A Calm Day on the Neuse

Belhaven to Beaufort  |  8.5 Hours  |  52.8 Miles   

The quiet Belhaven anchorage provided us a peaceful and restful evening. Although the outside temperature was quite chilly, we were toasty inside and slept well. I was on deck as dawn broke. Thanks to increasing cloud cover, this morning's colors were the most vibrant we've seen on this trip. As expected, the anchor and chain were caked in mud and took some time to get cleaned up. My new snow pants kept me nice and warm (thank you, Santa). The good side of being on the bow is always having an unobstructed view of the sunrise. The feathery gray clouds added nice contrast to the solida orange at the horizon. 

Multiple species of waterfowl dotted our path through the Pungo River. The ducks didn't get much rest as they were either flying away from us or trying to avoid the hunters cleverly disguised in their blind, with decoys cast outward. We instinctively jumped every time we heard gunfire, not quite sure of the shooter's intended target or skill level.

Time passed quickly and soon we were cruising through Hobucken. The Coast Guard station was the first point of interest, although not interesting enough for me to go outside to take the photo. The resultant image was, however, more a comment on our salty windows that the two docked Coast Guard vessels. The reflection of the high rise bridge was interestingly distorted in our wake. Eight fishing boats were tied up along the entire length of the R.E. Mayo Seafood dock. 

It was an excellent travel day with very little wind and close to no waves. Pamlico Sound was enjoyed with a little warm sunshine, although the cloud cover was growing. The Neuse River was as docile as imaginable under thick clouds. We definitely lucked out with these conditions. The marine weather broadcast continually announced that gale warnings were in effect offshore for the entire state of North Carolina. 

We turned into Adams Creek and were greeted by several different pods of dolphin. At one point there were eight playing in our bow wave. We commented on houses we remembered from previous trips and on all the new construction taking place. Boat traffic of all sizes increased. We passed sailboats, and were passed by motor yachts, center consoles, and sport fishers. We held station for half an hour so a tug towing 1000-feet of dredge pipe could work its way through a bridge. Once clear of the tug, we arrived at Safe Harbor Jarrett Bay. Barry backed down the fairway into the same slip we occupied last year. We tied up and connected our electrical without assistance, so we tipped ourselves. High gusts are expected this evening, but we are well protected in the travelift basin. Something about this story is beginning to sound familiar ...