Thursday May 26 at 6:30 AM, we left Georgetown Inlet and headed to Wilmington, North Carolina.  It was a great cruise.  Waves 3 feet or less, winds 5-12 MPH.  Since the winds were light and we needed to make the Cape Fear inlet before dark, we motor sailed.  Bryce took the day off from work and we spent the day cruising.  The conditions predicted by passage weather promised a gorgeous day.  So we decided to head out into the Atlantic and get some miles under the keel.

 

We left Georgetown Inlet shortly after day break.  It was a 77 mile run from the outer marker of the inlet we were leaving to the outer marker of Cape Fear Inlet.  Add in about 10 miles from/to the anchorage made for a very long day to get 87 miles.  This is sun rise at Georgetown Inlet as we left.

 

 

The light house at the Georgetown Inlet waved goodbye as we passed it.

 

 

A tug boat and barge greeted us as we were going out.  They were headed to some unknown destination perhaps in Georgetown.

 

 

About 20 miles on our line, we spotted this sea turtle leisurely swimming in the opposite direction.

 

 

Then he poked his head out of the water briefly to say hi to me.. LOL

 

 

We ran a direct course offshore.  Our route would take us about 20 miles offshore from Myrtle Beach.  The blue dot shows our position where we still had internet.  The external antenna on our MIFI really gets out sometimes.  The offshore route was about 77 miles.  We needed to leave the Georgetown inlet on a falling tide at day break.  And we needed to get to Cape Fear Inlet before about 10 PM before the end of rising tide.  However, we preferred to get there before dark.

 

 

Bryce and I relaxed on the cabin top as we motor sailed on our route.  Seas were calm at about 3 feet, winds were 120 degrees and 5-10 knots.  Sun was shinning.  It was quite hot because the wind was behind us.  I debated about getting the pool out.  However, even though the sun was hot, the air was cool.  I just cannot get over how beautiful the crossing was.  If only it could always be this nice. 

 

 

George slept peacefully as we slowly rolled on the quartering seas.

 

 

It did not take log before Bryce followed suit.  I am so jealous.. this guy can sleep through a hurricane.  I get so wired, I can’t fall asleep till I am absolutely exhausted.

 

 

We dropped sails and entered the Cape Fear Inlet just as the last sliver of sun disappeared on the horizon.  We dropped anchor just inside Cape Fear Inlet just after dark.  It was a long 14 hour day.  Glad to be settled for the night.  However, at morning it was time to leave!

We got no sleep; when I say it rolled all night, it did just that.  From side to side.  So bad that the next morning while Bryce was talking to his boss and I was talking to my sister everything went haywire.  Both the computer monitors fell, the coffee pot slid off the counter into the sink.  Everything went flying!  All because the local ferries wakes were so huge!!  My advice is avoid anchoring here.

 

 

As always thanks for reading our blog.. Happy Memorial  day weekend. We are getting caught up with our blogging as we wait for the Tropical Storm to pass.