Moving Along Through Tranquil Waters

Camden Point to Belhaven  |  9.7 Hours  |  60.6 Miles  

Two obvious negatives of traveling at this time of year are shortened daylight hours and the cold temperatures. The goal of arriving at our destination before dark requires every morning to be an early one. On our previous three mornings, I've worn most of my cold weather clothes all at once while tending to our dock lines and fenders -- thermal base layer, snow pants, turtleneck, long sleeve T-shirt, hoodie, heavy coat. Following our first night on anchor, this morning I expanded the ensemble to include rubber boots. Thankfully there was very little wind and the air temperature was above freezing this morning because today was the first dreaded anchor/foredeck washdown. We raised the anchor in the limited light of dawn and, as expected, the anchor chain was encased in thick, black mud. In hosing the mud off the chain, it invariably flows/blows back on the foredeck creating a huge mess that takes several miles to clean up. By the time I was done, the sun was up and we were in the Albemarle Sound.

We could not have ordered up better conditions for crossing the Sound -- blue sky, wind at our back, low waves. The bright sunshine kept the pilothouse warm. On the horizon, the Alligator River Bridge started to come into view. Pilings for the new high-rise bridge rose up on both sides of our approach. Barry radioed the nicest bridge tender ever who had the span open for us without slowing down. 

Most of the cormorants hanging out around the bridge paid us no mind, but there's always that one exception that gets way too excited. We entered the Alligator-Pungo Canal at 12:30 under the watchful eyes of a bald eagle perched high above the waterway. The sky turned overcast and gray, but the temperature had risen to the mid-50s. Barry went on deck to install our firehose chafe guards (thank you, Chris) on the new anchor bridle Santa brought us. 

The Pungo River was eerily tranquil as we approached our destination of Belhaven. We eased into the anchorage and dropped the hook in our favorite spot as the sun dropped behind heavy cloud cover. I pulled out my book and read a few more pages before dinner. The generator is running and warming up Crossroads. Showers are on tap for tonight as we prepare for the final leg of our fist stage with arrival into Beaufort tomorrow. 

Oh, Deer! That Was Exciting.

Great Bridge to Camden Point  |  6.7 Hours  |  43 Miles  

We eased off the dock and departed Great Bridge at dawn. The air temperature was warmer this morning, but the sun hid behind the clouds. making it look and feel colder. We calculated the speed we needed to maintain to clear our two bridges for the day. The Centerville Bridge opened on demand (holiday schedule) and we didn't have to slow down. We made it to the 8:30 opening of the North Landing Bridge with a couple minutes to spare. We were making good time. We settled in and the miles clicked off as we commented on the numerous large stumps very close to the channel. Barry noticed it first -- a "stump" that was moving. Upon closer inspection it wasn't a stump, but a deer. A young buck was swimming across our path, oblivious to our presence. I grabbed my phone and managed to capture a few photos.

Wildlife encounters are always exciting. A few minutes later a bald eagle was spotted high in a pine tree. We entered the Currituck Sound with the wind and waves from our stern. It was a smooth ride and we watched the daymarkers until we crossed into North Carolina between Greens 61 and 63. There is no welcome sign, but I have always thought there should be one. Crossing the Currituck Sound was uneventful. The landmark stump signaled the approach to Coinjock. We continued past the marina and contemplated crossing the Albemarle Sound to make more miles. About the same time the wind picked up to 20 knots and we decided it was best to pull off for the day into an anchorage we know well. We took advantage of a few restful hours while awaiting another great Camden Point sunset.  

The evening's colors lingered for several more minutes and I enjoyed every minute of the show.