Cape Lookout Bight: here today, gone tomorrow (probably)

 

I just took these not great photos from GANNET with my phone.  The one of the lighthouse is facing north.  The other south.  Curious how different the light is in the two directions.  It is almost noon and not the light professional photographers want, but then I am not a professional photographer and take what I can when I can.

The wind blew 20 knots all day yesterday.  Whitecaps in the bight and GANNET bouncing around as though she were at sea.  Six other sailboats were anchored here and a small Coast Guard cutter.  This is an exceptional anchorage.  The sand around Cape Lookout forms a fish hook with the opening to the west.  Once inside there is protected water a mile long and a half mile wide and 25’ deep. 

The wind kept me cabin bound.  I stood in the companionway from time to time, but not for long.  I reattached the stowage bag that had been pulled off the inside of the hull, resecured the wiring for the Pelagic, sorted through three storage boxes and got rid of some things that had corroded and some I never use, tested the three remaining Raymarines and found that all work.  I write the year of purchase on the Raymarines with an indelible pen.  Incredibly one of the still working Raymarines dates from 2015.  Surely it belongs in the tiller pilot hall of fame.  I read and listened to music, and in the early evening had a FaceTime call with Carol.  Not bad, but also not what I am used to while sailing.

I turned on the Pelagic.  It seems to work.  On the sail home I will use it again some time when I can be in the cockpit and keep watch on it.  The wiring is now definitely secure and cannot be a source of momentary outage, if that is what happened before.

The wind died around sunset and the night was calm.  I slept well.

This morning I applied sealant to the deck fitting for the port aft shroud.  A few drops of water leaked from it on the way here.

Being on board again for now a week is good.  I enjoy living in this limited space.  I enjoyed some of the sailing.  And I become aware of details that need attending to.  My GANNET to do list was five when I left Hilton Head.  It is now twelve.  All minor, but worth fixing or buying.

The wind forecast for the sail home is decidedly more favorable this morning than it was two days ago.  Tomorrow the wind is supposed to be light.  If there is enough for me to sail, I will.  If there isn’t, I’ll have to wait until Saturday.