Crossing the Albemarle Sound / Coinjock Carnivore Delight

Alligator River Marina was deceptively calm as we left the dock this morning.

We traveled only 37 miles today, but our route crossed the Albemarle Sound on our way to Coinjock Marina and Restaurant, our last stop on the ICW. 15-20 mph southwest winds with miles of fetch built up 3-4+ foot seas in the middle of the Sound. It was a rough 20 miles in open water. We rocked and rolled all the way across the Sound. Other boaters on the dock at Coinjock described their experience today as having been “beat up.” We all were happy to get into the protected waterway leading to Coinjock.

Coinjock Restaurant is known for its MEAT, including a 32 ounce (!) prime rib entree and a Beast Burger with bison, wild boar, Waygu beef, and elk. It also offers locally caught seafood, which we enjoyed at a late lunch today.

Coinjock Marina (the dock behind the restaurant) is a long face dock along the ICW. It serves the large number of boaters who make seasonal trips from the Northeast to Florida and back each year, and Loopers like us.

Tomorrow we plan to travel the last 50 miles of the ICW to Norfolk, where we will leave R&R to prepare for and celebrate the wedding of our daughter Erika and her fiancé Matt. We are excited to be heading home!

When we return to Norfolk our Great Loop travels will follow these waterways:

– North up the Chesapeake Bay
– East along the Chesapeake & Delaware Canal
– North offshore in the Altantic Ocean to New York City
– North up the Husdon River to Albany
– West on the Erie Canal
– North on the Oswego Canal
– West on Lake Ontario
– South through the Welland Canal to Lake Erie
– West in Lake Erie to Detroit
– North in Lake Huron to Mackinac Island
– South in Lake Michigan to Holland, where we will “cross our wake” (finish our Great Loop voyage).

What an adventure!