A blueberry muffin and iced tea at The Bean, sitting with April from a neighboring boat at the Town Dock. Cast off 7:20 with goodbyes from Bill and April. Blue skies and a northwest wind, perfect to head to Beaufort.
7:40 full sail outside of the jetties, 2.0. Getting away from shore the wind fills in, 2.8 on the Neuse River, then 3.3 on open water.
8:15 less wind with slatting sails, motor sailing to the Adams Creek Canal. 8:50 in the canal. Spread out the sail cover in the cockpit to let them dry from the morning dew.
9:00 red marker "6" shows a helping ebb tide. Waterman's boat with stacks of empty bushel baskets zooms by. Motoring but getting a little help from the sails. 9:20 red marker "8" and wind on the beam, sailing up the creek.
10:25 main and jib down, motoring on the canal. 10:50 passing under the Core Creek Bridge, pilings show a surprisingly strong ebb tide. I tip my hat to OLD GLORY, a trawler style boat, for slowing down to reduce their wake.
11:25 out of the canal and on the Newport River, feels like slack tide but pilings still show the ebb carrying us on our way. 11:45 wind and sailing at 4.6 close hauled, tacking between the shoals.
12:00 oystermen working exposed oyster reef on both side of the channel. Still getting some help from the last of the ebb, wind on the nose and tacking the width of the channel, absolutely wonderful sailing. Follow the markers and sometimes slip outside the channel as the clear water shows we have a little room to cheat. One last long tack to the junction with Gallants Channel.
A few more tacks and then 12:30 main and jib down, passing under the bridge. Radio ahead to the docks, they tell me to pick any slip I like down at the small boat docks on the west end of the waterfront. Docked 12:55.
Pay the slip fee at the dock house and in return get a couple of wooden nickels, each good for a beer at the Dock House restaurant. Afternoon is lunch and a few errands, cleaning up the boat.
I cash in my wooden nickels then head to Finz for a crab cake dinner. What a great day.
21.99 NM
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