Saililng the Albemarle Sound

Note..this post is being made a day after the fact since there was no internet (or any other) connectivity from our anchorage
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At 8:30 am we cast off from Elizabeth City and motored down the Pasquatank river towards the Albemarle sound. 

One of the few industries in Elizabeth City is a dirigible factory. Now some  of you know of my great interest and fascination with dirigibles, - every since I read John McPhee's tremendous book "the Deltoid Pumpkin Seed", which I encourage all of you to read - and you can imagine my excitement when I saw, rising above the shoreline, a small dirigible..presumably one being tested by the factory because it would float up and then be dragged down as we motored by.

After an hour or so we came to the Sound. The Albemarle sound has a bad reputation among sailors because it can often be difficult to negotiate.. It is a large body of water - 14 miles wide, but very shallow - less than 20 feet at its deepest part, and it only takes a little wind to create fearsome waves.

But today it was excellent and we raised sails, turned off the engines and sailed completely across the sound, carrying on for several hours

Island Spirit (Hayden and Radeen)

Then to the Alligator river, first passing through the Alligator Swing Bridge and then down a broad but calm river which became increasingly narrow and we sailed and then motored on. We stopped near the entrance of the Alligator river-Pungo river canal. The canal is 28 miles long with no place to stop along its course so if you can't finish before sunset you really shouldn't begin..so we anchored. 

We chose Deep Point, a large anchorage just off the ICW with reasonable protection.. only 7 boats were anchored, and 3 were our flotilla. 

Another beautiful sunset, enhanced by Haydon playing a Conch horn as the sun went down...sounds amazingly like a shofar.