M/V MAERIN

Our cruise to Ocracoke was uneventful if not for the stunning weather. We had a spectacular day, cool temperatures, but light and variable winds and sparkling sunny skies; not even a chop on the sound. A cruiser’s dream! What a wonderful day to cruise! We arrived in Ocracoke at 1500, in ample time to get situated, have a stroll, and have cocktails over a spectacular sunset! Dinner on the Back Porch to top off a stunning day! Oh, it was great to be back!!

We docked at the Park Service docks, there were more visitors there than we expected, although there was plenty of dock space, there were a number of weekend boaters. One of the weekend boats was a 1948 Huckins, restored and repowered. The owner chatted with us a bit, and remarked that they chose jet drives to power the Huckins since they boat on the sound. It enables them access to shallow areas since the boat only draws about 2-1/2 feet! He said they raise a lot of eyebrows when they slide into a shallow cove!!

We spent the day Sunday walking and biking, Chris & Joyce explored the area within walking distance of the docks, very glad they made the trip! Our weather continued to be spectacular, with sunny skies and temperatures in the 70’s. Monday saw the weekend visitors gone, Ocracoke was quiet, but still lots of folks around. The pace is decidedly slower in November, shops are still open, but with abbreviated hours. We made a stop at the Slushie Stand for a bit of ice cream, and a nice chat with BJ, who was surprised to see us!

On Monday, Chris & Joyce borrowed our bikes for a bike tour in the morning, and later in the day I spent some time aboard Celebrate, troubleshooting some autopilot problems, and later coaching the girls on interfacing their computer with the nav system on board, and how to take better advantage of the capabilities of their plotter-autopilot course-keeping electronics. It was a fun day for me, the geek, and the girls were thrilled to get their electronics functioning normally.

In honor of the special visit to Ocracoke, we decided to treat Chris and Joyce to dinner aboard Maerin. In consideration of the gourmet dinners we have been served aboard Celebrate, we knew we’d have to come up with a special meal for our guests. (This possibility had occurred to us before we left home, and we had done some advance preparation, tucked away in the freezer). Chris admitted to some trepidation regarding the entree, but trusted our recommendation that she’d really enjoy HOGMAW!

She said she could smell the baking maw as she walked the dogs down the pier, and it smelled pretty good! So our friends were treated to a traditional PA dutch plain cookin’ meal of hogmaw, homemade applesauce, a salad, and not-so-PA dutch white wine. The verdict was unanimous, it was good eatin’!  A great way to top off a wonderful visit to one of our favorite places in the whole world!
With the promise of deteriorating weather on the way, we decided to shove off for Oriental in the morning. Chris and Joyce led the way, with their newly-acquired electronics skills steering the boat on the course laid out the night before! I  was happy to be able provide the catalyst to boost their confidence in their systems This is a good spot to ride out the remnants of TS Ida, now an extratropical cyclone which is predicted to deliver winds of up to 45 mph, and up to 10 inches of rain for southern North Carolina, less in our locale. We’re anchored in Green’s Creek, a good spot to hole up until the weather passes.