Our position is: 35:05.053N 76:36.078W

ICW miles to go: 173.5

We hadn’t planned a long day for my last sail so we didn’t need a crack of dawn departure and were able to fill up with fuel before setting off. The day was sunny and warm with light winds from the SE. The only bridges were all high ones and we made steady progress as the pilotage was easy even though the tide was against us initially. It was amazing to travel along the channel across Bogue Sound, with water almost as far as the eye can see in the seawards direction, yet know that it was only around 2 feet deep and at low tide you could walk across. We were soon passing the big ship docks at Morehead City, although only one ship was in residence, and heading northwards towards Core Creek, the Adams Creek canal, and then the wide open waters of the River Neuse. In places the waterway bank was lined with beautiful small houses, just like large dolls houses, a marked contrast to the mansions further south. We were able to use the jib for most of the way and once in the River Neuse we throttled back and were still able to maintain 6.5 knots with the wind abeam.

As we approached Gum Thicket Shoal clouds started gathering and we were worried that it would rain heavily before we reached our destination in Broad Creek, north of Oriental, but luckily it held off while we felt our way gingerly down the channel and among the fishing floats to the lovely River Dunes marina, tucked into a dredged basin, surrounded by trees and holiday “cottages”, looking a bit like a cross between Osprey Marina and St James Marina that we had stayed in earlier. The charges are reasonable they have a full range of facility including exercise machines, a swimming pool and a courtesy car that we can use to take me to pick up my hire car at New Bern airport tomorrow morning. Then it will be off to Norfolk VA and the flight back to the UK for me (not looking forward to all the cold and rain), while Ted stays here catching up with jobs and waiting for Another Adventure, so they can travel in company while he is on his own.

Morehead City

Neat little houses                                                                                 This tug's owner had a sense of humour

Approach to River Dunes Marina on Broad (but shallow) Creek.

 peaceful mooring inside and splendid facilities.