Stormy evening. Quiet after sunset. If there were any storms after that, I slept through them. Calm morning, I wake to the sounds of birds in the marsh. Weather app has a fog advisory but it is a clear as I watch the sunrise.
Sails up, we drift off anchor. No wind so motor across the harbor to Pamlico Sound. 6:45 sailing at just under a knot. 8:10 a light but steady south wind, tacking at 1.5. Pass Little Porpoise and Big Porpoise days. Motorsailing until wind fills in again at 9:15. Making 2.5 off Middle Bay. 9:50 near Sow Island Point there are dolphins all around.
10:25 off Jones Bay, making 2.1 to the south. Blue skies, blue reflected by the water's surface, bright green marsh grass along the shore. Not another boat in sight.
Noon passing Bay Point and begin crossing the Bay River. A little better wind, doing 2.3. I should want more wind but I am content. Gentle waves, gentle wind, gentle sailing. I would not change a thing.
12:35 passing green marker "1", 1.7 kts, a single sailboat coming up the ICW to the south. Maw Point to starboard. Green marsh grass and small white sandy beaches along shore. Water is clear and I can see I'm passing over a shoal, raise the centerboard a bit.
Past the shoal at 1:30, better wind, making 3.2. Piney Point shoal at 2:15, rounding the shoal out near the marker. Once over the shoal, turn southwest. Wind swings around, now over the port quarter. 2:40 sitting comfortable in the shade of the mainsail, doing a little over 3 kts.
3:15 looking for the entrance markers to tiny Orchard Creek. Can see some homes along shore but don't see the three markers that are on the chart. Decide to keep on going to Oriental.
Sailing by the Whitaker Creek channel see a gaff-rigged ketch navigating the winding, narrow channel. Thinking he has lost power I sail by and ask if he is ok. He says yes, he's just trying to sail as far as he can before using power. I wave and then turn towards Oriental entrance channel. Docked in Oriental at 5:00.
24.39 NM
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