MysticSail.com

Well we sent and email to our weather forecasters today and this is what they had to say.

“Weather models are showing northeast winds developing late Thursday and northeast to east on Friday as a large High pressure area is over the Northeast with weak low pressure moving east through the Gulf States.  This would not be favorable for crossing the Gulf Stream.  Winds are forecast southeast late Friday and increasing southerly over the weekend as a strong cold front is expected to pass the southeast states and Bahamas late Sunday with Gale force winds probable offshore shifting from southerly to northerly with showers and thunderstorms likely with the front.”

So its not looking too good for an off shore departure from Hampton, VA for the next five days or so.  Most of the boats heading south from here are going by way of the Inner Coastal Waterway or ICW, but our mast is 80 ft. off the water and there is one 65 ft. fixed bridge between here and North Carolina that is stubbornly stopping us from taking that route.  Our other option is to go south, hugging the coast inside the Gulf Stream and hope the forecast nor-east winds don’t force us on to one of the many shallow sandbars that dot the outer banks and have caused more shipwrecks than any place on the East coast of America.

We get our sails back from the sail-maker/fixer (as in our case) tomorrow and will have completed everything on our list to get the boat in tip top shape after our last cruse/learning experience, but will we be able to leave?  We just don’t know yet and with any luck fun times and warmer weather lie ahead on our path back to California, lets hope we get there safely and soon.