Bottom of the Alligator-Pungo Canal to the top of the Alligator River… and FARTHER!!!!
WELL… it turns out that the subject line… concerning our forecasted destination (the top of the Alligator River without crossing the Albemarle Sound)… was accomplished before 1400 hours today….
So… with a 21 knot wind on our stern (14 knots apparent, and our 7 knots of boat speed)… we elected to cross Albemarle Sound…. Taking a chance that the wind was stable and the waves wouldn’t build to totally “unreal” heights.
The ‘crossing’ was a terrific balancing act keeping the waves directly on the stern, and the wind in the sails… occasionally we’d loose it and start a 20 degree roll to each side…. NOT Good… but soon back under control….
AT 7.3+ knots it didn’t take that long to cross the Sound. We’re now anchored just off Broad creek, on the north side of the Sound…. Tomorrow we’ll be in Coinjock, and possibly Great Bridge VA.
We’re at Mile 60 of the ICW… One thing about today… by the time we got to the north side of the Sound the waves had built to 3 to 4 feet… (still on the stern)… and I was saying to Susan that if we had different boat (other than the CSY), or had a “buddie” boat sailing with us…. I would have elected to stay on the South side of the Sound tonight…. A lighter boat would have been tossed around quite a bit.
One neat thing about today… The marines, flying some very fast jets, were doing low level passes, all afternoon, up and down the Alligator River….
That was absolutely THRILLING… to see them approach as just ‘specs’ in the sky… then come screaming down your port side…. At maybe 100 feet off the water surface…. BOOM!!!!!
Long day… but we were both glad that we got Albemarle behind us….