Southbound Again Beaufort, NC to Charleston

It's the end of October and time to return to the south. As with the migrating birds, the chill at night in North Carolina tells us it is time to return to more temperate climes, and we hope to keep the warm weather with us as we return to Key West this fall. Ryan and Sabrina see us off in Oriental.
So, we motor through the cut from the Neuse River to Beaufort, NC and stop there at the City Docks, a marina way overpriced, but oh so nice to visit for a last bit of fuel, water, electricity, wi-fi, and peaceful views of the watery landscape.





Since the weather is never perfect and we have long given up being purists, we decide that getting to Charleston by dark the following night and avoiding a 48 hour punishment to our bodies that would accompany the sail only transit, we motor sailed in 5-10 knot winds, arriving in Charleston 32 hours later in gorgeous, sunny weather. Along the way we were accompanied by our usual visitors, a playful group of dolphins, and a few jelly fish.















We entered Charleston waters with a closeup encounter with a small fishing boat whose ventures must have been successful if the site ot dozens of birds riding homeward on the boat was any indication. We also happened upon a Sunday race, with spinakers flying, and a struggling sailboat, seeking to lash sails to the boom in the channel entrance. That reminded us why we are no longer sailing purists and have our mainsail inside the mast.

















Fort Sumter, with its Civil War history, as always, is a first site on entering the harbor.