Saturday, June 25, 2011

NORTH BY NORTHEAST

Monday, June 20 
Charleston, SC 32º47.351N | 79º55.461W

With our one-week vacation in Charleston behind us, our focus is now making tracks north to Manteo to see our kids and friends.

Tuesday, June 21
Butler Island, SC 33º25.765N | 79º12.006W


First stop: Butler Island, where we anchored at 7:04 p.m. after 73 miles, 10 hours of motorsailing and riding swift currents. This is the kind of spot that, if you didn't know the sad reality, gives the impression that the whole world is at peace.

Wednesday, June 22 
North Myrtle Beach, SC 33º51.09N | 78º39.27W

A peaceful 7:24 a.m. getaway.
Today's destination was an empathy stop. Karen & Dale on Jessie Marie left Charleston a day ahead of us. We weren't sure when or where we would see them again until we got this text:

"Engine blown. Waiting for a tow."

We stopped in North Myrtle Beach to commiserate with them only to find they had taken their plight with good ol' Canadian unflappability. Seeing they might be here for a while, they rented bikes and contentedly settled in for a spell.

It was great to meet one of our blog readers here in North Myrtle -- a soon-to-be cruiser still plodding TO paradise. It's gratifying to pass along the kind of encouragement and support we've received on our extremely slow ploddingTOparadise.blogspot.com.

Learning the value of doing chores underway. Free time!
Friday, June 24 
Topsail, NC 34º23.680N | 77º35.809W

Moving water.     Photo by Chip
We pushed a lot of water up the ICW today. After an 11-hour, 47-minute trek of 83 miles, we anchored in a less-than-ideal spot in Topsail. The wind was cranking, and there weren't any protected spots, so we have tucked way up into a shallow, residential neighborhood and are hoping for the best.

A peaceful (boring) day on the ICW caused me to enlist the autohelm remote.
Hi Barbara!

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