Brief torrential rains before dawn. Sail off anchor 6:35. 2.5 on a beautiful morning in the marsh. North wind, cool enough to wear a sweater.
Long Creek to Bonner Bay to the Bay River. Easy sailing and I'm listening to music powered by my solar panel. 6:55 making 4.3 in the calm water in the marsh. 7:40 out on the Bay River.
Warming up at 8:00, doing 5.0 to Bay Point. 8:15 Rock Hole Bay to port. 8:25 Bay Point, waterman paying out a net from his small boat. Bright green marsh grass along shore.
8:10 on Pamlico Sound, Jones Bay to port. Sow Island Point 4.6, a flock of glossy ibis take flight. Blue skies and white puffy clouds, could not ask for a better day.
10:00 shifting winds off Middle Bay. 10:30 slip on foul weather pants and boots for the crossing of the wide Pamlico River. 11:15 leave Pamlico Point behind and start crossing the river. 4.8, then 5.8 to 6.1, wind just forward of beam. 11:40 turn east towards Great Island, an marshy island so low that I can't even see it.
12:10 a ferry from Ocracoke heading towards Swan Quarter is well to the south east, not a problem. 12:05 jog north near Great Island to round a shoal. Less wind and making 2.8 in Great Island Narrows.
Strong gusts arrive at the mouth of Juniper Bay. Bring down the main, sailing under mizzen and jib. 1:40 raise a double-reefed main. 2:00 full sail and I notice the first dolphin off port bow.
A school of dolphin comes up behind SPARTINA and escorts us into the bay. How nice!
Anchor down 3:10 on a day just about as perfect as they get.
32.40 NM
Steve, wonderful videos. When you get way back in the marshes, how bad are the mosquitos?
ReplyDeleteI'm not one for spreading lotion on my skin, if I don't have to but someday I hope to do the NC Challenge? Thanks for your time, to help take us along.
Rob, I'm with you on bug lotions. First of all, mosquitoes are not nearly the problem that most people expect. And there are a couple of solutions that, will in fact, come up in the next daily log. Steve
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