The trip to Washington was memorable to say the least. The sailors we know call it "Little Washington� and it is definitely on the favorite destinations list. We wanted a leisurely trip that allowed plenty of time for travel as well as sleeping late, reading, fishing and just being lazy, the perfect vacation. The plan was great and I'll have to say that the weather was better than we could have expected. Unfortunately, all did not go as planned.

Little Washington Pictures

Saturday June 17, 2006
We decided to wait until Saturday to leave for the coast this time because I had several demanding projects at work that left me very tired at the end of the week. This was a good decision because it allowed us time to get things organized and take our time. A weeklong trip on the water requires careful planning. Our little Toyota wagon was heavily laden with equipment, clothing, provisions and lots of ice when we left Mount Pleasant at about 7 am. We arrived predictably at noon and started getting the boat ready for departure. We had plenty of time and enjoyed the company of dock mates we hadn't seen for a while. Dinner was one of my personal favorites, grilled tuna.

Sunday June 18, 2006
We left Whortonsville at 10 am looking forward to a leisurely sail north to one of our favorite anchorages on Campbell creek. We were able to sail as soon as we cleared the Broad Creek channel and we sailed all the way up into the Bay River until we reached the Intercoastal Waterway at the area known as the Hobucken cut. The weather was warm but the humidity was surprisingly low for a June day in Carolina. When we arrived at the anchorage we selected a spot, dropped the anchor, and prepared for our first evening afloat. We had a refreshing swim and a delicious tuna salad form the ship's galley. Our usual bedtime on the water is about dark thirty.

Monday June 19, 2006
We woke to another beautiful morning and prepared to get underway. We had a long trip ahead of us and we were eager to get started. The first order of business, after breakfast, was to raise the anchor I had so carefully set the night before. This is when the trouble started. Somehow, while getting the anchor up I managed to seriously strain a muscle in my back. Returning to Whortonsville would have been the smart move, but we proceeded North to the Pamlico river and on to Washington as I pretended that my back didn't hurt all that much. The sailing was excellent. We sailed all the way from Indian island to the channel at Washington on the same close reach. The wind was a perfect 10 to 12 knots all the way, at least 15 miles. My back pain was still manageable. We arrived in Washington in plenty of time to try out a local restaurant and settle in for the evening. We didn't even deploy the air conditioner because it was so pleasant. I decided to limit my activity and get some rest. Hoping things would be better in the morning.

Tuesday June 20, 2006
Well, things were not better in the morning. We decided to try to get to a drug store and talk to a druggist about what I should be taking to manage the ever-increasing pain. Getting anywhere in town was a challenge because we were on foot. We walked over to the local West Marine store to call a cab and the manager graciously offered us a ride to the local CVS pharmacy. The pharmacist told us that the Advil I was taking was about the best I could do without a prescription. To make a long story short we spent most of the rest of the day in an urgent care clinic getting drugs to ease my aching back. That's "urgent� care, not to be confused with "quick� care. I told the doctor about our situation and he immediately wanted to know if I had a first mate that could help with the boat. He called Judy into the exam room and explained to us that muscle relaxant and pain-relieving drugs do not improve a person's judgment, decision-making capabilities, memory or balance, and he didn't want to have to read about us in the paper. He prescribed drugs and at least 24 hours of bed rest. We took a cab back to the boat after we had lunch at the Washington coffee shop. We asked the dock master to help Judy deploy the portable air conditioner, which he did. The Washington city dock is a "class act�. A really nice facility with a friendly courteous staff and climate controlled bathhouses, all for 75 cents per foot per night. What a deal!

Wednesday and Thursday June 21 and 22, 2006
To tell you the truth, I don't remember much about these two days. The doctor was correct about the effect of the drugs, but they did a lot of good. We went out to lunch and had ice cream a few times. Judy did tour the North Carolina Estuarium, and did a little shopping, but I think mostly she read and did needle work. Since she was in complete command of the vessel, I was overruled when I suggested we go back to Whortonsville on Thursday. She decided that we would go back no sooner than Friday morning. Her plan was to leave at first light. She studied her charts the night before and was fully prepared to bring Southern Star home whether I was able to help or not.

Friday June 23, 2006
We left at about 5:30 am as planned. The "flashing� markers were still flashing but it was light enough since we had good charts and the GPS. I was mobile but was not much help on the way home. Judy had prepared food and drinks the night before. She had planned everything down to the last detail. No one could have done a better job. It took a little over 8 hours to travel the 42 nautical miles down the Pamlico River, through the Hobucken Cut, down the Bay River into the Sound and finally up Broad Creek to Brown Creek where Southern Star lives. It was a long day, especially for Judy. I slept a lot because I was still under the influence.

Saturday June 24, 2006
I was feeling almost human by Saturday morning. Larry, Doug and Stefan, our dock mates helped us do the heavy labor lifting to get the dingy stowed, and remove the sails. We left before noon and were sad to miss the "Summer Solstice� race that was soon to start. This was not our most enjoyable trip but we know that you have to take the good with the bad. We learned a lot, and Judy's confidence level was raised significantly. With no damage at all to the vessel and only minor temporary damage to the crew, we declared this cruise a success.

One of my favorite nautical quotes is from the late Eric Hiscock, the author, sailor and adventurer. Eric said, "The only way to get a good crew is to marry one�. How right you are Eric. Judy and I celebrated our 35th wedding anniversary on Monday June 26, 2006.

Little Washington Pictures