Our stay in Belhaven was pleasant. It’s a pleasant town, not much going on, but it’s a great place for a walk, a typical southern small town, with mostly empty store fronts on the main street, but some very nice old homes, and friendly folks. Chris & Joyce arrived on Friday, and invited us for one of Joyce’s gourmet meals aboard Celebrate. Chris & Barb did a store run on our bikes, while I did some minor troubleshooting on Celebrate’s tender outboard. With the girls’ insurance restricting them to remain north of 35° until 15 Nov., we discussed joining them for a couple of days’ side trip to one of the nearby towns. The weather forecast was favorable, with high pressure stalling for several days over the area. We asked if they had ever seen Ocracoke.. they had actually wanted to visit, but the cruising guides go on about how the approach is shallow and the channels are subject to change. All true, however the large ferries that operate between Ocracoke and Swan Quarter and Cedar Island run multiple trips every day and draw over 6 ft. The channels are well-marked and the cruise to Ocracoke is well worth the time!
So the decision was made, they’d cruise to Ocracoke with us guiding the way since we had been there in June, and were only too happy to return! We decided to shove off from Belhaven in the morning to take advantage of the weather predicted, and get a little time in Ocracoke before sunset.
