day ten - the tide and shoals of Barden Inlet

A choppy night. The wind swung to the north and strengthened. SPARTINA was exposed to wind and chop coming down about the mile-long fetch of Cape Lookout Bight. A bumpy night, got some sleep somehow.Sleep in, wake to a cool north wind. Hot chocolate and freeze-dried scrambled eggs for breakfast.9:35 sails up with a single reef in the main. 1.8 downwind following the channel that heads south then curves around the shoals. 9:50 round up to shake out the reef. 10:00 jibe to Barden Inlet, making 4.0 past the scaffold-covered Cape Lookout Lighthouse. Red marker "8" shows we are sailing into a strong outgoing tide.10:20 making 3.2 against the ebb at the east end of Shackleford Banks. 10:35 3.0 with shoals to port.11:15 struggling against the tide with lighter wind. Tacking the width of the channel but losing ground to the current. A few tacks and I find I'm back where I started. Motor sailing. 11:25 Morgan Island to port. 12:15 reach Harkers Island, turn west into building, gusty winds on…