LOTS of pictures of the last few days, as we leave Norfolk, VA and travel 200 miles to Oriental, NC
Here we are on a Naval Shipyard tour of Norfolk
These is one of the several aircraft carriers in port...they said these cost $6 billion to build
These warships cost a little less than $2 billion
This yacht (White Cloud...220 feet) was next to us at Waterside and was leaving for Mexico
On Wednesday, we left Norfolk, and right away we had a group of boats, all heading south
We had a full lock of boats, but Deb does not seem to be too stressed out holding the lines
Here is an example of one of the many narrow, man made, channels that are on the ICW, and how it can get crowded very easily
After 50 miles we came to the town of Coinjock...which is basicly a long dock on the water
There is a constant stream of boats coming through here this time of year
Lots of activity at the end of the day as delivery captains all come in
It's so busy, that they have to raft boats off of one another, in order to find a spot for everyone
With all the activity...Anne still finds time to make us a bloody mary
On Thursday, our marina for the night was at Aligator River. Not much more than a shell station with water in the back of it...but it works.
Just across the road from Aligator River Marina was a small canal that many crab boats were located
We went over there and met a couple of young guys who had just come in from crabbing all day
This is an example of what their day's work had provided them
They had 30 boxes of crabs...each weighing 100 pounds each. They got 20 cents per pound for the crab...not much for all that work.
Many times I talk about leaving at first light...this is an example of what I mean. Just light enough to see the markers.
One of the benefits of leaving at first light...are all of the beautiful sunrises you get to see
A typical cruising day for Annie
On Friday...our home for the night was at Belhaven Waterway Marina...a very nice stop
The town is in rough shape, but they do have some of these crab statues around. They call them crabby crabs...so Les was playing the part
We walked around the town of Belhaven, and found a fresh seafood place where we bought a flounder for dinner
They cleaned it for us, and we had it for dinner...AWESOME
Later that day, the cold front came through
But on Sunday...the skies were bright blue. This is another example of one of the canals that connect the waterways. This one is just north of Pamlico Sound
These shrimp boats are at the entrance to Oriental, NC
This shot is just across the road from our marina
While Les and I watched the race...Deb and Annie sat on the dock, and made friends with everyone who came along.
Log 179Day 523
Monday, October 26, 2009
6:30 AM EDT
Location: Oriental Marina & Inn, Oriental, NC.
Weather: 62 degrees, with wind and light rain
We’re backed into a slip, which is tucked into a small marina, in Oriental, NC. There are fairly strong NE winds (15 to 25) out in Pamlico Sound this morning, but we are in a very protected area, so we only see the tops of the trees blowing to let us know we don’t want to be out there.
Here’s how we got here...
Wednesday...at 7:45 Deb and I left Waterside Marina in Norfolk in time to be at the fuel dock at Ocean Marine by 8 am. We wanted to be the first in line to get some fuel. Les and Anne drove their van to the same place, where they will leave it for a couple of weeks. After getting 230 gallons of fuel ($2.39 @ gallon) we were heading south by 9. The ICW south from Norfolk is a combination of small rivers & small lakes (sounds) which are all connected by man made canals. Because of the strong NE winds and rain (for the last several days), there were lots of boats stacked up on the ICW, waiting for a good weather window, and things were very busy. We had 16 boats traveling in our group (12 power and 4 sails) that went through the lift bridges and one lock together. This same “parade” of boats stayed together for almost 20 miles, due to bridge restrictions, and no wake zones. It wasn’t until almost 30 miles south of Norfolk before the fast boats could get ahead and try to make some time. We were in no hurry, so we just motored along at about 9 mph. At MM 50 we came to Coinjock, NC, our home for the night. Coinjock is really just “a wide spot on the road” but, it is famous stop over for boats traveling the ICW because the next marina to the south is almost 40 miles away, and to the north almost 50 miles. When we got to Coinjock about 2:30 it was starting to fill up, and boats were tying up all over the place. It was fun to watch all the activity, and talk to all the captains, and find out where they had come from, and where they were headed. This is a popular stop for delivery captains, and most of them are in a hurry to get their boats south, so they can fly back north and get another one. You can always tell the delivery captains from someone who owns the boat. The captains arrive late in the afternoon, and leave at first light. They also drive as fast as the boats will go, and can cause lots of issues for slow boats on the ICW. We, on the other hand, are all about enjoying each day. Two very different approaches to cruising. Anyway...we enjoyed our afternoon at Coinjock talking to different boaters, and had a great meal at their restaurant that evening.
Thursday...up about 5, thinking there might be some activity on the dock, but all was very quiet...until about 6:45. At that point lights started coming on in the various boats, and things started happening. With sunrise at about 7:15, you could see light at 7; and as soon as you could, the boats started leaving. We were in no hurry, so it was fun to watch as 30, or so, boats left the dock and headed south. Some of these boats will meet again along the way...others will be in Florida by the weekend. We finally left the dock about 8:30, and there was only a couple of boats left on the dock. The winds were light, the sun was bright, and it was a great day to be on the ICW. We only had 37 miles to go to our destination at Alligator River, and we were there a little after noon. Alligator River Marina is really a gas station that has water behind it, but it too, is a popular spot this time of year, for all the boats migrating south. The marina can probably hold about 20 boats, and there were 10 or so there by the end of the day. We had another lazy afternoon at Alligator River, with not a lot of activity. We had dinner aboard, and made it an early night.
Friday...up a little after 5, and the weather looked real good. We were at a spot where the Albemarle Sound (to the north) meets the Alligator River, and we were heading south on the Alligator River for about 20 miles. The forecast, and the actual weather were in perfect match. A little after 7 (first light) we slipped the lines and headed out into the Alligator River, then, after they swung the bridge for us, we turned right (south) and for the next couple of hours we were in water that was as flat as the water in a bathtub. From there we joined a man made channel called the Alligator River Pungo River Canal, and this took us another 20 miles to the Pungo River, which is just north of Belhaven, NC. Another 8 miles on the Pungo, and we were tied up at our slip in Belhaven by 2 pm. Once tied up, it became just a lazy afternoon, where Les and I just putzed around, and the girls walked into town. We had dinner aboard, and a quite evening.
Saturday...up early (with no reason to do so), and it’s very cloudy and starting to get windy, tempratures in the upper 60’s. Les and I decided to walk into town (1 block from the marina) and get some breakfast, and ended up eating at a good little diner, and the only place open in town. Speaking of town...this one needs some help. About 1/2 of the buildings downtown are closed, and for sale. You can see that once there was a lot going on...but not now. That said, the locals are all very friendly...especially at this marina. Les and Brenda (owners) go out of their way to help you, and even knocked on the boat yesterday to ask if we needed anything from the grocery store...as they were headed that way, and wanted to know if we wanted to ride along. In the morning, Deb and Annie walked into town, to do some looking around, and at lunch we all went in and ate at Fish Hook’s Cafe, and had some GREAT shrimp. Afterwards we took a long walk, to a fresh seafood shop, on the edge of town. We picked out a piece of fresh piece of flounder (just caught, and laying on ice) and had them clean it for us. Back at the boat, the winds were picking up, and it ended up raining three or four different times throughout the afternoon. We read (the girls) and watched a couple of NASCAR races (Les and I). For dinner we had the fresh flounder (awesome) and the movie was Sneakers, with Robert Redford (great movie).
Sunday...up at 5. The winds have totally switched around and are now coming out of the north, at about 10 mph...which will be on our stern, for our trip south. The forecast called for the winds to pick up and switch to the NE, so I wanted to leave at first light, in order to take advantage of the light winds early, and before they switched to the NE. So, at first light (7:05 am) we slipped the lines and left Belhaven, headed for Oriental. Our trip took us 12 miles on the Pungo River, and then about 4 miles across the Pamlico River, before joining Goose Creek, which took us several miles, to the Pamlico Sound and Neuse River, and then another 13 miles to Oriental, NC. A trip of 48 miles. We arrived at Oriental about noon, and after a quick rinse of the boat, Les and I settled in for a great bowl of chili, and an afternoon of football and racing, while Anne and Debbie spent their time on the dock meeting everyone that walked by. This is a very nice spot, and one of Deb’s favorite stops we have made. The town is nothing special, but it is very clean, and the folks are very friendly. They call this town “the sailing capital of the east coast”. This may be true, but to the casual visitor, it is not obvious as to why. The marina we stay at is also very nice, and a hot spot in town. They have a restaurant on site, and a tiki bar, and many of the locals seem to stop by. With all of that, we had our drinks on board, as well as dinner. The movie was an episode of Castle. Les and I retired a little before 9...not sure about the girls (they’re not up yet, as I write this).
Today...we’ll spend another day here at Oriental, before heading to Beaufort in the morning. It’s raining now, but the radar looks like it will clear out later. The tempratures are forecast to be in the mid 60’s, so it’s a little cool. We are talking about riding our bikes to the store and West Marine, which are about a mile or so down the road. We also talked about contacting a couple we met when we came through here in early May, and seeing if they want to go to dinner tonight. Basically we have no plan...and we are sticking to it.
I’ll keep you posted.
Bob
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