Just after getting Fine Lion to her new home, we thought she should go exploring. We decided
to make a trip to Ocracoke on the outer banks of North Carolina. It’s very “beachie” since it is part
of the Hatteras National Seashore.
The trip across Pamlico sound is not direct as there
are numerous reefs. So a straight line trip of 32 miles becomes 40 miles for us. It was a great day for
such a trip, so we enjoyed the experience.
We saw lots of shrimpers in the Sound, but
not much other traffic as it was in the middle of the week. In fact, you are out of sight of land for much of the trip.
The entrance to Ocracoke is a little tricky, but ferry boats go in and out of there. Ocracoke is an island and can only
be reached by boat. It is full of restaurants and bars…go figure! We didn’t have enough time to try
them all, but we gave it a good shot over our two days on the island.
We anchored in
the center of the island in the harbor of Silver Lake. Compared to the Chesapeake, the water was very clear. It
has sort of a “New England” feel with the cedar siding, etc.
Lots of seafood
to be had…not to mention adult beverages. We went to the ocean beach that is about a mile from the harbor…beautiful!
The return trip to Oriental was made dodging several storms. We even saw waterspouts, but none near us.
Ocracoke is a 5 hour trip that I’m sure will be made several times yet this season.
