Can’t get any internet or cell phone coverage anywhere around this area.  NOAA is saying small craft warnings SW going to N tonight and then N and cold till Sunday at least.  We want to get further S so we headed out before 8 AM.  Had a lovely sail, close hauled all the way down the Pungo River and across the Pamlico. Dropped sail as we entered the canal but then were able to pop out the Jenny for a nice boost as the canal turned S. 

If the wind stays SW we don’t want to do the long SW leg up the Neuse – nasty steep waves, foul current and low water. When the wind goes W – NW the Neuse should be fine so we’ll see what develops later on this afternoon.

We were planning to stop in the headwaters of the Bay River, when we broke out of the canal the wind was SW 25 -30 so the Bay River was very choppy, and going upriver was not an option.  Instead we decided to press on downriver – barreling along at 8-9 knots under reefed sails, and the rounded Maw Point into the Neuse.  25-30 is fine with Sunny - he eats that wind for breakfast! Crew is less sure about it though. The SW had made it very rough and it was 25-20 on the nose so we had to tack up (getting salt all over our nice clean boat) but it was only about 6 miles so the last tack took use right into the channel for Broad Creek. 

Once inside it was flat and we anchored upstream and finally had our spaghetti dinner.