Hurricane Matthew

We'd been watching this storm track across the Caribbean and then it turns north and it's like wow this could be pretty big. Monday we start thinking we really have to start making a move so first thing Tuesday morning we leave our anchorage just north of St Augustine and plan to go to Green Cove Springs. GCS is 20nm inland from St Augustine up the St Johns river but to get there it is just over 60 miles as you have to go north up to Jacksonville first and then back down. With a dirty bottom and prop and the current in the river against us it was a little slow and then we get to Jacksonville and the city bridge opens at certain times and unfortunately we missed it by 5 minutes and had to wait 4 hours until 8pm. In the pissing rain we were very happy to have the new Simrad radar. The river is fairly well marked with not much traffic especially on a night like that and we made it safely to GCS arriving at 1am. I booked a spot to haul out on the way so at 6am we were up dropping the headsail and then in to confirm the haul and after waiting for 2 boats we were out early afternoon yesterday and very happy. Well as happy as can be, the yard is fairly disorganised with a lot of scruffy boats and junk around but it's the best we could do under the circumstances. The problem with leaving Sunflower in the water and setting lots of anchors isn't just dragging but all the stuff that may flow down the river when it floods like trees, boats, docks and whatever else that floats. There are creeks running off the river which would be great but they all have bridges blocking the entrances so that scraps that idea.

So then the fun begins stripping the boat of pretty much EVERYTHING, solar panels, sails, kayak, dodger you name it and all in the pooring rain. Sunflower looks like a bomb has gone off inside with everything on the cabin floor but we got it done and now we are in a cheap hotel room close by and the waiting game is on.. it will start getting windy in the early hours of tomorrow morning and then the peak will be that evening and there is not much else we can do besides sit back eating noodles and drinking beers watching the TV!! Ive given up watching the forecast as it changes every time but at the moment the eye is going to pass over ST Augustine heading straight up the coast so hopefully the 20nm inland we are will do us good but who knows it could all change once again for the better with any luck. Anyway we have done all we possibly can and now it's just a case of crossing our fingers and toes and hope sunflower will be alright:) and to be honest the scariest moment so far has been the lift to the hotel from a lady recommended from the marina. In Australia we would say she's a 50 year old bogan who's had a hard life. She was drunk as anything and trying to make small talk and telling us about previous accidents she's had and how her brakes don't work and she kept asking me if my name was Kaden (?) and after three times she gave up, luckily we made the 5 minute journey without a scratch!!

Hurricane Matthew tearing up the coast