Now that the paint job on Seanility was complete, it was time to take her out and show her off. In the nine years that June and I lived in North Carolina, we had never visited the Outer Banks. It was time to change that.
We found a resort community in Manteo (pronounced Manny Oh) called Pirate's Cove that offered everything from 2 bedroom condos to 8 bedroom homes. It was situated right on Roanoake Sound next to bridge to Nag's Head. We booked a nice little condo with a canal and a boat slip right behind it. Better yet, our dog Buddy was welcome.
It was our first time dragging Seanilty any distance and my old '94 Chevy 4x4 truck wasn't trusted that far from home. Luckily our daughter, Alison, generously offered the use of her Toyota 4runner for the trip.
We completed the 5 1/2 hour trip without incident, checked into the condo and then went to launch the boat.
Stepping the mast on the Mariner is a two person job. Because the mast tabernacle is located about 5 feet foward of the cockpit, I couldn't walk the mast up to a vertical position. I had added 'mini stays' to limit the lateral movement of the mast. June utilized the trailer winch, connected to the headstay, to raise the mast once I had the base positioned in the tabernacle and the mast resting at about a 30 degree elevation in the mast crutch. This process is a bit dicey when you're first learning but gets easier with practice.
We day sailed around Roanoake Sound and explored the Outer Banks by car from Corolla to the North to Ocracoke Island to the South. Kite surfers flocked to Rodanthe to take advantage of the protected shallow water that extended out hundreds of yards from the shore on sound side.
We fished on the beach at Pea Island and let Buddy run down the beach chasing the birds.
We found Manteo to be a great little town with many nice shops and restaurants. We also discovered a great place to stay the next time we come this way - Marshes Light is located adjacent to town and is connected by a boardwalk. It has nicely furnished 3 bedroom condos and their own marina with dock space for each condo. Pirate's Cove was a nice place as well but it's isolated from town.
If anyone ever tells you that if you've seen the Florida Keys, you don't need to see the Outer Banks, don't listen to them. They have a unique charm that you don't want to miss. We'll be back soon and often.
