Brunswick Landing Marina - Georgia
Magic Friday
Phil, Di and Annelise
Fri 3 Nov 2017 18:35
A nice breeze accompanies the dawn - a good time to leave and make the most of a sail home. Anchor hauled and out towards St Marty's channel for open sea, followed by a US Coast Guard vessel - strange?
Suddenly the reason was clear . something very large with an odd structure approaching from the open sea - a US Navy submarine no less! Suitably accompanied by two Coast Guard patrol boats with guns and a gunner upfront - looking very mean. We were hailed - they wanted a 900ft security exclusion zone - but the channel is only 100ft wide - the guard realized the dilemma and suggested we held our course and the gun boats would stay between the sub and us (as if we were a threat and about to attack it)! Suddenly it was alongside us - HUGE! And then came the wash as most of the vessel was underwater the waves swelled up from behind it - but thankfully no risk to our passage out. We were no longer under the watchful eye of the gunner, we waved and just as quickly as they had appeared, they were gone, following the sub.phew!
Open water at last, a fresh 15-20kn wind albeit from the north (we were headed north), so mainsail and self-tacking job set we were away . still talking about our close encounter with the submarine!!
As the wind dropped in the afternoon, motor sailing was needed to head toward St Simmons , trying to judge the time for an evening arrival before sun-set. Suddenly a new breeze from the east picked up, so full sails (main and genoa) set again, soon we were gliding along at 8kn, past the St Simmons lighthouse and beachfront -we should make our berth in time.
As the sun bathed the sleeping shrimpers (tied up for the weekend) and the three-master (still for sail) on Brunswick town dock, we slipped into our mooring in the last light of the day. Home again.
Phil and Di
