great things about Hobucken, my kind of christian

First off, a great line in a Garrison Keillor essay:

 "I am no model Christian either. 

I love my neighbor as myself but only 

because I don’t much care for myself."

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Curt has my envy today.  He is on the water in North Carolina, putting in at Pate Boat Yard in Hobucken.   There are at least two great things about Hobucken.  One is Shawn, owner of the boat yard, a good guy and a great friend of anyone with a small boat.  He always always welcomes me at the yard, helps pack Spartina, helps launched the boat (the very first launch years ago he had to bring about a ladder and a saw to clear a branch for Spartina's mast), watches the car and trailer while I'm on the water and even tracks me throughout the trip via SPOT.  I'm sure Curt is getting the same treatment.  I look forward to seeing Shawn and his Goose Creek Island friends in just a couple of weeks.

The other great thing about Hobucken is the location.  Just about any which way the wind blows you can find some fine sailing.   Heading down the narrow channel from Pate Boat Yard will take you out onto Jones Bay.  Go west a few hundred yards and you'll come to the ICW.  Heading north leads to the Pamlico River, heading south will take you to the Bay River and the mouth of the Neuse River.  Pointing the bow east on Jones Bay will carry you directly to Pamlico Sound.  Which way will I go when I launch in a few weeks?  Depends on the wind.  But I know that each direction leads to excellent sailing and countless small coves, bays and creeks that are perfect for anchoring out that first night.

From Curt's SPOT messages it appears he spent the first night on Ditch Creek, the largest creek on the south side of Jones Bay.  Another message this afternoon show him in Oriental.  I went to the harbor cam at TownDock and there was Annie  (with the green hull) tied up for the afternoon, in fact I think I can see Curt sitting in the cockpit wearing a blue hat in the harbor cam image below.

Give me a couple of weeks and I'll be on those Carolina waters too.