Day 2: Anchored In Belhaven

Ahoy There!

Early this evening, after a full day's sail from Camp Sea Gull, the boys aboard SS/V Jeanie B. arrived in Belhaven on the way to Norfolk, VA. 

We spent the first day aboard learning navigation, big boat handling, and observing watch roles. We sailed over 50 nautical miles across the Pamlico Sound and up the Pungo River. Tomorrow, the boat will continue up the ICW to the Alligator River and the Albemarle Sound. 

Day 11: Heading back to camp

Ahoy there from the Pamlico Sound! We started our day with a last bike ride around Ocracoke and a little last minute shopping! We turned in our bikes and set sail for Oriental around noon. We had a great afternoon at sea and have just begun our night sailing shifts. We are making great time and will be in Oriental by mid morning! 

Day 10: Last day in Ocracoke

Ahoy there! We started our day with surf camp through Ride the Wind. They took us out to the beach and gave us a short lesson before we headed into the water. The girls looked like pros! After surfing we went to smac nalleys for cheese burgers. We spent the afternoon at springers point playing in the sound with the moon jellys and exploring more of Ocracoke on our bikes. For dinner we enjoyed a shrimp boil prepared by our first mate Hailey. He even through in the clams the girls found yesterday! It was delicious! We had a great last full day in Ocracoke! 

Day 9: Portsmouth and Ocracoke

Ahoy there! This morning we headed to Portsmouth island off of Ocracoke to explore for a couple of hours. Portsmouth is an old fishing and shipping village that functioned as a lightering port between the Atlantic Ocean and the pamlico sound. The village has been abandoned since 1971. We got to wander through some old houses, the post office and the old Coast Gaurd station to learn more about the function of Portsmouth. We then went clamming off the shore of the island (some of the girls even tried raw clams)! This afternoon, back on Ocracoke, we all rented bikes and went out to explore some more. We got the treat of going to dinner at the well known Howard's Pub. The girls are ending the night with a movie; then resting up for their surf lesson in the morning. 

Day 8: Ocracoke

Ahoy there from Ocracoke! We left Manteo early this morning and arrived here in Ocracoke around seven after a full day of sailing. The girls got to have a navigation lesson with Lee after hoisting the sails. They learned more about finding navigational markers, headings and their latitude and longitude at a given point. They are becoming very knowledgable sailors! Once we arrived in Ocracoke they had an hour of free time before another dinner on the boat. We are in bed early tonight to rest up for our next couple of days exploring the island. 

Day 7: Jockeys ridge and Nags Head

Ahoy there from Manteo! Today, the 21st of June, is a special day for us seamen. Since it is the summer solstice, we started off our morning with a lesson on the significance of the solstice from Captain Lee. We then headed to the N.C.  Aquarium where we got to learn the process of saving sea turtles as well as engage in a Q and A session with a diver in the shark tank. From there we headed to the sand dunes in Jockeys Ridge, which are the largest dunes on the eastern seaboard. We found a picnic spot at the base of the dunes where we grilled burgers and hot dogs before heading across the street to the beach in Nags Head. To end our fun filled day, we enjoyed a nice dinner at a restaurant overlooking the water. We are setting sail to Ocracoke bright and early tomorrow morning!

Day 6: Manteo

Ahoy there from Manteo! We completed our sail of over 24 hours today when we arrived in Manteo this evening. Lastnight we ran into a little unexpected weather which was a great learning experience for the girls. They learned many of the foul weather procedures and successfully weathered the storm. They began taking shifts sailing very early this morning and continued through out the day. The girls had a great time swimming off the side of the boat again this afternoon. Once we docked in Manteo we explored some of the local shops. We then got to go bridge jumping followed by a shower on the dock. We ended our night with a healthy dinner followed by movie night to wind down from our busy past couple of days!