8 Apr 14

The wind has calmed down, but there are still intermittent showers. We decided to leave Washington about noon to head down the 16 N-miles to Bath, the first town incorporated in NC. There were a couple of showers on the trip to Bath, but we had a nice sail; close to broad reach with SSW 15 winds. The higher clew location has improved the set of the foresail a bit, but it is still not perfect with the wind ahead of 60 degrees on the bow. We got into Bath Creek and tied up at Hardings Landing, which is a free dock provided by the “city” of Bath; no power or water, but good value for the money. We took the self-guided walking tour of Bath and toured the Palmer-Marsh and Van Der Veer houses, both of which are more than 200 years old. Pretty little, quaint, historic town, but no restaurants or other amenities. Early to bed to get ready for our 36 N-m run down to Juniper Bay tomorrow. This will set us up for a Thursday crossing of Pamlico Sound to Ocracoke; at present, the weather forecast looks pretty good for the Thursday crossing.