Coinjock to Belhaven

Friday's route: Coinjock to Belhaven

First off, for the benefit of those who are not familiar with the geography of the coastline, we neglected to mention that we have now entered the Atlantic ICW (Intracoastal Waterway) that begins at Norfolk, VA (mile 0) and continues to Key West, FL (mile 1240).  Our stop at Coinjock was at mile 50 and tonight, in Belhaven, NC, we have reached mile 136.

16oz prime rib

Despite the opinion of one of our fellow transient boaters at Coinjock last night, who advised that it wasn’t the best, the Captain, Admiral and Crew all very much enjoyed the restaurant specialty – a prime rib dinner.  Not surprisingly, having ordered a 32oz and 16oz serving, there are leftovers to enjoy.

Alligator River Swing Bridge

Another early start to make the distance we planned today.  Most of the boats at Coinjock also got underway early so we all traveled in convoy until the more open water of the Albemarle Sound which leads to the Alligator River.   The guide book warned of staying in the channel which is very well marked but we continue to find that the biggest challenge is staying clear of crab pots!

Gulls following Seas the Day

Anyone for swimming?

We mentioned before that the water does not look very inviting.  We have learned the colour is due to the tannic acid produced by the decaying vegetation.  The guide indicates that it will turn from crystal clear to dirty shades of brown from tea to coffee depending on the tide bringing in fresh water from the ocean.  We have yet to see anything remotely clear on this leg of the journey.

A view southward at the start of the canal

A good portion of the day was spent cruising through the 20-mile long Alligator River – Pungo River Canal.  It is mostly wooded on either side and the guide indicates you might spot deer and black bears.  We noticed lots of hunter blinds, so perhaps not the best refuge for the animals.

A bit of a tight squeeze

Main Street, Bellhaven, NC

Belhaven is a VERY small town.  The water levels are still high due to Matthew and portions of the town remain flooded with continued flood warnings in effect.  We walked into town and saw a few restaurants as well as a hardware store that includes a gift store in the front, an aisle of wine and a fridge of cheese.  Talk about multi-tasking!  There is also a town dock with coin-operated self-service pump out facilities.  That will be tomorrow’s challenge.