December 28, 2024

0700 Morning prayers and new batch of chai made fresh on the boat!

0830 Pulled anchor and departed for Alligator River (after a quick Google search, we discovered many days later that the Alligator River is in fact home to alligators as well as black bears, foxes and many other species of animals. We didn’t spot any alligators or bears).

0900 Alligator Swing Bridge opening

0930 Swabs takes helm. Popcorn does her yoga practice. OhNo works on running rigging for the sails. Popcorn prepares yogurt and granola for breakfast.

1030 Swabs off watch, Popcorn on watch. OhNo works on winch.

1200 Popcorn off duty. While on duty, Pisces was passed by two P/V (power vessel) and one small fishing boat. Listens to Jason Isbell with OhNo and sings songs while motoring “down the ditch” (a phrase many sailors use to describe traversing the ICW). Swabs takes helm.

1205 Popcorn and OhNo install “Pisces” lettering on stern of boat

1300 OhNo makes lunch, Swabs off duty

1340 Two bald eagles are spotted by Popcorn who is at the helm. One follows Pisces for almost a half hour

1350 Eagle flies directly behind Pisces, Popcorn almost wrecks the boat trying to film it.

1430 Crew proposes new slogans for North Carolina: “Carolina is for Pines”. “We grow Pines.” “North Carolina, Land of the Pines”. “Pines R Us”. “The Pine Tree State”.

1440 Popcorn has sugar high laughing fest. “Take America back where? The 1800’s?!?”

1520 Pisces passes under Wilkerson Bridge, the lowest bridge on this section of the ICW, with mere inches to spare overhead.

1545 Full rainbow all the way across the sky behind Pisces

1600 Anchor in Pungo River

1630 Crew plays game of Scrabble and OhNo wins by a landslide

1811 Crew enjoys dinner of baked feta, tomatoes, roasted green beans and chicken

2020 Lights Out!