July 4th Sailing Trip to Ocracoke and Hatteras

Early in the week, I had this idea that we should get some "open ocean" experience. Seemed like a good forecast, so the plan was that we would head out on the boat from Oriental and end up in Swansboro - going out the Beaufort inlet, sailing for several hours offshore and coming in the Bogue inlet. Looked OK on the chart....but after reading the "Cruising Guide", we decided that the Bogue inlet was not really appropriate for a sailboat with a 5' draft. ("Local Knowledge" was required, according the the guide....)

So, plan B is always Ocracoke or Cape Lookout.....so we chose Ocracoke - then Hatteras as the alternative...

Early morning departure.


Had a very nice motor/sail. Obligatory shot of the ferry passing us in the channel.



Crazy para- sailors in the channel as we approached.


Here we are safe and snug at the Ocracoke National Park Service Marina. Note the red-roofed building in the background.



We wandered around Ocracoke - went to the "new" Pelican - which is now called Dajio - for their peel-and-eat shrimp (just me, since Duane is allergic, of course). Went to the Flying Melon - a restaurant we've never gone to, for some reason...I had a wonderful Vegetable Satay (ordered extra spicey, and the chef obliged!!)

Off Friday morning Northbound to the village of Hatteras. Never been there before - we ended up at Teache's Lair marina. Nice restaurant adjacent. Very shallow entrance for us - 5' at times - so really close to our 4'11" draft!



Really, though - this is a fisherman's town.....ooohhh, very fancy fishing boats! When I called to make the slip reservation (no anchoring areas) I was told that I could find the slip because it was next to the "only other sailboat".....that's really odd....we're used to HUNDREDS of sailboats.....


Nice enough folks, though....went to the Graveyard of the Atlantic Museum....not much really....had a really nice moonlit walk on the beach.....trespassed thru a fancy mutli-million dollar home's beach access path to get back to the boat...shhhh



On the way back southbound this morning, Duane noticed a mushroom cloud east of our path hanging over Ocracoke Island. We were about 5 miles away....the cloud just kept growing....we learned form VHF radio that the tractor trailor of fireworks had exploded. The smoke was an amazing sight. Unfortunately, I hear that two people were killed and several injured. We saw the helicopters fly over the Pamilco Sound - I assume to rescue the injured. Remember the red-roofed building in the background when we were at the NPS marina the night before? You can see that building in the background in these news photos of the explosion:


Sad, for sure.....