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.