December 22, 2019
Due to heavy fog this morning we had to wait before entering the Alligator-Pungo canal as the tug and barge ahead of us sat until the fog lifted. We certainly did not want to get in their way.
After lunch we decided instead of maintaining our current heading, we would flip a U-turn and go back to Belhaven for the night to wait out some weather.
December 23, 2019
We decided to spend another day in Belhaven. Thanks to Alex’s suggestion, Eric and I walked over to the US Cellular in town, and they were willing to sell us one of their returned phones, no plan and no hassle, for a very reasonable price. One of the store staff even drove 45 minutes to another store just to grab the phone I wanted from their list. Amazing customer service, and I am so relieved to have a phone – to take pictures, know where I am on a map, check weather, send emails, chat via text, and of course, read webcomics.
December 24, 2019
My new phone works!
And we continue cruising down the ICW.
And we made it to Oriental, NC for Christmas Eve.
December 25, 2019
We enjoyed watching dolphins play in Adam’s creek! it always amazes me how far inland these marine mammals roam.
By mid-afternoon, we made it to Beaufort, North Carolina and Eric decided we should keep going. Nobody stopped him, so we sailed out into the Atlantic.
December 27, 2019
Today we caught not one but two fish! The first for us to ever land on this vessel. I reeled in the first one, a large Spanish mackerel. Eric was kind enough to gut it as I dealt with the motion sickness triggered by my fight with the fish. Momo reeled in the second one, an even bigger mackerel. Delicious. We’ll be feasting on fish for days!
December 28, 2019
We arrived in Jacksonville Florida. Cruising is so much easier with four people, although the majority of us struggled with motion sickness. I am so grateful for our friends’ help with this journey.
Even though we motored for most of the journey, at least we made it south with a quickness and the seas weren’t too rough. We have now arrived to warmer weather.
Ripples and Leaves 