Full Circle

We spent the last week cruising from Morehead to Cape Lookout and up to Oriental, NC.  We are docked at River Dunes Marina for the next month.  We will be travelling for two weeks of business and then plan to use this as a home base for day sailing and maintenance for the rest of the month.  The pool and exercise facility makes that an attractive option.

To get here, we had to pass the spot on the Neuse River where our old mast said Bye Bye.  We were running before a gusty 20-30 knot wind, and I swear, just about at the point we were last time, a wave came and spanked us on our starboard quarter, splashing into the cockpit.  I think the river wanted us to know it was still in charge.  Our circle is complete.  Let the new journey begin.

We said goodbye to Dick and Lynn, one more time, from Morehead City.  That night a bartender solidified our decision and went to Cape Lookout for the next two nights.  Absolutely stunning.  Empty, powder soft beaches full of whole shells, huge turtles swimming around all day and a great tour of the Cape Lookout museum.

Funny, on our way out, we saw a bout a 5 foot shark swimming in the wave crest.  I knew I had the right size boat (JAWS), but it makes you think before you jump in to swim.  I told Yammy that the predator fish feed in the morning and evening, so only swim during the day.  Sure enough, on our last night, I was getting ready to hoist the dinghy and a baby shark (2-3') is circling underneath.  Yammy thought it was cute.  I just made sure I didn't fall in.  You know there were more.  

We also got to sail close hauled into 4-6' waves and 20-25 knot winds on our short 7 mile sail back to Beaufort inlet.  Full main and stiff as a rock.  Love this new mast.  Best sailing we have ever experienced with less jerky motion and, as stated before, no boom banging.

Those elusive sea turtles.  When coming in to anchor, I kept having Yammy steer around what I thought were rock piles or coral heads.  They were sea turtles.  Some of them are enormous.  If you look close, you can see the head sticking up.  This was not easy to get and does not justify what we saw.

 Yumsuch on the hook.  If you haven't seen it before, the orange and white thing is my anchor sail.  It keeps the bow pointed into the wind.

                      Shell collectors paradise.

 Never felt so secure.  We had a Coast Guard Cutter anchored behind us and their helicopter flying over several times a day.  Semper Paratus!