The anchor came up at 05:15 am under a full moon. We motored two miles down a straight channel and turned ninety degrees left to the Atlantic. Beaufort lay ahead, C 075 M. D 60 NM. There was no wind and small swells from the south. The boat rolled. Easily, but it rolled. We fretted, wondering if it was going to be eight hours of this. We could not point the boat in a direction that was making way toward Beaufort that was totally comfortable. And it was so calm!
We were hoping for the winds NOAA forecast, ten to fifteen knots from the southwest. While we never got them, we did get winds in the mid to high single digits from about 09:00 am on. Once the winds rose to four knots, the staysail came out tight as a drum. Not to help drive the boat. To stabilize the boat. At the first indication the staysail might remain filled naturally, the main came out. The wind would now drive the boat some. Once five or six knots came up regularly the genoa was set. Wind then accounted for a knot and half of our boat speed, and it was a glorious ride. The boat moved like a train on rails, and it was totally comfortable.
Just enough wind to fill all sails:
We got to Beaufort Town Dock at 03:30 pm after seventy two nautical miles from anchor to dock. The highest wind speed recorded was sixteen knots. The fastest boat speed recorded was 8.8 knots, caused by diesel, wind, and slight surfing even athough we did not see the first whitecap.
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