LAT: N 36° 17.9' LON: W 76° 13.1'		thick and still warm and breezy
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Hitting the High Seas

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Hannah is in control.

Moody Waters

The Difference Between Canals and Sounds

Leaving Belhaven we fell back into the pleasant feeling of waking up in the morning on anchor and setting off. After awhile Tim decided to begin checking things off our list and did some filleting on some of the patches we found on the cabin sides. It was a leisurely time floating up the Pungo-Albemarle Canal. There was an intricate difference between the summer landscape and the November setting of when we last cruised through the area. The many layers and depth of the colorful vegetation is difficult to capture in photos.

It was a smooth uneventful day and we were making good time so we decided to head to Elizabeth City and make what was originally a 2 day journey into 1. The Alligator River Bridge swung open for us and we recalled skimming underneath it last time when the electricity was out. Then we reached the Albemarle sound.

The current started out with us, rolling us toward our destination. Then the wind picked up and waves started coming in from the side as well. This makes a big difference when you are trying to go in a straight line. After the boat is pushed a little, it continues rocking and it is hard to get it in sync with the movement of the water. Tim manned the helm so he could keep an eye on the horizon and Hannah ran around making sure everything was strapped down and not rolling off the boat. In times like this it is not so much scary as it is uncomfortable. With an eye out to our port we would go straight towards Elizabeth City, when a wave came up from the side we would turn the boat and take the wave behind us so that it would pick us up and move us along. After about 2 hours of crossing the sound we finally pulled up the Pasquotank River where the waves settled down and we were able to see our stopping point.

Only two of the free docks were taken in the Harbor of Hospitality so we slowly pulled in and tied ourselves into a slip. The tiny triangular docks are hard to get to from the boat so you really have to work the lines just right. We were able to place one line so that you could use it as a step off the bow. When stepping onto it, the boat would move in even closer to the dock. Elizabeth City now has wireless that we immediately picked up on the boat. Full bars! That was very exciting, though we didn't have much time to surf since it had been a long day and there are always people to talk to since the waterside walkway is right in front of the free docks. After getting cleaned up we headed to dinner at Thumper's, one of the places we had dined at last time we were here. Then, as is natural after every day of cruising, we passed out. This time it was to the sounds of Michael Jackson playing at the restaurant on the water. They had set up a tent outside with a DJ, yet no one was dancing even as the music went on into the night.

Elizabeth City, N.C.: As mentioned in the main article, the most exciting change in Elizabeth City for us was the wireless internet we were able to get from the boat. That is luxury. It is not surprising to us that internet accessibility makes a place seem more modern and livable. We also found that things were a little more bopping this time. More ears have gone by since a hurricane hit a number of years ago and the city was noticeably cleaner. Perhaps it was because it was a Friday night or a pleasant temperature, but there were more people, more cars, a couple more restaurants and more lights on this time around as well.

Dragonflies, of the order Odonata, are named such for their strong teeth (odonto is greek for tooth). They are characterized by their long body, two pairs of transparent wings and they have 30,000 parts to their eyes which give them a 360Ą field of vision. Dragonflies are helpful to us in that they eat mosquitos. Their larvae is aquatic so dragonflies are most likely found near water.

Back in Elizabeth City we headed to Thumpers once again, where we knew we could get awesome BBQ wings. They also have a good black bean "quesadilla" which is actually more like a taquito.

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