Belhaven, NC

Thursday, November 2, 2006

035-32.160 N
076-37.260 W

Ahoy from Belhaven, NC!

We anchored last night in the Alligator river and when we awoke this morning it was completely still and the surrounding waters were like glass. I took the following photo just after a slight wind picked up, but you can appreciate the beauty of early morning. We pulled up the hook just after 6 AM and headed toward the Pungo Alligator River canal. We weren't the first boat on the water, but almost everyone else was still sleeping. We got an early start because we wanted to get into a marina before a strong cold front blew through with 20-25 kt winds.

The morning was absolutely spectacular with amazing color in the sky and reflecting off of the water. After a few miles we entered the Pungo Alligator River canal. A fog bank was hanging over the entrance of the canal and once we entered the visibility dropped to 1/8 of a mile or less. The light filtering through the trees was stunning. I kept tabs on the boats in front and in back of us via radar as you couldn't see anything. I must admit that I spent a lot of time running forward to take pictures while the autopilot steered.

After several miles we cleared the fog bank and were treated to wonderful color in the trees lining the canal. The rest of the trip was rather uneventful and at about 11:30 we pulled into the Belhaven Waterway Marina. It's a small marina, but is very well maintained. While I haven't checked out the bathrooms I've been told that they're "museum" quality. Their dockage was only $1.25/ft + $3/30A. I would be glad to stay here again.

Tomorrow we're going to try to make a 70 mile jump to Moorehead City, NC. It going to be cold with howling winds. Let's hope that it's warmer than advertised!

-- Geoff & Sue

Log ID: 908