TripSailor.com® Sailing Blogs

We remained in Hammock Bay for a second night as the forecast was for very strong winds – from a Canadian cold front of course. And when it did, we were glad to be in the boat rather than out there. The sky became dark and foreboding. The temperature dropped. We started to shiver. Snow came down fast and furious. The next morning we took off at dawn and it was freezing outside. It helped to have several layers of clothing, plus hats and mittens. It still was pretty bone chilling and not too pleasant. We started to feel an increased sense of urgency just keep on moving south in search of warmer climate. In the afternoon we arrived at our anchorage in Wrightsville beach, a trip of about 40 miles. It was so cold in the boat in the evening the best thing was to go to bed early and keep warm under layers of blankets and prepare for an early start the next morning. We started off in the chilly morning, but the sun shone from a clear blue sky and soon it became warmer and we could peel of some of our layers. This was a welcome change and the trip was enjoyable on the canal. We travelled through marsh lands and small towns. Along the shore there were many opulent houses and mansions with enormous gardens and lawns .Pelicans flew by, or sat perched on empty docks. We even saw a few dolphins jumping in and out of the water. It is a pure delight to watch their grace in the water and their playfulness. Finally we arrived here in Calabash creek, a small channel just off the ICW after 11 hours of travel time, almost in the dark and set anchor in this beautiful and very quiet bay. There are a number of boats beside us. And all of us are in pursuit of the same thing: being in a warm place and exploring new horizons. Tomorrow we will be in South Carolina.