We leave the dock at 9 am and have to motor most of the way. We make it to Adams Creek and find a nice anchorage at Cedar Creek. During the evening, several shrimpers come in and go far back up the creek. Only one other boat joins us. Lots of crab pots but still plenty of room.
Monday, June 6
Anchor up at 9:00 and Beaufort Inlet by noon. We are able to sail out to the bight and arrive around 3:00. Porpoises follow us part of the way. The first anchorage seems too close to the shore and we worry about dragging, so we pull up the anchor and drive around looking for a better spot. We settle on a spot after a couple of attempts at getting the anchor to hold, then go about enjoying the evening. First, David fixes the windlass. Corrosion seems to be the cause.
Tuesday, June 7
We dinghy over to the lighthouse and spend a few hours there, then back to the boat and to the beach in the afternoon. Weather is warm, and not too hot with the breeze. We swim, look for shells and walk on the beach.
Wednesday, June 8
The wind is howling. Our dinghy is too floppy to handle the wind and waves so we are trapped on the boat. We think about leaving but don't know where we would go for the night and worry about getting blown to shore going out of the bight. Winds are hanging in at 24. We see few signs of life on other boats. A single hander who has a dinghy that is nicer than his boat picks up some people on another boat and they head off to the lighthouse. Very few small boats venture in. We swing and rock all night but fortunately we do not drag.
Thursday, June 9
David had thought about climbing the lighthouse today but we decide to leave the wind and waves and head out of there. We have to motor back to Beaufort Inlet, but all is good once we are there so we pop the Genoa. We motor sail the cut, following another sailboat a lot of the way. We sail the Neuse and anchor in Broad Creek. It was quiet and peaceful, but so many jellyfish that we could not go in for a dip. The refrigerator stops working and David investigates. He is able to get it going again but determines that it needs a new fuse.
Friday, June 10
We make the green entrance marker around 10 after a leisurely morning. We are able to sail all the way to Gale Creek where the wind dies, but we decide that we are not turning on the motor. We float some, sail some, and get out to the Pamlico River where there is no wind. We break down and turn on the motor, and shortly after the wind picks up. Quick sail home in time for supper with Rats.
