Report: Wednesday 31 October 2012 – Halloween

Day 6 of the Hurricane Sandy Hostage Crisis

Yesterday it was blowing a full gale out in the Pungo River.  Not so bad tucked in here at the docks at Dowry Creek. Nobody took off today from here, of course.  Very cold - 40s with windchill down in the 30s, and very humid.  Oh, well ...

Yesterday we also made a grocery run into town; did laundry; took the lashings off the sails; and put the dodger and bimini back up [the dinghy is still lashed onto the foredeck, where it will stay until we need it again.] 

Some of the boats are pulling out this morning.  With winds still in the 20s, gusting more, we will be staying put for another day.  It's supposed to slowly get less windy and warmer over the next few days, so we hope to make the crossing of Pimlico Sound and up the Neuse River later, under more comfortable conditions. [No Neuse is Good Neuse ...]  

It's a choice between cabin fever and getting beat up at sea - don't know which is worse, but safety first ...

Mark Doyle put on a 6-hour marathon session yesterday, telling us about all the anchorages, some of the marinas, and many of the hazards and cautions as we all travel down the ICW from here (NC) to South Florida. And also later about the cross-Florida waterway and cruising SW Florida and the Keys.  You just couldn't get this kind of information anywhere else.  Also learned A LOT about diesel maintenance, batteries, solar energy panels, and LED lighting. Wow!

We have met so many other boaters here - we have invitations to stop and visit some of them in Charleston and St. Augustine. We may lay over in these great cities on our way south, but not until December when we get back on-board after turkey with our kids and grandkids in California.

No events scheduled for today in Dowry Creek, except there may be some trick-or-treating between the boats. 

Tomorrow we may finally continue heading south. Finally!

Glad we made it through a hurricane, so we don't have to do that again ...