Comfort in the Familiar

Belhaven to Beaufort  |  7.3 Hours  |  52.8 Miles  

Belhaven to Beaufort. Crossroads has now traversed this stretch of Intracoastal Waterway, in one direction or the other, more than a dozen times. The path, scenery, and timing are all comfortably familiar. When traveling south, the day always starts early with me bringing up the anchor as the sun prepares to rise over the distant tree line. The holding in the Belhaven anchorage is excellent, but the thick and gooey mud always encases our anchor chain. Bundled up in full foul weather gear (including boots), I braved the cold and wind to wash off the chain, the foredeck, and ultimately myself as Barry drove us out beyond the breakwater as the sun made its first appearance. Once everything was acceptably clean, I was able to take my first photo of the day. Multiple layers of clothing kept every part of toasty, except for my hands. It took several minutes with them over the heat vents for them to regain feeling. Eventually, I peeled off a few layers and settled in for the day's run.   

The waypoints were checked off: Pungo River to Pamlico River to Goose Creek and past Hobucken. The shrimp boats dockside at RE Mayo are always a pleasant sight and I stepped out into the cockpit to see them in favorable lighting. Back in the pilothouse we continued along: Bay River to Neuse River to Adams Creek. Thankfully, the water on those temperamental large bodies of open water was calm. As we neared Beaufort, large houses began to line the shoreline. Only a short distance to our destination remained once we passed under the high rise bridge, and over its reflection.

Barry expertly backed down the fairway at Safe Harbor Jarrett Bay marina into the slip beside the travel lift well. Once tied up, Capt. DJ, one of the shrimp boats out of RE Mayo passed along the ICW heading toward the ocean. I took a much-appreciated nap, with my alarm set in time to view the sunset. We walked along the face dock to the ICW to capture the orange glow that ended the day. Our view as we returned to Crossroads was just as impressive. The pink sky and still water made for a comforting scene. It is supposed to rain all day tomorrow so we'll stay here. Our attention will be on the huge weather event arriving the middle of next week, and figuring out where the best place will be to ride out the blow.