Albemarle and Pamlico Sounds

I came across the photograph above this morning, reminding myself how much I enjoy the sounds of North Carolina.  That's Spartina, with Bruce aboard a few years ago, anchored just off of Wainwright Island in Core Sound.

I plan on doing a solo trip this fall, from Elizabeth City going counter clockwise to Belhaven, Hobucken, Cape Lookout, possibly Ocracoke, Wysocking Bay, Manteo and then back to Elizabeth City.  Straight line measurements from google earth show a distance of 338 miles.  Sailing distance will probably be close to 400 miles, maybe more.

I should be doing the trip about the same time as the Watertribe's North Carolina Pamlico Challenge (NCPC), which covers much of same territory save Ocracoke and Elizabeth City.  Maybe I will see a few sails on the horizon, a few paddlers passing by, but I don't expect they will have time to stop say hello.  It is a race, after all.

I have sailed the southern part of the map above, from Belhaven south to Cape Lookout and east to Core Sound.  Sailing to Ocracoke will be new to me, as will Manteo, Albemarle Sound (the body of water between Manteo and Elizabeth City) and the Alligator River.

After our very exciting day sailing downwind on narrow, shallow canals during the one and done 22.8, I will look forward to open, deeper water.  It will be a nice change of pace.

steve