It's not all island resorts and palm trees for the sailor - you first have to get to the tropical waters. And, the safe path in winter from Yorktown goes down the ICW through the Carolinas. After anchoring at the mouth of the Alligator River Canal last night, the next stop is Hobucken, NC and there is only one choice for stopping with power available for heat - the Mayo Seafood Plant.
Hobucken is really miles from nowhere in the eastern North Carolina waterways but is actually not a bad place to stop. It has fuel, water and power and a convenient face dock to tie up to. The facilities are spartan, but we bring our own bed and bath facilities onboard so not a problem.
Rivah was fearful of the docking which had long slots between the boards allowing a good view of the water below. She displayed a great "commando" walk down the pier with paws widely splayed for maximum surface contact.
While it is slow, winding and boring in many places, the ICW still presents many spectacular scenes and wildlife. Sue took this picture of a stately visitor posing next to our boat.
We have also seen two pairs of bald eagles along the way. One set in the Alligator River Canal and a second pair in the canal cut just before Hobucken. Here is a picture I tried to catch of one. You can just make out the eagle in the distance over the trees. They flew right next to our boat. Quite magnificent big birds with their white heads and tails. We have also seen several dolphins along the way but none have come over to play with us. That will come in South Carolina to Florida.
