The next morning we awoke early to a forecast of zero wind on the Albemarle. So we got underway and had the glass-like water all to ourselves. It was perfect weather and calm seas. We glided across the Albemarle Sound, and aside from numerous crab pots we were all alone.

Crab pots or traps are marked with floats. Usually they are in lines where the crabbing boats have dropped them. In the area we were traversing the lines seemed to be going everywhere. So I was constantly on the lookout for the next float to avoid. Eventually we entered the Pasquotank River and enjoyed the same calm water all the way to Elizabeth City.

Elizabeth City provides free docking for up to 48 hours. The docks are right along the city park and are very easy to use. We chose one marked 15’ beam, and tied up stern to the dock so we could more easily step onto the short finger pier. The downtown area was pretty quiet on a Sunday. Most businesses were closed and the museum was closed. We found a Japanese restaurant that was open, so we took a chance and it was pretty good. We later walked the streets and found a coffee shop called Muddy Waters that seemed a bit out of place, but we enjoyed sitting in the lounge for a while.

Without electrical hookups this was a challenging stop. Apparently the batteries on the house bank (4 AGM group 31 batteries) are worn out and need replacing. So we were forced to run the generator every few hours to keep the batteries charged enough to keep the refrigerator on. Maybe if I had gotten the solar panel installed this wouldn’t be such an issue, but instead this was the only option. It is also still summer, and the nights are a bit too warm to be sleeping without AC. 

We met a few of the locals. They were friendly and seemed to expect and appreciate us “boat people.” It was a bit unsettling to be docked right in front of a park bench where our boat was the center of attention.