After our rock and roll episode in the Cape Fear River, we were delighted to see the sight of Carolina Beach State Park and their awesome docks. We spent 11 nights there at a minimal fee ($26 a night) which included water and electric.
While there we biked to our destinations with Anchored Souls, as they rode their scooters. We were always behind them, arrived later and worked harder. Guess what? We ordered scooters and they arrived in time for us to enjoy the Carolina Beach area. Practice made somewhat perfect, and off we went. The "Scooter Cooter Gang", named by Chris, was on a roll.
We made several stops at the local American Legion (great prices on food and drink) and enjoyed another brewery.
The main reason for visiting Carolina Beach was to see family at our niece's UNCW graduation and to take everyone out for an afternoon cruise. We had a great time and hope everyone enjoyed the ride. It was nice to see family along the way. Congrats to Allie!!
We also enjoyed a fun visit with a high school friend, Barb Trigg VanLenten and her husband Rick. We had a great evening catching up, having cocktails and enjoying their tasty homemade stromboli.
There is a toast that is frequently given by "Loopers" (Great Loop cruisers) when drinking "Little Beers" (Licor 43 and heavy whipping cream). It goes like this..."There are good ships and wood ships, and ships that sail the sea. But the best ships are friendships, and may they always be!" I have been designated, by Anchored Souls, as the toast giver so here's a couple for you.
A famous donut shop, Britts Donuts, has been located in Carolina Beach since 1939. We had to try it, so we arrived early and waited for the opening time of 8:30am. By the time they opened, the line stretched way down the boardwalk! They were good, but I'm not sure I would wait in that kind of line for them.
Broken Boat Item Alert! We started to notice that our shower water was not draining as fast as it should. Scott investigated and found several problems with our shower sump pump box. Let me just tell you, this small box can emit odors worse than sewer gas. We made several trips into town for supplies, and Scott repiped and relocated the drain pipes and box. (Relocation was necessary because, as we all know, water does not drain uphill!)
We also made several visits to the Carolina Smokehouse, a restaurant that used to be located in Cashiers NC when we lived there. Unfortunately, we did not see any of the Williams family or Cody (an employee) during our visits. We did enjoy the BBQ though!!
On departure day, as we cruised slowly north on the ICW, we said our final goodbyes to Barb and Rick as they waved from their dock. Until next time..
The ICW brought more long docks, sandbars, shoaling and island houses.
Much to our surprise, Harley really enjoys the boat! Much more than the motorhome. She actually has her own throne!
We came across a US Marine controlled swing bridge, which led to a live fire training area for Camp Lejeune. Luckily, it was not in use the morning of our crossing. Otherwise, it can delay you by several hours.
Morehead City was next on our itinerary. There was a West Marine store there, so we ordered parts with overnight delivery for our windlass (anchor system). Anchored Souls also needed repairs and ordered parts as well. We hung out there for 4 days at the Sanitary Fish Market (strange name 🤪). They offer reduced docking fees, if you visit their restaurant. It was a great place to re-group. The parts arrived a day late, but were delivered dockside by the store. Scott rebuilt the windlass system, including cleaning all parts and painting the motor.
During our visit, we walked the docks, amazed at the # of sportfishing boats. Here's just a sampling.
Scott got carried away one evening with a "tuna"! There may have been alcohol involved!
Harbor night lights...
There was a considerable amount of commercial traffic here with freighters and Navy ships using the port.
Cheri and I scootered to the Lowe's grocery store one day and, lo and behold, came across "The Beer Den" inside the store. This was a full service beer and wine bar, which happened to have 1/2 price pours on the day of our visit. Score!!
We also visited the local Mexican restaurant and had the largest chimichanga we had ever seen.
Along the way to the Albemarle Sound, we cruised the Alligator River and were passed (waked) by numerous large boats heading north for the summer. I never realized how many snowbirds actually travel by boat. (Or should I say, their captains travel by boat!). We anchored a couple of nights during this time and then exited the river through the Alligator River Swing Bridge into the Albemarle Sound.
That night we enjoyed a spectacular sunset with a matching sunrise the next morning.
Sunset...
Sunrise...
A decision had been looming whether to take the route including the "Great Dismal Swamp" or continue on the ICW north to the Virginia Cut. The "swamp" is known for its low depth and floating logs/debris. Many boats have been damaged along the way. Forecasted storms during the Memorial Day weekend made this decision for us. We headed across the sound to Elizabeth City NC, which would ultimately lead us to the "Great Dismal Swamp" and its protected canal.
One new sight for us was the Weeksville Dirigible Hangar. The building was visible for several miles as we cruised into Elizabeth City. Google tells us it was originally built by the US Navy in the early 1940s to service airships (blimps) used to patrol the US coast and harbors. It is used today by a private company to test their fleet.
Elizabeth City was a nice stop. We were able to dock at Jennette Bros. (food service supply co) as long as we needed, with a promise to frequent local restaurants. We had no problem with that! We visited several restaurants/breweries and met many new "Looper" friends.
A visit to the Museum of the Albemarle was very interesting.
We even found a new social distancing sign to add to our collection!
We decided to rent a car and visit Edenton NC. It was too long of a boat ride and the weather in the sound was not conducive for cruising. This is a beautiful city with lovely homes, gardens, a old cotton mill (transformed into a village) and a lighthouse.
There is also a contemporary metal sculpture in this town that seeps with history.
Edenton is home to the oldest home in NC...
and the infamous "Edenton Tea Pot", which symbolizes and honors the 51 women who stood up to King George to protest against the Tea Tax of 1774.
Sunrise, on our way to the "Great Dismal Swamp", brought some interesting sights. A random chair hanging on a tree. Not sure of its use, but a "time out" chair did come to mind. 🤔
And a random "walker" or "zombie", whichever term you prefer. We assume that dock is not friendly!?!?
Other than those strange sightings, it was a beautiful ride.
We entered our first lock of this journey. By the end, we estimate we will go through approximately 200 of these marvels. We even left our mark on the concrete wall!
One bridge to go under, and we were in the famed "swamp" canal.
It proved to be anything but "dismal". We were treated to a gorgeous ride to our planned stop, the Dismal Swamp Canal Welcome Center.
Just as we arrived, 6 sailboats were pulling out. This left us great spots on the dock. Anchored Souls rafted to us, so we left ample space for other boats. The Welcome Center allows a 24 hour stay, per Corp of Engineers rules, and 48 hours for inclement weather. We were planning on the inclement weather and actually stayed for 3 nights (the entire Memorial Day Weekend). We were joined by several other boats, 8 total on Saturday night.
Broken Boat Item Alert! Our generator started making weird noises, which is not good when you have no electrical hook-ups. Luckily, Scott was able to diagnose the problem as a bad impeller which needed to be replaced. We had an extra so the crisis was averted. Note to everyone: Do not buy a boat if you are not handy and always carry 2 extra of each part!!!
After the generator repair, Scott needed to clean the strainers on the boat. Unfortunately, he did this over the side and dropped the main engine strainer into the water. The brown swamp water beckoned him below and over the side he went. Thankfully, he only had to go in up to his neck, as he was able to feel the part with his toes and bring it up. We wouldn't have been mobile without that part!
I do know one thing: I probably wouldn't have gone into the water. If I cannot see below me, it's a hard NO!
In reality, the swamp water is brown from tannins and is believed to have healing powers. I'll still pass!!
On Memorial Day, we left the welcome center and continued down the canal. We were treated to the sights and sounds of the water, including beautiful reflections, deer and so many turtles I lost count.
There are very few structures along the canal and most are government owned. One bridge is used by a farmer to move his herd across the water. Thankfully, it was not in use during our passage.
The canal is used by vessels of many sizes.
Since it was early in the season, we didn't come across much duckweed, while beautiful it is a nemesis for boaters.
After 20+ miles on the canal, we were delighted to see the canal's final bridge and lock. The lock tender was very funny as he said, "We wondered if you were ever coming out". We might have overstayed our welcome at the welcome center. 😜
We thoroughly enjoyed this beautiful canal, and we were ecstatic that we had no damage from logs/debris. As a matter of fact, we didn't feel one bump. Our buddy boat had 12 "bumps", but thankfully no damage! We definitely were happy with our decision to take this route.
A bald eagle, perched on a piling at the end of the lock, led us out on Deep Creek.
Another favorite place for Harlie is on the bow, especially during locking. She likes the attention of the lock tenders, and quite possibly thinks she's going to get off to go "potty"!
We arrived back at the ICW and said goodbye to Anchored Souls, as they headed north to Norfolk, and we headed south to Atlantic Yacht Basin.
On our way to Chesapeake Va, we encountered another lock and bridge, with brightly painted cranes lining the shore.
Broken Boat Item Alert! When we purchased the boat, we were aware that the stern thruster was not working. Scott had worked on it for hours (and hours, and hours) before our departure, trying to remove the thruster, with limited success. We decided to bite the bullet and get some help! Something that is foreign to Scott. We stayed at Atlantic Yacht Basin for 4 days, and realized that this was our first docking with hookups in 15 days.
During our stay, the smallest mechanic on their staff spent 2 full days inside our swim platform attempting to remove the thruster. Then Scott spend another day inside the platform. Finally, the thruster was removed after cutting several bolts and supports. The actual repair of the thruster itself took seconds to complete. Scott spent another day reinstalling and building new supports for the thruster. So, after countless hours and several boat $ bucks, we have a working stern thruster. It is amazing and such a game changer! 😊
A few highlights from our stay in Chesapeake...
This prop was laying on the dock at the repair facility. We think its demise might have been the "Dismal Swamp" 😜
So many $$$ yachts passed us enroute north for the summer.
We also enjoyed a Pop Up Happy Hour, including drinks and food. Met many new friends and enjoyed "Little Beers" provided by the Oysterland boat.
Following our stern thruster repair, we headed outbound for Portsmouth Va to meet back up with Anchored Souls. We encountered a few interesting sights along the way.
This boat definitely needed a cleaning...Had possibly been underwater for awhile.
Different types of bridges...
Immense piles of scrap metal being loaded onto freighters...bound for??
More Navy ships...
Portsmouth Va has a very interesting harbor with free docking provided. A few issues go along with that, i.e., non-stop ferry docking, wading to your boat at high tide, interesting people wandering around, etc.
We ended our stay with a delightful meal at another Mexican restaurant, with another unique chimichanga!
In case you were wondering, we are having a blast!!!
So long for now...
NEXT UP: FOG, BUOYS, A DISAPPEARING ISLAND AND THE CHESAPEAKE BAY!
Comments