Top Gun … Monday 22nd October 2012
Apologies for the late posting - our cell phone and internet access is currently poor and intermittent. We may or may not be able to get up photos - if not we will add them later. I have also gone back to coordinates for now to avoid one set of interactions with the internet
Normally I'd start the blog in the morning but today I'm going to start right now. We are currently anchored in the Alligator River some 50 miles south of Elizabeth City. It's wild, remote and beautiful, and as it turns out is also where US military F16s practice bombing runs. We saw them all afternoon making low level dives, pulling up steeply and then inverting before heading out - it was quite the sight. All went quiet after we anchored and we did experience an absolutely stunning sunset in the utmost tranquility. Now it's dark and they are back with a vengeance. It's just like Top Gun - we can just hear "love lift us up where we belong" playing quietly in the background as the jets scream overhead and Kelly McGillis just turned up in a dinghy. Well the screaming jets is true. Gloria suggests we add audio to the blog to fully reflect the experience. Earlier today we were wondering just how much fuel does the US military use every day as a proportion of national consumption. Gloria wants to know why they can't just stay home and do their knitting! Sounds like a good question for tonight's presidential debate. Anyway, back to today. We headed out from Elizabeth City just before 8 am in a perfect cloudless blue sky and light northern winds. We tried to motor sail in the morning but there wasn't enough wind to keep the genoa filled. The Albemarle Sound has a fearsome reputation for kicking up unpleasant steep waves, but today it was a picnic. We motored across and then were able to motor sail down the Alligator river, reaching our destination about 3 pm. As mentioned above, the sunset was spectacular and the Beef Carbonnade which we ate for dinner was also very fine. Now, as I draw this to a close, all has gone quiet … for now.
35 40 27.7 N, 76 03 24.8 W
35 40 27.7 N, 76 03 24.8 W
Elizabeth City shortly after sunrise as we depart
The most tranquil sunset of the year so far!
A view of our neighbors at anchor
A wider view that gives more of a sense of the "big sky"
Beautiful! Oh yeah, we know about those jets...they come out to play just after lunch when Lottie and I want to go out. At least they are OURS and not shooting at us.
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