SOUTHPORT to BEAUFORT / Wednesday, April 6 to Thursday, April 7 (Days 76-77)

Admiral's Log:     7:15 am, Wed., 4/6/16
                         Temp:   37
                         Winds:   3 mph
                         Speed:   8.1

There's not really much  between Southport and Beaufort, so the 3 boats made an executive decision to go over 100 miles in one day. It took us over 12 hours, including having to wait at one bridge for 45 minutes and another for 10. But just one of those things that can happen on this journey.  We also had a pretty cold start with 2-3 foot seas in open bays. Needless to say we drove from downstairs.

South Port Light House

We passed Camp Lejeune Marine Base along the way. We saw an Osprey Airplane fly over and target practice field along the way. Pretty interesting.

At the 45 minute wait, we were "bridge dancing",we call it. There were 3 trawlers and 4 sailboats zig zagging while we all waited for the top of the hour bridge opening.

Osprey Airplane

Target Practice, notice the orange man

Clammers, to cold for me!

We arrived at Beaufort City Docks at  7:15pm. Luckily the dock hands waited
on us, and we were glad they did. There was a pretty swift current running through there. These dicks run parallel to the main street, we could not get any closer if we tried.

Can't get much closer than this!

Thursday, (cough cough) was my 60th Birthday. What a way to celebrate! Not complaining, just hard to believe!!!

Mike fixed me brunch so we would not eat lunch and save ourselves for dinner.  We walked around town. Another area of old cute homes. We ventured into an old cemetery that housed several Civil War soldiers.

 One interesting story was that of "Girl in Barrel of Rum". She died on a ship on her way back to the US from London. Her father promised her mother she would make it home safely. So he purchased a barrel of rum, placed her in it and brought it back to Beaufort for burial. 

We borrowed the marina courtesy to run to the grocery. The car cracked us up! When was the last time you saw a station wagon? This was a Buick Roadmaster, complete with faux wood sides. Looks like Clark Griswold Vacation Car!

We even saw a wild horse on an island across from the marina. They are pretty prevalent all along the coast and Outer Banks of North Carolina.

Mike, me, our Looper friends; Mike and Tonya from Sweet T and Paul and Denise from Zephyr went to Beaufort Grocery for dinner. It was really quite good for a little town restaurant. They gave me a sweet card I got deep dish pecan pie with a candle for my Birthday treat.