Little did I know then that this was a would be a foolish enterprise. But perhaps to meet (“Never promise anyone to be I ought to try. So, I did list her, at a high anywhere at any time” goes the first rule of last hurrah. And a fitting one: my seamanprice I was sure would not fetch a buyer. I cruising, which I violated). We started out ship was as good as it ever was. Pilgrim was right. I could look forward to another was well prepared, and nothing broke. ahead of a cold front and of course, sufcruising season, perhaps to Maine this time fered the consequences, which were wester- I had spent the summer months before pleasantly cruising alone on Long Island with Michael or another friend as crew for lies at 20 to 25 knots, sometimes more, for the offshore leg. A cheering thought. 16 hours. Pilgrim’s big main was tripleSound and Narragansett Bay. After MiBringing Pilgrim north on the ICW reefed and her jib partially furled and she chael departed in Hampton, I took Pilgrim alone last spring, I found myself for the alone down the Intra-Coastal Waterway flew—7.5 to 8.5 knots steadily (once I saw (ICW) to winter quarters in New Bern, first time exhausted at the end of a day of nine over the ground on the Garmin). I NC and settled in for what I anticipated motoring (with an occasional sail, includheaded enough offshore to keep the waves ing a nice one on the starboard “What was surprising was how the end sneaked up. It tip-toed into across Albequarter, so we marle Sound). were actually my life without me understanding clearly what was happening.” fairly comfortI had always anchored every night on ICW trips, both able, and the powerful autopilot did the would be a comfortable life at a very pleasant marina in the heart of town. As indeed recently and in the distant past, but this steering. time I docked at Coinjock, took a nice long When the front passed, we enjoyed it was; many sailors had arrived there in hot shower, and had dinner at the joint a near-perfect sail along the DelMarVa years past and bought houses, including in the marina. (In retrospect, I should not coast on our third day out. As the sun was a good friend and his wife who had put have been surprised: going south in the fall, many thousands of long ocean-passage setting, Pilgrim had Cape Charles abeam. I ran into strong crosswinds in Currituck miles under their keel. We doused the sails and motored up the Sound and had to pay strict attention to Hints that something was changing auxiliary Thimble Shoals channel into everything—the engine sound, the depth were at first subtle and then not so subtle. Hampton Roads. This was familiar water, sounder, the chartplotter at the helm, the I began taking a great interest in house the weather was clear, and at 1 a.m., 72 buoys behind and ahead, all the usual—and hours out, Pilgrim was at rest at a floating prices and rentals in New Bern. But, of found the anxiety level shockingly high.) dock at the Hampton YC. I was a tired but course, not for now. Anyway, given the By the time I arrived at the free tie-up at state of the boat market, selling Pilgrim happy puppy.
E s cap e t o . . .
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