The Far Reach at Cape Lookout

[John Stone]

We had hoped to sail to Bermuda this summer but it was just not in the cards. Too many balls in the air especially with the kids graduating from home high school. So, we are making do with a week long cruise in coastal NC. It’s the first time Gayle and I have been alone on the Far Reach for more than a night. Usually the kids are with us. But, this time the kids are at home with a car and a credit card...and two of us have a week together.

Made it out to “The Bight” at Cape Lookout yesterday. It’s the same place we took our departure from for our passage to the BVI two and a half years ago and where we made landfall on return.

It was a tough beat through the Moorhead City ship channel to get here. Due to developing thunderstorms we chose not to wait longer and sailed on the last of the ebb tide with opposing 18 knot breeze. I had thought the swells might already have started to lay down some. But we ran into some big swells in the channel. But, the Far Reach took them in stride with a working job and single reffed main. We sailed into the Bight and let go the anchor before we got nailed by a crackling electrical storm and pouring rain.

A very neat aluminum expeditionary power cruiser was anchored near by. Very neat looking ship. I had seen this particular one before, on the hard at Jarett Bay. I recognized it as the design of Steve Dashew. I have read about the Dashews off and on most of my adult life. Well known long range cruisers and circumnavigators. Always writing interesting stuff. But much more into the technology and high end super fast passage making sail and power boats. Really does not work for me financially or philosophically. But I always took the time to read their stuff because it’s just interesting. And damn it, I just really like the FPB. If money were no object....

Anyway, the owners of the boat passed by around sunset in theircenter console RHIB. They came along side the Far Reach. They were an older couple. Dressed more like offshore sailors that just finished working on their boat. Very nice people. Very unassuming. Said they admired the Far Reach as “it looked like a proper sailboat.” We secured their bow line to the FR. Gayle and I sat on deck chatting with them in their RHIB for about 30 minutes. They asked a lot of questions about the FR. We asked about their boat Cochise. Finally we introduced ourselfs and darn if it wasn’t Steve and Linda Dashew themselves! It was a real treat to chat with such experienced boaters. We wrapped up our conversation with them as darkness fell and off they went back to their boat.

We were both amazed at how down to earth they both were. Never would know they are hugely successful entrepreneurs, consultants, boat builders, naval architects. You meet the most interesting people on the water.

Here is a link to the Dashew’s website if you are interested in knowing more about the FPB.

https://www.setsail.com/wind-horse/

About 0230 we were awakened by a wild windstorm and more rain. With a 180 degree wind shift we were on a lee-shore. Not a lot we could do unless we slipped the cable and sailed out. But we were not dragging with our 45lb Spade. So, we sat tight and watched the trawlers power up and re-anchor on the opposite side of the Bight. It was an anxious time as all cruiser know far too well.

When the sun came up Cochise was gone. We got the dinghy in the water, rowed ashore, and went for a long walk. It was nice to see the Far Reach at anchor. She looked a little disheveled without her sail cover and flying our laundry. But we wanted to be ready to go with the ugly wx threatening us. We spent the day just lounging and enjoying being on the water.

We are looking forward to a couple of nice relaxing days together after our last year of home school. Hope everyone else is getting some fine sailing in too.

[Jim Walsh]

Glad you and your wife had a chance to get away from it all for a week. Meeting the Dashew's is pretty cool. I've read their articles for many years but their choice of transportation was always wildly beyond my means.
Enjoy your cruise!

[John Stone]

We had another ridiculous squall at 0430. Tremendous wind and rain but it was over in 45 min.

What a delight it is to share morning coffee with your life long companion on your boat...especially a boat you love. Later we decided to sail our dinghy across the Bight the 1.5 miles to the Cape Lookout Light House National Park. It was the first chance we had to use our new dinghy step-up and it worked great. Sweet Pea is our 9’ fatty Knees we have had for 14 years. She is a great tender. It was a broad run with a couple gybes thrown in to keep us from running dead down wind in the strong breeze.

We had never visited the lighthouse. It was fantastic. 160’ high and build from 1857-1859. The lighthouse, and grounds that extend all the way down to the point of Cape Lookout itself, are part of the Cape Lookout National Park. We paid $8 each for two tickets and made the climb to the top of the distinctive diamond patterned lighthouse via the 176 steps of the spiral staircase.

The views were stunning! We took pictures and marveled at the beauty of coastal North Carolina. We had a wet beat back to the Far Reach where we showered and rinsed our cloths and had a great dinner.

I could be a water rat for the rest of my days.

Happy sailing to all my fellow Cape Dorians. “Live Long and prosper.”

[John Stone]

A few more pictures from the top of the lighthouse at Cape Lookout.

[Frenchy]

Nice pictures, John. They remind me a lot of the views from the top of the Pilgrim Monument on Cape Cod.
Vistas like those are what keeps me sailing and exploring. - Jean

[John Stone]

Thanks Jean. I’ve never been to Cape Cod but I hope one day to sail my boat there. I’ve read a lot about it over the years. A very historic place, no doubt about it.

[Jim Walsh]

Very nice pictures John. Jean is correct, it really could be the Cape. I've never been to the Banks, it looks very inviting as long as the weather is favorable.

[John Stone]

Thursday morning at 0645 we sailed out of the Bight. Our destination was Beaufort, NC. We had a single reefed main and a working jib. I cleared the stays’l from the foredeck as I anticipated we would have some tacking to do in the rising west breeze. We could not lay the necessary mark to make it around the shoals on the east side of the shipping channel so we tacked to southwest in about 18 kts of wind and a three to four foot chop. Eventually, we were able to lay the desired mark and so we tacked back onto a port tack and headed for the #12 marker.

Once past the dogleg we eased off the main and jib and reached past the shoals making about 7.5 knots. We cleared the inlet and headed towards Beaufort via Taylor Creek. We dropped sail and the little 9.9 Honda faithfully carried us past the waterfront where we anchored in a murky 10’ of water.

It’s a crowded anchorage with a swift current so you have to wedge yourself in on the edge of the long narrow channel. Then we sat through several hours of pouring rain and a biblical electrical storm. Gayle crushed me in several hands of Gin Rummy.

After the storm cleared we easily launched the Sweet Pea and rowed ashore. We had burgers for supper and took a walk through the historic town. Beaufort is sort of local to us so we have been there many times.

The world famous Big Rock deep sea fishing tournament was taking place so the docks were chockablock with high end multi million dollar sport fishing boats. These boats have huge multiple turbo diesels and giant fuel tank to carry them rapidly out to the Gulf Stream regardless the weather. The boats were gleaming with varnished teak and waxed topsides. Most all the boats had tuna towers and multi spreader out-riggers. Every boat displaced racks of insanely expensive fishing rods and powerful reels to haul in 1000 lb billfish. I don’t know what first prize is this year but in the past it was $1,000,000. That’s right... a one followed by six zeros.

The sunset row back to the boat was fabulous. The air was soft and cooled by a perfect 10 kt breeze. The current carried us silently down Taylor Creek to the Far Reach. While drifting along we marveled at the historic wild pony heard on Carrot Island (200 yards south) while looking back to the north side of Taylor Creek at the incredibly expensive fleet of ultra exotic sport fishing boats.

Friday morning we delayed departure a couple hours due to rain and lightenin. We finally got underway about 0930. The little Honda carried us 16 nm up the ICW against a NE breeze. We anchored near marker 10 on Adams Creek...the same place we spent the first night on our trip. We enjoyed the quiet solitude. We read, ate, played cards, and watched the ospreys and other sea birds. In the early evening we placed our lazy-chairs on the side deck in the shade and spent a long while listening to a couple parties taking place on shore. It sounded like they were have a lot of fun.

On Saturday, we made the final run towards Cherry Point. We had a light easterly but managed to sail down wind, wing-and-wing, about 10nm up the Neuse River to our marina. The Cape Horn windvane handled the light air down-wind run pretty well. We had our full main, working jib, and stays’l up and drawing. We also got all the sails and canvas dry from the week of showers.

It was a great 7 day early summer cruise. Hopefully we will have a few more this summer though by July it is blazing hot in coastal NC. That’s usually the time we head to the much cooler temps of the Smoky Mountains for camping and hiking.

[John Stone]

We completed a more detailed narrative of our Cape Lookout cruise on our website. There are also more pictures. Below is the link if you are interested.

https://farreachvoyages.wordpress.com/2 ... er-cruise/