Pooka and Celerity are underway to cross Albemarle Sound......weather gods (goddesses) are kind to us....smooth easy crossing...no tossing about, no waves over the bow for a change...and no rain. Hooray! We decided not to anchor at Buck Island on north side of Albemarle but to keep moving and cross Currituck to anchor at Pungo Ferry in couple of holes just off the ICW. But winds built on the nose with 1-2 ft waves. Wisdom prevailed and decided to stop at Midway Marina in Coinjock. Surprise, surprise...the trawler (Chuck on Luv 'n Life) and OI 41 sailboat (Jim on Tank) that shared Little Alligator anchorage with me also pulled in. We had dinner together at Crabbie's......swapped some stories and maybe told a few lies . I liked the boy: girl ratio (3: 1) since all of them were single-handing! Weather had not improved next day so hung out and told more stories, did laundry, and entertained the dogs and each other. Additional entertainment (mucho excitement) was provided by two large snakes "doing it" on the side of the dock per the dockmaster........he said they were Carolina water snakes and non-poisonous..so excitement decreased to a simmer.

May 26: The four boats left together headed for Great Bridge...forming our own flotilla. Fun to have the other guys to talk to! Chuck took the lead, reporting back about shallow areas and inconsiderate powerboaters....red marker 122 outside of Coinjock almost had me aground again....I think it has Celerity's name on it! We were surprised to learn that a couple of the bridges that usually have scheduled openings were opening on demand....maybe for Memorial Day weekend? Only one sailboat was at free dock north of the bridge at Great Bridge so we tied up together. Walked to nearby Mexican restaurant for early dinner/late lunch.....had DQ ice cream for dinner. Perfectly Yummy!

May 27: Happy Memorial Day to all who have served/ are serving! We caught the 0800 Great Bridge lock-thu without a hitch. We could actually see the water level go down about 2-3 feet....usually we stare at the lock wall unsure if the level changed at all! Norfolk is our next destination......Pooka and Luv n' Life have reservations at Waterside Marina; Celerity and Tank will anchor at Hospital Point if not too crowded........ Smooth sailing (motoring!) to Norfolk.