Anchor up at 6:30. It's cold. Wearing thermal shirt and dry suit, under power out the winding channel to the Alligator River. On the river at 6:50, rolling in waves being pushed by a stiff northeast wind.
Mizzen and jib at 6:55, add the double reefed main and by 7:30 shake out a reef. Grey skies but it looks like it might clear.
Full sail at 7:40. Newport News Point at 8:30 where we jibe to the west, 4.0. Sails down at 9:00 at the northern entrance to the Alligator River - Pungo River canal. Looking south I can see several power boats coming up the waterway. In the canal at 9:20 as skies clear. Glad to have the NE wind on the stern.
10:20 warming up and I take off the dry suit. At 11:30 friendly waves from the Scow Schooner NINA out of Baltimore, we photograph each other as we pass by. 12:25 see the first eagle of the trip as it flies across the canal. I'm surprised that it has taken over a week to see an eagle.
Out of the canal at 1:00, full sail. 2:15 making 4.6 on the Pungo River towards Belhaven.
Wind out of the north and there is a dark seam in the clouds overhead. Rain ahead so I slip on the foul weather gear. A light steady rain off Lower Dowry Point that moves on quickly and skies begin to clear.
Making 4.4 as we pass through the breakwater to Pantego Creek at 3:15. I tie up at the town dock see an "WE'RE OPEN" flag fluttering in the breeze at the marina next door. Maybe an early dinner?? I walk over and ask about food. The guy tells me that they only have "beer, wine and cigars." It makes me laugh. "How about a coke?" He rummages around in a refrigerator and finds a single can of Pepsi. "A dollar ok?" he asks. So they don't have food but they do have fuel, a new gas and diesel system that they opened a few months earlier. I am happy to be able to top off the gas can.
Only one place open in town for dinner, the Fish Hook. Crab cakes and fries with a glass of wine. I push off from the dock, anchor down on Pantego Creek at 6:10.
39.79 NM for the day
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