White preparing for the winter trip down in South Carolina and Georgia I was concerned about wind, rain and cold temperatures. I somehow pictured myself anchored in a marsh, heavy rain, cold and winds too strong to sail. I was pleasantly surprised that it never happened then. About two weeks ago, sitting in SPARTINA on a little creek in North Carolina is was very cold, raining, and a north wind blowing too hard to sail. I had the boom tent up, wearing my drysuit with a base layer and a merino wool shirt, heating up some freeze dried scrambled eggs just to have something to help keep me warm. And it occurred to me what I had expected back then on the winter sail was happing to me now on the spring sail. Hence the name, the now and then 425.
It was, like all my sails, a wonderful experience. Lots and lots of wind. Good sailing and some very hard sailing. Some cold days, some blue-sky perfect days. A little more motoring in canals than I would have liked.
I visited some favorite places: Oriental, New Bern and Beaufort. Cape Lookout. The Neuse River.
Anchored in the Frying Pan I was hit by two lines of thunderstorms, the second strong enough to heel SPARTINA on her side far enough that water poured over the coaming.
Nothing better than sails up before the sun.
A saving grace was my drysuit, which I threw in with the rest of the gear as an after thought. I mean who would need a drysuit and thermals in North Carolina in May? I did.
SPARTINA served me well. With all that wind, sailing with full sail was the exception. I sailed with single and double reefs in the main, and spent entire days under just mizzen and jib.
A highlight was visiting Cape Lookout Bight, a beautiful body of water surrounded by sand dunes.
And with all the different weather we had, there was no better way to wrap up the trip than in a thick fog.
Still cleaning and tucking gear away. I hope to start the daily log next week.
