"2000, November 10-11 Traversing the Alligator" Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge Travelogue by grandmaR

Approaching the bridge against the sun

After we crossed the sound, we started to hear the Alligator River Bridge traffic, and deduced that it was opening. (It doesn't open in high winds) At one point the bridge tender said the wind was 14 mph there at the bridge.

She also said they were training a new tender and that she "needed the openings" so they weren't holding the bridge for people. A small cruise ship (probably only 200 people) named the Caribe something passed us before we got into the Alligator River.

A power boat rushing to make the opening

JOY B is crossing in front of us, and the cruise ship toots her horn twice at him to indicate which side they intend to pass him on. Bob starts the engine and takes down the sails and tells me to stay behind JOY B.

We see SANTA MARIA and the cruise ship and a bunch of others go through the bridge. A big power boat passes us all and the bridge opens for him, and we head toward the bridge to go through, and another power boat rushes up at the last minute.

Alligator River

As we go up the Alligator, a German ketch named POPEYE (what kind of a name is that for a German boat?) passes us - he takes down his mizzen and just has his jib up. JOY B has his sails up and is over by the shore. I am reluctant to sail in the river because I want to get to the anchorage before dark and sailing sometimes takes longer.

We come up to the headwaters of the Alligator and round Deep Point. There are two anchorages that people use here - one around Statute mile 104 and one at 102. I think the one at 102 will be best because passing tugs won't have to make a turn there, so that's where we anchor.

A glow in the sky over the anchorage

There is a mooring there (which is on the chart, but I didn't know what the symbol means - I had to look it up - you can see it on the chart below).

There are already two ketches (one POPEYE and one Spanish named CONTESSA) and two trawlers (a big one and a smaller one named MARYLAND YANKEE home port Frederick MD in the anchorage. POPEYE anchors next to the other Spanish boat.

I can see the boats in the other anchorage, including SANTA MARIA. I wonder what they will do about exercising the dog. JOY B goes by to the other anchorage.

Another boat with blue topsides comes in after us and anchors nearer shore, and a boat comes in at 5:30 when there is just a glow in the sky and anchors down at the other end.

Chart of anchorages - Alligator River

The chart has the two anchorages shown with our green track ending at the first one opposite Deep Point. The second one is to the left of the first one near Bear Point. The chart has been turned sideways so that north is more or less up.

When we anchored, Bob was letting out the chain, and I was reversing. He had trouble getting it to stop, so he stomped on it, and I decided I'd gone backwards enough, so put the engine into neutral. As Bob was contemplating the amount of chain that was out, the boat hit the end, and the anchor set and stopped the boat with a jerk. Bob said to himself that the anchor was certainly set.

We were only a little way from the mooring, but decided to leave well enough alone. We were anchored by 4:15. The sunset is about at 5 pm these days.

Mooring at head of Alligator River 2002

As the sun set, the almost full moon rose. It was clear and cold, and windy - the wind generator ran all night. We have done 53.8 miles at an average speed of 6.4 mph.

The moon shown through the dodger and down the companionway hatch very brightly and waked me up.

When we came north in 2001, they were taking down the Fairfield bridge and the canal was closed to commercial traffic. There was a tug and tow on the mooring. This picture shows what the mooring looked like in person from the channel in fall of 2001.

Deep Point - mooring washed ashore 2003

In 2003, Hurricane Isabel took the mooring and threw it up on the opposite shore. So it isn't there anymore (wasn't there when we passed by in 2004 either). You can see the mooring gleaming on the shore in the backlight picture.

The next stop is Belhaven