Making Good Time

Coinjock to Belhaven  |  10.1 Hours  |  76.4 Miles   

The alarm sounded at 6:00 and we were feeling good about being on the deck at 6:30. We knew it was going to be a long day that would push the limits of daylight. Daggone it. Tom and Pat on Slip Away beat us off the dock. We said our "good mornings" across the water and watched as their beautiful 53-foot Selene passed by our position. It only took us about five minutes to free Crossroads from the dock and be on our way as well. Yesterday's gusty winds were gone and it was a calm and chilly morning. Without a cloud in the sky, there was no spectacular, awe-inspiring sunrise. Morning broke with a gentle glow-up that revealed dozens of cormorants floating in the reflections on the water's surface. 

The forecast for the Albemarle Sound was spot-on with wind from the west on our beam and two foot waves. The challenge for most of the day came from driving into the sun line. We were appreciative of the warming effect the sun created in the pilothouse, but were often frustrated from squinting and seeing spots. We found ourselves "battling" for the thin areas of shade provided by our windshield frames. It was welcome relief when we changed course even slightly. The wind and chop increased as we approached the Alligator River Bridge and we took a few sizable walls of water on the pilothouse windows. The bridge tender opened the swing span at the perfect moment, allowing us to pass right through. This bridge tender is historically the most accommodating on the ICW. Off to the side we could see the first pilings for the new high-rise bridge being built. It will replace this 65-year-old bridge that carries US 64 over the Alligator River, connecting the Outer Banks to the mainland.

After clearing the bridge we had one focus: pass Island Girl (a tug pushing a barge) before we reached the entrance to the narrow Alligator-Pungo Canal. Since we had a full load of diesel, Barry opened the throttle to about 90%. In deference to Space Balls, we joked that we had reached the "Ludicrous Speed" of 8.5 knots (approx 10 mph). We did in fact finally overtake the barge before entering the canal. We had an easy run right down the middle of the 21-mile long ditch. We exited with only a short distance to reach our destination of Belhaven. The sun was low in the sky, but not setting, as we dropped anchor in "our" spot. We had made good time. Tonight, the generator is running and pumping out the heat. It will be a chilly night and I'm already cold just thinking about bringing up the anchor in the morning. 

Note: Slip Away stayed out in front of us all day and pulled off into Dowry Creek Marina just shy of Belhaven.