On our way to New Bern, North Carolina, 09May 2017
In English below
Jo, det händer ibland att slumpen ställer till det riktigt trevligt. Vi fick för någon vecka sedan en mail från Bill om att träffas i Southport där han just nu har temporär hamn efter nästan avslutad jorden-runt-segling "single handed"! Han hade bara av en slump gått in på vår blogg och sett att vi var i faggorna i en motorbåt (suck, motorbåt (hans kommentar :)
Vi träffades på Cooks islands i Stilla havet, blev snabbt vänner och träffades senare flera gånger, bl.a. på Tonga och Nya Zeeland. Vilket kärt återseende!!
Vi hade några mysiga dagar här som alltför fort tog slut och en bättre ciceron får man leta efter då hans familj har sommarställe nära Southport och han är kunnig i historia, han kunde berätta om hur amerikaner är och tänker, politik, religion såsom han tolkar det såklart... Väldigt intressant. Han är det "svarta fåret" i sin familj som är super republikaner och Bill är democrat.
Nu är han snart på väg till sin hemmahamn i Los Angeles. Fast vi ska träffas igen. På Bahamas. Nästa vinter!
Jepp, sometimes it happens, the totally unexpected. We received a mail from Bill a week ago to meet in Southport, where he currently has a temporary harbor after an almost completed single-handed sailing! He had just accidentally read our blog and saw that we were about to do The Great Loop with a motorboat (sigh, a motorboat (his comment :)
We met on Cooks Island in the Pacific and became friends quickly. As sailors do, we met later several times, including In Tonga and New Zealand. What a great reunion and so meny memories.
We had a great time with Bill here in Southport but it ended too soon. A better ciceron is not to be found, he showed us around and told us a lot about the civil war, about americans in general, about politics, about religion.... very interesting!
Now he is soon on his way to his home port in Los Angeles. But we will meet again. In the Bahamas. Next winter!
Bill in Solstice, his home for the last six years.
Bill cookes clams like no other. Just in wine! No water! And then served them with a dip made of melted butter with garlic and wine... So delicious!
Fort Fisher was here once, where one of the last battles in the civil war (1861-1865) was fought. Over 600 000 soldiers died in that war - 30% of all men from 16-40 years in the Confederate states! It was a nasty war! Unfortunently the Fort Fisher museum was closed, it was a Monday :(
Everyone likes to fish here. This guy got a small Sting Ray that he let back into the sea.
Cute as they come :)
Still many Osprays around
The shrimps here are the best. The crab cakes tastes wonderful. The Oysters and clams also. Everyting from the sea tastes great here!
Jesus?! No, the channel is extremely shallow at times. Especially close to the inlets from the Atlantic Ocean. We have a warning sound in the dephs sounder and it warnes us when there is less than 6,5 feet of water! And it happens often... Ambika Explorer needs 4,5 ft to be afloat.
Sometimes the ICW (Intracoastal waterway) looks like this....
...and sometimes like this :)
There is always something to be grateful of :) We are glad we met Bill!
PS Accordning to Bill people down south are generally more religious than up north...
