North Carolina and Virginia

Our final leg on our way back to the Chesapeake involved the interconnected network of mostly brackish waters leading inland from Beaufort, NC up to Norfolk, VA.  While mostly serene and tranquil, some of these bodies of water can be downright nasty at times.  The Albemarle Sound is notoriously cantankerous, and we were glad to get across without problems despite several squalls.  

Pungo River, North Carolina

This place is shrimp central!  We anchored near a shrimp company and were able to purchase the shrimp right off the boat.  

Cool little filefish (related to a triggerfish) swimming around the swim ladder.  Kept him for a bit and then set him free.  

Aah- the cliché dolphin with the background rainbow

Beautiful evenings/sunsets in the North Carolina Low Country

This is Slade Creek, off the Pungo River.  It's so wonderful to see how much of North Carolina is still undeveloped.   The girls asked if we had WiFi here (seriously).    

Thunderstorm headed our way.  Pungo River,  North Carolina

Thanks to dorenavent for this picture of Baila at anchor while we dodge thunderstorms together

The girls keep saying that Aymeric is the little brother that they've "always wanted."  They asked us if we'd consider having another child- as long as it's a male and French Canadian.   

We've busted out the 'nettle net.'  This is an inflatable pool with a weighted net designed to keep humans in and stinging sea nettles out.  It's essential on the Chesapeake in hot summer months when the annoying jellyfish abound.  And,  we found out, in North Carolina too.  

Belhaven, NC.  Since I was a small child I've said that if I ever get to a town that features a big, smiling, athletic-shoe-wearing crab as its mascot,  I'm gonna love the place.  I was right!  Belhaven is a welcoming and friendly town.  Whenever we walked around the locals pull up and ask, "are you cruisers?  Well hop in and we'll drive you."   Really an amazing place and it's so refreshing to know that despite some awful current events there are still really good people out there.  

How does one entice their children to walk nearly two miles in ninety degree weather to a grocery store?  Lynn was brilliant when she promised to buy a gallon of ice cream and eat it outside if they made it without complaining.  She even came prepared with spoons.  $4.50 for ice cream and edible bowls for all! 

Baila crossing the Albemarle Sound.   We had good wind and made it across this notoriously choppy stretch of water fine. I am checking for crab pots while Lynn is at the helm.  We no longer have a functioning autopilot.  It took a big ole' dump in the Atlantic and we actually had to- get this- steer the boat ourselves.    Given that this is our only real malfunction this year, I won't grumble too much!

Dorenavent crossing Albemarle Sound

A stunning shot by the talented photographer Claudie (dorenavent) at Blackwater Creek, Virginia.  That's Baila's mast on the right side of the picture.  I love this shot so much.  

We anchored at Blackwater Creek, Virginia after a long day coming up from North Carolina.  It's a narrow freshwater creek in the wetlands just north of the border.  At night we heard what sounded like a small yippy dog in our cockpit.  Upon further investigation we found six bright green tree frogs in the cockpit!  They were loud little guys.  In the morning they were mostly gone- except for a few stragglers that emerged while we were under way!  We set them free. 

Kermit hanging out on our doors

We kept finding these guys that next morning.  It seemed so biblical plague-esque to have our boat covered in frogs