We left Beaufort a little later than planned (as always), so late I was able to pick up a Chesapeake specific guide at the bookstore across the street when they opened.
Despite the current Heather made a good departure from the dock, then floated right up to another at the other end of the marina for a pump out. With some help from a dockhand to get us pointed out she departed with equal grace, then floated up to the fuel dock. After topping up we warped off this dock neatly. Heather was five for five.
Going the back way north from Beaufort we proceeded into some very thin water, with less than a foot of water beneath the keel. Good thing it was near high tide.
Once we got onto the main channel on the way up to Oriental we got waked bad, maybe the worst ever, with the second wave from the wake perfectly timed for the frequency of the boat rocking back and forth. If only there was a simple procedure for an overtaking boat that was not too difficult for this guy to understand. But it really wasn't just him. Almost all power boats slowed when overtaking our admittedly pokey sailboat, but most started back up before their wake had passed us, in some cases making things worse than if they hadn't slowed at all.
We got into the Neause river, which was miles across. With a big wind it became choppy, then bouncy, giving the most motion the boat has had this year. The dodger did water spray duty as well as wind, making me glad again we finally got it. On the way we started getting these big flies. I mean really big. In case you think the picture below is overly magnified, the line with the red flecks is a half an inch in diameter.
We made it past the breakwater into Oriental. It was much smaller than I had imagined. With no tide there were no floating docks, with pilings for rear spring ties. Heather did well for docking, although marina office guy was not impressed because it took us a while to snag those rear pilings with lines. We've been spoiled by floating docks and haven't had to do this in a long time, and we really have never done it well.
In the morning, while walking across the street to the coffee shop, there was a little dog with his owner, both taking a walk down the street, both with a smile, just enjoying the morning and being outside. But the dog was in some sort of wheelchair, harness racing type two wheeled apparatus, with one rear leg drooping in a sling, and the other mostly just dragging on the ground, while his front legs just bopped on down the sidewalk. It was so cute and sad at the same time. I really wanted to take a picture but it felt rude.
We had dinner at a little place called M&Ms, just a couple block walk from the marina. We had a very good steak, half the price, half again as big and twice as good as the one on Beaufort, and a nice little salad. It was a very nice little restaurant for such a small town, and one of the only ones open, so we went back again the next evening.
We had dinner at a little place called M&Ms, just a couple block walk from the marina. We had a very good steak, half the price, half again as big and twice as good as the one on Beaufort, and a nice little salad. It was a very nice little restaurant for such a small town, and one of the only ones open, so we went back again the next evening.
The next day we walked up to the West Marine (Express!) and the grocery, stopping at a deli for lunch on the way. The little West Marine Express store was better stocked for what we needed than the last three full size stores put together. Across from the (astonishingly good) deli was one of those classic small town hardware stores with a million little things in it. I walked out with a few of said little things, half of which I didn't know I wanted or needed until I saw them. One of these last minute purchases was a fly swatter, which turned out to be a life saver in upcoming battles with bugs of sizes and/or numbers which we were previously unfamiliar with.
There was even more boat stuff to peruse at a store called Provision something, most importantly, three (admittedly used) shower hoses (and the rest of the plumbing, and the crate they were in) for $30. I had been looking for these hoses since last year when the one in our forward head unraveled, and would have paid twice that for one. They also had more head treatment for half of what West charges and more clear plastic Strataglass cleaner which West didn't have at all. All this just on the other side of the marina, in a town you could fit most of in a Walmart strip mall parking lot.
The fishing trawlers behind us kept their lights on all day and night, which was alternatingly pretty, and pretty annoying.
The next day, after grabbing another couple bags of ice, we had a smooth departure with most of the wind blocked by the hotel next to the marina. We backed right out, spun around between two of the trawlers, and out we went past the breakwater.
There was even more boat stuff to peruse at a store called Provision something, most importantly, three (admittedly used) shower hoses (and the rest of the plumbing, and the crate they were in) for $30. I had been looking for these hoses since last year when the one in our forward head unraveled, and would have paid twice that for one. They also had more head treatment for half of what West charges and more clear plastic Strataglass cleaner which West didn't have at all. All this just on the other side of the marina, in a town you could fit most of in a Walmart strip mall parking lot.
The fishing trawlers behind us kept their lights on all day and night, which was alternatingly pretty, and pretty annoying.
The next day, after grabbing another couple bags of ice, we had a smooth departure with most of the wind blocked by the hotel next to the marina. We backed right out, spun around between two of the trawlers, and out we went past the breakwater.
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