Man, I am beat. Sailing offshore for over twenty-four hours completely and totally zaps your energy. We left from St. Augustine at around 9:00 AM on Easter morning and motored out the inlet onto the Atlantic. The sea was pretty calm, but I still spent most of the day curled up in the fetal position trying not to vomit all over the place. (Sorry, too much detail...) The sun was brutal, but fortunately there was a nice breeze that allowed us to turn off the engine.
As the sun began to sink lower in the sky, my stomach slowly started to stop somersaulting and I went up on deck. Well-rested from my day of being incapacitated, I took the helm. I steered from 8-10, then from 11-1, then from 3-4. There was always an extra person on hand to keep and eye out for ships, but one person always got to rest. Sleeping is a challenge during these times though, considering the boat has an extremely unfortunate tendency to hurl you from your bunk and onto the floor when it rolls. Needless to say, when one is tired enough, it is possible to get a wee bit of shut-eye.
I woke up in a stupor this morning and proceeded to smash my head on the hatch board as I ascended the steps into the cockpit. Feeling very upset, I decided that breakfast should consist of a Starbucks frappachino and a handful of Reese's peanut butter cups. I felt a lot better after this healthy meal and fell back asleep until we neared Beaufort.
Beaufort, South Carolina is an old town. When you walk off of the dinghy dock, you are greeted by a bustling main street lined with fanciful boutiques and decadent eateries. The side streets are shaded by ancient live oaks, draped with wispy beards of Spanish Moss that stand guard over the manicured gardens of grand estates. The houses are astounding; a huge amount of time, money, and TLC went into making and preserving such a town.
I spent the afternoon poking around in art galleries, eating ice cream, and marveling at the extravagant, beautiful architecture that is distinctive to the South. It was a quality afternoon indeed. It's 8:31 now and I'm the only one up. I'd love to walk around Beaufort some more this evening, but after last night's journey, I am about ready to collapse. Good night everyone, I am off to bed!
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| My favorite mansion in Beaufort... slightly more roomy than my current accommodations. |
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| My second choice. |
Mary, something I have learned over the past few years. Dramamine does work. Steering helps alleviate sea sickness. I guess it's something about having something else to concentrate on that seems to work...has your father never heard of lee cloths?? They are like drapes that keep you from rolling out of your bunk in rough seas...$69 at West Marine....oh yeah, welcome to the south, where they are still fighting the civil war!
ReplyDeleteThank you very much for the input. Steering does help a lot, I've found.
ReplyDeleteAs for the lee cloths, yes, we do have them. Unfortunately, I completely and totally forgot about mine until we were comfortably anchored.
Hope you're doing well! My dad says hello.
Lake Champlain is @ 102.5'. Junk in the canal and Hudson so be careful once you're back up here. We think the canal opening is being delayed until the water goes down and some of the debris can be removed.
ReplyDeleteFair winds & Smooth sailing,
Elaine & Lawrence Leonard S/V Elle & I