North Carolina

Our last sunrise in South Carolina as we depart for North Carolina.

We arrived at the charming, quaint, friendly little town of Southport, NC!

Patsy Conrad and Rick Quashne, residents of Southport, pampered us with a lovely homecooked meal at Patsy's beautiful home.

Patsy and Rick took us to one of their local hang-outs for lunch and a walk on the dock!

Eddy checks out Rick's impressive collection.  Do you think Rick likes to fish? 

A delightful evening of wine tasting at Uncorked!  Do you think Patsy likes to drink wine?

Woo-Hoo!!  The Minot crew is reunited!!

We met in 1979, became lifetime friends, live in different states, but NEVER miss an opportunity for a reunion!

The charming Southport Inn B & B provided the perfect gathering place.

Elias & Mary, proprietors of the Inn, allowed us to make merry in the dining room, parlor, and front porch!

These cute "cheersisters" make beautiful bow fluff on Spiritus . . . . 

. . . . whereas these crazy "pirates" just make noise!!

And we celebrated, watched beautiful sunsets, told stories, and laughed all weekend!

Before departing Southport, Captain Eddy miraculously found time to strip, stain, varnish and re-letter the name boards on Spiritus.

Our prayers were answered for a smooth, calm, drama-free cruise up the Cape Fear River.

As we wait for the scheduled opening of this bascule bridge . . . . 

. . . . we looked astern at all the boats lined up behind us, also waiting to get through the bridge.

The anchorage at Mile Hammock Bay, adjacent to Camp Lejeune,  provided great entertainment . . . .

. . . . as we watched V-22 Osprey practice their landings.

We entered the anchorage with only one other boat.  By evening, there were a total of seventeen!

A stunning sunrise as we pulled up our anchor at Mile Hammock Bay!

The First Mate references the Rand McNally to see how schizophrenic the North Carolina coast truly is!

We are pleasantly surprised as we enter Homer Smith Marina in Beaufort, NC.

It is home to a fleet of commercial fishing boats . . . . which means FRESH fish tonight!

 Beaufort (pronounced bo-fort) is another charming, historic coastal town . . . .  

. . . . with homes that date back to the early 1800s . . . .

. . . . and boatloads of friendly people.

River Forest Marina in Belhaven, NC was our next stop.

Belhaven is the official birthplace of the Intracoastal Waterway.

We checked out some of the local real estate, starting with the River Forest Manor.

Your standard foyer with crystal chandelier . . . .

. . . . leading to an elegant staircase to take you up to . . . .

. . . . one of five comfortable bedrooms.

And before dinner you can gather with friends at your bar . . . .

. . . . or just relax on the back porch with your BEST friend!

It's only a short walk to downtown from the marina, past colorful, well-manicured lawns . . . .

. . . . across Edward Street . . . 

. . . . to dine at Spoon River restaurant . . . .

. . . . and indulge in ice cream at Farm Boy's!

And every one of our days in Belhaven ended with this view from Spiritus!

A view behind Spiritus after leaving Belhaven . . . . 

. . . . and a view beside her!

The landmark lighthouse at Alligator River Marina.

We waited here three days for a storm front to pass.

The marina is really nothing more than a lay-along behind a BP gas station . . . .

. . . . but it provides a safe haven for boats waiting for the Albemarle Sound to calm down.

The crew of Spiritus enjoyed the sunrise and a cup of Kona coffee.

This was the calm before the storm!

We were "trapped" in Spiritus all day because of continuous rain and winds.

The nasty weather subsided just long enough for the Captain to dash to the store and back. 

The weather calmed down after midnight.

Our patience was rewarded with smooth waters to cross Albemarle Sound the next day!

We just can't seem to escape those darn crab pots!

From a distance, this bird appeared to be another osprey perched on a channel marker.

But closer examination revealed it to be a bald eagle!

It was a quick four-hour trip from Alligator River to Coinjock Marina.

Spiritus was the first of many boats to tie up to their 1,200 foot dock that day!

We purchased some of Coinjock's "premium fuel at a discount price"!

Fuel for Spiritus . . . . 

. . . . and fuel for the crew!

We indulged in the "world famous" prime rib at Coinjock's Dockside Restaurant.

The leftovers served as our first meal in Virginia!