To Florida on Eureka

October 31 - Day 1

Beaufort to Wrightsville Beach

After months of thinking, weeks of planning and days of waiting, we finally get under way on our trip South.  We have a vague notion of going to the Keys or the Bahamas, with no other real planning.  No time limits - other than being back in time for Christmas - probably earlier.

We left MBYC at 6:30 am - in the dark.  Our first trip out of the marina and down the waterway at night.  It's like flying an airplane at night.  You have to trust your instruments.  But there are sure a lot of red and green lights out there. 

We get to the high rise as the horizon starts to show.

Forecast winds are from the West at 15-20 knots.  We figure that will be good for a close reach to Wrightsville Beach and confidently start out Beaufort Inlet - to be immediately greeted by 30+ knots out of the Southwest - right on head.  It doesn't take but a second to reconsider. 

We head "down the ditch" - which brings back memories of a trip about two years ago. 

We do keep good company.

After motoring all day - and going aground only once - we don't have any idea where we're going to stay for the night.  There are NO anchorages between the New River and Wrightsville Beach.  And we arrive to early at the New River and press on. 

There aren't any marinas listed until Surf City.  We start calling on 16 but no answer.  We get to the Surf City draw bridge and get local information from the bridge tender - there is a marina - Beach House Marina just North of the bridge.  We either stay there or travel the ICW in the dark - not something either us want to do.  We turn into what looks like the marina, see an empty slip and pull in.  No one is around.  We talk to a couple of boaters and they say - "stay the night, someone will be here in the morning"  -  so we do.

It turns out that the biggest party in town - (it's Halloween) is at the marina about 5 slips down from us.  We briefly visit the party, but tiredness sets in and we quit early.