Northbound Again

Nov 22, 2008
3,562
Endeavour 32 Portland, Maine
We woke our last morning in Beaufort still on the fence about leaving or staying. We were both getting restless but we hadn’t seen the marine museum yet. We were also thinking about waiting for Jimm who is working his way north and only a couple of days away.

http://share.findmespot.com/shared/faces/viewspots.jsp?glId=0bYtfntNqcgEmbvVbt9KH3WDoukGiAP3z

A check if the weather made up our minds for us. There was the promise of a great sail up the Neuse River so we were soon underway. We took the scenic route down around Radio Island and back up the ICW under the high bridge. Progress was slow up through the Newport Marshes due to strong current and a check of the GPS tide tables showed that it would be increasingly against us all the way to the Neuse River. No way to make this passage in daylight with a fair tide though this time of the month so I resigned myself to the expenditure of diesel fuel.

It was pleasant surprise therefore, to find the SOG numbers on the chartplotter climbing quickly as we entered the land cut. Evidently, the wind tide in the Neuse River was giving us a gift.

We saw lots of Pelicans.



The wind was rising quickly so we set the sails as soon as there was sufficient room in Adams Creek and took off reaching and running faster than the diesel will drive Strider. It was even grander out in the Neuse and the knotlog was reading over seven knots consistently with long peaks over eight on a screaming reach, putting this day well up in the list of my fastest sails in this boat.

Dreameagle steered for about 90% of the time so she got a good workout along with the practice.



We were going so fast that we were interesting enough for a passing dolphin to come over and surf in our quarter wave. It was the first time Dreameagle has seen one do this and the first I have ever seen it with Strider under sail.

Shortly after the dolphin encounter, we pulled again into R. F. Mayo which works its way farther up my list of favorite places every time I stop. Missing so much on a waterway dominated by mega mansions and conspicuous consumption recreation is a sense of real people leading real lives. R. F. Mayo is as real as gets. $0.40 per foot dockage (yes, you read that right) and seafood from their boats makes this a must stop place. (Correction to previous report: They do have real restrooms inside.)

Mayo has probably the best ice you will find on the waterway if you are one of those cruisers who do without refrigeration. (Yes, I know there is another of you out there somewhere.) The usual ice you buy is kept at about 30 degrees in those marina and convenience store coolers to minimize electrical cost. The ice here is made on site and supercooled. It feels almost like you had put dry ice in the box when you take stuff out a little later.

This commercial fishing base has a marine store from another world. There is just about everything a commercial fishing boat could need and no attempt to cater to passing yachtsman. The one possible exception is a new rack of R. F. Mayo apparel. Dreameagle bought us matching hoodie sweatshirts:



Along with the sweatshirts, we got two dozen fresh oysters in the shell for a price so low that you could hardly consider it a financial transaction. We will be gorging the next couple of days and sad that it is the last day of the season.

The rain we have been expecting all day has just started and we are waiting to see if the promised severe thunderstorms that are keeping us here another night materialize. The forecast indicates another great day of sailing ahead tomorrow.
 

Jimm

.
Jan 22, 2008
372
Hunter 33.5 Bodkin Creek - Bodkin YC
We woke our last morning in Beaufort still on the fence about leaving or staying. We were both getting restless but we hadn’t seen the marine museum yet. We were also thinking about waiting for Jimm who is working his way north and only a couple of days away.

http://share.findmespot.com/shared/faces/viewspots.jsp?glId=0bYtfntNqcgEmbvVbt9KH3WDoukGiAP3z

A check if the weather made up our minds for us. There was the promise of a great sail up the Neuse River so we were soon underway. We took the scenic route down around Radio Island and back up the ICW under the high bridge. Progress was slow up through the Newport Marshes due to strong current and a check of the GPS tide tables showed that it would be increasingly against us all the way to the Neuse River. No way to make this passage in daylight with a fair tide though this time of the month so I resigned myself to the expenditure of diesel fuel.

It was pleasant surprise therefore, to find the SOG numbers on the chartplotter climbing quickly as we entered the land cut. Evidently, the wind tide in the Neuse River was giving us a gift.

We saw lots of Pelicans.

The wind was rising quickly so we set the sails as soon as there was sufficient room in Adams Creek and took off reaching and running faster than the diesel will drive Strider. It was even grander out in the Neuse and the knotlog was reading over seven knots consistently with long peaks over eight on a screaming reach, putting this day well up in the list of my fastest sails in this boat.

Dreameagle steered for about 90% of the time so she got a good workout along with the practice.

We were going so fast that we were interesting enough for a passing dolphin to come over and surf in our quarter wave. It was the first time Dreameagle has seen one do this and the first I have ever seen it with Strider under sail.

Shortly after the dolphin encounter, we pulled again into R. F. Mayo which works its way farther up my list of favorite places every time I stop. Missing so much on a waterway dominated by mega mansions and conspicuous consumption recreation is a sense of real people leading real lives. R. F. Mayo is as real as gets. $0.40 per foot dockage (yes, you read that right) and seafood from their boats makes this a must stop place. (Correction to previous report: They do have real restrooms inside.)

Mayo has probably the best ice you will find on the waterway if you are one of those cruisers who do without refrigeration. (Yes, I know there is another of you out there somewhere.) The usual ice you buy is kept at about 30 degrees in those marina and convenience store coolers to minimize electrical cost. The ice here is made on site and supercooled. It feels almost like you had put dry ice in the box when you take stuff out a little later.

This commercial fishing base has a marine store from another world. There is just about everything a commercial fishing boat could need and no attempt to cater to passing yachtsman. The one possible exception is a new rack of R. F. Mayo apparel. Dreameagle bought us matching hoodie sweatshirts:

Along with the sweatshirts, we got two dozen fresh oysters in the shell for a price so low that you could hardly consider it a financial transaction. We will be gorging the next couple of days and sad that it is the last day of the season.

The rain we have been expecting all day has just started and we are waiting to see if the promised severe thunderstorms that are keeping us here another night materialize. The forecast indicates another great day of sailing ahead tomorrow.
Roger...Stuck at Carolina SPMarina till Monday..looks like I'm 3 or 4 days behind you.. Jim
 
Oct 2, 2008
3,807
Pearson/ 530 Strafford, NH
Check out the boots in the upper store.

All U Get

800 miles south and thirty degrees warmer.