Tuesday 11/21/2017 - Beaufort SC to Offshore from Port Royal Sound

I spent the most of the morning getting the boat ready for going offshore. You would think it would always be ready but I managed to make a list of over 20 items to check and do (like installing the jack lines etc.).  The plan was to pull anchor at 11:30am.  We did - and were on our way!  The other two boats were a Canadian Bayfield 36 (Tina and Mike on Cheroka) and a Freedom 45 (Eclipse 5) with Rod and his family of 5.  About a mile down river is a 65' fixed bridge and, guess what, the tide was a little too high for the Freedom 45 to make it under.  Mike and Tina held back to try and help the Freedom get through and I sailed down the river at a slow speed, knowing they would catch up soon.

We all went out the Port Royal Inlet at the same time at about 2:30pm. The current was with us at a fairly fast 2 knots.  The wind was fairly light from the east and there was about a 3', 6 second swell also from the east.  It was a little bumpy but it was about as good as it gets. 

We expected the wind to die overnight and shift to the north.  We also expected some rain.

What we got was wind light from the south, LOTS of heavy chop, and several thunderstorms.  This lasted from about 5pm till midnight.  Just before midnight, we contacted another cruiser (Peek-a-Boo).  We described our location (about 15 miles offshore) and conditions (very sucky).  He said he was only 10 miles out with fair conditions and doing 6.5 knots (we were lucky to be doing 4.5).  Well, the answer was fairly obvious - we were fighting the Gulf Stream!!  We made a 60 degree right turn and spend an hour heading closer to shore.  As we did, conditions got better and so did our speed.  After midnight, the skies cleared and we spent the next 9 hours in much improved conditions.  Lesson Learned - there is a Gulf Stream out there and it means business!

I must say that the first part of the night was as close to living a night mare as I want to get.  I've been in worse but so long ago that my memory helps me forget.