6:15 sails up with the rising sun. Cool north wind. Wearing the drysuit, adding a wool sweater at the last minute. Single reef tucked in. Making 3.0 down Juniper Bay.
6:25 jibe at red "4." See a small flock of five ibises headed to a marsh, the a flock of a dozen or more. 6:335 shake out the reef, full sail and 3.8 on the gps.
7:55 see white stakes near the marsh ahead, check the chart and jibe around the shallows. Check Navionics to see it is 17 NM across Pamlico Sound to Ocracoke. I prefer a southwest wind for this crossing but the north wind will do. Sailing at 3.8.
7:50 making 4.8 as we slip away for the marshy shore, compass shows ESE. Wind and swell on the port quarter. Sliding down a swell gps shows 6.0. 8:00 see a shape on the horizon. Watch it for a few minutes, confirm it is a car ferry out of Swan Quarter headed to Ocracoke. 8:20 less wind, 3.6 to 4.0. 8:45 see another ferry well to the southeast, probably another ferry, this one out of Cedar Island.
8:50 making 5.4 to the southeast, tree line to the stern disappears, nothing but water all around. 9:00 pick out a shape off the bow, recognize it as the water town on Ocracoke. Green water, blue sky, great sailing. App shows 9 NM to the island. Making 5.3 to 6.2 depending on the swell. 9:20 the lighthouse shows on the horizon ahead.
9:50 see crab pot floats, must be sailing over the shallows of Bluff Shoal. Making 4.5 with swells aft of beam. 10:10 markers for Big Foot Slough Channel and Howards Reef visible. Getting warm so slip off the dry suit and sweater.
Have come in a little lower than expected. Harden up the sheets and point higher towards the channel entrance. A car ferry is coming out of the channel while a passenger ferry out of Hatteras Island waits to enter. Spill a bit of wind to slow down and see which way the ferries are headed. The larger car ferry leaves the channel and heads to our port, the passenger ferry enters the channel well ahead of me. 10:55 plenty of room as we enter the channel, making 5.2.
Easy run south on the channel, no more ferries, just a couple of local boats. Follow the path to red and green marker "SL," jibe to port and just one tack to line up for the narrow entrance into Silver Lake, the island's harbor.
Slip into the Silver Lake, known to locals and "the ditch" and do a lap around the sailboats anchored there. Pass by the old lighthouse, turn towards the fishing docks.
11:30 ails down and tied up at the park service docks. $33 for a night at the dinghy dock.
Lunch at Dajio, then the wind is so good head out for an afternoon "day sail" in Silver Lake. The wind has swung to the southwest, gentle sailing tacking back and forth on the harbor.
A blood-orange beer in the evening at SmacNally's.
22.58 NM
No comments:
Post a Comment