Going North in the Dismal Swamp

We pulled away from Elizabeth City at 7:15am. We are waiting with 3 other boaters for the 7:30am opening of the bridge here. We are now in the Dismal Swamp Canal. At 10:30am we came to the first lock. We dropped are anchor and Illusion came up and rafted with us. At 11am we entered the lock.

As you can see the water rises 8 ft.

Always have to sign the wall when you go through the lock.

Leaving the lock

Now as we are coming out of the lock the lock master has already driven down the road to the bridge to open that for us.

Now we are headed for the North Carolina Welcome Center on the Dismal Swamp. We are going to raft up with other and stay the night.

Illusion rafted to us, in front of us is Mystic Rose.

Noah Genda power boat an the catamaran left us soon as we got there.

We arrived here approx. 12noon. We walked Sailor and took a walk around. Wayne filled the water tank. At 5:30  all 4 boats got together for dinner. We took our food to a picnic table and had a pot luck dinner.

 It worked out great.

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Left: Wayne, Janet and Darrell on Mystic Rose, Tom and Diann on Noah Genda, Me and Sailor, Bob Krecic on Illusion from Ohio......Dale he knows you, so give us a call.

We are standing in front of the Dismal Swamp, look at that reflection of trees in the water.  Cool. Oh, and I like ths picture of us too.

Happy Birthday to Lori our daughter

Happy Birthday to you, Lori.......

Leaving Alligator River Marina

By 7am we were ready to go from Alligator River Marina. Sheet Music is going towards the Virginia Cut to Norfolk and staying in Coin Jack tonight. We, on the other hand are going to Elizabeth City today, then the Dismal Swamp 2 days. We'll meet up again in Virginia.
Today we are traveling with 2 sailboats , Mystic Rose and Illusion. We have been hearing them both talk on the VHF radio for a few days now and it's nice to meet up with them. Looks like another beautiful morning, and no mosquitoes this time around when leaving Alligator this morning. That's a Blessing, they grow big here.

We arrived in Elizabeth City free dock around 12 noon. It's hot here. The Rose Bud Buddies greet you as you come to dock. We took a walk into the small town here and Wayne got a hair cut, (Lori, you would cringe if you saw it). LOL!!!  Anyway, we walk some more and came back to the boat. I'm just not feeling right today and have to lay down.  By 4:30pm the Rose Buddies have a cheese, wine and beer at the dock, as long as they have 5 boats they have a party. Sam, here is the last of the 4 that started it back in 1983. Now the Chamber of Commerce is helping Sam and will take it on after he passes to keep the tradition going. They hand out roses to all the gals, cut right from the rose bushes here.

Rose Buddy Sam had 1 of the 3 dachshunds with him today. Meet Heidie.

Afterwards, we had burgers here at the Tiki Bar and talked to locals and visitor's here on boats. All in all we enjoyed our day here. Lovely town. Oh, I'm feeling better now.

Leaving Dowry Creek Marina to Alligator River Marina in Columbia NC

We were up at 5:30am this morning and after Sailor had his walk we got underway approx at 6:45am. It was a foggy morning, but you still could see.

A little foggy this morning.

What a beautiful morning and I missed the sunrise. It didn't take long for the sun to burn the fog away.

There were 4 deer on the water edge, but, by the time I got the picture they ran up the hill.

Sure is a nice lookin tug'

A tug pushing a barge south

Well lookin at the chart, it looks like we are going the right way!!

Alligator Swing Bridge opening'

We arrived at Alligator River marina approx 1:30pm. We went to the fuel dock to top off. It took awhile to get fuel. Two Power boats were getting fuel and pump outs. By the time we got are slip it was 2:30pm. About 9 boats came in altogether this afternoon. It was hot. I took Sailor for a walk, and I think he was hot too. Wayne had the air on and it felt good.

I cooked tonight. Homemade cole slaw, homemade macaroni and cheese, ham with pineapple and cherries, salad.

After dinner we walked up to the store for ice cream.

Leaving Oriental NC to Dowry Creek Marina in Belhaven NC

We untied the lines at Oriental Marina and got underway approx 6:45am. It was sprinkling and misty. The water was calm as 5 sailing vessels left at the same time. As the day went on it stopped raining and that bright thing came out. :) We arrived at Dowry Creek Marina approx 1:30pm. We topped off the fuel and took a slip.  I ran the laundry up to wash before all the other boaters got here. When the wash was drying, I went to the club house and swapped out some books. I had eleven books.

Kathy cooked tonight. Sheppard pie, corn bread and salad.  Very Good! Afterwards, Wayne and I took Sailor for a long walk, No Internet or cell service here. :(

Another day in Oriental, NC

The wind blew hard all night and never let up once. We rocked and rolled and all I could here was our swing keel rocking back and forth banging. Needless to say, I didn't sleep well. So, as you can see we are staying another day here. Wayne called about the engine part and they have it. We walked a mile there and back with Sailor. It is hot and very windy still. Wayne put the oil pressure switch in and we had some lunch. We are both tired. Nap time!

I finished my book and then started dinner. I cook to night. Fried chicken, cheesy noodles, carrots and salad. We were stuffed.

I took these pictures at our dock. It's almost 10pm and we are still rockin and rollin. We hope to leave here around 7am tomorrow.

Leaving Beaufort NC to Oriental NC

We kinda slept in this morning, which felt good. We both had to move are boats down to another dock to get a pump out here at the city dock this morning. So we really got underway approx 9:15am and when to the Beautfort bridge for the 9:30am opening. That cut a few miles off. It is another beautful sunny day and windy.

Leaving Beaufort docks

Beaufort Bridge

As you can see the day looks like it's going to rain, but once we got farther down the ICW it cleared up and we had sunshine and wind.

We arrived at Oriental approx 12.30am. The free dock was full, we were hoping to get there. But, ended up in Oriental Marina for the night. We are glad we aren't anchored, the winds are 20-25knots with white caps. We are rocking here in the marina and it's 10pm.

We all walked around this little town a bit today. The winds are blowing hard. The plan is to take our boat to the next marina in the morning and try to get that part for the oil pressure switch. If the winds are still high in the morning we will stay here and Wayne can walk to get the part.

Kathy cooked tonight. Salmon, asparagus, baked potatoes, salad, and strawberries and cream. Friends came over for drinks, Bill and Sue, which they met in Annapolis in Oct.

Beaufort, NC

Today is a short day of approx 24 miles to Beaufort NC. We unhooked our lines and started down the ICW approx 8:45am. Its a another windy day and motor sailing. We arrived at Beaufort City Marina approx 12:30pm.

Docked at Dubley's Marina

Docked at Bearfort City Marina

We took a walk around streets and the city was having a wooden boats on display, all sizes and shapes and lots of vintage. Also, under a big tent they were having a row boat making contest. They had I think 31/2 hrs to build them. Then they put them into the water and had a rowing race.

We caught up with Kathy and Chuck for drinks and then went to Clawson's for a wonderful dinner. After dinner we all walked  and went to the general store and, of course, ice cream.  This was realy a fun day.

Leaving Wrightsville to Swansboro, NC

We were up at 5:30am. Wayne dinghies Sailor over to a beach. We put the engine and dinghy back up. We pulled anchor and were underway at 6:30am. It takes 20 minutes to get to the Wrightsville Beach Bridge, so we had 10 minutes to spare for the 7am opening.

Wayne and Sailor coming back from walkie before sunrise.

underway with sunrise

Waiting for the Wrightsville Bridge to open at 7am.

On the ICW

The next bridge, Figure 8,  opens on the hour also, so all of us were trying to make it. When the bridge tender saw us he called on the VHF radio and said keep coming he'd open the bridge. That saved us a half an hour of waiting. Traffic most of been slow this morning. It was nice of him to do that, not many do.

Figure 8 bridge

Coming up to Camp Lejeune, in the middle of the canal Onslow bridge that we had to wait for a opening. Wind and tide makes it interesting keeping boat straight.  A Military helicopter were flying low, I missed the picture. :( You can hear the bombing and Sailor wasn't sure about that. He went and sat by his daddy.

 

Onslow Bridge

Here that Pink House again, even the boat is pink in the back

We arrived  approx 3pm at Dudley's Marina in Swansboro, NC. Of course it blows harder when your coming to dock. We are both on the outside dock. We fueled up and settled in. Wayne and I used the courtesy car to go grocery shopping at Lowe's 2 miles from here. We have to car for 1 hour. Came back and put that all away and started dinner.

So, we had my homemade chicken vegetable soup and garlic bread, salad and I bought chocolate eclairs. YUMMY

Leaving South Harbour Village Marina to Wrightsville, NC

Wayne had his alarm set for 5:30am this morning. But, the yacht behind us started it's engines at 5:30am. That made sure I didn't get any extra sleeping in. We left the dock at 6:45am.

This is where we were all night docked, right off the ICW. As you can see the yacht behind us had left. Sheet Music is all the way up in the left hand corner docked on the inside.

This tug was going by as we released the lines.

Just another dredge project on the ICW today.

OPPS! Lookie who I caught napping!!!!

Wayne is putting the anchor down here in Wrightsville, NC

We arrived here approx. 11am. We put the dinghy in and went over to the dinghy dock. We remembered that there was a small grocery store a few blocks away. I got some of the things I needed and a case of beer for you know who!!. Next stop I have to find a real grocery store. Felt like I was back in the Bahamas again. We took the groceries back and went back to walk the town and see the beach. We had $2.50 cheeseburgers and fries we shared. Sailor was allowed in the outside seating area. Then, of course, we had to have ice cream at this great little place here that we found 3 years ago. We are stuffed. Can't even think about dinner.  It's to windy really to leave the boat now, so dinner that I had planned will be tomorrow night with Chuck and Kathy. Just might be a popcorn night for us.

Sunset in Wrightsville, NC

Today is our 37th Wedding Anniversay.......

Beautiful sunrise with the Bare Foot Landing bridge, the one that didn't open yesterday. Anyway................. Happy Anniversary to Us!!!!!

We were ready to go by 7am and we traveled about 5 miles down the ICW and heard that the next swing bridge had electrical problems and couldn't open. HuH?????? So, Doc Holiday's Marina was close by and we tied up there for 1hr 30 minutes before it was announced that it was opening. Their were 8 boats waiting to go through.

By 10am it was opened. While we were motoring, I made chicken vegetable soup for tomorrow nights dinner, boy did that smell good. Now all 8 boats are trying to make the next bridge opening, which is the Sunset pontoon bridge at 11am. Nope, we all had to  wait till 12 noon.

new bridge is going up and the pontoon bridge will be no more soon.

I hope someone buys it and puts it somewhere else, I think it's just so cool.

Here we are going around a dredge on the ICW.

Before we reached our anchorage at Pipe Line Canal, we stopped to fuel up at South Harbour Village Marina here in Southport, NC. Once we were here we decided to stay for the night.

Kathy insisted she was cooking tonight, because it was our Anniversary. Thank you, and it was YUMMY!!

Steak and roasted potatoes, green beans, cream corn, salad and pudding.

After dinner we walked the dogs and went to the Pipe Line Canal. There is a park there and you can see the boats that anchored there for tonight. Kathy and I saw a shooting star, too.

Instead of the sunset we have a moon rise right behind our boat.

Heading for Bare Foot Landing, Martle Beach, SC

By 7am we were on our way out from Boat Shed Marina, here in Georgetown SC. Here are some pictures.

Bathrooms

Bum'sRest out by the 66 fuel sign.

leaving Boat Shed Marina

Shrimping boats

We have a approx 50 miles to go today. Here we go again with extreme low tides in the ICW. As you go along you see lots of beautiful homes. When you see the golfers going over the ICW in the sky lifts, you know your getting close to the Bare Foot Landing. We were going to stay at Doc Holidays Marina, 5 miles down. But, the Bare Foot Landing Swing Bridge was shut down because of high winds.