October 1st- Block Island RI to Old Saybrook CT

The last couple of days have been difficult. It was a constant onslaught of cold rain and wind. We spent most of our days in Evergreen. Every once in a while the rain would lessen. Ollie and I would bail out the dinghy and go on a quick commando raid. Generally it would start raining again during the process and we’d high-tail it back to the boat. 

We woke today to wind but no rain. Time to move! The forecast called for the wind to calm in the afternoon so that was a plus. Anchor up. Two reefs in the mains’l. Just a scrap of the Genoa out. We shot out of Great Salt Pond doing seven knots. Normally we are fair weather sailors but it felt great to get moving again. The wind was off the beam and our sails were well balanced. The autopilot,  Ray, did most of the steering. 

We didn’t quite make the fair tide at The Race. The Race is the entrance into Long Island Sound and there is a lot of water moving through on the ebb and flood tides. Around the same time the wind started to slow. The sails were unburdened and we pushed into the sound. By the time we were near Old Saybrook our sails were furled and we were moving along under power. We had some problems with our Yanmar diesel last season but all is well now. There was a lot of debris in the water due to the recent weather. We made it into Old Saybrook around sundown and grabbed a mooring.

Moving along.

September 27th – Dartmouth to Cuttyhunk Island MA

We spent the better part of the day shutting down the house and packing food into Evergreen. I also needed to replace our mooring ball with the winter stick. We made it through the Padanaram Bridge at 3:00 and decided Cuttyhunk would be a good destination for the evening. It was a brisk sail over. We anchored in the pond around 5:00. The evening was spent sorting gear before dinner and sleep.

September 28th – Cuttyhunk Island MA to Block Island RI

The wind kept up all night but the harbor is well protected. Oliver and I went for a quick walk on the island before hoisting the dinghy up on deck and cranking in the anchor. It’s going to take me a few days to get used to the additional morning exercises. Lynne and I eventually develop a routine, it just takes a little while.

The sail over to Block Island could best be described as “salty”. The wind was behind us and we charged along with the waves. Since we were running downwind we sailed with just the Genoa up. We also had the diesel running for speed and control. The wave heights increased the closer we got to Block. We pounded through some of the largest waves we have encountered in the vicinity of Block Island’s North reef. I’d be willing to bet that a lot of ships were destroyed on that reef during winter gales. After rounding the reef the seas calmed down.

Block Island North Light

Exercise time at the beach.

We pulled into the harbor at Block Island around 3:00 and anchored. During the trip over, every loose item in the boat was thrown around. Ollie wedged himself into my berth and was happy to be back in calm water. Besides getting various cuts and bruises I managed to hurt my back. It’s happened often enough that I should see it coming. Perhaps if I exercised more and stretched, when not sailing, I’d be less damaged. We all went in to shore for some R and R on the beach.

Evergreen anchored in Great Salt Pond, Block Island

September 29th – Great Salt Pond/ Block Island RI

Last night we started off with an almost full moon but later on clouds and rain moved in.

We consulted with our weather sources and realized a few things. The wave heights would most likely increase today (Friday) and Saturday. The forecast also mentioned 100% chance of rain, measuring inches. In addition to those challenges, my back is sore and could use a little time to recover. We made the decision to stay in harbor for a couple of days. Things will likely clear up on Sunday and we’ll continue on to Connecticut or Long Island. We didn’t make it very far this week but at least we are moving.

September 25th- Dartmouth, MA

We poured a lot of sweat equity into Evergreen over the summer. The major fuel problems we had on the last trip were addressed. More thru-hulls were replaced. Wood was painted or varnished. The bottom was painted and our waterline raised. Lynne conquered the enormous task of sewing a new canvas dodger. When not working on Evergreen projects we worked on house projects.

Fuel tank removed.

Access ports installed.

Evergreen sporting new bottom paint and a new dodger (grey canvas).

We didn’t get any summer sailing in as Evergreen was hauled out of the water for most of it. We hauled at Bayline in New Bedford which is right next to the new windturbine terminal. It was interesting to watch all the giant parts arriving and being assembled for placement offshore.

Wind turbine parts.

Last but not least my Father gave us a new outboard motor for the dinghy. Lynne has always had a problem with our old one and the new motors seem easier to start. The old one served faithfully for 13 years and I hope the new one does the same.

New Honda motor.

On our last two trips we departed our home port on September 15th. This year the plan was to leave earlier but life got in the way. Then weather got in the way. As soon as the weather improves we hope to embark and start making some progress south.

On another note- WordPress tells me this is my 200th post. I didn’t think I had it in me. This blog has always just been one long conversation with friends and family.

June 17th- Cape May to Atlantic City NJ

The trip along the NJ coast always produces a little anxiety. Perfect weather is the goal but it can be difficult to find a good weather window that lasts for a few days. Today was supposed to be one of those LESS-than-perfect days but once we got out on the ocean it felt great. Evergreen soared along with a reefed mains’l and full genoa.

We anchored for the night in Absecon Inlet near Atlantic City. It’s not one of our favorite anchorages but it will serve it’s purpose for tonight.

Some scenes from Atlantic City.

June 18th- Atlantic City to Atlantic Highlands, NJ

Big day today. 81 nautical miles along the NJ coast to Atlantic Highlands. Both boats have been watching the weather, for days, to plan for this passage. We were up before dawn and underway by sunrise.

The day went well. Winds were light and we were able to motor sail. We had baked ziti for dinner underway. We dropped the hook in Atlantic Highlands just before sundown.

Atlantic Highlands.

June 20th- Atlantic Highlands, NJ to Port Washington, NY

We stayed in Atlantic Highlands for an extra day. Autumn Bourne had taken on an crew member for the transit up the NJ coast. He was catching a ride home from some family members. We also wanted to get together with them since after departing Atlantic Highlands we’d be going separate ways. They’d sail up the Hudson River to Catskill NY and we’d be making a starboard turn up the East River and on to Long Island Sound.

Today was cold and grey. At least it would be a short day since we’d be catching a fast current up the East River. We said our farewells to Autumn Bourne.

Goodbye Autumn Bourne.

East River, NYC.

Port Washington is usually a provision spot for us. We get a mooring while there and the water taxi carts us over to the town docks. This is the second time we’ve managed to get a mooring in “the cove” which is well protected and near a beach. We had to spend a couple of days in Port Washington due to high winds.

The weather forecast looks pretty bleak for the next week. My foul weather pants had sprung some leaks so I purchased a new pair.

Some scenes from Port Washington.

June 23rd- Port Washington to Port Jefferson NY

First priority today was to get deisel and water for the rest of the trip. Unfortunately two large yachts were sitting on the fuel dock. Eventually they shoehorned us into a slip and we were able to fuel up.

Today was another grey day with an easterly wind “on the nose” all day. Our deisel engine started having issues again. The RPMs would drop down if I pushed the engine too hard. I’m convinced it’s junk in the fuel tank. When we filled up the tank, sludge got churned up. Tonight I will be changing Evergreen’s fuel filters before evening wine and dinner.

Evergreen anchored in Port Jefferson NY.

June 24th- Port Jefferson NY to Old Saybrook CT

I got to try out my new Grundens rain pants today. It poured. I stayed reasonably dry. The wind swung a little to the south and we managed to get some sail out. The engine ran well with it’s new fuel filters and some kind words. If kind words don’t work, threats are next. We need to get home.

We grabbed a free mooring by the town docks. It’s a great place to walk Ollie between rain showers.

June 25th- Old Saybrook CT to Block Island RI

Dense Fog. Really dense fog. When we left Old Saybrook we could see 100 yards or so but that soon ended. We ran our radar and navigated by GPS. We had to play “dodge em” with vessels on the Connecticut River. I used my air horn so much that it went dead. Out came my Bahamian conch horn. I blew that thing for about four hours straight. It was very stressful to soar through “The Race” at 7 knots with at least three barges nearby. They’d blow their loud ship’s fog horn and I’d blast away on the conch horn in reply.

Block Island. Finally some visibility.

We are anchored in Great Salt Pond on Block Island for the night. Captain and Admiral are having a celebratory Dark N Stormy. The sun actually made an appearance and I brought Ollie to shore for a swim.

The weather has been difficult on this trip north. Very rarely did we have southerly winds. It seemed like the sunny days were in short supply. Tomorrow looks like a decent travel day. Tuesday and Wednesday are not so good. We will continue on to our mooring in Padanaram harbor tomorrow. We have a lot of work to do on both Evergreen and our house. Hopefully there is no fog.

Evergreen anchored in Block Island.

June 13th- Weems Creek to Sassafras River MD

With engines functioning on both boats we hoisted the anchor to head back out on the bay. We were dodging Naval rowing crews on the river upon exiting Weems Creek.

Rowing on the Severn River.

Our evening anchorage was on the Sassafras River. We went several miles up the river to a marina for deisel fuel and water. After acquiring supplies we headed back down the river to anchor in a cove with Autumn Bourne. This was a better staging area for tomorrow’s journey across the C & D canal.

Some scenes from the Sassafras River.

Sunrise. Evergreen anchored on the Sassafras River.

June 14th- Sassafras River MD to Reedy Island DE

We made an early departure to catch some of a favorable current on the C & D canal. We didn’t see any big ships in the canal today. The day started off sunny but turned to rain. Reedy Island has a tricky entrance. We followed Autumn Bourne through the narrow entrance in the partially submerged wall that protects the harbor.

Evergreen anchored at Reedy Island with the Salem Nuclear Power Plant.

June 15th- Reedy Island DE to Cape May NJ

This was probably our best passage on the Delaware Bay. Usually there is some kind of problem involving wind and/or current. Not today. Sails were unfurled. The sun was shining. The bay currents were cooperating.

Some scenes from Delaware Bay.

Autumn Bourne sailing down the Delaware.

We motor sailed up the bay to the Cape May Canal. Our 52′ mast fits under the 2 bridges on the canal but it can get real close at high tide. It was two hours after low tide so no problem getting under the bridges. Normally we find a lot of room to anchor in Cape May but much of the anchorage was filled with dredge equipment. We found a spot between barges and giant pipes. We spent a couple of days in Cape May waiting for some stormy weather to clear out.

Some scenes from Cape May NJ.

June 9th- Solomons Island to Weems Creek/ West Annapolis MD

Our run up the bay to Annapolis almost went really well. While I don’t believe I completely solved our fuel issues the engine seemed to run well “almost” all day. While pushing toward the Severn River near Annapolis I started to notice more steam and less water coming from our exhaust. We have an overheat alarm but it wasn’t going off. The problem could be that we were close to overheating but hadn’t quite achieved the tipping point. We don’t have a temperature gauge so I can’t actually see the temperature rise. We slowed down and things got better.

Naval Academy

We met up again with Autumn Bourne and dropped the hook in Weems Creek for a few days. They have been here visiting friends.

This was our first time in Weems Creek. It’s in the neighborhood of West Annapolis. There is good dinghy access to shore. The tree lined banks are very scenic and protected.

June 10th through 12th- Weems Creek/ West Annapolis MD

We’ve explored some of the neighborhood. There is a bakery, cafe, and decent pizza all within walking distance. We also have a good grocery store and a Walgreens Pharmacy with an embedded liquor store. Odd to have pharmaceuticals and liquor all under one roof! I was told that West Annapolis was a very run down neighborhood at one time but it’s great now.

Most of my time here has been spent on solving engine problems. The overheating issue was tracked down and the culprit was a broken raw water impeller. Part of the impeller was blocking the flow of cooling water. Due to a water pressure problem a seal was blown on the raw water pump. Many engine things were pulled apart and cursed at. Lynne took an Uber to a Yanmar deisel parts supplier and acquired a sea water pump. Everything was put back together. At this point I again changed the primary fuel filter since it appears we still have junk in the deisel tank. This will probably be an ongoing issue until I can clean the tank.

We will be moving again on Tuesday and in a few days should be going up the NJ coast with Autumn Bourne. They have an extra crew member on board to help with the passage. We can only hope for calm seas, a southerly wind, and a functional deisel engine.

Some scenes from Weems Creek.

Evergreen anchored in West Annapolis.

June 1st- Coinjock to Great Bridge VA

We woke to another breezy, grey, day. Sporadic bursts of rain punctuated the day. At some point, on Currituck Sound, Evergreen’s deisel engine started to run rough again. We slowed down a bit and were able to continue on. Once out of the sound and back in the canals the water calmed down and we didn’t need to “push” the deisel engine as hard.

Rhiannon and Autumn Bourne waiting for a cantankerous bridge operator to open his bridge.

The bridge.

Calm waters.

We ended our day at a free dock by Great Bridge. We will coordinate our morning departure to go through the lock which is right after the dock. I spent my evening trying to trouble shoot our engine and spent much time on the phone trouble shooting with mechanically minded friends. Weather and engine problems are a drag on our spirits but we know the weather will improve and I’ll get this damn engine fixed soon.

Our fleet tied up at Great Bridge dock.

There is a Veteran’s Hall near the dock.

June 2nd- Great Bridge to Old Point Comfort/ Hampton VA

We locked through with around a dozen other boats. At some point in the day the sun made an appearance. Hopefully this is the beginning of a positive weather trend.

The Great Bridge Lock. We tied to the wall and rose up a few feet.

Norfolk Navy Base.

Regata on Hampton Roads.

We anchored Evergreen for the night at Old Point Comfort in Hampton Virginia. Since the sun was shining and it was early in the day we dinghied over to shore and spent the afternoon wandering around Fort Monroe.

Some scenes from Fort Monroe, Hampton VA.

Sunset.

June 3rd- Old Point Comfort to Taylor Creek/ Deltaville VA

Dense fog. We spent some time thinking about what to do as there are a lot of ships going in and out of Hampton Roads. We made the decision to move on. Autumn Bourne materialized out of the fog and we very cautiously entered Hampton Roads to exit into Chesapeake Bay. Both boats had radar running. Ours started acting up of course. At one point we could hear a big fog horn getting louder and louder. A ship emerged from the fog! The ship was in the channel and we were hugging the very edge so our paths weren’t close. It was still a little spooky.

Ollie and I returning to Evergreen after our morning commando raid.

Eventually we were out of the shipping channel and later in the morning the fog broke. The wind increased enough that we could motor sail to Deltaville and could run the engine at low RPMs. Our plan is to have the engine looked at in Deltaville.

June 4th- Taylor Creek/ Deltaville VA

High winds were forecast for today so all three boats stayed in harbor. This allowed us to go out for dinner twice at the Deltaville Tap & Raw Bar. There isn’t much to do in Deltaville but the restaurant is right at the marina and the food is good. I had an exceptional Ruben sandwich.

The Deltaville Boatyard was busy and hadn’t committed to a date for looking at Evergreen’s engine. We don’t want to sit here for long so Lynne called all of the other yards in the area. Broad Creek Marina and Boatworks can see us tomorrow. We are not in Broad Creek but we will be tomorrow!

Some scenes from Deltaville.

Autumn Bourne at anchor.

The Admiral getting creative with tall pines.

Evergreen anchored in Deltaville.

June 5th- Taylor Creek to Broad Creek/ Deltaville VA

Deltaville sits on a peninsula between the Piankatank and Rappahannock rivers. Today was only a short trip out Taylor Creek, down the Piankatank River, up the Rappahannock River, and up Broad Creek, to a dock, where Carl and Matt helped us tie up at Broad Creek Marina and Boatworks.

Carl thoroughly interrogated me with questions about our Yanmar deisel engine. He has repaired and installed many. He seems very knowledgeable. This is exactly what we were hoping for when searching for a mechanic. The engine was checked out. Samples of fuel were taken from our tank and filters. Our newly installed fuel filter already had a lot of junk in it. The samples from the deisel tank also held a lot of debris. It looks like we bought bad fuel somewhere. Plan A was to have a fuel polishing service filter the fuel and clean the tank. They could schedule us in 4 weeks. I want to be home in 4 weeks! Plan B.

Plan B was to borrow fuel cans from Carl. Drain all the deisel from the tank with a suction pump. They have a heater that burns waste oil so I gave him the deisel. He then loaned me his pickup truck so I could drive up to the Exxon station for more fuel. We filtered this and other deisel we had stored on deck. New fuel filters and new deisel. Hopefully all of this works. They allowed us to stay on the dock for the night and use the shower facilities. I needed the shower after fooling around with deisel fuel all day.

Some scenes from Broad Creek/ Deltaville.

Evergreen tied to the dock at Broad Creek Marina.

June 6th through 8th- Deltaville VA to Solomons Island MD

The trip to Solomons was our engine test. It ran well. Perhaps it wasn’t a thorough test since we sailed most of the day. The sailing was great! The best since the Bahamas. Eventually I had to reef the mains’l as Evergreen charged ahead at flank speed

Our flotilla had split up the day before. Both companion boats had gone on to Solomons but have since moved on. Rhiannon is on their way up to Baltimore. They will store their boat at a marina and drive the rest of the way to New Hampshire. Autumn Bourne is visiting with friends in Annapolis. We hope to join up with them again in a few days.

We finished our day at Solomons Island and tied to a mooring at Zahnisers Marina. We’re here for a couple of days to stock up and prepare for the next part of the trip. Zahnisers has good showers, laundry, pool, shuttle service, and we are able to use them as a mailing address. I have a half dozen fuel filters being shipped along with other essential items. Their parts department also provided me with on engine filters.

Yesterday (the 7th) we shuttled Ollie over to a veterinarian. He has a wound on his nose that just won’t heal properly. Afterwards we went over to Captain Smith’s Seafood for shrimp, red snapper, and some of the best crab cakes we’ve had . We rounded out our day with a raid on the liquor store before bringing our haul back to Evergreen. Today’s projects are groceries (Lynne), and getting deisel fuel (Brian). I’d also like to clean the hull as there appears to be seaweed growing up the side.

It has started to rain again so maybe hull cleaning will have to wait. I hope the rain clears out some of the smoke from the Canadian wild fires. Better yet, I hope they get rain. We move from here on Friday for points north on the Chesapeake Bay.

Some scenes from Solomons Island MD.

Today’s weather = Canadian smoke haze.

Travel Lift (for hauling boats) tire.

Evergreen moored on Back Creek at Solomons Island.

May 28th- Broad Creek to Belhaven NC

The rain stopped and the wind calmed down by late morning so we pressed on to Belhaven. The water was still a little choppy but manageable. We were actually able to sail for a while up the Pungo River and made good time.

This stop in Belhaven was to be brief due to a short weather window to get past the Alligator River and Albemarle Sound.

May 29th Memorial Day- Belhaven to South Lake NC

Since the next couple of days have us traveling through a remote area we were up at dawn to prepare Evergreen. We ferried water and diesel fuel out to Evergreen from Belhaven Marina. Rhiannon and Autumn Bourne waited patiently for us to get our morning chores done before all three boats set out on the Pungo River.

We’ve been having a small engine issue since the Neuse River and it picked today to get worse. Before reaching the Alligator/ Pungo Canal the engine RPMs dropped and the engine almost rattled down to the stalling point twice. This had me quite rattled! We were in communication with the rest of the flotilla and I needed to make a decision to continue on (into the wilderness) or return to Belhaven. I found that by reducing Evergreen’s speed I could keep the engine going. It was still running rough but maybe we could make it. We’d miss this weather window if I turned back. Decision= ONWARD!

The canal and the Alligator River were both pretty calm today but I still had to nurse the engine along. We arrived at our anchorage in South Lake late in the day. I wanted to work on the engine but was just too exhausted to accomplish anything. South Lake is very remote but Rhiannon accompanied us into the anchorage should we need help. All three boats have had some kind of engine issues during this trip.

May 30th- South Lake to Coinjock NC

After Ollie’s morning commando raid we exited South Lake to transit the Albemarle Sound. We joined up again with Autumn Bourne before crossing. The winds were forecast to increase through the day but an early departure beat most of it. Our engine problems persisted through the trip. Eventually we were fighting a head wind in the rivers and canals. It was tiring to pilot Evergreen through adverse weather conditions and engine issues.

Eventually our trio and about 15 other boats showed up (at the same time!) to Coinjock Marina and Restaurant. Dockage was by reservation only as it was a full house. Rhiannon and Autumn Bourne were assigned to the dock near the restaurant. The Coinjock Restaurant is famous for its prime rib. We were assigned to the dock across the canal from the restaurant which has no access to the the aforementioned restaurant. We affectionately call our dock, “The penalty box.” Our cruising friends send us pictures of prime rib. We have clean showers and there is a nice field for Ollie exercise 10′ from Evergreen.

Our time in “The penalty box ” has allowed me to focus on our deisel engine. Fuel filters were changed along with the oil. We think the fuel filter was the cause of our problems. Tomorrow will be the test. We hope our engine issues are solved.

Some scenes from Coinjock.

SV Rhiannon rafted to SV Autumn Bourne

Oliver with some artillery.

Evergreen tied to the dock at Coinjock Marina and Restaurant.

May 24th- Mile Hammock Bay to Cedar Creek NC

The flotilla set off today for points north. SV Rhiannon was able to order a new alternator and had scheduled a mechanic to install it in Beaufort NC. We pushed on further, with Autumn Bourne, to an anchorage in Cedar Creek. We have some heavy winds approaching and all skippers were trying to figure out where we were going to “hole up” until after the gale.

Shipping around Morehead City NC.

May 25th- Cedar Creek to Broad Creek NC

Cedar Creek might have worked out as a storm anchorage but we decided that Broad Creek would be much better if things get bad. Today was supposed to be the best travel day until Sunday. Another plus- Broad Creek is only 13 1/2 nautical miles away. No problem!

We departed from Cedar Creek, continued down Adams Creek, and headed out on the Neuse River. This is where the plan met reality. Autumn Bourne radioed back to us with the option to continue north on the river or turn back. We opted to continue on. At this point the water was rough but we sail in Buzzards Bay and have experienced worse. It got worse. The closer we got to our destination, the worse it got. The wind increased. We were motoring straight into the wind and choppy seas. The issue was the short, steep, waves. Evergreen would come off the top of a big wave and bury her bow in the next wave. We’d go from 4 knots to 1 knot instantly. Then the wind would catch the boat and turn us abeam. I had to shut down the autopilot and hand steer. I would come off a wave and spin the wheel to take the next wave on the forward quarter, then quickly spin the wheel the other way to stay on course. It had occurred to us to “just turn around”. We’d fly back to our previous anchorage with the wind and waves behind us. Only a few more miles to go! No turning back! We pressed onward.

Rough seas starting out.

Eventually two tired and wet sailboats turned up the much calmer waters of Broad Creek. We searched around the Creek and found a quiet spot near some cleared woods so I could get Ollie to shore. We dropped the hook. This will be our storm anchorage.

Sunset (sort of) at Broad Creek.

May 26th- Broad Creek NC

There is a Gale warning for the area. Sustained winds in the 20s to 30s with gusts to 40. So far it’s pretty calm here on the river. The tall pines on the banks block the worst of it. We have run out over 100′ of anchor rode. We have a second anchor ready to drop if needed. Every once in a while we hear a gust of wind whistling in the rigging but the water here is mostly flat. It looks like we will be sitting here until at least Sunday (28th).

Evergreen anchored on Broad Creek.

May 20th- Southport to Carolina Beach NC

The day before leaving Southport we had some discussions about the river currents, when to leave, and how to safely get off the dock. We were parked way down on the inside of a face dock and would have to wait for the correct tide to leave. That really didn’t work with our travel plan. Autumn Bourne came up with a plan to flip our boat, at the dock, so we were pointed in the right direction to escape the next morning. With help from the marina staff and the river current we pointed Evergreen in the right direction for an early morning departure.

We left Southport and caught the flood tide up the Cape Fear river. Shortly after we arrived at our destination, Carolina Beach (CB). We could have pushed on further but we enjoy visiting CB and planned on staying an extra day. Autumn Bourne was also going to linger for an extra day at Wrightsville Beach which is near by.

We made multiple visits to the North End Cafe for coffee, egg sandwiches, and other goodies. Of course we couldn’t leave without a stop at Blackburn Brothers Seafood. We had some delicious Halibut for dinner that night.

Evergreen moored in Carolina Beach.

May 22- Carolina Beach to Mile Hammock Bay/ Camp Lejeune NC

Today turned out to be a complicated day. We had multiple possible destinations for the day. We then received a message that SV Rhiannon was having an electrical problem and had lost all power in their boat. They had traveled a day ahead of us and were in Mile Hammock Bay which is part of the Camp Lejeune Marine Corps Base. Autumn Bourne has a generator and would be able to provide power when they got there. We decided to also go for support. The only problem with the plan was the base doesn’t allow civilians to land and we need to get Ollie to shore. The captain of Autumn Bourne ( a Vietnam War veteran) informed me that the Marines are not going to care about an American with a dog landing at their base regardless of regulations. With that encouragement we anchored at Mile Hammock Bay.

May 23- Mile Hammock Bay/ Camp Lejeune NC

An extra day at the Marine Base. Rhiannon and Autumn Bourne are rafted up and Rhiannon is charged up. They need parts and need to wait for a day before transiting to Beaufort NC for repairs. We’re also here for an extra day. It’s looking like our northward progress is going to be stopped by weather anyway so waiting here an extra day isn’t a problem. In the morning we got to watch some amphibious assault training. We were informed earlier that the troops would be firing blanks. This was a great relief when machine gun fire erupted during the assault. The whole thing was exciting and very interesting to watch. Ollie has been to shore. Not during assault training!

Giant boat ramp for Marine training.

Rhiannon with Autumn Bourne providing electrical assistance.