Tom woke us up at 6 am. I didn’t sleep well at all. I got severely nauseated by the smell of the diesel fuel from the engine room. It’s inevitable when changing a fuel filter. The fumes linger. I didn’t think to keep the hatches open when I went to bed because it was so cold outside, but the fumes made me sick. I had a severe migraine after we went through the Great Bridge Lock. Tom was so patient and nice when I wasn’t feeling well. We were able to get through quickly and smoothly thankfully. I had no idea what I was doing, but I watched the catamaran behind me tie up and I mimicked what they were doing.

I took some medicine for my migraine and relaxed. It took about an hour and I started feeling better. I took the helm for a good couple hours. I really enjoy driving the boat. I’m getting pretty good at navigating and feel like I’m picking things up quickly. I’m learning to be a skipper after all. 😊 I started relaxing and soaked up the beauty. The water is so peaceful. It felt nice to slip away from the troubles of the world for awhile.

We crossed the Currituck sound. I enjoyed following the other boats heading south. Everyone is so friendly and waves at each other as they pass by.

We passed through Coinjock. We originally planned to dock at the marina and eat prime rib, but we are behind schedule and pushed forward. We sailed all the way to the start Albemarle Sound. We made excellent timing. The waterway guides Tom got have been so helpful.

North Carolina is so beautiful. I’ve never been here before, but it’s fun to check off another state on my list. Tom is originally from North Carolina and it’s fun to see his home state. It beautiful here. I saw a couple blue herons and little birds swimming around in the water

For dinner I cooked chicken and dumplings with rice. Tom really liked it. We saw a beautiful sunset. The water is so calm, it almost looks like glass. Overall it was a really good day. It feels good to be back on track. Tomorrow we are headed towards Belhaven, North Carolina. We plan to anchor at the Tuckahoe Point Anchorage.