Saturday, January 5, 2019
Greetings from Beaufort, NC!!!
In case you didn’t get the word, you can actually track us 24/7 with the satellite tracker we have on board. Just go to https:/share.garmin.com/MarkMerrick This should enable you to see where we are at any time, and if you zoom in, how fast we are going (riveting information, for sure).
We did indeed leave (as per Mark's plan) before the crack of dawn on January 2, and it’s been a very quiet and uneventful trip so far. We’ve only seen 3 other boats heading south (literally!), so it’s been peaceful on the water and on the radio (no chatter at all). The first night, we anchored on the south side of the Albemarle Sound in Broad Creek, after making 80 miles the first day. The second night, we anchored in Lower Spring Creek, just off the Pamlico River. Both days were basically a blur of grayness, drizzle, and marshes, as you can see from some of the pics:
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| We found some isolated boat ramps for Thug to use to access dry land! |
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| Picturesque areas of North Carolina seen from the warmth of the pilot house |
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| More typical NC scenery |
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| Gray, gray, and more gray........ |
Yesterday, we made it to Beaufort, NC, where we filled up our fuel tanks and anchored by the waterfront district, just in time to weather the Gale Warning that came our way. It was pretty darn windy overnight, and Mark had to keep monitoring our proximity to the other anchored boats. Apparently, this area has a wicked tidal flow that does funky things (boats move strangely relative to the wind and current combination), but we made it safely through the windy night thanks to our new (and much loved) Rocna anchor. One sailboat near us dragged anchor and almost ran into the marina (just grateful it wasn't us!)
Best of all, the sun has come out today, and the winds are slowly tapering off. We got to do some exploring on the uninhabited islands nearby (inhabited only by about 40 wild horses) - didn’t see any horses but saw some pretty views of the area. Mark is looking forward to watching the football later today (go, Cowboys!).
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| Our dinghy, with Oceanus anchored right behind and city of Beaufort in the background |
The days so far have been a bit of a blur, but so far, so good. It has actually been quite fun having Thug with us, although his eating schedule has gotten a bit out of whack. We’ve been able to make it to shore twice every day so far and have kept the boat interior warm, so he’s a pretty happy camper overall (despite his apparent expression).
Mark has been hoping to go offshore from here and run straight through to Jacksonville, FL, which would take about 3 whole days and nights. This would be the fastest way to get to warmer climates and would avoid all the “switch-backs” and feisty shallow areas along the protected Intracoastal route. Unfortunately for him (but fortunately for me), the weather doesn’t support going offshore due to high winds and frighteningly large waves. So we will continue on ‘putzing’ down the Intracoastal for a while more, which suits me just fine!
Hope you are enjoying sharing our journey so far!!!
: ) Mark, Sheryl, and Thug
Book count:
Mark - 0
Sheryl - 1
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