Saltwater
December 23, 2023
We celebrated our arrival in downtown Mobile with a fun date night on Dauphin Street. Afterward, we slept tied to a wall within a major commercial port - maybe not the best idea. Starting at 3 am the waves of the passing boats rocked us awake and then somehow back to sleep.
The next morning we motored out to the bay where we were greeted by dolphins! We tried to sail but the winds were too light. One of the ships from the port had departed and was gaining on us fast. Due to the shallow depths outside we were not comfortable leaving the channel. We radioed the captain for instructions and he told us to “hug the greens”. Intimidating, to say the least. Once he passed, we surfed his first massive wake only to be turned partially sideways and tossed like a toy by the next waves. We were fine but afraid we would snap our rudder or swamp our outboard.
We’re now tied up on the west end of the bay for Christmas in Mobile near some new friends we’ve met on the way down. Rain is forecast. Lots of cooking and movies and calls with family and friends are on the agenda.
We’re thrilled to be in warmer weather, surrounded by palm trees and saltwater. We’ve finally made it to the next chapter in our journey.
Merry Christmas from the Novella crew!
December 27, 2023
Today was a good day. We departed Mobile and crossed the bay to Fairhope, a place we had heard multiple times we needed to see. Once we were clear of the shipping lanes, we raised our sails and got a free ride in at 4 knots. It felt so great to sail again! There is a beach right next to our dock and the sunset was incredible! We are having dinner tonight with a couple that lives here, one of whom has sailed across the Pacific to New Zealand.
