Departure 6 AM......no wind.....we are going to have a beautiful day. We will follow our bread crumbs back to Stm 182 on the Neuse River.
Good bye New Bern Grand Marina
Very pleasant stay in New Bern....it is beautiful, quiet and everyone is friendly. Glen and Virginia went out of their way to entertain us and show us the sights. Virginia cooked, cooked and cooked.....the Captain had all of his favorite veggies....one being fresh collard greens....They
are good friends. We have been traveling with them since 1996 in our motorcoaches.
"Captain, you're my first customer today....come on"
The Sun is coming up
Looking back at downtown New Bern
Come on Mr Sun and burn the fog off
Think I'm back on Kentucky Lake...smooth as glass
In North Carolina, the water changes to a dark rich brown color. The substance coloring the water, called Tannin, is the same substance that makes tea and coffee brown. Tannin is naturally released from the roots and decaying leaves of cypress and juniper trees that line the North Carolina cuts.
But tannin doesn't make the water "dirty". In fact, sailing ships sought out water with tannin because it wouldn't spoil as quickly. Each ship had to store months of drinking water in dark, dank wooden barrels called scuttlebutts.
We cruise the Neuse for about 36 miles today. Homes line the river and we see the car ferries crossing back and forth. We also go by Oriental which is known as the "Sailing Capital of North Carolina". You can see why because there is nothing but "water" out here. Today the river is calm which is great for us.
Junction of the Neuse where we enter Bay River
Just as alligators are not crocodiles, dolphins are not porpoises. The difference is their snouts. Dolphins have a pointed nose, called a beak. Porpoises have a flat nose with no beak, more like the front of a small whale. We are seeing the dolphins today and four are running with us.
Hobucken is a great place to experience firsthand a working shrimp dock
R.E. Mayo welcome transient boaters and offer great protection. The area is wooded and quiet. It has all the character you'd expect from a site where the facilities are a wooden outhouse with a crescent moon on the door. We passed on by today.
Once through Hobucken Cut, which is a man-made canal and which had "horseflies" to swat again we come into Pamlico River and go straight across the river for 5 miles. The wind is picking up so the Captain picks up our speed going across. Once there we enter the Pungo River for another 5 + miles to Belhaven....where we are staying tonight at Belhave Waterways Marina.....
Few homes scattered on the banks
I'll just sleep
Moving along
Look at my seedlings today
Small marina...look at the flag...we are rocking and rolling with the wind...
The charming sleepy coastal community of Belhaven, located on the Pungo River is one of the most popular overnight stops on the North Carolina ICW. The only one rebuilt !!!!
Belhaven, whose name means "beautiful harbor" isn't today. Recently a seawall was built at the entrance of Belhaven for the tune of 6 million dollars. However, it is somewhat ineffective as the slatted boards used to build the storm barrier extend barely below the surface of the water and the heavy wakes carry right through it. So until the wind dies down we still rock and roll in the marina.
The winds is dying down and the sun is going down
But Saddi is enjoying her freedom
She met Rosco and played
Ever wonder why North Carolinians are proud to be call tar heels????? During the Civil War, North Carolina soldiers had a reputation for never retreating, even after they were abandoned by supporting troops from other states. So it was said that North Carolinians fought as if they had tar on their heels, meaning they would never run from a fight.
With that Good Night!!!!
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