Second Wind on the Great Loop and Beyond

Friday, May 04. We stayed a few extra days in Emerald Isle to get some routine boat maintenance done. (The boat was fine until one of the dock workers threw a stern line that ended up wound tight around the propeller. A diver had to come check it out.) The beach house also needed some attention. Then we got the great news that old Looper friends Paul and Jane Cowhig (Happy Destiny) were heading our way. They spent a couple of days with us at the beach, and we are now buddy boating with them for a spell. We were happy to see another Looper couple, Bruce and Jeanne Melchert (Adventure), show up at Casper’s Marina in Swansboro, so we thoroughly enjoyed spending time in Emerald Isle with them too.

This afternoon we left Morehead City (Mile 295) heading north to Oriental, NC. It felt good to be back on Second Wind, and Oriental has always been one of our favorite boating towns. It is called the “Sailing Capital of North Carolina” for good reason: there are far more sailboats here than people – more than twice as many, in fact. As we worked our way up the long ICW Adams Creek Cut, we passed a whole lot of new development as well as a parade of sail boats, most of them snow birds heading home. Several boats were flying the Canadian flag. I always enjoy hearing the poetic names of boats on the radio: Bread and Roses, Sea Swan, Dream Chaser, Passe Port III, North Star. Ironically, a large fast cruiser that waked everyone was named Plastic Toys -- clever but mores descriptve than poetic.

By the time we crossed the wide Neuse River, the wind had picked up and the waves were huge. We were slapped around quite a bit. It felt exactly like we were riding a bucking bronco. Needless to say, we were mighty happy to get to the Oriental Marina. Oriental is a laid back town with an interesting mix of artists and fishermen. Both the hospitality and location of the marina were great. We were just a few steps from great shops and our favorite restaurant, M & M Café. As the Cowhigs said, “It’s always about the food.”