For round two in moving Zephyr from Jacksonville, FL to Hampton, VA, my brother Alex and I decided to do an overnight sail from Little River Inlet, SC to Beaufort, NC via the Frying Pan Shoals 12-NM Slue. Any shoal is dangerous, but based on the navigational data and the fact that its got two buoys marking the slue, we decided to go for it.
Initially, we were going to depart on Sunday, May 19th, but the weather was not cooperating. A low pressure was about to collide with the high pressure, and it didn't look pretty. Saturday looked much better, so we all bit the bullet and moved our schedule up a day. We got to Crickett Cove marina late on Friday evening, and got the boat set up and ready to move the next day. Initially, my navigation plan called for us to leave early in the morning, but after reevaluating the situation, we decided to be away from the pier by 10 am.
Saturday morning came, and we ended up leaving at about 11:30 am because I took a good chunk of skin out of my finger pulling shore power. After a lot of cleaning, and Neosporin, we got underway. The Little River Inlet was very well marked, and we followed a large casino ship (Jacks or Better) out to sea. Before we knew it, it was just my brother and I.
Initially, we were going to depart on Sunday, May 19th, but the weather was not cooperating. A low pressure was about to collide with the high pressure, and it didn't look pretty. Saturday looked much better, so we all bit the bullet and moved our schedule up a day. We got to Crickett Cove marina late on Friday evening, and got the boat set up and ready to move the next day. Initially, my navigation plan called for us to leave early in the morning, but after reevaluating the situation, we decided to be away from the pier by 10 am.
Saturday morning came, and we ended up leaving at about 11:30 am because I took a good chunk of skin out of my finger pulling shore power. After a lot of cleaning, and Neosporin, we got underway. The Little River Inlet was very well marked, and we followed a large casino ship (Jacks or Better) out to sea. Before we knew it, it was just my brother and I.
It was a beautiful day. I was overcome by seasickness pretty quickly (argh) but even Alex got some mal de mer. We reached the Frying Pan shoals at about 7 pm, and slipped through with no drama. That evening, between Cape Fear and the Beaufort Inlet, we saw lots of thunderstorms out to sea to the east, lighting up the night sky. It was beautiful, but it made me a little nervous. Alex and I put a precautionary reef in the main sail before we transitioned to three-on, three-off watches.
Overall, the sail was really great. The morning sunset resulted in some beautiful pictures, and the dolphins gave us a show. We were moored in Beaufort, NC by about 1 pm, right downtown at the Beaufort docks.
My wife joined us, and we all enjoyed Morehead City and Beaufort (we had a car to make that possible). Its a quaint town, with lots of fun things to do and see. We enjoyed walking into the shops. We ended up staying an extra day because the weather looked iffy.
My wife joined us, and we all enjoyed Morehead City and Beaufort (we had a car to make that possible). Its a quaint town, with lots of fun things to do and see. We enjoyed walking into the shops. We ended up staying an extra day because the weather looked iffy.
We departed on Tuesday, May 21st, for a short 5 hour motorsail to Oriental, NC. My wife Anyika joined us, and helmed the boat. It was her birthday! By about 2 pm, we were moored up at the Oriental Inn and Marina, which is a sail-up inn. It has a real Key West feel. We sprung for a one-bedroom suite, which had two stories and two balconies, overlooking the pool, the docks, and the Tiki Bar. We walked around the town, enjoyed dinner out, and spoke to some of the locals at the local coffee house across the street from the marina. There are apparently 2,500 boats in town, and only 850 residents. Its the undisputed capitol of sailing in NC, and also the home of dragons (we found a dragon egg and a dragon statue next to the coffee house).
Initially, we were going to make a run for Belhaven, but we decided to shorten the trip based on recommendations of the locals. We instead motorsailed up to the River Dunes Marina (also in Oriental, NC) where we left Zephyr. River Dunes boasts a beautiful marina, as well as a special club house. The library looks like it came from a castle.
Again, the trip was fantastic. Sailing from port to port is a dream come true, and exploring small towns is awesome. Anyika, Alex and I all had a great time. We're now only two weekend trips away from Hampton, VA, so we have a few more trips to go.
We are constantly impressed by how nice and friendly everyone is on the Intracoastal. Its really been a great cruise so far!
Again, the trip was fantastic. Sailing from port to port is a dream come true, and exploring small towns is awesome. Anyika, Alex and I all had a great time. We're now only two weekend trips away from Hampton, VA, so we have a few more trips to go.
We are constantly impressed by how nice and friendly everyone is on the Intracoastal. Its really been a great cruise so far!