I was going to leave for Belhaven tomorrow, and the day after that, cross Albemarle Sound to Coinjock, VA.

But I just decided to take a 3-day weather delay. More winds and waves coming in. So we’ll be here in Beaufort until Sunday.

Oh well, if we have to be stuck somewhere, there are worse places than Beaufort. Plus, there is very cold weather coming in Friday night. Low of 32 degrees. Yikes.

It’s warm and sunny and calm here today, but we have an appointment to have lunch with someone we met in Key West. We’ll keep that commitment and deal with the weather delay later.

Barring further delays, we now expect to be in Rock Hall on Thursday, April 8th.

Guinness and I both woke up in a very good mood today. We were rested; the forecast was promising; and we were looking forward to the next leg. Based on the forecast, we chose to take the outside route (in the North Atlantic) – from Wrightsville Beach Inlet to Beaufort Inlet.

The problem with going outside is that there are so few good inlets along this stretch of the East Coast. So that means that we are effectively committing to five hours in the ocean. Nevertheless, I’m putting my trust in the forecast. I am sick of the challenges of the ICW.

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We are now 2 hours into the trip, and it’s sloppier than forecast. The waves are supposed to die down as the day progresses, but it hasn’t happened yet, and we have three more hours to go. I am regretting my decision.

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This entire 3,000 mile trip has not been easy. The ICW can be narrow, and shallow, full of annoying boat traffic, and fraught with shoaling – areas where it is shallower than indicated.

In contrast, the outside route can be tough, as well. On Guinness, the boat, and me as well.

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OK, those three earlier sections were dictated live, while we were underway, and they give some insight into what my mood can be like when we are all alone on the ocean and it’s rougher than I expected.

In contrast, the last 1-1/2 hours of today’s trip were absolutely placid. The seas finally calmed as predicted, and we enjoyed the sights of beaches and flocks of seabirds.

After we feuled and docked, we had the usual routine of a hasty lunch, and making the boat and ourselves presentable. The boat was filty; the pollen south of here is epic.

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Tonight we had a lovely dinner with Lee and Mary Pucell. Lee is a Lafayette classmate, and it was very nice to re-connect. Here’s a really cute photo of Guinness doing some photo bombing.

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Now, it is 8PM, and we are listening to Joni Mitchell’s BLUE album…one of Rolling Stone’s 10 Best. “Oh, I am on a lonely road, and I am traveling, traveling, looking for something. What can it be?” Maybe friends are the answer.

As I write this, I am having a yummy glass of Apothec Dark, and Guiness and I are intermittently playing “Get the Possum”, in which I throw the possum (the world’s ugliest squeaky toy) down the dock, and he fetches it with much barking and drama.

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So I’d have to say that today is sort of a capsule view of the entire trip: some ups and some downs; some pressure and decompression; some anxiety and fun.

I just thought I would post a comment about how much fun it is to start the day with a delicious hearty breakfast. Guinness and I are at the Gulfstream restaurant. Watching the sun come up over the ocean.

Enjoying poached eggs over corn beef hash, grits, bacon, OJ, coffee, and water. Plus rye toast. Yummy! Ready to tackle the day!

AND the waitress just brought Guinness his own strip of bacon!

Life is good.

We are still at Jane’s house, enjoying our weather delay. Yesterday, we went down to the beach several times to let Guinness exercise. It was blowing so hard that the wind-blown sand actually stung your legs.
This morning, Monday, it’s cold-just 55°. I haven’t been this cold since I left Jacksonville in March.
Today, we will just straighten up the mess we made of Jane’s place, enjoy the brisk weather, Uber back to the boat, and plan to depart tomorrow morning for Beaufort NC. (That’s Bow-fort y’all)

Today was a long day – almost eight straight hours. The ocean was much too rough so we took the ICW all the way, and there were several spots where the water was very skinny, but we made it to Wrightsville Beach. The bad news is the next two days are going to be blowing really hard and we are going to stay here an extra two days.
The good news is that my sister Jane has a house nearby in Carolina Beach. So tonight I am sitting on her deck looking at the moon reflecting on the ocean. In the picture above, you can see the moon at the top, partially obscured by the clouds. In the middle of the frame is the reflection on the ocean, and below it are the dune grasses.

You may remember that I holed up here in March when I had the flu. So lucky that these incidents always happen in Carolina Beach

I had to juggle my schedule but that turned out well: I am still going to get to see my friends in Beaufort. So once again, all is well. I’ll keep this brief because I forgot to bring my laptop to Jane’s house and I’m dictating this into my phone

Exhaustion. That’s the only way to describe my state when I got to Jane’s house last night. She lives in a section of Carolina Beach called Pleasure Island. Facing east. Right on the dunes.

As I alluded to in my last post, we tried to go outside yesterday but it was very rough, so we wasted about half an hour going out the Little River Inlet, and then turning around and coming back to the ICW. Our trip north coincided with low tide, and we touched bottom at least twice. So all in all it was kind of an anxiety laden trip

When we finally got to Wrightsville Beach, we refueled; did a load of wash; washed the boat (it was filthy from the gravel lot at our last dumpy marina) checked the weather; decided to stay in Wrightsville Beach for two extra days; flashed on the idea of staying at Jane’s place; scheduled an Uber; and grabbed a fast hamburger at Poe’s Tavern. It was the first real meal I had had all day.

Arguably the best burger and fries ever!

Then I threw some gear together, met the Uber, and made it to Jane’s place; took Guinness for a walk on the beach; and CRASHED!

So this morning, I am thinking that this two day delay may have been something I really needed. Today, I just hope to enjoy the beach with Guinness. It is cool, humid, and overcast. So not breathtakingly beautiful. But good enough!

I am dictating this post on my phone, because this marina has no Wi-Fi. We also learned it has no restaurant, despite what it said in the waterway guide. Apparently it flooded several years ago. So we will make do.

Charleston was wonderful; what a livable city. Big enough to support a vibrant restaurant trade, but not crowded at all.

Connie left this morning to return to Aspen, and Guinness and I set out to cover some miles. It was a long day: almost 7 hours, and we fought the tidal currents the entire way

We have several more long legs coming up: tomorrow we leave for the Carolina Beach area, and then Beaufort North Carolina on Sunday

I’ll post again when we get to a better stopping point.

Yesterday was wonderful. Perfect weather; azaleas popping; and HUMAN COMPANY!

It was very nice to spend time in Charleston: it’s such a pleasant city. But human nature is funny: it’s so much more pleasant when you can enjoy things with someone else.

Frankly, I had some doubts when Connie suggested that she meet me in Charleston. I really didn’t know how that was going to work out. But I have to give her credit:

• She brought everything she needed in a single canvas bag (no hard-sided luggage)
• She can shower and dress for dinner in 15 minutes
• She’s a good conversationalist

Here’s Connie and Guinness and me and Guinness at the Cooper River Park. You can tell which of us is the better photographer.

We walked for almost three hours; very little human or automobile traffic.

We had lunch in a French bistro; drinks at a rooftop bar; and a very nice dinner at a restaurant called Revival. Great chocolate martini! Yes, I know, it’s a chick drink. But boy was it yummy.

Looks like it’s going to be another nice day today – we were shocked to realize that we both leave tomorrow. Connie flies back to Aspen, and I am heading 90 miles north to Wacca Wachee. Or maybe I’ll go outside to Murrel’s Inlet. We’ll see if I have a weather window.

I’d better log out now and start planning.

We made it to Charleston with no drama, and I’m looking forward to some fine dining: I’ve booked a few of the Top Ten restaurants.

It was VERY cold on the way up from Beaufort, but the weather is improving markedly. It should be high 70’s the next few days. There are two problems: pollen and no-see-um’s, both of which are pretty ferocious.

But I’m not complaining. Connie has arrived, and it’s very nice to have some human company for a change!

I’m getting a little tired of the Covid mask requirements, so I’ve come up with a somewhat more festive mask for Charleston:

I hope everyone likes it!

Today we left Palmetto Bluff for Beaufort, SC (that’s BEUW-FORT). On the way down, we stayed right in town; this time, we are across the river at Lady’s Island Marina. We were hoping to meet up with Beth, the captain of the sailing vessel Stargazer. We met Beth in Beaufort NC (that’s Bow-fort) on the southbound trip. Unfortunately, she is away visiting friends / family. Stargazer is here but not Beth.

I decided to break the Charleston trip into two legs; we can do 100 miles a day, but I am feeling cumulatively tired. So, we did 30 miles to Beaufort today, and we’ll leave for Charleston tomorrow (Tuesday morning the 23rd).

Yesterday, at Palmetto Bluff, we got 2″ of rain; the good news is it washed all the pollen off the boat.

It was still cold and windy when we left this morning, and it was choppy as we transited Calibogue Sound and Port Royal Sound (sounds open onto the ocean). But the trip wasn’t long – just 3 hours dock-to-dock including refueling, and we’re now in a quiet, protected marina.

Ladies Island is a pretty little spot, with marsh views and a couple of good restaurants. What else does one need?

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BTW, when I left Key West, I was planning on 22 travel days, not counting layovers and extended visits. As I leave Palmetto Bluff, I have 11 travel days left, including today, so I am exactly halfway home! The entire homeward trip will take 22 travel days and 34 TOTAL days including visits and repairs.