Publish Date: Saturday, August 9, 2008
Coordinates: 28° 12.03′ N 079° 49.15′ W
Our little ship is now officially “at sea”: We are out in the Gulf Stream somewhere off the coast of Florida, on our way north to Deale, Maryland in the Chesapeake Bay. I’m with Captain Jim Mobley, who we hired to help move the boat; and our good friend Bob Olliver, who probably wishes he’d said, “No thank you”, when I asked him to come along. Kathryn and Ayla have flown back to pick up our car and our cat, and they’ll meet us in Maryland when we arrive on Wednesday.
As we were leaving the Ft. Pierce inlet heading out into the Atlantic Ocean, a strong thunderstorm moved over the area from the west. A small craft warning was issued, and just as we were transiting the inlet the rain and wind hit. I will never forget the picture dozens of boats racing into the inlet to safely reach port, while at the same time we and a 75-foot Coast Guard cruiser were the sole boats heading out into the weather. It was for exactly these moments that we purchased a Nordhavn trawler: She handled the storm and the waves with little notice.
It will take about 4-1/2 days for the voyage, and we’ll be offshore in the Gulf Stream until we round Cape Hatteras, North Carolina. The Gulf Stream gives us a little extra speed, and we’re currently cruising along at 9.5 knots. We’re doing 3-hour watches at the helm, so we are each on for 3 hours, and then off for 6 hours. This gives us plenty of time for sleeping and eating while not at the helm. So far the weather since Ft. Pierce has been good: 1-2 foot waves and clear skies. I’m a little anxious about my first full overnight at sea tonight, but that’s why we hired a captain: To help with the things that I’ve never done before.
You’re blogs are great dad! I liked this one because it made me excited to spend my first night out at sea.