Blimp on test flight.

Well, the wind and rain did continue pretty much as forecast, but tucked in to Dowry Creek we were fine. Its an excellent marina for sitting out a few days of bad weather. It has a courtesy car and a cruisers lounge where we gathered with the others each night. As well as Seabird, there were a couple of other boats heading north after winter cruising, and a group of cruisers from Hampton, Va out for a spring cruise.
So we were in lots of company. But after two days, we had seen more of Belhaven than we would have wished, even to the point of browsing the dollar stores to amuse ourselves. So on Wednesday, with the wind still brisk and cool but forecast to drop, we headed out and up the remaining five miles of the Pungo River. At the head we motored in to the twenty miles of the Pungo-Alligator canal leading us to to the Alligator River. Its not what anyone would call pretty, but it allowed us to get underway while the wind was still stiff.
Running out into the Alligator, we pulled off the marked channel and anchored for the night. With cocktails in the cockpit with Seabird, we celebrated (yet again) a great winter cruising and said good-by (yet again) as we were parting in the morning with Seabird heading up the Virginia Cut to Norfolk and Estelle headed into the Dismal Swamp canal. (Bruce says his liver can't take any more good-by's.)
The wind did finally drop as forecast and at sunset we could see a dozen boats anchored in our area (one much too close to us) as people were anxious to get moving after being holed up for three days.
In the morning, we headed out into the Alligator and had a beautiful sail up the 25 miles of river. Half way up we furled our sails and motored through the swing bridge spanning the river. Often boats will motor-sail through bridges, but the story goes that last fall a boat tried to sail through this bridge (apparently not allowed) and the operator closed the bridge, dismasting the boat. So we decided not to test him. Once through, we set sail again and sailed out across Albemarle Sound and up the Pasquotank River into the headwaters of the Dismal Swamp Canal.
Part way up the Pasquotank, we passed the last Blimp manufacturing company in the US. There were three tethered on the ground and as we watched one took off and floated around, apparently on a test flight.
Through the bridge at Elizabeth City (motoring) we motored the last five miles up to Goat Island where we tucked in for a beautiful last evening on our cruise. In the morning we motored up the winding upper reaches of the river and into the lock at the south end of the canal. By noon we were passing through the north lock and out into the upper reaches of the Norfolk River to Great Bridge where we had booked a berth for a month. We tied up at the docks of Atlantic Yacht Basin, our winter cruise over.
We will spend a few days cleaning up and getting the boat settled, then drive a rental car to Maine where we'll pick up our own car, stored for the winter. From there, home to PEI for the summer.
But not quite, as we plan to go back to the boat later in June for a New England cruise.
Time to think about next winter's plans!
(No more posts until late June, but I'll post some more photos when I find time between tennis and gardening.)