Yes, the Swamp is Dismal today.

This was the best sunshine of our day:  sunrise at Elizabeth City, NC.

We followed Zendo out of Elizabeth City and into the Great Dismal Swamp today.  We covered 18 miles to reach the South Mills Lock for the 11:00 am opening.  Once we went through the lock as one of six boats, we were in the Great Dismal Swamp Canal.  

  In this lock the Lockmaster took a bow and a stern line from us, looped it around a bollard and handed it back. 

Then we shortened our lines as the water lifted all boats 8 feet.

It's a rainy day, which is too bad because it's too wet to take a hike or a bike ride in the swamp.

The Great Dismal Swamp, which runs between North Carolina and Virginia, was first named the Great Dismal, which means "swamp." So now the name is redundant.  George Washington visited this area, which was slated to be cleared for settlement; however, they decided to harvest the timber instead.  People escaping from slavery hid in the swamp on their way north.  The canal was built by enslaved peoples and completed in 1805.  

The green overhanging trees in the canal are lovely.  However, US Highway 17 runs beside it, so it does not have the deep quiet of the Okeefenokee Swamp.  If it were a sunny day, we could take a dinghy trip to Lake Drummond, away from the highway and really be in swampy land.

Here are the first four boats tied up at the Welcome Center in the swamp.

Aunt Aggie is rafted to the first boat, Tranquility.  

Since this photo was taken, two more sailboats have arrived. A big one is rafted behind us.  His anchor is just 3 feet behind our dinghy.  I will need tranquility to sleep tonight in this crowd of boats.  Tomorrow more rain and wind are expected.  All the boats are planning to leave at 7:30 am.

Elizabeth City, NC

So glad to be in Elizabeth City, NC!

We crossed the Albemarle Sound this morning.  It was a bumpy ride for the first hour.  I couldn't even knit:  I needed to stand up and watch for crab pots.  They were scattered and hard to see with the waves and white caps.  We had two foot waves and some spray over our bow. The first fifteen minutes when we were really out in the sound lasted an hour.  I kept turning around and looking at the clock.  Time stood still as we bounced over the water.  George tacked closer to shore, and that was a big help, cutting down on the fetch.  The second hour was more comfortable.  We were out with four other boats.  Our real sign of relief came when the water was calm enough for me to go out on the back porch and bring in two beers for later.  I put those babies in the freezer, so we could celebrate at noon.  (We did!)

Elizabeth City, NC, is a friendly town with lots of free docks right downtown.  There is a park beside the water, and people have been sitting on benches or walking nearby the boats all day.  Looper friends from Nearly Perfect grabbed our lines after George did a great job of backing into the slip.  The finger dock is so tiny that it's just a stunted thumb.

I have to hold onto our boat rail above my head and step over the gap onto the dock or the stool.  

Not a comfortable way to get off the boat.  Climbing on is easier.

This is the view looking back into the river from Aunt Aggie.  

When we arrived, the Pasquotank River, flowing by Elizabeth City, was quiet.  About an hour ago we started feeling steady rocking. It's the wind picking up again as the afternoon progresses.  But we are safely tied.  Tomorrow we move into the Great Dismal Swamp.  

Second Day at Alligator River.

 Aunt Aggie at the face dock, Alligator River Marina.

This morning all of our looper friends took off and went across Albemarle Sound.  We got a call about an hour later from No Zip Code, reporting that the ride was bumpy with 3 foot waves and spray across their bow.  So we stayed put, but we felt that tug to go with the crowd.  The weather and wind did settle as the day progressed, and more folks left.  However, after lunch a new bunch of trawlers and sailboats arrived, so we have met some more boaters.

After waving good-bye to friends, we retired to the Shell Station for breakfast.  We had bacon and hash browns and biscuits.  Yes, they were greasy.  Yes, they were delicious.  George did a few hours of engineering today, and I cleaned the boat.  We filled our water tanks and the dinghy.  We read and napped.  It's a quiet day in Lake Wobegone.

I just made tortellini soup in the crock pot.  It will be yummy on a chilly night, and we will pack extra servings in the freezer. We had to resist the call of fried chicken in the Shell Station. They have a grill that's open until 6:30 pm.

We are listening to Laura Nyro, First Songs.  The best love songs ever! Also the songs we listened to as newlyweds in Norfolk.  We will be in Norfolk on Saturday, just a day early.

Another entertainment source for us is watching TV series we missed in earlier years.  Atlanta friends lent us several collections.  We just finished Carnivale.  That was heavy duty.  The darkness of the Depression era landscape and the characters' actions just about did us in.  We persevered, pulled in by the mysteries. What would happen to Ben Hawkins?  Was Brother Justin a good man or a charlatan?  Each character showed compassion and harshness.  Only two seasons were made, and I can see why:  The complexity makes it hard to stick with the show.  Since we don't have many options, and we can binge watch, we get hooked easier than the average viewer.    

Tomorrow we will cross Albemarle Sound, which has been lurking in my mind for a month.  Winds are expected to be less than 10 mph.

Here is the Shell Station with Aunt Aggie parked behind at the dock.

Alligator River, NC

We left Belhaven Marina at 7:35 am, early for us, hoping to catch calm winds on our big day.  We traveled 54 miles.  First we did a  9 mile stretch on the end of the Pongo River.  Then we were in the Pongo-Alligator Canal for over two hours.  We had a couple of exciting moments in there.  We were passed by a large barge.

It was tight in the canal, but the barge passed easily.

A little later we were confused about the location of shoaling, and we briefly ran aground.  We went way too far to the right, expecting shoaling on the port side.  As we got more and more shallow, we overcorrected the wrong way.  At the time we were also talking to friends from home, and that probably didn't help our decision making.  For about five minutes we were stuck.  Oh, no!  Then George shifted into reverse and gunned the engine.  We backed into the center of the canal.  What a relief to see 8 feet of water.  Yahoo!  We finished that stretch without any more drama. 

The last section of the day was the Alligator River.  We spent a bit over two hours in bumpy water, moving north.  The wind was picking up as it does every afternoon.  There were crab pots and waves.  At least it was sunny.  George did a great job keeping us headed for the Alligator Swing Bridge.  The bridge tender was a nice guy and opened for us without making us wait too long.  We were done for the day.

Now we are at Alligator River Marina, which is behind a Shell Station.  In the station they have a grill, and Ms. Wanda cooks breakfast and fast food.  We are going over for breakfast (biscuits) tomorrow for sure.  We will soon be enjoying happy hour in the lounge with friends from four other looper boats.  

There was nothing to photograph today, so here are some photos of my grandchildren.

Zoe and Addie live in Atlanta.  This is an autumn shot.
Now they are wearing flip flops and sundresses for spring.

Asa lives in San Francisco.  He is a buster.  He is four months old.

Louie is the older brother in SF.  He is two, speaks Japanese 

and understands English.  

Belhaven Marina, NC

We stayed two nights here due to cold and wet weather.  This is a great marina in a small town.  The people who own it are super helpful.  They even put out fenders on the dock for us.  Everything is pristine and groomed.  They have plantings with perennials and shells.  There is a large, free washer and dryer.  The bathrooms are large, private and decorated.  It is like your bathroom at home.  They provide toiletries and clean towels too. I feel as if we are guests here.
 Here's a photo of the women's room:

It has a shell and sea motif.

The men's room is decorated with WWII memorabilia. On the wall is the discharge notice of the owner's uncle, Bernard. There is also a "Dear John" letter written to him.

This letter is heart breaking: "I want my freedom..."  

There are several looper boats here.  We visited with Cary and Martha from Freedom, whom we had met in Pensacola.  They are on the way home to Philadelphia, having finished their loop.  We also met new friends on I think I Can, a Ranger Tug.  Tonight we are invited to dinner on No Zip Code with Kathy and Kenny.  We have been with them at the last three marinas, so we are getting to know them.  We wanted to bring something to share at dinner, and Kathy suggested dessert.  Hmm.  We don't have any dessert items.

We walked around town, hoping to find a bakery or coffee shop.  This is a very small town + it is Sunday + we are on foot.  The best sweets we could find were at Jr.'s Market, a quick stop. We have chocolate bars:  Snickers, Kit Kats, and Hersheys with almonds.

A Carolina Sprit Sail Skiff being built by the town at the museum.  

Tomorrow we expect to leave early and have a long day, moving up the Alligator River.  The skies are clearing here.  It is 53 degrees right now.  I know at home it is warm and sunny, and I am jealous. 

Tomorrow we expect our temps to climb into the 60s and have NW wind under 10mph.  We're getting in position for crossing the Albemarle Sound on Tuesday or Wednesday.  

We loved Oriental, NC + New page of favorite towns.

Fence in Oriental, NC, topped with conch shells.

This artsy front walk commemorates a family's history:  a 50th birthday, their move from NH to NC and more.

We were inspired by Oriental, NC, to start a new page on the blog.  So look at our Top Towns list.  These towns are charming and vibrant and well tended.  The people are friendly and welcoming to strangers.  They are walkable towns.

Yesterday we had docktails with three other looper boats:  Ariel, No Zip Code, and Diva Di on Diva Di, a 34 foot catamaran. They had so much wide salon space! It was fun to compare notes and share stories.  Then we walked to dinner.  As we walked by the marine hardware, we saw an amazing sight:  The owner had left 6 dinghies and 7 kayaks outside after hours.  They were not locked up or chained.  What a town!  This kind of valuable item can be left out without being stolen or damaged?  We were impressed.

You see the dinghies.  The kayaks are to the right.

Today after going by the small farmers' market and buying fresh eggs, we shoved off in grey weather.  It was chilly too.  We went north on the Neuse River and Goose Creek, across the Pamlico River and into the Pungo River.  Don't you enjoy saying the names?  The water was calm today.  Yahoo!  So we made good time and were happy to cross rivers without being bounced.  

We always look at houses and choose our favorites.  This one stuck out because it is isolated.  

How do people live in such a solitary place?  

We decided to push past our anchorage because there is really nothing to do in an anchorage on a rainy day but sit and look at each other and worry about possible bad weather. Since I can do this any old day, I didn't need to stop moving at noon for the extra hours of quiet.  We drove about 47 miles to Belhaven Marina in Belhaven, NC, a tiny town.  We are here with lots of the folks from yesterday.  We took a walk around town, found ice cream cones, and returned to Aunt Aggie when the rain started.  We are snug here and may stay tomorrow too because rain and wind may be coming.  We are early for Norfolk, so spending an extra day here is okay.

(Don't forget to look at the new page:  Top Towns.)

Crossing the Neuse River and into Oriental, NC

                                                

We saw this sign around Beaufort, NC. It says, "Leslie, will you marry me?"

We left Spooners Creek early, hoping to get onto the free dock at Oriental, NC.  But two trawlers were already set there when we arrived at 12:30.  We pulled into a slip right beside them at the Oriental Marina and Inn.  There are at least five looper trawlers here now.  We've been leap-frogging with these folks along the coast.  They were in Georgetown, SC, when we were there too. There it was too rainy to visit well.  Today we will gather for happy hour and exchange stories.  We all are glad to be here after crossing the Neuse River in 15 mph winds on our bow and 2 - 3 foot waves.
When I called the marina and asked for a spot, the dock master said, "How are you liking that northern wind?"
     I replied from my seat on the stairs with my knitting on my lap, "Well, it's on our bow, which is good, but it's bouncier than I like."  He laughed.  The good news for me is that I am with George, who enjoys driving the boat in the waves.  I can help him spot the channel markers if necessary, but I sit down as soon as our course is set.
   
We had clam chowder at the marina restaurant for lunch.  George did some engineering, and I rinsed the boat.  We had lots of spray hitting the windshield, so I gave her a good wash.  Then I took a walk around another charming small town.

Oriental has 900 citizens and about 3000 boats.  They have preserved their old buildings and re-used them as art galleries and taverns.  They have dragon boat races and runs.  There is a tent with fresh shrimp and fish for sale today and a farmers' market in the morning.

 There's a fine sense of place and civic pride.

 Just saw this sculpture sitting in a creek.

This art gallery features local artists.  An artist is in the shop today, painting celtic designs

on drum heads.  The drums are used in celtic dance and music.  

Happy Friday!

Math Lesson + Photo Loss

This sign was on the dock at Swan Point Marina. 

Today we avoided some excitement by correctly solving math problems and being lucky. First, we had to arrive on time for the opening of the Onslow Beach Swing Bridge, which opens only on the hour and half hour and is operated by the Marines from Camp LeJeune.  The bridge was 6 miles away.  We were traveling 6 mph, which would have gotten us there in one hour.  But Martha likes to be a little early.  So we sped up.  When there was 10 minutes to go, we needed to cover 0.8 miles.  How fast should we travel?  Ten minutes is 1/6 of an hour.  6 x 0.8 = 4.8, so we went 5 mph for the last ten minutes.  We were the only boat waiting in the current and light wind for the opening, and we made it through.  I was quizzing George and questioning his methods, and he said, "You have to trust your math!"  Words to live by.

Second, after the bridge we were in the ICW that borders Camp LeJeune.  They sometimes have live firing exercises and close the river.  We called the information line many times to ask about today's schedule.  However, the phone lines were acting up, and we never got through.  Luckily, as we passed  the camp, there were no red flashing lights on the DANGER sign.  (I had photos of the DANGER sign and of some abandoned vehicles, including a rocket launcher that I guess they use for target practice.)

Unluckily, my computer shut off after I downloaded lots of great photos from today's trip.  I lost the pictures.  So I have nothing other than the sign above to show.  You will use your imagination to picture North Carolina's quiet waters and towering dunes.

We passed through Bogue Sound for much of the trip.  The water was glassy.  There was little wind.
This state is different.  Yes, we still see the marshes, but the dunes are the most noticeable feature on the waterway. I am unfamiliar with this area of small towns near the Outer Banks.

We are now at Morehead City, staying at Spooners Creek Marina.  The sun is warming us.  We already made the mile walk to Walmart for groceries.  It's the grocery most found in small towns and in walking distance of marinas.  Tomorrow we will leave early and try to get a spot for Friday night at the Oriental, NC, free dock.

Low Bridges

Today we had two low bridges where we had to wait for openings. We need 18 feet to comfortably pass under a bridge. They both opened on the hour, and I was a bit stressed by the waiting. First, we came out of the marina and waited for the Wrightsville Beach Bridge (height = 16'). Two sailboats, Promise and Persuasion, were waiting with us.  We all wandered in the channel before the bridge, biding our time.  At 9:00 am we passed through.  We expected the next bridge to be three hours away, so we motored on.

The current was with us, however, and we came within range of the second bridge, the Surf City Swing Bridge (height = 12'), about 40 minutes early. When we were three miles away, George slowed down to 4 mph, so we would not be in a crowd.  However, we still were a bit tight south of the bridge. Promise and Persuasion plus two trawlers were present. There was shoaling on the port side.  The current and tide were moving the waiting boats too close for comfort.  Those ten minutes of waiting lasted a long time.

Can you see the giraffe overlooking the ICW?

A mermaid was next door to the giraffe.

We called our intended marina, Swan Point, all day, and got a weird busy signal.  As we moved closer and closer to that area, we tried to raise them on Channels 16 and 13, which we thought they monitored.  We finally had given up and decided we'd have to continue for 2 more hours, when Swan Point called us.  Tina, the owner, had been outside painting and missed our radio calls.  The phones in this part of North Carolina seem to be on the fritz, or they are affected today by something happening at Camp LeJeune next door.  Just in time we turned in to the marina, and Tina and John grabbed our lines.  Home again.  

This is a remote quiet area north of Topsail, NC.  George did some engineering work, and I read and napped.  The afternoon slipped away.  There is a lot of wind again.  It picks up in the afternoon.  Is this April?  Is it the shape of the coastline?  The wind is more on our bow, so we are not being rocked.  We have two fenders holding us off a pole.  I did sleep last night, and I plan to tonight.  

At my age sleep is the best luxury.  

Feeling pretty smart about our double fender work.

Windy!

Joy in the morning!  This is the scene at 9:00 am from our boat.  Beautiful sunny day.

Today has been a day at the beach.  Literally.  We did some work in the morning and then packed up books, drinks and sunscreen, carried our chairs, and went to the beach.  On the way we stopped for a late lunch at a Mexican restaurant.  Delicious.  There were lots more people on the beach today than yesterday.  College kids and music filled the space.  We sat with our backs to the wind and read.
After a brisk walk, we came home at 4:00 pm.

Last night was a different story.  The wind and waves built up as the evening progressed, and I did not sleep.  Here is what I wrote in the night:

I am awake at 1:30 am writing this.  We both woke up when loud and deep waves seemed to hit the side of Aunt Aggie.  Even though we are at a face dock, tied securely, we are bouncing.  We have four fenders keeping us off the wall at Sea Path Marina in Wrightsville Beach.  The wind has picked up steadily.  Now the Weather Channel says we have 24 mph winds, which seems about right.  The wind is gusting and howling.  I tried my new ear plugs, but I can't get those to work.  I played several games of Words with Friends, but even my son in San Francisco has finally gone to bed.  So what to do?  It is too wild to sleep.  The sky is clearing.  There are white caps in the channel beside us.  I wonder if other people on nearby boats are sleeping.  Since George is snoozing, I know it is possible.

When we came home from the beach today at 4:00, the wind was blowing, and waves were slapping the side of the boat again.  I was upset.  Can I trust the Weather Channel's prediction of less than 10mph wind for tonight?  As dark comes on, I do not want to find myself closed up in a boat that is rocked by loud waves.  I always wonder if everyone else on the dock has gone to a hotel. This extra wind is because we chose to be close to the beach.  My love affair with the beach may be ending.  Or maybe it's just on hold until I can finish the loop and return to renting beach houses.  They don't rock.

Cape Fear River and Wrightsville Beach

We were lucky with current today.  We left St. James Marina at 9:25 just 30 minutes before high tide. So we hit the mouth of the Cape Fear River at high tide.  We were pushed north and kept finding high tide most of the morning.  We were really moving!  On the river we were going 11 mph. The mouth was a wide area and bouncy.  I sat down to knit.

I'm knitting scarf #2. 

This tow was pushing a barge just as we entered Cape Fear River.  We got out of the way and passed "on the ones."

Is there a good children's book about working vessels on the water?  We saw so many people doing their work on this sunny Monday.  

I wanted to show the width of the river.


A touring boat with several school classes aboard near Wilmington.


This dredge was one of three we saw working.



We passed the barge with crane just before getting to our marina.  Later we saw them moving a
gazebo in an inlet as we walked to the beach.

At Snow's Cut just past the main channel we were going 12 mph.  So fun.  Then we passed the Carolina Beach Inlet, and the current reversed.  In 200 yards we went from 12 to 6.5 mph.  We had had a good run though.

Beautiful hint of the Atlantic Ocean just beyond these dunes.

We slipped into a space on the face dock at Sea Path Marina and did a couple of hours of work.  George did some engineering, and I found and confirmed our marinas for Baltimore and Delaware.  

Around 4:00 pm we walked to and along the beach.  Beautiful and quiet.  We were last here when our son Hunter was attending UNCW.  He graduated 10 years ago.  That makes us feel old.

Happy to be here.  We will stay tomorrow too and really have a beach day.

George wading in a tidal pool.

North Carolina Beaches - Here we come!

The lighthouse is just for fun here at Lightkeepers Marina.

We are gaining sunshine each day.  Yesterday we had several hours of sun in the afternoon after we had pulled into Lightkeepers Marina.  We walked 270 degrees around the marina on the wide boardwalk.  We also sat on the fly bridge, read, and basked in the rays.

This morning we had partial sun as we motored into North Carolina, our seventh state.  We were very close to the ocean.  As we passed inlets, we could sometimes see breakers.  We felt the pull of the Atlantic at Ocean Isle Beach, which is where the Hunters have their beach house.  Now we are in Southport, NC, just below the Cape Fear River, which we will cross tomorrow.  We are at St. James Marina, a big development.  After we got settled in, the rains came.  It was cozy for napping. 

As I write this, we are entertained by dance music from a bar across the harbor.  You'd think they were playing just for us.  "I love the nightlife.  I got to boogie on the disco-round. Oh, yeah..."

The beach was so close when we came through here.  There were sand bars and a working dredge.

Interesting Travel Day

Four turtles greeted me as George pumped fuel.  I could just get three in the photo.
Their heads are the shiny circles sticking above water.

We got diesel fuel and a pump out this morning and left Osprey Marina at 9:05 am.  The diesel price was terrific:  $2.36/gallon.  This is at least $0.60/gallon less than George had seen elsewhere. As soon as we pulled out into the waterway, the rain began.  It was straight down and soft.  But rain again!  This is day #8 of rain or mist.  We were following Jacqueline, a trawler that had been docked beside us.  We had two low swing bridges to call and ask for openings, so we wanted to stay close to Jacqueline, so we could go through those together.  Being the second boat to arrive just after a bridge has closed is not a good position, and bridge keepers appreciate boaters' working together.

Besides the two swing bridges, we saw a few other odd sights today.  Golfers were out on two courses playing in the rain.  Cable cars went overhead as we passed Myrtle Beach.

Cable cars over the ICW.  

We heard a report from the Coast Guard of a floating dock in the middle of the waterway.  Then just north of mile 355, we spied the dock.  It was dangerous.  Two guys on jet skis were trying to corral it to no avail.  They needed some rope.

We went around the dock safely.

Finally, we passed through the Rock Pile, a skinny section of the ICW that looked worrisome when we reviewed our charts.  If we had met another boat, we would have been at risk for running up on the rocky sides.  Since we were out on a rainy Saturday, we were pretty much alone.   

We are now at Lightkeepers Marina north of Myrtle Beach.  The dock master was so kind and polite.  After tying our lines and showing us around, she offered to drive us to the store.  We went last night, so we declined.  The sun is out, so we are off for a walk. 

Tall grasses along the waterway.

Waccamaw River

 We were back on a real river today, the Waccamaw River.

We had an issue with our shower pump this week, and today we stayed at Georgetown for a while to have Bruce come over and help us figure it out.  He said we had a blockage.  He and George removed an in-line check valve.  We hope this will correct the issue.  So we got away at 10:35 am.  George did great backing out of our slip.  This is sometimes hard for us with just one engine.  I am always nervous and saying, "Slow down," too much.  Today all went well, and we slipped out with no issues.

Once again at Georgetown there were several looper boats.  So fun for us to run into the same folks and also meet new ones who are going north.  We will know some people at Norfolk, which will make that rendezvous much more fun.  

We were very happy to discover that the Waccamaw River was like the Tombigbee and the Tennessee Rivers, a deep and wide waterway with tall trees, both cypress and hardwoods.  It was a beautiful ride, still cloudy today, but no rain.  We saw a hint of sun and blue sky, which cheered us.  Because there were no outlets to the ocean, there were no fast, big boats.  So for the first day in a long time, we did not get waked today.  Yahoo!

Look at the glassy water:  beautiful cypress!

We saw several ospreys on nests.  This one had a bird on the nest and another one flying overhead, trying to ward off an intruder osprey.  Drama.

We are staying at Osprey Marina, a fine spot south of Myrtle Beach.  A year ago we visited this place to look at a Grand Banks 36, the kind of boat we wanted.  The boat was not in great shape, so we passed on it.  (It is still here.)  But at that time we said we wanted to stop in here.  And here we are!

This is a great marina:  They helped us tie up.  They gave us a goodie bag.  There are goats to visit just down the road.  There is an Italian restaurant that will pick us up, serve us dinner, and let us go to the grocery store next door, and then bring us back home.  (We do have to pay $10.) We are happy.

George with our goodies from the goodie bag:  Tide, crackers, two sweet rolls for breakfast, Waterways Guide,  homemade pepper jelly, shampoo, creme rinse and soap, a whistle.  How many marinas have we visited?
First goodie bag.

Wild flower field.  There's a horse back there too.

When we approached the fence, the goats jogged over.  This guy had the best horns.

This nanny and baby were sweet.  Same coloring.