Ocracoke Sailing Raid

A weekend sailing and camping to Ocracoke Island

Sailing Raid: a fun overnight sailing and camping adventure along coastal waters often with a competitive element with boats competing between planned destinations along the cruise.

Let’s sail to Ocracoke Island!

To wrap up the FALL 2021 Season, Hatteras Sailing is going on a Sailing Adventure! Join us for a sailing and camping trip to Ocracoke Island. There is only one objective for this weekend – To have fun on your first Sailing Adventure! This will be our first inaugural Fall Sailing Adventure Event, but we hope to make this a can’t miss fall tradition.

Join us for part or all of the Ocracoke Sailing adventure

While we hope everyone will participate in the full schedule of sailing to and from Ocracoke, we realize some have prior commitments, and it should be possible to join for part or all of the fun for the entire time. Participants are invited to bring your own boats (power or sail) or come over on the ferry and meetup with the group on Sunday afternoon.

Bring Friends

This is a great opportunity to invite a friend and show them how much fun sailing adventures can be! We are not limiting things to members only… but members and their guests/friends. SO BRING A FRIEND!!!!! Help Hatteras Sailing grow its membership. All members and interested parties can bring their own boat, but we will be offering space on the 3 Stiletto 27 Catamarans if you don’t have your own boat. If you do want to sail your own boat, it must be something seaworthy and you are responsible for getting to Ocracoke and getting your boat back from Ocracoke.

Schedule of Events (weather dependent)

Friday

5pm: Participant Checkin, Chart Briefing, Safety Review, and Communications Protocol Review. Plus – Optional Campout at the Sailing Center in the Back Yard with Bonfire and Grill Out. This is your chance to double check that you have all the gear you need and are signed in on one of the boats if you are not bringing your own.

Saturday

8am: Departure from Buxton Harbor. Boats leave the dock at the Sailing Center for Hatteras Inlet and North Ocracoke.

8am – 2 pm: Sailing to Hatteras Inlet. Daytime adventure on Inlet Sandbars and Shoals. Swimming, Fishing, Crabbing, Clamming, Snorkeling, Learning to use Throw Nets.

6pm: If weather permits, set anchor in Silver Lake or somewhere in between on a nice soundside beach. Evening bonfire on the beach, setup camp and spend the night on boats and or the beach depending on park regulations and location reached. Playing the overnight location by ear based on the weather.

Sunday

8am: Leisure time at Silver Lake or optionally playing in the water and bayside beach where boats may have stopped in between.

12pm: Depart sailing back to Hatteras Island.

Weather

As the weather forecast firms up, it looks like there will be a nice weather window for this weekend! Current Forecast for Silver Lake, Ocracoke. Currently the wind prediction is for light and variable wind so all sailboats may be smart to have aux power.

Questions & Answers

What should I pack?

  • Clothing – swim suit, several t shirts and layer clothing, one pair long pants or sweats, warm sweatshirt, rain coat, water shoes/foot protection, sunglasses, hat, lifevest.
  • Fun Stuff – surfboards, paddleboards, fishing pole, clam rake, snorkel and mask, kite, kiteboard, throw net, crab line, crab net, bait
  • Safety Stuff – Sunblock, Sunglasses, Deck shoes or deck booties, foot protection, pfd, whistle, vhf, cell phone, matches or lighter, first aid kit, leatherman style multitool, Ibuprofen, Tylenol, Bandaids, and Seasick Medicine, personal SPOT devices are cool, Small EPIRBS on your boats if you have them…
  • Food and Beverages – fireside foods, hot dogs, sausages, small grill (one per boat), fireside dinner meat and veg, pot and sautee pan, coffee, water, and any other cocktails deemed necessary, cooler, ice, favorite cup.
  • Sleeping Gear – sleeping bag, hammock, blow up mattress, pillow, tent, tarp, tent stakes, axe or hammer
  • Hygiene – Toiletry bag with toothpaste, toothbrush, washcloth, soap, shampoo (that does not explode when traveling) hair brush, etc.
  • Bug Protection – Any and all protection you have that you think works good for mosquitos, green flies, deer flies, and no-see-ums. If bugs are bad or wind direction is causing bugs to be bad, it is possible to sleep out on anchor on the boats, especially nice if there is no rain. Contest for the person who illustrates the best bug protection device! I want to learn what works for Portsmouth Island on our next trip.

Are parents, club members, and others invited?

Yes, but space is limited. We have up to 4 large boats (3 Stilettos and Snead’s Trimaran) that can make the trip, but each needs a skipper who can handle the boat, and we need an appropriate adult to kid ratio. Deadline to sign up for adults and kids is Wednesday, 7am.

Can kids come even if their parents are not?

If your junior sailor wants to participate, we would love to have you along. However, if you cannot make it, please reach out to either Nathan Snead, Meg Phillips, or Jay Phillips directly to discuss the arrangements for your sailor.

How does this work with the End of season party?

Those members, sailors, and parents who are not interested in camping or overnighting in Ocracoke can meet up with the group on Sunday and enjoy the fun with your friends.

Is it a race?

Well, get enough sailors and enough boats together and almost everything becomes a race. Officially, no it is not a race. Do we expect to hear all sorts of talk about who made it first? Most definitely 😉

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