Swansboro, NC

The city docks are a challenge. The current is strong – think 2-3 knots. The slips are narrow- think about putting Moon Dance with a 14 foot beam into a 16 foot slip. The period of slack tide is hours after high tide and doesn’t really exist after low tide.

I had hoped that we could pull on to the T-head and avoid the whole slip thing. Unfortunately, a couple of day boaters had parked on the end. Oh well, John pulled into the slip with his usual finesse and a gentle pivot on the piling. He even got a round of applause from the day boaters.

We went for our customary stroll around town passing several dozen restaurants, bars and shops. Far more than necessary for the 3,200 people who live here. Lots of visitors who come to look at the beach’s and sand bars must keep them all afloat. We bought some Amish sticky buns and ice cream cones. Rocco came with and was reward with a taste of ice-cream. He was interested in the ducks wandering around but wasn’t sure about meeting them up close and personal.

We spent a quiet night. I was up several times and sat with Rocco as a thunderstorm passed by. This gave me time to obsess about leaving the dock when the current was running. We would need to back out with the current in a tight fairway while making a turn to starboard which Moon Dance doesn’t like to do.

By 6:00 I had worked myself into a tizzy. It was still slack tide so I woke John up to move the boat to the other side of the dock. It would be much easier to leave from there when the current was running. He said, we’d be fine and rolled over. He gave up when I woke him up at 7. We decided to head to our next stop rather than just move the boat.

Our short cruise was interrupted by the tail end of the storms that inundated Fort Lauderdale. It lashed us with several inches of rain and a bit of thunder and lightning. I spent my time looking for places where we could get closer to shore if the storm got worst. We crossed Beaufort inlet and a shipping channel in poor visibility. Then, the run up to Beaufort is narrow and shallow. More white knuckles.

We made it safe and sound. Docked in the rain without assistance – just the way we like it. Then spent the rest of the day doing chores. The marina is quite new and well maintained. Three new washers and dryers that were free. I washed everything including the ruggable and drapes.

The boat had a great freshwater wash down while we were underway. I was able to open the helm door myself for the first time in several weeks. The lines received a thorough rinse that removed a lot of dirt and left brown streaks on the deck. Salt water makes everything sticky. We have even had salt crystals on the railings after a cruise on a windy day.