The day starts with a new set of clothes. How nice. Calm morning, light southwest wind. Sail off anchor 6:35, wind over port quarter. 7:05 making 4.4 as the wind fills in. A friendly wave from a waterman headed south on Turnagain Bay.
7:25 passing Abraham Bay, wind building. Round up and tuck in a reef. More wind than I had expected, it crosses my wind that I could easily get north of the Bay River, maybe the Pamlico River. Maybe sail north, turn to starboard and head for Ocracoke. 7:35 more wind, tuck in a second reef. Getting into open water I am caught completely off guard by the steep, choppy waves coming across the shallow seven-mile fetch of the mouth of the Neuse River. Suddenly battered, the spray flying, I realize my plans for a long sail north are gone. I grab the gps and the phone with Navionics to look for some options. As SPARTINA gets pounded by the waves I realize I can't even focus on alternate plans. I come about and head back to the sheltered waters of Turnagain Bay.
Anchor down 8:30. Boom tent up, a hot breakfast and I think about how I wasn't ready for the rough water. More wind, more waves than I had imagined. So it's going to be an off day.
Stronger winds arrive at noon, and I'm glad I am not out on Pamlico Sound. Mid-afternoon the wind swings to the northwest. I raise anchor and move to a spot with a little more protection from the chop rolling down the bay.
Evening I move one again to get out of the chop as the winds seem to moving.
Just as darkness falls, SPARTINA spins in a circle as the wind swings to the east. I climb into the sleeping bag.
7.01 NM
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