Wednesday, June 04, 2014

The Better Route

Roanoake Sound, NC
35 47.719 N 075 34.761 W

There are two choices for traversing the inland waters of North Carolina.  You can follow the ICW.  That takes you through two very boring canals and the boring Alligator River.   Or you can go around by the outer banks, visiting Okracoke and Manteo, and sailing on Pamlico Sound.   We have come to strongly prefer the second choice.  It's much nicer.

But first, on Monday night we visited our friend Ken.  He has a new place on Broad Creek that we haven't seen before.  All I can say is WOW!  I expected a shanty.  What he has is a beautiful house on a spectacular lot looking out over a well sheltered creek.  Waterfront locations don't come much better than that.  We'll be  visiting Ken again in the future I'm sure.  Thank you Ken.

On Tuesday, we left Ken's en-route to Okracoke Island.We love visiting that place.   But there is a festival there starting Friday.  Also, the federal docks there are closed for repair.  By mid morning we were passed by 8 vessels headed for Okracoke, and the bell in my head rang.  "Uh Oh, it could be so crowded there that we wouldn't find a place to anchor.   So, change of plans, we skipped Okracoke.   No time to reach Manteo before dark, but I did find a bay where we could anchor for the night on the chart.  Head for that.

The wind picked up powerfully.   Pamlico sound is a delight to sail because you have open waters, good wind, and no ocean swells.  But it can get rough.  We flew along under too much sail, but we managed to get to the anchorage.   But the shelter of that bay from waves was marginal.   Poor Libby got queasy.  It is not our standard practice to take anti-seasick medicines on inland waters, but that day she needed them.  Finally, long after midnight, the wind and waves subsided and we got some sleep.

Right now, we're heading toward Manteo.  But I believe we'll pass it up also.  Too early in the day to stop.  We'll continue toward Elizabeth City.

One more thing.  The local temperatures have been in the 90s this week.  Very hot.  But out in Pamlico sound it was very pleasant.  Water temperature 68.

One other thing.  We were amazed to see the lights of houses bordering the bay last night.  That land is swamp and barely accessible by road.  The bay is too shallow for boats to approach shore.  Finally the insect population is intimidating.  Yet, rich people are building luxury homes on the waterfront there.  Too many people on this planet and too much money in this country.   Another example, they are building luxury homes on a sand bar island next to Old House channel.  That island had been uninhabited heretofore.

I'm strongly opposed to redistribution-of-wealth politics.   But I must admit, I think there are far too many rich people with too much money.





2 comments:

  1. A fair and reasonable tax structure is a good goal but any changes that take us back to the days when the 1% were taxed at a much higher rate have been labeled "redistribution of wealth" for political reasons.
    The results of these policies are a redistribution towards the top over the past 30 years.

    We also have commented on the size of many of the "trophy homes" along the waterfront. We traveled the ICW twice and discussed the route you take but stayed inside. If we take the trip again we'd like to see those places!

    Loren

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  2. I'm not opposed to large homes, nor opposed to water front homes. However, it seems that the wealthy build homes along the waterfront and all of a sudden, there are restrictions like 'no wake zones'. I'm adverse to wealthy building homes and using their monetary influence to enforce anchoring restrictions... don't anchor in front of my house....If I had the financial power I'd say, don't light the sky up at night your blocking the view of my stars.

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