Sunday, 18th December 2005
Noon position: 28′ 02.1N 77′ 53.2W
Course: 110′ T Speed :12.6kts Days Run: 309 miles (29 hours)
Weather: Raining steadily, 18-20 kts of wind out of 235’T
Timoneer is back at sea after a rig pull and superstructure paint job in Thunderbolt Georgia. The crew worked late Friday evening to get the remaining parts and pieces aboard for our 0700 departure Saturday morning for Antigua. I was really pushing for a Saturday departure as a low pressure system coming across the South Eastern seaboard was setting up for a small gale and rough seas starting Sunday. The tide is also critical inThunderbolt with Timoneer’s draft of 13.5 ft, she really has to depart on the rising 8 foot tide to be able to cross the sand bar heading out of Wassaw sound at the mouth of the Wilmington River. The manager and owner of Thunderbolt Marine were nice enough to get up early (especially after the yard X-mas party the night before) and lead Timoneer out of the river with a small power boat checking soundings as we went. We crossed the sand bar at 0845 seeing a minimum depth of 18.5 feet saying good bye to our escort and heading out to sea in rainy overcast weather. Once clear of the sea buoy we turned South to run with the building Northerly breeze as we made sure everything was stowed properly. The southerly course also put the most distance between us and the low pressure system to the North. We continued down the Georgia coast to just South of Jacksonville Florida and then turned East South East where the breeze shifted to the South West and we tacked and
rolled out the genoa on the port side. About 0230 we started across the gulf stream which was surprisingly flat helped out by the Southerly breeze. The speed over the ground dropped to 8-9 knots as we crabbed diagonally across the current trying to maintain an Easterly course. By 0500 we were on the Eastern side of the gulf stream and the breeze filled in from the South West to 20kts as we reached out on our present course of 110′ True. Everyone onboard is well and thankful that the weather is cooperating as we still have a lot of projects to finish.
John
