RE Mayo to Dowry Creek Marina to Alligator River Marina

Day #222; Loop Miles to Date = 2,944

This one will be really brief. We had a good travel day on Tuesday...some wind and really gray all day, but the wind was out of a good direction for where we were headed. We traversed a corner of the Pamlico Sound, and also up the Pungo River. Both are exposed, and can be nasty in the wrong conditions...for us it was only a little choppy and therefor just fine.

We found Dowry Creek to be a small marina in a really small southern town. Nothing to really do here, but the folks at the marina were great. Laundry was free, and the captains lounge was terrific compared to most. They also had a pool, but in the rain and 60 degrees, there were no takers.

Wednesday found us once again in some wind and rain...more of both today. And again the wind was out of a good direction for our travel. Our biggest concern was the open part of the Alligator River...more like a lake than a river. We had 3+ foot waves on our bow, and took spray over the bow all day. But this boat loves these conditions and performs admirably for its size. The only really uncomfortable part of the day was holding our position outside of the marina waiting for our turn to enter the basin. We were in 4 foot seas, and rocking around quite a bit for about 15 minutes. Alligator River Marina is an interesting little spot. It has a small captains lounge, good laundry facilities, and dockage for a total of about 20 or 25 boats. The interesting part is that it is a Shell Station/Café/Marina...think of it like a truck stop that has dockage and you sort of get the picture.

But, we're all settled in for tonight...the biggest decision we have now is all about the weather. We need to cross the Albemarle Sound, which can be a beast in the wrong wind condition. We want to cross it either tomorrow or Friday...deliberations will be made this afternoon to decide the best course of action. Either way, we are probably in for a bumpy couple of hours...more fun to be had!

About the only picture of interest from our visit to Bellhaven, NC (Dowry Creek). This 4' piece of "Art" was outside the local eatery Fish Hooks.

Captain Sandy hard at work...first mate Kikie doing her part.