We have made it to our Waypoint #2 at the mouth of the Alligator River-Pungo River Canal. Today was an adventure! But first, an update on my previous post.

You’ll remember that yesterday we chose to anchor for the night in the Bay River. We hung out there for a few hours, but the wind came up even stronger and we were really rolling around. Our anchor seemed to be holding well, but for everyone’s comfort, we decided to motor over to Bonner Bay where it was so much calmer. The only stressful part was trying to find an adequate anchorage amidst the minefield of crab pots before the sun went low. Those things are a royal pain in the arse! I’m so glad we decided to relocate, even if it was a bit of work. We both slept well last night. I thought I would fret the whole time about dragging our anchor, but I was so tired I pretty much conked out.

The sunset and full moon over the water last night were utterly spectacular.

Laurie FINALLY went potty when he got up this morning. Thank God. He hadn’t gone in over 24 hrs. I was getting worried. He still hasn’t done a full complement (if you read me) and it’s already been a day and a half. Ugh.

This morning we got underway around 7:45. After leaving Bonner Bay and the Bay River, we entered Gale Greek and headed toward Hobuken, NC. It was quite chilly and very windy but it was a lovely morning.

Just past RE Mayo Seafood and the Coast Guard station, we encountered our first bridge, Hobucken Bridge, which has a fixed clearance of 65 feet. Our boat’s mast hight, including the wind vane and electronics, is 56 feet. Even though my head knew we had enough clearance, my heart still plummeted into my stomach. Holy moly.

From Gale Creek, we crossed the Pamlico River to the Pungo River. Let’s just say that if either of us had a propensity toward sea sickness, we would have discovered that today! The sea was angry that day, my friends (Seinfeld joke if you don’t know, lol). At it’s worst in the Pamlico, the wind was blowing 15-25 knots with a lot of fetch (the distance traveled by wind or waves across open water; the longer the fetch the greater the waves). The seas were extremely confused around Wades Point, just like the guides instructed. WindLass was rolling! I wouldn’t be surprised if the waves weren’t four feet or more. Charro did a great job managing our wild ride. He found that if he went a little off of our course to keep the bow pointed into the waves that it slightly lessened the motion. I had to remind myself a couple of times that this is what our girl was built for. WindLass is an ocean boat and she can take it! I felt like today we became mariners for the first time.

We had one alarming situation (pun intended) around 11 am when a very loud alarm on the navigation panel sounded. Upon investigation of all the boat’s systems (engine, bilge, battery, etc.), Charro found nothing wrong. He turned the breaker off and back on again and it seemed to reset itself. It didn’t do it again, thank goodness.

And now, here we are. Safely and snuggly tucked in for the rest of the day and night, anchored in about 8 feet of water on the Pungo River, just outside of the ICW at the mouth of the Alligator River Canal. It is 77 degrees and partly cloudy and just as peaceful and serene as one could wish.

This is what dreams are made of.

Thursdays Goal: 37.9 nautical miles

We will depart from our anchorage and head into the Alligator River-Pungo River Canal. It is a 21 mile run and promises to be very scenic. Our guide says to look out for deer, bears, and maybe even alligators! After the canal, we will cross the Alligator River and anchor just north of the Alligator River Bridge.

6:22 pm Update: Due to a Small Craft Advisory tomorrow afternoon through evening on the Alligator River, we decided we will instead anchor at the south end rather than the north. Full disclosure: There was actually a Small Craft Advisory on the waters we traversed today (ssshhh, don’t tell my dad). For our ocean-worthy vessel, the difference (for us) between traveling during the advisory today vs. the one tomorrow has everything to do with a safe place to land at the end of the day. We have a perfect anchor spot tonight. Tomorrow, there is really nowhere to stay that wouldn’t be either too shallow or too rough as we approach the Albemarle Sound. It’s a compromise! 🙂

Fair winds,

Wendy