Monday, August 23, 2010

One more day in Elizabeth City. We spent our time catching up on the blog, doing some reading, checking out the Visitor’s Center and browsing at the book store across the street. Very relaxing but we must be moving on. Tomorrow – the Great Dismal Swamp!

Sunday, August 22, 2010 - Elizabeth City, NC

There was a lot of rain and a great deal of wind during the night. Since the wind was from the southeast, the boat banged against the dock so not only was it hot and stuffy inside, it was noisy, too! By morning it had quit raining but the sky was looking like it wasn’t done with us yet. We got a look at the boat and had never seen it so dirty!! The scum from the river was very sticky and splashed up the side of the hulls, especially on the side next to the wall. Since the river was calm this morning and the other two sailboats had left their slips, we decided to move the boat away from the wall and into a slip. Gale was afraid that we might be asked to leave since the boat was so dirty! He lowered the dinghy and scrubbed the outside of the hulls while Maureen loaded up the laundry and supplies and walked to the laundromat. Fortunately, the morning rains went around us and we were able to take care of our business without further storms.

By the time Gale had finished his cleaning chores and Maureen was done with the laundry and back at the boat, it was close to 2 pm. We had learned that Farm Fresh Market would send someone to pick us up and take us to the grocery store for provisions so we called that number and were told that someone would be at the waterfront at 3 pm. We were picked up at the appointed hour and taken to a wonderful grocery where we stocked up and were delivered back to our boat by 5 pm. Just as we finished bringing our purchases aboard, it started to rain! We sat in the cockpit and enjoyed the cool down!

Tonight’s dinner consisted of grilled corn on the cob bought fresh at the market yesterday and fresh, hot barbecued rotisserie chicken we picked up at the grocery store. Marvelous!

Saturday, August 21, 2010 - Elizabeth City, NC

It was a gorgeous day! When we got up at 7:00 am, we noticed that the tents for the Farmers’ Market were being set up in the park adjacent to the waterfront. By 9:00 am the market was open and we spent some time checking out the vendors’ wares and purchasing produce and baked goods. We enjoyed looking at the Bonsai trees on display, the carvings and furniture made from cypress stumps, and the other crafts that were for sale.

Instead of digging right into the chores we needed to tackle while at port, we decided to spend the afternoon at the 50,000 square foot Museum of the Albemarle which is located on the waterfront in downtown Elizabeth City. The gallery’s primary exhibit, Our Story, depicts the history of the Albermarle area and displays more than 700 artifacts about the region’s watermen, farmers, lifesavers and soldiers.

After touring the museum, we walked across the street to the Verizon store to have a few questions answered about our new phones and the service provided. The representative was not as familiar with the Droid models as she was with the Blackberry devices, but she helped us the best she could. We will still need to call technical support ourselves to answer additional questions. From there, we walked through a portion of the downtown area. It seemed to be quite vibrant and we got the impression that the townsfolk were making a big effort to keep things going. We stopped into Logan Raye’s Key West Grille for a couple of drinks and a yummy fish taco.

On our way back to the boat, there was a tiny park on the waterfront dedicated to the developers of the small Moth sailboats. Here we met a couple from Raleigh, NC, who had left earlier in the day to drive around their state in celebration of their wedding anniversary. They had picked a direction to drive and made an effort to travel only on state and county roads. Steve and Myriam found themselves in Elizabeth City. They asked if we knew of any B&B’s in town. We told them we had arrived in Elizabeth City for the first time just 24 hours prior but if they wanted to come over to our boat, we would check the internet to get some phone numbers and addresses. We sat out on the foredeck and shared some wine with our new friends. They were able to find a place for the night and the four of us enjoyed a nice visit.

Friday, August 20, 2010 – Elizabeth City, NC

It rained some during the night – not a very hard rain but it was enough to have to close and latch the hatches. Our fans helped to keep us cool, but it was still a bit stuffy which made it difficult to sleep.

The morning sky was partly cloudy and the temperature was 78°F. We got an early start and pulled up the anchor at 6:15 am. It was our hope to make it to Elizabeth City by the end of the day which was 75 statute miles from our anchorage in the Pungo River. We entered the Alligator River / Pango River Canal which is a 21.3 mile land cut through cypress swamps, cattle grazing lands and dense forest. It was very scenic and very quiet – we did not see another boat through the entire length of the canal. Shortly after a stunning sunrise, Gale noticed a large black bear down by the water’s edge getting a drink. He stared at us for awhile (hopefully, you can make him out in the photograph) and then went back into the trees. We also saw white tail deer, wild turkeys and a pileated woodpecker. What we did not see were any alligators but we learned that they were around and plentiful. It was just last night when we had been lamenting that we missed seeing the wildlife. We thought it was because the countryside we had been traveling through lately was mainly swampy and there was little fresh water available. The area we were in was part of a national wildlife / game preserve.








At about 2 pm, we stopped for diesel fuel and water at the Alligator River Marina. There were not a lot of choices for fuel around these parts so we felt we better stop while we had the opportunity. It was an interesting marina with a gas station / convenience store accessible by road and a fuel dock accessible by water. The convenience store had a sandwich grill, the marina had several slips, water, electricity, nice shower and laundry facilities and the owners had two or three family homes on the property. It was a nice set up right at the foot of the Alligator River bridge. It was not a busy time of year for them, though; there was only one boat in the marina.

We continued on our way and with a favorable wind made it to Elizabeth City’s waterfront before 7 pm. We tied up to the wall rather than trying to maneuver into one of the slips and visited with a few folks as they walked by. One couple and their two kids stopped to visit and then recommended that we try dinner at the Cypress Creek Grill across the street. Once we were settled in, we walked over to the restaurant and shared a very nice meal.

Thursday, August 19, 2010 – Pungo River, mile 127.5

It was a very hot and humid start to the day. The water was as smooth as glass. Thankfully, the cloudy sky helped to keep it from being completely unbearable! We came away from our anchorage about 8:30 am and headed across the sound to check out Oriental. It was a cute little town from what we could tell from the water – a place we will try to come back to on the way back. The free town dock was full – both the boats that passed us by last night had their places on the dock. We could have anchored in the crowded little harbor, but chose to travel on.

The forecast called for an 80% chance of rain and wind out of the south at 15-20 knots. We were looking forward to both the wind and the rain to help cool things down and give us a boost. Neither one happened. It stayed hot all day, not a puff of wind, but, at least, the sky remained cloudy.

At 6:20 pm we anchored in the Pungo River just before the southern entrance to the Alligator River / Pungo River Canal – a very quiet spot.

Wednesday, August 18, 2010 – ICW mile 186 in N Carolina near entrance to Neuse River

We started the day with mostly clear skies, 88°F and a light SE wind. Before we had the anchor raised, we heard a roar of engines and about 8 to 10 camouflaged military boats came zinging into the bay one at a time. Several of them motored up to the ramp and then drove out into the parking lot. The rubber boats began either patrolling the immediate vicinity or tying up to the wall / dock. It was fun to watch the parade, but we did not stick around long enough for any of the boats to approach us. The sailboat we came in with last night left at the same time we did and the other boat had taken off earlier so the soldiers were left alone for their maneuvers.

It was our plan to go all the way to Oriental, NC, and tie up to the town’s free dock for the night. We wanted to check out the area and, perhaps, pick up a few groceries. After traveling 52 nautical miles we still had 5.5 miles to go when we decided to heed the thunderstorm warnings and find an anchorage to wait out the approaching storm. The sky became very dark and we could see the line of thunderstorms coming our way. It looked like we would be right on the edge of the line but instead of crossing the large open water between where we were and Oriental and taking the chance that it would miss us, we thought it best to play it safe. By the time we were secured out of the channel, we watched two other boats, a small sailboat and a trawler, pass us and continue their journey across to Oriental.


As it turned out, the storm stayed north and east of us. We had some rain, but no thunder, lightning or wind. We slept peacefully in our quiet little spot.

Tuesday, August 17, 2010 – Mile Hammock Bay near Camp LeJeune, mile 244.5

We stayed at anchor again this morning so Gale could complete the hull scrubbing project he began yesterday and Maureen could take care of some online business related to bills and budgets. We hauled up the anchor and motored out of the harbor at 12:15 pm to wait for the 1:00 pm opening of the Wrightsville Beach highway bridge. We had a nice wind out of the east and southeast of 10 to 12 knots and were able to cover 40 statute miles in about five hours even though there were two additional bridges that had to be opened for us to pass. With the wind and the motor, we averaged about 7 knots for most of the cruise. The afternoon was warm but not hot and it felt lovely. The sky was mostly clear.



At 6:30 pm we had come to our anchorage for the night. It was a little bay off the main waterway that had been dredged out for use by the marines of Camp LeJeune. There was already one sailboat anchored and a second sailboat entered the bay right before we did. We dropped the Delta anchor three times before finally deciding that we would use the Fortress as our main anchor. Fortunately, the Fortress grabbed right away and we dropped the Delta as a backup anchor. The bottom was soft mud so the heavy plow anchor (Delta) just drags through it. The Fortress was made for the mud!

The photo of the day captured the big giraffe in somebody’s front yard along the waterway!

Monday, August 16, 2010 – Wrightsville Beach, NC

We stayed another day at anchor and worked around the boat. Gale did several maintenance projects while Maureen tackled the pile of paperwork that had accumulated over the past year. Along with various smaller jobs, Gale changed the engine oil, determined what was causing the tachometer needle to jump around which meant replacing the solenoid, and scrubbed the barnacles off the hull. Maureen got the files organized and caught up on some bills and budgeting. The only time we went to shore was to pick up the parts from the traveling repair guy, Josh, who was kind enough to make the delivery to the public dinghy dock.

Sunday, August 15, 2010 – Wrightsville Beach, NC

It felt cool this morning! The air was drier and there was a nice breeze coming through the boat. We slept a little later and relaxed during the morning hours. Maureen worked on the budget and the blog, Gale did a couple of chores and we experienced the area waking up on a Sunday morning. It was shaping up to be a great beach day!

It wasn’t until after 4 pm that we finally quit what we were doing and headed to the beach for a walk. We played in the surf for awhile, rested on the beach and then picked up our towels and began a search for ice cream. We scored a couple of scoops along the way back to the dinghy dock. The evening was cool and comfortable.

Saturday, August 14, 2010 – Wrightsville Beach, NC, mile 283.2

The sky was mostly cloudy when we started up the river a little before 8 am. It actually felt cool at 82°F! Our first stop was at Southport Marina where we took on fuel and water and paid a $10 fee to leave our boat at the dock so we could go into town to buy provisions. A taxi picked us up at 9 am and dropped us off at the Super Walmart where we loaded up with groceries and picked up a few other items for the boat.

By 11:15 am the provisions were stowed, Gale had showered and we were ready to head out once again. The guidebook recommended that a northbound slow boat, such as ours, leave Southport one hour before high tide to take advantage of the tidal current for a boost in getting through the Cape Fear area. A slow boat was defined as one that traveled between 5 and 7 knots. Since high tide was at 12:15 pm, we were right on schedule for the passage – and we were very happy to have heeded the advice – especially since the northeast wind was coming straight toward us at a strong 15 knots or better! Cape Fear is a busy inlet with a good deal of large ship traffic. It is shallow, the currents are strong and it can be very choppy.





After passing through the Cape Fear region, we came to the beautiful beaches of Carolina State Park. Many people were out in their pleasure craft enjoying the water, the sunshine and the beaches. We decided that we’d like to check out a beach ourselves and made our way to Wrightsville Beach, NC where we found a great place to anchor at 3:45 pm. After putting out a second anchor for safety, we took the dinghy to the dock, walked the two blocks to the Atlantic coast and found a gorgeous beach full of people. We played in the strong surf for awhile and then took a dinghy ride around the protected basin of the ICW. There wasn’t much discussion when the question was asked: “Should we stay tomorrow, too?” YES!

Friday, August 13, 2010 – Dutchman’s Creek, mile 310.2, N Carolina ICW

The morning hours were spent gliding through more cypress swamps and then past the beautiful homes and condominiums along the ICW in the Myrtle Beach area of S Carolina. At one point we were surprised by the aerial trams we saw up ahead with cable cars crossing the waterway in either direction. It turned out to be a tramway for the golf course to transport people in their carts from one side of the river to the other! Very interesting, indeed!




During the afternoon we crossed over from S Carolina into N Carolina. We encountered our first pontoon bridge of the trip where everybody had to wait for an opening – including the jet skis. It was located in a busy area of the waterway and there were several pleasure craft standing by for the bridge’s hourly opening. Immediately adjacent to the old pontoon bridge, a new bridge was being constructed and appeared to be near completion. Perhaps it was the last of its kind!



This was one of the hottest days yet with the temperature around 100°F. Fortunately, a “cold front” came through in the afternoon and we were treated to a strong thunderstorm without too much wind. Instead of the skies clearing right away, the cloud cover stayed for the rest of the afternoon and we relished the cooler temps.

After twelve hours moving up the waterway, we found a nice anchorage in Dutchman’s Creek about a mile south of Southport, NC.

Thursday, August 12, 2010 – Waccamaw River, mile 375.5, S Carolina ICW

Much of the day was spent cruising through beautiful cypress swamps. It was hot, as usual, but we did have a bit of relief with some cloud cover and SW breezes of 5 to 15 knots. Between 8 am and 5:30 pm we managed to travel our average 60 statute miles and at the end of the day anchored in an oxbow of the Waccamaw River.



Even though it was 100°F or better, Gale spent some time out on the foredeck working out with his strength bands. His reward was a dip in the river off the back of the boat and even though the river was quite brown from the tree tannins, he did not hesitate to jump. Afterwards, we both used the cockpit shower to rinse off with fresh water and settled in for a nice evening watching the ospreys and calling to the great horned owls.

Wednesday, August 11, 2010 – Awendaw Creek, mile 435.7, N Carolina ICW

It was a beautiful sunny morning when we awoke in our slip at the marina. We had plans to meet a friend for lunch so we were up early to do the laundry, clean up the boat a bit and take showers. Our friend, Lisa Lewerke, arrived at the marina shortly before 11:30 am. Maureen met her in the parking lot and brought her back out to see Blue Heron. Lisa is a dear friend of Jessica, our daughter, and we were eager to spend a little time with her. After showing off our home, we walked over to the restaurant next to the marina and enjoyed a nice lunch and a couple of beers (wine for Maureen). It was nice to catch up with her and learn that she and her 16-year old daughter, Mackenzie, were doing so well. We hope to be able to spend some more time with her on the return trip this fall.

After lunch it was time to cast off. The afternoon was very hot but we were ready to move on. Since we didn’t get started until almost 2 pm, we cruised until 7 pm before anchoring in Awendaw Creek at mile 435.7 of the ICW. We were surrounded by water and marshland. The marsh looked like a huge prairie stretching out for miles around us. If it weren’t for the various cell phone and radio towers we could see in the distance, we would have thought we were in the middle of nowhere.

Tuesday, August 10, 2010 – City Marina, Charleston, SC

It was another beautiful morning – partly cloudy, warm, little breeze. We were looking forward to getting into Charleston to have the whole day for a tour of the city. We were up early and on our way by 7 am to cover the six miles against the current and make it to the bascule bridge just outside of Charleston in time for the 9 am opening. And, we should have made it – but Maureen missed the cut and we went a little out of our way before she realized that the trip was taking much longer than expected and she was no longer seeing the little yellow stickers on the channel markers that indicate one is in the ICW. Our path was taking us out to the Atlantic rather than into Charleston Harbor! Oh well, an extra hour of sightseeing on this beautiful waterway and admiring the impressive southern style mansions along the way was time well spent.





By 11 am, we were settled into our slip alongside the “Megadock” at the Charleston City Marina where we enjoyed a fantastic view of the city. After showering and a light lunch, we hopped on the marina’s complimentary shuttle and headed to the Visitors Center where we took a ride on a small tour bus driven by a very knowledgeable and pleasant guide. Susan, our guide, painted a very vivid picture of the City’s origin and history. The buildings and mansions were quite interesting to see. We even experienced a guided tour of one of the older mansions in the city, the Joseph Manigault house built in 1803, which was hosted by a very genteel and petite southern belle. After the tour we walked back to the Visitors Center to catch the last showing of the day of a 38-minute film on Charleston’s history.




By the time the film was finished it was after 5 pm. We decided to walk back to the marina and find a nice restaurant along the way to share an entrée and have a cocktail. We stumbled upon Sermet’s Corner and savored a lovely meal of parmesan and pepper encrusted salmon over the special mashed potatoes and steamed vegetables. It was fantastic!! After dinner, we began our stroll back to the marina. As luck would have it, we saw the marina shuttle just pulling out of a parking lot about two blocks into our walk and caught a ride back. We were glad for the ride as it turned out to be a much longer walk than we had thought!!

Back on Blue Heron, we sat out on the foredeck to enjoy the cool breezes after the sun went down.

Monday, August 9, 2010 – Stono River, Mile 475.5, S Carolina ICW

It was mostly clear when we left our anchorage at 7:30 am. At 9 am, we stopped at Beaufort’s Downtown Marina to fill up our fuel tanks. Instead of topping off the water tanks, too, we quickly left the fuel dock and headed for the bridge to make it in time for the 9:30 am opening. We just made it and continued on down the waterway grateful for the increasing cloud cover and a little bit more protection from the hot sun. The clouds continued to gather and we could see rain around us. We did experience a brief, but heavy, rain shower during the middle of the afternoon which washed the boat off quite nicely.

It was nearly 7 pm when we anchored for the night at mile 475.5 on the Stono River. We had thought we might make it all the way to Charleston, however, with the strong current against us, the going was slow. The anchoring spot was very quiet and pleasant.

Sunday, August 8, 2010 – Port Royal, Battery Creek, Mile 541.7, S Carolina ICW

We left our anchorage at Moon River at 8 am and sailed into another warm and sunny day. The breeze was out of the northeast and later out of the east, so it wasn’t much help as we snaked our way through the ICW in South Carolina. We passed by Hilton Head and saw a lot of activity on the water on this gorgeous Sunday afternoon. When we were out in the middle of Port Royal Sound, Gale decided that he needed to go for a swim. The current was pretty strong so we put out a line for him to make sure he didn't float away. After he cooled off, we were on our way again in no time at all.




At 6 pm we dropped the hook in a quiet anchorage at mile 541.7 near the town of Port Royal in Battery Creek. There were three other sailboats moored there and we could smell the aromas of dinner cooking at the restaurant on shore. We enjoyed the evening at anchor and were blessed with a nice breeze to sleep by.