Repairs

After 12 days in Brunswick we left the Brunswick Landing Marina at 8:00 am this morning to head further N. We set a course for Winyah Bay, SC but planned to stop sooner, or continue on farther, depending on how we felt. I took a photo looking down the river at 7:00 am this morning hoping to catch how dark it was—blasted Daylight Saving Time—but my iPhone outsmarted me and took the photo with an extended exposure. 

We passed under the Sidney Lanier bridge shortly after we left. 

The wind is blowing 20 knots from the NW and the seas were quite lumpy.  We were sailing with a single-reefed main and had just put another reef in the main so we could also unfurl the jib. We thought that sail plan might be faster, but also more comfortable. As we were unfurling the jib, the sheet (lines that controls the jib) parted (broke) with a loud bang. It startled both of us. 

We furled the jib and George donned a PFD to go out on deck to tie up the other end of the jib sheet that was flapping in the wind. We then discussed our options—continue on with just the mainsail, pull in and anchor at the first opportunity, or turn around and go back to Brunswick. Going back to Brunswick was the least appealing option but also the one that made the most sense. We were just 5 1/2 miles from the Brunswick channel, although the return trip took much longer with 2 1/2 knots of current against us in the channel. 

We are now anchored in the Frederica River and making repairs. George is replacing the jib sheet and I am repairing an enclosure zipper that broke this morning. Our selftacking jib arrangement makes the jib sheet replacement a big project since it has to be threaded in and out of the deck as well as the mast. Once that is done we will figure out our next steps.