The End of Our Beaufort Era?

Beaufort  

The cycle continues. Yesterday's beautiful weather quickly transitioned to the antithesis today. It was raining when we woke up. It rained and rained. All day, one thick gray cloud encompassed the entire view from the pilothouse. There was an occasional rumble of thunder and even a few flashes of lightning. The wind kicked up and gusted in the mid-30s by late afternoon. As hard as it rained, we found it interesting that the starboard midship piling was expectedly soaking wet on the windward (dark/right) side and surprisingly dry on the leeward (light/left) side -- indicative of the wind's strength and consistency. We made a final trip to the store to pick up enough turkey, fruit, and vegetables to last for the next two weeks. As we drove back to the marina the flag was still flying stiff. We left the Escape in long-term parking and made what we hope is our final walk down the dock to Crossroads. 

In hindsight, this delay could not have happened in a much better spot. Granted, I would have preferred warmer weather and bluer water, but from Day 1, Town Creek Marina and Beaufort have been fabulous. Steve, Carol, and the whole staff at the marina have been most helpful. They recommended Braswell Welding and Cape Lookout Canvas as contractors to put us back together. Both companies were responsive and did excellent work. We were in the right place at the right time to take advantage of their skills. (We also doubt that we could have found any better contractors back home.) Geographically, we were blessed to be able to go home and also explore many new areas. Thanks again to my Aunt Wrenn for hooking us up with Atlantic Beach and all the beauty it had to offer. Mother Nature was the only nemesis and she fought us tooth and nail the entire time. The wind, in particular, was our biggest foe. From the original storm damage, to causing delays in repair work, and offering limited travel options, the wind has ruled every move of every day. A highlight of our stay has been a clear view of the sunset beyond the US 70 Bridge over Gallants Channel. Every night, whether it had been a good day or not, I anxiously awaited the evening's final colors. I have mentioned it before, but the images below show how the sun's position has moved in reference to the bridge during our stay. 

So, it is our intention to end our Beaufort Era tomorrow morning and move on after 62 days, 58 days later than expected. Due to the lateness in the season, the lack of a four day offshore weather window to quickly get to The Bahamas, and most of our cruising budget being exhausted on marina and contractor fees, we will head north and not continue south. We are disappointed for sure, but feel this is the smart choice. We will not, however, rush back to Deltaville and hope to visit a few new places along the way. We'll continue to make the most of our Chicken Salad and Lemonade Tour and hope you'll continue to follow along until we return to Deltaville just before Easter.