Military Action & Bug Weaponry

After stops in Belhaven and Oriental NC (good sushi at M&M’s Cafe!) our next stop was Morehead City to meet our friends, Louis and Diane, whom we met on The Loop trip.  One of the wonderful things that happens in boating is that people you meet along the way become instant friends, and friends do what friends do.  They carted us around, showing us their home turf and taking us anywhere we needed to go including to some of their favorite local restaurants (Cox Family Restaurant for fried chicken livers and El's Drive for shrimp burgers to name a few).  Thank you Louis & Diane!  

Shrimp boat in Bogue Sound

El's Drive-in: Best Shrimp Burger ever!  The cars pull up and waitresses somehow keep everyone's order straight.  There must have been at least 25 cars there when we went for lunch.

After spending 2 days it was time to move on down the waterway.  Bogue Sound was rough when we arrived 2 days prior but docile when we left.  We passed a couple of shrimp boats with their nets dipped in the water.  This stretch took us through Camp Lejeune NC which is a training camp for the marines.  The waterway goes right through one of their firing ranges and is sometimes closed for an hour or so while they have live firing exercises.  Dozens of signs warn of “Un-exploded Ordinance Keep Out”.  They were not firing so the waterway was open and we traveled past old military relics that were used for target practice and are showing the wounds of battle.  In the distance there are several great ‘Booms’ as they fire big guns in (hopefully) another direction.  Our destination is a place called Mile Hammock Bay.  This is a dredged harbor maintained by The Marines for their use.  Pleasure boats are allowed to anchor here but don’t dare go ashore.  It is very protected from the weather, and The Enemy as well.  We arrived about 14:00, the first boat in however 4 more boats arrived before nightfall.  During the afternoon we were entertained by a parade of small boats at high speed with about 8 occupants each and all of them hunched over as they fly by while helicopters of various types circled overhead.  Then more large ‘Booms’ where we can feel the concussion of the shock wave.  There was something happening on shore that we can’t quite figure out.  A large machine is being used by 5 Marines to inflate some sort of bladder thing, perhaps a hover craft?  Just when they finish, they deflate it again!  As night falls, parachute flares are fired in sequence into the distant sky to illuminate the area beneath and unseen helicopters continue to fly in the night sky.  We hear sounds on the shore but it is too dark and we cannot see what is happening. Must be top secret.

One of the many fly-overs while we were anchored.

I bet you are wondering about 'bug weaponry'.  Well, we were forced to purchase fly paper and a fly swatter, as well as Thermacell Mosquito Repellent (manufactured in Bedford, MA).  The fly paper did attract some but the fly swatter won hands down.  With all the rain we figure we need to be prepared for the influx of mosquitoes we may encounter.  We'll have to update you later on the effectiveness of Thermacell.