A Day in Beaufort

Day 31, Friday, October 28, 2016

You can monitor my trip at the link: Second Winds Progress Live

Today was a hang around Beaufort day.  I slept in until around 7:00 which is really unusual for me.  I spent the first part of the morning working on the blog and trying to get internet service.  These marinas all offer that you can get it on their docks for free but it almost never works.  A number of other boats in our

Name Board and Figure Head

group have resorted to buying a WiFi extender which allows them to capture a signal from, I understand, up to 5 miles away and amplifies it.  The guy with the one power boat, Bobby, just bought one and allows me to use his signal, however, the marina service is quite slow so it was not particularly effective.

I finally wandered to a coffee shop that had good coffee and strong internet service and was able to finally publish the posting.  Back at the boat I did a few chores before Sweet Pea’s skipper, Sam and her husband offered that we go to the local maritime museum.  Our group is scheduled to go there tomorrow but we have been discussing leaving Beaufort a day early.  Her boat can travel only about 4.2 knots and in two days, we are scheduled make a 50 plus mile run which would

Canon used to shoot a line to a foundered ship

mean that she would have to leave before sun up and get in after dark even if she had no problems.  My boat makes a bit over 5 knots and it would be close for me as well.  The big boats all travel over 6 knots and it is quite doable for them.  We would make the first day run that would be the same as the trip for the rest of the gang and then cut the second long day run in half with an anchorage.  As it turns out, that will be our plan.

Back to the museum, it was a small but well set up collection of seafaring object with a fairly large presentation of the life and death of Black Beard, the pirate.  His

Period Weapons

ship, Queen Anne’s Revenge, was wrecked and sunk near here and was fairly recently discovered and salvaged.  There were many artifacts on display including cannons and a few timbers.  They also had an extensive display that illustrated the history of the common local fishing craft of the area.  We probably spent a couple of hours wandering through the museum.

From there we crossed the street to their huge workshop where they build and restore boats using students and apprentices for their projects. Our next stop was at a marine consignment shop.  This place had quite a large collection of old stuff. 

Sail demonstration on an old sailing craft

We got there by way of one of the fleet cars offered by the marina.  They must have 5 or 6 of these old huge Buick station wagons; the ones with the rear seat pointing aft.  We were walking along next to the fleet when we asked directions of a fellow getting into one of the cars.  He offered to take us there.  He turns out to be a full time captain of one of the huge yachts parked there.  He has worked for this family for 15 years piloting this big boat all around.

Wild horses on Rachel Carson's Reserve

Back at the boat, we heard from the boat moored next to me that they had taken their dinghy across the river to the huge Rachel Carson Reserve where they had seen a herd of wild horses. So I put the little 2.2 Honda on Damn Dink Too and invited Bobby to join me.  The island is a totally uninhabited reserve on which you are allowed to roam as long as you don’t disturb the horses. We did see the herd but they were a long way off.  There must have been 15 or 20 animals in the group.

At around 4:00, a couple who live in the area and were originally planning on joining our group brought a table and covered it with wine, cheese, chips and dip and set it up on the dock in front of my boat.  The whole group eagerly gathered

Some locals out for a ride

and devoured the goodies.

I grilled my last steak and accompanied it with garlic mashed potatoes.  I then purchased another tank of fuel before I sat down with Sam and Phil to figure out our route for the next two days. From there I took a long hot shower.  And, bed arrived at the usual time.

Oriental to Beauford

Day 30, Thursday, October 27, 2016

You can monitor my trip at the link: Second Winds Progress Live

Fascinating day today.  I began by arriving at the Bean a bit after 7:00 for a cup of coffee and the use of their WiFi. I had be advised that it

One of many

was a great place to get a flavor of the locals who start their day there.  I only regret that I didn’t have a recorder to capture the interaction between the patrons and the gal who was making the coffee. 

An example included a discussion of a new night club/bar that had opened in town.  I seems that they have some kind of a show/play that is performed.  There was lively discussion about the skill of the actors and the quality of the performance.  The consensus was that it was very good.  Some folks had seen the belly dancer perform but the waitress had missed

What sailors hate to see.

it.  However, she had heard that they had a hookah pipe and she went into great detail describing her experience smoking.  She described it as similar to vaping but much more enjoyable.

This young lady is quite good looking pleasant. Her appearance is a bit deceiving.  She has long dreadlocks that reach to her waste and tattoos under her arms.  Her attire is a bit like what we experienced in the 60s.  But she fits into the group and is added to the fun.  I spent 2 hours working on my blog and enjoying the dialog.

I walked to the post office to mail my camera body back to the factory for a rehab job.  The walk was about ½ miles one way so I got a bit of exercise before I got on

the boat and headed out.  I motored about 5 miles across the Neuse River before entering Adams Creek.  I followed the Creek for about 15 miles before entering the Newport River on the north side of the town of Beaufort.  The river is quit shallow and filled with shoaling.

 I entered into the narrow Russell Slough and headed for a bascule bridge that opens up a highway.  As I approached the bridge, I called him on the radio and the tender said that there had

And another

been a 4 car pileup and that the bridge would not open.  He would not give me an estimate of the wait but a guy in a large fishing boat heard our conversation and offered to take me back to the main channel and around Radio Island.  It increases the trip to the marina where we will be staying by about an hour but at least I would be able to get there at a reasonable hour.  We swung around the north end of the island and as we were approaching the high rise bridge over the channel, the fisherman radioed that the railroad on the other side of the highway bridge was closed.  He said that he had never seen that before.   

There was a long train sitting on the bridge with what appeared no intention to

The bridge is finally open

move.  There was no way to get south on the rivers so I set the tiller pilot to turn the boat in a circle and waited for about 45 minutes until the train finally began to slowly move and the bridge finally opened. 

I made the trip around the island and headed for the Beaufort Town Docks.  This has a huge complex with something like 98 transient docks.  It is located on the Taylor River which has strong tidal currents.  I called for my slip assignment and was directed into a very narrow passage to the back side of the dock where there a large number of big boats.  I was concerned about the interaction between the strong wind and strong current. However, I was able to maneuver through the mini maze with no difficulty.

After tying up and checking in, I joined Sam and her husband, Phil, for dinner at a Mexican Restaurant.  As usually happens at that type of establishment, I severely overate and returned to the boat feeling stuffed. 

It was early but I laid down for a brief rest and fell sound asleep.  An hour or so later, I awoke, got into my proper sleeping attire and called it a night.

River Dunes to Oriental

Day 29, Wednesday, October 26, 2016

You can monitor my trip at the link: Second Winds Progress Live

Today turned out to be an interesting day.  I am still at the River Dunes Marina but wanted to move on to the town dock in Oriental.  The holdup is my camera.  Back in the Chesapeake, it got wet in a rain storm.  The power switch evidently

Heading out in the River Dunes entrance canal

has corroded because it does not make contact when it is turned on.  If you hold down pressure on it, it will sometimes come on but it is most unpredictable.  My son Scott has the identical camera and has shipped his body to me and when it arrives, I will send my back to the factory to be refurbished. 

Getting it to me is a challenge because I am a moving target heading down the ICW.  I knew we would be at River Dunes for a couple of days so I assumed that I could get it here.  It turns out that this mega organization is not particular interested in getting its mail.  Their mailbox is over a mile from the marina and the

Wung out heading for Oriental

check it ever few days.  I became frustrated trying to get them to see the importance of my point.  Scott had sent it by overnight mail and had a tracking number.  He called me this morning and told me that there had been an attempted delivery but no one was present to sign for it so it was returned.  I went to the marina a desk to get the phone number of the post office and a lady, who is an employee in another division of this complex happened to be there and overheard the conversation.  She offered that she was heading to town and would take me to the post office.  She also know the mail carrier and had her phone number.  She called the gal and set up a location where we could meet.  It worked!

Back at the boat, I fired up the little engine and headed for Oriental.  Out in the

Shrimp boat in Oriental Harbors

open water, I had a nice following breeze so I put up both sails and cruised the 8 miles down the river the town dock.  It was a really pleasant ride.

The town dock has only about 4 or 5 spots to pull in a boat and all of them were filled except for a space right along the wall.  As I pulled in two folks from our group came to the wall to assist me.  They let me know that this spot was available because it is quite shallow.  No problem for me.  I raise my center board and coasted up for a perfect landing and tie up.  I am located right in the middle of the

town directly across from the Bean Coffee Shop.

Second Wind tied up along the wall in the crowded town dock

After securing and tidying up the boat, I went across the street to the Bean and enjoyed another of their frozen concoctions.  I don’t know the name of this one but I do know that it was good.

The "Bean;" a true cultural experience

Parked where I am, folks are continually walking by the boat and stopping to talk.  It was really fun.  I met a number of interesting folks.  Many of them were boaters others were tourists interested in my excursion. 

A while back I had purchased a couple of small ribeye steaks that I had planned to grill but with all of the group dining parties, I had not gotten them cooked.  So, tonight was the night.  I grilled one and accompanied it with a big bowl of cheesy grits.

The Silos Restaruant

After dinner a Bill and his wife Tina from one of the other boats offered that they were going to a restaurant called the Silos for dinner and to listen to local guitar players gather for an open mike session.  We walked about a mile to this unique restaurant.  It is made of two adjoined large grain bins that have been converted into this really net establishment.  The bar/restaurant is on the second floor which is decorated with hundreds of vinyl record and their covers.  It was packed with folks who come to this weekly Wednesday night event.  The event lasted 2 hours and probably 6 or so individual or groups performed.  The skill level was across the board but it turned

Open mike night at the Silos

out to be a really fun evening.  Since I had already eaten, I had a salad and a glass of wine.  My friends had pizza and some other Italian dish along with a cannoli.  It was really a fun evening.

The walk back was a bit cold but a brisk walk made

Inside of Silos.  Note the cutout walls of the grain bin

it tolerable.  I was in bed by 9:30.