The forecast this morning called for 8-10 kts of wind, 1 foot waves, building in mid-afternoon to 20 kts. Someone should check the Sound's wristwatch and the weatherman's coffee cup. The proverbial stink was flying off the dogs by 9:30. Gusts were well above 25 kts and of course this was all straight on the nose. Waves were choppy at 3-4 feet. Blackie and Red were temporarily renamed Emerald and Chartreuse but are rebounding well. Fun day, especially when we finally entered the Alligator River.

Do NOT believe your charts if they are more than 10 minutes old. Green "3" is west of its original position. That has been well-documented in the Waterway Guide, NTM's and other publications. Past that, things changed. Do NOT follow your GPS. Do NOT believe your charts. FOLLOW THE MARKS! When you pass through the gate at Green "6" and Red "7", do NOT zig right and zag left around what the charts show as a potato-shaped shoal south of Red "7". It ain't there! It is now southwest of Green "6" and is something less than 4-10", PRIM's draft. A trawler docked next to us ran up on the same spot earlier today drawing 4 feet. The wind and wave action bounced us back toward Green "6", and I mean right towards it. Within 30 yards of tangling with the mark we bumped back off the shoal and immediately turned south towards Green "9" and all was well again. [i.e., leaving Green "6", head straight for Green "9" and you will be okay.

We are now docked at the Alligator River Marina, fueled up, pumped out, enjoyed a terrific praline ice cream cone and have a load of laundry going. Time to start dinner - ham steak and baked potato, the latter in honor of the shoal that wasn't.

Toddles. Smooth sailing and safe landings (if you enter the Alligator Rv.)