FLOYD's in Moorehead City, NC

We planned to sail outside the ICW on open ocean when several of our weather apps predicted increased winds. The higher wind wasn't bad, but it was from the south - on the nose - so we decided to go into Moorehead City Yacht Basin sort of an industrial area, but probably not so in 1921 when Floyd's Restaurant (more on this below) was started.

BUT FIRST

We left River Dunes putting all sails up, but as we turned south, pow, wind on the nose, a common theme here.  I'm at the helm with Drew calling St Augustine Boat US and Sea Tow to get local knowledge about the inlet since Hurricane Matthew, I took in all sails and motored, followed the canal for the Beaufort, NC Inlet.

Last night (before we left River Dunes) we had a great time with Steve of SV Alobar who had just arrived in Oriental with his crew of 3: cook and 2 hands Mary, Alex and Pierre.   We drank cocktails at the tiki hut and ate dinner at M n Ms – delicious lambchops for $16.

Here's Alex, Mary, Drew, Pierre and Steve.

 

Another way you know you're in the south: real Southern Sweet Potato Pie. mmm a favorite of mine.

Good country western music on the radio in North and South Carolina.  Some might take issue with that but it fits tonight. “Chicken Fried"

During the day Drew continued to monitor the weather.  The south breeze was predicted to continue through the night.  He made the Captain’s decision to stay in Moorehead City for the night – lucky for us because, though we didn’t know it, one of the best meals awaited us at Floyd’s Restaurant a stone’s throw from the boat and since it's been around since 1921 it certainly predated the industry that's settled here now.   

The marina is in a very industrial area with a couple of great restaurants.   

 These tugs are part of the same company, Moran, that has the 3 tugs in Portsmouth, NH harbor.

We took showers in very nice commodious rooms – our last for 3 days since we were heading out Monday, Halloween!  Guess who?  Trick or Treat

 The Brooklyn Twombly's dressed up.

We walked over to Floyd’s.  (terrible signage, everyone just knows this restaurant.)  Just looks like a white house.

 This is just the tapas - enough great tastes for me.

Inside’s the A/C temp cooled down things a bit too much for me.  It was warmer outside at the bar with two of the nicest bartenders and a random football game on the ever-present TVs.  I recommend you all drive to this unassuming white house where the bartender said all the help from the other restaurants come here to eat.  Red Neck Egg Rolls = rolls filled with Carolina BBQ pulled pork served with sweet chili sauce and Wasaabi slaw-- a perfect special tasty cole slaw salad, A Happy Stick = shrimp and Andouille sausage grilled on a stick perfectly resting on butter rum sweet whipped potatoes and Worcestershire sauced onions.  All of it's perfectly blended with unique tastes where your tongue stops and says, “Wow, what’s this?” Desert: Bourbon laced chocolate bread pudding.  There was also a German specials menu for tonight, Like you couldn’t not eat it.  Not many restaurants get a five star rating from me.  Other menu items will require us to come back with empty stomachs on our way north.  Thank you chef and two great bartenders who knew the fare and the wide range of beers.

  The also served hard apple cider: Bold Rock apple cider from NC.  I have started sampling various apple ciders that have shown up at bars and in the beer aisles in the market.  The one with the least additives like caramel coloring and “natural flavorings” is DownEast, the best on the market – just apple cider and a bit of carbonation..but hard to find.

Now I am at the helm til midnight, my watch.  All the displays: the VHS radio, Navionics/Garmin track on the ipad, the instruments, the Raytheon radar, the compass have their brightness lowered.  See, we're headed 220 degrees SW. 

Tonight is black, black because the sky is thick with clouds, thus no stars or moon.  We are out about 12 miles off shore NO internet Service – no visible shore lights. Sometimes the white caps catch the red or green of the bow lights.  My face lit with the mac pro computer display as I type here in the cockpit snuggled in blankets and puffer jacket. Auto pilot allows me to watch with frequent glances at the radar and instruments. Sounds: the jib and stay sail snap, flapping when we hit a big wave, the twittering hum of the wind generator feeding our battery.  The gentle squeaks of the boom going back and forth as we rock and roll through surf over the waves. Our little boat moves through the mammoth ocean; we're a dot in the black showing a streaming light at midmast, a stern light and leading with the red port and green starboard bow lights.

THEN the track changes the boat turns, and we come about with sails moving to starboard side in the dark.  I pull across the jib and secure it;  I shine a flashlight up on the sails to make sure they are on starboard side and neatly trimmed.  The wind is picking up as predicted.  Nicely going 6.3 k. with no motor Yay.

In the morning porpoises greeted us for about half an hour, but my video was too long to post here.  Oh well.  Maybe someone can help teach me how to get a longer video on here.  Anna?

We close in on St. Augustine timing it perfectly. We must come in at 9:30 AM to catch the incoming tide and currents in the Inlet. The red buoys are back in place, but not the greens yet.

 This sunrise is the reddest ever.  "Red skies in morning, sailors take warning..."  Remember I do NOT photo enhance any of the sunrises or sunsets.  It did rain the next day.