Sail off anchor 6:00 after a quiet and very cold night on Pantego Creek. Thermal shirt and drysuit on for the cold and possible rain. A single reef tied in the main, a slow drift down the channel in the wind shadow of Belhaven.
Passing through the breakwater entrance 6:30. 6:45 4.5 kts with wind aft of port beam. 7:00 tuck in a second reef. A little bit of sun through the low overcast. At 7:30 down to mizzen and jib, 5.0. On the Pamlico River with big waves on the stern, gps briefly shows 7.4. Jibe to follow the winding entrance at Goose Creek at 9:20. Red marker 10 at 9:40, still windy but water calmer. Rain. Steady rain and cold.
At the northern entrance to Goose Creek Canalat 10:25, round up in a small creek to top off the outboard gas tank, motor into the canal with an assist from the still raised mizzen and jib. Weather radio says rain, rain and more rain with winds up to 30 mph out on Pamlico Sound.
Just after 11:00 near the south end of the canal and enough wind to sail, 2.7. 11:30 start looking for an anchorage. Too rough to head further south on Pamlico Sound.
I duck into a cove just off of Gale Creek. Too shallow and too many crap pot floats for a good anchorage. We follow the shoreline of Ball Island, looking at possible anchorages in either Dump Creek or Rockhole Bay.
12:15 drop anchor in Dump Creek. Wind and rain and cold. So glad for the drysuit.
I had bought some pouches of hot chocolate for the winter trip but forget to pack them for this trip. Too bad. Instead I cook a batch of freeze dried scrambled eggs to warm me up. The boom tent keeps the boat incredibly dry and comfortable.
A long afternoon nap followed by some reading. The weather sounds better for tomorrow. I wear the drysuit right up until the time I get ready to crawl into the sleeping bag. Slip the drysuit off and put on another set of thermals for the night.
25.01 NM for the day
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