Things are improving...

At least it feels that way.  The last few days have been difficult - our bilge pump failed on Sunday ($$ & work), snow and howling winds on Monday, Tuesday night was still windy and frigid.  We finally left Wednesday for a brisk sail, but the heat pumps were blowing cold air rather than hot this morning! - anixity. They're working again now.

Luke took this beautiful picture of the Alligator River sunset last night after I wrote the blog.  Our first sunset this trip (and our last sun for a while).

Not a bad night - 25 instead of 16.  That's a big difference.  But the heat pumps failed sometime during the night and we were anxious about what it would take to fix them.  Fortunately, it seemed that it as probably some frozen pipes - works GREAT now!  Luke's theory is that with a 25 degree night, and 37 degree water, the heat pumps pumped enough heat out of their water supply to freeze it and reduce or stop the water flow and the heat supply.

We checked the weather this morning and knew the day would be "interesting".  As we started down the 22 mile Alligator/Pungo Canel, the effects of the last few cold days were apparent.  Just look at this - the boat in front of us was playing "ice breaker".  Ice across the whole canal.

Here's a close-up of the icy water.

As predicted, the day began benign enough, but after 2 hours the snow started.

Then the sleet and freezing rain.

I am SO GRATEFUL  for a full enclosure.  One poor soul is in an open boat from Maine- I don't know how he did it.  I killed part of my "non-watch" time on the computer. Note the towels "sealing" our enclosure, and the electric heater on the floor. Still not exactly toasty warm.

After the forecasted 5 hours, the precipitation stopped, just in time for us to anchor in Goose Creek.  This is a beautiful, isolated, typical NC marsh anchorage.

The rain is back for the evening, but 1) we are 100 miles further south than Elizabeth City, 2) the temperature is a whopping 38!!!! and not supposed to dip below freezing tonight 3) the forecast for tomorrow is sunny and low 40's, and 5) the heat pump is working again. It was so cold before that it was hard to do anything.  Plus we were up every 2 hours during the nights to either start or stop the generator (can't let it run continuously).  I do feel better about the journey now.  Tomorrow is Morehead City, another 50 miles south and with temperatures forecasted even higher.  AND!  as of right now, the weather looks like a possible outside run starting on Sunday or Monday to Savannah for Christmas.  Warmer weather, here we come!!!