Trip today: 48 miles in 6 hours

Up at 5:30 to get out of the miiitary, live fire zone before 7:00 am. As we passed through the military's Onslow Beach bridge, we saw that the 'Do Not Proceed' sign was already alive with flashing red lights, keeping southbound boaters from entering the area.

By noon we were anchored in Taylor Creek, opposite the attractive Beaufort waterfront. We launched the dinghy, happy the outboard fired up after 7 weeks of not being used. The fuel pump still needs to be rebuilt, but Brian is able to keep the engine running for short trips. It was hot ashore, especially noticeable on our long walk to Ace for a new bilge pump, then to Piggly Wiggly for some groceries. After returning to the boat to stow our purchases, we headed back to shore for a stroll along the waterfront...imagine our surprise to find the ice cream shop closed at 6 pm...what a disappointment! We had a quiet evening aboard, planning the next leg of our trip.