Pouring rain most of the day, which limited visibility. When we first started out, we could only see a few hundred yards. If it hadn't been for the radar and the GPS, we'd have had to stay put.
As usual, I lucked out. Just a few minutes before my watch started, visibility suddenly increased to two or three miles! And it's a good thing it did, because half an hour or so later, the radar quit working. Just a few days ago, Roy and I had been talking about how well the radar had been working ever since the old man at Half Moon Bay had repaired it. Now it's fried. Maybe it can be repaired, or maybe we'll have to buy a new one, but at least for now we can see where we're going. If it had gone out a couple of hours earlier, we'd still be sitting in Bay River. I was afraid the visibility would decrease again, and we'd have to pull over and anchor, but fortunately, it remained good enough to see from one marker to the next, but it was a struggle, especially the last stretch just before Morehead City, where the channel is surrounded by one-foot deep water. I was supposed to be on watch for that stretch, but Roy kept the wheel, because he can see so much better at a distance than I can.
What a relief when we finally got tied to the dock! The dock master, Graham, was out fishing, so we just tied to the fuel dock temporarily. The rain had let up briefly, so we walked to the grocery store and bought a few things. Just as we got back to the marina, it started pouring again.
When Graham showed up, Roy paid him $75 for a week. We had been talking about staying here longer, but Graham said he's going to be leaving Thursday and won't be back until January. During that time we wouldn't be able to use the restrooms or showers, so we'll just move on. Next stop, Charleston.
It's amazing how warm it is here. We feel as if we're finally in the south. The temperature's in the 70's.
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