21 May - Day 79. It's amazing how the little things in life can bring a lot of happiness. For 2 1/2 months we've been retrieving the anchor almost daily. It's not a hard job. The windlass does the heavy lifting while the saltwater wash-down makes sure the chain is clean. The head of the anchor (where the chain attaches to the shank) usually slips easily into the hause-pipe. Invariably though the flukes need to be manhandled, with a boat hook, so they'll lie flush against the hull. A little fanagaling is usually all it takes. This morning however, it was a perfect lift--all chain aboard, head in the hause and the flukes flush. All three judges awarded 10.0's and the crowd went crazy. See, little things, they can make you happy. Today we covered some of the broadest bodies of water on the trip: Neuse River; Alligator River; Pamlico Sound; and, Albermarle Sound. In adverse winds each of these can be miserable places to be. Fortunately, today it was perfect. 111nm today: 2,556nm total. DBH
