friends on the water

I am taking care of family business on a cool grey day here but at the same time watching friends Dave and Kristen paddling down around Goose Creek Island.  They put in at Pate Boatyard in Hobucken, the same place I'll be launching out of a week from now.  I'm not sure how long they'll be out, but will enjoy watching their trip.  I have not met either of them in person, but have corresponded with both the last year or two.  

It looks like they may have stopped for the evening on a little beach (and from my experience that is the only kind of beach down there, very small) just west of Pamlico Point.  

Shawn at Pate Boatyard likes to keep an eye on the small boats that leave out of his marina.  He likes to know where people are, where they are going.  In fact last year when I did my fall trip out of there he was able to recount, on my return, where I had stopped not just for the evenings, but for lunches and afternoon naps along they way just from watching my SPOT track.
Dave must have mentioned to Shawn that I had Dave's SPOT track, Shawn emailed me asking for it this morning.  I sent it to Shawn and he replied that he could already see that Dave and Kristen had changed plans.  In fact they had changed directions, paddling an hour down Jones Bay (to mark "8" below) then reversing course back to the ICW and then heading north.  Why?  I don't know, but I'll be interested to find out when they return.

I'm sure they will have a great time down there.  I'll be covering some of that same area in about a week, then a few days after that my friend Curt will be sailing down there too.  Busy days in the Inner Banks.

steve