Day 299 – Swansboro, NC to Morehead City Yacht Basin, Morehead City, NC - April 30, 2012

What a beautiful sunny day!  It is so much nicer to travel when the sun is shining and the sky is blue.  We have a short travel day, so we depart late (around 10:00am) and we are tied up at the Morehead City Yacht Basin just after 1:00pm.

Today is a big day for Frank and Carrie on Once Around.  Just 363 days ago they began their Great Loop from the Morehead City Yacht Basin; today they became Gold Loopers when they crossed their wake.  Frank and Carrie arrived at the marina to gold balloons and champagne courtesy of their friends on Sweet Pea who they travelled with on a number of different sections of their Loop (Sweet Pea follows the Once Around blog and knew they would be finishing their Loop today).  After swapping their well worn white Looper flag for their gold flag, the six of us made quick work of the champagne.  Although it is great to celebrate this accomplishment with Frank and Carrie, it is also bittersweet for us as we will miss traveling with them.  They have become great friends and they are awesome travel companions.  We are already working on plans to cruise together again sometime in 2013.

            Miles: 22.5      Bridges: 4        Locks: 0

traveling along Bogue Sound

another picture along Bogue Sound

looking across Bogue Sound

a ship being loaded in Morehead City

Once Around heading toward Morehead City Yacht Basin
(they are officially Gold Loopers at this point)

Frank and Carrie getting ready to fly their new Gold Looper flag