Cold, cold, windy night. Freezing temperatures at dawn. My app tells me it is 31°. An email from Webb tells me the "feels like" temperature is 17°.
Hardest part is climbing out of the sleeping bag. Light the Jetboil to make hot chocolate. Put another layer on. Tuck away sleeping gear. Check Navionics to confirm we have not dragged anchor. We have not.
Wind still howling. Clear skies and waiting on the sun. Forecast says wind moderating in a couple of hours. Hope to sail at 9:30 or 10:00.
Put on the drysuit. Feeling comfortable now. Look over the charts on my phone. Check the weather apps. Small craft warning extended. Freeze advisory too. With the northeast wind, figure I can sail downwind to the shoals at the inlet, then turn southwest on a beam reach, probably under just mizzen and jib, on the Cumberland River.
10:00, sleeping gear tucked away, begin taking down the boom tent. Going over the planned sail in my head, I begin to wonder about the sea state in the inlet. The strong northeast wind persist. Checking the tide charts I see that it will be a flood tide. A massive amount of water, enough to feed into the Cumberland, Satilla and Little Satilla Rivers, floods in through the inlet. That much water meeting strong wind from the opposite direction. How rough could it be?
If it is too rough, where do I go for protection? At that moment, I realize I don't have an "out." When I think about pushing the limits in challenging weather, I always want an "out," a place to change the plan, seek shelter, hide from the wind and waves. Looking at the charts, there is no such place. And I think about the extended small craft warming. In my head I can hear my friend Curt talking about small craft warnings, saying "my friend, you are in a small craft."
I begin putting the tent back in place. I am not going sailing today.
Boom tent back up, warm in my many layers and dry suit, I relax. I feel good about my decision. I even feel better about it as the wind builds even more late morning.
Relax, read, check the news. Glad for my solar panel to charge my phone so I can keep in touch with friends and family. Drift into that state where I am not quite awake, not quite asleep. Enjoy the day.
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