Southbound Sailing - October 24, 2014 – January 9, 2015

For much more detail about this cruise see the Facebook entries posted at the time, Click Here.

The entire trip covered 1,049nm from Annapolis, Maryland to Melbourne, FL.  The trip took over two months but Kelly IV was underway only 28 days total.  We covered an average of 37.5nm per day spending about 8 hours underway each of those days.

After topping off the diesel and water tanks on Thursday evening, October 23, Kelly IV was ready to sail south.  

The original plan called for an overnight passage with Kevin and Noel, departing a few days later, but a tremendously positive weather forecast led to an earlier October 24 departure and sailing the length of the Chesapeake Bay single handed with 4 overnight stops.  

It proved to be an excellent decision as the weather for Kelly IV's trip was 9 full days of sun and often wonderful breezes.

Don & Donna were at the marina early to give us a send-off. 

For details on much of the trip feel free to browse the CaptMurph.com FaceBook Page.  (Note that you'll have to scroll back in time many years!)  There are many photos posted on the Facebook Page Album, 2014 ICW Southbound  (Very little scrolling required!)  Videos taken during the southbound sail include:  Geese over Dymer Creek, Wing & Wing Across the Rappahannock, Running Before 20+ Knots, Dolphins in Poquoson River, Albemarle Sound Broad Reach, Wing & Wing Across the Albemarle, Scranton Creek NC, Fish Underwater Light, Dolphins in Bogue Sound, and Factory Creek Beaufort SC.

Under tow into Wrightsville Beach after transmission failure.

Rich Barzyk was the only crew on this trip, joining Kelly IV in Wrightsville Beach, NC and sailing the entire coastline of South Carolina before departing in Savannah, GA.  He was terrific company, excellent crew and, for a powerboater, a really great guy!   :-)

The first severe weather caught up to Kelly IV late in the day after the anchor was down and set on November 1st in Scranton Creek, NC.  The gale blew through with winds of 40+ knots and kept us on the hook through a second night.  November 3 woke us up to a beautiful clear day and the resumption of our southbound trip.

Scranton Creek Moon

Oriental and Beaufort, NC are small, wonderful, waterway towns that are home to friends of mine from the days selling physician office computer systems.  Doug, Eddie, Lynn, Kevin and I celebrated the “good ole days” when we all gathered on the Beaufort waterfront for a grand meal together.

Serene Sunset, Beaufort, NC

Thanksgiving was spent in St. Mary's, GA.  The townspeople and local hotelier hosted a cruisers' Thanksgiving meal with over 100 participating small boat cruisers representing over 50 boats in the local marina and anchorage.
Kelly IV spent the month of December in ancient St. Augustine as that city began its celebration of 450 years as a municipality, the oldest European mainland settlement in the New World.  New friends were met and the old city was widely explored and toured.  The Christmas lights along the downtown waterfront were a terrific and festive sight, viewed every evening from Kelly IV bobbing on her mooring in the Matanzas River.

St. Augustine Nights of Lights

New Year's Day was spent at anchor in Daytona Beach as the rain clouds blew through, then the trip wrapped up just a few days later in Melbourne, FL visiting cousins who live in nearby Indialantic.

The original plan included treks to the Keys and Bahamas, but meeting a wonderful woman in Titusville, FL brought a very positive halt to the southbound trip as a new relationship was forged.