After heaving-to offshore for a quiet coffee break, Sailing Vessel Beauty gets underway again, continuing her solo passage toward Venice Inlet.
Single-handed sailing offers moments like this—pausing the boat, making a cup of coffee, and simply taking in the Gulf before setting a course for the inlet.
As Beauty approaches Venice Inlet, the North and South jetties come into view. The coastline is familiar, but the effects of Hurricanes Helene and Milton are still visible. Both storms caused significant damage and reshaped portions of the shoreline and the areas around the jetties.
Beauty passes between the jetties and enters Venice Inlet, returning to familiar waters. Although Charleston, South Carolina is her hailing port, these Florida waters have become familiar through years of sailing along the coast.
For a single-handed sailor, there is something special about bringing Beauty into an inlet you know well—watching the shoreline, reading the water, and seeing how the coast has changed since the last passage.
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