Tuesday, November 18, 2003
We enjoyed a leisurely breakfast that included some muffins Eulene had
made. They were a treat because even though we have an oven, when Kay
makes a batch of muffins, there are too many to eat fresh. We borrowed
their truck (Bob said that even though this is North Carolina, there was definitely
NOT a shotgun under the tarp) and drove into Oriental. There is a great
boat provisioning store, (the Inland Waterway Provision Company) and we thought
we might find some needed parts. They were very helpful and gave us some
leads on who to contact, but they had nothing in stock. We stopped at the
grocery store and then returned to Kibon. Pearce had bought some
bait, and he put the dinghy in the water to go fishing. He disappeared
around the bend in the river for a while, but he came back empty handed.  Then Bob and Pearce went out to look at the sights along the river. They
ended up back in town where the owner of the Provision Company convinced Pearce
that he didn't need new oarlocks and oars. He sold him a single paddle
instead that would be enough to get to shore if the dinghy motor stopped.
They also looked for shrimp for dinner, but the boats don't come in until
Friday, so we were out of luck. It had started to rain before they got
back, so they were soaked. Time for a cup of hot tea and a good book for a
rainy afternoon.
Wednesday, November 19, 2003
The big storm is predicted for today, but the morning was calm. Kay used
the Smith's laundry facilities to wash Pearce's sweaters and was just about to
return to the boat when the heavens opened up. Rain in a forest is not
only pretty, it is also melodious as it hits the leaves and branches. Kay
ran out between showers and was safe aboard Kibon when the storm blew
in. Our position on the dock is sideways to the wind, but since Bob has a
boat lift on the outside of the dock, we had no choice. We also were so
secure in the mud that the gusts only rocked us a little bit. Winds of 25
mph and gusts over 40 were predicted. We were also under a tornado
watch. We didn't have to worry about high water because the storm is 
blowing the water out of the creek, but we are looking at the trees around
us. Hopefully, Isabel blew down all the loose trees and branches. At
one point the rain was so heavy that it was sheeting down the windshield and
pouring off the sides. The scuppers couldn't empty the rainwater fast
enough, so we had little rivers running down the walkways.
The tornado watch was lifted at 5 pm, and the rain became light but
steady. We ventured up to the Smith's house for cocktails before heading
out to dinner at M & M's where Pearce could admire the needlework. The
rain had let up by the time we returned, and we snuggled down because the cold
front has come through. Yesterday we had on shorts, and tomorrow we'll
return to long pants.
Thursday, November 20, 2003
We said good-bye to Bob and Eulene. We'd had a wonderful visit with
friends that we had not seen in several years. We met them when they lived
in Amityville, and we came down to Oriental when we were looking for a
retirement place. The town has grown, but it is still friendly and full of
sailors (or retired sailors), including a lot of people from Long Island.
We had decided that since it was a long drive back to New York and family, that
we would prefer the warm winters of South Florida and the good boating on Great
South Bay in the summer. We hope to make Oriental a regular stop on our trips north
and south.
We were heading out of Adams Creek Canal when we saw our first Pelican, and then
just a short time later we were joined by seven dolphins. Even though the
temperature is still going down to the 40s at night, we must be getting to
warmer waters. The sun during the day is very warm. We originally
planned to stop in Morehead City because we had stopped in Beaufort on the way
north last June, but it was still early in the day.
As we were heading down the very narrow channel of Bogue Sound we encountered
two tows heading north. Pearce pulled over toward the side of the channel
to give them a wide berth, but some idiot in a go-fast express cruiser decided
that he would zoom between us. His wake bounced us on the bottom several
times, but thankfully we did not go aground. He had already put a boat
behind us hard aground. Pearce could hear the conversation between that
boat and another that had got the cruiser's name and number and was willing to
be a witness to a law suit. Soon thereafter the Coast Guard passed by
headed north. We don't know if they were going to the aid of the grounded
boat or were following the tows because one of them had bumped into a mark and
removed it -- not a safe thing along this narrow waterway. Sure enough, we
watched a sailboat bounce right up onto the shallow and windward side of the
channel, probably close to where the mark no longer was. Pearce got close
enough to them for Kay to catch a line and secure it to the windlass. They
slid right off, and we were all underway again.
We decided to anchor in Swansboro where we had stopped on the way up. We
debated about tying up to a dock, but we didn't
need anything. The town was already decorated for Christmas, and Pearce
decided not to let Kay loose in the shops. We thought the excitement for
the day was over until a Canadian sailboat came in to anchor near us.
First he tried to drop the anchor down wind, and then when the boat turned into
the current he backed down on the anchor at a ridiculous rate of speed. He
must have read the guidebook that suggests "to  back down on your plow
anchor" because he tried that 6 or 7 times before he got smart and reduced
speed. You would think that a boat that has come all the way from Canada
would know how to anchor by now! Two more sailboats came in for the night,
the sun set, and we enjoyed the holiday lights of Swansboro.
Friday, November 21, 2003
By the time we woke up and got some heat in the boat, the sailboats were long
gone. We finally passed them 15 miles down the ICW. When we went
through this stretch last June there we lots of small boats and people enjoying
the water. Now all we see are fishermen and snowbirds. Camp Le Jeune
was active with patrol boats and helicopters. There is an anchorage basin
right next to the Marine Corps property. Does that mean that you are safe
and protected there? You have to be alert to the "we will begin
firing exercises in an hour" announcements.
We missed the bridge opening at Surf City by 10 minutes. The sailboat in
front of us was less than 5 minutes away when the bridge closed. The
waterway guide warns that if there are boats waiting to go through the bridge
tender will open on time. That's fine because they've been waiting awhile,
but we were amazed that the bridge closed before the sailboat got through.
 We dropped the anchor and
had lunch. We could hear the cars going over the bridge. There was
usually several minutes between them. When we did go through on the hour
(this bridge only opens on the hour between 7 am and 7 pm) there were 15 cars
waiting on one side and 20 on the other. We sure are glad we didn't hold
too many people up. The next two bridges south have similar schedules --
the Figure Eight Bridge does open every half hour, but the Wrightsville Beach
Bridge only opens on the hour. Lucky for us both bridges are listed in the
charts at 20 feet above mean high water and we're only 17 feet high. When we got
around the corner into Wrightsville Beach and the anchorage area with a dinghy
dock near-by we found out that boaters are low men on the totem pole around
here. Small -- and large -- boats speed through the area because there is
no designated anchorage. Only boats that want to pay big bucks are
welcome, and they have to adhere to the stupid schedules. We think these
schedules are even more dumb during the off season. Boats are more welcome
down in the fancy places in Florida. So, we will be sure to not go ashore
or dock in the overpriced marinas here. We'll spend our money where we
like the people.
We contacted Pearce's sister's sister-in-law. If
we had thought about getting in touch earlier, we might have been able to honk
as we passed by. By the time Kay contacted Bill Crawford, we were several
miles south. (Picture of their house will have to wait until next
year.)  They
already had plans for the weekend, so we will contact them on the way north next
spring. They have friends in Boynton Beach, so we may see them
sooner. We were low enough to go under the Figure Eight Island and
Wrightsville Beach Bridges. Otherwise, we would have been held up for two
more hours because of their schedules. We stopped at the Motts Channel
Seafood Store to buy some tuna for tonight and oysters for tomorrow. Then
we headed over to the Wrightsville Beach area where we anchored among 20 other
boats. If the local speedsters find their way home, or wherever, for the night,
this should turn out to be a rather calm anchorage. So, goodnight from
Wrightsville Beach, NC.
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