Farewell, Coinjock

Coinjock to Belhaven |  10.5 Hours  |  77 Miles 

Our planned one-night stay in Coinjock turned into six. We really have no reason to complain about the accommodations or the service. It was just a string of bad luck and "supply chain" issues that had us anxious to leave town. We arrived Thursday with a service issue that was quickly diagnosed. The part was located and ordered on Friday, but wouldn't be delivered until Monday. We spent the weekend trying to stay busy by taking a few walks and doing a little waxing. The hard fuel line arrived as planned and the mechanic installed it Monday night. That gave us the opportunity to celebrate installation and two birthdays with dinner aboard My Cat. Then wind decided to kick up yesterday, so we delayed yet another day. 

So when 6:00 rolled around this morning, we were eager to leave. The temperature was down in the mid-20s and Crossroads was covered in a thin skin of ice, but that did not deter us. The wind was nearly nonexistent and it would be warm in the pilot house. The stillness of dawn greeted us with a little fog and more great reflections.

We began our crossing of the Albemarle Sound as the sun popped over the horizon. 

The Sound was as docile as we'd ever seen it and we made quick progress. The bridge tender at the Alligator River Swing Bridge had the span open for us as we approached. My Cat followed behind us.  

From that point all we did was watch the day markers to see what was perched or posted upon them. The bald eagle was a surprise. We passed the 100-mile mark on the ICW and we cheered knowing we now have less than 1,000 to go to reach our state-side destination of Key Biscayne. The three-hour trip through the Alligator-Pungo Canal brought the anticipated, but no less inconvenient, loss of cell service. Upon exiting the canal the water remained glass-like, except for the ripples of our own wake.

As we made the turn toward the Belhaven breakwater, we spotted another eagle on the day marker. One of these days I'll bring out the big camera to get a better shot. We deployed our new anchor chain and secured it with our new bridle. We were set for the night just as the sun was setting. Looking in the opposite direction, up and off of our wind instrument, the waxing moon was high in the sky.  

We've had several days where we've questioned why we do this. Today, in a nutshell, was the answer. Sunrises, the beauty of nature, peaceful cruises, and brilliant sunsets make it easy to forget a few rough spots along the road.  

Tomorrow morning we will once again depart into the sunrise and make our way further south ... 959 miles to go.