Today we traveled down a natural waterway with a dredged channel that was quite narrow. We had to pay close attention to our piloting of the boat so we wouldn’t wander outside the channel. Once we did just that, but we got a wake-up call when a rudder kicked up, warning us of the peril awaiting those who venture to the wrong side of the channel markers, including shallow drafted boats such as White Swan.
We traveled more miles in one day, today, than we have any other day during this trip. We motored almost 51 miles. If you think that is bad, just think of what it must have been like for the pioneers who traveled these waterways. Our boat will motor at around six miles per hour, which isn’t bad for a sailboat. If the wind is behind us, giving us a little push, it’s better. If the current of the water is moving against us, it’s worse. If the current and the wind are both going the same direction as we are, it’s a SWEET ride.
It was challenging for us to find our route through Beaufort, N.C., but we inconsequentially did it. The GPS is our lifeline, but we have to consult the navigational charts as well to stay on track in the larger ports.
For dinner, I prepared fresh flounder that we got from a little seafood shop in Belhaven. When I say fresh, I mean we picked out the whole fish and we watched as it was filleted for us. I can’t even describe how good it was. My cousins in Kentucky use the phrase, “I’ve floundered myself.” when they eat too much. Now that I’ve eaten truly fresh flounder, I think I know of which they speak. I could have eaten it until I stuffed myself.