We left Oriental Marina at noon today, a later start than desired as Duncan had to clean the strainers.  Last night at 2AM the air conditioning stopped in the aft cabin.  He came back to bed at 4AM after removing and cleaning the strainer, but he got the air back on!  He decided that all needed attention for preventative care which was a great idea.  

The sky was beautiful and the water was flat which made for 2/3rds of a totally enjoyable day.  When we got to Pamlico Sound , a body of water similar in size to Block Island Sound, the winds picked up and a ferocious thunder storm hit us.  Now we know what the red in radar is!  The winds were 50+ and seas total white caps and rough!  We have never experienced such a strong storm on the water!

Fortunately the marina was close enough to make it before the second storm passed and the black skies making our tie up scary never hit us directly again!  This time the storm went around us.

Needing a good break, we walked a block to the only restaurant opened in town!  The couple at the table next to us happened to be on the boat docked behind us at the marina!  Having weathered these storms together, we joined tables and had great conversations! Looks like they have much knowledge of the Chesapeake coming up…so we will call for local knowledge as needed!  

Bucket List proved to be very dependable during our time passing through today.  Gives us much confidence that she is seaworthy and safe! 

 As we pulled out of Oriental at noon a large sailboat pulled in.  They had spent the winter in the Bahamas and needed to be in Maine for a fathers’  Memorial Service in July.  We will make it back a week before them…guess 6 degrees of separation follows us all the days!  My dad would have loved this trip and we remark a lot how much fun it would have been to call him along the way.  Sometimes I wonder if he is peaking through those holes in the clouds giving us a needed thumbs up!  

This was not a great photographed day, but do have a few for a better word picture! 

ENTERING ORIENTAL MARINA

  

OUR SLIP WAS IN FRONT OF THE YELLOW HOUSE WHERE THE BAND SET UP!

  

A ROWING TEAM WITH THE BEAT LOWD AND CLEAR!

    

A LOOK BACK TO CATCH THE ESSENCE OF THE DAY WITH RED sail cat boat

  

HOW CALM A DAY!

        

ENTERING THE SOUND…

  

The storm hits…pictures do not do it justice!!

  

it might be trying to leave us and then got the microburst og crazy wind and rain!

  

BELHAVEN NC