We split our time in Belhaven between being on the hook in Pantego Creek and a slip at Dowry Creek Marina. We had some amazing weather, from stunning sunrises to intense thunderstorms and two days of all-day silent skies. While the nights were cool, the days were comfortable.
We took a couple dinghy cruises – one at sunset in Pantego Creek where we were treated to a gorgeous moonrise, and the other up Dowry Creek first thing in the morning. I love exploring by dinghy, and it’s so much more doable now with Squall – poor Tempest was just too small and wet.
We didn’t get to spend much time in town, but then again, town was pretty tiny. We did manage to go out to dinner at the Breakwater Bar at The Tavern at Jack’s Neck, and since the place was packed, we ended up sharing a table with three guys running a power boat down from Connecticut. It was a great conversation, and I always find those kinds of random experiences to be part of the fun of doing this.
Dowry Creek was a great stop, and they’re set up well for cruisers. We were able to get diesel and pump out in our slip, and they fill propane. They also have free laundry with multiple machines, a courtesy car, and a convenience store on-site.
The only drawback to Belhaven was the flies. My god, I’ve never seen so many flies in my life, and we had to keep the hatch boards in and ports and hatches closed even on nice days to try to keep the fly population to a minimum. For the first time in my life, I had to resort to putting up fly paper. So gross, but it was far more effective than leaving fly catching to His Royal Highness, who reached a point where he didn’t even show interest in the flies when they landed right next to him. Still, a small price to pay for a week well spent.
