Call the day "DONE"

 

Today was a long motor.  Kintala's anchor pulled out of the mud just after the sunrise set the water on fire.  Deb helmed toward the ICW, set the RPM in its "happy place" and we didn't touch the throttle again until pulling into Styron Creek; more than 10 hours later.  (Kintala has two power settings she likes.  One is idle, the other revs for 6.2 knots - no wind / sails down.  Don't ask me why that is, given new engine mounts and all the other shiny bits in the drive train.  But since any $$ that might have gone into a new engine went into the standing rigging instead; what the Westerbeke likes, the Westerbeke gets.)

The Albemarle Sound has a bit of a reputation for beating up on the unwary.  Today it offered barely a ripple to impede the parade of boats heading south.  At least the table flat water made it easier to spot the crab pots.  At one point we spun the head sail part way out, realized it was futile, wound it back in, and kept making like a motor yacht.  (There are some very nice motor yachts out here, by the way.)  The Alligator River was equally placid and we lucked the swing bridge timing so as to leave the throttle untouched as we passed through. 

Ditto for the Pungo River Canal; an excruciating 20 mile ditch hacked through a swamp.  It has a single kink in its whole length and is ugly as sin.  About the only thing we saw moving (save for the boats) were vultures and wasps; a dozen or so of the latter buzzing the boat for miles.  We had planned on taking the channel down the East side of Roanoke Island with the hope of sailing the Pamlico Sound; it looks like a much more enjoyable route.  The Pamlico, however, has an even meaner reputation than does the Albemarle should one get caught out when the wind picks up; which it is supposed to do soon as a cold front approaches.

So the Alligator river and the Pungo Canal were the better choice, but it was a huge relief to launch the anchor off the bow and call this day "DONE". 

Coffee Meter: 10
On the menu for today