OtherGoose: Tuesday Nov 25

Tuesday Nov 25

Today was a long day. We started off the dock in Oriental [Mile 180] around 7:15 am and headed across the Neuse River to Adams creek and the long canal. It started out with a light fog but we only had to run 2 miles across the river. It was a warm day, in fact by 10:00 am, I was in shorts and bare feet!

The houses and boats along the canal are getting bigger. There are lots of places for sale but it’s not quite out of the snow zone!

We had a good sunny run down the canal and out into to Bogue Sound. We were able to use the sail for awhile, unfortunately I missed the turn in the sound and almost took us out to the ocean, so we lost a half hour there, and the tide was running against us bringing our speed down to 2.5 knots at times.

A big trimaran passed us wanting to know our destination. He probably weighed about 100 lbs, so he was doing about 10knots!! We won’t see him again ‘til we hit the Bahamas.

The Coast guard is just as bad as the big power boats for wake but at least their guys wave at you when they pass!

Dolphins...OMG, one of them ran into the boat!! It was fishing and not watching where it was going...it came right alongside and bumped us!

We were trying to reach an anchorage at Huggins Island around Mile 229 but it got dark around Mile 225. The channel has sand islands along the ocean side and another long spit with houses further out right on the ocean so there are lights along both sides of the Sound. The sky was cloudy but not completely black. It was supposed to rain all day but we missed the brunt of it.

I missed the red channel marker around 225and ran us aground on a sandbar, just before the bridge. The marker was unlit and I was trying to aim for the forward green flashing marker. In all fairness I was on course and I didn’t plot the line!! It’s a very narrow channel there. I was all for turning on the anchor light and waiting ‘til morning or calling Towboat US, which we have thanks to Julie & Derek but Rick hates asking for help so we powered our way off the sandbar, but lost another ½ hour in the process. Luckily the tide had turned and we were now doing 6 knots in the dark!!! We found the anchorage and settled in beside C-Soul and a few other boasts.

Wednesday Morning Nov 26

It rained on and off all night and we are sitting in heavy rain right now. It is supposed to change to a nor’easter later but clear up. If it does, we will raise the sails and head further south, to another anchorage. We won’t make it to Wilmington in time for Black Friday. Darn!!!