Thursday, May 23, 2013. We left the dock at the Alligator Marina at 6:30am. The wind is still howling at 20+ knots. We are motoring across the waves parallel to
the Alligator River Bridge as we head for the channel to take us out to
Albemarle Sound. It is very rolley as
we make this short run with 4 foot waves on our beam (coming directly from the
side). Lisa winds up below feeling ill
for the rest of the day. Once in the channel
and heading north with the waves and the wind on our stern, it was much more
comfortable. We motorsailed across the
sound to Elizabeth City – using the motor to maintain momentum as we surfed the
waves.
The channel leaving the Alligator River shoals frequently
and the current channel is different from what the charts and chart plotters
indicate. If you follow the markers,
staying close to the green ones, there is plenty of water. If you follow the charts, you will wind up
aground like Tom McGarry. Coming up the
Pasquotank River into Elizabeth City the charts show passing Green#7 to
starboard, but if you do that you are aground.
We found that out the hard way.
Luckily we were able to back off.
If traversing this area, stay well north of this marker.
We got rain on and off while crossing the sound and it just
stops as we tie u to the free docks in Elizabeth City. These “docks” are very short finger
piers. You have to climb off the bow to
get off the boat.
Tonight was a meet and greet. The town has official greeters (Rose Buddies) for boaters and if
more than five new boats show up, they have a wine and cheese party (beer too)
and give out information about the area and give roses to the ladies. Nice. We met several people and wound up at
“Logan Rayes” (a Key West style restaurant) with Paul Herold and Jane Farrel on
Aquila (Gulfstar 37). Nice evening.
29NM
33.5SM today. Mile Marker 36°17.90’N 076°13.10’W
Friday,
May 24, 2013. We awoke to the wind
once again howling this morning. They
are predicting thunderstorms and 25-30 knot winds. We decide to visit Elizabeth City today. It rained on and off this morning, finally
clearing up in the middle of the afternoon.
I don’t think the wind was as fierce as predicted today – maybe out on
the sound it was……..
We
had lunch at Sidney’s, very good food – breakfast and lunch only. We visited some shops, bought the new Dan
Brown book “Inferno”, and went to the Albemarle Museum. It tells the history of this part of the
Carolinas and is definitely worth visiting if you are here and have the
time.
Click this link for more info http://www.museumofthealbemarle.com/
This is a pretty town and they are really
trying to keep the downtown area vital.
Nice to see. It is also a very
historic area, with markers and plaques everywhere. Colonial era homes, nice parks, brick streets.
We had dinner at “Thumpers”, the local
watering hole. Good food and very
reasonable. Local knowledge says get in
and get out by 7:30 as the place gets loud and crazy – unless, of course, you
are looking for loud and crazy.
Predictably Lost. One of the
people we met at the meet and greet was Daniel Alvarez. He has backpacked the long hiking trails in
the US (Appalachian Trail - 2000 miles, Pacific Crest – 2650 miles, Continental
Divide – 3000 miles, and Hayduke Trail – 800 (very tough) miles). Now, he has paddled a kayak from the NW
Angle of Minnesota (most northern point in the US – except Alaska) to Key West
(most southern point in the US). Now he
is paddling back north to Minnesota via the ICW, Hudson River, Erie Canal????? Fascinating young man. Here is his website if you want to read more
and follow his travels http://predictablylost.com/
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