Positioning Ourselves For The Next Blow

Mile Hammock Bay to Bonner Bay  |  10.7 Hours  |  75 Miles  

Our anchor was up at 6:45, but it took another 15 minutes for me to wash the mud off the foredeck. Oh, how I miss The Bahamas where the anchor and chain almost always came up clean from the sandy bottom. Back in the ICW we gazed east and saw the ocean precariously close to us. A low and narrow sand bar provided just enough barrier to maintain separation in fair weather. Two sailboats and Paradigm Shift queued up in front of us for the 7:30 opening of the Onslow Beach Swing Bridge, which is owned and operated by the Marine Corps.  

Just on the other sided of the bridge we check the sign warning of possible live fire activities. No flashing lights meant our passage was safe. Targets positioned along the bank were peppered with holes. A lone waterman tended his crab pots.

It was an uneventful morning and few vessels passed us in either direction. A southbound tug and barge combination was definitely the most interesting. We arrived in Morehead City at noon, right on schedule. Today was not an ideal day to be on the water, but there were still plenty of boats of all sizes crossing in every directions. This morning before departure we had decided to bypass our original destination of Beaufort in order to make more miles. A large and strong Nor'easter is barreling down on us and we were seeking a more sheltered inland anchorage. We continued up Adams Creek where TowBoat US was assisting a disabled sailboat.

We entered the Neuse River, and things got a bit sporty. Both the wind and waves picked up, but the Selenes made good time in the following sea. I passed the time by snapping a few photos of Paradigm Shift during the rare period of time we were in front of them. When we turned onto the Bay River we were met by 30 knot winds and a mounting beam sea that sent water splashing onto the pilothouse. Thankfully, those conditions were short-lived. The protected anchorage minimized the wind and the waves and we are settled in for the evening. Glenda sent over the photo of Crossroads at anchor. We are all checking the weather reports and planning when and to where our next move will be. Poor coastal travel conditions will have us held up for quite a few days to come.