Best day yet. No rain, reached up the Alligator and broad reached all the way to E City. Well, almost no rain - had a thunderstorm with lots of wind about 1am (anchor held but was up for over an hour checking, setting and resetting anchor alarm, and securing halyard, etc.). Up at 5:30am and left anchorage at 7. Motored 4 miles to the S end of the Alligator River and set sail. Sailed on a close reach all the way up (about 15 miles). Just after entering the Albemarle, the wind went from 8 to 15 (surprise, surprise!). Broad reached all the way to the Pasquatank. Then ran (jibing 2 or 3 times) the last 7 or 8 miles. Had jib reefed a little but full main (way too much sail). From the time I left the Alligator River, it took me 1 hour and 50 minutes to cross the Albeamarle Sound (11.6 nm) and 4 hours and 20 minutes to reach Elizabeth City (25.4 nm). Once in Elizabeth City, had to wait an hour for the draw bridge. Would have stayed at the E City docks but it was a lee shore with lots of chop. So went back over to the University docks. Hosed down the boat, took on water, trash, etc. The school was closed since Dan and his family were away in California. Sun showered at the docks and went to bed early.
Coming into the E City harbor was my first view of a guy sailing his odd looking 10' gaff rigged boat from Ocracoke Island NC to somewhere in NJ. I passed him but then saw him 4 or 5 times over the next 150 miles. I tried to strike up a conversation with him a couple times but I believe he was German and didn't speak much English.
Scene on the way out of Georgia Bay
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