Sunrise to Sunset

Camden Point to Belhaven  |  9.1 Hours  |  67 Miles 

We awoke at 6:00 in our North River anchorage to an interior cabin temperature of 54 degrees. Barry quickly turned on the generator (thankful for the new impeller) to warm us up as we prepared for an early departure. Four layers of clothing later, I emerged from the pilothouse to raise the anchor. The sky was glowing orange as we entered the Albemarle Sound. This body of water is notorious for its chop and waves. Today it was calm with only a small amount of beam sea. Crossroads gave us a smooth ride and we reached the Alligator River Swing Bridge at 9:30. The super-nice bridge tender opened it for us as we approached and we barely had to slow down. Back in business we headed up the Alligator River. The presence of crab pots, and the watermen working those pots, required our attention.

Just prior to entering the Alligtor-Pungo canal, we caught up to a sailboat. A look through the binoculars revealed a familiar name: Siné. A quick call to first ask for a pass, led to a nice talk with Charlie who had purchased this boat from our friends Jake and Kay, long-time marina neighbors back home. He told us of modifications he had made to the Freedom, including the addition of a hard bimini. Another example of the small world in which we travel. Just before noon we entered the canal and lost our cell service. Twenty miles long and arrow-straight, easy navigation is made by lining the flagstaff up in the converging shores on the horizon. With stumps lining the shores it is best to stay in the middle and not veer. The day warmed up enough for a few walks around the exterior decks. Interesting scenery consisted of the ripples of our wake and reflections of tree trunks in calmer waters.

We did encounter one tow heading north, all pleasure craft were southbound. The sign about nothing and the Highway 94 bridge provided talking points. We had the canal to ourselves.

Two surprising sights were a section of trees still wearing their autumn colors, and a very nice house in the middle of nowhere. The Wilkerson Bridge at the end of the canal used to stress us out when traveling by sailboat. Unlike most other fixed bridges on the ICW that maintain a 65-foot vertical clearance, this one is only 64-feet. I'm sure it has claimed several radio antennae and wind instruments over the years. We exited the canal and headed down the Pungo River. At this point the daymarks changed to red triangles to port, green squares to starboard. The smaller gold ICW stickers remained constant, resulting in strange square on triangle and triangle on square combinations.

We cruised in behind the breakwater in Belhaven right on schedule. The anchor was set at 3:40, and it seemed to be only a short amount of time before the sun began to set. It started out nicely and then turned even more dramatic as dusk progressed. A perfect end to the day.

We'll get our showers tonight (while the cabin is still warm) and again leave at dawn tomorrow. Our destination will be an anchorage off Adams Creek, just shy of Beaufort. We're trying to make the most of our fair weather travel days.