We don't have many guests aboard Southern Star but this weekend was different. Judy's parents are avid campers and they had taken their Grandson (our nephew) Alex on a camping trip near Morehead City for the week. They had wanted to see the boat for some time and it seemed it never quite worked out so we decided to try to get together. They were camping only about an hour away.

The original plan was for us to take the boat to Oriental, pick them up at the town dock and go for a short sail. Then we would tie up for the night at the Oriental Marina and go out to dinner. Judy and I left our docks at Whortonsville at about 9 am. We slid out of Brown Creek and down Broad Creek. When we rounded the last turn there was a nasty little black thunderstorm right in our path. This was not a big surprise since the Coast Guard had just advised of a water spout in the immediate area. Judy and I had encountered a couple of thunderstorms on an "up close and personal" basis and we were not about to go through that again. I made the decision to turn back. I didn't hear any complaints from the Very First Mate. I felt better about the decision on Monday when a well known craft, the Space Shuttle Discovery, changed her plans due to weather.

Now what?
We arrived back at the docks and put Southern Star to bed. Then we rigged our portable air-conditioner which is truly a miracle of modern technology. It was really hot, so hot that I was almost glad we cancelled the sailing trip. I think our passengers would have been miserable very soon with a combination of light wind and extreme heat. We struck out in the car to Oriental to keep our appointment with our guests. We did the tourist thing in town. We had lunch at the Village Restaurant. The food was good. Alex bought some jelly beans in a gift shop and Mom bought some gifts. I'm not sure what was going on but I have never seen that many people in Oriental unless there was a special event. The village had changed a lot since the parents had been there several years ago.

We all made the 20 minute journey back to Whortonsville by land. Everyone was interested in seeing the boat even if they didn't get to go sailing. Entertainment consisted of a close inspection of the boat. And a walking tour of the facilities and docks. Introductions were made to our dock mates, who were few because of the heat. We took a picture of Alex at the wheel. No one is supposed to notice the trees and house behind him, he is sailing. Pop told me he was impressed with the boat and if he were a boat person, he would probably be more impressed. Maybe we can get a sail in this fall.

Guests aboard Southern Star (Picture)