Day 4, Wednesday, Oct 31, 2007

Up at 0630 hours for coffee and a quick breakfast. Funny how instant oatmeal is so darn good when you wake up to a really crisp fall morning. We weighed anchor and began moving down the Pungo River past Bell Haven. Favorable wind piped up so we motor sailed with the jib. Had a little excitement when a fast moving motor vessel waked us hard enough to bounce the keel on the bottom as we entered Goose Creek. Later we passed Walter and Maggie in the Hobucken Canal as they stopped to “walk the dog”. The wind began piping up as we entered the Bay River and it got even rougher as we turned into the Neuse River. Around MM 174 we turned westward toward Broad Creek. We proceeded up the creek and turned into Burton Creek. It took two attempts to finally get a decent anchor set in 6-8 feet of water.

When everyone had squared their boats away, Walter ferried everyone to the nearby Paradise Cove Marina. There we all enjoyed a few brews and snacks. We discussed the worsening weather driven by the combination of an approaching cold front and Hurricane Noel moving northward. The wind was predicted to begin increasing the next day so everyone decided to stay put in the creek a couple more days. With that decision made, we all went back to the boats for the evening.

Location: Burton Creek NC (north of Oriental) MM 174. Today’s Progress: 47 Statute Miles