Coastal Hopping

Our passage from Norfolk to Cape Fear was uneventful. It took 50 hours, 42 of which we were motoring due to light winds. On the plus side, rounding Cape Hatteras with light wind and relatively calm seas was a piece of cake. We were running very low on diesel fuel. George decided to add a few gallons from a jerry can when we were just 1/2 mile from the marina.  We added 40 gallons of fuel to our 40 gallon tank (a few of those gallons went into the jerry can).  We definitely can’t make it the Bahamas from here if we have to motor most of the way. So, since the winds are predicted to be light for most of the week, we will be coastal hopping. We plan to leave for Charleston tomorrow and spend few days sightseeing while waiting for a good weather window. 

We are in the same spot at Bald Head Island Marina that we were in last spring. While here we showered, did a load of laundry and bought ice cream since we could. Ice cream in the Bahamas is not readily available. When we did find it it had a lot of ice crystal due to thawing and refreezing. 

Just as we were about to enter the channel this morning we saw a container ship on its way out. We stopped and waited for it to pass. The ship was accompanied by a police boat, a Coast Guard cutter and a small Coast Guard boat with a machine gun on the foredeck. The police boat came over to us as we waited and said we were okay where we were but should not get any closer to the ship.  We don’t usually see that level of security around ships. The man who tied us up at the dock said it is typical for here. The ship had most likely come from the munitions depot a few miles up the river. I prefer to be nowhere near munitions depots, container shops carrying munitions and Navy Ships practicing with live munitions, thank you very much.