Probably the best part of the adventure so far has been meeting really good cruising people. There is a real sense of support and encouragement from others doing the same as us - many for the first time too! Hearing the name of a familiar boat name on the radio is a real jolt of joy that we remember from sailing with Rick & Donna to the Bahamas 3 years ago. Jim and Christine, a Brit couple on a Moody 34, Baroness, which they crossed the Atlantic in last year have become good friends. All of us seem to have ‘blown [View Full Entry]

---

---

Storm - bound here for a couple of days - weather has not been kind - those #!@&! cold fronts coming down from Canada! Saw our first pod of dophins and our first palm tree coming in here yesterday from Oriental. At least the layover gave us the chance to get longer dock lines (the tides and mooring posts make them necessary) and replace the pressure water pump. The marina here has a wreck for a loaner car but it got us to the hardware store and Food Lion to stock up. This Beaufort is pronounced "Bow Fort" The one in [View Full Entry]

---

---

The Great Dismal Swamp - what a great name! Again, we had perfect conditions to enjoy the 28 mile cruise through the oldest and longest canal in the US. The water was almost black (tannins) and littered with fallen leaves and the occasional log - so with the narrow and shallow channel (6- 8’) dozing at the helm was not an option. We rafted 3 boats deep at the Visitor’s Centre - the only option in the area. Elizabeth City, North Carolina is a welcoming town at the south end of the swamp. We could only stay one night (free dockage) [View Full Entry]

---

---

November 9th- up at 4.30am to catch the tide - but the lurking crab traps which could snare our prop delayed the cast-off until daylight at 6am. Last night we had dinner with another new group of cruisers - mostly Brits - all with fascinating stories - living aboard and seeing the world from their boat. Some have spent months ‘on the hard’ doing repairs and preparing for the next leg. Most are incredibly skilled at making do - finding an affordable solution - something we are working towards! The first leg to Portsmouth VA (54 miles) took us 10 hours [View Full Entry]

---

---

We will probably end up spending 2 weeks here getting Gust O'Wind and ourselves ready for the trip south. We cleaned/repolished the hull then painted the bottom with antifouling paint. The boatyard installed an overboard waste discharge system for us to allow for off shore and Bahamas cruising where no pumpouts are available. The most expensive hole in GOW to date! We have met a number of interesting fellow cruisers already - including a great Australian couple who have been on the move for many years. We went to an evening presentation they put on at a local yacht club where [View Full Entry]

---

---

Gust O'Wind is loaded onto an Andrews truck and is on her way to Deltaville Virginia. October 14th 2008 [View Full Entry]

---

---