangerous seas later tomorrow.  All shipping has been advised to seek shelter for the next 2 days.  We plan to try to get to Charleston, SC, about 20 miles, tomorrow morning and then to shelter there and enjoy what the town has to offer over Thanksgiving.  That plan all depends on getting through the Ben Sawyer Memorial Swing Bridge, which has a 25 kt wind speed opening limit.  We may have to weather the storm in the Marsh, behind 2' 6" of grass to break the wind!  We have 60' of chain out on the anchor and the "Anchor Buddy" deployed in only 12' of water so hopeful we will stay put.

21 November 2006  Very rough night, with sustained winds of 20 kts gusting 30 kts.  The boat rode well, but there is too much windage on the foredeck to lay head to wind and she tries to forereach all the time.  Wind really piped up late morning to around 30 kts, with thunderstorms and snow!  This is not what South Carolina should be like, even in November.  We are probably going to be stuck here in the marsh until Thursday as the Ben Sawyer Memorial Bridge is closed and the ICW are closed due to the storm force winds.  Everyone is being told to stay in port by the USCG, which is really useful when you're between ports and the bridges are closed!  The depression is due to intensify this afternoon and evening to give 45 kt winds.  We now have 120' of chain out, which seems to be holding.  We have removed the headsail poles from the mast and secured them on the side deck and managed to bring the boat more head-to-wind, which has reduced the heel and the stain on the anchor rode.  Spent the day catching up on jobs below, cooking and cleaning.  Glad we fixed the heater last Winter, but didn't expect to be using it this trip.  That said, poor weather like this seems different when you're at home and not just out on the Bay for the weekend, as life goes on pretty well as normal.

22 November 2006  Wind quietened down around 4am and we were able to leave the anchorage around 7am to make the 9am Ben Sawyer Memorial Bridge opening.  Weather cold and wet, but no where near as bad as yesterday.  Now in Charleston, SC, where we plan to stay for Thanksgiving.  No space in the City Marina as everybody has the same idea given the weather.  Anchored off the Marina in the Ashley River.  Plan to explore Charleston tomorrow as the forecast is a little brighter.  Hoping to get a weather window to go off shore Friday and head for the Bahamas.

23 November 2006    Thanksgiving.  After the rain of the last few days, woke up to a cold and dry day.  We had a lazy start, but caught up with e-mail, etc.  We spent the day walking around the old part of Charleston, which has to rate as the nicest city we have found so far in our travels of 42 of the states in the USA.  It is ideally suited to walking and has some wonderful Southern houses that have kept their character and resisted all that comes with the convenience of modern America.  Surprisingly, we found the market open and had a pleasant hour or so wandering around the artisans.  Although the market is for local artists and craftsmen nowadays, it is still housed in the original, single story, brick market buildings with the cobbled streets surrounding them.  We treated ourselves to Thanksgiving Lunch at Slightly North of Broad (SNOB), which was great.  Steve had Oyster stew, turkey and all the trimmings followed by apple pie and I had caramelised pear salad, sausage stuffed loin of pork followed by pumpkin pie.  All very nice.  A bit different to last year, when we spent Thanksgiving in Colorado after we'd been working in Albuquerque, NM, the week before.  The sun broke through in the afternoon and the forecast is good for an offshore passage tomorrow.

24 - 27 November 2006  The lack of a daily entry might give a clue as to the weather conditions we found offshore!  The forecast was for a large high pressure system to form off of the Eastern Seaboard of the USA, giving NE winds of 15kts; perfect for heading South.  We slipped our lines and left Charleston around 11:00 in gorgeous weather and sailed off the dock escorted by Dolphins.  We sailed through the Harbour, but as usual, the channel out of the Harbour was into wind.  As nice as it would have been to short-tack in the afternoon sunshine, we had an RV with the Gulf Stream.  We had originally planned to head South overnight and cross the Gulf Stream at first light; however, the sea was lumpy and the forecast was now for the wind to increase early tomorrow, so we headed South East to take whatever the Gulf Stream had to offer overnight.  The winds built rapidly to 20, gusting 25 kts and the seas built to 6 - 10'.  Perhaps the answer to crossing the Gulf Stream is to do it in the dark when you can't see what its like!  The wind got warmer and the Stream was marked by a line of cumulus cloud.  The seas got shorter making an uncomfortable ride, but Oasis was making 7 kts in the right direction.  By morning the Gulf Stream was behind us and we were in a 10' ocean swell with a steady 20 kts from the North East, still making 7 kts.  We had forgotten how big the seas get offshore after the protection of the Bay and how the water is such a deep sapphire blue.  The boat balanced beautifully in these conditions, with one reef in the main and the headsail furled in a third.  'Monique', our Monitor Windvane, steered us effortlessly, which she continued to do for the rest of the passage.  We made 147 NM noon 24th to noon 25th.  The winds freshened slightly overnight on the 25th, which meant we frequently touched 8 kts.  The waves grew to 10 - 15' and as we sailed across them it felt as though they were reminding us of who is boss out here as the foam of a breaking crest roared under the stern.  We took a lot of water over the top, at times, making it a boisterous and wet ride.  We could have slowed to make it slightly more comfortable on us, but Oasis seemed to be thriving in the conditions and eating up the miles.  Despite the water going over the decks, we stayed dry down below much different to last time in these conditions going North from Antigua.  All that hard work on caulking the deck had paid off.  The ride was too rough to sleep much, but as we made 169 NM noon 25th to noon 26th, we were looking at a 3 day passage for the 400 NM which we decided we could cope with, particularly as the forecast was for the winds to strengthen to 30 - 35 kts.  We planned to arrive in the Bahamas at dawn on 27th; however, at this speed we may have to heave-to to wait for sun rise as neither of us wish to go through the reef in the dark!  The wind remained in the North East and reluctant to give up any Easting we had made, we amended our plan for a landfall at Green Turtle Cay rather than Walker's Cay.  Around 5am on the 27th we suddenly went from 7 kts to a standstill in 20 kts of wind!  It took a few minutes to fathom what was happening, we were caught fast by two lines strung under the keel.  We could see no buoyage, or fishing boats, or floats in the dark and we were still out at beyond the 1000 fathom mark in 1304' of water, but held fast we were.  Thoughts of giant squid were forced to the back of our minds as we hove-to and managed to back the boat off the lines.  Not an experience we would like to repeat and despite research since our landfall, we still have no explanation.  The passage through Whale Cay Channel was causing concern as the large swell that had built with the last three days of North Easterlies continued right to the reef and we feared 'Rage' conditions.  Although faced with breaking water on either side, the passage through the reef was pretty uneventful.  However, we were caught by one breaking wave where the water shoaled sharply from 11 m to 3 m, which took the watervane blade off the faithful 'Monique', after all she'd done for us.  We made our way to Green Turtle Cay and anchored off New Plymouth.  We spent the afternoon washing off the salt and making the boat 'home' again instead of the washing machine it had been for the last few days.  We retired early, very tired, but glad we'd made the passage.  We covered 443 NM in 72 hours with an average speed of 6.15 kts.  Not bad for an old lady, well loaded with all our worldly goods.

28 November 2006  Leisurely breakfast, which stayed on the plate!  We took the dinghy ashore to clear immigration in New Plymouth.  We landed at the public dock to discover the delights of the Bahamas.  Small, colourful, wooden houses, a warm breeze, pale blue, crystal clear sea and happy people.  We found the Government buildings, painted in white and pink, with the police golf cart, complete with blue flashing light, parked outside.  The Customs Office was shut, but the postmistress pointed out her house, so we went and knocked on her door.  She promised to join us shortly in the office.  There is something very special about arriving in a new country under your own steam.  Immigration was a pleasant experience and we left the office with tourist maps, visas, cruising permit and fishing licence - not bad for a one stop shop!  Formalities over, we treated ourselves to an early lunch of Conch, which was gorgeous in the sun.  Took a stroll around New Plymouth (which is the size of Clive or Witchford).  The island of Green Turtle Cay is only three miles long and less than a mile wide, so more exploring tomorrow.