Beaufort Shrimp Boats

After spending a few days rocking around in the wind and swells of the Atlantic, we finally rounded Cape Hatteras. From there, we changed course towards Cape Lookout, and after a night at anchor, we entered Beaufort Harbor. We tied up at Fultures Dock the next day and spent the entirety of it offloading fluke from our fully loaded fish hold. The Fultures have a fleet of pristine 90-foot shrimp boats, which are also equipped for catching sea scallops. I believe we were leaving on the *Mary Elizabeth* when this photo was taken. We had a three-day steam back home. On the way down, we got caught in a tropical storm. With the wind on our stern, we made great time, but on the way back, we had to beat into it, which slowed us down considerably. We were so close to the Gulf Stream that flying fish were everywhere. One night on watch, I stepped onto the deck, and a flying fish landed in a fish basket. I didn’t realize we were already in tropical waters, so it caught me by surprise.