i skipped a part in my last blog.
on our way down the pungo river we were passed by an ip38, spin drift,  skipper is rick.  we talked with him over radio and he gave us some good advice.  we followed him most of day once we got out to the sound he put his jib up and took off. we were rounding the bend off the red marker, to the sound and i was at helm, always stay to middle of channel,  hit something hard and came to a complete stop.  my first grounding as skipper, and it was not the last ( but that will come later). spent a few hours on the sound heading toward Belhaven NC and our engine starts to smoke.  our stuffing box was not dripping water onto the drive shaft.  joe poured water on it about every 15 minutes and cooled it down.  we were still on sound and our jib was out so we were still moving.  we were headed for an anchorage but we called the Belhaven marina to dock up because of the engine thing.  rick is way ahead of us we see his sails are down and he is anchored.  we hailed him and asked if he needed assistance.  he said his starter battery was dead and his battery pack was not charged.  we fortunately had a brand new set of jumper cables so we drove by him handed him the cables and rick said it was just like tagging the committee boat.  went into marina rick came in too.  we met the most wonderful dock master and her husband.  this place was well kept and the bathrooms were just like going home.  would stay there again if given the opportunity.  had dinner at the tavern with rick found out his wife had passed away a month earlier but he knew she would not want him to delay his sailing trip so he is out here. what a great guy he is.  we have talked to him a few times since then.  we are meeting up with him in beaufort.