Our US Thanksgiving Turkey Fry

Rain, rain and more rain…at least it was warm while it rained for the past 3 days; more rain than we have had this whole trip. With so much rain, we think we have figured out where some of the leaks are in the portholes (side windows). We also were able to sleep in and watch a few movies – 12 years a Slave and Forest Gump (again), appropriate for our location as much of Forest Gump was filmed here in Beaufort.

We borrowed one of the many vehicles that has been offered to us and ran a few errands in preparation of leaving in a couple days, Friday. The weather window for going outside on the ocean is still looking good…actually looking even better. So we topped up our groceries, fuel and water, checked the engine oil and coolant and arranged for a waste tank pumpout…all system GO!

Today is the US Thanksgiving. This is what TJ invited us to stay for…to taste Southern style fried turkey. The guys started frying turkey’s at 11:00,

they had 10 to fry for the 100 people coming for dinner. The big turkeys take about 40 minutes, little ones about 15 minutes. The wind needed to be blocked so the peanut oil (peanut oil apparently has a higher boiling temperature) could heat up enough…2 fire extinguishers close at hand. This is their second annual fried turkey Thanksgiving put on by the marina and what made this one special was that the Sail Magazine Rally of 20 sailboats travelling down the ICW would be attending. Our friends, Steve and Patti on Wind Dancer from Nyack, were part of that rally. It was great to see them again. The rally is led by Wally Moran and Mark Doyle. Mark provided

a briefing for the rally and anyone else that wanted to attend…he covered their next leg of their route to St. Augustine in great detail and even spoke of the weather window for going outside. Then immediately after, the buffet line started and we sat down with 100 of our new closest American and Canadian friends for a great Thanksgiving dinner...one we will not forget!

Patti was apprehensive about going on the ocean. The three of us tried to convince her but in the end, if she is not comfortable, we completely respect that. We've had our own apprehensions of going on the ocean. Down the New Jersey coast we had no choice, but from Beaufort, NC passing Cape Fear and in to Georgetown it was our decision, as is the passage tomorrow. It does get easier as we learn to choose our weather window and realize that its not that bad if the weather is what was predicted. What makes this one a little easier to take is that this passage has a couple of inlets we can turn into if the winds and the seas do pick up. FYI...there is a Beaufort, NC and a Beaufort, SC, pronounced Bowford and Bewfor respectively. The sailing books tell you to take a moment to figure out which is which to save yourself some embarrassment down the road.

On Friday tomorrow, we will leave Factory Creek, catch the 12:00 bridge opening and head down the Beaufort River to the Beaufort Inlet and out into the ocean…about 26 miles. Then, only a few miles off shore, we will travel 158 miles to arrive St. Augustine inlet at high tide around 14:00 Saturday. A few miles in, we will pick up a mooring ball and enjoy St. Augustine for 2-3 days.