Our original plan, as many of you know, was to leave NC in Mid-November, enter the Atlantic Ocean At Beaufort Inlet, head east to get across the Gulf Stream, then head south directly toward the Virgin Islands in the Caribbean. That plan, however, is OBE (overcome by events).
As careful as we and the workers at Sailcraft have been, a boat that has been under repair for 3 months has to prove herself again seaworthy before venturing far from land (and the reach of the US Coast Guard). Our plan therefore is to start our trip southbound on the Intracoastal Waterway (ICW). The ICW gives us a chance to check systems under load, see what problems my surface with use, and get parts and help if anything needs to be corrected. The ICW is also quite pretty in places as you can see in the picture below. Some areas, however, are very congested and built up.
We will probably go offshore after a few days, but will stay "coastal" where we can "duck in" to protected waters and boat services if needed. It will be much easier and cheaper to get parts in the US if we have any problems.
Our itinerary for the 5 months or so we will be out is very open and flexible. I'm quite proud of my wife, Mary Beth, who is the family planner (and a program manager in her past life). She is doing really well coping with a less-than-detailed plan. That said, we expect to see a bit of the Florida Keys, visit the Bahamas again, spend some time in the Turks and Caicos, and hopefully spend a few weeks in Cuba! Mostly though, we want to enjoy being together, sailing Regina Maris, meeting people and sampling cultures which are much different than the US.
And the departure just wouldn't be complete without impact from weather. We just checked the forecast and small craft warnings and heavy northwest winds are forecasted for the next two days. This means that the water will be blown out of the shallow creek where the boatyard is located and we won't be able to get out until the following day. Sigh....and let the adventure begins...one of these days!
Thanks for reading!
David and Mary Beth
S/V Regina Maris
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