To see as much of the world as we can,
Using the smallest carbon footprint we can,
Spending the least amount of money we can,
Making as many friends we can.

Team Red Cruising

Bail Out — Plan B — Abort Abort

Started: ICW Mile 464, Cooper River Marina, 32°49.94′N 079°56.02′W

Anchored: 10 miles from ICW Mile 505, Big Bay Creek, 39°29.790′N 80°19.523′W

Log: 56.5 nm. Time 10 hr. Engine 10 hr. Fuel 35 gal.


Sunday's weather promised to be "sporty" in the morning, but it appeared likely to back off in the afternoon. We thought we could manage the morning sportiness.

We picked up 30.5 gallons of diesel fuel at the Charleston Harbor Marina. It was gray and rainy, but we were ready to take on the North Atlantic Ocean.

We roared out the Charleston inlet at 10.5 knots. Good current. Good wind. It was an auspicious start to a terrible day.

The weather was sporty: too sporty for the crew of the Red Ranger. The Commodore was heaving chunks into the galley sink while trying to make lunch. Her call? "Fuggedaboudit. We're in over our heads. Pick a daysail destination. I can't stand my watch and you can't single-hand for 24 hours."

Seas? 4-6' That's big. That's breaking over the bowsprit big. That's water running down the deck in volumes rarely seen outside Hurricane Irene. That's a new leaks discovered from the working of the boat on starboard tack and the huge volumes of water everywhere.

Wind? 15-20 knots, gusting higher. Two reefs in the main reduce the fear factor. If we'd used the yankee, we might have done well, but it left us heeled well over and I was worried about a really big gust. Dialing back to the much smaller stays'l left us riding more upright, but also much slower.

Rig and Equipment? Stellar. Everything (except the crew) came through with high marks. Well. We did find two new leaks in these conditions.

We motor-sailed until about 12:30 when the Commodore ordered a new destination. I hoped for a place call Observatory Beach up the St. Helena Sound. This looked like a good anchorage, according to Active Captain. It's not too far from the ICW, so other folks call it the

When we turned W — into the wind — to make for the mark, I figured out that we wouldn't get that far before dark. So, even our primary bailout was too far.

Time for the secondary bailout.

We went up the S. Edisto River to Big Bay Creek. This was an Active Captain anchorage, and well off the beaten ICW track. It was probably a beautiful salt marsh: we saw approximately none of it. We were cold and tired and happy to have the hook down. After a hot dinner we collapsed in our berth.

IMG_2098
IMG_2098

I wished I'd taken some video. Spectacular. Scary.

Bonus. Our lifetime distance counter finally advanced from 5195.0 to 5151.5. That works again. More details to log.

Travel

Attribute Value
Depart Started: ICW Mile 464, Cooper River Marina, 32°49.94′N 079°56.02′W
Arrive Anchored: 10 miles from ICW Mile 505, Big Bay Creek, 39°29.790′N 80°19.523′W
Log 56.5 nm.
Time 10 hr.
Engine 10 hr.