Ocracoke, Day III

    Just so you all know, cruising is not all fun and games. But sometimes at the end of the day, even a less than ideal day, you can sit back with a cocktail in hand and enjoy the surroundings.

    This one began with a strong backing wind at 0300, straight across the direction we had set our #60 CQR. Blew 30 knots on my wind-meter (some will recall was put back together with small pieces of milk jug as bearings/spacers) so likely somewhat more. In short it was a small, uneventful anchor drag. Pulled forward 20 deg off the first, put down a fluke and we’re set for the duration. The only bad part was 3 AM. Needless to say I’m not getting back to sleep after that, wide awake and wondering could there be another?

    So we sat the day, did some reading. Finished Sir Peter Blake, An Amazing Life, by Alan Sefton. Great talent, competitor, sailor, seamen, leader, turned environmentalist, murdered by a two-bit thief in the mouth of the Amazon River at age 53. Makes you want to take up the cause. As sailing cruisers out here living in the very environment that supports all of us every day, even more so.

Now with the wind lying down, approx 25-30 dolphins came in the harbor to feed/play, so fun to watch.

But there was this little boat, way out here 30 miles far from anywhere across the Pamlico Sound with the wind blowing like stink all day.

Came in and anchored, then took off in their “dinghy”, looks a lot like a pool toy to me, two big men with a cooler. Did they come from afar, or locals camping in the back yard as we all did as kids? But they made it here, and watching progress in the one paddle dink, didn’t drown in the harbor (I was at the ready with our dink as the made for shore and back!) and we are left to wonder for the night of their story….