A Good Time was had be All

Whew this rain has become very tiresome.  We had storms and rain yesterday morning then it let up in the afternoon so we could go to Roberts Grocery for their famous Chicken Salad for lunch then on to the beach for a short walk. 

The anchorage was squirrely with boats every which way during the falling tide and opposing winds.

We went to dinner at Neptune's and had a great and reasonably priced dinner..  Everyone enjoyed that.

Then back on Temptation for a rousing game of Farkle which Jim won AGAIN!!  He is the Farkle KING.

Today it was more and longer rains then yesterday.  I think I wore the zippers out on the cockpit enclosure I opened and closed so many times.  The temps were in the mid 80s with lots of humidity -- not pleasant.

We had a social on boared at 4pm.  It was GREAT..  Emily and Jay drove down and Jeff and Lee Wingfield KI4JDE came over and joined us.

It was 10 in the cockpit but we had a nice breeze and no rain.  Great stories from Graig and Dovie and Jim and Barb.

Lots of treats so we don't need dinner tonight.  Everyone thoroughly enjoyed themselves.

Its been way too short a visit in Wrightsville mainly because of the bad weather.

Making preparations tonight to leave early tomorrow morning and make the 8am bridge opening.  Then it will be on to Mile Hammock Bay.

Rain, Rain and more Rain

We had a great night of good  food and games on Skat last night.  Barb fixed chili, a big pot, and we had non bread garlic toast and Dovie brought Po Bread.  It was great.

We followed that with Karens Apple cake and then a rousing game of Farkle.  Dovie won the game -- yeah Dovie.  Karen came with 100 points at the end but came up short.

It was raining lightly when we left and it rained lightly all night.  This morning it switched over to heavy rain.  We skipped our 8am departure but ariound 9 am it let up so we left.  We had a nice run to Wrightsville.  The rain held off to just as we anchored but only light then and after the hooks were doen we had a DOWNPOUR  -- so what else is new.

The waterway was okay.  We had strong currents and okay water through New River Inlet.  No other suprises until Green 99A where the sailboat that had just passed me ran aground.  I noticed I was gaining on him rapidly and I asked if he was aground but he didn't respond until I was next to him then he said he was.  I was maybe 12 feet away and I had 9 feet..  Yippee for me.

We hit the bridges with minimum wait but had a long wait on the Wrightsvile bridge.  That was coumpounded by the building dark clouds and thunder.  Ohhh we wanted to be through.  Finally at 4pm we were through.

Wormed our way through Motts Channel and dropped the hook in Banks Channel near the fixed bridge.  We all got lucky and the hook stuck on the first try.  Then the rain came again.

Now at 7pm it has stopped and things look pretty good but there is an 90% chance of more tonight and 80% tomorrow.

Ohh we will work around them.

The picture is the anchorage in Banks Channel with the rain coming down after anchoring.

Browns Inlet Boogie Monster

We left Spooners late today 10am to hopefully hit Browns Inlet on a rising tide.  That is a terrible area right now that has shoaled badly and has a terrible reputation of being imapassable at low tide.  Well we had some favorable currents and hit that area at DEAD LOW tide.

JIm and Barb on Skat were in the lead since it was their idea to push on.  I was ready to scrub this trip because of all the bad reports.  There was an Island Packet that ran aground just in front of us.  They radioed back that they miss read the 2 can buoys and thought thery were 2 reds but were a red and green in close proximity.  They got off and went through with no problem.  Jim went through and Bubbles went through.  We went through and saw no less than 7.2 feet.  I felt both good for passing easily and bad for trying to scrub the trip,.

We got into Mile Hmmock at 3:15pm.  It took two tries to get the anchor to set and so did Skat.  Bubbles took TNC attempts.

It's nice and mild here with about 7 other boats.

Barb has invited us for a Big Chili dinner tonight and we are bringing Apple Cake..  Going to be a night of good food and games -- wish me luck.  I need to win at Farkle.

The picture is looking back at the entrance into Mile Hammock Bay on Camp Lejuene.

Ahhh Cruising again!!

Today is the first day of a mini-cruise to Wrightsville Beach.  We are in the company of Skat and Bubbles.
Left NWCM at 8am and hook down in Spooners Creek at 3:30pm.  We took it easy to stay with Bubbles and Skat.

The forecast was one that would usually leave you at the dock but we left anyway.  A nice run down the Neuse and Adams Creek.  The forecast weather was staying away.  It was cloudy but a nice mild day.

The Turning basin was tough with current on the nose and SOG down to 3.6 knots.  We pushed on.  Looked like we were going to make Spooners dry then about 20 minutes out the sky turned BLACK.  Just as we reached the turn for Spooners the sky opened.  Visibility was terrible but at slow speed we worked our way into the creek.  Entrance depth was never less than 6.1 feet.

There was a trawler already anchored here but plenty of room.  We anchored in a driving rain but no big wind or any lightning.

Bubbles had to wait for visibility then they came in.  Then Jim and Barb on Skat came in.

It poured another 30 minutes and  now it is pleasant but overcast.

That's Bubbles in the foreground and Skat is in front of the Trawler

An evening of good food and games are planned on Temptation -- except I have to go pick everyone up.  Hmmm I wonder how they are getting back tonight?

Felt like Moses being denied the Promised Land

Well maybe I've gone overboard with that statement -- but I felt it briefly today.

We had a nice night on the hook in terrible hot and humid conditions. I ran the Genset and both AC units aboard. I waited till dark to start to not annoy the neighbors too much. I know -- what a guy! It's nice but the noise drowns out everything else and I miss not being able to hear the ambient sounds of the night.

We left Cape Lookout at 7:30am this morning to see how far we could get in the forecast 110 degree heat index today. Damn the air was thick with humidity early this morning.

Anchor came up easily but the crossing to the inlet was rough. That 10 - 15kts from the South-Southwest had created short wind waves that rolled us terribly. Too much on the noise to put out a steadying sail. We just suffered for an hour and 20 minutes. Once in the inlet we had a favorable current all the way in and up Adams Creek.

WE hit Adams Creek number 1 at 12:15pm and thought briefly of going to Oriental for the night. It was hot but manageable so we pushed on. Then a favorable wind came up and we motor sailed through the Ferry crossing and on up to the Green 11 channel. BUT about 2 miles from the channel we heard thunder and saw lightning. The whole river ahead of us was dark with bright streaks of lightning going cloud to water.

I decided to anchor and wait. We headed to shore near Flanners Beach and dropped the hook and waited. Lots of lightning and a little rain -- no wind fortunately. We waited about 20 minutes in heat stifling conditions then after we hadn't seen any lightning awhile we pushed on through the light rain.

Near Hammonds shoal the rain stopped and we headed to the marina with the sound of distant thunder. WE got in and tied up before the next band hit. Paul asked how it was on the river and told us that Melinda's boat -- the marina charter boat was hit by lightning earlier. No one was injured but the boat suffered damage. Damn we were lucky!!

The heat took its toll on us. After turning on the air and taking showers we both had a 30 minute nap..

It's dinner on board tonight and early to bed. Maybe we will take a driving trip the Beaufort tomorrow -- another forecast heat index day of 110 degrees.

Flipped Out

Another fine day at Cape Lookout.

It was down right hot on the coast at mid nineties but the high here was only 86 degrees -- 84 yesterday.

A nice 10 - 12 kt wind all day.

We made a few trips to the beach but nothing of real interest there -- just a fine feeling of being on the beach and walking barefoot in the surf.

Back on the boat I wanted to scrub the underside of the hull. However I broke one strap on one fin yesterday and my replacement strap does not fit... Grrr it was for my old fins.

I tried to force it to fit and it looked like it would work then would release. Then the strap on the other fin broke. I tried to scrub with no fins but that didn't work -- kept pushing away from the hull. Grrrr..

another incident of not following through with replacements in a timely manner. I knew the straps were cracked but didn't replace them.. Now I miss this great opportunity to scrub the boat in clean water.

The rest of the afternoon was spent reading and relaxing and practicing my knots. When we went to the beach I threw out the grappling anchor and as I walked away I noticed the bowline was coming undone!!! Eeeek.

I knew that knot didn't do well when wet but this ????

I practiced a new knot to me to use next time on that little anchor -- it is called a buntline. Works in wet and slimy conditions.. Just what the doctor ordered,

Well rain and storms on tap for tonight and I promised Karen I would run the AC for her. We powered up the GENSET at 8pm -- so the other boats wouldn't notice the cooling water coming from the boat -- and hopefully will run it all night. Right now it is Coool down below. First time I've had a T-shirt on all day.. I might need covers to sleep in tonight..

Eat your hearts out my cruising friends..

Go Fly a Kite!!

Ahhh that was the watch word today.

After a nice leisure breakfast and morning of radio and position reporting I went to the beach and walked to the ATLANTIC SIDE -- found 3 very nice sea shells.

BAck on board I got out the scuba gear and dived on the boat. Thank goodness for the lycra rash guard.. I had several of these cabbage size jelly fish bounce off my arms and legs but no sting. I replaced the zinc on the prop and cleaned the strainers. Then one of my flipper straps broke and the replacement didn't fit. I tried to scrub the boat but it was a losing battle fighting the current with only one flipper. I packed it in.

I set up the riding sail and got more amps from the wind generator. It has done a yeoman's job today generating about 10 amps in the 15 kt breeze.

After lunch I got out my new kites and went to the beach. The fixed cellular flew great. I tried the generator rotating one but it would not fly by itself. Back on the boat I got out my original rotating kite with the new ball bearing end piece and it flew great. I attached the holder to the deck railing and just laid back and watched. I reeled it part warty in and tried to attach the generator about 20 feet below it but it did not work and then fouled the line.

Ohh well it has been a great afternoon of sun wind and flying and looking forward to a fine dinner tonight.

The weather has been great and the forecast storms have not appeared. The temps have been 84 degrees here with a report of 95 at New Barn. Ahhh love these temps at Lookout.

I hope to do some serious star gazing from the infamous hanging deck chair -- see spilled coffee report from this morning -- and enjoy the evening.

That tropical Storm Brent is still forecast to miss us by a lot but we can head in tomorrow if need be.. Right now we expect to leave the Cape on Thursday.