We were up at dawn to watch the sun rise over the water, and enjoyed a quick breakfast at the small cafe before we headed out. Our journey took us down the wide Alligator River to the canal and the Pongo River. There were several other boaters traveling the same path.
After hearing a report of floating debris in the river near mile marker 33, we were careful when we passed. And there it was, a tree stump. I saw it as we passed by. So Jim warned the other boaters. It was still there.
We had a pleasant trip down the canal and the beautiful Pongo River to the marina.
That evening we met several other boaters at a 'happy hour' at the clubhouse. Everyone was friendly and eager to share their experiences with Hurricane Sandy. One couple had been cruising for ten years!
When we got back to the boat it was pitch dark and Tasha escaped onto the dock. She was determined to get out and ran past us to leap onto another sailboat. We apologized to the owner as we grabbed our cat. I was so relieved! I could imagine what could happen to her if she was put overnight! She is so pampered she wouldn't know what to do if she saw another cat. She thinks everyone loves her and trusts whoever she meets. She loves dogs and other cats. She is certainly not street wise! So I am glad we found her.

What started out as a beautiful day sailing on a changing scenic river cruise turned into an unplanned adventure. About two miles out Jim ran aground while avoiding fish traps in the center of the channel. He tried to get off the shoal for several minutes until it seemed we were burying the keel even deeper! Soon the bow thruster stopped working. It was time to call Tow Boat US. I made the call and help was on the way. Meanwhile Jim got back on the helm and tried the bow thruster again. It had just gotten hot. So it was still working. As he made a few more attempts to get off the shoal, a rather large motor yacht approached. Jim called the captain on the radio and asked him to throw a wake so the waves would heel us over and hopefully release the keel from the mud. Usually it's terribly unsportsmanlike to throw a wake near a sailboat because the sailboat starts rocking. But this was exactly what we needed. A huge wave produced a trough which Al Di La slipped into and heeled over nicely. A few tries and we broke free!! Called the rescue service to cancel, and we were ready to continue our trip. We cautiously made our way to the Albemerle Sound and battled waves across to the Alligator River Marina and a little bit of solitude to end the day.
Jim rinsed the boat and we headed to the small, homey restaurant. Dad's southern fried chicken, their specialty, was good. I had NC BBQ. And Jim ordered a burger. They kept asking Dad if he liked the fried chicken.
The air was chilly so we didn't sit out in the cockpit.

We left our safe haven at Ocean Marine Yacht Center, saying goodbye to Rod who kept the place together through the storm. Our route down the first leg of the Intracoastal Waterway took us through several timed bridge openings and a lock. The last time we went through we didn't miss a beat. All bridges opened on time and we made each one. This time was different. The first bridge was a combination of highway and railroad bridges, synchronized to open at the sane time. Scheduled to open on the half hour, the Glimmerton bridge opening was delayed while the railroad bridge was closed for a train. This delay.put us behind and we had to wait 45 minutes for the 'Steele' bridge to open since it was scheduled to open on the hour. After that transit we headed for the lock. Tie up was easy and we emerged unscathed. As we motored South, Jim had to watch the depth of the canal continuously because of reported.shoaling in some areas. Not having the autopilot made the trip much more taxing but we arrived at the Coinjock Marina at 5pm; an hour earlier than expected!
The restaurant there served very good food but seemed a little pricey for the avenue. I had broiled flounder, Jim loved his shrimp, and Dad chose the steakburger. Deserts looked fabulous but we didn't have room!
We visited with fellow travelers Mary and Blair from Canada. They had waited out Sandy with us.
After watching the very sad news stories about the hurricane's destruction , we turned in for the night.

We arrived in Portsmouth on Tuesday, Oct. 23 on a beautiful sunny day. Our plan was to head South on Thursday after provisioning, but a check on the weather changed that. Not wanting to be caught on the eastern coast of North Carolina in this Hurricane, we decided to wait until it passed. Right now we are in the middle of a squall with heavy rain and wind. Luckily we are tied up securely in a protected marina with quite a few other boaters. Dad and I are waiting for a lull so we can stretch our legs. We are all getting cabin fever.

Time to begin our journey South again. Following that 80 degree weather.