Finally Sailing Again

My Charmed Life Aboard sv Mollynogger

I had been in Banks Channel at Wrightsville Beach itching to go sailing. Somehow, however, when I grabbed my tools and things off of Ruth Ann in Fort Pierce, my tether did not make the trip. I could not connect myself to Mollynogger for going offshore. I’m not necessarily big on tethers and PFDs all the time, but I absolutely do use them at night or when the weather is rough. For sure, going offshore for the first time on an unfamiliar boat qualified as a tether-worthy enterprise for me.

I had spent recent days getting used to my new boat and doing little projects. And I visited a new dentist twice that week. The new life was the same as the old life I had left about two years ago. To get to the grocery store, I had to row a quarter mile to the Wrightsville Beach public dock, then walk two miles, shop, and walk back to the dinghy to row again. It felt so good to be moving. My boatyard pal, Anthony, came over on his boat, Liberatus, for a visit in the channel. It was good to catch up and hang out with an old friend. The wind was too strong to fly his drone that day, but he came back later and buzzed Molly from shore to get some very cool pics and video.

The locals could get wild in the channel on a normal weekend and Memorial Day was approaching. I needed to get out before the holiday so I had made a reservation for a mooring ball down at Carolina Beach. The channel there is a dead end and with fancy houses and cramped marinas along the way, it is a No Wake Zone for the entire length. Carolina Beach is touristy like Wrightsville Beach but a little more blue collar. It wouldn’t be quiet per se, but the waters would be calmer and that was a long way toward a more peaceful weekend.