Finally, a week long vacation of sun, fun and chasing booty. Dylan (my 15 year old), Bonnie & I spent a week exploring the Crystal Coast area of the North Carolina Outer Banks.
Our first destination was Cape Lookout, where our thoughts of buying a trawler all began during our 2006 summer vacation. On our way we thought we would stop for lunch on-the-hook at Shakelford Banks, but ended up soft grounding on a sand bar in an area that I had been many times over the years. Shows that the outer banks are in constant change.
Later, safely anchored in the bight of Cape Lookout, we were able to go ashore and walk to ocean side and be the only people on the beach. There are very few places in the world that you can make that claim; which is the reason that Cape Lookout is one of my favorite places of all time.On our second night of anchorage, we were awakened by a strong thunderstorm and our anchor alarm. Fortunately, our anchor held fast, but the weather forecast was not good for the next several days. Early the next day we headed out to Beaufort prior the seas getting rough. A few weeks earlier we made passge from Cape Lookout to the Beaufort Inlet in 8' seas and did not desire to repeat the experience. Fortunately, we were only greeted by 4' to 5' seas as we took leave of the cape.
Docked at the Beaufort Docks we enjoyed the comforts of electric and air conditioning; although we do have a generator; I prefer not to run at night just for a/c when we have an ocean breeze. Upon depature from Beaufort, we cruised Taylor's Creek and were greeted by the banks ponies. These are the ancestors of ponies shipwreaked on the beaches of Cape Lookout, Hatteras and Shakelford Banks and still survive today (with some help from local horse lovers).
After stops in Swanboro, Morehead City and New Bern; we all agreed it was a great week. In addition, we were able to experience both clear skies and rough weather; sometimes all in the same day. In the end we had sun, haze, thunderstorms, low visibilty and high winds at some time during our travels. But, always felt safe in our sturdy Nordic Tug, Laughing Turtle.
