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Made it back to Salt Ponds on Sat. I left the marina after two nights. the weather was better but as always lots of wind. I dreaded going through the Cape Fear River because I knew I was going to have opposing wind and current which means rough water but I wanted to make it to Wrightsville Beach and get a day up when my brother got on the boat. I see why they call it Cape Fear. Very rough and choppy. When the tide changed it became a little less rough but pretty big folllowing sea. Made for an uncomfortable ride and lots of big wheel correction to keep it on course. Took about 2 1/2 hours to get through it then hit a shallow channel at Snows cut. A big trawler passed me just when I was entering the cut and volunteered to give me depth readings as she went through. I told them I was really glad to be out of the river and the captain laughed and said "you should see it when it gets rough" . I don't think I want to see it when it gets rough. So I made it to Wrightsville Beach and the wind picks up again to about 25 knots. I drop the anchor and it starts to drag. I pull up the anchor and get the boat moving forward just before I almost hit a boat behind me. I move Seaquel to another spot and the anchor holds. I blow up the dinghy which has been in the floor of the Cockpit since the Miami adventure and put the motor on. Doug got there about dusk and we dinghy two loads over to the boat. It was rough enough to put on slickers to keep dry. We take off early the next morning to hit the bridge that opens on the hour and get to the Mile
Hammock anchorage pretty early. It is a great protected anchorage and we hold good in probably 15 to 20 knot winds.
Next day with stong wind in our face we make it all the way past Morehead City into the Neuse River and into the little town of Oriental and anchor close to the dock. Oriental has a small salty village feel to it. We grab a dinner in a resturant in town and head back to the boat to see what the wind will do. It cooperates and we have a very calm and still night. Good sleeping.
Next morning we leave at dawn in a dead calm. The Neuse River is like glass. Very nice ride into Pamlico Sound and into the canal before the Aligator River. The wind started to pick up toward evening so we put out the jib and started rolling. Even held our own against a 40 footer. We went neck and neck through the little channel into the more open river. We decided to keep going and try to make Great Bridge by Friday night, this was Thursday evening. We made the Aligator River Bridge before dusk and took an exposed anchorage just before Albamarle Sound. It was really bouncy and didn't know if we could sleep but running about 12 hours made for a pretty good sleep. I did wake me up a few times because it rolled all night but got enough sleep to function the next day. Left again about 6 am and bumped bottom in the shallow channel going into the Sound but luckily pushed right through. The Sound was tolerable with following seas but not bad enough to make anyone seasick. We were out of the roughest water and soon past Coinjock. We decided to anchor in a little pull off right by the ICW to wait for a bridge that we were going to be too early for. My brother decided to take a shower off the back of the boat while we waited, so he strips down and just as he gets soaped up a boat comes in the oposite direction so he scambles to get a towel around him just in time to wave at the couple passing on a little power boat. We end up making the bridge a little early anyway and run back and forth for about 40 min waiting for it to open. Got to Great Bridge about 6 and tied up at a free dock with about five other boats and go get mexican food and a beer.
Next moring we get to the locks for the six oclock opening and head to Portsmouth. A marina lets us stay at the dock after we fuel up because Doug had to get home. He had made arangements for our cousin to drive his car to meet us and my brother Doug left and my cousin Douglas came aboared to ride up the Elizabeth River to Salt Ponds. We had a great last day sailing back. I turned the boat away from Salt Ponds toward Ocean View for a while so Douglas could get a little taste of being close hauled. I tightened up the sails and pointed Seaquel into the wind and when I looked back, Douglas had a big smile on his face as he drove the boat while it healed over about 30 degrees. When we got to shallow water near the beach we turned and headed to the Ponds. We got to my new slip about 2:30 and said hello to all the old friends and some new ones that came to the dock since I have been gone. Saw the people that had been at Boot Key Harbor and had a good time trading stories about everybody's ride home. Got a ride to pick up the car and the next morning took Douglas back to Richmond and saw family for a while. Now I am back at the boat trying to get it cleaned up so I can stand living on it again at the dock.
So my six months is up. I drove the boat 2400 miles down and back. Great adventure with lots of good memories Now I have to check the bank book to see when I have to start looking for work to support myself again. Hopefully I can squeek out another month or two.
I hope anyone who read the blog enjoyed it. I'll put on a few more pictures in a day or two as soon as I get motivated to download them. What are we going to do for our next adventure?
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Tom Crist
non-member comment
Welcome back
Glad to see you made it back Don....hit me up sometime and we'll catch a beer.