Upwind across Apalachicola Bay in an east wind
Conditions: ESE 5 to 8 knots, 62 to 64°F, clear; rising tide
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I took Bluebell south down the channel from Battery Park Marina, then turned east and sailed upwind, zigzagging into the wind. The waves were bigger than on my last sail.
At one point, Bluebell couldn’t carry enough speed through the waves to tack. After three tries, I jibed instead to get back into the channel. That’s in the video above.
The sail back to the marina was quick.
I filmed this sail from several angles. There’s also a half-hour video with no talking: Sailing Apalachicola Bay in Com-Pac Picnic Cat.
Wind, temperature, and sky are from the Apalachicola airport weather station (KAAF). Tide is from NOAA's Apalachicola station.
Track
- Upwind 48%
- Reaching 9%
- Downwind 38%
- Under 1 knot 6%
Wind ESE 5–8 kt
Arrows show the direction of travel. Point of sail compares the boat's course with the wind measured at KAAF, so short stretches can be off when the wind on the water differs. Shoreline: USGS National Hydrography Dataset.