This is a beautiful area and wonder place. I too thought I would be finishing on Saturday afternoon. I was enjoying 10-20 m.p.h. winds with a building light chop, as I worked my way north on Core Sound. By the time I was heading ENE, it was closer to 20 and waves were 1-2, still wonderful conditions in a Drascombe Lugger. My battery had died around Harker’s Island, so I was running on my maps and compass. I did have a spare, power source, but was not expecting to swap it out and I would need to stop to do that. As I was heading toward channel marker "C", a turn north towards Atlantic and passing the inlet, the winds jumped, and the waves doubled. The winds were enough to make the rigging whistle. Running beam to the waves, the tops were now head high and I could not see over them. I think it was part wind and part opposing current from the income tide at the inlet. If I turned north the chart showed shallows, I might not be able to sail through and I expected the waves to escalate with the upcoming shoals and opposing current. Even before this the waves were enough, I could not see the floating buoys, until a couple hundred yards away. I went to slow down and reassess. Thinking about, just rowing it through, it was all downwind. I pulled my jib furling line and it snapped. I guess I am sailing somewhere. There was a small creek on the west shore of the sound, at a cell tower in the town of Stacy. It should be sheltered from the wind and make for an easy marsh landing. It was about a mile away and most of the sound was deep open water, so it seemed like the smarter choice for me. When my centerboard hit bottom, I pull it and then my rudder. I rowed the last part of shallows to the marsh, and then had to work and by now plan E. In a foot of water with no waves, I could swap my battery and have my GPS maps and transducer working. The forecast 20-30 was supposed to lay down some in the evening, prior to the arrival of storms. PaddleDancer found SkinnyGenes, who could pick me up, to get my truck. PaddleDancer said it looked like boats and a dock south of me near the Church. So, I walked my boat in that direction and sure enough a ramp and small dock, with only a few no trespassing signs. Walked to the neighbors, he called the owner, everyone was really nice. It is hard to bailout with only 15 miles to go, but I made the right choice for the moment. I learned I need to better research the cuts and inlets. Marking routes on the GPS would have really helped in those conditions. I had a great time, and can’t wait to do another WaterTribe event.
