Leaving Belhaven
March 28, 2035
Alternator still acting up, hot to the touch. Hurlis Biddle a marine electrician, came out to see if he could solved the problem. He disconnected the tach and engine hour wire and told us it was just an extra ground and we didn't need it. He also told us that we needed a new alternator because he thought the diodes were burnt out. We will have the alternator looked at when we arrive in Norfolk, VA. We left Belhaven at 10:45 heading to a halfway point from Coinjock Marina. Come to find out, the wire that Hurlis said we didn't need, we do. That wire provides the current to the tach and powers the charger when the engine is running. We ran the generator while we motored as the batteries were getting low.
It was an uneventful day traveling the Pongo River/Alligator River Canal. We saw many turtles, hawks and buzzards. Winds were high, but we were protected in the canal. After leaving the PO/ARC, we were in the Alligator River which was rather rolly and uncomfortable. Again, we should have fired up the Sea Keeper which would have reduced the roll. Towards the end of the Alligator River, we followed a tug pushing a barge and went through a swing bridge after him. After passing the bridge, we looked for a place to anchor in East Lake which is an offshoot from the Alligator River. On our way into the anchorage, we had to keep a sharp lookout for crab pots. Anchoring went fine and even though the winds were high, we had a comfortable and restful sleep, especially since we had set an anchor alarm. Took a photograph of the sunset.
Before leaving the anchorage, knowing the winds were going to be a bit high with even higher gusts, we started our SeaKeeper so it would be a more comfortable ride. Anchor up at 7:15; the chain was remarkably clean, yet the anchor was coated in several inches of clay and mud; it all washed off easily. We had a quick bite to eat of homemade squash bread with coffee and tea. Followed our cookies out of the anchorage area to get back on course towards Coinjock. Set our course, but the chartplotter kept failing to display accurate charts. Not sure what the problem was, but after over an hour of fiddling with it, Brian pulled out the most current chart chip. Lauren was able to use the autopilot without the aid of the charts. This worked out well, until we had to dock at Coinjock Marina and she forgot to shut down the autopilot which would not allow her to steer the boat. After shutting off the autopilot, docking went smoothly. We thought it was going to be a starboard tie up, so Brian had already set the fenders and lines, but the marina wanted us to come in the channel, turn 180 and do a port side tie up, that way when approaching the dock we would be facing into the strong winds which made for an easier docking. So, Brian had to reset the lines and put out fenders on the port side. After docking, Brian filled up the diesel tanks. Then we ate at the marina's restaurant; a bit disappointing. Also the docking fees are a tad expensive, though the diesel price was reasonable. On the upside, it's interesting to watch the boat traffic go by, hence the picture of the tug and barge.
