Passage Manteo - Dowry Creek Marina, Belhaven, NC
75 miles 10 hours !!!

Ugh - Long day and will not be able to post this tonight as we have hardly any internet service at this marina and Verizon and T-Mobile are not working.

A very early start 6:10AM (who gets up this early anyway), and of course we were bucking the tide for about the first 4 hours. I could not find tide tables to predict the tidal currents that would occur inside the Alligator-Pungo River canal which we would be transiting most of the day. I shaved as many turns out of the route as I could. The wind would blow, stop and change directions several times today. And, then later in the afternoon thunderstorms were threatening. We got a few sprinkles about an hour from our destination but no thunder and lightning. The canal is very straight and long and boring. Of course there are plants and birds. But we didn’t see a bear or deer or even snakes and really not that many birds either. Just long and hot and watching out for logs that the tug traffic stir up from the bottom some times. We met most of the northerly heading boats in the Alligator River as they were contemplating the Albemarle Sound crossing that can be dicy. But we weren’t heading that way.

So, we get to Dowry Creek Marina and the wind is blowing into the slip. Remember how I was not quite bragging about docking in Manteo wishing I had a video of that perfect docking. ( OK I was bragging it was the best docking I’ve ever done ). Well the docking at Dowry Creek Marina took all that wonderment away. FOUR attempts in backing into the slip before I actually made it. It was very hard to get the boat turned with the wind at the bow without it without the wind blowing the bow away to port or starboard. And then you just aimed going sideways into another boat’s bow sprit. I got within a couple feet of the boat in the next slip but avoided the collision with skill and lots of brow sweat. Finally I got out far enough and was backing almost at full throttle at times to keep the boat moving faster backwards that the wind can have it’s way. But this looks scary to the dock master. Anyhow, 4th time was a charm and as I say, “ LOOK ANOTHER DOCKING MANEUVER WITHOUT AN INSURANCE CLAIM”

Tomorrow is troubling with the weather again. The wind is supposed to get up to 25-30 knots out of the South West. That will be blowing big waves down the Neuse River. My path is protected waters except for the last 6 miles headed SW to River Dunes Marina hitting us on the nose and 1 mile pretty much broadside. I’m setting the clock for another early departure.

Today’s picture is 6:15AM leaving Roanoke Island. Susan took this. I was driving still trying to wake up with coffee and get my witts about me.