Day 2 started uneventfully enough, we got underway bright and early. We left early partially because we weren’t sure if the parking was free or not and partially because it was so cold. The temperature registered 35 degrees. I had packed for the promised Caribbean warm sultry sailboat cruising vacation, therefore I wore all my available clothes to keep warm. 35 degree weather can be difficult when the sleeping bag I just brought is rated for 50 degrees and up!
Immediately, after leaving the dock a fog settled in on the river. We felt this was a sign that we should get underway and not look back.
All went well for most of the late morning, until the rain set in. We motored through rural North Carolina. It is very swampy and marshy with lots of wildlife. We discussed how if you wanted to disappear from the face of the earth and not be found this would a good place to do it. The motoring on this stretch can be difficult given that the marsh areas are so shallow. The Army Corp of Engineers dredged a relatively narrow channel through these ares sometimes straight and easy to navigate like the Virginia Cut which is really a canal. Other times they dredge a path that follows the meandering course of a river that already existed, The challenge is stay in the dredged slot as it winds along the twisty river or run aground in the swamp.
The swamp gave way to wide open bodies of water that are too shallow for our deep keel sailboat. We had to continue to follow the dredged path across the wide open expanses of water .
We finally anchored for night on the edge of the Abermarle Sound in the open water. Rain was coming and it was time the get ready for it.
