So here we are 1 year after heading offshore for the Caribbean for the winter. We find ourselves just South of Hatteras in Morehead City NC just after the election. We made the jump from Washington DC over the course of the last 2 weeks and found ourselves white-lashed from the experience. On election night we were motor-sailing down the coast of Virginia racing to the famous cape hoping for calm seas and winds. We followed the returns as they came in as the broadband cell service was great all the way to the Cape. Our new homeland Florida let us down. Our old homeland, Indiana who we cheered when the then governor was drug into the cage so they didn't have to suffer him anymore, only to be saddled with him again. We can leave Indiana but Indiana apparently won't leave us.


As expected the end of hurricane season brings you one last blow, Matthew and then the winter gales begin to set in and the juncture of South and North collide and make it hard to predict the outcomes. Sometimes it's rough and stormy, sometimes placid seas of Hope. One thing is for sure, you must travel the waters with your fellow travelers and are all in the same boat when things go unexpectedly. As we rounded the Cape the election had been called and we now faced headwinds as we fought our way off it heading southwest, motoring into growing seas of despair as the seas grew angry and built into blocky gray walls of water preventing our calm passage. As the night wore on our progress slowed as our girl pounds into steep seas making the entire world shutter around you. Kona was so upset he was shaking and nervous as a cat. If you were down below and crashed through the next 5-8' wave he would appear at your side and borough in hiding his head from the angry seas above.


My 0100-0400 watch mercifully ended and I passed it over to Pamela, I was able to relax and trust her to take us safely to the morning and I drifted off to sleep wishing it was just all a bad dream. As it always does the sun came up on her watch and me with it as well to relive her at 0700. The mood was somber as the break of day exposed all of the chaos that enveloped us with miles to go to safe harbour. 4 years and 100 miles seemed like the same eternity at the time. Cape Lookout is where Morehead City is, the first major Cape south of Hatteras and in between there and Cape Fear. It seems fitting to stop before we got to Cape Fear as really maybe all we have to fear is Fear itself.


And so life goes on. Today, Veterans Day is a great day for Pamela and I. Not only because we are so proud to be Americans and honor the memory of our Veterans who sacrificed to defend our liberties but because it's the birthday of our dear friend Michael Todd Harmon or Chef as he is known to all his friends. A veteran himself and a man who is a millionaire many time over with the wealth of friends he has accumulated over his 47 years on this earth. This includes his awesome daughter, Penelope our god-daughter and her fabulous mother Pam.


Today is sunny and warm here in North Carolina reminding us of the many walks through the woods with Chef and all our dogs talking, laughing and wishing for the happy times ahead. These times are always there we all just have to go out and find each other and enjoy them together.