It was one of those cool, but warm, sunny weekends last week.
I headed out to explore a bit, just around the corner from me. I love the desolate parts of the NC coast. You can still find places that you feel completely alone. This one was only 12 miles east of me.
The weather was just cool enough for the last few days that the bugs should be few and far between. Many of these marshy areas are completely off-limits during the hot months, unless you like being a blood donor.
I headed out just after lunch, not knowing exactly where I would spend the night. I liked the look of the large expanse of marsh just off the Pungo River, west of Swan Quarter.
After crossing the ICW and mouth of the Pungo, I headed for the southernmost area of the marsh and made my way around to the inside of Spencer Bay.
I just poked around the marsh for a time, taking in the wildlife and scenery on a beautiful sunny afternoon.
You can see the wide expanse of this marshy area on the satellite photo.
I found a really nice "nook" on the western side of the bay that was protected from the WNW wind, although it was supposed to be quite calm.
Here are some photos around the boat at anchor - as you can see, NOTHING for miles around! Perfect.
And here's one from the wide-angle GoPro camera:
This was just a perfect place at a perfect time. All alone, away from the chaos at work. The silence was deafening. Pefect.
The sun started getting low, and I was getting a little bit hungry.
A quick grill to the rescue!
Soon the sun was dipping down to a glassy-calm bay. Time for that last beer......
I was treated to a spectacular sunset over the marsh.
All was well.
Early the next morning, I got a big mug of coffee going, and slowly puttered up to what looked to be an abandoned "marina" in Germantown (I didn't even know we had a "Germantown" out here!) This is a beautiful area - still so raw.
Time to head home, so I headed out the bay and around back west. As I was crossing the mouth of the Pungo, I counted no less than 33 boats, all in a line, stretched all the way from Belhaven and across the Pamlico River into Goose Creek! A sure sign winter is nigh - the snowbirds are making their way South. Every manner of trawler, sailboat, and luxury yacht seemed to be represented.
I arrived back at the dock at quite a reasonable time, with no-one the wiser that I had been to a place that might as well have been completely another planet.
Ray
-- waiting for the next one
I headed out to explore a bit, just around the corner from me. I love the desolate parts of the NC coast. You can still find places that you feel completely alone. This one was only 12 miles east of me.
The weather was just cool enough for the last few days that the bugs should be few and far between. Many of these marshy areas are completely off-limits during the hot months, unless you like being a blood donor.
I headed out just after lunch, not knowing exactly where I would spend the night. I liked the look of the large expanse of marsh just off the Pungo River, west of Swan Quarter.
After crossing the ICW and mouth of the Pungo, I headed for the southernmost area of the marsh and made my way around to the inside of Spencer Bay.
I just poked around the marsh for a time, taking in the wildlife and scenery on a beautiful sunny afternoon.
You can see the wide expanse of this marshy area on the satellite photo.
I found a really nice "nook" on the western side of the bay that was protected from the WNW wind, although it was supposed to be quite calm.
Here are some photos around the boat at anchor - as you can see, NOTHING for miles around! Perfect.
And here's one from the wide-angle GoPro camera:
This was just a perfect place at a perfect time. All alone, away from the chaos at work. The silence was deafening. Pefect.
The sun started getting low, and I was getting a little bit hungry.
A quick grill to the rescue!
Soon the sun was dipping down to a glassy-calm bay. Time for that last beer......
I was treated to a spectacular sunset over the marsh.
All was well.
Early the next morning, I got a big mug of coffee going, and slowly puttered up to what looked to be an abandoned "marina" in Germantown (I didn't even know we had a "Germantown" out here!) This is a beautiful area - still so raw.
Time to head home, so I headed out the bay and around back west. As I was crossing the mouth of the Pungo, I counted no less than 33 boats, all in a line, stretched all the way from Belhaven and across the Pamlico River into Goose Creek! A sure sign winter is nigh - the snowbirds are making their way South. Every manner of trawler, sailboat, and luxury yacht seemed to be represented.
I arrived back at the dock at quite a reasonable time, with no-one the wiser that I had been to a place that might as well have been completely another planet.
Ray
-- waiting for the next one
