We made it into the lovely little Whittaker Creek Marina at MM180 before 2pm with little fuss. The creek is about a mile north of Oriental, NC. It was a little tricky to navigate the entrance channel since the low water mark is 7 feet. Just in case you forgot, we draw 6 feet. After tying up to the pier, we went about stowing the various charts, guide books, and downloaded papers that allow us to live such a care free lifestyle. If you have never done a water born journey, you would be surprised at the amount of prior planning that goes into moving you boat from point A to B. It can be a bit of a challenge.
While we have one way of cruising. we met a very interesting older gentleman today who definitely had his own style to living his dream. He pulled up to the fuel pier in a 22' sailboat that had seen some action. There were no sails visible on deck. There was a full sized bike lashed to the starboard rail and an outboard motor with the top cover gone and a lot of black electrical tape holding together his rather elaborate steering mechanism. He motored up to the pier and threw a line over the pylon with ease. This skipper could have taught Captain Ron a thing or two about sailing. After pouring a couple of gallons of gas into his tank he wandered over to us to ask directions. His first question was "Where is the Intercoastal Waterway and how do I go north on it from here"? Of course James invited him on board and started showing him all of our charts and navigation literature. He looked over what we had and said thanks. He then said as he left our boat that he needed to get to New Jersey soon to see some friends. With that he was back to his boat and on his way. Just another person that you meet in the world of sailing.
It really is amazing how little it takes to sail the world. I guess it is all about your perspective.
Cheers,
J & P
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