(Seasick Fugu)
We shove off with the dawn and a half-dozen other boats, and slog through an angry Albemarle Sound with winds more from the East than advertised. Fugu especially is not happy, and Jan even feels a little queasy, but we make good time with a heavy wind all the way up the Alligator River. We even have time to make it all the way through the Pungo Canal to anchor in the headwaters of the Pungo. Chilly, wet day, but 77 miles! (Yes, all you non-sailors...that's a long day!) Once again, just like last trip, a large power boat hit a stump or log and lost a prop. Lots of floating logs, but going 7 knots or less they aren't likely to hurt slow boats. Jan made me breakfast and lunch while underway, despite her seaqueasies...what a sweet girl!
After the canal, we head upriver, bypassing a cove with dozens of boats, and a half mile further to enjoy our own private anchorage. It's nice to finally be away from other boats for the first time this trip...our preference usually every night. We're anchored and relaxing on our chilly "porch" as twilight sets in (no sunset due to heavy cloud cover). Look...here comes a trawler coming into our anchorage. They must think we're lonely. If they want to be away from the pack too, why don't they go up river a half-mile...there's miles of anchorage here. They drop the hook near Cat Lady, but thank goodness at least a few hundred feet away.
Look! Here comes that sailboat we locked through with in the Dismal Swamp...the one with the deadpan dude and the very nice lady and kids. His voice resounds through the marshes as he yells commands at his spouse. She apparently had the gall to question why they should anchor so close to another boat when there's so much anchorage to work with, and he yells something to the effect of, "I told you! You're supposed to drop your anchor 10 FEET behind the stern of the boat in front of you!" I'll have to look that one up in Chapman's Piloting (the "sailors bible"). I know it's nice to leave room for other boats, but there's got to be 10 square miles of anchorage here.