Edenton NC is a good place to start exploring Albemarle Sound as well as the Chowan, Roanoke, and Cashie Rivers. There are 2 good ramps there: Midway on the Sound & Edenhouse on the Chowan River. The forecast had NW winds on Friday & NE winds Saturday so I launched at the Edenhouse next to US 17. It is well lighted & has a restroom. The Chowan River flows N-S so I had long tacks back & forth across the river to reach the mouth of Keel Creek . I had dropped down to a double reef and jib by the time I reached the Creek. It appears that at one time the peninsula guarding the creek’s mouth reached ½ mile further south than it does now because the river nearby is studded with cypress stumps and large logs. In good light most are easily spotted. Several barely awash were marked with red/white PVC pipes. However, since this was a new area I dropped sails and slowly motored in to a very sheltered anchorage in the cypress swamp. Whereas the river still had whitecaps the anchorage was flat as glass. While relaxing 30 yards from shore I was surprised by a black bear climbing a nearby tree where he proceeded to bat the Spanish Moss on its limbs for a half hour or so. At the same time a second bear calmly walked along the shore. Later in the evening I noticed a disturbance in the water which appeared to be getting closer to the boat. In the twilight it was difficult to see what was making the set of ripples slowly approaching the boat. With my binoculars I was finally able to make out a face. Turned out to be a beaver that made a half circle around my anchorage. Saturday brought a light wind in the creek which allowed me to reach out at ¾ knot while eating breakfast. In the river winds were 8-9 knots for the first hour then died to 3-4 knots. This was good for a slow sail a few hundred feet from d shore most of the way back. Didn’t go very fast but did not need to do more 5 or 6 tacks in the 12 NM home.