Southern Cross Update

Sorry to be MIA again, but it's been a little busy around here.

Ryan and Kurt left for St. Pete Saturday afternoon. Despite what they thought were going to be bad conditions, they left Carrabelle safely and headed south. Around midnight, as usual, the winds and seas kicked up; it was 25-30 knots with 4-5 ft seas right on the nose. They were quite uncomfortable until 6 a.m. when the wind turned to the stern 1/4 and they sailed all day with 3-4 ft. following seas. Then, as they turned into Tampa Bay channel, the winds kicked up to 20 knots right on the nose again, with a strong outgoing tide. Their speed was around 7 knots, but the VMG (velocity made good, or speed over ground) was only around 3 knots. Oh, and 6 foot seas on Tampa Bay! They thought they would be at the St. Pete Yacht Club around 8:00 p.m., yet didn't get in until around midnight. That was the worst part, according to my trusty captain.

This week the boys rest up, take in the sights, and get ready to race. The race starts Friday.

Meanwhile, Zachary continues to be the genius child, and I'm working hard teaching and being a temporarily single mom.