April 21, 2012. Since we left Saint Augustine we've been hauling ass. After a peaceful night in Winyah Bay we motored 67 miles up the ICW to Calabash Creek, SC. Along the way we got to transit The Rockpile at dead low tide.

There’s plenty of depth and at low tide the dangers are more apparent so I actually prefer the low tide trip. This sign has never made sense to me. They want you to worry about the rocks that you can see.

What about at high tide when they're under the surface. It seems to me that's the time you should be worried. After Calabash Creek we motored another 58 miles to Wrightsville Beach. The highlight of this day was doing the Cape Fear River against the tide. With all sail up and a very light but favorable breeze at one point we were making an SOG of 2.8 knots. We ended up dropping the hook in Wrightsville Beach next to Discovery and Tilt. We had been outta internet touch for a while and they shared their plan to head offshore in a light and variable breeze and motor to Beaufort. A long day on the inside would find us in Mile Hammock Bay and then another day would get us to Beaufort, NC. So it was a no brainer. The next day we pulled the hook at dawn and headed out on a truly miserable day. 10 knots close to the nose, gray as hell, cold, just a shitty day. We motorsailed all day and as the others dropped their hooks in Beaufort we kept on going. We knocked out another 20 miles and dropped the hook in Adams Creek at dusk. The next day was an uneventful 102 mile day down the Neuse, up the Bay River, through Goose Creek, up the Pungo River, through the Pungo Canal and we didn't stop until nightfall just north of the Alligator River Swing Bridge. 102 miles makes for a looong day. This morning we pulled the hook at 0600 for a 72 mile day to the free wall at the Great Bridge Lock. We had to get underway early to make it to the Centerville Turnpike Swing Bridge which has a restricted opening schedule from 1600 until 1800 every evening. We made it by 1500 and after hitting the fuel dock at Atlantic Yacht Basin we tied up at the free dock in Great Bridge, VA by 1600. Then we walked downtown and grabbed us some veggies at a real grocery store. Now we're drinkin'