Day Seven - Saturday, August 3

Today was a fairly uneventful day.  We got up around 7:30 AM and Ed took the gas tank to the gas station to fill it.  Rich asked a young man on the docks where he could find a coffee shop and the young man volunteered to walk with him to the shop about three blocks away.  We are finding that people are like that here.  When they returned with coffee and pastries for breakfast we sat and chatted with the young man, Alan.  He was a Marine who had injured his back in Afghanistan and here for treatment.  He had just received his clearance to go back on active duty and would going to California next week for reassignment.  He seemed like a nice young man.  He had helped us dock last night and spends a lot of time at the waterfront.  

Ed went over to a farmer's market to buy some provisions and came back with some fresh peaches, melons and a bag of home grown pecans.

We bid Alan farewell.  Waved good bye to Ray and his wife and wished them a safe journey back Australia and headed out to sea.  

As we motored down the channel toward  Albermarle Sound we were able to pull out the jib to stabilize the boat, but (again) there was not enough wind to sail, so we continued to motor.  As we turned the corner further down the channel we saw thunder clouds approaching from the Southwest. We decided not put up the main due to the pending storms and continued to motor towards the Alligator River across the Sound.  We could see lightning and heard thunder ahead, but did not get any closer than about a mile from the lightning.  After the storm passed there was moderate rain for about an hour which flattened the seas and made the motoring very smooth.  We motored through the narrows at the entrance to the Alligator River and then pulled into the Alligator River Marina at about 3:30 PM.  The Marina is just before a swing bridge that we will have to  pass through tomorrow.

We decided to take rest of the day off from traveling and take showers and do some laundry.  We have been pushing fairly hard to make time in the small boat.  This afternoon will give us some rest time.  

After dinner we went over to the club house to enjoy the air conditioning.  Rich laid down on the couch towatch TV and Ed and Jeff played cribbage.  Jeff won 2 out of 3.

Tomorrow will be a long day going through the Alligator River Canal to the city of Belhaven, NC, which will be about a 53 mile journey.

No pictures today.

Lat/Lon = N 35 54.3    W 076 1.5