Major work completed and Chesapeake bound!

 After a long - and very hot - three week stay in south Florida, I'm happy to report that our new hardtop bimini has been installed, as have our new lithium batteries and solar panels! We've gone from 420 Watts of solar power to 1500 Watts, and from 60 usable Amp-hours of battery storage to 1200 Amp-hours.  With the new batteries alone we no longer needed to run the generator every night - or even at all - to keep the batteries above the minimum voltage level, even with the original solar panels.  With the addition of the new solar panels we don't expect to need the generator at all for typical daily living (without air conditioning), even if we have a spell of rainy days.  Our goal is to use the generator only when we need a/c or for running a water maker, which is a future planned addition to our on-board equipment.

New hardtop bimini

New lithium batteries

Spending a significant portion of the last five months on a dock, without a car, too far away from friends and family for quick or frequent visits, and a never-ending list of boat repairs to work on was not the life I had envisioned when Steve and I decided to sell everything and embark on the adventure of a lifetime.  It seemed that there was too much time dealing with the inconveniences of living on a boat, and none of the benefits. (Thank goodness my parents were kind enough to loan us a car for several weeks and were close enough for a few visits!) I now understand why the You Tube cruisers we had watched advised living aboard for a full year before deciding if you really like the lifestyle or not.  Especailly when you have bought a new (used) boat, I believe that a lot of the first year is typically spent getting all of the systems operational and learning to navigate the complexities of living on a boat, e.g. trouble-shooting issues, finding the right replacement parts, finding suitable anchorages, identifying good weather windows, etc.

Steve at the top of the mast repositioning the VHF antenna

But then, the critical work was complete and we set off on our journey northward.  Even without being able to sail for the first portion of the trip, it was wonderful to be free of the dock, with the wind in my face. As night fell, it only got better.  There is nothing quite so peaceful as your face being caressed by the balmy breeze and the gentle undulation of the waves. 

              Happy girl!                                                                      Ending the day right

As the first day of sailing progressed, we were able to raise the head sail to give our motor a little boost and we made better time than predicted, so much so that we sailed right past St. Augustine at 2 am rather than stop the next morning as we had planned.  At 6 am the second day, we were able to raise our main and sail for a full 12 hours without motoring at all. This was totally unexpected and Steve and I were thrilled! 

We arrived at Fernandina Beach, which is on Amelia Island at the northern Florida line, and moored at around 5 pm after being underway for 53 hours. 

Fernandina Beach is a cute little town with lots of restaurants, live music, and shops. 

                            View of historic downtown Fernandina Beach from our mooring

                                                 View from the Amelia River of the marsh 

Our plan for the next 5 months is to cruise up the eastern seaboard of the US to the Chesapeake Bay.  Our only hard deadline is that we need to be north of Cumberland Island, Georgia for insurance purposes by July 1st.  From there on out we are free to go where the winds take us and to do so at whatever pace suits us. This is more what I had in mind...😊