October 10, 2003
Wrightsville, NC

Few stressful days. Our engine was really acting up. We lost one cylinder and after couple of hours the whole thing died. We found ourselves in the middle of the canal with no propulsion at all. Miss Katherine and her skipper were passing by and graciously offered to tow us to the nearest marina which wasn't until quite sometime. We got some new spark plugs which were not exactly the right stuff but it worked for time being and we were underway not before long.

Somehow we passed our planed anchorage and were forced to anchor on the side of the canal since there was no other way. I practically didn't sleep that night. At 4 am I was frightened to hear a huge barge bearing at us and finding out that somehow with the tide change we end up right in the middle of the channel. It took few minutes for the barge to maneuver around us and somehow I knew we frustrated the processional.

The next day as the day before was drizzling and it was ugly. This weather is going to torture us for quite sometime.

The engine is giving us troubles again. It's getting pretty hairy trying to clear swing, bascular and like bridges with strong current and gusty winds and unreliable engine. Somehow, and I know its God, we managed to dock at Wrightsville when our poor outboard died again.

Wrightsville was the love from first sight. We loved it and loved it and loved it some more. Stores to buy parts, beach and surfing chicks everywhere. We stayed there for couple of days forgetting all our sorrows. If only this freaking rain would stop one day. Everything in the cabin is dump and pile of reeking wet clothes lingers around driving us crazy. Oh, did I mentioned Johannes broke all our buckets?!

Last night we tried to ignore the unrelenting rain and try our beachwear inflatable pontoon. I mean this ain't dinghy by any means but in our desperation to get out of our boat from time to time we jumped on the deal and got the thing that floats, can carry both of us and possibly a backpack and is guaranteed to get us laugh at by fellow cruisers. Who cares. (Actually I do. A little bit.) We jumped in our new purchase got completely wet and had lots of fun paddling around our ship in the dead of night.

(M)