A Little Progress Made

Beaufort  

Barry laid out all of our shiny new connectors and we organized or put away other parts and tools in preparation for visitors. The sun was bright, wind was calm, and the sky clear, but it was another cold morning with the temperature in the high 30s. Barry applied one more coat of varnish on the name boards. By midmorning we were on the flybridge to do our last piece of prep: removing the old canvas bimini top from the frame. We had to bring out the big cutters to cut open the 22-year-old zipper sliders that had taken a set. By midday we were officially topless. Our canvas contractor arrived around 1:00 with our new name board covers and to do the final fitting on our hatch cover. It was such a relief to see a little progress being made. 

We were anticipating the frame contractor to arrive this afternoon as well so we had to stay close to Crossroads. The day had warmed up nicely and not wanting to sit inside, I broke out the cleaning supplies and started washing and waxing. At 3:00 we received a call that he would be to us tomorrow at 9:00. We were slightly disappointed, but appreciative of the update which gave us a chance to walk into Beaufort for a few hours. With our guide map in hand our goal was to visit areas we had not yet seen. The Easton House has history as home to the leader of the Beaufort militia against the British during the American Revolution. It also was used as both a hospital and prison at different times during the Civil War. I was first drawn to it, however, by the magnolia tree towering over the two-story house. Mother Nature was on full display. A squirrel did his best imitation of a column-topping finial. It sat motionless as we closely passed. Camellias of pink and red were in full bloom.  

We walked along the western shore to an area we've seen by boat, but never by land. The Beaufort Inn looks out onto the ICW. From their pier we could get a better look at the shrimp boats that we see from our slip. We meandered up and down the tree-lined streets, looking at all the historic buildings, the characteristic Beaufort picket fences, and a few modern structures that have been build outside the historic district. Topping our must-see list was the oldest house in Beaufort, located at the far east end of our map. Billed in the brochure as "the most intriguing house in Beaufort," how could we resist? Legend says the Hammock House was a favorite spot of the pirate Blackbeard. 

I found the houses across the street from Hammock House equally interesting. We worked our way back to Front Street and walked along Taylor Creek as we returned to the historic district as daylight was beginning to fade. We stopped to observe the flowers placed at the Capt. Michael Smith memorial. Sunday was the 38th anniversary of the Space Shuttle Challenger explosion. The Leffers Cottage is an example of a "story and a jump" or a one-and-a-half story house. The sun was sinking fast, casting a warm glow and long shadows. Our final building of note was the Odd Fellows Lodge which was built at night by the same brick masons working on Fort Macon during the day. (Fort Macon was built with 9.2 MILLION bricks and these workers used their down time to build this two story building.) 

Our arrival back at Crossroads came at dusk. The final rays of the sun lit the edges of the clouds before sinking and finishing with a red glow.