6/9/16           Saturday                     south, Southport, NC



We would have crossed the Cape Fear River today and really been in NC but instead.....................we ran aground at G81 off Monk Island and waited.........and waited..............and waited. Then, Tow Boat US came to babysit us and we all waited..............and waited.............and waited............for the tide to change so there was enough water t pull us off the sandbar. No damage except pride and confidence. Both David and I read the Active Captain chart and comments 12 or 15 times for each "caution", post-grounding. We were pretty solidly ground into the ground. The advantage to running aground here in the South is that the ground is soft, usually sand. The problem is that soft ground keeps shifting/shoaling. This lovely shoal had drifted further into the channel than even the "comments" section told. We'll comment hopefully preventing others from our experience.

Not sailing, sitting in sand

To Boat US babysitting us

holding on - slip, sliding away

                                             black dot should be at "zero"

 NOT my idea of a good time. And it was a long wait. About 40 minutes for Tow US to arrive then another 3.5 hours for the tide to begin to lift us off.

We learned that friends, Lori and Clint, lost engine power 3 times in the Neuse River, their dinghy came loose and they had to chase it down in 28 Knot winds. They are snugly in Oriental this evening.

Oh, the headaches

should not be able to see below the black

being towed

Now what was it we said last October, I think it was, after our friends, Ed and Vicki, ran aground and ripped their rudder off? Something like, "Only travel at rising tides". And what were we doing at G81 at nearly low and falling tide. STUPID!

It was a day of issues for our us and our peer boaters. For us, Amelia got really sick last night - throwing up, straining to urinate or defecate, then throwing up...mostly water. Okay. Too much information. So I started searching the kitty webMD page, then for a vet in North Myrtle Beach. This morning found one with space. Great place, Kind Care, and the vet and technician who took care of Amelia (and me), Dr Newmann and...?.., were wonderful. Dr Newmann even showed me how to find Amelia's bladder and kidneys. Turns out kitty was mostly fine, no major problems found. A little blood in feces so she is on an antibiotic for a week and they hydrated her. My fear was that her kidney disease was a crisis rather than just being "managed" as has been the case for a couple of years. Not a worry, apparently. And now, cute kitty is sitting here cleaning herself and acting "normal." Maybe just a bug.

And Lori and Clint had to chase their dinghy down and their engine died.

Wayne Hollingworth, is this your wrath? After al lour love I thought you would be protecting us (maybe you were) but what is all this wind and running aground stuff on the anniversary of your death. And, I had a little psychic visit from Kelly last night, too. Spirits are moving around, too.

And now, safely on a dock in Southport, NC we've had home/boat-made tomato/vegetable soup.....but, the temperatures are COLD!!! Clearly, we left FL too early. Its aspirin and Emergen-C for me tonight....and a sleeping bag as cover.