OBX dinner stop

We are under way in Croatan Sound, approaching Albemarle Sound, with Pamlico Sound behind us. This morning found us anchored in a familiar spot, in Silver Lake, Ocracoke Island (map). It was once again a tight squeeze, but we're much more comfortable with anchoring on a short scope than we were on our first visit.

Yesterday after I posted here we continued to have a good run and a bit of fair current, and made the decision to head to Ocracoke after we rounded the Brant Island Shoal Light. The Big Foot Slough entrance channel to Silver Lake is about a 7nm round trip, and adding a few miles for the diversion through Pamlico, is about a 10nm detour to stop here, or about $15 and two and a half hours.


Rainbow this morning near the lighthouse, from our anchorage in Silver Lake.

We opted for the stopover because it's a more comfortable anchorage than almost anyplace else in Pamlico, glass calm overnight, and because after three straight nights without being able to get off the boat, and at least another night ahead of us, we thought it would be nice to get out and stretch our legs a bit.

We made it into the harbor just ahead of the ferry Swan Quarter, threaded our way through a dozen anchored boats, and dropped the hook near the south shore. It was already past 6:30 when we were secured at anchor, and we immediately splashed the tender and headed ashore at the National Park Service dock near the ferry landing.


Sunrise over Ocracoke.

In stark contrast to our last visit, in high season, the town was dead on a Thursday night. The waterfront joint with its own dock was closed, and S'Macnally's, where we ate last time through, had perhaps four patrons. We were in the mood for more walking and a pizza, so we walked around the lake and out Irvin Garrish Highway to Sorella's, which turned out to be excellent. A selection of nice beers on draft, good pizza, a great salad, and even home-made cannoli for dessert. (I did not need the cannolo, or the part of a cannolo that Louise did not finish.)

We decked the tender as soon as we returned to Vector, in consideration of a tight anchorage and an early start. We had dropped the hook between two boats traveling together, and American Tug 34 and a much older generic motor yacht. This later vessel let us know as we came home that they would be weighing anchor at 6am and might get a little close.


The ferry landing and Park Service docks. Jerk in the white motor yacht flew his drone right up to Vector after we anchored.

And so it was that we were up at 0600 when we heard their engine. They got their anchor up without any issues and we watched the two boats steam out of the harbor. They're loopers, so we may well see them again at any number of stops north of here. We had a nice sunrise, and by the time we were ready to weigh, in between two ferry departures, we had a short rain shower and a nice rainbow over the lighthouse.

Todays seas have been choppy, but they're behind us so it has not been uncomfortable. It's a long trip from Ocracoke to the North River, some 72 nm, but there's not much in between, and with Otto driving through open water most of the day (I had to steer out Big Foot Slough and will steer into the North River entrance), putting a couple of extra hours in will give us a comfortable day tomorrow. Tomorrow night we should be in Great Bridge, Virginia, outside the "hurricane box" and with access to some much needed services.