19 December - Day #17. When I closed yesterday's log with "We're ready for this bad weather to blow through." I wasn't being literal. Well, 'blow' it did but unfortunately 'through' it is not. Anchor watches are part of the cruising life and this one started yesterday at 7pm and went until 6am this morning. The winds built from 20 to 30kts and there were some 40kt gusts. Up until midnight the tide was going east while the winds were going west. That always makes for fun--if you like big waves on the beam. Then the ebb set in and both the wind and current worked together to try and pry Nellie from terra firma. The picture above shows a breadcrumb plot of Nellie's position over about 4 hours. The plot's tight vertical lines are Nellie swinging to her anchor. The successive groupings of tight vertical lines are evidence that the anchor wasn't holding. So, at 2:30am all hands were on deck for the re-anchoring drill. When, at 8am, the weather forecast was calling for more of the same, we pulled anchor and headed to the Town Creek Marina. Docking in 24kt winds is really a controlled crash. A crash that I'm happy to report that we and Nellie walked away from. One of the benefits of being dockside is the free loaner car. Not ones to sit on our hands we picked up Lynn and Jack Robinson (S/V Felix) and explored Morehead City. Secured to a very strong dock in Town Creek, Beaufort, NC. 4nm today and 326nm total. DBH
