To be honest, we've been a bit nervous this morning. But we managed the first day cruising together alone without any incident! It was like a good sign that just after a few miles we've got company - some dolphins showed up beside us and this time Marco could even take a picture ;-) We saw them all the way and sometimes we've been startled by their sudden appereance close to Habibi.
Yesterday we arrived in Morehead City / Beaufort NC and while we've been busy looking for the entry to the marina I suddenly noticed some dorsal fins moving on the surface of the water - they belonged to three dolphins! Our first encounter with them on this trip and for sure not the last one.
After a smooth cruise (and even some sailing!) we stopped for the night in River Forest Marina in Belhaven. Not the nicest so far but the most amusing. The highly recommended restaurant in our guide doesn't exist anymore, while trying to start running the pump-out machine at a nearby boat the hose was blast off (thank god it was during the rinsing process with water and not the actual pump out of poop...) and as Kris asked if it was more busy during summer the answer was: "there is nothing than mosquitoes"! We then tried to find a restaurant - but as it is Sunday the few places in walking distance were all closed. At a mexican shop we asked for further advice. And to our surprise the shopkeeper Ben closed his store and gave us a ride to the next open place! We had some really nice burgers in "Andy's" diner and the waitress thought our accent was "awesome"... After having finished our meal we gave Ben a call, he picked us up again and when we wanted to give him a tip he almost refused to take it! Amazing people here in NC!
The wind was still blowing with up to 30 kts today. Therefore we decided to stay another day docked in the Alligator River Marina. It's in the middle of nowhere, nearby there is only a gas station with a simple grill-diner. And you know what? They really serve some alligator tails! The guys of course had to try it. They found it tasted a bit like chicken... We then rented a car to do some shopping in the next town Manteo and to have a glimpse of the famous Outer Banks - also known as OBX, a 320km long string of narrow barrier islands off the coast of North Carolina. And besides to go to the beach (but that's only in summer) I think people here don't have a big choice of freetime activity - so they hunt, fish or battle against snakes, alligators or bears! At least that was our impression in the stores. Or have you ever seen snake repellent, buck lure with the scent of a doe-in-rut or a fishing rod for girls designed by Hannah Montana being sold??
Love,
We had a stunning first day and night on the ICW. Picture postcard like views all the way! As we motored with around 6 kts there was enough time to enjoy the different landscapes around us. The first day we passed approximately 12 bridges! At some we had to wait for the opening, at others we could simply pass through. We even experienced our first lock. Over all a very interesting passage. For the night we anchored at a calm place - only us and the nature. It was totally quiet and there were no lights around us in sight except the illuminated buoys in the water - something we didn't undergo since a long time (Dubai never sleeps). For dinner we tested our BBQ for the first time and grilled some sausages - together with a fresh salad and some baked potatoes it was a delicious meal in a stunning environment!
Pictures: There are always a lot more pictures on our facebook page - same name "habibisails.blogspot.com"
The plan of today was to reach Norfolk by early evening. To be on the save side we left Ingram Harbour at the first glimpse of sunlight - that's when the picture was taken, beautiful!
Some frost on the pier made the way to the showers a slippery one this morning. But the atmosphere was almost mystical with ascending mist over the water... Our second day down the Chesapeake Bay was very calm and sunny again. Unfortuntely the few wind was blowing right from the front that we had to motor all day. We docked in Solomons Island late afternoon in the Spring Cove Marina. All marinas so far have been good equiped with amenities as clean showers/restrooms, laundry facilities, with a shop or restaurant nearby. And as it is off-season we usually are the only ones to use them! The guys even had time to test (play with) the dinghy and cruised around the harbour. Can you see the sparkle in their eyes?
