159: BIG ROCK BLUE MARLIN TOURNAMENT & CAPE LOOKOUT - This is an experience NOT to miss!

We were pumped to be in Beaufort for the Big Rock Blue Marlin Tournament. Sure, we wished we had not been hit by lightning that blew out some of our instruments, but deep down, we had wanted to stay for the tournament. The downside was that we needed to get approval from our insurance company because we were not going to get north of the 36th parallel by 15 June. Other than that hiccup, we needed to wait out the repairs and they were close to completion. BUT, they would not be done before the start of Big Rock. Also, due to crazy weather, we had not been able to visit Cape Lookout or Shackleford Banks so when Susannah and Jess came back to town and invited us to Cape Lookout for the day and then to the first day weigh in at Big Rock, we were all in! The town was hopping with energy. Dozens of $10M yachts pulled gracefully into the marina with crew enjoying a few drinks and the festivities before putting on the game face and preparing for the start of the big event. Big Rock is one of the largest big bill fishing tournaments on the East Coast and has one of the biggest purses. The entry fee is a hefty $2500 to 20k, but the potential winnings are close to $5M. We also happened to be at weigh in when Catch 23, Michael Jordan's boat arrived with a 25 pound dolphin. It was an amazing day getting to experience Cape Lookout and Big Rock all at once. The waters were churning from almost 270 yachts returning to the town for weigh in. To top off the evening, we hosted Brown's little sis from college, Jane and her husband, Tom on our boat. We christened the grill and made killer burgers for dinner. We will never forget the stay in Beaufort...what incredible memories we have made!!! #sailing #sailboat #sailingprojects #bigrock #bluemarlin #northcarolina #beaufort NEW TO OUR CHANNEL? We are Eileen and Brown Councill. Welcome to our channel and a glimpse into our life adventure! 2020 was a year of uncertainty and change (for all of us, right?), but we overcame the challenges and decided it was time to chase our dream, to sail around the world! Did I mention that we had very NO sailing experience? Before leaving Qingdao, China, our home of 4 years, we sold almost all of our earthly possessions and started our international search to find the right sailboat that we would call "home." After 5 months of unanticipated twists and turns, we found what we were looking for, a used Leopard 44' Catamaran located in St. Lucia. So, here begins our journey, filled with unmatched excitement and honestly, a bit of trepidation as well. We have much to learn as we travel the world on our floating home and we intend to document that journey and share it with you. We are so glad you have decided to join us, and we hope that you will find our story so compelling that it will inspire you to chase your dreams too! As a viewer, we consider you to be part of our family and look forward to getting to know you. Don't hesitate to comment on our videos and ask questions. We will do our best to answer every correspondence! All we ask is that you have patience with us as we work really hard to improve our camera/video techniques and ability to tell a story. Hopefully, you will be as BLOWN AWAY from watching, as we are in experiencing and producing our adventures! HOW CAN YOU SUPPORT US? If you wish to support our video efforts, all we ask is that you SUBSCRIBE, give a THUMBS UP, SHARE our videos with your friends, AND COMMENT! WOULD YOU LIKE TO GET TO KNOW US MORE DEEPLY? It would be an honor and pleasure to deepen our relationship with you as a Patron. Please click on the following link to see how: https://www.patreon.com/sailingblownaway WOULD YOU LIKE TO FOLLOW OUR JOURNEY? https://www.noforeignland.com/boat/6040796987916288 WHERE CAN YOU FIND US ON SOCIAL MEDIA? Instagram - @sailingblownaway Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/SailingBlownAway Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/eileen.dietrich/ YouTube Channel: www.youtube.com/sailingblownaway