A lot of pictures today, covering the last 3 days of travel.
It's about 6 am here, and Deb is already excited, and enjoying the day. Here we are leaving Oriental, NC and heading NE up the Pamlico Sound towards Belhaven, NC
This is our marina (Belhaven Waterway Marina) in Belhaven. We were tied to the right side of this finger pier...all the way toward land.
Belhaven is a very small (and seemingly poor) town in the eastern part of NC. I don't know the reason they had a crab in downtown...but it made for a good picture.
We left Belhaven at first light, and you can see here, the sun just starting to come up in the east, and the water is dead calm.
About 45 minutes after seeing that great sunrise, we turned into a narrow 20 mile channel and it was very foggy. What you can't see, is that there is a barge sitting just beyond that bridge that is sitting still, because it's too foggy to move. The good news was that by the time we got to the bridge, the fog had lifted, and we had no issues.
That channel that was foggy turned into a channel that was lined with stumps on both sides for almost the entire 20 miles...about 1/3 of the way we hit something under the water. The good news was it did not hit the prop, so there was no damage.
Our stop on Saturday was at Aligator River Marina...which is really just a ditch with a few slips, right behind a shell gas station...in the middle of nowhere (20 miles to the closest town) But...it is perfectly located, so that most folks making the treck north and south stop here each year. 
Like many places, many of the boaters gather on the docks at 5 pm to share stories. We were happy to join and tell ours.
For dinner, we joined Andy and Mary and Brad and Patti on the back of Salvage Crew. They have a huge deck...meant for entertaining.
As we left Aligator River Marina this morning it was another beautiful morning.
This is what much of the way across Albemarle Sound looked like
Lots of crab pots on the sound...and lots of these crabers to check their pots
Once we left Albemarle Sound we joined another channel...with more stumps. EVERYWHERE.
After a short 36 mile run we tied up at Coinjock Marina. Our slip for the night was behind that boat all the way up on the right.
Like many places, many of the boaters gather on the docks at 5 pm to share stories. We were happy to join and tell ours.
For dinner, we joined Andy and Mary and Brad and Patti on the back of Salvage Crew. They have a huge deck...meant for entertaining.
As we left Aligator River Marina this morning it was another beautiful morning.
And a another beautiful sunrise
This is what much of the way across Albemarle Sound looked like
Lots of crab pots on the sound...and lots of these crabers to check their pots
Once we left Albemarle Sound we joined another channel...with more stumps. EVERYWHERE.
After a short 36 mile run we tied up at Coinjock Marina. Our slip for the night was behind that boat all the way up on the right.
Log 136
Day 368
Sunday, May 24, 2009
3:30 PM EDT
Location: Coinjock Marina, Coinjock, NC.
Weather: 85 degrees with winds at 15 mph out of the south. Thunder storms in the area.
I don’t normally write my logs in the afternoon...I guess I’m just a morning guy. But we are sitting in Coinjock, NC (as they say...a wide spot in the road) and I am watching the Indy 500, and I thought I’d try to do this today. Not sure I’ll finish this log this afternoon...but at least I’ll get it started.
Getting here...has taken us 3 days from the time we left Oriental (Mile 181). After spending 6 (very good) nights in Oriental, we were anxious to get cruising again. The Nor’easter that we had been waiting to go through, finally passed, and when we left on Friday morning, the winds were almost calm, and the Pamlico Sound was near perfect, with a light NE chop. The 48 miles to Belhaven was very similar to much of the ICW...open waters, with lots of narrow channels, but in this case there was more open water than normal. We left Oriental, joined the Neuse River, and the Pamlico Sound. After a few miles on a narrow Goose Creek, we crossed the Pamlico River, and then joined the Pungo River, which took us to Belhaven. Our friends on Good News and Salvage Crew were following us, and when we turned port to Belhaven, they went another 4 miles up to Dowry Creek Marina. Our slip in Belhaven was a “side-to” tie, in Belhaven Waterway Marina, a marina owned by a very nice couple. After tying up HQ, we went into town, and ate a nice lunch at Fish Hooks...and then spent the afternoon walking the town, and just relaxing on the boat. Dinner was a nice salad, and we finally got to watch the American Idol finals. Our guy won.
At first light on Saturday, we left Belhaven and got back on the Pungo River. It was a beautiful morning. As we were leaving our slip, Deb looked ahead to a spot on land and saw some fog, but the river was just fine. After about an hour on the Pungo River, the ICW joined the Alligator River-Pungo River Canal...which runs about 20 miles in a very narrow ditch (with lots of stumps just off the channel) before joining the Alligator River at mile 105. It was very foggy, when we entered the canal, but cleared up very quickly. For the next 20 miles it was no fun. It’s deep enough, but with the stumps just off the channel, it’s nerve racking. At one point we felt a big bump, as we hit something below the water, but we were fortunate that nothing hit the props. At mile 105 we joined the Alligator River, which is nice and wide, with a very forgiving channel. At mile 84 we went under the Alligator River swing bridge, and immediately turned hard port to our marina for the night...Alligator River Marina. Like many stops along the ICW, Alligator River Marina is nothing special, but it is a place to tie to, and it has cheap fuel (we got 225 gallons @ $1.86 per gallon). We also hooked up, again, with Good News and Salvage Crew. We enjoyed a nice afternoon “captain’s meeting” on the back of Salvage Crew. A 5 pm cocktail hour, on the docks with lots of other boaters. And went into the shell station (that happens to be the marina office, and a fast food convenient store) and picked up our dinner, that we ate on the back deck of Salvage Crew. It was a great day of boating.
Today, I was up at 4 am, and in the marina office/shell station/ convenient store for breakfast at 5 am. I thought for sure they would serve a great country breakfast...nope. Normally I have to wake Deb a few minutes before we leave the slip, but today, she was up, on her own, before 6 am...and 15 minutes later, we left the slip. Another beautiful morning on the waterway. The Alligator River turns into the Albemarle Sound, and it has a reputation of being a very tricky body of water...especially in any wind. The winds were predicted to pick up in late morning, and they were just starting to, as we left Albemarle, and joined the North River. 15 miles later, we were at mile 50, and our slip at Coinjock. Not a very big marina, but it has a very nice restaurant (that we do not plan to use) and is a big stop for folks heading both north and south.
Tomorrow...we plan to leave at first light, and go 50 ICW miles to Norfolk, Va. We also plan to hook up with Good News and Salvage Crew...probably for the last time on this trip. Today, they took the Dismal Swamp route to get to Norfolk, while we took the Virginia Cut. The Dismal Swamp route takes you through Elizabeth City, NC, and through about 30 miles of very rural; very rustic; and very narrow waterway. Some do it, because of the history (George Washington was supposed to have surveyed the route, and it was hand dug by slaves) but there are lots of war stories about hitting dead heads (water logged trees floating just below the surface) and having problems...so we chose to take the easier route...the Virginia Cut. Anyway...this is probably the last time with Good News and Salvage Crew because we are going to spend a week in Norfolk, and then take our time to get to Baltimore. Planning to arrive on June 13th. Good News and Salvage Crew need to push on, to get north, and on to Canada, in order to complete the loop, and back home before winter. We don’t plan to go any further than Long Island Sound, where we plan to spend most of August.
Well...it’s now 6 pm, over 2 hours after I first started this log. The Indy 500 is over, and the NASCAR race in Charlotte is getting ready to start. I have to be one of the most fortunate guys in the world.
I’ll keep you posted.
Bob
Day 368
Sunday, May 24, 2009
3:30 PM EDT
Location: Coinjock Marina, Coinjock, NC.
Weather: 85 degrees with winds at 15 mph out of the south. Thunder storms in the area.
I don’t normally write my logs in the afternoon...I guess I’m just a morning guy. But we are sitting in Coinjock, NC (as they say...a wide spot in the road) and I am watching the Indy 500, and I thought I’d try to do this today. Not sure I’ll finish this log this afternoon...but at least I’ll get it started.
Getting here...has taken us 3 days from the time we left Oriental (Mile 181). After spending 6 (very good) nights in Oriental, we were anxious to get cruising again. The Nor’easter that we had been waiting to go through, finally passed, and when we left on Friday morning, the winds were almost calm, and the Pamlico Sound was near perfect, with a light NE chop. The 48 miles to Belhaven was very similar to much of the ICW...open waters, with lots of narrow channels, but in this case there was more open water than normal. We left Oriental, joined the Neuse River, and the Pamlico Sound. After a few miles on a narrow Goose Creek, we crossed the Pamlico River, and then joined the Pungo River, which took us to Belhaven. Our friends on Good News and Salvage Crew were following us, and when we turned port to Belhaven, they went another 4 miles up to Dowry Creek Marina. Our slip in Belhaven was a “side-to” tie, in Belhaven Waterway Marina, a marina owned by a very nice couple. After tying up HQ, we went into town, and ate a nice lunch at Fish Hooks...and then spent the afternoon walking the town, and just relaxing on the boat. Dinner was a nice salad, and we finally got to watch the American Idol finals. Our guy won.
At first light on Saturday, we left Belhaven and got back on the Pungo River. It was a beautiful morning. As we were leaving our slip, Deb looked ahead to a spot on land and saw some fog, but the river was just fine. After about an hour on the Pungo River, the ICW joined the Alligator River-Pungo River Canal...which runs about 20 miles in a very narrow ditch (with lots of stumps just off the channel) before joining the Alligator River at mile 105. It was very foggy, when we entered the canal, but cleared up very quickly. For the next 20 miles it was no fun. It’s deep enough, but with the stumps just off the channel, it’s nerve racking. At one point we felt a big bump, as we hit something below the water, but we were fortunate that nothing hit the props. At mile 105 we joined the Alligator River, which is nice and wide, with a very forgiving channel. At mile 84 we went under the Alligator River swing bridge, and immediately turned hard port to our marina for the night...Alligator River Marina. Like many stops along the ICW, Alligator River Marina is nothing special, but it is a place to tie to, and it has cheap fuel (we got 225 gallons @ $1.86 per gallon). We also hooked up, again, with Good News and Salvage Crew. We enjoyed a nice afternoon “captain’s meeting” on the back of Salvage Crew. A 5 pm cocktail hour, on the docks with lots of other boaters. And went into the shell station (that happens to be the marina office, and a fast food convenient store) and picked up our dinner, that we ate on the back deck of Salvage Crew. It was a great day of boating.
Today, I was up at 4 am, and in the marina office/shell station/ convenient store for breakfast at 5 am. I thought for sure they would serve a great country breakfast...nope. Normally I have to wake Deb a few minutes before we leave the slip, but today, she was up, on her own, before 6 am...and 15 minutes later, we left the slip. Another beautiful morning on the waterway. The Alligator River turns into the Albemarle Sound, and it has a reputation of being a very tricky body of water...especially in any wind. The winds were predicted to pick up in late morning, and they were just starting to, as we left Albemarle, and joined the North River. 15 miles later, we were at mile 50, and our slip at Coinjock. Not a very big marina, but it has a very nice restaurant (that we do not plan to use) and is a big stop for folks heading both north and south.
Tomorrow...we plan to leave at first light, and go 50 ICW miles to Norfolk, Va. We also plan to hook up with Good News and Salvage Crew...probably for the last time on this trip. Today, they took the Dismal Swamp route to get to Norfolk, while we took the Virginia Cut. The Dismal Swamp route takes you through Elizabeth City, NC, and through about 30 miles of very rural; very rustic; and very narrow waterway. Some do it, because of the history (George Washington was supposed to have surveyed the route, and it was hand dug by slaves) but there are lots of war stories about hitting dead heads (water logged trees floating just below the surface) and having problems...so we chose to take the easier route...the Virginia Cut. Anyway...this is probably the last time with Good News and Salvage Crew because we are going to spend a week in Norfolk, and then take our time to get to Baltimore. Planning to arrive on June 13th. Good News and Salvage Crew need to push on, to get north, and on to Canada, in order to complete the loop, and back home before winter. We don’t plan to go any further than Long Island Sound, where we plan to spend most of August.
Well...it’s now 6 pm, over 2 hours after I first started this log. The Indy 500 is over, and the NASCAR race in Charlotte is getting ready to start. I have to be one of the most fortunate guys in the world.
I’ll keep you posted.
Bob
No comments:
Post a Comment