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| Oriental, NC is a quiet little harbor with a town dock and an anchorage area that were both full of visiting cruisers when we motored through. All of the rainy threatening weather we have been having for the past week makes many cruising folks seek shelter. |
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| We traveled on to anchor inside the breakwater at Bellhaven, NC. The town is somewhat protected by a breakwater built all the way across the river with an opening for boats to travel through. We dinghied ashore for a peaceful stroll through the small river front town. |
Our daily weather is in a pattern of chance of rain and afternoon thunderstorms. During the breaks in stormy weather, we motored north through the Alligator River and across Albemarle Sound. There are two routes through northern Virginia. We traveled south on the Dismal Swamp path and decided to come north on the other route called the Virginia Cut. Getting filled with diesel fuel at Coinjock was a convenient stop along the Virginia Cut.
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| The Virginia Cut had lots of bridges and one lock at Great Bridge. We were able to lock through just before those dark blue clouds brought a rain squall. We arrived in Norfolk to anchor off Hospital Point at Mile Marker 0. This is where we began the ICW portion of our journey on October 12, 2011, almost eight months ago. |
