A Record Breaking Day

A Record Breaking Day …   Thursday 20th June 2013

Today we broke two records - our wettest sail in Cotinga and our fastest recorded speed through the water. It was a great day! We were pretty sure that the first part of our journey today along the Neuse River would be pretty rough because it was choppy yesterday and now the wind was blowing 20 knots from the north east and we needed to cover 12 miles in that very direction. The river itself is also shallow (< 20 ft) and has a 100+ mile fetch from the NE up Pamlico sound. We raised the main sail with one reef whilst still at anchor and then motored out into the river. It was wild with very short period 3ft breaking waves. We opted to motor sail off the wind and try and avoid taking the waves right on the nose. In this we were partly successful, but because of the really short period between waves we would occasionally bury the bow with a loud clank as the anchor banged into the bow roller and a large plume of spray cascaded over the boat. It was very bumpy, very wet and to be honest, quite exciting! One load of spray came right over the dodger and drenched us both. It would have been a great opportunity to take photos but it might have been my last with this camera as it would have been soaked. I did try taking a couple of shots from behind the dodger - but I really need  a water proof camera.

Once we had cleared the shoal at the junction of the Bay and Neuse rivers we were able to turn more to the north, pull out the genoa and kill the engine. We had a fabulous sail for the next 5 miles or so, then dropped both sails and motored up Goose Creek channel. This gave us a chance to make and eat some sandwiches, after which we emerged into the Pamlico river, raised our sails and again switched off the engine. Crossing this river to the north east proved less challenging, the wind seemed to have eased a little and the waves were definately less fierce. We tacked our way across and then headed up the Pungo River on a fast and furious close haul. We consistently kept speed of 6.5 - 7.5 knots and at one point we saw 8.3 knots on our knot-meter, a new boat record for us … (and that was with a reef in, just showing that less sail doesn't necessarily mean less speed). We also "smoked" another yacht that was motoring up the river - always a good feeling when sail beats power! All in all it was a wonderful day of sailing. I have never felt more confident in our boat - it felt absolutely solid even as we were fighting our way through nasty chop, and once free to go she sailed brilliantly through the calmer waters. 

We arrived at the Pantego Creek off Belhaven at 3.30 pm having covered about 40 miles (by the most direct measure) in about 7 1/2 hours. We stopped at Belhaven on the way south but were underwhelmed when we found the sole restaurant was only open one or two days a week. Tonight we have no plans to go into town, not least because our dinghy "the Dumb Dog" is strapped in her kennel on the foredeck!

p.s. I think the cockpit shower display in Beaufort was too much for Gloria - I've just seen her head up the companionway with the garden sprayer … but this time she's in a bikini! 

N35 31.860, W 76 37.327

Rough water on the Neuse River - (photo taken through the old dodger)

Close hauled in the Pamlico River