On Saturday evening friends and relatives from Beaufort, Atlanta, Savannah and Charleston attendeda Bon Voyage party in honor of JD and me held at the Beaufort Yacht and Sailing Club. This had been organized primarily by my sister and her family (Atlanta) and my good friend Frank Pontious in Beaufort. After everyone toured "Jubilee" the 30 to 40 of us enjoyed libations and a dinner of hors d'oeuvres, toasts, and friendship for a wonderful send-off.
Our departure, which had looked good for Sunday evening just 3 days ago has been postponed due to a forecast of gale force adverse winds and predictions of 15-foot waves related to a low pressure systems emerging out of the Bahamas that might become the season's first named tropical storm. This system would have crossed our path Monday-Tuesday just as we would be crossing the Gulf Stream. Packing winds in excess of 30 kts from the northeast, this system will likely be creating conditions that even large ships try to avoid.
It now looks like Thursday morning we will head down the Beaufort River and out to sea bound for Bermuda. The good news is that this gives us a few relaxed days to do some additional preparations and to be fully rested before leaving. The week leading up to departure on an offshore voyage is a lot like the week before opening night in a theatrical production. Inevitably there are a thousand things to be done. I will be away from home nearly 3 months. That alone is a big deal in terms of preparations. Then the boat. My rigger, Greg Pittrizzi, installed a new throttle control Friday and new fresh and sea water pumps yesterday(Saturday) morning. Other, less major, items still need attention.
Sunday, May 23, 2010
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