Made through Saturday night into Sunday Morning Dec 18th LAND HO Saint Augustine, FL

Wa Hoo crazy night but all is good man this boat just cruises along. We have realized that if we would have just put 2 reefs into the main sail we would have had a much better sail during the night but hey you have to learn sometime what is the right way and is the wrong way. So Sunday heading towards Saint Augustine Inlet we have a couple of videos for you to see. (They say you shouldn't enter this inlet when it's really rough, well we were going in no matter what) Also they move the markers depending on were the channel has shifted to. We found all the markers and had an uneventful entry.

Once inside the channel what a great view of the Castillo de San Marcos Fort and houses they say this is the oldest city to date. 

We Made it to Saturday morning after a long night of beating we got.

So Saturday morning Dec 17th I must have fell deep asleep and then all of a sudden I hear bamm, clack (ok so its hard to explain the noises I heard) so I fly up out of the bunk and didn't see Joe! My first thought was he went over board! (humm maybe this is a good thing wonder if I'm in the Will?) I look out back and Damn he was still on the back of the boat pulling out the head sail. (So much for the Will thought) So Joe got the head sail and mainsail set up and finally shut down the engine after listening to that thing for 24 hrs. whew quietness is awesome! Oh Baby,baby,baby!! Yeah! We were sailing along about 7-1/2 knots SWEET but still very rough out there.  Watch Video below.

The wind finally clocked around to the West and we had apparent winds of 20 knots 60 degrees of the bow. The 7.5 knots [big heel] we sailed at all day until 5ish allowed us to make up some good time lost the night before since we were motoring into a blow. As the winds died we left the main up-no Joe left the main sail up- more about that later! Duh

We were on the rum line off the Georgia coast and quite a ways from land-like in the 20 to 50 mile forecast zone [close to 50] where the waves and wind are significantly higher-especially since a high pressure system came thru that night- whew-
good sailing and nice day- more fishin' -Joe caught the big one!!

With 2 hand lines and one pole out, a seagull came up and for over an hour kept diving down to try to catch the spoons we were trolling. He just wouldn't give up. It would have been a mess if he got caught-so you know which one of us would have to deal with it- yeah-too bad Steve wasn't here to help!
The boat did awesome and our set up worked great-with Radar at the chart table, an auto pilot hand held remote, a great chart plotter software at the chart table on a laptop, in bad weather we can manage the boat boat from below, with looking out from time to time. At night there's nothin' but black.
And big cargotainer ships parked around each other 40-50 miles out from Charleson harbor. So we had quite a time dodging them using radar, visual,and navigating the big wind and 1 am. It seemed like forever to get past them when we were motoring 3 knots into a head wind.
On Brians watch about 3 in the morning he saw 2 blips on the radar and went above to check them out. It looked like 2 lights off in the distance. As we got closer the lights stayed in line with us.I was already turning to starboard but couldn't avoid these lights and then I also noticed a big black object between them . I decided to turn to port and that worked ! We started to go around these lights as we got closer it was 2 huge tugs pulling a HUGE container ship !!!! Man ,we were on a crash course with this ship about 25 to 30 miles out to sea. NO Worries!

Friday Dec 16th Night Time OH CRAP!

So its night time and man did the weather change!! First night out-Big winds on our nose, but couldn't see anything!! This is scary-how beeg are they! We were in wind gusts about 23 knots and had been taking on waves over the bow of the boat. Waves were breaking over the bow and soaking the dodger-never saw this ever!. We also where able to find leaks in the hatches and other places we didnt know about. Hey but we had Filet Mignon for dinner!

Ok so not excactly Filet Mignon but sometimes you just have to have imagination when you eat!

So we didnt get much sleep, I think Joe got 1 hr and I may have gotten 2 hrs and this was just dosing off here and there while the other person stood watch. Believe me it was not a comfortable night. We couldn't go forward inside the boat because we where diving down into the waves and then rocketing up out of them, But the boat did awesome it was the bodies on board that were getting beat up. When we looked out, it was like in a heavy weather video, sereal, but cool and in control!

Has any one tried to go to the bathroom while flying straight to the top of the boat then coming straight down like every 5 seconds? Hey I have an idea, go in the bathroom and jump up and down and side to side while peeing! Hey just a thought.

The boat was real impressive and knew what to do!

Friday Dec 16th After Leaving Little River Inlet

So wind was on our nose the whole day and we motor sailed that day and into the night. We had 3 fishing lines out and caught several Atlantic Bonito fish - in the Tuna family. I was always told they aren't good eating but just read on the internet that they are good to eat! Bummer we caught 3 or 4 just on Friday then 3 or 4 on Saturday too. Man, we had food for quite a few days!!  Oh well, we'll know for next time.Lesson learned no. 85 on the trip!! Hee haw


We also caught some crazy fish that attacked a lure half its size.

Then came sun set and it was beautiful! 

Departed 7am from coquina harbor SC

Story below pictures

 

Pulled out from dock with no troubles. Buddy boating with a group from France  heading to Panama Canal. They followed us out the inlet,then they sailed just NorthEast behind us and after 2 hours start heading East-never to be seen again.I tried several times to connect with them and strangely 5 hours later they hailed us but we couldn't connect.Weird!They had never tested the Sailing capability of the boat before going off on the 3 month adventure--so they say!We saw dolphins as we pulled out into ICW, sun was rising and beautiful start. Out in the ocean wind was straight in our face. Waves about 3'

Day before departure

Ok so we finished the list of items for this departure. Installed New Solar panel ran wires, Installed new Sirus Weather system that links to chart plotter. Did you know that if you are 1'6" tall its easy to crawl around inside holes in a boat made for people that size but when you stand 5'-7" and weigh umm 135 ok so more like 182 the holes are a little to tight. We finished the long list in about 4 days. Today we started the boat and went to the fuel dock everything was great, then we went to start the boat to go back to the dock and nothing! OH CRAP we yelled trip delayed! Joe and I started checking everything and finally found a wire broke off the starter push button we fixed it and rrmmmmm started right up.

Trip plan leave Little River at 7am good weather of 3 to 4 days expecting first stop is Stuart FL but hey what the heck if weather is good Keys here we come!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! We have fishing pole, hand lines and lots of drinks so We Be Livin Off The Sea or We Be Really Hungry!

The Adventure Begins 12-16-2011

S/V Time In A Bottle is Setting Sail Friday morning 12-16-2011. We have completed all necessary lists and checked the weather. We have decided that Friday is as good as any other day so our Destination is sunny and warm Stuart Florida! (or some where down there).

Leaving home port Coquina Harbor, SC (Little River) and heading to all points Florida!! 


Oh Baby!!!!!