2021 - June 17 - Day 6

 Quick tour of the Night 5 campsite…

Caught a nice sunrise to start Day 6. Today’s paddle will be about 17.5 miles. I feel like my pace has been slower than I’m past years (current and wind) so I’m thinking it will be 8 to 9 hours on the water. Maybe more maybe less.

Winds forecast to be light in the AM picking up to 10 in the afternoon. Slight chance of rain. I still have a significant portion of my AM packing ritual remaining but hope to push off a little after 7 AM.

The below video is from Sunday at Drum Inlet. It comes with a shout-out. When I posted last week about the 2021 route, Adam Capps messaged me and asked if I wanted a flag? Once I understood he meant the flag commonly called Blackbeard’s flag I said “Absolutely!” I’ve never met Adam, he saw my post and happens to have a nautical flag company. He freakin’ overnighted me the flag you see on the Fishhugger to get it to me in time for the journey! I don’t have sponsors for the tour, but a lot of helpful elves sure don’t hurt! Check out his flag company: https://flagstuff.com/about-us

View from the cockpit when conditions are just about perfect…

Day 6 went smooth as silk! I was prepared for an 8 or 9 hour sufferfest but current and wind were my friends today. Made it to my AirBnB in Sneads Feery in 5 and a half hours. See video for a glimpse at how the Fishhugger arrives at an AirBnB.

As noted in my earlier video post, Day 6 was the one day so far where most of the variables were in my favor — low wind in the right direction, current helping me rather than fighting me, and no storms. Made it to my spot for the night in 5 hours.

I do love the “roughing it” aspect of this journey but am not opposed to being comfortable along the way either. I’m staying at an AirBnB tonight mostly because I was unwilling to stealth camp anywhere near Fort Lejeune. Most of the islands in This stretch are strictly off limits — many have unexploded ordinance and are heavily posted. As folks who have followed me for a while know, I was warned away by the Navy as I paddled through Norfolk. And the never wrote about it, but I was also waved away from Quantico when I Passed there. So my lesson learned from those experiences is to always look at NOAA charts and other sources about prohibited areas around military facilities.

Finding this AirBnB that I could pull up to in the Fishhugger was one of the last pieces to fall into place this year.

Apparently I am now in alligator country. Did not see any but have seen sharks large and small almost every day.

Now for a couple of product endorsements:
— I was getting the makings of a serious blister from pedaling so much and Drew and Danni hooked me up with Body Glide. It looks like a deodorant but you apply it to any area that is getting chafed or blistering. It totally works.
— sometimes when you are paddling every day for many days for many hours each day, you can get something a lot like diaper rash. Too much information? I beg to differ — I’m here to help people! I used the product pictured below and it also totally works. Just sayin’.

The plan for tomorrow is 18.5 miles to Laniers Campground. If I’m having another great day with wind and current I may push on and try to finish the trip out tomorrow afternoon.