While in Hammock Bay at Camp LeJeune we shared the anchorage with fellow Marine Trawler Owners Assoc. members, John and Sue Winter aboard "Just Relax". In the morning as we were traveling they hailed us on the radio to say "hello" and see where we were headed. Beauford? We arranged to stay at the same marina and have dinner together that night.Just short of the Beaufort Docks we came across the Coast Guard with their blue lights whirling. Mr. Mike calls out, "are you stopping us?"
All the young men shook their heads "yes" in unison. "When was the last time you were boarded by the Coast Guard?", they asked. "Never", we replied in unison. They boarded the boat and we continued the short distance to the dock. They took 45 minutes to do a safety check of all systems and safety equipment. They were very polite and pleasant.We passed a very enjoyable evening dining with John and Sue. After dinner, John took the time to go over the charts with Mike pointing out characteristics of the terrain ahead.
I did the laundry and grocery shopped in a courtesy car provided by the marina while Mike attended "blue" engine room jobs. These water front towns do a grand job of maintaining water side parks and museums. And Beauford is no exception. I almost didn't go to the North Carolina Maritime Museum thinking I had seen more then a few museums in our journey. 
That would have been a mistake. They had a building with exhibits and a building where local craftsmen were building gorgeous wooden boats. I learned about aspects of the marine industry I was totally unaware of and saw how safety equipment had developed over the years. The museum staff conducts hands on programs year round in seamanship for young and old a like. And, again, admission was free.
On the way back to the boat, we were stopped by a couple who said they had only been in town twenty minutes and did we know where the concert would be held? We replied, we'd only been in town twenty hours and had no idea. Well, how about in the small treed park directly in front of our boat? People started setting up chairs and a gentleman sat up his "music machine". He turned out to be a very talented professional musician who sang ballads from the 70's and 80's. A wonderful evening topped off by a fellow boater who came to the boat to tell Mike what a lovely well maintained and appointed vessel he had. Mike glowed.
That would have been a mistake. They had a building with exhibits and a building where local craftsmen were building gorgeous wooden boats. I learned about aspects of the marine industry I was totally unaware of and saw how safety equipment had developed over the years. The museum staff conducts hands on programs year round in seamanship for young and old a like. And, again, admission was free.
On the way back to the boat, we were stopped by a couple who said they had only been in town twenty minutes and did we know where the concert would be held? We replied, we'd only been in town twenty hours and had no idea. Well, how about in the small treed park directly in front of our boat? People started setting up chairs and a gentleman sat up his "music machine". He turned out to be a very talented professional musician who sang ballads from the 70's and 80's. A wonderful evening topped off by a fellow boater who came to the boat to tell Mike what a lovely well maintained and appointed vessel he had. Mike glowed.
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