Robin Hood meets Piggly Wiggly

April 2, 2016

March 28, 2016
Calabash Creek, SC
Mile Marker 309

March 29, 2016
Southport, NC
Mile Marker 276

March 30, 2016
Sloop Creek, NC
Mile Marker 264

March 31, 2016 and April 1, 2016
Swansboro, NC
Mile Marker 229

April 2, 2016
Morehead City, NC
Mile Marker 205

Set your coffee down before you spill it.

Remember Robin Hood was a skilled archer? He carried his arrows in a sac positioned around his shoulder and slung to his back.  Perfect!

Robin Hood and Maid Marian

Now picture Rob carrying two three foot dowels stick straight out of his backpack and shopping at a Piggly Wiggly where streamers decorate the ends of each aisle.  There you have it.

We left Osprey for Southport, NC on March 28, 2016.  First stop was Calabash Creek, SC.  I didn't like this anchorage as much as some because it was shallow in spots, but it all worked out okay.

Southport was so much nicer this time we visited.  When we were there in November it was cold and the town had settled into winter mode. The folks were getting ready for the holidays and I was sad that this would be the first year I would not be doing my Christmas traditions.  It helped to be pre-occupied with trying to talk Rob out of buying one of those blowup decoration for the boat that people put in their front yard.

There were two bridges and Camp Lejeune to work around on our way north to Swansboro, NC for "cheap" fuel.  One of the bridges opens on the hour and the other one opens on the hour and half hour.  Timing is everything.  While waiting for the bridge in Wrightsville to open one of the engines stopped working, obvious to us by the LOUD buzzer. We were miffed because we were nearly at a standstill when it happened.  We limped along to a nearby, so-so anchorage.  I would love to make this a really long dramatic story, but I will post pictures and that will be best for you.  We had to call Seatow to tow us to a marina.  Here is the captain.

Bottom line, we had this wrapped around the prop.

We hired a diver to check out the props. We were so lucky to find this mangled crab trap hadn't caused any damage. The rebar was the hardest part of the trap to remove.  

Giddy up little crab, time to go home.

 Crab Eggs

Before we hired a diver Rob practiced the DIY of diving...

too dark and no weight belt made it very hard to be successful.

We wanted to make time that same day...ended up at Sloop Creek, NC.  A suggestion, no mariner test these waters. It was very shallow and a fussy route going in, fussy is a new nautical word meaning do not enter especially at dusk.  The charts are not accurate to boot!

It amazes me that I didn't remember stopping in Swansboro for any length of time on the way south other than to get "cheap" fuel, but we were there for two days. This is the town where we met a lot of sailing "characters" and Robin Hood met Piggly Wiggly.

Camp Lejeune, Jacksonville, NC

The marines had this road that bridged the two sides of the ICW.  Miles of artillery were being discharged all day. The only time we were allowed to travel the ICW through this area was noon to one.  Still the artillery was loud and the shaking of the boat was unnerving.  How do the people in this area tolerate the sounds of the marines playing army.  No disrespect intended.

Signs of spring in Swansboro

Parting Shot

Ginny shows up at the marina in Swansboro

The marine store kitty