Delighted to be writing this message from the USA.

 

Our negotiation of the 100nm passage up and across the Gulf Stream was fairly comfortable, although it was easy to see why any northerly wind would whip up the seas against the north flowing current.  We were aware of this and ensured the forecast was blowing southerly for our trip.  Chris Parker’s entry and exits points of the Gulf Stream were accurate and  at times we did get as much as 2.5 knots of current with us.

 

We thought we had got away without having thunderstorms, but saw plenty during our last night at sea.  We managed to dodge them all, but did have to go out of our way by 7nm to miss them. 

 

We finally arrived into Beaufort on 28th May 2011 and it was quite a shock to see so many boats milling all over the place.  It soon became clear that we had arrived on Memorial Day and it’s the start of the American Summer holidays.

 

We’re now anchored in a lovely anchorage in Taylors Creek and it both reminded us of being in the Hamble River.