HOT, HOT, HOT!!

How hot is it here?  So hot that the LCD displays have started going wonky.  Around noon we have to start covering them with a piece cloth so the read-outs remain visible.  So hot that I almost burned my hand picking up a black-covered paper back book lying in the cockpit.  So hot that we are getting up around 5:30 in the morning to get most of our  miles in before mid afternoon.  Today it was forecast to get 99 degrees.  Yesterday we saw 98 to 100!  Back home when it's this hot we can at least go swimming in the Great Lakes.  Here because of the salt, or at best brackish, water we would need a boat shower after swimming.  And since it would only cool us off for a brief time it's not worth using our limited supply of fresh water.

We spent two days in Washington, NC.  We walked around looking at some of the wonderful historic homes and buildings in town.  We took a couple of cold showers.  Tuesday evening Karl and Company drove us to a cute little waterfront restaurant, Back Water Jacks.  Tuesday afternoon the carnival showed up and started putting up the rides for the Summer Festival to be held this coming weekend.  The rides were going up right next to our boat and one of the historic home owners mentioned that some of the crowds didn't always respect people's privacy or property so we decided maybe we really didn't want to stick around until the weekend.  That same homeowner has a cat that could be Fluff's twin so we know we could trust her judgement.

Fluff, our navigator checking out the chartbooks.

Missy, Fluff's twin - also a male.

The rides and food wagons being set up right by our boat.

Looking down off the boardwalk by the docks in Washington about 60 turtles ended
up circling waiting for a handout.  Note the growth on their shells.

Before our sail at Bath.  I think this was the shark Sue said she saw under the boat.

One of the few commercial vessels we've seen on the ICW.
This is the Pungo-Alligator Canal which is about a 20 mile straight shot.

We are now heading towards Norfolk and Virginia Beach to see my sister-in-law and her kids.  When we left Washington it was about 4 travel days but we have 9 days to get there.  We'll stop at Elizabeth City, NC and Great Bridge, VA on the way.  Both towns are supposedly very friendly towards boaters.