) during the rush hour restrictions on Friday afternoon as everyone else circled about 
Also makes it easy to time the Deep creek lock if you are heading that way. I thought I would be just as slick coming back Sunday but got stuck with a RR closure that put a half dozen of us waiting. Karma I guess. I am half thinking I may just stick to the swamp route to the Abermarle and back this time, watching for power boats and their wakes in the main cut is not near as pleasant.
I anchored up in the deep creek basin for a peaceful night Friday. The bottom was as soft as pudding and I never did get an anchor to set in it, but was protected enough it didn't matter.
I am anxious for my trip now, spring break starts this Friday afternoon giving me 10 days to float about. I am hoping to have a few nice days in the middle to do some sailing on the Abermarle and maybe over to Edenton if the weather is good. (assuming I don't break the mast in the trees trying to get up the feeder ditch to Lake drummond
)
is 35' above water + a Windex15 (2' I think), I might have to take it off.
over the half dozen other cruisers waiting during the 3 hr rush hour restriction. I have sailed the abermarle a few times, its fine under 15 for our boats. It does get rough quickly above that. Doing the loop you are covering 3 directions at the southern tip so unfortunately it is a good one to hit early in the morning and motor through quickly if the afternoon forecast is unfavorable. I am looking at 15-35mph for the next week except saturday, so thinking take the swamp down and play it by ear next week which way to come back. I am itching to go and packed way too much into the waterbago and moved on to make leg 1 tonight, staging it a whopping half mile across the river at portsmouth city landing for dinner with a buddy who is letting me leave my truck at his house. Its a bit rolly and busy at the landing but its a beautiful evening otherwise. Tomorrow I will probably anchor at deep creek since won't be able to leave until afternoon then try to slide up the feeder ditch to lake drummond saturday, (hopefully for a day or two of kayaking and fishing) then visitor center for a night, and anchor at the turner cut split or goat island for a night and then on to Elizabeth City to see what the weather front is doing. You can do each stretch in a day, but I am looking forward to taking my time and spending a week poking along and finding every nook along the way 
