Awake at 5:30, stow sleeping gear and boom tent. At the coffee shop as they open at 6:30 for a blueberry muffin and iced tea. Cast off Beaufort docks 7:00, sails up 7:10 off the Duke marine lab on Pivers Island. It the beginning of the flood tide, light southwest wind.
Making 3.0 past the shrimp boats lying Gallants Channel, surprised by the strength of the flood tide. 7:20 under the bridge, good wind and making 4.4.
7:50 4.6 with the helpful tide up the Newport River. 8:05 at green "23", 5.2 downwind towards the canal. 8:30 3.6 as the river narrows and the tall trees to port block the wind. 8:35 motor sailing. 8:50 under the bridge and on the canal, flood tide still running. Sails still up and catching a helpful breeze now and then.
9:15 not sure if I can feel the flood tide anymore. Green marker "15" shows a helping tide, though I think it we have crossed the head of the tide and it is an ebb tide carrying us towards the Neuse River. Sailing with wind on the stern, 4.3. A dolphin swims nearby, an eagle flies overhead.
10:15 at red marker "8" wind forward of port beam. Slip to the north side of the channel and follow a line of crab pots. Making 4.1. 11:15 struggling with light wind on the nose, tacking back and forth across the channel with lots of power boats passing by.
11:35 on the Neuse River, 2.0 and getting hot. Soon down to 1.1. Motor sailing.
12:45 a little wind approaching the entrance channel to Oriental. Inside the jetties trade tacks with a Wayfarer, a boat that English sailor Frank Dye made famous with this cruises. My first look at a Wayfarer in person and I chat a bit across the water with the boat's captain.
1:00 sails down, tied to the seawall across from the circumnavigator SKOOKUM.
It is hot, so an iced team from The Bean and then an afternoon of laundry, refilling water bottles, charging batteries and catching up on the log.
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