Clear and sunny as I rig SPARTINA at Potters Marine, overcast moves in just as I get ready to launch. 10:10 cast off from the small dock, sails up on North Creek at 10:15. Breezy, more wind that I had expected. Wind is out of the southwest, perfect. A lone dolphin swims along the marsh. Tacking as we play the gusts and wind shadows along shore.
10:25 the creek opens up and fully exposed to the wind, 4.6 to 4.9 and choppy water. Cut across the shallows at Chambers Point, on the Pamlico River at 10:45. 11:00 wind on beam, stead sailing at 5.2 kts.
Sun breaks through the cloud cover. Round up 11:25 to tuck in the first reef. Making 6.0 and then 7.0 with a gust. 11:45 past Wade Point and crossing the wind mouth of the Pungo River. Less wind, 4.4, then more and doing 5.8. 12:30 lots of gusts, spray coming on board. Watching a small dark shape on the horizon, a fish camp in the marsh near Willow Point, the marsh being a thin brown line.
Pass the marker at Willow Point Shoal, aiming for the distant tree line south of Judith Island. Wind swings to the southeast, making a tack to get out to deeper water at 1:15.
1:15 rounding the south tip of Swan Quarter Island, one of a series of small marsh islands to port. 2:05 see a ferry on the channel coming out of the village of Swan Quarter, wind on beam and making 6.0.
Overcast comes and goes, getting sunny again. See markers for Great Island, a small marshy island almost invisible from a mile or two away and I wonder how it earned the name "Great Island." 2:20 feels like we are going very slow, check the gps to see we are making 4.4. Pick out the thin dark line of Great Island. Overcast is back again, grey all around.
2:50 more wind, 5.4, Great Island to starboard. Turn towards Juniper Bay, following the the marsh line to port. Afternoon gusts filling in and glad to have the main reefed. Spot the channel marker in Juniper Bay and jibe to the mark. Easy downwind run up the bay. With the usual south wind, would be in protected water by now. But the wind is out of the south so follow the Bay north to where it narrows, bring down the reefed main. Under mizzen and jib turn to starboard and follow the creek into protected water. 3:50 anchor down as the afternoon south wind howls.
27.5 NM
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