May 28

May 28. Last night we pulled away from Ken and Carol’s dock as the low tide scheduled for this morning might have caused us issues when it was time for us to leave. So we went out into the Neuse River and anchored just off the town wharf.

We got underway at 0800 and were shortly rewarded with one of the best sailing days we’ve had so far. After a couple of hours we were turning into the Bay River and our friends on Bedazzle hailed us and to say that they were going to stay in Pamlico Sound since the wind was so good and cross Brant Shoal and they’ll meet us at tonight’s anchorage.

I had considered going around Brant Shoal but it would add at least 15 miles to our day. The Bedazzles are going to cut across the shoal and only add a few miles to their trip while we play it more conservative and head up the Bay River. Our route will take us back to the Pamlico Sound just above the Pungo River while the Bedazzles approach from the south. I figure it will be close as to who gets there first.

As we reenter the Pamlico I can see a catamaran 4 miles away just making his turn into the Pungo River. We’ve been flirting with 7 knots the entire time and I can’t believe that they’re that far ahead of us. We turn up the Pungo and after 2 miles Bedazzle hails us and tells us that they’re only 4 miles from the Pungo. Turns out I was chasing down the wrong boat and they were over 6 miles behind us. Yesss.

We anchor at the southern end of the Pungo Canal in a small creek. Just as we’re looking for that perfect spot we are stopped for a safety inspection by 2 of North Carolina’s finest. They asked to see the registration and safety equipment such as lifejackets, condoms, fire extinguishers and flares. Evidently we’re very safe as the whole inspection was over in 10 minutes and they were gone.