NC to NYC, time to go

[CrazyRu]

OK, I’m ready (almost) to leave.
I’m sitting at my friend’s dock, somewhere in a little creek in beautiful Carolinas.
I got here by bus, having three transfers. I left my boat four months ago and, surprise, she is still there with a bit of growth and some water in a bilge and dead batteries.
The trip on a bus was a bit of excitement. I always told my adventure deprived friends – you want to see a country – take a trip on cheapest public transportation available.
Soldiers are everywhere. I served during Russian invasion of Afghanistan. Somebody on a top should learn a lesson – you cannot win a war in a middle east using convenient military ways.
On one transfer we were dropped in a middle of a night at a station which was locked. Bunch of guys and girls were sitting in a middle of nowhere in freezing temperature outside waiting for a bus. Being a good guy and southerner in a soul I pulled out a sleeping bag and some fleece and spread it around, you know, I’m prepared.
The boat didn’t disappoint me – she didn’t want to leave a nice worm place.
Good god, I had a dry suit with me. Barnacles attacked waterline which was sitting on one side below the water – I had to work really hard to remove the guys. Propeller was a big fat ball.
Cleaning, whipping, working on worn batten’s ends, trying to charge batteries, finally catching a ride to replace a battery and get a supply of cans of food and liquors. Funny stuff – they call liquor stores “ABC” here in NC, I guess, they remind that reading skills are first after all….
It’s over. It took one day longer that I expected.
It takes time to adjust. Coming from a big city. Thinking that you can multitask. No way… One step at the time. I’m getting into routine. Hardest part is ahead – getting into big city life… It is still far ahead, some 600 miles. Now I need to go to sleep. Good night…..

[PBzeer]

Most people are going the other direction this time of year.

[gulfcoastcruiser]

Do you still have your dog with you on this trip? What have you been up to since you got to NC?

[sailingdog]

ABC— Alcoholic Beverage Control or something silly like that. They're called that in VA too. Must be southern thing

[SailKing1]

Originally Posted by sailingdog

ABC— Alcoholic Beverage Control or something silly like that. They're called that in VA too. Must be southern thing

Alcohol and Beverage Control Board, It's operated by the state, Dates back to moonshine days. Actually moonshine is still a big business in the mountains in both VA and NC.

[sailingdog]

Ya think??? Beats paying taxes to them damn revenooers...

Originally Posted by SailKing1

Alcohol and Beverage Control Board, It's operated by the state, Dates back to moonshine days. Actually moonshine is still a big business in the mountains in both VA and NC.

[JohnRPollard]

Originally Posted by sailingdog

ABC— Alcoholic Beverage Control or something silly like that. They're called that in VA too. Must be southern thing

Silly? How about "Package Store", aka "the Packy"?

[jimmalkin]

In Australia, where things are more straightforward, it is "the bottle shop." (and in the best of all possible worlds, some bottle shops are drive thru.)

[eMKay]

Originally Posted by jimmalkin

In Australia, where things are more straightforward, it is "the bottle shop." (and in the best of all possible worlds, some bottle shops are drive thru.)

In Ontario they are even more simply named "The Beer Store" for well...Beer. Liquor requires reading a more challenging name "LCBO"

[CrazyRu]

My dog stays at Staten Island NY this time with my girl friend.
I didn’t leave. I stayed at B and B yachts designs B & B Yacht Designs dock, Graham Byrnes had big get-together coming weekend and builders of his designs started pouring in, I saw some old friends, made some new, we were sitting discussing cat ketches and other inferior rigs, and how well he did in Everglades Challenge, and what is a great group of people Watertribe is, and how well I did in Watertribe challenges, and how my experience is better than his, and how he did in Worrell 1000, and how I’ll never do it, and his circumnavigation was of great interest, and one guy, who hesitates to enter a Challenge all the sudden mentioned that he climbed all possible peaks, and he still not sure about sailing three hundred miles ,and night was short and my supply of “ABC” was severely depleted…
Anyway it was Friday already. No sailor leaves a dock on Friday…
So I left on Saturday. I sailed some 90 nautical miles so far. Days are short; it takes time to get in a groove. Somehow I miscalculated how far I’m in NC. Today I get into Alligator River – some 30 miles stretch of water with strong head winds with even bigger water, Albemarle Sound ahead. Running low on a fuel, engine started sucking air and I decided to take it easy and practice windward sailing in steep chop. I did fine, with my superior rig. I didn’t point too high, but I didn’t touch steering wheel either. No rash here… I was running against constant stream of all types of crafts going south. Every fourth fully equipped sailing vessel was motoring downwind. I agree those sail covers are pain to remove and it outright dangerous to go on a forepeak of a boat. Everybody was taking pictures of me, So I guess, by searching internet I can see how my bottom looks.
Good night…
CR