Sun Aug 30 & 31: Oriental Marina to Ocracoke Island, NC Outer Banks anchorage

 In which we, with the help of Dramamine, brave the Pamlico Soung...

This was the day Rick has long been planning for, and worrying over.  We wanted to get out to the Outer Banks, but the Pamlico Sound is huge, with a long fetch (distance over which the wind can gather strength and create waves).  Rick is very sensitive to my motion-sickness handicap, and he wanted to be sure that we would both be comfortable and not tossed about too much.  This seemed to be a day where the waves might be on the small-ish side.  

It was a long 6 hours, and very bouncy in the middle when we were most exposed - at one point I had to lie down so as not to get too queasy, but we made it!  We have learned to have much more faith in the boat  - she may bounce a lot, but she's steady and reliable.  Coming into the small harbor we ran right into the ferry but were able to pass comfortably in the entrance channel. 

Many 'Loopers' talk about how this is a 'must see' little island, so we were excited as we pulled into the little sheltered harbor that we will share with a marina, a big car-ferry dock and many private docks.  There were only two other boats in the anchorage, so we had lots of space to maneuver - only to find that the windlass (motor for the anchor) wasn't working.  This is actually to be expected.  Many parts on a boat get rusty if they are not used, and we hadn't used the windlass in three months.  But the time to find this out was not, ideally, when we were putting down the anchor.  Sigh...    Rick wiggled things around and we were able to anchor and go in to walk around a bit.

Everyone is chill on Ocracoke!

 

 

 

The NC Outer Banks - we are at the bottom

It was super hot in town, but toward sunset (yes, AGAIN ridiculously beautiful) the wind came up a bit and we were able to turn off the AC, open the hatches and remember what is was like to be rocked comfortably to sleep.

It's amazing how much you can get done in a day when you get up at what Rick calls 'A Reasonable Hour'.  We were up with the sun, and I got in some work before we went to check out the 'town'.  I bet it will be hopping come Labor Day, but it was reasonably quiet.  We rented a golf cart to check out the various sights.  We had great seafood sandwiches at Jason's Deli and I did NOT have a soft swirl ice cream because they were out of chocolate (seriously???). We didn't make it to see the wild ponies, but that's OK because I have my heart set on seeing them on Chincoteague, since I read about them there as a little girl.

We admired another MainShip, and then headed back to the boat for naps, reading, work and the blog.  It was charming, but honestly we didn't love it as much as New Smyrna Beach, Jax Beach and some other places we have been. 

We rented a golf cart!!!

P

Pre-quarentine we used to use RedBox to get movies.  I have never seen one with a restroom.

This is one of Rick's ever-so-hilarious Dad Jokes.  He thinks it's 'mean to talk about the slow kids that way'....

This raising-up was going on all over the island - this is by far the tallest we have seen the stilts.  I feel like if you know you need to spend this kind of money to raise your house up because trouble she is a'coming, shouldn't you just MOVE TO A SAFER PLACE???

The weather was changing with an increase in heat and humidity.  While we were in Ocracoke - one of the furthest east locations on the east coast - a tropical storm spun up right next to us.  Fortunately Omar stayed off the coast and headed out to sea.  Our second night we had to leave the windows closed and air conditioning on as it was so sticky and hot.    We bought a pound of local shrimp and had a wonderful dinner!

Sat Aug 29: New Bern to Oriental Marina

 In which is takes a crowbar and $40 to get us off the damn dock...

 Our morning began with the daily train.  Just what one expects to see right by their dock:

Rick wasn't feeling it - but I was determined to get us out of New Bern...  So we started wrapping up the lines and approx 40 thousand fenders Rick had deployed during Hurricane Isaias.  We disconnected the water and power, we started the engine.  The depth gauge didn't work...  Of course it didn't.  We have the hugest, most shallow body of water to cross to get to Oriental NC.  It will be critical to know our depth.  (What ever did Columbus do?)  

 There was some anxiety, some deep breathing exercises, some cursing - Rick tried all the tricks he knows (and, it must be said, stayed good-humored).  In the end he called a random mechanic that he found on the internet - who happened to be on the dock behind us!  That was meant to be.  The nameless (he had no business card - and it was hard to get a word in edgewise to ask his name) mechanic showed up - a grizzled old salt.  But, as with airline pilots, I like our boat mechanics to have a little grey hair.  He spent about 40 minutes crawling all over the boat with Rick, and managed to do it all without EVER ceasing to talk.  Rick learned a bunch, and in the end just wiggling a bunch of wires did the trick.  As it so often does.  It was the best $40 we ever spent.  There was some additional dithering, but I managed to get us underway.  So it's Anchors Aweigh:

It was good to have a depth gauge.  It's incredible that there can be water as far as you can see, and it's only 6' (or less - that's the important part) deep.  It was an uneventful trip to Oriental, which was a plus because it was plenty eventful to dock there.

 I can't even describe to you how narrow the slip was, how tiny the space to turn and back in and how many people found this event to be cocktail hour entertainment.  The finger pier (the one that comes alongside the boat) was only 20' long.  So in order to get off easily we needed to back in as that is where we disembark.  I counseled bow-in, but Rick was determined and he SCHOOLED IT.  The dock-master was very precise and calm with instructions, which I relayed to Rick via headset.  And he spun the boat around, avoiding a boat at the public dock in front of us, and backed in - avoiding the boats on either side, and the pilings.  It was just amazing.  And by the time it was done he was shaking but triumphant.  Too much time off the boat and too much time anticipating the worst.  We need to have a conversation about this at a later time...  Again, he is becoming the worst parts of me - worrying about things that haven't happened yet.

It was easy to walk around the town in about 20 minutes - so we did.  The marina is the most happening place in town.  This will be a good memory - nice people, pretty lawn to hang out on, friendly boats on either side...

 

 

 

Tues Aug 25 - Fri Aug 28: New Bern

 In which we sit in our own sweat, waiting for Hurricane Laura to move on by...

Back to New Bern which is, I'm sure this will come as no surprise to anyone, H O T.  On Wed we had the bottom cleaned (Blue Horizon's bottom - just to clear that up). On Thurs I attended a training for a volunteer job that I can do virtually - helping people navigate rent and utility assistance in our part of GA, via the Community Assistance Center.  This might prove tricky to do on the boat, but both of us would like to do something to help, and can do this at night.  On Fri we sat around waiting for better weather (thank you Laura) as our trip two days from now will depend on gentle waves.

 To break up the monotony I found us a 'hike' to take in the Croatan National Forest.  Naturally, since we weren't sweaty enough, we opted to go at 1pm when the sun's anvil was at its most fierce.  Unbeknownst to us this area was still recovering from Hurricane Florence, and some of the trail was missing.  All I'm going to say about this is that we got lost, bug bitten and cranky (which is what I think happened to the Roanoke Colony)  The only way to recover was to go to Harris Teeter and have conveyor-belt sushi and a cold drink.  (We had a rental car)

Needless to say we had to have the AC on 24/7 (which is not quiet), the cicadas were so loud that I had to plug my ears when I went out to get my chai, the marina bathroom was two blocks away (WTH - amirite??), and there was no point in taking a shower since we were just going to be sweaty again in the next 5 minutes.  But I do realize these are all first-world problems and that this is part of LIVING THE DREAM, BABY.

Part way through Friday Rick began getting cold feet and it was touch or go if we would get off the dock on Sat.  Especially since Sat dawned with a non-functioning depth gauge.  But I'm getting ahead of myself.

This boat name sums it all up:

Mon Aug 17 - Thurs Aug 20: Banner Elk, NC

 In which we enjoy things unrelated to boats or water

 

 Just a quick interruption to our scheduled programing of ...nothing.  Rick has just finished his consulting gig but it will be awfully hot on the boat.  Given that I couldn't take ONE MORE MINUTE of the heat, we have come (at the suggestion of our friends the Hunts) to Banner Elk.  Which is, and I am not making this up, 20 degrees cooler than Atlanta.

It is delightful, and just lovely.  We have had some incredible hikes, and seen all the cutie-pea little towns (Boone, Blowing Rock, Valle Crucis, Banner and Seven Devils).  We sampled breweries, went to the grocery store 4 times in 4 days, checked out the famous/old Mast General Store and I had the best chai latte at the Banner Elk Cafe.  Two days in a row...

 I don't understand why everyone doesn't live here.  Cool, gorgeous and green, plus snow in the winter.  Do not be surprised if we sell in Atlanta and end up here...