15:00 GMT
30° 37’ North 79° 32 West
I remember the last few days of the Around Alone race in 2002/3. After more than 9 months and 140+ days cumulative at sea, I was afforded no gifts in the form of agreeable weather. It was brutal off the coast of the Northeast and I had propped myself in an interesting braced position down below to weather the violent pounding of upwind conditions and rough seas. My vision of the finish line was so tangible and real, yet seemed so far away considering the last beating I had to endure.
I think the crew may feel somewhat similar, in that they have been handed crappy weather throughout this 5-week odyssey… and the last 24 hours will be no different. I spoke with Jeffrey this morning and he, JC and Adam are REALLY ready to reach Charleston. However, the winds are all over the place, with Northerlies ranging from 330° to 020°. They are currently sailing West toward the coast between Jacksonville and Savannah. The weather models suggest they have a high pressure system coming which will provide them light and variable conditions for a while. Not exactly good news with an anxious crew! I expect they will arrive sometime between late this evening and 12:00 noon tomorrow (Monday). I’d place my marker on 7:00am, but as we always say, boats don’t have ETAs, they only have destinations. Thanks for checking in.
Specific requests of the crew upon arrival:
Fried chicken (hot or cold)
Ribs
Mashed potatoes
Cole Slaw
Beer
Cheers,
Brad
