213 - Haint Blue — Captain Father John

Miles cruised 25, fuel purchased 0, slip fee $125, daily high temperature 68°f

It was a short run up the ICW from Swansboro to Beaufort. We are at the Beaufort City Marina which is right downtown. The marina hands out wooden nickels for free beer and wine at the local restaurant.

Beaufort is close to the location that Edward Teech – Blackbeard – grounded his pirate ship Queen Anne’s Revenge before he was killed and beheaded by the British Navy. Legend has it that it took five pistol shots and 30 cuts from a cutlass to bring him down. His head was hung from the yardarm as a warning to other would be pirates. His beard was black, which he grew to extravagant length; as to breadth, he was accustomed to twist it with ribbons, in small tails … and turn them about his ears: he wore a sling over his shoulders, with three pistols, hanging in holsters like bandoliers; and stuck lighted matches under his hat, which appearing on each side of his face, his eyes naturally looking fierce and wild, made him altogether form an idea of a fury from Hell.

We had to pass a large tow on the way north. Photo by Andy.

Some commiseration on my touching mud from long time live-aboards Bev and Dave Feiges. “Had the same experience in front of the Wrightsville Beach Bridge going south. We had called for an opening when we were just minutes away, and it always takes them about five minutes to open but he refused to open for us since we were not right under the bridge. In turning around to face into the current we hit the bottom. Normally I can count on doing this about once in ten years, but we did it again immediately after getting through the bridge as we turned the corner to head to our anchorage. I thought the wise thing to do was to stay near the boats in the marinas. Surely there was deep water right behind their sterns. Wrong! It was way over to the other side”

One of the traditions in the south is to paint the ceiling of their porches haint blue. Many Southerners suggest that blue porch ceilings originated out of the fear of haints. Southerners, especially in the area of South Carolina, have a name for the ceiling paint used on porches – the soft blue-green is referred to as “Haint Blue.” “Haints are restless spirits of the dead who, for whatever reason, have not moved on from their physical world.”

Haint blue, which can also be found on door and window frames as well as porch ceilings, is intended to protect the homeowner from being “taken” or influenced by haints. It is said to protect the house and the occupants of the house from evil.

Some people swear that blue paint repels insects, leaving a porch bug-free and pleasant during those long summer evenings and afternoons. Most credible sources discredit this belief. But many still theorize that insects prefer not to nest on blue ceilings because they are “fooled” into thinking the blue paint is actually the sky.

We went to a hootenanny at a local bar. The locals get together and play every Sunday at 2:00 – 5:00 pm. We chatted up Robert who plays guitar and is a boat broker. He is a canvass of ink and a big fan of Joshua Slocum the first solo circumnavigator.

Robert is one of the guitar players. He is a huge fan of Joshua Slovum and has dedicated his body as a canvass to Slocum’s voyages. His chest is a tattoo of Slocum’s ship.

We look like twins.

Dale and Andy getting photo bombed at the Back Street Pub.

We will stay in Beaufort for two nights and head to Belhaven on Tuesday. That will be a 65 mile cruise.

Bonus photo – how to set your anchor.

Carl ( Chef) Wooden - quote of the day."The sea, the sea, the sea. It rolled and rolled and called to me. Come in, it said, come in."Sharon Creech, The Wanderer

Sharon Creech (born July 29, 1945) is an American writer of children's novels. She was the first American winner of the Carnegie Medal for British children's books and the first person to win both the American Newbery Medal and the British Carnegie.