I was glad to see the sunrise, and by the time we finished breakfast, the parade of boats heading south was already under way. As we navigated the twisty section of channel immediately following our anchorage, I was especially glad that we’d been able to drop the hook. Being over-tired, I was prone to being over-stressed about what was in actuality a nice day. It was hard for me to get used to steering to the center of a channel on the chart rather than using the day marks, which are often well outside the channel. I was nervous about crossing Albemarle Sound with the wind up, as all the guide books warn that crossing in a heavy breeze could be miserable. I was getting frustrated with winds being higher than forecast every weekend, and I was beginning to think I might actually not love this trip as much as I originally thought.
Objectively, Albemarle Sound reminded me of western Long Island Sound with a stronger west wind – short, frequent chop, but not uncomfortable under sail (actually, it was quite a beautiful sail). The crossing was relatively quick and then we were into the Alligator River. The entrance is a bit confusing with lots of shoals to watch our for, but fortunately the Waterway Guide has good, detailed information about the various hazards. Based on the wind strength and direction, we decided to skip the anchorage before the bridge and press on to one closer to the Alligator River/Pungo River Canal. We only had to wait a few minutes for an opening at the Alligator River Bridge, and we were surprised at how little boat traffic was with us.
During my next watch there was a strong breeze on the beam, which I’m not really used to in a confined channel and it took a while to get the hang of steering just the right amount to starboard of where I wanted to go. But once I figured it out, it wasn’t too bad as long as I could see my next mark. There were lots of spoils and snags to keep an eye out for, and by sheer luck, Chris JUST spotted one in the glare on the starboard side of the channel that I would have otherwise hit. The only traffic I had to deal with was, of course, a northbound tug near the spoil area, but there was enough room for an easy passing.
I commented to Chris that I really wasn’t enjoying this trip as much as I’d hoped and that I felt like this one was so much harder than our first trip with Steve. But he reminded me that on this trip, I was playing the role he had played on our previous passage – helping to plan routes, sharing responsibility for safety and comfort decisions, monitoring weather, looking up information/alternatives as conditions and plans changed, and being a second set of eyes as needed. Not to mention that we had four people last time to split watches, meal prep and general maintenance, and this time it’s just the two of us.
The spot we’d chosen to anchor was beside a stunning cypress swamp, and with the breeze up, the bugs were held at bay. We were treated to a beautiful sunset and there was only one other boat there with us, anchored far enough away to make them barely noticeable. After the previous night, a peaceful night in a calm anchorage was just what we needed.
