Change can happen quickly. At the blink of an eye ugly caterpillars turn into beautiful butterflies and just as quickly thunderstorms can change a stunning evening at anchor into an ordeal. Change has been everywhere on Ruffian from the clear blue waters at Cape Lookout to the brown turgid waters of the ICW and Ruffian changed from being a tremendous sailing vessel to being a pretty poor motor boat. Change is good and boy have we felt the changes on Ruffian.

We noticed the first change as soon as we stepped ashore in Beaufort. Everything was perfect; Lawns were manicured, flowers were lush and vibrant, not a piece of litter could be seen as far as the eye could see and everyone, being American, had perfectly straight pearly white teeth. All very very different from the Caribbean and the Bahamas that we'd been experiencing for the past months.

Funnily enough after spending all that time in the Bahamas and reading all about the theory of Bahamian anchoring, we settled into Beaufort and had to use this faff tastic method for attaching Ruffian to the ground for this first time. The way the anchoring technique works is you chuck your first anchor over the bow and let out way too much chain. You then chuck the other anchor out the back, cleat it off at the front and wind in the chain you've just chucked down. Ruffian should then simply pull on either anchor and just rotate on the spot and rotate she did. Around and around and around the 2 anchors she went making a cat's cradle of chain and rope.

In the Bahamas and the Caribbean navigational markers are as rare a sight as pink unicorns being ridden by leprechauns. In the USA they are not a rarity at all and we delighted in being able to find channels and obstructions as we left Beaufort and made our way into the bight of Cape Lookout with "Angel Eyes".

After feasting on the last of the Mahi Mahi, walking miles on beaches that are pounded by waves that have travelled across the Atlantic and more beaches that were lapped by the wavelets of the bight it was time to change Ruffian from an ocean going sailing boat and into a ditch driving motor boat. The ICW, inside Cape Hatteras was calling.

We said our goodbyes to "Angel Eyes" and traded the clear blue waters, that we'd grown so used to, for waters so brown that they looked like someone had had the biggest case of 'The Runs' in history. This was not a change for the better. We motored along rivers, through man made cuts, under bridges and across sounds and after what felt like months we arrived at Elizabeth City, which marks the start of the invitingly named 'Dismal Swamp Canal'.

Unlike most cities, where cruisers are considered to be just one level above that of the homeless, Elizabeth City, went out of its way to welcome us. There are free docks to tie to, drinking water literally 'on tap', bikes ready and waiting for us and all in the centre of a charming little town.

We took full advantage of the facilities at our disposal and revelled in the fact that we could simply fill our water tanks without having to lug water for miles in jerry cans. Iain delighted in unreeling the hose and simply 'popping' the nozzle into the tank filler. This was just so easy. The water flowed in and Iain congratulated himself on a job well done. Disaster then struck. As he withdrew the hose, the easy click fitting on the nozzle easily detached itself and the nozzle disappeared down the pipe as quick as a rat up a drain pipe. So much for this being the 'easy' way to fill the tanks as we're now going to have to take the boat to bits to retrieve it.

The benefits that Elizabeth City gave us didn't finish at the docks. We treated ourselves of dinner out in a classic American diner just yards from Ruffian. Booths lined the walls and the waitress greeted us with the ubiquitous southern drawl of 'Y'all havin' a great time y'hear.' The only way to make it more American would have been to have the Fonze and Richy Cunningham waltz in. The big 'benefit' however happened as we made our way home.

Just in front of Ruffian sitting on the sidewalk was a wallet. We picked it up hoping we'd be named the good Samaritans of Elizabeth City and return it to its rightful owner. Inside we found no ID, no receipts, no credit cards, it was as empty as the Marie Celeste, but it did contain plenty of the magic American green, well $75 of American green, but still $75. We could get used to this!

After seeing changes everywhere it's time for us to move into the Dismal Swamp where nothing ever seems to change. There are miles and miles of green tree's overhanging the shallow water of the ditch which is apparently all 6 feet deep. With Ruffian having a keel 6 feet deep we're going to be thinking thin as we motor north to Hampton.

Ruffian in the opulent surroundings of beautiful Beaufort.


The 'crowded' anchorage at Cape Lookout.


Iain always said he'd find diamonds for Fiona. Little did she know they'd be painted onto a lighthouse.


Just in case we had enough of long beaches in the Bahamas, we found some long beaches in America.


So we sailed for 5 days away from the Bahamas to find water just like that in the Bahamas.


I'm the king of the castle. You're the dirty rascal.


That'll be one dead straight 22 mile long cut.


Welcome to the swampy ICW. Bugs are everywhere.