The Rose Buddies monument in Elizabeth City. Our next stop is Alligator River Marina mile marker 84. The trip was uneventful. We successfully navigated a spot where the Albemarle sound meets the Alligator River where many mariners run aground and keep Tow Boat US in business. On Friday October 31 we are off to head on down the ICW which is now the Alligator River (don't know where it got its name but no alligators have appeared) but another alligator of sorts reared its head to bite us real good. At the end of the Alligator River you enter a long man made cut called the Alligator Pungo Canal. The canal is very narrow at this point. A big log appeared in the middle of the stream and we turned to the right to miss the log and then dead ahead was one of those crab pot markers and when we turned back to the left to miss the crab pot the stern of the boat swung out and struck a submerged unknown object. It must have been pretty solid as the boat raised out of the water. The first thing we checked after the collision was to make sure we were not taking on water-and we weren't, so we were able to proceed slowly on one engine. We knew both props were damaged but the starboard prop produced so much vibration that we couldn't put that engine in gear but the port prop had a little vibration so that engine would give us our lift to the repair facility. Of course things always break on Friday and being in the middle of nowhere it was decided to proceed on to Beaufort NC where there are lots of repair facilities but Beaufort is approximately 100 miles away. Our first stop was Slade Creek anchorage where we had anchored before on our way north. Then on to Oriental NC the next night (Saturday). Very neat little town. Anchored right in the middle of a small bay and rafted up next to Our Time. We dinghied into town a short distance-toured the town-beautiful 70 degree afternoon-had shrimp and beer at the Oriental Inn overlooking the Harbor. The top picture is Gail John & Judy in Oriental
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