To paraphrase Capt Ron...

Sometimes the tide works for you, sometimes it works against you.  This morning it worked against us.  We were trying to get to a dock so we could meet up later with another North Cape member - we'll call him "Bill" - now living in the area.  We had called the marina several times to see if they were open and to get the local conditions.  Getting no answer we decided to just go and check them out.  The wind was blowing us into the marina so I was going rather slow.  What I hadn't noticed was the tide - we don't have tides as such in the Great Lakes - which was also behind us and pushing the boat into the slip area.  About the time I started to turn the boat into the dock we were heading for I realized that the wind and tide were stronger than the turning momentum of the boat.  The nose of the boat was now past the center of the dock opening and not responding to the rudder!  I put the engine in reverse to slow the boat down and try to back out to open water.

A bit of explanation for non-boaters.  Unlike a car which goes straight back in reverse unless you turn the wheel, boats back sideways at first until you have enough speed to get water flowing over the rudder.  This is called "prop walk" and is caused by the direction the prop is spinning in reverse.  Some boats "walk" to the right, some boats "walk" to the left - it depends whether you have a right or left handed prop.  None of this will be on the quiz, it's just the way things work.  So, where was I...

Our boat "walks" to the left, which in this case was right where the dock posts were.  So we have the tide and wind pushing the boat past the dock opening I'm aiming for, the prop pushing the boat into the dock posts I'm trying to avoid, Sue trying to hold 16,000 pounds of boat off the posts...  In boating, as in other aspects of life, this is known as an "Oh, Sh*t!!!" moment. At this point, just as I'm realizing how totally screwed we are, somebody walking out the dock asks if we're friends of members or have a reservation.  It turns out we're not at a marina as the guide books suggested, but at a private club.  They do take transients, but only when they're open - which is NOT Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday.  After our "host" made sure we knew the rules, he gave us some advice to help us get back to open water.

The other marina nearby had pretty much the same approach so we decided we really didn't need to get to a dock.  Amazingly, we didn't damage the boat, except for a little scratch in the finish of the wood rub rail.  Sometimes it's better to be lucky! 

Our friend had recommended another anchorage in the area where he had been several times with 2 or 3 other boats.  When we got there we were boat number 12, with numbers 13 and 14 arriving later.  The person working the fuel dock said the record was 18 boats!  All I can say is I hope they were small boats, and that they had out lots of fenders!

As we were putting the boat stuff away we noticed that the boat that came in after us had a cat on board, so naturally we had to investigate.  It turns out they have two "kittens" - only 6 or 8 months old.  They pretty much grew up on the boat, unlike our reluctant crew.  From the two humans on board Hairball we found out that there was a dinghy dock and lots of stores within walking distance.  So we gave Bill another call. 

Remember Bill?  In another life Bill sailed a Frers 36 on Lake Erie.  In another life we sailed a Frers 33 on Lake Erie.  About 3 years ago when we started to plan this trip Bill became a mentor of sorts, offering all sorts of advice on boat gear for extended cruising, navigation and charting advice, places to go, places to avoid... all sorts of useful and practical advice...  Since we didn't make connections with Bill in New Bern, he drove down and met us at our anchorage.  And ended up paying for our dinner to boot.  Thanks a lot, Bill - for everything. ( And Sue checked, it was Turnagain Bay!  But it looks like we were a mile from the restricted sign.)

Typical barge and tug in the ICW.  They look much bigger and closer coming at you!

Sunset, maybe sunrise.  Depends if you're looking east or west.