Log 180; Day 526; October 29, 2009; Beaufort, NC.

We have spent the last 11 days with Les and Annie, and I'm certain we have at least 100 pictures of the 4 of us. I have chosen only a few to give you some idea of the fun we had.

Several of them were eating...

And then there's shopping

Many of them were walking the docks

And, sitting on the docks

And of course many of them were taken while we were on the boat

And many of them with a drink in our hands

Some lying down

and standing up...

Some with people we just met (their boat is below, as they leave in the morning) who are traveling for 7 years around the world

Some with people we have met before (Don is a guy we met over a year ago on the Tennessee River)
Some on other people's boats

And all of it can make you very tired

Beaufort Docks is a place where lots of transient boats stop on their way south. In the afternoon it's a contstant stream of boats coming in after a day of cruising

Some have had a rough day, like this one who has spent 72 hours out in the Atlantic cruising from Long Island, NY. The weather was so rough, he lost his bimini, and his swim platform. The captain is telling us his story.

Then in the morning, it starts all over again, as the boats head out...all bound for interesting destinations. This boat was our neighbor, and is on a 7 year trip around the world. These are the people in the picture above with Annie.

Not sure of this boat's story, but he came in yesterday, and almost tore the dock down as he was trying to dock

These people were next to us as well, and are heading for Jeckyll Island, GA for the winter

This is Double Trouble (Don is in the picture with Deb and me above) they are boating friends we have met along the way. They left us the keys to their car to use while they are gone for a few days. Like I said in my log...this is a comunity of people...joined by water.

Log 180

Day 526

Thursday, October 29, 2009

7:30 AM EDT

Location: Beaufort Docks; Beaufort, NC.

Weather: 62 degrees, with clear skies, and a beautiful sunrise

Les and Annie just left us here in Beaufort. They had a car pick them up, and take them to New Bern, NC, where they will get a rental car (one way) and drive to Portsmouth, VA, to get their van. It’s a bit of a logistic issue, but there are no one-way rental cars anywhere around Beaufort, so this is what they had to do.

We have had a great 11 days with Les and Annie on board. Most everyone we have on the boat are “low” maintenance people...but Les and Annie are “no” maintenance people. We have had so many vacations with them over the years that being together is just “easy”. It had been a long time since the 4 of us spent any real time together...and it was great.

Our days cruising have also been very nice. The weather has cooperated (in the most part) and it is just a joy to be able to cruise these waterways, and enjoy this part of the country. For those reading this who are not boaters, it’s hard to explain how much different it is seeing this country from the water, verses the land. The eastern part of the Carolina’s is beautiful in it’s own right...but from the water it is even more beautiful, and very special.

The other thing that most folks do not get a chance to experience (or understand) is that there is an entire boating community, that is connected by water. I am sure that there are similar communities in other forms of recreation, but the one thing that makes boaters interesting (to me) is that no matter how big (or small) your boat, when you walk the dock...everyone’s the same. True boaters appreciate all boats, and enjoy talking about their boat, and learning about others. We also enjoy talking about, and learning about, where folks come from, and where they are headed? Where are the good, and bad stops? What are some “hot set-ups” that they have on their boat? This time of year, it is really a “migration” of boats heading to all points south. And, they come from all points north. For us, each day we get new “neighbors” that we talk to, and find out what their “story” is. As I have mentioned, this time of year there are a lot of captains moving boats south for boat owners, some of which are on board. Each boat has a different story...and each one is interesting. I know, for me, the fascination is that this is all happening...because of a boat. We love this lifestyle, and each day Deb and I appreciate the fact we get to do this.

Getting here...from Oriental (our last port of call) was fairly easy. We left Oriental at first light (or shortly before) because the winds were forecasted to pick up later, and I also wanted to get to Beaufort at slack tide, due to the orientation of the docks to the current. (Side note: these docks are famous, up and down the waterway. I have talked to many captains who put this place on their list of toughest to get in and out of. The tides flow swiftly through this narrow river, and, with any wind, it can make for some interesting docking. We watched a boat have lots of issues yesterday, to the point where Annie was so nervous she could not watch). When we left our Oriental slip, it was mostly clear, but when we got our on the Neuse River, the fog set in, and it continued to be foggy for the next hour or so. With radar, it was no real problem, but it did make for some interesting cruising. The other thing that happened was that we hit the tide flow perfectly, and were riding a 1 1/2 mph current almost all the way here. We made the 27 mile trip, and arrived in Beaufort about 11 am...just in time to get tied up, and walk into town (a few hundred feet) for a great lunch at Clawson’s...a Beaufort landmark for over 100 years.

The rest of our time in Beaufort has been spent walking the streets and just browsing the area. We borrowed the courtesy car (the oldest; ugliest; and worst running car any of us had ever been in) and made a quick trip to the grocery store, and hardware store. We also stopped at a couple spots for a quick beer, and ate dinner out at Ribeye’s...a nice steak house on main street. After Les and Annie left, we also had a car, from someone we knew on another boat, so Deb and I took a ride to Morehead City (just across the bridge from Beaufort) to a cool lunch spot on the water.

Today...Deb and I will be doing some boat chores, and getting the boat re-adjusted to being on the boat by ourselves. Hard to explain, but it’s very different when someone lives aboard with us. Not bad...just different. We also have a few things to do before we leave Beaufort, because we will not be in a place to get supplies for a few days.

Our plans...are for us to stay in Beaufort until Monday morning. We need to stay until Sunday, because our insurance will not allow us to be south of here until November 1^st (that’s when hurricane season ends). And we have decided to stay Sunday, and leave Monday, because there will be a lot of traffic on Sunday...and also there is a NASCAR race, and Bears game, on TV. So it will be good to be tied up, and watch them. As of Monday...we have 36 days until we plan to be in our slip in Cape Coral, Florida....a distance of 935 miles.

I’ll keep you posted.

Bob