Fri, May 17, 2002 9:39:42 AM
River Forest Manor and Marina
Lat 35 31.908
Lon 76 36.938
33.3 nautical miles in five and a half hours.
Got up yesterday to see winds of 9-12 knots, by the time it came to getting the anchor up it was 15-20 knots and the anchor was well set. I would have expected no less. When we were underway we headed for the entrance to the Alligator River-Pungo Canal. The entrance is long and narrow with shallow water on each side and is poorly marked by my way of thinking (no paired marks). Like at the exit from the canal (more about that later), the entrance is a easy place to run aground.
Here is where we started to encounter a strange phenomena. Yesterday on the long run up the Alligator we saw very few north bound boats and no south bound boats, other than us, of course. That is why we were surprised to find 12 to 15 boats at the anchorage all but one of them traveling north, as it turned out. For the most part they were large sailboats (hence faster under motor) and 'fast trawlers'. Not having far to go that day we left 3 hours after the other boats departed, which is about the time it would take a sailboat to motor the canal. When we made the turn into the entrance channel a steady stream of boats started to exit the canal headed for us. All of them sailboats or slow trawlers. To compound the problem many of the slow trawlers were attempting to pass the slightly slower sailboats which meant the exiting stream of boats was taking up the entire channel forcing us out of it. This was not only an easy place to run aground but also an expensive place (more about that later). In the time it took us to transit the one mile entrance channel a dozen boats passed us heading north, four times more than we saw all day the day before. When we got into the canal itself I was amazed to see a steady stream of boats bow to stern heading north, almost all of them sailboats and slow trawlers. After passing 45-55 boat in a tightly packed line, the traffic cleared to be more what I expected, a boat every half mile or so. The only explanation I have for this cluster of boats is that about ten days ago a portion of the Intercoastal Waterway was closed down by a 'landslide' near Myrtle Beach SC for, as I understand it, several days, backing up ICW traffic. The distance from where we were to Myrtle Beach via the ICW is 250 miles, about the distance a sailboat would motor in a week. This may not be the explanation but I can think of no other.
On our entire trip on the 18 mile canal we had a headwind scoring between 20 and 30 knots in combined boat and wind speed. Not very pleasant. As we exited the canal I wondered what it would cost if we ran aground, as has happened in the past, and could not get off, to be towed off? Fortunately we didn't run aground and I was to find out the cost in a different manner.
Our plans had been to anchor in Pantego Creek and leave today for Oriental. Which obviously we didn't. The forecast called for 20 to 25 knots today and bad weather for the following two days. While not dangerous, traveling with winds like this is uncomfortable and anchoring out for two or three days was out of the question because we did not have enough water left to be comfortable. So here we are in the Marina drinking $5 Bloody Marys.
When it came time to dock the winds were blowing at 22 knots and the slip we were headed into would have accommodated a boat twice our size. Kay, as usual, got us into the slip perfectly, but getting tied up in a slip that big in a wind that high is another matter. Fortunately some neighbors came to help us, a husband and wife crew off the misnamed sailing vessel "Harmony" and Susan off the tug "Pandora". Susan doing a great immatation of Spider Woman soon had us tied up like a fly in a spider web. One can only hope that this fly can extract itself from the web when the time comes. We later talked to the crew of the Harmony and they told us that they had run aground coming out of the canal and spent the night stuck there. They were towed off the next day, yesterday. The cost of getting off, which took 5 minutes, was $600. That was one very unhappy wife! They were moving their boat from NY to their new home in Southport. They still had 165 miles to go, bad weather predicted for the next several days and had to fly out for their daughter's wedding by the coming Thursday. They left this morning at 6:00 AM. I got up to help them. She was very unhappy!
Sat, May 18, 2002 10:54:40 AM
same place
Wind is not our friend. Too much wind. Last night we had to get up twice to adjust the dock lines. Not an easy job for the out most boat with wind coming from the unprotected direction at 38 knots. At one point we had to run a spring line to a turning block (pulley) and then to the winch to take pressure off a stern line so that we could tighten the stern line.
It is still blowing in the 30s.
Yesterday a 38 foot sailboat, Foreclosure, attempted to take the slip next to us. This would have been great since it would have offered us some protection but alas they had great problems, alternately crushing their rail mounted grill and using their bow mounted anchor as a battery ram on the dock. (Not to mention banging into us.) Just when he had the boat in the right position to tie up he decided to bail out and try another slip. A regrettable decision as it turned out. He missed the other slip, could not get turned around in the adverse wind and was swept towards a stone bulkhead. Fortunately he grounded in soft mud before disaster really struck. Almost immediately he started calling for 'Sea Tow' and the Coast Guard, which was strange since the River Forest Marina is the home to 'Tow Boat US'. The latter, in fact, got him off and into a slip at what cost I do not know.
As I prepared to send this a front moved through with driving rain and winds in the 40s. The highest recorded gust so far is 54 knots. This is really 'living'?
Notable Names:
"Uncle Harry"
(I guess we know who died and left them money to buy the boat.)
"Snow Drift"
(?????)
"Starship"
(On a Manta 40, sailing catamaran, that looked like a...starship.)
Tue, May 21, 2002 7:37:53 AM
Oriental Marina
Oriental NC
Lat 35 01.441
Lon 76 41.778
44.3 nautical miles in 7 hours.
After the Squall passed, that occurred just before I sent my last message, the wind went completely calm and we could have easily left if it were not that our 4 foot 7 inch draft boat was now sitting in 3 foot 9 inches of water and 10 inches of mud. So there we sat with the boat immovable, and 3 feet from the nearest finger pier. Marooned!
Of course, the next day our friend the wind came back with renewed dedication. And there we sat. A large boat the "Millennium Lady" did arrive. It was about 80 feet long and 3 decks high. It appeared to be a tour boat which, if memory serves, is normally berthed at Waterside in Norfolk where it gives harbor tours. Several years ago I believe I meant the Captain at Waterside when Spindrift was there and he told me he was from Belhaven.
At Belhaven it was berthed side-to on the T-bar at the end of the East pier where it stuck out on both sides giving incoming boats additional entertainment as they negotiated there way around its ends. All was well until an even bigger boat arrived, the 105 foot, "Moonstruck". It had to stand off until they shifted the other boat to allow room for Moonstruck to pass. I tried tt find out who owned this megayacht but could not. The only clue was that trailing the name in uppercase but small letters were the initials DJ.
I talked to the owner of River Forest Marina, Axson Smith and he told me that this was not the biggest boat to visit, in fact two 140 footers regularly visit, probably 25 million dollar boats.
The day before we left, that is, yesterday, we finally got up the courage to go shopping. Belhaven is possibly unique in that there are lots of gulf carts used for local transportation. I was told that if you had a nice home and did not have a gulf cart you did not have a nice home. The Foodlion is about three miles from the marina on a state highway and the only practical way to shop there is to use one of the marina's gulf carts. That was one scary ride. What I missed most was a rear view mirror. It was unnerving to have cars unexpectedly charge around you from behind as you toddle along at 10 miles per hour. We survived.
Yesterday there were small craft warnings but we were showing winds in the five to six knot range. To get to Oriental we had to go down the Pungo River, cross over the Pamlico River, enter Goose Creek, follow that to the Hobucken canal which connects to the Bay River and then the Neuse River to Oriental.
We were most concerned about the Neuse as it is large and can be very rough with a North wind blowing into it from Pamlico Sound. We decided to go anyway and quickly learned that it was probably a mistake, when as we were taking off the dock lines, the wind having patiently waited for this moment immediately came up. "For Sailors Paranoia and Wisdom are sometimes the same thing."
As it turned out the only difficulty was in crossing the Pamlico River. About half way across a 'rouge wave' pooped the dinghy, filling it instantly with several hundred pounds of water. That had happened many times before over the past 15 years but this time there was a difference. The dinghy came with an inflatable seat, which installed by simply inflating it in place. We have never used it before and it would seem that we will never use it again. The water as it washed out of the dinghy took the seat with it. The seat is a cylinder about 2.5 feet in length and 10 inches in diameter with no loops, hoops or other protrubances. My theory was to press it against the hull with the boat hook and somehow roll it up the hull, sort of like trying to roll a marble up a hill with a single finger. I had a better chance of the Lady of the Lake rising up and giving it to me along with Excalibur than succeeding at this. Despite two and a half foot seas and 20-22 knot winds Kay managed to put the seat along side Spindrift four times. The only good thing about this quixotic attempt on my part was that at least I knew Kay could rescue me if I fell overboard and she was of a mind to do so at the time.
Wed, May 22, 2002 10:48:59 AM
The Oriental Marina is very nice and more reasonable than most so we are still here. Unlike River Forest where you have to get the dock master to unlock the box if you need ice, the box here is unlocked and runs on the honor system. Plus the ice is cheaper, $1 for a seven pound bag and $2 for a ten pound block. Block ice is highly desirable and hard to come by. So far on this trip we have spent $11.52 on diesel fuel and $22.50 on ice.
The smartest boating move of the year was selling our super featured and super small Icom VHF handheld radio. A handheld is useful when coming into a marina or requesting a bridge opening. (So that both of us can be on deck.) I sold it on ebay for a decent price and used the money to buy the cheapest handheld with the fewest features I could find. The reason why? As I said in the ebay description: "I am not intelligent enough to use it". Every time we had to use it we had to get the instructions out and follow directions like "to adjust the squelch, hold the radio at a 45 degree angle and while pressing the blue button and holding the function switch, twist the small knob (or something like that, I forget)". The person who bought the radio from us, after receiving it, wrote to tell me that I told no lie.
We have been listening to VHF transmissions from a trawler named "Tranquility". Neither of us would ever name a boat "Tranquility" or "Peaceful" or "Lucky" or anything else that invites retribution from the gods. Sure enough about a half an hour after we first heard him requesting a slip he called again reporting engine failure. Tow Boat US was dispatched and I just watched them tow him in. Getting it into the slip
was not very easy since there was a 20 knot cross wind but in they are. The husband and wife team did not look tranquil or peaceful and certainly are not feeling lucky.
Right now we plan to leave on Friday, depending on the weather, for Beaufort. Being Memorial Day weekend, whether we get a slip and for how long we can stay is problematical. I called the Beaufort Docks and was told that slips were on a first come, first served basis and that once in a slip we could stay the weekend. The Trawler next to me also called for a Thursday slip and was told that he could have one for Thursday and Friday but would have to leave Saturday morning as all slips were reserved for the weekend. This is not confidence building.
Overheard:
"Feather Feather, Wild Turkey Calling"
Names of Note:
On a Trawler
"Great Scott!"
On a hot looking Power Boat:
"Electrified"
On a Sailboat with a big bow sprit
"Pinocchio"
On the Oriental Sailing School's boats:
"Student Driver"
and
"Beginners Luck"
Sat, May 25, 2002 9:36:28 AM
Beaufort Docks
Beaufort NC
Lat 34 42.869
Lon 76 39.873
22.5 nautical miles in 3.5 hours
Given the weather, both wind and February like temperatues, we had planned to end our trip at Oriental. Plans changed after we talked to our daughter, Dawn, who upon hearing about our plan said "Is that all the further you are going?" That did it for my wife we were going on, no matter what!
We met Ted Clark off "Feather" a Hunter 40 and was surprised to discover that he had previously owned the ODay 32 we know as "Crystal Belle" which was sailed for many years by our cruising friends the Honeycutts. Feather was travelling with "Wild Turkey" , more about that boat shortly.
Going to Beaufort on a Memorial Day weekend, one on which the NYCRA offshore championships is being held is a sure way of not getting a slip. We planned to leave early in hopes of getting a slip. Up at six, out at 7. It turned out to be "up at 6, out at 7, out at 7:30...8:00". When we were coming into the Oriental Marina we were told we would be in slip 4. I expressed concern that there might not be enough water for us in that particular slip. The response was "After all the money we spent on dredging, there had better be". Right! Sure! I believe you! We were hard aground in our slip in three and a half feet of water as we prepared to leave yesterday morning .
I ran a line from the rear piling to the midship jib sheet block (pulley) back to the turning block and forward to the sheet winch and was able to move us half way out of the slip. Still we were hard aground. Behind us about 60 feet away was the Hunter 34, Wild Turkey, tied up at the city dock. The owner generously offered to winch us out if I could throw a line to him. My wife expressed a certain scepticism about my ability to do so. I expressed external optimism and was totally surprised when I succeeded. He had to winch us an additional 45 feet before we floated. Thanks Wild Turkey.
The rest of the trip was uneventful. There was a lot of floating debris in Adams creek, everything from twigs to full size logs that kept us awake. And as usual negotiating the Newport river marshes with its plethora of channels was a challenge but I am 'sad' to report that nothing untoward happened. In fact when we entered the Newport River we were greeted by five dolphin who came right up to the boat. A good sign if there ever was one.
Things can not go well forever. Yes they had a slip. The very last one. And then the big BUT...but it is currently occupied and won't be free for an hour or two. The slips at the Beaufort Docks are tricky to get into (and out of) due to the current, winds and tight spaces. Naturally we worry about that adventure and can't wait to get it over with. The only worse maneuver is trying to get off a facing dock with a contrary wind pinning you there. So where do we end up? Yes on that very same facing dock. So now we have two adventures to look forward to, getting off the face dock and getting into the slip. Kay does both flawlessly. She gets us off the face dock by using a spring line, bumper and powering forward to swing the stern out and then backing. I would never have believed it would work, but work well it did.
Sat, May 25, 2002 2:55:14 PM
There are a great number of boats here for the race last night. One of the neatest was a Cape Fear Yacht, 38 foot, 11 foot beam and a displaement of 11000 pounds. We met and talked to the builder. There is
not an ouncce of teak on the exterior where everything is very high tech the tiller was stainless steel shaped like an oval anchored to two stainless rods curving down to the rudder. The bow sprit was also stainless and of an equally unusual design.
We have a 56 foot high mast and it always worries me when we go under a high bridge. All are supposed to be at least 65 foot high but I know of one that is not as high as it says. The Cape Fear boat has a 62 foot high mast and yes they did hit a bridge bringing the boat uo the ICW. With 5 knots of current they were turned sideways, heeled over and scraped under the bridge. Better him than me.
Sat, May 25, 2002 6:28:59 PM
We have a rule that we can't go to bed on the boat before 9:30. After being aground and all the rest that happened we both violated that rule yesterday. Today is much better highlighted by a visit from Conner Atkeson and his wife Nancy. They came while my wife was out shopping and where highly entertained when my daughter called and they heard from my side of the converstion "Good Grief (or words to that effect) do you mean it is your mother's birthday". They predicted that if I now remembered she would know why and sure enough when Kay came back and I wished her Happy Birthday, her reply was "Dawn must have called". Darn (or words to that effect)!
I suppose that the most attention getting (in more than one way) part of the day was our trip to the grocery store. The Beaufort Docks has three loaner cars which you can borrow for an hour. Needless to say they are not in the best condition, but are still much appreciated and needed. The car we were given yesterday was a Ford LTD station wagon with 96000 miles or more likely 196000 miles on it. The problem with this car was that when you stopped it and tried to start up again it would go just a few feet and then stall. This made crossing a street after halting at a stop sign an experience replete with screeching brakes, angry horns, shaken fists and other hand parts. It generally took me seven attempts to cross the street and get the car to go again just in time for the next stop sign.
I solved the problem on the way back by not stopping for anything, adjusting the speed of the car so that I could go through a hole in the traffic. Against the law it certainly was but it was safer for everyone. Of course, explaining this to a policemen might be a bit tricky, but there is always a possibility that the Beaufort police were already aware of this car's idiosyncrasies.
Sun, May 26, 2002 10:15:49 AM
Last night a rather load party on the yacht "Aqua Kat" across the dock from us went on to well after midnight. When I got up at 6:00 AM this morning I was sorely tempted to go over an knock on the hull and call out "Time to get up." Having since discovered that the yacht belongs to Jerry Richardson the owner of the Carolina Panthers of the NFL I am very glad that I resisted the temptation.
Names of Note:
"Immunity"
Talk about a name that invites destruction.
"Excellance"
Another name we would never use.
A little too cute:
"Sea-Clusion"
On a large power boat
"Irish Ayes"
The following name contains a graphic of a honey bee.
"ESSO-graphic"
Pretty clever. On a boat from the Pamlico Sailing Club here for the race.
"She's Worth It"
On a large motor yacht. Unfortunately I can't testify either way to the truthfullness of this.
A lot less subtle, on a power catamarran:
"My Viagra"
and with more class on a sailing catamarran
"Romance"
Another name we liked
"Almost There"
although it invites an exchange somewhat like the Abbot and Costello's 'Who's on First' routine, as in
Coast Guard: "Vessel calling what is your name again?"
Almost There: "Almost There"
Coast Guard: "Almost where?"
Almost There: "ALMOST THERE!"
Coast Guard: "Sir! Could you be more specific as to your location. Do you have a VHF radio on board?"
and so on...
or some variation thereof.
Mon, May 27, 2002 11:54:50 AM
Yesterday we went out on Tom Harper's 28 foot cat boat, built in the 1920s, and now beautifully restored. The winds as usual expressed their contrary nature and immediately dropped, but still we had a nice sail. Later the Harpers (Aunt and Uncle to Dawn's husband, Graham) had us over for dinner and a surprise birthday celebration for Kay. Apparently everyone in the country remembered her birthday except me.
At dinner I raised my favorite question and like everyone else I immediately answered my favorite question with my favorite answer, and as usual, everyone thought I was crazy. The question? Given that:
1) The year is based on the Earth's cycle around the Sun
2) The month is based on the Moon's cycle
3) The day is based on the Earth's rotational cycle
4) The seven day week predates the Bible
What is the week based upon?...
My Favorite Answer:
It is based on the weather cycle, that is, on the average weather repeats itself weekly. The evidence for this
a) observation
b) let a recording barometer run for many weeks and observe the pattern
c) I have been told that upper atmosphere low pressure cells orbit the earth every seven days and in doing so drive the weather.
d) It makes sense that an agrarian society would focus on weather cycles.
e) Obstinacy on my part
f) Come up with any other explanation.
Well if you still agree with the dinner guests review point f) above.
It was Sunday on Memorial day weekend when we were out sailing on Tom's "Blue Goose" and not surprisingly the boat traffic was almost overwhealming, matched 1 to 10, or so, by various marine enforcement agencies. Kay noted that they were only stopping boats for safety checks that were carrying women wearing bikinis. Further observation confirmed her hypothesis suggesting a new rule "On holiday weekends if you are a woman do not wear bikinis unless you want to meet maritime police officers."
Tue, May 28, 2002 9:09:35 PM
Pantego Creek
Off Behaven
Lat 35 31.816
Lon 76 37.356
67.2 Nautical Miles in 9.5 hours
(too many)
We left Beaufort Docks at 9:30 AM with some help from the crew of "Nomad" a Blue Seas 31 fast trawler (225 HP Commings Diesel). We would not have needed any help if we had not dropped a critical line (while trying to do something else), but help is always appreciated. Actually we had a reserve safety line that we could have used to rectify the situation if Nomad's crew had not arrived. Last night a Hunter 31, 'Outrageous' arrived skippered by two men who had just purchased it in Deltaville VA. They were headed for Key West sans wifes who wisely had declined the trip. By the time they had reached Beaufort the first time, they had to be rescued by Tow Boat US for the first time. They left yesterday and had to be rescued again by Towboat US and back they are again . The adventurers chose to leave early today before the tide was slack, a risky move at best. I was not present when they left but Kay tells me that like the iron ball in a pinball machine they visited several pilings on the way out, careening off them and eventually leaving by motoring out sideways (a clever trick). Outrageous, crew would have better served by asking the dock hands at Beaufort Docks for help and advice. It is true that they have a tendency to treat you like idiots (probably deservedly in our case), but they know what they are doing and it is worth the price you pay to ask. Kay's maneuver that took us off the face dock Friday was suggested by one of them, much appreciated by both of us.
Wed, May 29, 2002 7:01:32 AM
The wind yesterday was supposed to be from the East so as we were leaving Beaufort we optimistically removed our sail cover. But, 'surprize', it was from the NE and on our nose when we entered the Neuse River making for a very uncomfortable (and long) day. We are certainly used to NOAA weather being inaccurate, once on a cruise NOAA got the weather wrong every day. When entering the Cape Lookout area we encountered a NOAA ship coming out. Kay wanted to go over and throw rocks at them but alas rocks are in short supply on a boat, so we had to be satisfied with sign language.
The only thing heard on the radio of interest was an exchange between "Legacy" a forty foot Hans Christian (like) boat and a boat of unknown name, known here for clarity as B_.
Legacy: This is a no wake zone and you are putting up a 4 foot wake!
B_: Drop Dead
Later "Legacy" reported it to the Coast Guard and issued a Security alert. By and large power boats have been extremely courteous to us. The only exception I can recall was on the first day when a boat crewed only by men, 'waked' us. That has happened before. I think it is a guy thing. If you slow down you look like a whimp. Once years ago on the Chesapeake a large boat with an all male crew went by with a serious wake. I said something encouraging to them on the radio and knew that we were in trouble when they slowed and turned back. When they got along side five or six guys mooned us and then after turning around again they mooned us from the other railing. Hilarious!
On a positive note entering the Hobucken canal from the Bay River several dolphin came over to the boat, if our sides had not been as high as they are we could have touched them. This is the furthest from the ocean I have ever seen them. Great.
Wed, May 29, 2002 3:53:13 PM
Deep Point
Alligator River
Lat 35 40.440
Lon 76 03.710
34.3 Nautical Miles in 5.25 hours
The only time the wind has not blown hard on this trip was on this past Saturday and Sunday when it would have been useful for the off shore race, but no wind. Lots of wind now. Again! Last night while at anchor it hit 48 knots. Today it was 15-20 knots all day right on our nose. As we are at anchor now the wind is blowing 20-25 knots. Not very pleasant.
I am continually amazed at how courteous power boaters are. Yesterday we encountered less than six boats, today less than a dozen, but all the power boats that passed us came off their plane and gave us no wake. I realize that by saying so my membership in the sailors society has had the bell rung, book closed and candle snuffed, but so be it.
To give credit where it is due, It was David Semonite who told me that I should slow way down when being approached from behind by power boat. Almost always they then come off a plane and go by slowly. A power yacht did so today followed by an express cruiser which also did so. What is interesting is after passing by us the express cruiser repeatedly called the yacht asking it to slow down and let him go by slowly. No answer. Finally "do you want me to go by on a plain or will you slow down". No answer. He went by on a plain and rocked the boat so badly that the yacht lost control and went into the bank. Glad I slowed down. Thanks David.
PP] Paranoia Point: Last year President Clinton turned off Selective Availability for the GPS, greatly improving its precision. On this trip the GPS has seemed to loose this additional precision. I wonder if because of 911 and its aftermath if it has been reinstated and we have not been told about it? It would make sense to do so and keep it secret,
Names of Note:
"Rough Draft"
Great name for a sailboat
"Rain Maker"
An excellent name for our boat. Yesterday a single black cloud held over us for the whole day and rained the entire time. My son-in-law says that whenever we take a trip the entire east coast should expect at least a week of bad weather. Possibly we should rename our boat
"Weather Maker".
Thu, May 30, 2002 9:36:12 PM
Edenton Marina
Edenton NC
Lat 36 03.460
Lon 76 37.446
66.0 Nautical miles in 10 hours
Finally, wind that we could use! The winds were supposed to be 10-15 from the East, changing to the SE during the day. When we set out the winds were more ENE and higher than 10-15. We were able to sail the entire length of the Alligator River with the rail down at 6-7+ knots.
We continued sailing until we reached The NE corner of the restricted area in Albemarle Sound (about seven more miles). We turned West and went another couple of miles before switching to motor despite a strong and favorable wind. By that time the wind was directly out of the East and while headed due West at 7 knots we recorded a gust of 34 knots from the East. Strong winds indeed.
I have read that there are 300,000 crab pots in Eastern NC and that as far as the crab fishery is concerned Pamlico Sound is 'fished out'. Between the time we left and today all but 2 of the 300,000 must have been moved to Albemarle Sound. Crab Pots everywhere. As far as I know there are no regulations governing crab pots in NC. The floats can be any size and any color. They can be set any place and at any depth.
I have seen a crabber drop a pot in the middle of the channel less than 100 feet in front of our advancing boat. Crabbers can act with immunity because they know that 99% of the boats can not afford to foul their props by snagging a pot line. As it turns out we are in the other 1%, since we have rope cutters installed on our prop and they WORK! However, they only work when the motor is running.
I would never intentionally run over a crab pot and have never done so, but as in the case mentioned above I have been seriously tempted. It is difficult to run before a strong wind, into the Sun in rough seas while dodging crab pots. After about the fourth unintentional jibe and the hundredth or so crab pot that we barely missed and did not even see until it was too late, we turned on the motor (and rope cutters) and off we went.
By the time we reached the Power Lines, about 25 miles due West from where we started motoring, the seas had built to 4 feet. When we turned into Edenton Bay they were on our beam giving true meaning to 'Rock and Roll'. As you go into Edenton Bay headed for Edenton Marina you pass Edenton's new and very nice public harbor. As we passed we saw that "Feathers" and "Wild Turkey" (of Oriental fame) were there. After docking I went down to thank the crew of "Wild Turkey" for their help. It turned out that when they tried to leave "Feathers" was also aground. I think I will avoid Oriental when a strong SW wind is blowing. Frank from "Wild Turkey" told me that they came in yesterday in much the same conditions as we had today. He said that they sailed all the way Wing on Wing. He told me the crab pots increased the fun. He is a better man than I am.
Fri, May 31, 2002 4:12:42 PM
I am sorry the trip is over. Despite the problems with the crab pots, winds and temperature, it was a lot of fun. In the past we had problems with nets on Albemarle sound, now no herring means no nets. On Pamlico Sound no crabs means no crab pots. I will miss crabs when they disappear but not the crabbers. Off to the Chesapeake, hopefully, in the Fall.
I went home today to check the mail, the only thing of note is that Kay received a Happy Birthday letter from our car dealership.
Give Me A Break!
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