Day 1 - Brunswick GA - Portsmouth VA
Magic Friday
Phil, Di and Annelise
Sun 1 Apr 2018 17:31
Happy Easter . enjoying an easy morning start to the day. Keys returned to the marina office, water taken on-board, lines ready to slip. Our neighbour friends coming out to wave goodbye and suddenly we were away..leaving Brunswick Landing Marina for the last time after three enjoyable seasons (and three near miss hurricanes).
A fresh onshore breeze quickly strengthened against the out-going tide - lifting the waves to heavy chop as we motored past Jekyll Island - driftwood beach and St Simmons lighthouse catching memories of our frequent visits. Breaking waves 3 miles out on the shoals north of the navigation channel - never a pleasant sight and not sorry to leave those safely behind! Finally, the sails were set, a northerly course plotted as we watched the fading towers of the Golden Isles highway bridge fade away over the stern.
Absent the wind anemometer (to be collected at Charleston West Marine) and the burgee refusing to give wind direction (probably due to bird damage) we reverted back to the traditional way of sailing using the tell-tales!! Main and self-tacking job for tacking slightly upwind made the afternoon sailing very enjoyable, accompanied by the occasional dolphin fin breaking the water surface, gannet birds calling out and shrimpers abound..
As the sun fell towards the westerly horizon the breeze dropped, engine running to motor sail throughout the approaching night at a slow, slow speed to time arrival at Hilton Head (Tybee Rd) for somewhere close to high tide. Darkness fell quickly, but not for long as the waning moon rose above the eastern horizon - at first deep red, then orange, getting smaller and brighter as it rose in the night sky, casting deep moon shadows of Magic Friday over the inky black waters, only a few planets to be seen shining above the moon's light..
Phil and Di
