Myrtle to Morehead

Getting back on the boat after a luxurious eleven days in Myrtle Beach wasn't as hard as you might imagine.  Things seemed small and cramped for a few hours, and Scott bumped his head a lot, but we quickly settled back into our routine of life on Kiawah.  It felt good, actually, to be moving again.  It didn't hurt that the weather took a turn for the better and we were able to sail "outside" for a day, and continue to sail (mostly) up the ICW all the way to Morehead City, NC.  We said goodbye to South Carolina and checked another state off our list.

"Sailing" on the ICW may seem like a tricky venture- like trying to roller skate on a balance beam- but it can be done.  Even in the tight sections.  Believe me, if there is even one breath of favorable wind, Scott Fraser will figure out a way to capture it in a sail and use it to move the boat forward.

Wing on wing, up the ICW

The real Barbie dream house

Marines of Camp Lejeune prepare for a drill.

"Live Firing in Progress when Flashing"  Luckily the drill did not include any live firing

While in Myrtle Beach, we'd read in the newspaper that replicas of Columbus' ships, the Nina and Pinta were going to be in Morehead City as stop on their Great Loop tour.  We were hoping to see them.  

"Um, Mom, there's a pirate ship coming into the harbor"

Much to our surprise, the Pinta pulled into the same harbor we were anchored at in Swansborough, so we were able to get a sneak preview.

The next morning, we were pulling anchor just as the Pinta was heading up the ICW to Morehead City, so we followed her there.  It's always comforting following a boat that drafts more than you do.

Unfortunately, the Nina was delayed with engine trouble and was not going to be arriving in time for us to see her.  Columbus would never have had that problem.  

The Pinta and Kiawah arrive in Morehead City.

That afternoon we explored the town and went for a hike on Sugarloaf Island.

Not a real swordfish.  Morehead City has a huge charter fishing business

We hadn't caught a fish in weeks and were drooling over this tuna

Ri and Wren discover an owl pellet on Sugarloaf Island

And another.

And another!  A rat.  We heard Barred owls calling all night from our anchorage.

Wampum on the half shell.  

It the Bahamas it's tradition to blow a conch horn at sunset.  The girls use their hands to celebrate the end of the day.

The next morning, the Pinta was open for business.  The first question we asked was, "Where is the Santa Maria?"  We were told that the Columbus Foundation has no intention of building her.  Apparently, she was Columbus' least favorite ship and she never made it back to Europe after the first of his four voyages as she was shipwrecked off present day Haiti.  She was also quite a bit larger than the other two ships (the Pinta was 65' long with a beam on 18', and a draft of 7') and would never be able to navigate the shallow waterways on the tour.

View of the anchorage from Pinta's poop deck.  Sugarloaf Island on the left.

Signal cannon.  These were pre-pirate days and Pinta carried no weapons

Showoffs

The windlass used for dropping and pulling anchor.  I loved this simple and elegant machine!  I am Kiawah's windlass.

Ri and Wren take a turn at the tiller (Columbus' beer cooler in the background)

The Pinta was a beautifully constructed ship.  Both she and the Nina were made in Brazil out of traditional hardwoods using design and construction techniques dating back to the 15th century.  They used only adzes, axes, hand saws, and chisels to make these replicas of trading vessels known as "Caravels."

After touring Pinta, we pulled anchor and sailed just around the corner to Beaufort, NC. 

Adelante, adelante!