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Shackleford Banks: Six Nights at Anchor
Good morning from Grit off Shackleford Banks. We’re anchored two miles from the western end of Shackleford Banks where the island meets Beaufort Inlet. Calm weather today, so we’re making our way east to Cape Lookout. The plan is to anchor at the Bight for a few days and watch the wild ponies that call the eastern end home.
The two… Continue reading
A Calm Night at Anchor: Shackleford Banks After the Storm
Goodnight from Julia and me, anchored off Shackleford Banks aboard our sailboat Grit. Dead calm tonight. Low tide.
Two nights ago, right here, a little wind crawled into our open cabin doors and turned into a black, 40-knot gale. But not tonight.
Tonight, Julia and I are at peace and we hope you are, too.
Goodnight from Grit.
Bernie
Fairy Lights in a 40-Knot Gale: Anchored Out at Shackleford Banks
That morning, watching the breakers crash on the ocean side of Shackleford Banks, I had dictated this into my phone.
I’m standing on the ocean side of Shackleford Banks and I can feel it in my chest, inside my ribs — the power of this ocean, the thunder of the waves. There’s almost a sense of foreboding. We’re anchored over there in the sound, which is nice and quiet on Grit, but the sound is connected to the ocean. All… Continue reading
The $1 Horse That Walked 5,000 Miles
Some people save up for years before a big trip. Sea G Rhydr spent one dollar. One buck bought her an outlaw gelding named Jesse James, and that horse carried her 5,000 miles across America. No sponsor. No support vehicle. Just a woman, a cheap horse, and a lot of road.
I sat down with Sea on the Travel Grit podcast to hear how that ride actually went — the breakdowns, the kindness of strangers, the moments… Continue reading
5,000 Miles Across America on a One-dollar Horse
Long Rider Sea G Rhydr bought a horse for a dollar. Then she rode him 5,000 miles across America.
I recently had a chance to sit down and have a long chat with Sea about her voyage. We had an incredible conversation and you can catch it here on my Travel Grit podcast.
Filipe Masetti Leite Rode a Horse 16,000 Miles. This is What he Learned.
“I’d never ridden more than 3 kilometers.” That’s what author, filmmaker, and Long Rider Filipe Masetti told me, a fellow Long Rider, after riding 16,000 miles across North and South America. That quote will give you hope you can do whatever you’re dreaming of doing.
Update: Filipe and Clara Racing on The Amazing Race Canada
Since this interview, Filipe has taken a break from Long Riding. He and his wife Clara are now racing on… Continue reading
Balloon Releases Kill Sea Turtles: A Warning From Shackleford Banks
My wife Julia and I found the tangle of three balloons and white ribbons on the ocean side of Shackleford Banks. Half-buried in a sand dune. Mylar. Red metallic sheen dulled from however long they’d been out there.
I picked them up, shook off the sand, and dictated a voice memo into my phone.
Grim Short Story
Imagine how excited Cody was when she got these balloons for her birthday. Imagine how excited she was to do… Continue reading
Sunrise at Anchor: Shackleford Banks From Aboard Grit
Good Sunday morning from aboard Grit anchored off Shackleford Banks. I was lying in my berth this morning, wrapped in my cozy green wool blanket when Julia said, “Wow, look at the sky.” I wriggled out of my snug bedding, stepped onto the dewy deck, and this is what I saw.
Small Boat, Wild Island: Life Aboard a Sailboat off Shackleford Banks
My wife Julia and I are settling into life aboard our yawl Grit off Shackleford Banks, North Carolina. While Julia just posted about our second day on the island, I thought you’d enjoy some photos and videos of how we’re settling onto Grit, our Nimble 24.
Sailing to Shackleford: The Adventure Begins With a Sinking
The last thing my wife Julia said as I pushed our two kayaks into the water instead of loading them onto the deck of our Nimble 24 sailboat Grit was, “Are you sure you want to tow the kayaks behind the boat?” I assured her that, yes, I did.
Launching Grit: Storms Delay the Start of Our Shackleford Banks Voyage
Thunder storms, downpours and a tornado. Whew. Today was the day Julia and I were going to launch our sailboat Grit in the Neuse River and head toward Shackleford Banks. Only that didn’t happen on account of the, er, bumpy weather.
Hugo Vihlen: Crossing the Atlantic on a 5′ 4″ Sailboat
At 62, Hugo Vihlen sailed across the Atlantic in his sailboat Father’s Day. Father’s Day was just 5 feet 4 inches long. He survived a hurricane at sea, was reduced to eating quarter rations, and lost a kidney because he ran low on water. Thirty years and countless challengers later, his record still stands.
I sat down with Hugo a while back to hear his incredible story. Click on the video to hear how the 5′ 8″ Hugo… Continue reading
Shackleford Banks: Sailing to the Island of the Wild Horses
As promised last week in my get-the-boat-ready-to-float list, here’s a hand-drawn (as opposed to AI-drawn) map of where Julia and I are heading for our mid-March trip. We’re sailing to Shackleford Banks with our sailboat Grit to observe the wild horses that live there.
About the Map
Are you sick of looking at AI-generated art? Tired of seeing AI-generated videos of AI-people chipping AI-horses and baby AI-generated eagles… Continue reading
The Grit List: A Broken Axle Before Shackleford Banks Voyage
My wife Julia and I plan to sail our Nimble 24 sailboat Grit to Shackleford Banks, North Carolina, this March to study the wild horses that live there. But before we go, I need to do some maintenance on Grit. She is, after all, 35 years old and I don’t want a repeat performance of my highway break down.
How Grit Ended Up on the Side of I-77
Long Rider Gin Szagola: First Solo Horse Ride Across Southern Australia
A little over a year ago, Julia and I visited with our friend the Long Rider Gin Szagola. She was planning to fly to Australia, gentle a wild brumby (which is what they call a mustang in Australia) and ride it across southern Australia.
Last week, Gin became the first person to ride a single horse across southern Australia without a chase crew or support vehicle. It was just her and Fable, the wild Snowy Mountain Brumby she trained herself.… Continue reading
