We did rent a car with Nancy, as I mentioned in the previous blog, and had one of the greatest days seeing the Outer Banks. We first took a ferry to Ocracoke and wandered around for a bit there. Nancy and Willy had a great time reminiscing--they took a trip there waaay back in the day, when Willy was a little boy. The beach was great too, with lots of great shells.
Then on a ferry again over to Hatteras. It is just gorgeous--beautiful houses and lighthouses. We visited one of the old life saving museums, where men used to go out whenever a boat ran aground on the sandbanks nearby, these men would row out to the rescue. Their motto was "You have to go out, but you don't have to come back" which was pretty sobering.

In the following few days we ran up to Norfolk via the ICW. Willy had a nice 21st birthday beginning in Elizabeth City and ending in the Dismal Swamp, where we finally met in person (we'd spoken a lot on the radio) Dave and Peggy on "Destiny". They were wonderful and even lent their oven for cake baking! And then Dave brought over some Black Strap Rum (yum?) for Willly on his big day.
Spent a couple days in Norfolk waiting for weather, Nancy bid us farewell, and then we were off up the Chesapeake. We had a great little reunion in Annapolis; my cousin Jeff came up from St. Mary's College, a friend who we'd met in the Bahamas just happened to be there racing, as were 4 Maine Maritime friends of Willy! So a great big loud dinner was had, and it was just really great to see everyone. We spent another day there, fixing the masthead light which had decided to not work (just a dead bulb) and we walked around the city. Beautiful old houses and streets, we could both spend more time there, but onward onward!