CURRENT LOCATION: South River anchorage, off the Neuse River near Oriental, NC
34 56.850' N, 076 33.655' W

Boats can experience six different degrees of freedom of motion...

surge - forward and backward motion
sway - sideways motion
heave - up and down motion
roll - alternating listing from starboard to port and back
pitch - tipping toward the bow then stern and back
yaw - twisting of the bow and stern, alternating from side-to-side

Last night, we experienced all six at the same time, throughout the afternoon, evening and night. We practiced 'one hand for us, one hand for the boat' as we moved about the salon, until we turned in to sleep in the bucking bronco of a v-berth. It is a good thing that neither of us is prone to seasickness, because it would have definitely been prompted by this constant and unpredictable motion.

Saturday morning brought a slightly calmer motion, which subsided slowly as we sat below and listened to weekend radio programs on NPR. By noon, the boat had settled down to a relatively motionless home and we worked on a few minor boat projects in the sunshine of the cockpit.

A short time later we saw a dinghy appear from around the corner heading toward us. We got out the binoculars in an effort to identify the people in the dink, but they were nearly upon us before we recognized Matt & Linda. They had kept their boat, Worth W8n4 (think about that one for a moment), at the end of our dock in New Bern throughout the summer, but we had never had much opportunity to socialize, since we were both in prep mode for departure. Now that we are both free from the dock and in the cruising state of mind, they came aboard for the first time and their visit was characterized by an exceptionally gregarious exchange.



Of course, it could also be a special form of cabin fever from which they were admittedly suffering. Not only had they just left the relative comfort and freedom of being tied to a dock, but they had been anchored last night close to the cemetery (more exposed to wave action than we were), where they spent the night bouncing around the salon of their 46-foot Columbia. Lots of room to be tossed about in there, so they were positively gleeful to be level again and happy to take a short break from the boat.

After our guests left, I completed the construction of a swing arm for our GPS so that it can swing outside (to view when underway) and inside (to enter waypoints during chart talk). Using the drill and the sander put our inverter to the test, and it performed wonderfully. During the peak sunlight hours of the day, the solar panels kept up with the power draw. Meanwhile, Sheryl took pictures of a parade of passing boats. The Raleigh Sail and Power Squadron (RSPS) was having a raft-up further up the river, and notable Whortonsville Yacht & Tractor Club members Stefan & Marita, aboard Layla, motored close by us at anchor.

I suppose that we could have inflated and launched the dinghy and joined in on the festivities; however, we were enjoying our relative solitude and still decompressing from the social whirlwind which preceded our departure. Unlike Matt & Linda, we do not suffer from any form of cabin fever. Besides, the RSPS raft-up was to be a themed affair, and I forgot to pack my pirate outfit.