Broad Creek to Bock Marine

Around Broad Creek

We stayed in Broad Creek literally breathing in the tall pine trees that surrounded us. We prepped the boat ready to haul, taking down both headsails and stowing the dinghy on the foredeck so we could have easy access on and off the boat at the back. We explored the area by dinghy, the exclusive and well manicured River Dunes marina, little nooks and creeks so calm and peaceful, just listening to the birds.  We took the dinghy ashore to Paradise Cove Marina previously shown to us by our friend Jim.  A real little gem of a place hidden away by the trees, it is mostly for small boats but the owners are very welcoming and the bar open.  Having not been off the boat for a few days we stretched our legs taking a 2 mile hike to “the end of the road” and back. I still can’t get enough of this quaint, lush countryside...though the bugs, well they still bug. There are small and some not so small wooden houses, tractors, cornfields and lofty pines – I could live here – although it looks rustic and rural you can tell there is money about....sigh; a girl can dream.  Back at the Marina we pulled up a pew at the bar right on the water’s edge. Never is a beer more welcome than after a sweaty hike.  The place is under new management and the new owners Scott and Debbie are making a big effort. It is a real congenial place, with pot lucks and live music.  If you are ever in Broad Creek you should definitely check them out.

Paradise Cove Marina - a real neat place to hang out and grab a beer.

We were scheduled to haul out at Bock marine on Tuesday afternoon and motored the 25 miles back to Adams creek - the day overcast and ridden with rain squalls.  With their assistance we manoeuvred in to the dock backwards and tied alongside for the night as they weren’t ready to haul us until the morning.  By 8am the next day Wandering Star was in the travel lift slings.  It was a little embarrassing just how bad the bottom of our keel was; literally covered in barnacles – the antifouling was shot a long time ago but we had managed to keep on top of it until we arrived in America and didn’t feel up to entering the dark and murky waters of the ICW!

Wandering Star in the travel lift at Bock Marine, North Carolina

Now we are getting settled. Mosquito nettings are in place, our teak floor in the cockpit protected with cheap lino we bought on our trip out in the courtesy car.  Storage boxes bought so we can store some of the stuff we are removing, tarps bought to put up as sunshades. Now we are ready to go, let the work begin!

Sim helps scrape all the growth off

Wandering Star in the slings

Nice lounge facility with toilets, showers, laundry, bookswap and TV.

The kitty hates the travel lift noise so we can her off while the boat is lift

Teak floors protected, sun shades and mosquito netting up - the before photo

Sim gets stuck in straight away

Wandering Star - our home on sticks for the next month or so

 

A great spot where we can see all that goes on.

Wow! - that's a whole lotta growth 

 

Houses on the way to Paradise Cove Marina

I love these country houses

A walk to the end of the road

And a walk back again!

The view out of my cabin window in Broad Creek