You See Where You Focus

Belhaven to Camden Point  |  9.4 Hours  |  66.7 Miles  

We experienced a first this morning. For the first time in all of our travels, we departed Belhaven after sunrise. That's not to say that our 7:30 start was late. For our early winter trips south, the sun rises late and daylight hours are short. In the past, we've headed north in early spring with longer hours of daylight. The difference "dawned" on us as being the switch to Daylight Savings Time. Had we arrived in Belhaven two days later, we would have again left with the sunrise. I missed the dramatic scenery while raising the anchor, but appreciated the additional light. I also appreciated the slightly warmer temperature and braved the morning in only three layers. As expected, the anchor came up caked with three inches of mud and the chain was hidden in a gooey black sleeve. It took a while to clean everything up, but I finished before we entered the Alligator-Pungo Canal. It was a pretty morning with bright blue sky, a few clouds, and light wind. 

The ride through the long, straight canal took about two hours. We had the canal all to ourselves and drove right down the middle while admiring the scenery. Compared to the "old days" the trip today was a piece of cake. We used to dread this trip because there was no radio stations, no cell service, and no internet. Thanks to Starlink, we surfed, streamed music, made phone calls, and played online games in addition to looking out over the horizon. Playing with depth of field settings yielded the philosophical thought of the day, "You see where you focus." Throughout this challenging trip, we've tried to look at the big picture and keep our focus on our surroundings beyond Crossroads. We exited the canal into the Alligator River. Soon the Alligator River Bridge was in sight and we called in with the standard request for an opening. Our timing coincided with a shift change so we had to wait for a while. The cloud cover increased as did the wind-driven waves. The span swung open and we passed through. A pod of pelicans formed a receiving line atop the bridge fender and greeted us ambivalently as we entered Albemarle Sound. An occasional wave sent spray up on the windshield, but overall it was an easy and uneventful crossing. Once in the North River we pulled off into a familiar anchorage in Broad Creek and dropped the hook for the night. While warmer than our trip south, it is still chilly outside. Both the generator and ball game are on and all is comfortable onboard.