Day 3 & 4 Green Cove Springs to OBX: false confidence 😰😟

Lexi DeLeon

If you read my updates throughout the trip, things were going fantastic. I was moving quick, good weather, little rolly seas but manageable, 100’s of dolphins surrounding the boat, gorgeous sunsets and sunrises. Then finally I have the harbour in sight, that famous charleston bridge can be seen from a few miles out. It quickly became hidden through dark stormy clouds, I suddenly was caught in 4-5fts at short intervals. I got behind the jetty and was relieved, I swallowed the lump in my throat and carried on thinking the harbour would protect me. I see the storm slowly moving south and then bam I get hit with building winds. 16, 22, 25, 27, 33, 36, and rising! I clocked 46 kts before my wind reader shut off. Eventually found out someone clocked 52 kts but likely even higher. As this wind came through it churned up the water and i had waves breaking over the boat with water coming up over my dodger, soaking the inside of the boat through the closed hatches (they do leak a little but only under intense rain). The wind blew off our flexible panels and was using them basically as a kite in the air. BENDING THE SUNTOWER, this was insane to turn around and see the dinghy dipping into the water and the metal poles arching. It was all I could do to just keep the boat turned to port not the get pushed up on the beach or rocks. I truly thought that I could lose the boat. I stayed relatively calm 😅 I fought the storm for what felt like forever but was probably about 20 mins. I ended up getting a marina slip for the night, where I spent the evening just trying to dry the boat out. Also clean all the fuel off deck, the waves crashed so hard and high over that it flipped my tied down fuel cans and spilled them. it also rolled in over the hatches on the dodger, let that sink in… that’s well over 6ft high on the boat. Today I learned that Sadie cannot handle storms of any sort and will definitely never risk that again. Coming into the marina was chaos with vessels thrown up in the marsh, sails ripped to shreds, and other boats on top of each other. I’m just glad to have made it safely and been close to shore. 😴

Boat & Crew

Sadie

Gemini, 105m

Grace R

Owner

Hadley Mae

Pet, Female

Lexi DeLeon

Owner