2019: Harbour Village Hampstead NC

27 October 2019

Depart: Caspers Marina, Swansboro, NC 9:45

Arrive: Harbour Village Marina, NC 2:45

Distance: 34 nm

The predicted rains arrived early this morning. We originally planned to leave at 9:00, but it took us a little longer to leave as we waited for a rain storm to pass. When we left the dock, the rain had taken a respite, but the winds still blew like crazy -- gusting at around 20 knots. Where the winds blew us hard onto the pier and towards the boat docked at our bow, Franklin had the opposite situation with his boat being blown off the dock.

Clark and I set up our lines for departure, went and helped “Home Too” get off the dock, and then came back and got ourselves off. Clark rigged a line from the bow to the dock to prevent forward movement into the boat in front of us and assist with our departure. Three different men on nearby boats asked if we needed assistance, we told them no thanks.  Clark just asked the dock hand to handle that one line for us and release it when he gave the word. The operation as spelled out by Captain Clark was smooth and awesomely impressive!

During our departure moment, we had bright sun; however, almost as soon as we got underway it started raining again. I managed to get the lines cleaned up just before the rain got heavy. Fortunately, it did not last long and we had a windy but decent-weather day on the water.

Views on today's trip ...

Sunken Fishing Trawler -- so sad

Vertical Lift Aircraft over Camp Lejeune

Same aircraft 

Nice home on the water

Marshland 

 At one point on today’s trip, the winds gusted up to 30 knots. Since we had reservations at a marina, we wondered how much fun we would have docking with high winds. When we reached the entrance to the marina, the winds still gusted to around 20 knots. I mentioned something about my hat and the wind, and Clark said, "Oh! Where's my hat?"

I have recommended to him several times that when he takes it off on the upper helm, he loop the tie around the arm rest of the captain's chair. Mostly he forgets. We gave a look around up top and a search in the pilot house and salon and decided it had taken off in the high wind. I said, "I refuse to put out an all points bulletin on your hat like last time!" and went down to work my lines for docking.

Last time the hat took off, it hid under the dinghy until we docked and then dropped down onto the swim platform to be rescued. As I went to work the lines I took a quick look under the dinghy, and sure enough, there it was in its favorite hiding spot between the back of the dinghy and the flag pole that hangs on our stern.

I yelled up to Clark that I found his hat and told him where it sat. He asked me to come up and take over the helm so he could go rescue the hat. With that request I knew he'd do anything to keep that old green hat of his.

To get to the hat, Clark had to climb over the outboard of the dinghy that extends over the edge of the fly bridge platform it rests on. Even when we are not in open water, I hold my breath when he inches his way around behind the dinghy to secure the dinghy cover. In 20 knot winds it certainly was a bit more dangerous than usual. Once precariously perched behind the dinghy, he had to reach down with one hand, feel around for the hat, and then hold it while climbing back out of that tight spot. I certainly breathed a big sigh of relief once he stepped back over the outboard tail and back inside the boat! If it's not the death of him that hat will be the death of me in concern!

Hat lodged itself in front of flag, under dinghy

 Although the wind blew with strength on the waterway, it pretty much disappeared as we turned into the marina. We had no difficulty docking whatsoever. As we tied up our lines, the dock master recommended we get take out pizza from Nunzio’s Pizza -- the owners are from Brooklyn, NY, so it's gotta be good. We decided to follow up on that suggestion, so I got off easy on dinner prep tonight. After dinner, we kicked back to relax with our standard Sunday night television shows.