Sail off anchor, mizzen and jib, just after 6:00. Calm on the creek with light swirling wind. I can hear stronger wind whistling through the tops of the the trees between Allison Creek and the Pungo River.
Slade Creek at 6:30, less wind than expected. I find more wind out on the Pungo River, 4.1 under mizzen and jib. Chocolate Raspberry Rx bar for breakfast, a favorite. Sun coming over the trees with a light overcast above at 6:45, 5 kts. By 7:00 doing 4.7 and rolling in the swell coming up the Pungo River.
Durant Point, where the Pungo River turns to the east, at 7:20, raise the double reefed main, 5.1. Soon the sun breaks through the clouds, jibe on the downwind sail at 7:40. Two snowbirds, large power boats coming out of Pantego Creek after spending the night at Belhaven, pass by. Doing 5.5 kts and looking for the entrance markers to the Alligator River/Pungo River Canal but the canal is lost in the tree line ahead.
Pick out a red marker at 9:00, main and jib down at 9:15 as we enter the canal. With blustery wind on the stern bring down the mizzen. Passing green marker 25 I look to the north at a little creek and remember anchoring there years ago on a cold, rainy day. Just as I set the anchor the sun came out and all was well.
ICW mile marker 125 at 9:50, the offshore fishing boat ALEXIS ANN slows down to reduce wake for me as does a small trawler named GRUMPY.
The high rise bridge about halfway up the canal in site 3.25 NM ahead at 11:30. Can of tuna and some crackers for lunch. Three otters playing in the mud along shore.
Red marker 52 finally in sight at 1:20, afternoon gusts are building. Leave the canal and enter the Alligator River at 1:50. It is hot with blue skies and white puffy clouds overhead. Mizzen and jib, double reefed main up at 1:55. Wind falls off, shake out both sets of reefs and full sail. Wind comes back, too much wind, tuck in a reef. Soon shake it out again.
The narrow part of the Alligator River runs east/west and offers lots of protected anchorages with Winn Bay, Georgia Bay, Bear Point and Deep Point. Too early in the day so head north making 3.9 under full sail, rounding up and dropping anchor in Rattlesnake Bay at 3:55.
Creamy beef and noodles with mushrooms for dinner, plenty of time to read and relax.
37.53 NM for the day.
2 comments:
I wish I had thought to tell you about Grumpy. Grumpy and her owner John are on their second time around the Great Loop. John is an interesting guy, travels mostly on his own and is in his eighties. Grumpy is a Rosborough RF-246 like Tara. He has or makes friends wherever he goes. We've met him twice at the Rosborough gatherings in Florida. They have a Facebook page "Grumpy Does the Great Loop 2021" where he chronicles their travels. He's somewhere up on the Hudson now where he is plotting with a couple of other Rossi owners to find a way around a closed lock on the Erie canal.
Small world, MaryLou. I should have recognized the design. I did laugh when I saw the name, looked like a nice guy at the helm with a friendly smile on his face.
Steve
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