We made it back to the US! Rather than head due west to Florida which would have been a distance of about 60 miles, we decided to take advantage of the Gulf Stream and ride it north.  We made landfall at Southport, North Carolina, a distance of 640 miles traveled in 82.3 hours. This was a record offshore passage for Dagny and her crew.

The daytime hours were spent tweaking sails, reading, and enjoying the thrill of the ride in the Gulf Stream. At one point we were sailing at 11 knots! That’s twice our usual cruising speed. At night, we took turns on watch, happy to have our trusty autopilot while keeping a constant eye out for ships and those pesky fishing boats that seem to appear out of nowhere.

It’s great to be back in the States, but we already miss our new sailing friends and the beautiful Bahamas. We’ve traded clear, turquoise water for muddy, brown, coffee water in the ICW rivers and canals, but the adventure continues as we make our way up the East Coast to the Chesapeake Bay and Maryland.