We wanted an adventure. I’d say we are having one!

We departed our lovely anchor spot at 8:30 this morning after a quiet, restful night. The plan was to just run the scenic four-hour Alligator River-Pungo River Canal and then (due to the Small Craft Advisory) anchor at the south end of the Alligator River. This plan is an amendment to my previous post.

We had consulted our charts and picked out a couple of depth-appropriate options to anchor at tonight. However, when we actually arrived at the chosen areas, it was nothing like we expected. All of the potential spots were wildly exposed to the raging northeast winds and appeared to offer no real protection at all. With nowhere sensible to anchor, we chose to (wisely? unwisely?) press on and make the river crossing. We have heard a lot about how rough the Alligator River can be, and today we found out how true that is.

Immediately upon entering the river, and no longer in the protection of the canal, the winds kicked up hard and it got quite cold. Waters became rough and choppy. We motored pretty much dead into the wind. For nearly four hours, WindLass surfed! Instead of the sideways rolling we experienced yesterday, today’s ride was more of an up and down, bucking broncho sort of experience. We got splashed a few times. But our girl held up beautifully. Charro is our helmsman on this trip and he and WindLass do a great job. My job on this journey is to serve as documentarian, help keep a watch, consult the charts, assist with lines, serve snacks, and soothe the pups.

As we got closer to the end of the Alligator River, we were still not feeling secure or confident that we would find safe harbor for the night. There really don’t seem to be many (if any) good, protected areas on the Alligator River. It kind of stinks!

I ended up calling the Alligator River Marina to find out if they would be able to accommodate us. Everything we have read says the draft going in is very shallow (barely what we can clear, which is 4’8″). We were a little desperate at that point, though, so we decided to go for it.

First, though, we had to pass through the Alligator River Bridge, which lies just outside of the marina. It is a swing bridge and is opened on demand (except in winds that exceed 34 knots). About a half mile out, we hailed the bridge tender on our VHF and requested an opening. I still can’t get over the fact that traffic had to stop just for US! 🙂

Just north of the bridge, the real fun began! Because the waves were so rough, Charro had to go a bit past the marina and then make a turn toward the southwest to make his approach. I guess it’s a bit like what a pilot must have to do when landing. That was the most intense moment, as we heeled a good way over a few times all while riding the waves. It was a bit scary, I must admit.

We arrived at the marina at about 4:30 pm. A very sweet fella named Ian was waiting for us on the docks as we motored in, and he guided us to where we should land our vessel. He helped to secure our lines, which was a tremendous comfort, as this was the first time we have ever docked in big winds. Thank God for Ian.

The Alligator River Marina is nothing if not delightful. It is a tiny, country marina that is also a gas station/convenience store and gift shop. Here we have shore power, access to water, wi-fi, and I was able to do a load of laundry. All of the staff are so sweet. They even have a short-order cook that made us the BEST fried chicken and fried okra! The dogs, too, were extremely relieved to get off of the boat and finally do some proper business. 😀

I am so thankful we are here. Even tied up securely against the dock, the wind is raging at a sustained 25 knots. But I will sleep well tonight knowing we are safe.

In hindsight, it probably would have been prudent to spend one more night at our calm anchor spot at the south end of the canal. But I guess then we wouldn’t have gained this experience or enhanced our skill set. You can go to sailing school, read books, and talk shop all day. But eventually the time comes when you have to put all of that learning into practice.

Friday’s Goal: (weather pending-will assess again in the a.m.) 30 nautical miles

We will depart from Alligator River Marina in the morning and finish the last few miles of the Alligator River. Then we will make the 11 mile crossing across the Albemarle Sound. We will spend tomorrow night either at anchor or at a marina in the Elizabeth City area (not exactly sure yet).

Fair winds,

Wendy