Preview of Summer

We've been off the road for 6 weeks already and today was our

first real warm summer like day so Kate & I took advantage of it.

I had serviced the boat and engine a week or two ago and it was ready to go

so yesterday I put it in the water and tied it up in our slip.

Since we have good friends from Switzerland coming to visit us

this July, I thought I'd give them a quick tour of some of the nearby

waterways.   

First - after leaving the marina -

we headed south down the Intracoastal Waterway towards the Atlantic

Under the High-rise bridge at the Morehead City SeaPort

Passed some tour boats along the way

Eventually passing the Coast Guard Station just inside Beaufort Inlet.

Then out the inlet into the Atlantic Ocean

5 miles out at the Sea Buoy a ship waits its turn to come into the port to load.

Eventually we come back in the inlet and along the inside of

Shackleford Banks...  where the wild Ponies roam.

Kate strikes a pose.

We rode up the banks for several miles, saw some friends on the beach,

then drifted around for a while enjoying some music and the warm gentle breeze.

Todays self-portrait.

(time for a shave Greg)

We take a back channel inland to downtown Beaufort

Along the way we pass a 22' Catalina Sailboat.

Kate & my first ever sailboat was a Catalina 22.

We coasted along the Beaufort waterfront.

The waterfront is dotted with with Bars & Resturants and

is a nice place to catch an afternoon breeze.

There were boats of all shapes and sizes.

Heading back home we entered our bay via the channel that goes

under the drawbridge rather than the high-rise bridge.

Will we make it under?

No problem. 

With the old sailboat we would have had to wait for the bridge

to open....  those days are gone.

We now head back into the bay that we live on.

A couple of miles up the back we turn into the channel that

leads into our protected Marina.

(The Arrow points to our house)

Once inside the breakwater the marina basin opens up.

My slip is straight ahead, on the other side of the boats.

A few minutes later we are tied back up to the dock.

It was a nice and easy day back out on the water.

Tomorrow we will head north from the Marina and follow the

Intracoastal further north and inland.

You will see that it is quite different scenery.

Hope you enjoyed the boat ride.