It was getting mighty cold when we cast off our mooring line from Annapolis. We planned to sail down to Deltaville on our way to Norfolk, VA., the southern limit of the Chesapeake Bay. But you know how it goes. We (along with 30 other boats) were treated to 25 knot headwinds and short, close-together seas that made progress very slow. By slow I mean 2 knots (2 1/2 mph) which means we could not reach our destination before dark without motoring. The worst part was that it was freezing cold. Now we have steep, choppy waves breaking over the bow and spraying icey water everywhere! I would compare sailing on the Chesapeake to sailing on San Francisco Bay. Plenty of wind, plenty of boats. We were rough-riding it down the bay with stops on the eastern shore in St. Michael's and Onancock (nice, small tourist towns with friendly locals and lots of historic sites).
Continuing down the ICW, we visited some of the same stops of the northbound trip with a few extras. Bellhaven, N.C. was a town with a good anchorage, but there was not much to see or do there. Adams Creek, on the way from Bellhaven to Beaufort, N.C. provided us with a storm. We saw three boats go aground here. They had to be towed off the bottom. In Beaufort we decided to haul out and replace First Star's prop and shaft, and fix a small leak. While there, we met a surfer who took us to Shackleford Banks for some pretty good waves. Leaving Beaufort, we made a stop at Bald Head Island, where we climbed to the top of an old lighthouse for a spectaclar view. Going offshore, we buddy-boated with Sea Loco (Joe and Tracy) to Charlston, S.C..
In Charleston we were treated to lunch by Brett Lott, the author of several best-sellers and a teacher of creative writing at Charleston College. He and his wife, Melanie, were introduced to us via email by Dave Royster, a good friend, fellow teacher and surf buddy.
Passing through Savanah, GA., we had dinner with friends from Sea Loco and Celere. Our final stop in Georgia, on Thanksgiving, was at St. Marys, on the southern border with Florida.
We wanted to spend more time in Saint Augustine, so we anchored off the town for three days. During our visit, a brand-new 40 ft. boat caught fire and burned to the waterline. Both the crew were aboard, but were taken off the boat by the Coasties.
Now the weather is getting warmer.
Arriving in Cape Canaveral, we were greeted by Leigh's long-time frieds, the Smiths. Frank and Dee, along with Jeff, Tracey, Jenny and Mavis were very generous with their hospitality. They entertained us and made us feel like we were family. They took us surfing and shoping, wined and dined us and provided love and transportation. They took care of Zephyr and First Star while we visited Leigh's mom during the Christmas Holidays.