Lantana Florida to Fernandina Beach Florida Passage

I motored North on the ICW on the afternoon of June 5th, and anchored at the entrance of West Palm Beach harbor entrance for the night. I ended up spending the next day and left on Sunday morning before sunrise on a heading of NNE figuring I would catch the Gulf Stream. The day proved to be very hot and muggy with little breeze to cool things off and I grumbled to myself more due to the heat than anything else that a little wind would have been nice. Big mistake! At about 9 that evening, located about 80 miles off the coast of Florida, about parallel with Cape Canaveral I sailed into a series of converging Tropical storms, with winds about 50 kts out of the North on the squall lines that ride in front of these systems. The seas in the stream are notorious when the winds out of the north and the Gulf Stream going north collide and creat very rough conditions with 8 to 10 foot seas with very short intervals. What this translates to is heading into wind gusts over 50 kys, with the boat rising and then plummeting into the trough and headfirst into the next wave, in the pitch black night, as there was no moon, only being lighted by the lightning hitting all around me. I had seen the system approaching and had been able to prepare the boat and myself for the oncoming onslaught, putting on my harness and tethering myself to the boat. It is at times like this that you ask yourself why you chose this lifestyle as it was going to be a very rough ride and there would be little sleep that night, if any. About 2 AM I was through the worst part of it and looking south it looked like the 8th Air Force was bombing Berlin with the massive lightning stikes filling the skies. The winds had shifted to the West and the seas finally started calming down towards sunrise.
Continuing North I decided to head towards Savannah unless the winds, as predicted shifted back to the north then I would make landfall at either St Augustine or Fernandina Beach. Towards the afternoon the winds, as predicted had shifted to the NNE and I tacked west towards the Florida coastline some 85 miles away. The seas by this time were very calm and the boat was cruising along at about 5 knots in the direction I wanted to go. Finally I was able to go below and catch some sleep, the fist since departing West Palm Beach. Setting my kitchen timer for 30 minutes I laid down and at intervals of 30 minutes, getting up and going up into the cockpit, check the horizon for any lights, the trim of the sails and verifying my course, I would go below again and reset the timer and catch 30 more minutes. As tired as I was I had no trouble falling back into an exhausted sleep after each check. The next day proved to be some of the best sailing of my life, cruising along at 6 knots, perfect conditions I entered into the breakwater channel just north of Fernandina Beach where I planned on spending a few days sightseeing. Catching a mooring I launched my dinghy and went ashore, got a restroom key from the Marina office I took a much needed and greatly appreciated shower. That evening , back on board, I ate a light meal from some of the food Josh and Seth had packed for me from my going aweay party that my daughters had given me.

I am in the process of preparing the boat for my cruise North to the Chesapeake Bay where I plan on spending the Summer in hopes of avoiding a storm this hurricane season. All is in readiness and hopefully the weather will cooperate on my trip, if not I will be off the coast and will duck in to some sheltered waters to ride out the storm if need be.
I have problems saying goodbye to friends and this has been no exception. The past year has been spent with my daughters and the many very nice people I have become friends with. Pre-departure jitters are , as usual, present as I think of the million and one things that can happen in an instant no matter how well the boat is prepared. These worries subside once out and clear of the shore. My plans are to keep a journal using this blog for those that have requested it.
Saturday night I was invited to Josh's house for a friendly little get together and last night I enjoyed a very large party my daughter Ginger throws every year, complete with a live band. Tonight I am going to a party being thrown for me at Chrissy's boyfriend Seth's house where I will be cooking steaks for the guests. Tomarrow I hope to depart, weather willing.