Dispatch, Wed 18 April

60 nm east of Charleston
  I am still becalmed, overcast, but now with no current. The Gulf Stream turns east out past Hatteras and I have crossed it and now just have to go the 100 nm up the coast. Also, for some reason it is quite choppy, which makes it uncomfortable onboard. The forecast gives me no reason for optimism. "Stationary front, today light and variable, Thursday: south, south-west to west 10 kts. Friday west 10 kts, Sat & Sun gale force wind. I want to give that gale one day extra margin, so I want to get to Wrightsville Beach not Friday but Thursday. That is tomorrow. After the rough time I had going south against the wind and current, I very much wanted to sail cleanly all the way home. I made it this far, but now, as much as I don't want to, it will be on with the motor. I have 110 nm to go, so at 4 kts I will arrive tomorrow afternoon. Of course, if that south-west wind forecasted is strong enough to sail in I will take advantage of it.
  There were two more episodes of strange waves yesterday, spaced maybe 30 minutes apart. In each the waves were bigger and more widely spaced, but each jiggled the boat like the first, but slower and harder each time. None of it was bad, just a particular side-to-side juggle. Also, purely coincidental, some birds came. Not sea birds but three were little finch type and one swallow type. They seemed to be trying to land on the erratically moving boat. Two went inside the cabin. I found one dead this morning.
  The bread was made with 100% whole wheat. Really tough, hard, and not much taste. I think I learned something.
  For now it is motor, motor, motor over the slick, somewhat choppy ocean.
Bill Doar
s/v Advent II
Later - The chop went away, or maybe I went away from the chop. No traffic on the radar, no traffic on the AIS, no traffic on the horizon. Nothing but a glassy, softly undulating ocean.
17:30 - After motoring all day under trisail, with drifter and poles out ready for light south-west wind, the wind came, but south-east at 12 kts. Poles in, genoa out, and I am sailing smoothly at 5.4 beautiful knots.