SAVANNAH BOUND!

Migrating North,

My last farewells were made in South Florida. My crew arrived early last week. Last minute preparations were made. Filled up with fuel and water. Stocked up on some provisions for a few days, and everything was stowed away properly for my trip up to Savannah. I left Thursday afternoon on the high tide and had an amazing two day sail with light winds, following seas, and warm weather. Once in the Gulf Stream, Florida was quickly left in my wake and I had Georgia on my mind.

The Gulf Stream makes for some fantastic sailing when timed properly. I saw more dolphin shows (they really never get old), turtles lazing about, and my crew was even able to fish along the way. To my amazement, they even caught something and the barbecue smelled good that night. But what I like the most about sailing in the Gulf Stream is the help I get when heading home. The warm water from the Gulf of Mexico flows North to the cooler waters close to Nova Scotia and across to Europe. This creates a fast and warm ocean current which accelerates me back up the coast. I can relax and let the current do most of the work!

You really never know who you will meet when traveling at sea. Some nights are quiet without even a whisper on the radio. Other times you find yourself with lots of other ships around. I saw the USS George W. Bush training its crew along the way. There were jets and helicopters flying around practicing taking off and landing from the massive aircraft carrier. One of the helicopters even came by to say hello so I responded "Toot toot" as they flew by.

Now I'm safely in Savannah and very excited as the rest of the Tall Ships arrive. I can't wait to open my doors to all the people who want to stop by and hear about my trip back home.