We're currently tied up to the City Dock in Beaufort, NC. I know, I know, what are we doing in the marina?

Well, without our dinghy engine, getting to shore was going to be difficult at best. At least thats how I'm justifying it in my little world. Anyway, there is a fishing tournement starting tomorrow and there must be 100 mega sports fishing boats here.

I was talking to one of the crew memebers on the sportfish next to us about the cost of their rods and reels. They have 16 rod and reel combinations and the reels are easily as big as my head. Would you believe that the reels themselves cost $2500 a piece?

Ex-squeeze me? Your telling me you have over $40,000 dollars in fishing rods? Hell, half the cruising boats we sailed with over the last year weren't worth 40 grand!

You must have to catch a lot of god damn fish to break even with that kind of investment.

And in other news Don and Sandy came over and the four of us went to a water front bar that had live music by some stoned out whacko with no shoes. He was ok and the beer was cold. Later back on the boat, we all plugged our laptops in to charge (we have shore power) and surfed the internet via the free Beaufort Wi-Fi hotspot.

Tomorrow we make the final push towards home. At least our temporary home at the Steve and Sally Spa, Car Rental, Marina and Bar Resort. It seems as if this cruising season is rapidly coming to an end.