Sail Andante

Off to a good start.

We left Morehead City just after dawn and had a beautiful ride through the port and into Bogue Sound.

Bogue Sound is very scenic with many small sandy islets and lots of birds. One friend followed us closely for several miles. (This is my first attempt including video in this blog. Hope it works.)

We made good time and with the wind behind us were even able to carry a headsail for a while. The last few miles of the day cut through USMC Camp Lejeune. There were some interesting contrasts with beautiful marshes and lots of wildlife in a live-fire training area.

Fortunately the lights were not flashing when we arrived. There were definite sounds of gunfire and occasional louder explosions in the distance.

The barrier island separating the ICW from the Atlantic is very narrow here. I could hear the surf breaking as we sailed past. Do you think all those hunters wearing orange know they are dressed like a target?

I hope the birds understand what the flashing lights mean.

This swing bridge is within Camp Lejeune and is operated by the Marines. They were very punctual.

We anchored for the night in Mile Hammock Bay, a well-protected little harbor apparently used by the Marines for launching landing craft. It was a good place to ride out the gale that arrived overnight but was anything but quiet — the little harbor is adjacent to a busy helicopter landing area.