Day 43

From Peter Ver Ploeg:





It was a long day of motoring today through the narrow, winding channels of the ICW. Every once in a while the route would make a turn and we'd catch a brief window of fair wind in which to set sail, but I'd estimate that total sailing time for the day only added up to about three hours.


We did get to chalk up another grounding. That makes number seven. The constantly shifting shoals in the shallow Intracoastal Waterway are marked by movable, color coded buoys in addition to the permanent channel markers. Because these buoys are always being moved around, they aren't charted. You just have to spot them. Where we ran aground, we were directly between two buoys. Not a big deal, soft clay bottom, well practiced procedure.

What makes the event memorable is that right after it happened a Coast Guard patrol boat came into view around a turn and headed straight for us. We were obviously in the middle of a situation, lines strewn about, anchor on deck, Pete down in the dinghy, and I expected them to stop and see if we needed assistance if not actually board us. But, they didn't stop, or slow down, or alter course to leave a little space between us when they passed or even wave. They rocketed by thirty feet away with all five crew staring straight ahead as if they hadn't seen us. I felt slighted.



We arrived in Wrightsville, NC just before sunset and were impressed to see that the marinas were almost full. There were people out and about, on the docks, on their boats, walking around. Boat traffic and marina activity are definitely picking up down here. We are now in a region where boats are still in the water and people are still living in their seaside homes. Signs of life everywhere! Its all very exciting.

We tied up at a private dock while we made some phone calls and planned where to stay for the night. Within five minutes we had been shooed off by the owner. I think the days of slipping in to tie up somewhere for a free night's stay have ended. There is still a free option though. Anchoring. We found a wide spot in the channel, dropped the hook, whipped up some turkey chili burritos, and fell fast asleep.