After a long day of motoring past Moorehead City and down the channel along the coast, we were glad to reach Swansboro shortly before dark. We looked forward to a quiet evening aboard, but it was not to be.

Just as we prepared to watch the sunset with a glass of wine, our ears were assaulted by sudden loud music. A couple on a neglected-looking little sailboat anchored next to us decided to share their favorite tunes with the flotilla (we were six boats at anchor with several more berthed at docks nearby). Oblivious to the consternation they were causing all around them, they stood in the cockpit smootching and swaying to the music. Luckily the show didn’t last long, as their batteries couldn’t keep up with the volume. They cleverly disappeared belowdeck before any tomatoes began to fly.

But the peace didn’t last for long. Boom! Boom! Boom!! The Camp LeJeune Marines were conducting their firing exercises into the evening, and we were jolted in surprise each time the shots reverberated through the hull. The good news is that they’re not firing today, as we make our way onwards through Camp LeJeune toward Wrightsville Beach.