Farewell Atlantic

We left Florida under warm, blue skies and smooth seas. We refuelled at the Inlet Marina where brown pelicans waited hopefully among the lines of the fishermen on the pontoons. Each time a fish was caught, a pelican would lunge at the end of the line as the fisherman desperately tried to reel it in first. The staff reckon these birds have forgotten how to fish for themselves.

At sea, it was a relief to be in open space and away from the confines of the shallow waterway. We had to motor the first twenty hours but then sailed in increasing winds. By the time we rounded Frying Pan Shoals off Cape Fear, we heard some of the ICW bridges were shut due to the high winds.

The water is now green and cool once more. The temperate continental seas are the most productive on the planet. The silty bottom holds many nutrients which are mixed into the wate column by winter storms. As the sun gains power in the spring and days lengthen, the plankton and algae begin to bloom, causing the characteristic green colour, and providing the base of a rich food chain, so unlike the nutrient starved coral seas which are nearly devoid of life away from the coral heads themselves.

Boom in the water - again

Birds too were on the move. We disturbed small flocks of migrating waders, resting in loose rafts on the foamy sea. At first, I mistook them for flying fish, they appeared that small as they took flight low over the waves from our bow. On looking them up, we found the flock was wintering red-necked phalaropes - we'd sailed right through their only known accumulation in the USA.

Red necked phalarope wintering offshore abeam South Carolina

We were also joined by a visitor – a tired palm warbler circled the boat whist we were still sixty miles off shore running before strong offshore winds, before he landed on deck. He hopped among the sheets and woodwork and found a quiet place to roost for the night. Lucky for him, we were heading for landfall at Beaufort Inlet, NC and were expecting to make it for dawn. We sighted land at first light and at 7am our stowaway left us and flew the last mile directly for the familiar shore. I hope the rest of his migration is uneventful as he makes his way north to Canada to breed.

Stowaway for a night off Cape Fear

The final night was busy – it was difficult to sleep as we were running dead downwind and the 3m waves were causing the boat to roll uncomfortably from time to time. We also managed to sail through a large military exercise. I heard at least five warships on Channel 16 and saw several other military vessels on the AIS. Two of the warships (Warship 55 and Warship 58) were kind enough to call us as they were passing less than one mile from us. They had us on AIS but were not transmitting themselves.

We entered the inlet and said farewell to the ocean under overcast skies. Light mist was lying on the sheltered water and the climate is quiet and cool like a British autumn. The inlet was home to more dolphins, mergansers, common loons and a tiny dovekie which swam out to sea just metres from the boat as we idled in.

Last view of the Atlantic at Beaufort Inlet

We ran gently aground again as we came into the waterway but were soon off on the rising tide. We are now anchored with many other yachts just off the channel and will go in search of fresh supplies and a laundromat.