"South for the Winter": Buck Island, NC to Slade Creek, NC

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Nov 12. Buck Island, NC to Slade Creek, NC
We had and early start today. At 0645 we were leaving Buck Island, NC heading 203˚. We had to get to Arbemale Sound before the wind kicked up. Early in the morning. Otherwise, we could get an unpleasant ride. The locals say the 15 nm (St M 65 to St M 80) sound can get pretty rough. We entered at 0800 and got out at 0942. Less than 2 hours running at 8 kts average. Then we took the Little Alligator River towards the Alligator-Pungo Canal which is 21.2 miles long, no anchorages, no marinas no fuel. Just Baldcypress swamps. Cypress trees live over 600 years that’s why they are called “Wood Eternal”. In the area it was used to make barrels, fences, docks, tide walls, boat hulls and coffins Because of its rot resistant properties. It is very sad to see how many of them at the very edge of the canal are death.
The Alligator-Pungo Canal is a man made canal and when it was opened salt water mixed in. Saltwater caused dehydration in the plants. Some of them evolved to tolerate brackish water but die if the water becomes too saline. Every year the level of salt water rises, perhaps due to global warming. And the coast looses several thousand acres of wetland forest a year. They fall off the ground and break. Boaters have to keep a look out for pieces floating loose. They can make a lot of damage on a boat.
We exit the Canal three hours later at 1430 into the Pungo River where the bouyage reverses. We had to look out for the yellow reflective triangles or squares on aids and keep in mind that to prevent confusion, the aids of the ICW are uniquely marked: in addition to the number, shape and color they show a yellow reflective symbol: “When traveling southbound, a yellow reflective square indicates a port-side mark and a yellow reflective triangle indicates a starboard-side mark”.
We anchored at 1646 on Slade Creek Anchorage, NC just before sunset.
We logged 81.8 St M or 73 nm today.
If we were going to continue on the ICW to the Junction with South Fork of the New River in Ft. Lauderdale we would still have 925 St M to go.

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