34:43N 75:51W

 

Cape Hatteras is the nemesis of all sailors.  Notorious for adverse weather the area is littered with the wreckage of unfortunate ships (600 or so) and tales about this piece of ocean abound.  We’d loved the Chesapeake Bay with the main highlight being sailing right up to Washington DC.  We anchored there for 10 days and enjoyed soaking up culture in the many Smithsonian Museums along with son Ryan who joined us there.  We had lots of work done on Bandit in Solomons which became our home for several weeks and we also loved St Michaels, Annapolis and Havre de Grace,where we hauled.  While Bandit was on the hard David flew to New Zealand to visit family while Brenda went to the UK to work.

 

After Annapolis Boat Show in October we headed down to Hampton at the mouth of the Chesapeake to wait for a suitable weather window.  It was freezing in the Chesapeake – one sailing day we donned five layers of merino plus wet weather gear and still froze!  We’d listen to weather guru Chris Parker every morning, study our own favoured weather sites and suddenly, a window presented itself.  We rounded Cape Hatteras in light winds at dawn which suddenly increased to 30 (that wasn’t forecast). But they were on the beam so we had a lovely sail to Cape Lookout where we once again sat for a few days waiting for the next window.  It was a huge relief to get Hatteras out of the way.  We’d initially planned to take part in the Salty Dog Rally from Hampton to the Bahamas but opted out.  Participants left with a dodgy forecast and got hammered by gale force winds and huge seas.  Two yachts were dismasted, five lost their rudders and one broke up and sank.  Our friends Andy and Clare on Eye Candy, left the day before the rally and, while they got strong winds, they avoided the worst.  We don’t call him canny Andy for nothing.

 

From Cape Lookout we did an overnight to Charleston and once again spending a few days in this gorgeous old town. Son Sam was with us here last time on a flying visit.  Then it was on to Fernandina Beach where we made landfall in the US from Cuba.....where we hired a car to pick up David’s daughter Anna from Jacksonville Airport.  She is with us for five weeks.