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| Sunset at Belhaven, NC |
A sad day indeed after leaving Heather but we got back into
our routine quickly. We continued along
the Nuese River through the Pamlico Sound allowing the autopilot to do most of
the steering using waypoints along our route.
The size of the river still amazed us but by midday we rejoined the more
typical Intracoastal Waterway north of Pamlico and into the Pungo River. That night despite howling winds we decided
to anchor in an anchorage near Belhaven, NC.
Probably not the brightest decision, as we had to endure SE winds that
blew rollers through a long fetch of the Pungo River under our keel well into
the night. After several days of gourmet
cooking with Heather, we decided that PB&J sandwiches were about all we
could muster. While our anchor held
strong, the evening aboard was not very comfortable and made for a restless
night. By morning the winds had subsided
and we were off toward Alligator River Marina to position for crossing the
Albemarle Sound. We were the only boat
in the marina until late in the evening so the dock hands and even Miss Wanda,
the long-time owner spent time telling us all about the area and issues
concerning entry into the Sound and our crossing.
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| A wave before departing Alligator River Marina |
We had been anxious about crossing the Albemarle Sound after
listening to dozens of hair-raising stories.
Fortunately, morning brought favorable weather with a south wind about
5-10 mph. The 15-mile open water cruise
was completely uneventful. We had great
anticipation for the rest of the day as our route north included the Great
Dismal Swamp. We entered the Pasquotank
River into Elizabeth City, NC, where a construction barge had to be moved just
to let us pass through the downtown drawbridge.
Quite an effort and we were too concerned negotiating around the barge
and bridge to think about grabbing the camera.
Another missed opportunity!
The Pasquotank River was as beautiful as the Waccamaw but
even more narrow. We twisted and turned
our way to the first lock that led into the Dismal Swamp Canal. William Byrd II originally surveyed the area
in 1728 that provided its name. Later
George Washington in 1763 founded the Dismal Swamp Co. intended to create a
settlement but instead timbered the area from its lush forests. By 1790 the canal through the Swamp was
started and dedicated in 1805. It played
a major role as part of the Underground Railroad and supply line for
Confederate troops during the Civil War.
These notes of history are among the many enjoyable things we are learning
along our trip north. Not only can we
read about the significant areas of our past but also touch, feel and
experience what our ancestors did. God
bless our forefathers (and mothers) who persevered.
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The Pasquotank River in the Great Dismal Swamp
(of all the wildlife we could see, a water moccasin was the first) |
At the halfway point along the canal we found the Visitor
Center (now the Dismal Swamp National Wildlife Refuge) that services both land
and waterway travelers. We rafted against the wall with a half dozen other boaters
arriving at cocktail time to toast another successful day on the water. Cheers!!!!
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| Rafted to the wall of the Visitor Center |
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| A peaceful morning on the canal entering the 5th state of our journey north |
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Sandy manning the bow line in Dismal Swamp Lock
Note the happy face, this is lock #2 |
A little diversion… Sandy and I find that we tend to have a
few anxious disagreements twice a day, getting off the dock or anchorage and
once again docking or anchoring.
Fortunately, both these tense moments only add up to about a half hour a
day and we consider ourselves fortunate to continue our loving relationship the
other 23 ½ hours. Heading into the first
lock at the Dismal Swamp added a third half hour that day as Sandy nearly
decompensated as we prepared to “lock through” for the first time by ourselves. We didn’t hurt ourselves or break anything so
the experience proved useful. Needless
to say, the second lock was a cinch—what a trooper she is.
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| Lock Master's hut, various "swamp" pics and a sign post at Deep Creek Lock |
Day two of the Swamp concluded with our entry into one of
the largest marine industrial areas along the Eastern United States – Norfolk,
VA. The contrast between the Swamp and
Naval Warships, Cruise liners and ocean going barges is nearly
unimaginable. We dodged tugs and ships as
we made our way to Statute Mile Zero of the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway. Our departure from Vero Beach, FL occurred at
SM 948.5. Adding mileage from the trip
where we purchased Some R Lovin’ in Dunedin, FL (near Tampa) we have logged a
total of 1,271 miles on the water getting to Norfolk. Not bad for a couple of novice sailors from
Canfield, OH. We enjoyed a walk to town in Norfolk but most of our time was
spent in Lens Crafters. Sandy broke her
glasses during our trip through the Dismal Swamp beyond repair. Can’t have a navigator who can’t read a chart
onboard so new glasses were absolutely necessary. Only took 5 hours, ugh!
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| Ships, barges and a peaceful sunset at Waterside Marina, Norfolk, VA |
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Our View from Some R Lovin' of
Waterside Marina, Norfolk, VA and Norfolk Naval Shipyard |
New specs firmly affixed, we headed out of Norfolk bright
and early away from this incredibly large and busy port into the new cruising
ground of the Chesapeake Bay. On our way
out of the channel we encountered Warship 55 heading from the ocean back to
homeport. Not the typical cruising boat
we have grown accustomed to seeing and certainly not something we wanted to be
too close to. A simple call on the VHF
alerted the Captain to our intentions of staying clear. A starboard to starboard pass crossing over
the Norfolk tunnel and we were headed to a series of light houses marking our
way north in the Chesapeake. Only this
time our channel markers were VERY far apart again requiring us to depend on
waypoints and autopilot to keep us on course.
On the way to Deltaville, Dan discovered a small leak from the shaft
seal that would eventually lead to days “on the hard” allowing for repairs.
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| Warship 71 under repair and Warship 55 entering my channel |
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| Haul out in Deltaville Boatyard, VA |
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