Sailing OBX Crystal Coast - Cape Lookout & Ocracoke Island - Livin' Free in North Carolina!

In this week's video, we are livin' free in N.C.!
Join us as we sail and explore the beautiful Southern Outer Banks, a.k.a. the Crystal Coast, of North Carolina.
Along the way, James talks about our navigation instruments and shares his thoughts on the docking process. (First Mates: always listen to the boat Captain. The dock guys don't always know best.)
We set sail from Cape Fear to spend the 4th of July weekend on the beautiful beaches of Cape Lookout. Surprisingly, we felt like we had the place nearly all to ourselves!
We anchored up in the back bight of Cape Lookout to enjoy a peaceful day of play and relaxation. I practiced yoga and sipped on a tasty Lost Cat Lemonade Chiller, while James tried out our drone.
The next day we headed to the beach and came across a Park Ranger that was investing a potential turtle nest on the beach. She dropped some turtle knowledge on us and we were lucky enough to spot fresh turtle eggs!
When it was time to sail on, we took Lost Cat up north to Ocracoke Island. The 58 nautical mile tour took us 9 hours to navigate.
Once we arrived, some of the locals stepped up to make sure we were aware that the channels were incorrectly marked due to shoaling (sand in channel). Special shout out to Captain B and an unknown fisherman who helped to guide us safely into the marina!
Ocracoke Island is a really special place, where several of our family members and friends hold dear childhood memories. James and I were excited to explore the island ourselves, for the first time. We hope you enjoy seeing the island again!
Unfortunately, Ocracoke was devastated in September 2019 by Hurricane Dorian. The water from the surrounding Pamlico Sound completey covered the village, destroying homes and businesses.
The island is still recovering, and the community is strong. We were fortunate to visit several of the local businesses, some of which we feature in this video!
Here's a complete list of the businesses we visited in Ocracoke:
- Ride the Wind Surf Shop
- Howard's Pub & Raw Bar
- Zilie's Island Pantry
- Ocracoke Variety Store
- Tradewinds Bait & Tackle
- Beach 4x4 Rentals
- Ocracoke Seafood Co.
- Ocracoke Oyster Company
- The Slushy Stand
- Ocracoke Trading Company
- Sorella's Pizza and Pasta
- 1718 Brewing
Photo credits of Ocracoke Dorian Destruction: C. Leinbach, Dylan Ray
Thanks for checking out our journey! Please subscribe and don't forget to give "Life at 8 Knots" a like on Facebook & Instragram.
Julia & James Cognito (J2)
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