Our 9:30, Mother’s Day exit from Top Rack Marina took us through the heart of Norfolk/Portsmouth.
Our jaws dropped wide open as we passed through. Amanda’s comment was, “We’re not in Kansas anymore.” Our boat, which looks big to many people, was put in perspective as we passed the destroyers, aircraft carriers, frigates, container ships, cruise ships, and barges. What a feeling of humility and awe, appreciative of our armed forces, living in a country where protection of the people has always been the priority and purpose of our government. I’ll stop there as this is not a political debate platform.
140′ Vertical–RR Lift Bridge
We decided to duck into a marina known as Salt Pond Marina in Hampton Virginia. Nice, economical stay. The plan was 1 night and head to Deltaville, Va. on Monday morning. The morning forecast changed our plan. Winds 15-20 mph, with rain and fog, and lots of open water between here and our destination dictated that we chill another 24 hours. Minor boat maintenance and making our plans for our 2-week “visit” to Savannah became the day’s priorities. Tuesday morning, crack of dawn departure is now Plan A.
The last few days have offered less excitement than the previous, with fewer photo ops, so here’s a summary (as much for me to remember more than your reading pleasure).
We enjoyed time with our old friends, the Adlon’s, who hosted us by serving us lunch in their restaurant, loaning us their truck so we had freedom to play tourist and get a few supplies. We enjoyed dinner with them Friday night.
We toured the Albermarle Museum on Thursday afternoon, learning much of the history of the area, with my favorite being the maritime development influence on the area.
Rode one like this as a kid with step grandpa.
I never installed a fire pump like this in my career.
Friday was spent at the Outer Banks, visiting the site of the Wright Brothers first flight and enjoying the beach for awhile.
Our dockage was complimentary, provided by the city of Elizabeth City. They welcome transients such as us by providing docking on the waterfront. Of course, I always enjoy free. Backing into the tight slip on Thursday afternoon, with significant wind in my face, was not an easy task for this rookie captain. Somehow, the mariner gods smiled on me, and we managed to get backed in. On our exit Saturday morning, those same mariner gods were not so friendly. We had prepped, released the noncritical lines, and Amanda was on the portside side bow to release the last line. I started out, but the boat was behaving erratically. Amanda yelled that I was about to hit one of the pile guides. About the same time, the captain on the boat adjacent to us yelled, “Hey your starboard stern line is still attached to the piling!” Forty years of marriage and we still have communication issues. Amanda flew to the stern, released the line, and it was amazing how well the boat handled. I really wish I had a picture, but we were too busy trying to pull pilings out of the ground.
The Dismal Swamp was our Saturday adventure. We enjoyed this little leg, but won’t repeat it. The pictures show its unique beauty, but the trip was slow and dangerous because of hidden obstacles. We hit something 2 different times. Fortunately, we had no damage.
Leaving….
Arriving
When you’re not the lead dog, the scenery never changes.
At the lock…see Savannah?
Long straight, man-made canal…Dismal
The cool part was learning to go through locks. This was our first. Not too difficult now, but we were a little intimidated. The dock keepers are patient, communicate well, and very helpful to those who are less experienced.
Water rising-Lock #1
Water dropping-Lock #2
After a VEEERRRRYYY long dissertation on the history of the Dismal Swamp, compliments of the lock keeper, we managed to get to our marina, just before the storm hit. As you can see, not all our scenery is glamorous.
Across the river from marina.
Tornado hit Suffolk, 10 minutes from the marina.
The hour is late as I wrap this day. I’ll report our excitement through Norfolk tomorrow.
With the gorgeous sunrise we also got this shot of 2 sailboats. The fog on the water seemed to part so I could get the boats and the fog effect. I am not an artist and I am not a photographer, but if I was, this would be the painting I would want to paint. Who knows, maybe someday, when I get over my addiction to diesel fumes.
Our original plan today was short. We would go about 20 miles and anchor at the entrance to the Albermarle Sound. This sound, and the Pamlico that we traversed 2 days back, are known for getting a little “bumpy”. We got to our planned destination by 11:00ish, and listened to the weather report. The forecast for the area was “winds up to 5 knots and the seas were an anticipated 1 foot”. Being the seasoned captain that I am (almost 3 weeks of experience), I determined that there was no better time than the present to make the crossing. It was a good call. We made the 15 mile crossing with hardly a ripple on the water. The only challenge in the crossing was negotiating the crab trap floats. The very straight line on the charts was more like a pass route that Tom Brady has his receivers run for the Patriots. I am reasonably sure I missed them all and none are hanging from my prop shaft.
Our first bald eagle of the trip.
We give these guys ALL the room they want
After passing The Tow (as they prefer to be called)
An old plant is the backdrop for a residential development along the Pasquotank River
Aerial view of same–entering Elizabeth City, NC. The dot is the Honey Queen.
With the crossing, we pushed ourselves on to Elizabeth City, NC. (Mile Marker 51), which is where I am currently writing at the moment. We have plans tomorrow to reconnect with our old friends, Scott & Michelle Adlon. They were friends in Savannah from our Southside Baptist days. They are here and own a couple restaurants. Michelle and Amanda have talked for most of the day, so the next couple days have been programmed strategically by the cruise directors. It will be fun to catch up with friends from long past.
This was one of our longer days: 53 miles. That doesn’t sound like very far, but when
blazing through the aqua at speeds of 7.5 knots (that’s over 8.5 mph), it can
be a pretty long day. Traveling on a
boat at this speed capacity not only allows us to stop and smell the roses,
sometimes we can actually watch them grow.
We pulled out at 07500 (10 till 8). The big adventure was the excitement of passing through the Alligator River-Pungo River Canal. Stories of osprey, bald eagles, alligators, and even an occasional bear sighting had us pumped with anticipation. As it turned out, we saw 5 horseflies, 2 of which drew blood. This man-made canal was long and straight. Did I say straight? Were it not for the other occasional boats we met and passed us, I could have set the auto-pilot, taken a nap, had lunch, and read War and Peace without ever touching the wheel.
Stern view
Bow view
We did get to steer from the flybridge which was nice, as the weather has not been quite warm enough to enjoy it often. I love having lunch up there. For those who know me well, Doritos are my main staple. Having them on the bridge is always a game of cat and mouse. I have figured out this week that bringing the bag to bridge, in lieu of few on the plate, guarantees entry into my mouth.
Our anchorage this night was on the Upper Alligator River (Mile Marker 101.1). An old logging channel had been cut in the basin and was well marked on our charts. We eased into the area with plenty of water (depth) and settled in. Though the tide swing in this area is virtually non-existent, the current does change slightly. The boat swings on the hook (aka anchor). The beauty of this particular place was we got to watch a fabulous sunset from our back porch. And then got to watch an even more spectacular sunrise from…. our back porch. Living in a mobile home that floats has a few disadvantages, but having a different back yard, not only every day, but twice a day, is a pretty cool “thang”.
This morning was pretty windy, so we sat tight until it settled. Then late morning we launched the dinghy and headed across to the public docks. We walked the little town and then had a nice lunch at M & M’s. Explored a little more from the dinghy and were Northbound in the Honey Queen by 2:30.
Wondering what to do with that Harley tank and old pot in your yard?
Love these old shrimp boats
2 beauties
Our destination was Campbell Creek, an anchorage recommended in our Waterguide. Beautiful setting, with water only 6-7 feet. We were entering the area pretty slowly when we got a call on the VHF. “To the trawler coming up Campbell Creek, come in please.” I answered the guy, thinking, o crud, what have I done (this is a very common thought, as I daily wonder what was I thinking when I bought this boat.) He said, “We are harbor host for this area. Our dock in front of our home is wide open, if you’d like to tie up there for the night.” Twenty minutes later, we were sitting in the home of Rip and Beth, who had just completed the Loop in March. Rip grew up in the Chesapeake Bay area and was a wealth of knowledge. He gave us tons of pointers assisting us in navigating the Chesapeake and beyond. What a delightful surprise to have this offering.
Left Town Creek Marina Sunday morning. Our planned time (something we haven’t done much of lately), was 8:30 am. We squeezed out of our tight slight slip into a tighter fairway (I like to use this word because it sounds like I know what I am talking about—I’ve known this word in this context now for almost 3 weeks), which is the run of water between 2 rows of slips. I managed to barely hit 1 boat on the exit, backing out. No damage to either boat. I just had a serious conversation with myself on how that little bump could have been avoided. With all that wind, I came to no conclusion.
We drove around to the other side of the marina, as it was time for fuel and a pump-out. We almost made it to the fuel dock when the 22 mph squall came up. Rain was horizontal and lasted about 30 minutes. Amanda had her second shower of the day trying to manage fenders and lines while I tried to pilot our little boat and keep it in the water instead of sitting on the dock. The good news, no damage done. We should have sat in our nice cozy slip until after the storm passed. We knew we had weather coming, but really thought it would come after we were underway. WRONG.
Our trip was only about 20 miles to our anchorage in Oriental NC. Shallow, but well protected, we enjoyed the afternoon reading and soaking up a few rays until sunset.
We decided to hang out in Beaufort another couple days. We’re glad we did. Friday was kind of “need to do” day. As cruisers, we’re quickly learning to apply what we were taught in a boating class. “All you need to know as a cruiser are the 3-W’s. Walgreen’s, Wal-Mart, and West Marine.” Friday was West Marine day to replace a blower in the engine room. We zoomed through the downtown district to explore and to figure out our Saturday play day on Front Street. Caught a free sail boat ride, sponsored by the Maritime Museum. Donations were accepted as a fundraising effort. Such pleasant people and we met a couple from Elizabeth City who are friends with our friends who we are going to see there. Such a small world.
We came back to the marina and started talking about the wonderful meal we had at the marina restaurant, the City Kitchen, on Thursday night. It didn’t take much to talk ourselves into going back again. After all, dinner Thursday night was one of the best meals we’ve ever been served. Despite that neither our budget nor our bellies can afford to keep this up, we splurged and did it again. We were not disappointed. This restaurant is a hidden jewel. If you are in Beaufort, make sure you have dinner here.
Saturday morning we walked to town and enjoyed the most wonderful day. Perfect weather. The Wood Boat Show. Build a boat competition. The sum total of the experience made our extended stay at the Town Creek Marina worth every minute.
Below are a blend of pictures of the day. The Wood Boat show brought back lots of memories of my childhood. Mom and Dad will see pictures of boats I remember from Caney Lake and Narrows.
Reminded me of the little boat Frank Bush had in Haynesville. They said this would run 62 miles an hour.
I remember these old Mercury motors screaming down the channel at Narrows
The finishes and insets on this canoe were perfect.
I don’t even know what this boat is, but it was pretty cool.
1949 Barbour
Classic Chris Craft
Looks like what I remember Mr. Bourn, man in my hometown built from scratch.
Sort of the center for all the activity. They build and restore here.
Another Barbour boat
The boat building competition was so much fun watching. Each team has a kit and plans of the boat they are to build. Some of the material was pre-cut and stands were set up to help the team manage their work. There were approximately 12 2-person teams in the competition. Two teams were old hands doing this, and have competed before. They had every tool for the task, were extremely focused, and very fast. They both completed their boats in less than 1 1/2 hours.
Best Quality
Winner of the race
The next block of teams were just average “joes”, sometimes couples, sometimes just friends, all interested in having fun doing something different.
The last trio of teams were kids. One team, Webelos scouts, one team, Girl Scouts, one team of a youth organization in the area. These teams were the highlight of our day. My hat is off to the adults who are investing in these kids. In all 3 cases, the adults allowed the kids to do all the work but assisting and encouraging the whole time. We agreed, these won’t be the kids who will be shooting up the schools, getting in trouble with drugs, or worse. These will be the kids who are producers in the workplace; kids who will invest in their next generation. All day, these kids gave it their all. The tasks before them was clear, and the teamwork was not optional, it was essential.
These were the Webelos.
A little help from dad.
Projects like this will cure A.D.D.
These ladies were the last to finish, but never waivered.
Race time!
The Winner!
These kids had almost as much fun as me…maybe.
As I reflect on this day, I have figured out why it was so special and fun. Of course, spending the day with my bride of 40 years was primary, but what stirred my heartstrings was the reflection back on my childhood. I had the privilege of a mom and dad that loved the outdoors. Some of my earliest memories are those of camping out and water skiing. I camped not only with family, but also with the Boy Scouts, Troop 41 in Haynesville, Louisiana. All those memories came alive today as I watched these kids and adults interact. Camporees, Jamborees, Camp Yatasi, and a 1,000 more like-events surfaced. I often found my chin quivering as I saw a 10-year old boy run screws into the side of the boat; as a young dad directed on the proper application of the adhesive that would hold the boat together and keep it dry for the “in-water” rowing competition later in the day, and as a grandfather (figure or maybe to one of them) directed the 3 young ladies to work together to pick up the sides and hold them properly to form the shape of a real boat. What a day.
As they competed in the water late Saturday afternoon, these teams got to enjoy the fruit of their labor. Some boats (and people) performed with excellence, some performed providing LOTS of humor for those of us who watched from the dock. Some boats were bone dry inside at the end of the competition. Some were VERY wet shortly after they were launched. And as a side note, you who have known me for a long time, you know how competitive I’ve always been, whether sports or business. I have never believed in the “Everybody gets a trophy” concept. But today, I saw everybody win. There were no prizes or trophies. Just winners with the satisfaction of a job well done.
28 dolphin, 2 wahoos
This group caught the fish. “Little Man” caught the biggest, they said.
I get to hang out with some pretty cool people (Wes writing).
Our travels carried us to Beaufort (pronounced Bo-fort, as compared to the South Carolina city pronounced Bew-fort), North Carolina. We traversed the ICW across Camp LeJuene.
I’ve always wanted to listen to AM 530. They weren’t firing today, so we made it across without incident.
We decided it would be a good day to stay at a marina. For those of you who are seasoned equally to me, as a rookie captain, just know you can survive running aground. Coming into the channel today, I ran the Honey Queen onto a sandbar not once, not twice, but 3 times, as we neared the marina. Though I have run aground prior to today, the entry into the channel was quite tricky and poorly marked. I laughed at myself, as there was nothing else to do, other than praying reverse would do as before and deliver me from this dry land concealed by a thin layer of water.
She had no idea I took this picture. I just thought it epitomizes how lucky this woman is: red wine and Brett Baer on the back porch.
The Town Creek Marina is small and cozy. The rate is very reasonable, so we’re thinking we may stick around town another day. We hear it’s a cool town to visit. And there’s a wood boat show on Saturday, so we’ll play tourist and see what comes next.
Sundown in Beaufort, NC. from the porch of the City Kitchen restaurant–Town Creek Marina.
Today’s journey was a little longer (in miles) than normal. 39 miles in 6 hours, 15 minutes. For many, this is a turtle’s pace. For us, it’s an opportunity to catch every detail along the way. We made it to this destination, called Mile Hammock anchorage about 2:30. This place is a man-made basin serving the military base, Camp Lejeune. Pleasure boats are permitted to anchor here, and right now, there appears to be 10-12 boats doing just that. The most interesting boat is a catamaran called Electric Blue. It’s a totally solar powered boat. It’s kind of funny, we have seen this couple almost every day since we left Savannah. They putter (wrong word because they make no noise) at 5 or 6 knots. We pass them nearly every day and they catch us almost every evening. I hope to get to know this couple a little more and learn how their story came to be.
Not pretty, necessarily, but this guy’s fuel cost will be exactly $0.00.
This picture does not do justice to this beautiful landscape just south of Camp Lejeune.
Being near the base has been a pretty cool deal. Helicopters have buzzed us most of the afternoon. Though noisy, I’m appreciative of every maneuver, practice session, and training mission these guys and gals are running. Tomorrow we call before we make the next run on the ICW to ensure they are not firing cannons. Sometimes, the training closes the ICW. This simple phone call may keep our boat afloat a little while longer.
These guys had us convinced they were landing on the top of the boat. Awesome!
I don’t know what these things are called, but the props rotate from horizontal to vertical, flying like a plane, and landing like a chopper. These things are BAD!
Today, we slept in (a little) in Southport, as it was such a cool little town. Amanda wanted to sell the boat and buy a house here. Can’t say I blame her, but I was able to convince her to at least finish the trip with me before we invested in any more real estate. Here are a few pictures revealing the charm we so enjoyed.
The restaurant where there were docks. That’s our boat to the right. Not too far to grab some food.
Our mobile home, tied up in Southport.
Multi personality town. Pictures like this and t-shirts that say, “we don’t have a town drunk, we take turns” gives you a little of the Tybee feel, but then you see the gorgeous historical settings/homes/buildings, and feel like you’ve just pulled into downtown Savannah.
Thomas Thompson House-he was a blockade pilot during the Civil War and then became a harbor pilot afterward.
This house caught my eye as we left Southport because of the brown feature on the front. I need my architect buddy (you know who you are) to refresh my memory on the proper term.
Our arrival this afternoon in Wrightsville Beach, NC found these 2 stingrays waiting on us.
We stayed in an anchorage known as Banks Channel in Wrightsville. We were surrounded by many like-minded folks who enjoying being on the “hook” and staying somewhere for free. We were protected on the north, east, and west, so the mild breeze provided our air conditioning, the natural way. Wrightsville, as you know, is known for taking serious hits during the hurricanes. I often wondered why people continue to leave themselves so exposed to the elements. After being here for a few hours, I can understand their temporary insanity becoming permanent. This is what we woke up to on Wednesday morning.
Folks pull in, drop the anchor, and chill. It’s the tough life.
