Sunrise @ Cape Lookout

Took a trip down to Cape Lookout earlier this month and had a great time.  We were there to do a photo shoot for Pacific Seacraft and I got drafted to crew on Bill’s boat, a 40 footer named “Worthless Wench”.   Jeff, Kathy, their 9 year old son Lucas and their 34′ Pacific Seacraft “Gemini” were the models for a new ad campaign and Pacific Seacraft needed a few pictures of the 34′  boat under sail to go in their catalog.

Sunset on Lower Broad Creek, Neuse River

We left “Little” Washington on Sunday about 9am and immediately ran into a pod of dolphin just outside the railroad bridge.  I took that as a good omen and it turned out to be true.  Winds blowing between 15 and 20  helped us cruise down the Pamlico River at about 7.5 knots to the ICW where we dropped the sails and motored through the Hoboken Cut to the Bay River.  Once there we hoisted the sails in a stiffening breeze and lots of rolling waves to down river and across the mouth of the Neuse River to set up a one tack line to Lower Broad Creek where we would anchor for the night.

The next day we set out for Cape Lookout by making a few tacks to get down to Adams Creek cut near Oriental.  We had a couple of issues just before we got to Beaufort and had to stop at Jarrett Bay Boat Works to make a couple of minor repairs to the boats before we headed out to Cape Lookout the next day.

Cape Lookout Lighthouse

We made it to Cape Lookout about 3 o’clock in the afternoon and anchored in about 20′ of water near the southern shore.  We had a great photo shoot the next day in 30 knots of wind and 4 to 5 foot seas, according to Bill you should see a couple of those shots in the ads and a magazine cover or two. I didn’t get any pictures because I was too busy tending the helm, no sails just motor, and we were getting pounded and very wet!

The cape is a wonderful place, only accessed by boat, so there are not a lot of people there during the day and even less once the tour boats leave around 5 pm.  We shot mainly in the early morning and late evening to take best advantage of the light so we got to do some exploring during the middle of the day and take a couple of very wet dinghy rides.

Cape Lookout

We left on Friday and headed back to Washington.  Once we cleared the left the Cape we set sail and vowed to not start the motor until we got home and we actually managed to do it.  We dropped the main in the turning basin in Beaufort and sailed all the way up Adams Creek with just the genny, very slowly I might add.  Once we got to Oriental we decided to proceed under the genoa out around Brant Island Shoal in the Pamlico Sound, once there we hove to and set a reefed sail to help us get back to Pamlico Point.  We reefed because we had been running about 7.5 knots and still had apparent wind of over 30.  All was well until we got to the river and all hell broke loose as we ran in to a strong line of thunderstorms which kept us busy for an hour or two trying to get past Pamlico Point.  We then cruised up the river to Blounts Bay where we finally started the motor to set the anchor.  It was 3:30 am and we were beat.

All in all it was a very good trip and I’ve only touched on a few highlights.  I would highly recommend you take the trip if you get the chance.