Belhaven to Camden Point | 9.7 Hours | 66.8 Miles
I won't sugar-coat the situation. It is getting more difficult each day to get up and moving. The chill in the air, the early arrival of first light, and long travel days all combine to have me longing for a snooze button. Belhaven is a great anchorage and we never doubt the anchor holding. Along with that, however, comes the expectation that the anchor chain will come up coated in inch-thick black mud. I was prepared for a wet and dirty morning and went to the bow in full foul weather gear and rubber boots. We were well outside the breakwater and heading north before I was satisfied that the deck was rinsed clean of all mud. I went downstairs to change clothes as we entered the 21-mile long Alligator-Pungo Canal. The margins of the canal are lined with stumps and downed trees that we try our best to avoid. As we approached one dark spot in the water I declared that "that's not a stump, those are ears." Sure enough, a large doe was swimming across our path. She didn't seem to disturbed by our presence. I happily followed her as she emerged from the water and gave us a casual glance as we passed. This the second time over the years that we've had a deer swim in front of us. So much for alligators.
The wind was calm, but the cloud cover was thick, making it a chilly morning. Soon after entering the canal, we lost cell service. I kept an eye on the clock and my phone looking for any sign of a weak signal. A couple hundred miles to the west, Rebekah was graduating cum laude from Catawba College at 10:00 and I desperately wanted to watch the ceremony on the livestream. At 10:00 only the SOS service was available. I tried to keep my mind busy by taking in all that we were passing. A man rowing down the canal was odd, but his boat was even more so with all the holes in the side. The best shot of the day caught Barry and I both by surprise. While shouting, "that log has eyes," I grabbed the big camera and crossed back across the pilothouse to the starboard windows in time to catch the shot of a large alligator lounging in the sun. Now we can say we've seen an alligator in the Alligator River. 11:00 arrived and still only SOS service. I was getting frustrated.
At 1:00 we had exited the canal and joined in the parade of a dozen northbound vessels to the Alligator River swing bridge. We passed through the open span without slowing down. Cell service had returned as we neared the Outer Banks. I found the commencement service on YouTube and was able to fast-forward to the point where Rebekah made the walk as a member of the Class of 2023. Woohoo.
Thankful for our return to the grid, I tuned into my second livestream of the day -- the 2:00 memorial service for former University of Virginia men's basketball head coach, Terry Holland who passed away earlier this year. Coach Holland is such a big part of my UVA memories both as a young fan and during my five years spent working in the Virginia sports information office. I enjoyed seeing so many familiar faces and hearing the stories of his lasting influence of kindness. I learned to politely applaud by observing the way Coach did so on the sidelines. It was a nice tribute to hang a banner in the rafters in his honor.
A quick dinner was followed by our daily sunset watch. We were treated to a good one tonight in celebration of Rebekah's graduation and Coach Holland's legacy. Tomorrow will again start early and move back into Virginia.
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