We arrived at the free town dock around 4:45, having not left Belhaven until around 11:15 or so. A late morning start. Coffee and conversation in the warm sun on the fore deck - conversations about my snippiness and bad behavior and David's alcohol induced deep sleep. My inability to wake him had me imagining the worst - heart attack. Having gotten through that conversation the day went really well.
Fueled up where our boat buddies spent the night. They took off several hours before we but we're neighbors again here in Oriental.
Getting off the fuel dock was terrifically hard with the wind and the tide wanting us to stay. Capt Dave did some amazing and very fancy maneuvering. I expect his armpits were moist. The Pungo River was easy, not calm but not too lumpy and was sparkling with sunshine. Pamlico Sound was luscious. We read to each other, planned how to enter Oriental harbor and where to go for the night. How cold will it get? Do we need to plug in? Not too cold and no need to plug in, just go to bed early.
We decided to not stop. Didn't need fuel. Already have shrimp on board. To early to stop for the night. Nothing to do off the boat if we did stop, i.e. not a tourist destination. Onward. I'm helms person.
Out of this canal - Goose Creek and into the Neuse River. Broad water but lovely motoring. For some time the wind was going to be on our stern quarter. I asked David if he wanted to put a sail out. "Naw, we'd just have to pull it back in in another 40 minutes." On my. What a change in attitude. There was another similar shift in attitude recently that I don't recall details of just now. I think we're aging.
I was up a lot last night, thinking, writing, reading. Thought I heard the ice crushing our hull, or cracking because our boat was moving so up I went even after I'd had some sleep. Duck hunters, though there was slushy ice around our hull. So I got to nap with Amelia, in the sun, while David was at the helm.
And there was this lovely house to admire:
What a view!
Now sitting with legs wrapped in my blanket and an extra layer of coat. The oil lamps aren't quite the robust heater that the little electric heater is. May end up reading in bed soon or turn on the propane heater. We're definitely in the market for a Little Buddy propane heater. Or in the market for getting further south and into warmer - to - hot weather! A huge boat just came into the marina across the canal, sleek and white 100+' of power. No clutter on those decks! Probably no clothing with oil stains either, whether or not they have "work clothes".
Looking forward to seeing cousins Pat and Kathryn in Morehead tomorrow.
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