We spent a couple nights at anchor just inside the Beaufort inlet at the anchorage called Fort Macron. We needed the rest so two nights here were perfect with a south wind and good protection. A fair bit of boat traffic, but coming from the ocean it all seemed very calm.

We went ashore and hiked along the beach and up over the large sand dune are we were anchored in front of. Nice to stretch our legs. Looked for a geocache there that hadn't been reported on since 2022, but no luck finding it, likely no longer there, but worth a look. Pretty neat area with a nice view of Morehead City.

And then we pulled up anchor and treated ourselves to a stay in Beaufort at Homer Smith Docks and Marina. This is a lovely marina and just what we needed. Nice to finally be somewhere to really wash the boat down with fresh water. First time in the last 4 months! Also really nice facilities (nicest showers we've used yet I think!), and free laundry and a courtesy car. Looking forward to a few nights here enjoying land life, and not worrying about the weather...