Kingfisher had a major addition, or replacement, on this day – a new daggerboard. True, I felt nostalgia for the old board of fine mahogany, extensively weathered, cupped, gouged, oyster-impaled, repaired, sanded, and varnished over and over. The new board
It was a somber atmosphere Saturday morning when I cast off before 9: gray skies and brown marsh, in stark contrast to the blue skies and golden marshes of my last sail, seemingly a long time ago. Water covered
The view at the deserted landing was spectacular: a low sun was blazing and reflecting off the moving water. It was blowing already from the northeast – small craft advisory, and Kingfisher is on the small end of qualifying in that category. Weather reports had quite a wide range, from 10-15 knots to 20-25 knots.
Sparkling Surprises Read More »
The sunrise would arrive a little after seven. A cloud bank in the east held the sun’s emergence a little longer, and was illuminated from behind, looking like some craggy Patagonian mountainscape. I would return later with Kingfisher to launch for a sail out toward Bull Island. Along the ecotone just above the marsh flying
July 7, 2012. Marine forecast: SW 10-15 knots, with 15 knots later. I arrived down at the landing at 1PM, and was disappointed to find that the sea breeze had not filled in yet. The heat and humidity approached oppressive. South down the ICW, a neighbor’s flag was limp. Further to the south, beyond Garris
Nice Day for a Circumnavigation Read More »
After the run to the recycling center, I made a quick stop to take a look at the landing. I knew already: a fine NNE wind, puffy cloud skies, these conditions called me to sail.
I made my preparations for heading out to Bull Island early one Sunday morning. In my yard the leaves of oak trees were still; the reverberation of the island’s surf wafted through the air. Both were indications of no wind as yet. Kingfisher’s deck
Kingfisher had not been in the water since November of last year, and the deck was coated with a thin layer of dirt. I used the sponge to clean the area around the cockpit before I raised sail and headed out Andersonville Creek. The wind was out of the north and the tide falling, conditions
Jacks Creek Walkaround Read More »
The wind was to be out of the south, but instead blew from the east. A large dark cloud covered the south of Bull Island in the distance. But with a decent breeze and the last of a flooding tide, I decided to do what I planned, and nothing
Saturday Perhaps it was missing the ideal voyage window last Sunday out to the island – outgoing tide and southwest breeze. The conditions were there, but circumstances did not allow. I counseled myself on patience. So Saturday I waited for the wind to come up, and waited. Not the best tide – it would be
Seabreeze encounters Read More »
My first loggerhead sighting of the day took place before 8AM, when my friend Brantley and I stopped at the landing toward the end of a morning run. I saw the distinctive head of the loggerhead right next to the pilling of channel marker #68 before it submerged – in the last week I had
Sailing free among loggerheads, (and walking with flies) Read More »
The tide was high Sunday morning February 20 when I arrived at the landing. The wind whipped down the Intracoastal Waterway from the northeast. It had been so long since my last trip out on the water (Jan. 1), and today was a window of opportunity for making a Bull Island trip. But the wind
