Ok, getting out a laptop is going to be too much trouble, so here's an iPhone post. Six days out and 248 miles in. We crossed into North Carolina this morning in the middle of the woods. Through which runs the 200 year old Dismal Swamp Canal. One of George Washington's business deals involving development of swamp land that didn't quite work out as planned. I think they still made a bundle on the lumber and the swamp is a park now. But this is out of order.
Chronologically, we left The North East River on Thursday about noon and made it to Worton Creek for the first night. The boat was a disaster scene of throw & go packing, but over the next few days Laura has stashed and stowed all but a box or two of parts and epoxy stuff that I will have to deal with.
The nearly miraculous weather for mid December has allowed us to motor down the bay in flat water wth only a breath of air on the nose, posting three 50 plus mile days. We stopped at the Little Choptank, the Great Wicomico, where we were met by our friends Git & Holly who had just moved to that area, and brought us home to a wonderful dinner. Back onboard we rose early to leave the marina and promptly stuck Juniata in the mud on the way out of their little channel. It really only took 20 minutes to drop the dinghy, carry out a spare anchor and kedge her off with the genoa winch and get back underway. On down the Bay to anchor out in the Back River, right next to Norfolk. These days were steady chugging, pulling into each just at sunset and off again first thing in the morning. Yes we missed all the Chesapeake classics, but getting caught in big air and big water at the same time was not going to be good fun in cool weather. So all those places will still be new when we want to cruise closer to home.
The next phase was much more like the expected pace. We went through Hampton Roads and Norfolk, VA on Monday morning with the imposing Naval presence and heavy industry to turn into the Deep Creek channel and turn back the clock. From urban waterfront and intense pilotage to pastoral backwater in a minute. Our first lock experience was uplifting, of course, and informative. The Lockmaster/Bridgetender played the museum docent as well. We stopped just past the lock & bridge to get propane and some groceries and stayed the night with two other sailboats: a single hander from Maine and a couple from Virginia. Light rain and impending darkness parked us there but I would recommend pushing on to the the next bulkhead 5 miles further because the traffic at the bridge and a stoplight went on all night long.
So this morning the other boats took off early and we cooked breakfast and cast off later than usual for a placid ride through the ditch. Another lock dropped us back down to the Albemarle basin and the ride down the Pasquotank River through the Cypress forest was gorgeous on a blue sky day in the mid 60's.
We stopped for fuel at Lamb's Marine just north of Elizabeth City, noting that it is the only fuel dealer for many miles. Overnight rate was great and the showers and seafood restaurant sealed the deal for staying in. So tomorrow the plan is to skip another town and cross the Abemarle sound to get ahead of some rain and wind and have a sheltered anchorage, or another protected canal to move through on Thursday. By then I feel we can stop and go a little more comfortably. Old Man Winter doesn't punch so hard down here.
Hey all right! Glad you made it so far so quickly.
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