South River May '06
The "Very First Mate" did not make this trip because this was the week she participates in her archeological dig. I had wanted an opportunity to invite my brother Jack, for a sail and this weekend seemed to work for him. We both managed a vacation day on Monday so we could stay Sunday afternoon and return home on Monday. After listening to the weather forecast on Saturday morning, we made our plans for the weekend.

South River May 06 Pictures

Saturday May 12, 2006
We had arrived late on Friday night so we would be ready sail on Saturday morning. The weather forecast (for what it's worth) said that Saturday would be nice but Sunday would be questionable. We decided to go over to South River and drop anchor for the night. We had "store bought" fish on board and it's a good thing because the trolling rig was not productive on the trip. The wind on Saturday morning was a bit disappointing. We had been promised 10 knots but got almost no breeze at all. We headed for the South River entrance under motor alone and had decided to proceed to the anchorage and just do some fishing for the rest of the afternoon. Well, as I have said many times before, the weather can change very quickly on the Pamlico Sound. We were within a half mile of the entrance when the wind piped up to about 15 knots. This development caused us to change course and head southwest (up river) toward Oriental, NC for a little sail. The strength of the wind grew steadily. We sailed all the way down to the Garbacon Shoal mark before we turned around to head back. We were close hauled on an exciting port tack on the way so when we turned around we were off the wind on a broad reach. Jack managed a maximum speed of 7.2 knots on the first leg. That doesn't sound very fast but on a sailboat weighing 10,000 pounds with the wind whistling past your ears, and salt spray everywhere, you would swear you were doing 90! The wind was still building and I decided to douse the headsail so we wouldn't be overpowered. These are the times when roller furling would really be handy. I successfully reduced sail and we continued up river back toward the South River entrance. Once inside we selected an anchorage that provided as much shelter as possible because the wind was still fairly strong. At anchor, Jack tried his hand at fishing while I got the boat prepared for the night. Later we cooked a gourmet dinner of grilled fish, shrimp, brown rice and salad. We were talking after dinner and I looked over Jack's shoulder and saw one of the most beautiful moonrises I have ever seen. Jack (who is an astronomy expert) said that the color was so spectacular because the moon was visible at such a low angle on the horizon. The color was a brilliant deep red-orange and since it was a full moon it was really a sight to see. I did take pictures but needless to say, they didn't do it justice. We checked the anchor and turned in looking forward to the next day on the water.

Sunday May 14, 2006
For once, the weatherman was really close to getting it right. We woke Sunday morning to the sound of thunder. A little storm was building just a few miles away. Fortunately it just skirted us and we didn't get wet. We brewed a pot of coffee and decided to pull the hook and see what conditions were like out on the sound. We got there to find a decent wind but it was light and dead astern. This is not the best point of sail. The boat tends to "wallow" and make very little headway. The weather was forecast to deteriorate all day so the captain made the decision to proceed under diesel power back to Whortonsville. The trip was uneventful which is usually a good thing. Back at the dock, I had a minor sail repair that kept me busy for a while. Jack tried his hand at fishing again. The report was that he caught one about 4 inches long and a bunch of little ones. Susan, the fishing queen, said that he was no better fisherman than his brother. Fishing is not always about catching fish but relaxing and enjoying the company of friends is always good. After cleaning up we wandered over to Oriental. I stopped by the "Provision Company" to pick up a new local chart since mine managed to escape and go to sea during that beat down to Garbacon Shoal. We ate dinner on the deck of the Toucan Grill where the food is good but not extraordinary. After dinner we toured some local marinas and boatyards. There are plenty to choose from in town. We met a fellow from Australia, who claimed to have circumnavigated 7 times. He was at the town dock with a broken propeller. The boat was for sale because he said he was tired of sailing. It's a tough job, but, well you know the rest. We returned to Southern Star and enjoyed just relaxing and talking. The weather had remained unsettled all day but there was never any serious rain or heavy weather.

Monday May 15, 2006
Since we both had the day off, we were able to enjoy a peaceful Sunday afternoon and a relaxed trip home on Monday. We weren't in a hurry so we went back to Oriental for morning coffee at "The Bean" (the local coffee shop). Back at the dock we cleaned up, packed up and headed for home at about 11 am. This was a great trip. I hope Jack enjoyed it as much as I did, and I think he did. I am happy to report no damage to the vessel or the crew, a successful voyage.

South River May 06 Pictures