Took a trip to Cape Lookout, NC this weekend. Put in at Radio Island (Morehead Sports), motored to the inlet, sailed out into the Atlantic (wind on the nose, tacked all the way out). The NC cruising guide says to go all the way out to the R6 buoy, which is quite a ways out, then head east. It took a long time to do this with the wind coming at us, but we went all the way out, and then turned. Had a wonderful 5 hour sail in 10-15 kt. winds and 2-3 foot seas.
Spent a nice night anchored in Cape Lookout Bight, with 20 other boats and a lighthouse. Had some dinner (what else? Barbeque Pork!), went swimming, had a pelican come right over my head and pick up a fish 30 feet past me (I must have been too big). Fantastic to be that far away from civilization, and see all the stars! About 11pm we went to bed, and about 15 minutes later it started raining and had to fumble around to get the screens off and the hatches closed. A little bumpy as the wind picked up and shifted a bit, but slept pretty well (usually don't the first night, but am getting more comfortable since I got a new anchor).
Awoke about 8 am, made a couple 4-cheese omelettes, cleaned up and walked over to the Atlantic side of the bight, hung out, looked for shells, pretty nice and isolated. Got things together and left at 10:30. Wind had shifted, and was closer to 15 kts (white capping), and the seas were a little bigger (3, maybe 4--the forecast for the day was 15-20kts and 4 ft seas). The way the wind was, we couldn't make it all the way back out to the proper inlet buoy, so I made the decision to head for the mouth and tack out if we got too shallow. As it was, we got down to 11 feet of water, the waves got very steep (like being in the Albemarle Sound), but we weren't far from the inlet and figured we wouldn't be beaten up for too long. Soon the fishfinder showed it getting deeper, and we made the inlet and things smoothed out, although the inlet is a heck of a bumpy ride! The chop never stops.
At this point it's 12:30 and we decided to hit the Beaufort Waterfront and get some food, so we head up the other side of Radio Island and into what I think is Taylor's Creek. Pull up to a dock, hop out, have some lunch at the Dock House Restaurant. Then off to the marina. This was the first time I put everything away on the water (mast, sails, etc.). On the lakes you want to get the boat out quickly, to free up dock space. Here, just the opposite, especially since there's low powerlines between the ramp and the road at the Morehead Sports ramp.
Anyway, for a change it was a fun and uneventful trip. Would be up for doing it again in the same type conditions, if anyone wants to tag along.
J.J. Falkanger
Cary, NC
P-19# 792 "Fozzguppy"
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