Thalia's Voyage

A chronicle of a 1985 Passport 40 sailing days with Pat & Judy O'Brien

Vessel Name: Thalia
Vessel Make/Model: Passport 40
Hailing Port: Oriental, NC
Crew: Pat & Judy O'Brien
About: Pat & Judy are old moutain people from Colorado exploring new adventures of the water world.
06 June 2012 | Bellhaven, NC
06 January 2012
24 December 2011 | Oriental, NC
19 October 2011
02 October 2011
25 September 2011
03 June 2011
02 June 2011 | Oriental to Ocracoke & Return
Recent Blog Posts
07 June 2012

Belhaven to Alligator River Swing Bridge

We left the slip at Belhaven Waterway Marina as Brenda pushed out our bow with her boat hook (longest boot hook I've ever seen!). The wind caught our bow as Brenda held our stern line in towards the dock. Such a graceful exit in a narrow channel from a lovely place to visit.

06 June 2012 | Bellhaven, NC

Sunset in a Gazebo

Bellhaven, NC 35' 32.2" N Lat 076'37.3" W .Long 6/5/2012

20 May 2012

Sunsets, Sea Turtles, Moon Rises, and Flying Fish

The 70 nm overnight trip to Masonboro (Wilmington, NC) commenced on Thursday (5/10/12) at 10:30 hours when our crew threw off Thalias dock lines. Judy, Cameron (aka Railmeat) and Jim Privett stowed the fenders and dock lines as I turned south towards the mouth of Adams Creek and the ICW to the Beaufort [...]

06 January 2012

Celebration of Life

Celebration of Life

24 December 2011 | Oriental, NC

Christmas Post

Direct from the CrabPot/Christmas Tree show room in downtown Oriental Judy and I wish all our scattered friends (?) and the soon to be BIRTHDAY GIRL (you know who you are) Peace and Love from Sidney’s. Those who have been to Sidney’s are on the scattered friends secret list.

19 October 2011

OFF TO OCRACOKE

OFF TO OCRACOKE

Beaufort to Cape Lookout

12 June 2011
Pat O'Brien
After an evening of strolling and having dinner we returned to the quiet of the boat. The next morning we discussed going to Cape Lookout for a few days.

At 10:00 hours we slipped the lines and backed out of the Beaufort town docks and headed for the inlet. The marine forecast was 15-20 kts wind from the southwest with 3-6ft seas. Well some sailors would also consult the tide currents, directions, & times. But then old mountaineers haven't yet reached this level of knowledge in the marine world! So we blithe fully motored on to the Beaufort Inlet. We were greeted by confused 10ft plus breakers with an irregular period between the waves! We motored out in these conditions with an abundance of water over the foredeck and occasionally into the cockpit. At 2nm out we started to transition to the forecasted 3-6ft rollers with a longer period. So, I've added to my small but growing fund of nautical lore! Do inlets at slack tide!

At the 3 nm limit we turned to port and headed for Cape Lookout. Mike unfurled the gib out full and raised the main. On a starboard beam reach we sailed for about 3 hours of perfect weather. As we reached the buoy that marks the entrance to the Cape, we were amazed to find several 16-20ft fishing skiffs. Did they come out the Beaufort Inlet? We resolved that issue in the evening by reviewing the charts. Anyhow, we started the engine and dropped the sails to head into the protected waters of the Cape.

Motoring into the Cape the sea was calm and only 4 other boats on the hook. Plenty of room to drop the hook. The 70lb Bruce (Thalia's main anchor) is a delight. It sets the first time and we did not move for the next 3 days! We set the anchor alarm down at the navigation desk opened a couple beers and lounged in the cockpit. What a delightful anchorage. Surrounded by low dunes in a quiet sea with the roar of the Atlantic just beyond the dunes. At night it is almost mystical between the placid waters, moon light, and the roar of the Atlantic beyond the dunes I found myself just sitting there. That time is best captured by a Rumi poem.

The Night Ocean

We are the night ocean filled
with glints of light. We are the space
between the fish and the moon,
while we sit here together.

That will be the close of the blog until we return to Thalia in September.
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