Day 5 – Charleston, SC

12/09/2017 – Charleston, SC Docked – 180 nm

We just docked in Charleston, SC due to another cold front forecast this afternoon. So we’ll wait it out and follow the benign conditions south early in the morning.

These last 24 hours were rough! Luckily, we had tailwinds and following seas the whole way, but it was a strong blow for sure. 30 knots average, running up to 36 once in a while. The waves would push us up to 12 knots every minute or so, and once we even surfed up to a max speed of 19! And that was running a triple reefed main and no jib. Exhilarating and scary in the pitch black night getting soaked in the pouring rain! I wish I could have seen what the ocean looked like in those conditions!

We traded hour shifts at the helm all night long since the autopilot couldn’t keep up and we had to hand steer in the cold. Three coats, beanie, hood, ski gloves, ski pants, coveralls and still chilled to the bone after an hour. Staring at the red binnacle, zero peripheral vision, heavy steering against the waves to prevent broaching on one side and an uncontrolled jibe on the other. Long night.

During one of Chris’s shifts the wind calmed down below 30 so he put up the Solent. Even still, the Solent blew out it’s leach so we’re trying to fix it in Charleston before our morning departure. We sailed all the way to a grey, rainy sunrise and on to intercept the Charleston channel entrance by 10. If we didn’t stop before noon we would have reeled off over 200 miles!

Even around 30 knots, the wind was picking up the ocean and atomizing it into grey foggy patches above the surface. I got some good GoPro footage of that, but again: I really wish I could have seen the heavier conditions over the night!

Took an amazing hot shower at the Charleston City Marina (with one hand on the wall to prevent swaying), and now it’s nap time, then dinner with the crew to plan our strategy to cross the Gulfstream.