Day 192 - April 23, 2013: Campbell Creek Anchorage

We are wondering when this wind will cease! The forecast promised some lessening this afternoon, and we joined other boaters on the docks strategizing on whether to try and go north.

Early afternoon, an American Tug 34, named Tug for Two, came in from Beaufort and the captain said there were strong rolling waves in the river. His wife didn't like it one bit and confessed she was hiding all the way. We looked over each other's boats and shared what kinds of improvements we had made.

Another American Tug 34, named Tug for Two

All of the captains along the dock decided to wait till tomorrow; however, we saw the wind speeds dropping mid-afternoon, began feeling brave, and quickly departed. The wind was on the nose, the waves were 2 to 4 ft., but Great Laker is built for this kind of sea, and we felt secure. Our anchorage was in Campbell Creek, up the Bay River just before the Pamlico River crossing which we plan to cruise early in the morning before the winds come up.

Campbell Creek anchorage

Day 191 - April 22, 2013: Oriental, NC

Because of the high winds and rain, our plan had us anchoring overnight in the Adam's Creek Canal before entering the Neuse River and Pamlico Sound. When we turned up Adam's Creek, we had a strong tidal current and winds on the bow, and it was slow going. This area is desolate, and the few boats we saw were either commercial trawlers or fast-running sports fishers.

Commercial fisher

Fast sport fisher

As it turned out, Anne's friend Kathy and her husband Max were here from California to see their son play baseball at Duke University. In a break between games, they were out sightseeing, called us, and said they would be able to meet us later today in Oriental. So we modified our plan, passed up the anchorage, and crossed the Neuse River. With winds of 20 - 30 mph, gusts to 35 mph and rolling waves, it was a wet ride. The spray showered the windows and flew over the pilot house. This reminded us of some of our trips on Lake Michigan.

High waves and winds crossing the Neus River

We arrived safely, docked at the Oriental Marina in the rain, and soon Kathy and Max arrived. We spent some time catching up and then enjoyed dinner at the Toucan Grill.

Anne and Kathy

Day 190 - April 21, 2013: Harkers Island

With high winds here for another day, we decided to take the car for a drive up to Harkers Island, which is near Cape Lookout on the southern part of the Outer Banks. We drove to the very east end where there was a visitor center for the Cape Lookout National Park. We were disappointed to see that the center had recently changed its hours and is now closed on Sunday. Still, we could see the Cape Lookout Lighthouse across Core Sound.

Cape Lookout National Park Visitor Center

Cape Lookout Lighthouse across windy Core Sound

Right next door is the Core Sound Waterfowl and Heritage Center, which was created by 13 communities along the sound. Inside there are duck decoy carvings and boat building exhibits, local area pictures and paintings, and photos and documented interviews describing the Beaufort fish processing industry. We were told that there was a desperate need to celebrate and preserve the history of the fishing industry (for Menhaden fish) which once flourished here. The center is a large and interesting place, and we spent over two hours there.

Core Sound Waterfowl and Heritage Center

Trawler models

Day 189 - April 20, 2013: Side trip to New Bern

With a car in hand, we decided to take a side trip to New Bern about 35 miles north of Morehead City. First stop was the new North Carolina Historical Center that serves as a visitor center and historical museum for the area. The movie and displays were first rate, covering the history, landscapes and buildings. Next, we took a tour of the Stanly House, and the Tryon Palace.

The Stanly house was built in the 1780s for John Wright Stanly, who was a powerful businessman whose merchant ships raided British ships to aid the American cause during the Revolutionary War. This house, decorated in period pieces, is one of the finest examples of Georgian architecture in the South. In 1791, President George Washington stayed at this house while on his Southern tour.

Stanly House (1780s)

The Tryon Palace is the centerpiece of historic places in this area. It served as the first permanent capitol of North Carolina and the home of Governor Tryon. It consisted of a main house, a kitchen house on the left, and a stable house on the right, plus acres of beautiful gardens in the style of European castles. It was the site of the first sessions of the General Assembly after the Revolution and housed the state governors until 1794. The palace burned down in 1798 and over 70 homes were built here. A 30-year campaign to rebuild to the original plans on the original foundations, resulted in completion in 1959 of what we saw today.

Tryon Palace

Gardens

Fountains

Our last stop was to see the site of the invention of Pepsi Cola by Caleb Bradham in 1898. Here we learned more about the inventor and even saw the original recipe.

Site of invention of Pepsi Cola

Original Pepsi Formula

Day 188 - April 19, 2013: Morehead City, NC

With another major storm front reaching from Canada to Florida and approaching from the west, we decided to move early in the morning into the safety of Portside Marina which was 3 miles west in Morehead City. The forecast included severe storm warnings and possible tornadoes coming overnight.

When we arrived, we docked near a 153 ft. blue-hulled three-story yacht, with a crew of seven, that had been towed in with engines and generators out of commission due to fuel problems. The salt water chambers of the heat exchanger that cools the diesel fuel had apparently corroded through, causing sea water to enter the fuel. Workers were busy draining and cleaning the 20,000 gallon fuel tanks and using a hoist to replace the heat exchanger. Plus, they will need to clean all the injectors on the engines and generators. This repair will be quite expensive, and I was told the owner, who is waiting for the boat to be delivered up north, is not happy.

153 ft. yacht in for repairs

New fuel heat exchanger

Since we are in port for at least three days, we rented a car to explore the area. Our first stop was Fort Macon, which was the third fort built here to protect Beaufort from attacks by sea. It was completed in 1834 and was only under attack twice, first by the South and then by the North, during the Civil War. This fort was fully restored and is now a North Carolina State Park. The history and life in the fort was depicted in a series of rooms, with decorations and audio narrations.

Entrance to Fort Macon

Interior of Fort Macon

Our next stop was the beachfront along Atlantic Beach, where we watched bathers and surfers enjoying the high waves.

Ocean at Atlantic Beach, NC

Finally, we went to the NC Aquarium at Pine Knoll Shores. This aquarium takes you through aquatic animal life in regions from the NC mountain peaks to the ocean shores. The largest aquarium tank in NC is here and holds over 2.5 million gallons of water and 200 species of fish. We really enjoyed the exhibits here and found it very educational.

Aquarium at Pine Knoll Shores

Lionfish

Over 2.5M gallon aquarium

Day 187 - April 18, 2013: Beaufort, NC

It was only 1 1/2 hours up to Beaufort, NC, and we got an early start on a warm and sunny day. Beaufort is the third oldest town in the state and shares a large protected harbor with Morehead. A couple of weeks ago we visited Beaufort in SC, where they pronounce it "Bew-fort," However, here they pronounce it "Boh-fort," and it is critically important to get it right lest they get offended.

Beaufort is located in NC's Inner Banks region, which is at the south end of the Outer Banks. While small, it has much to offer and is a popular stop for cruisers, being about half way between Wilmington, NC, and Norfolk, VA. We decided to anchor between Beaufort and the Rachael Carlson Coastal Reserve, a small island dedicated as a wildlife refuge, and when we arrived we saw a wild horse eating grass near the beach. There are walking trails and sandy beaches to explore here.

Great Laker on anchor at Beaufort, NC

Little Laker at the town dinghy dock

After a great lunch at the Beaufort Grocery, we visited a branch of the North Carolina's Maritime Museum, which focuses on NC's cultural maritime heritage, coastal environment, and natural history. There are many elaborately built and award-winning models of ships of all kinds used over the years in this area.

One of the largest and most interesting exhibits traces the discovery of the wreck of the frigate Queen Anne's Revenge, which was built in London in 1710, captured by the French and modified to be a slave ship. The famous pirate, Blackbeard, attacked and took over the ship in the Caribbean and used it as his flagship to rob merchant ships along the southeast coast. In 1718, he beached and sunk it here just outside the Beaufort Channel in an elaborate and successful ruse to take all the booty without sharing it with his crew. After much analysis and research, and against all odds, it was discovered in 1996, and since then divers have recovered several cannons and over 16,000 fascinating artifacts. There are many of the retrieved artifacts on display, and we think this is a must see for anyone stopping here.

North Carolina Maritime Museum

Ship models, some full size

10 ft long wooden model of the fishing boat Menhaden

Six foot long model of the trawler Miss Teresa II

Brian and Ida, our friends from California, alerted us a few weeks ago that we should be on the lookout for their friends, Walter and Claudia, who had purchased a boat named IBIS in Naples and were in the process of cruising it up the east coast. By some amazing coincidence, we spotted them here this afternoon and spent some time visiting.

Walter on IBIS

Day 186 - April 17, 2013: Spooner Creek, near Morehead City

Back in the ICW, we passed a steady parade of homes on the west side, north of Wrightsville Beach. Some were quite magnificent, with the grandeur of three stories, many balconies, and long docks reaching out for deep water. The ospreys like to nest on the day marks, and they gather sticks and weave them intricately into bundles that balance on the piles. Fisherman in waders and broad rimmed hats dig for clams in the soft sand at low tide.

North of Wrightsville

Ospreys in love

Docks that reach for deep water

Fisherman seeking clams

We passed Topsail Beach, crossed the New River Inlet, and went through the Marines' training grounds at Camp LeJeune. The ICW is sometimes temporarily closed here when the firing range is active. As we entered the area, two marine armed gunboats, painted in camouflage, raced around a bend behind us at full speed, and we were quite anxious until they suddenly slowed and reversed their paths. Today, not only was the ICW open, but the marines were actively firing machine guns at drones out over the ocean. We could see the drones rise into the air, before swooping down over the water, and hear the rapid gunfire echoing back over our heads. One of the drones exploded in a puff of smoke over the trees.

Marine exercises at Camp LeJeune

Puff of smoke where a drone was shot down

We came to rest at anchor in Spooner Creek, just a few miles short of Morehead City, after a fairly long but enjoyable day of cruising. This creek has a small marina at the mouth and homes along the shore. One other sailboat came in late and joined us for the night.

Spooner Creek Anchorage