Vancouver, Canada to North Carolina USA ( September 13th to 8th December 2015)

After 5 mths away working in NZ and Australia and visiting family and friends we returned to Bayboro, Nth Carolina to where our yacht "Erica" had been sitting out the Hurricane season awaiting our return.
We flew via Vancouver to visit our son and partner aboard their boat.

 Walking over the Iron mongers bridge for a view of the marina and Vancouver high rise

 

After a couple of days we took the ferry across to Vancouver Island to visit a midwifery friend of Cathy's and fellow cruisers whom we had sailed part of the Indian ocean with. It was a great reunion.

Coming into Nanaimo

We had a wonderful day out with Iris visiting the Old country market and "Goats on the roof" cafe for lunch and walking the Cathedral trail to the waterfalls

Some of these trees are 800yrs old

Downtown Qualicum beach

The next day we drove north to Comox to visit Brian and Dorothy who finished their sailing circumnavigation a year ago. It was great to catch up with them. We sailed parts of the Indian ocean with them in 2012

A few more days spent with Ryan and Raquel and we were on our way again

It was a long flight from Vancouver, touching down in San Fransisco, Phoenix, Charlotte and finally to New Bern where a good friend Jim met us at the airport. We enjoyed  his hospitality for a couple of nights, got over jet lag and waited for a gap in the rain to return to our  "Erica"

She was in good shape and apart from a bit of mildew and cobwebs she hadn't suffered from our absence .
For the next 10 days or so it was very wet and we watched the Hurricane centre forecasts as Hurricane Joaquin played havoc over the Bahamas and threatened to veer NE affecting the Western coast of the USA. We discussed strategies with special friends Jim and Chrissie in the event of a Hurricane coming ashore here.

Luckily it didn't eventuate but strong winds from the NE pushed water from the Palmico sound into eastern and southern sections of Pamlico county causing flooding. The dock and pontoons were underwater but the boatyard didn't flood.

Down town Oriental

Prior to this we were fortunate to see an eclipse of the moon in its entirety. Other times the weather hadn't been obliging.

During the time we have been back we have been doing maintenance aboard. A new gearbox has been installed which meant we have been living with our engine in the saloon while we cleaned the engine bay and put new soundproofing in the area
New hoses, water pump, and new batteries have also been installed.

 All that extra battery storage saw 2 more solar panels installed

My brother Peter, wife Rosie and daughter Tammy visited as they passed by on a road tour of the Eastern States. It was a super reunion

During our time here I have been fortunate to join our friend Chrissie and the Pamlico birding group on some field trips locally and to the Pocosin lakes, Alligator river and the outer banks to see eagles, ducks and migrating birds

This young Snow goose was exhausted

 Beautiful cotton plantations

Bodie island lighthouse

Falcon

While eating lunch we were visited by deer

This whale carcass was slowly decomposing on the beach and made a great backdrop for photographing birds

These little turtles were sunning on the creek logs

Eric made use of the good weather to get more projects done. He has made and installed a disc brake unit for the shaft. This is to stop it turning while we are sailing to prevent wear and stop the sound it makes..
We will be able to hear the peaceful sound of wind and waves without the whine of the shaft turning!

The small and large furlers needed repair and maintenance and new rigging wire so they got an overhaul as well

and the dinghy has had its yearly repaint

We have had a wonderful time in Nth Carolina and the hospitality of the local boaters and southerners has been second to none. We will truly miss them all!

 Thanksgiving with special friends Jim and Chrissie ( We sailed in the Pacific together)

While living aboard at The Hurricane boatyard we have met many fellow cruisers living aboard their boats
Jean and Danielle (SV Bearaway) cutting down and sewing their foresail.

We will catch up again in the San Blas islands of Panama

 James and Rachel from Texas (SV Mona).. A new paint job

 

 John aboard his vessel (MV  Skylark)

Newly made Oriental friends John and Judi and Rick and Mary have been most hospitable welcoming us to the Palmico county. We hope we can return this hospitality in our own country in the future

We can highly recommend "Hurriane boatyard" situated on the Bay river ( between markers 18&20) in Pamlico sound          Latitude 35'08.769N  Longitude 076'44.391W

John and Carol (owners) and Vicki

and Hosea