Roeboat sails into Hilton Head after historic journey

After a nearly 600-mile voyage from Hilton Head to Key West, sailing in a historic race to Cuba, and multiple crews who took on everything from bad weather to mechanical issues, the Roeboat is finally home.

The 35-foot sailing sloop glided regally into Palmetto Bay in Hilton Head midday on Friday after eight weeks at sea, where it was greeted by a handful of friends and family and members of the Yacht Club of Hilton Head Island who crewed for the trip.

Members left out of Hilton Head for the first leg of the trip to Key West Jan. 16.

They then participated in the Conch Republic Cup, a historic event for American sailors — the first time the United States government has allowed boat travel to Cuba in more than 50 years.

Several crews participated in the multi-leg trip, including one crew that took the boat to Key West, another that participated in Cup’s variety of races and a third crew that brought the boat home to Hilton Head.

More than 50 boats from the United States participated in the historic race. The Roeboat came in 3rd in one of the 90-mile runs to Cuba, then it came in 5th in another of the Cup’s races.

For a look back at scenes from the trip and blog entries, visit http://bit.ly/RoeboatToCuba.

File video from the departure:

This story was originally published March 11, 2016 at 7:23 PM with the headline "Roeboat sails into Hilton Head after historic journey."