After spending a week in Raleigh for a Syzygy Plasmonics field trial we went to Columbia, SC for a short visit with my Uncle Ron. When we made it back to Osprey Marina south of Myrtle Beach we prepared to move on. Our plan was to go out Little River Inlet and sail to Beaufort Inlet and that’s what we did. It was a good sail and the tides were timed correctly for getting in. There was a fishing tournament going on that weekend and the wakes were terrible. We spent a couple of days exploring Beaufort, NC before moving on.
From Beaufort we sailed to Oriental and tied up at one of the city’s free docks. No electricity or water but the right price with a coffee shop right across the street. There is a great provisioning store a block away that had free bikes to lend. That really helped getting to West Marine and back. Yes it’s a boat something always needed to be fixed…
New Rain Gear bought in Oriental. John looks like an New England fisherman on some fish food box!
The next stop was Belhaven Marina. A nice locally owned marina that is very welcoming. They also have a golf cart free to use to go the grocery store in, very helpful. It is a quaint little town with some new businesses that are revitalizing the area and good restaurants that understand gluten-free within walking distance. The freeway has diminished the importance of the town as a way to move goods via water but its beauty and nice people will keep it alive.
A few days later we went to TJ Marina and Boatyard in Belhaven to get Mischief hauled out of the water and replace a ball valve. Mischief had a thru hull that would not close and we (I) decided we could sleep better if we knew it worked properly. It also gave a chance to look at the bottom of the hull for the first time in over 1.5 years. She looked good but every bit of Prop Speed on the propeller is gone. They were reasonably priced and very conscientious about hauling the boat out. It was a little dicey getting in to the boatyard due to very skinny water but it is well marked. Can’t believe we forgot to take pictures!
By the time the boat was in he water again there wasn’t much time to go very far so we went Drowry Creek Marina. Very nice facility, great dockhands willing to help, pump out at the slip (the little things make us happy) but it was a very lively place, lots of waves, to dock.
The next morning we left to head farther north. On the north end of the Alligator river we bravely dodged crab pots and found a place to anchor. It was very pleasant and peaceful, for a little bit. The weather predicted some wind, but surprise not nearly as much as we saw. The wind reached 40 mph for a while but the Mantus anchor held. Yay!
Adventures of Mischief 