OtherGoose: Warm Thursday Nov 20

Thursday Nov 20

Last night was brutal! We anchored off the side of the Alligator River and all night we were hit by current coming down that knocked us sideways. We expected the boat to sit facing the wind. I cannot imagine how babies can enjoy being rocked side to side! It was so cold! We put on the new propane heater but it sucked up 2.5 -1lb bottles of propane. We’ll have to learn to use it sparingly...can’t be too warm, just not frozen. I’m thinking we could put a door on the pantry and call it a fridge!

Last night I crashed at 8:00 pm. Rick thought I died because I wasn’t moving all night!

This morning we left at 7:15 just to get into the waves and change the motion! Once the sun was up the day was beautiful. The Alligator River runs through a swamp an extension of the Great Dismal, I think. The water is the same colour and the bottom is littered with swamp debris.

We [ ok, I ] hit a submerged log this morning. Rick called a securté to the boats about 3 miles behind us, but the Prout, Falcon, wasn’t listening or couldn’t see it. He rode right up on it. Two of the other boats stopped and dragged him off. He must have been ok. About 7 miles later he caught up and passed us. Everybody passed us! Grrrr. I know we have a heavy boat with a diesel that has limited speed rating but these guys with the outboards that go screaming on past are REALLY annoying.

Several boats passed us, including two huge sport fishers and a very pretty Riverboat.

Right now the USGC is calling Alethea but we left them in Elizabeth City two days ago. I hope everything is OK. I would call the CG but we have no phone service here, but got internet! Go figure!

THIS up and down weather is ridiculous. Rick is outside in shorts, finishing up the instrument info, and I DIDN’T wear my woollies today. Yesterday I was using Hotties that Barb (my sister) gave me in my socks. I was so cold I couldn’t tell if they were working!

Anyway enough whining... I’m sure that soon we will find the warm. Its my mantra now!

For those of you (my sister) who worry that we are on some dangerous, reckless adventure, since we left the deepest water we have been in was Georgian Bay. The canals are only 20 feet deep max and all along the coast of the States it was never more than 80 feet deep. Right now we are anchored in 4 feet and the rivers we have been travelling are no more than 35 feet in most spots. So since the boat is about 15 feet from keel to deck and the mast is 37 feet high, so if we sink the boat we can still find it! So stop worrying!

And now for supper. Our friends on C-Soul are in Belhaven, about 2 hours from here. The Neuse River is supposed to be ugly tomorrow so we will catch up with them and spend some time together.