and now through NC

 

It's time for a blog entry that actually logs our travels rather than dealing with boat electrics or tornadoes. So lets detail our travels northwards through North Carolina, which occurred over the past week and a half and had plenty of variety, in scenery and in weather.

 

Starting with last Monday's departure from Southport NC, after a 2 night stay riding out weather. Even though we didn't really need it, we got our holding tank pumped and then set off up the Cape Fear River, which was kinda bumpy with wind and waves on our bow. Eventually we turned into Snow's Cut and more protected water, continuing up the ICW to Wrightsville Beach, where we dropped anchor at the same spot we had on our southbound visit. Back in November we could walk the dogs on the beach and watch the surfers. In April its busier and dogs aren't allowed on the beach, so we walked the resorty college town some.

 

Tuesday was expected to be Hell Day, dealing with four drawbridges-on-schedules and crossing Camp Lejeune with its live fire zone across the ICW. Turned out only to be Heck Day. Even with opposing current almost all the way we made each bridge opening without long delays, and didn't get held up at Lejeune either. Here are some shots of activity at Lejeune :

It was a long 48 nm day, and we were glad to reach Caspers Marina in Swansboro NC to tie up for the night. We had time to offload the bikes and make a grocery run.

Wednesday began with some harried maneuvering getting out of the slip, then hitting the fuel dock to take on 100 gal. diesel (@ $3.70/gal), and heading up Bogue Sound towards Beaufort NC. We had planned for an interesting diversion near Beaufort, which would involve heading out the inlet there into the big Atlantic and cruising another 6 miles to anchor inside Cape Lookout Bight, which is one of the highest rated anchorages on Active Captain. But as we approached Beaufort, and I realized what a slog-against-current it would be getting out of the inlet, and that the 6 mile run would be with beam seas, I wussed out and ordered a left turn at Beaufort, up the Adams Creek and across the Neuse River to Oriental NC, where we were lucky to find space at their newly expanded town dock.

Oriental is one of our favorites, and is a cruisers Mecca, and since the dockage was free we decided on a 2 night stay, even though the weather was glorious on Thursday for more cruising. We breakfasted at The Bean, where the conversation is as good as the coffee, and enjoyed touring the town, both on bicycles or on dog leashes. Here is Spray at the town dock, dwarfed by a steel 45' Florida Bay Coaster with 1,100 sq ft of cabin space (now THAT's a liveaboard).

Of course our leisurely visit to Oriental came at a price, which was windy conditions on Friday as we cruised north on the wide Neuse River, then later when we crossed the Pamlico River. We pulled into BelHaven NC ahead of predicted thunderstorms and tied to their 'downtown' town dock. It was a good place to ride out the very nasty weather that evening.

 

By Saturday morning the front had passed and we had good conditions for a long day of cruising the upper Pungo River, Alligator-Pungo Canal, and Alligator River, ending up in a slip at remote Alligator River Marina.

 

Sunday we awoke to glass calm conditions which was pleasing as we were about to cross the Albemarle Sound, which had spanked us on our southbound trip. We departed at about 7 am and after a mile we rejoined the ICW with small ripples on the water. Another hour and we were out in the Sound with 2 ft waves on our bow and soon after had 20 knots of wind and 3-4 ft waves on our bow. Spanked again! An hour and a half of that and we were finally able to turn left and follow a lee shore up the Pasquotank River, to a free slip in Elizabeth City. With the ENE winds we had the slip was a little bouncy but we enjoyed ball/frisbee play with the dogs, coffee at Muddy Waters, supper at Groupers Restaurant, and Monday breakfast at Sydney's Cafe. If a town offers free dockage, we like to reciprocate by stuffing ourselves silly. We did learn that the storms that whacked us on Friday night in BelHaven had spawned tornadoes in E.C. as well.

 

Monday morning I had time to try out E.C.'s new boaters shower facility before we headed farther up the Pasquotank. The section above E.C. is through very scenic cypress forest. In 15 nm we were at the southern lock into the Dismal Swamp Canal for their 1:30 lock-through, raising Spray by about 8 ft. Another 4 miles and we were tied up to the wall at the Dismal Swamp Welcome Center, just before it started raining.

 

The rain kept up all night and through most of yesterday (Tuesday). We untied at 8 am and cruised slowly for 15 nm up the canal, crossing from NC into VA and arriving at the north lock for the 11 am lock-through. As you can see here the Dismal Swamp weather was just that. Dismal.

The Deep Creek Lock operator is a great guy who invited the dogs ashore and entertained us on his collection of conch shell horns as we slowly lowered back to sea level. That was a nice respite in an otherwise trying day, what with the rain, poor visibility, and very busy waterways up through Norfolk VA, which must be the busiest seaport in the US.

The strong east winds yesterday hadn't bothered us as we were generally cruising in protected waters. That is until we had to cross Hampton Roads Inlet to get to our destination of Hampton VA. My plan (a poor one) was to head out the inlet, taking the waves on our bow, until I could turn and surf downwind into the Hampton River entrance. What I hadn't planned on was the out flowing water current hitting the incoming wind and raising NASTY 6 ft seas. Spray was pitching like crazy and I was expecting green water over the bow at any time. Sheila and I even donned our PFD's, which we hadn't done the entire trip. To add to the fun a large ship sailed into the inlet at just that time. We held to the plan and after the ship passed made a quick turn to port (turn must be quick as Spray's beam is then to the waves - a big one might roll her) and surely did surf towards Hampton. What a relief when we got behind Ft Monroe which protected us from the big bad Chesapeake. 20 minutes later we tied up in our slip here at the Hampton Municipal Pier, all glad to be alive. The conditions at at the Hampton Roads inlet were the worst I've taken Spray through. It was a good reminder of why things like propane tanks and heavy batteries must be well strapped down.

 

We've all settled in nicely here in Hampton, with visits to a nearby dog-friendly park, and supper for us last night at a Japanese restaurant. The ugly weather has continued, and we've paid for a 2nd night here to ride out thunderstorms (and yes, a tornado watch). We made a bike-run to a grocery store for some staples and are hoping to be able to start up Chesapeake Bay tomorrow, if the weather will cooperate.

 

 

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