T'ai Chi - Around Cape Hatteras

After an early and rushed start, with a last minute change of route and strategy, Tai Chi left Hampton at 1700 EST with an extra crew member on board. The Arc Bahamas fleet had been advised to head to Beaufort, NC, to wait out a weather system which would bring an intense nor’easter storm right over our originally planned route.  Of the Arc Bahamas fleet, 4 chose the outside route around Cape Hatteras, 2 chose the ICW and 1 decided to wait and cross after the storm had passed. Johnnie, the Arc Bahamas coordinator came aboard Tai Chi just before we left, so he could continue to help coordinate the fleet from Beaufort, North Carolina.We had a nasty 48 hour trip, with thunder, lightening, churning seas, 30 knot winds, gusting to 40 at one point, and two seasick crew members, one of. read more...

T'ai Chi - Preparing for offshore...er...no...Hurricane Sandy!

Storms can be so disrespectful. Hurricane Sandy is not only dangerous, it is also extremely inconvenient.  We were so happy to reach Hampton 2 days ahead of schedule, so we could get some of the major issues fixed and do a lot of preparation for our offshore leg to the Bahamas with the Caribbean 1500.  Instead we have been focusing much of our effort on hunkering down for the hurricane. Hampton is just at the convergence of the James, Hampton and Elizabeth Rivers where they flow into the great Chesapeake Bay. We are right on the edge of the storm’s currently predicted path, but within the expected ‘wide swath of damaging conditions’. The storm is expected to make landfall exactly where we were before we arrived here, sailing up the Delmarva coast (Delaware, Maryland, Virginia). read more...