Raptors on the River

I think he'll be to Rome as is the Osprey to the fish, who takes it by sovereignty of nature. - Shakespeare, Act 4 scene 5 of Coriolanus

The last few days have been marked by beautifully calm anchorages and great times with our visiting friends Herb and Laura. The fates were cooperating and every night we watched magnificent thunderstorms roll by while the sky seemed to part and clear over Felix each night. We made 50-60 miles every day and stayed dry until the very end, when the Heavens finally parted and dumped torrents of water just as we were approaching the Marina in Coquina Harbour, north of Myrtle Beach. That's the way we like to come into new places.

After hundreds of miles of travelling through marsh flats all the way north from Fernandina, Florida, the change in scenery on the Waccamaw River came as a welcome surprise. Shores lined with Cyprus trees and Ospreys nested on almost every channel marker made for a spectacular morning yesterday. Our crew members have been great and we haven't had to flog or keel haul anyone. The extra hands on deck have made everything easier and the hot, long days have passed as if we just left Beaufort yesterday. Tomorrow will be another long day as we hope to make it into North Carolina and run up the Cape Fear River towards Wrightsville Beach, but the watch standing will belong solely to the permanent crew aboard Felix.