It was a short leg today from Great Bridge to Coinjock, only about 40 miles. But, the next marina along the Intracoastal Waterway is another 35 miles and we couldn't make it before dark - and its always difficult getting into an unfamiliar marina in the dark (and cold), so best to stop early and relax.
This is Midway Marina in Coinjock, on west side of ICW. Not much to do in Coinjock, just tie up and turn on heater. Weather is in mid 50s, so we'll go for a walk later.
For those new folks following our blog (Greg's friends), this is Tides Inn, our Island Packet 380 cutter rig sailboat. Island Packet makes, IMHO, the best cruising sailboats with lots of storage space, a shallow keel for getting into out-of-the-way places, and a full keel and staysail rig for comfortable and safe ride in a blow. Ask Gregory about 55kts and 18ft seas in the Delaware Bay.
We have a lot of cruising gear hanging off the stern which unfortunately lowers the stern and slows us down some, but makes cruising for months in the islands very enjoyable. We have two solar panels for charging the batteries and a wind generator for when the sun doesn't shine (rare). We have dinghy davits for carrying the dinghy in the islands (we roll and store it on deck for ocean transits so big waves don't rip it off). Our Yamaha dinghy engine sits on the stern rail and barbeque grill is hanging on stbd quarter.
This is a typical view of the ICW through northern sections of NC as you head down North Landing River through Coinjock, to Albemarle Sound, Alligator River, Pungo River and Pamlico Sound/Neuse River until you finally arrive at the Atlantic Ocean at Beaufort. A lot of this area is outside of any cellphone coverage, so there won't be a blog update tomorrow.
Milepost 45, just before Coinjock. The ICW starts at Norfolk at MP 0 and ends around the Texas/Mexico border, with a few gaps in the Gulf area. We'll try to head offshore off NC if weather allows and come back into ICW at Miami to cruise around Biscayne Bay (MP 1095) for couple weeks. Only 1050 miles to go! (at 7.5 mph)
Here's a "real sailor" we passed along the way with no dodger, bimini or enclosure - just his foul weather gear to keep warm.
Tomorrow night we'll be roughing it, anchoring out at entrance to Alligator River Canal. Supposed to be in mid 40s Fri night so not that cold. Sat we'll be at River Dunes Marina and will have wifi and can update the blog.
