Annapolis, May 31, 2008

We went to Washington D.C. today. We drove to Largo Town Center and took the Metro into Washington. We were fortunate to have decided to go on a week-end because we discovered you can park for free at the metro station on week-ends. We saw a sign at the station that said “Park & Ride” with an arrow and “Kiss & Ride” with another arrow. We decided that “Kiss & Ride” was for dropoffs.

We started out at the Air and Space Museum. There were many exhibits about man’s journey in air and space travel. There was the original plane that the Wright Brothers used for their first flight. Various aircraft were hanging from the ceiling and space travel was also represented. The actual capsule “Friendship 7” that John Glenn used to orbit the earth for the first time was on exhibit and the Apollo Command Module from the 1st Lunar landing mission was also there.

There we saw two IMAX movies. The first was “3D Sun”. This was about the need to monitor the suns solar eruptions in order to help with space weather forecasting. Solar erruptions cause radiation particles to fly towards the earth and violent solar storms can impact radio, power Grids, GPS, satellites and even astronauts out in space. STEREO is comprised of 2 satellites, spaced far apart, which enables scientists to view the sun in 3D. They provide much needed information which helps NOAA with space weather forecasting. It was very interesting.

The second movie we saw was “Fighter Pilot: Operation Red Flag”. This was about an American fighter pilot taking part in real life combat exercises. These training exercises involved 128 aircraft from 6 countries. It was said that in battle if a pilot survives his(her) first 10 air battles, they will most likely survive the war. These exercises are meant to simulate the pilots first 10 air battles. This was a very good movie.

We walked along the National Mall up towards the Capitol. We got some nice pictures of it and also of the Washington Monument in the distance. We saw so many gardens, all beautifully landscaped and maintained.

Quite close to the Capitol is the United States Botanical Gardens. Surrounding the building are many globes, decorated in many different styles. Inside were many different rooms, highlighting the many climates with plants and flowers suited for that area.

We walked through the 1st floor of the National Gallery of Art – sailors can only endure so much culture at once.

We got into the Museum of Natural History just as it started to rain. The forecast had been for rain, possibly severe and the sky had been looking ominous. We were on the steps to the museum when there was a brilliant lightning strike, followed by an extremely loud clap of thunder and the skies opened. We just got inside as it started to pour.

There were many interesting exhibits in the Museum of Natural History. One of them was about dinosaurs, with excavated bones reconstructed to show many kinds of dinosaurs. The “Hope Diamond” was also on display. It was formed more than one billion years ago. Pictures of this didn’t turn out.

Back to the Metro in the rain and back to the boat.

Annapolis, May 30, 2008

This afternoon we took the car and drove around Annapolis. We were fortunate to find a parking space in downtown Historic Annapolis. We walked around the area, up and down the streets and around State Circle where the Maryland State House is located.

The Maryland State House is the oldest state capitol still in continuous legislative use and was the first peacetime capitol of the United States. It is the only state house ever to have served as the nation's capitol. The Continental Congress met in the Old Senate Chamber from November 26, 1783 to August 13, 1784. During that time, General George Washington came before the Congress to resign his commission as Commander-in-Chief of the Continental Army and the Treaty of Paris was ratified, marking the official end of the Revolutionary War.

The State House has a wooden dome. It is the oldest and largest wooden dome of its kind in the United States. No metal nails were used in its construction and, to this day, it is held together by wooden pegs reinforced by iron straps forged by an Annapolis ironmonger.

There are many old homes surrounded with beautiful mature trees. There are new homes mixed in with 100 year old homes, but everything fits in well together. The city has as nice a blend of old and new as we have ever seen. It is a beautiful city.

We were in an ice cream shop where the owners had started a tradition of hanging plastic spoons decorated by the customers on the walls. Thousands of customers have shown their creative side with the supplies provided. There was also a sign which said the first documented use of the term “ice cream” occurred in Annapolis in 1744 by its govenor.

We drove by the Naval Academy Cemetery. It is a military cemetery. Small headstones, all in a row.

Annapolis, May 29, 2008

Last night we were fortunate to be able to watch the finish of the Annapolis Yacht Club Wednesday night sailboat races. The finish line was directly in front of our marina.

The Annapolis Yacht Club inaugurated midweek racing in 1959. Today, 150-200 yachts compete each Wednesday in the midweek festivities in a variety of handicap and one design classes. Participation is open to members of the Annapolis Yacht Club only. There is a sequence of six starts beginning at 6:05 PM near the mouth of Spa Creek. The racers round several marks in the Bay then back into Spa Creek for the finish in front of the Club. The finish draws a large spectator crowd at the Club, on the nearby Spa Creek drawbridge, on boats at the city marina or on a mooring in the harbor or from one of the eateries around the harbor.

All those sailboats are coming in under full sail, many with colorful spinnakers. It is a beautiful sight, especially considering that Spa Creek is only about 150 yards wide at the finish line and the line is about 50 yards from a drawbridge with a 14 ft. vertical clearance. The boats have to immediately drop sail, turn to port and motor down the edge of the creek to allow maneuvering room for the boats behind them who are still racing.

The three series of races run from late April through early September. In keeping with tradition, the after race "picnic supper" is now an extended happy hour with dinner available for competitors and their crews. This has become the party to attend on Wednesday and for many, the official beginning of the weekend.

The morning was spent taping and painting non-skid. We have nearly finished – Hooray!!

This afternoon we took the car and ran more errands. Beth got a much needed haircut – it got a little short this time. Then we went to see the Indiana Jones movie. We both enjoyed it.

Annapolis, May 28, 2008

This morning we started calling for a rental car. Enterprise had no cars available. We were able to get a car at Budget and discovered it was cheaper than Enterprise. They came to pick us up and we were driven through the historic section of Annapolis on our way to their office.

We got the rental details taken care of then went to Sam’s Club. We really stocked up on supplies. On our way back to the boat we were on roads through some residential areas. So far we really like what we have seen. We’ll be doing the whole tourist thing in a couple of days.

This afternoon we got more of the boat ready for non-skid. We plan to paint the floor of the flybridge and one side of the deck. Pretty soon we’ll have it all done!

Solomon Island – Annapolis, May 27, 2008

We left this morning at 7:30 and decided to bypass any other stops and go straight to Annapolis. We plan to stay here for 1 week. We’ll be renting a car and driving around the area, using the boat as our base.

We were alongside of these cliffs, some in the Calvert Cliffs State Park. Darrell thinks Tom Clancy used this area for Jack Ryan’s home when writing the novel “The Patriot Games”. It’s only a few miles from here by water to the Patuxent Navy Weapons Center, which was also in the book. Also, Calvert County, Maryland was where part of the movie version was filmed.

We had a few hundred flies on board with us today. We think we went through a hatching. It was not fun, some were biting. Beth spent a lot of the cruise killing flies. We had a fly cemetery when we arrived. Darrell had to hose off the boat.


Pictures of the Naval Academy. We passed it coming into our marina.

It is quite warm and humid today. There is supposed to be a cold front coming through tonight with rain and thunderstorms.

Solomon Island – May 26, 2008

We decided to stay at our same anchorage another day. More work around the boat. Darrell was working on hiding the cables/wires for the direct TV. We will also decide where we’ll go to tomorrow.

Solomon Island – May 25, 2008

We stayed at the marina only 2 nights. We left this morning at 11:45 and traveled only 3.3 miles to an anchorage in Mill Creek. There a many beautiful homes here, with most of them having their own dock. There are also hundreds of boats. There are miles and miles of waterfront with all the winding rivers and creeks off of the bay.

We went by these tugboats which looked like they had been outfited with hoses to enable them to fight fires.

There were many people out on the water enjoying the wonderful week-end. We saw water skiers, jet skis and many pleasure boats going by. All the sailboats were on the Chesapeake.

Darrell worked in the engine room in the afternoon.

Fuzzy and the Ospreys

Fuzzy kept seeing nests on the markers in the water and he wondered what they were. He asked Nana and she told him they were Osprey nests. The Osprey likes to build its nest on manmade structures, like telephone poles, channel markers and special platforms built especially for them.

Ospreys are also called sea hawk, fish hawk, or fish eagle. It eats almost only fish. That’s why they have their nests near the water, so they are close to their food.

The mom Osprey lays 2-4 eggs and has to sit on them about 5 weeks until they hatch. Then the mom and dad Osprey have to get food for them until they are big enough to fly away. That usually takes 8-10 weeks.

Solomon Island – May 24, 2008

We were able to sleep in today. That was nice after having to be up early the past few days. After showering and having breakfast we took our bikes to check out the island. We rode all the streets of Solomon Island and then walked the boardwalk. We went into a couple of their boutiques and art galleries and stopped at the Chesapeake Biological Laboratory Visitor Center. That was interesting. It is a part of the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science and is the oldest state-supported marine laboratory on the East Coast.

We got back to the boat and decided that because the bikes were off the boat it would be an excellent time to put a coat of non-skid on the trunk cabin. The weather was nice and after washing it Darrell taped and then we painted. We also put a coat on the forward cabin top.

The marina we are in is very close to the Calvert Marine Museum, which is where a concert will be held tonight. They started setting up yesterday and have the entire area cordoned off. Dierks Bentley will be performing tonight and we’re told we will be able to hear perfectly from our boat.

Tangier Island, Va. – The Solomons, Maryland – May 23, 2008

We left Tangier Island at 6:45 this morning. We had a rough couple of hours on the Chesapeake, then the wind lessened some and the ride became more tolerable.

We crossed into Maryland waters at 8:15.

We knew we wanted to go to the Solomons today but hadn’t called for any reservations. We had planned to call yesterday to see if anything was available but we had no cellphone coverage. With this week-end being Memorial Day week-end we felt very fortunate that when we called for a slip there was one available for 2 nights. There had just been a cancellation. There are 19 marinas in this area and they are probably all full. We planned to anchor out if we wouldn’t have been able to get a slip.

We got in at 1:15. We are at Spring Cove Marina and it is very nice. There is a swimming pool, very nice gift shop, laundry, small store with snacks and boat supplies. There is also a restaurant on site, called The Naughty Gull Restaurant and Pub. The showers and bathrooms are very nice. If you are living on a boat you find out quickly how very important nice marina restrooms are.

Tomorrow we will be checking the island out by bicycle.

Deltaville, Va. – Tangier Island, Va., - May 22, 2008

We left this morning at 6:30 because we had planned to go to the Solomons which would have been an all day trip. Shortly after we left we decided to adjust our course and make a stop at Tangier Island. We arrived at 10:30.

Tangier Island is accessible only by boat or small airplane. There is only 1 small town on the island and there are very few residents. The islands main income source is fishing and crabbing and is what generations of families have done. Recently tourism has become important to the economy. Tour boats make daily visits here and there are a few bed and breakfasts, about 4 restaurants and a few stores.

We walked around the inhabited part of the island. It is quite an interesting place. We found that even though the signs in the restaurants say open at 11 a.m., most of the restaurants only open when a tour boat comes in. Also, the museum and most of the small stores are not open unless there is a tour boat.

We did find one small outdoor café that was open. The Waterfront Café is sort of a drive-in type place, order in, eat outside. Most of the people eating lunch there were locals. It was located at the tour boat docks and would be open until 4. We talked with the woman running it. She said there was a small tour boat that would be coming in around 1:30 and leaving at 4:00. The stores would be open then. We had hoped to eat dinner somewhere on the island so we went back and checked around 3:30. None of the larger restaurants had opened so we ate at the Waterfront Café. We had supper at 3:45 p.m. (Even when there are large tour boats here, the restaurants close at 5:00.)

In talking with a local resident we found that there are fewer than 600 people living here year around. A lot of the men have left. The fishing restrictions are making it difficult for them. You can tell who has lived here a long time. They have a unique dialect.

Almost all the transportation is by golf cart, bicycle and scooter/motorcycle. There was a police car and we saw a car that said “Taxi” on it. We also saw a golf cart that said “Taxi” on it. Most of the streets are only wide enough for golf carts. There were some trucks down by the docks.

All of the homes were fenced. There were a lot of homes with graves and headstones in their yards. A sign we saw said that was common years ago. It made it easier for the family to gather, it detered grave robbers and dogs were less likely to dig them up.

We had no internet access or phone signal while in Tangier Island. However, this is a very unique place and we were very glad to have stopped.

Crown Pointe Marina, Hayes, Va., - Deltaville, Va – May 21, 2008

We left the dock at 7 a.m. and almost had a stowaway. There was a cat named Flo who jumped onboard. She’s the pet of another boater and is very people friendly.

Today we had a nice, easy, smooth ride, which was quite a nice change from our last little trip. The wind did start picking up a little around 10:30 for the rest of the day. Early morning is usually pretty calm.

There are quite a few lighthouses in the Chesapeake. They are navigation aids for large ships. This one is named the Wolf Trap Lighthouse.

We got to Deltaville around noon. We are staying at Deltaville Yachting Center, one of about 19 marinas in the Deltaville area. Deltaville is a very small town on a peninsula and is surrounded by marinas. Since its on the Chesapeake they get a lot of boaters from the larger cities. The marina is very nice. There is a swimming pool and a very nice poolhouse which has kitchen facilities and a nice sitting area.

Deltaville is spread out for about 3 miles along its main road. There are a few restaurants, a few boutiques, a Boat US, West Marine and grocery store. We rode our bikes from the marina to the other end of the town. Stopped in the grocery store and picked up a few things then started riding back. It started sprinkling and we were both damp by the time we got back. We are happy it didn’t really rain.

Crown Pointe Marina, Hayes, Va., - May 20, 2008

We woke up to rain and decided to stay here another day. There was still some wind in the forecast for today and tomorrow is supposed to be better.

The nearest grocery store and hardward store is about 15 minutes away. The marina has a courtesy car, so we went and did some shopping. We picked up some groceries and Darrell needed some things at Ace Hardware.

We spent the afternoon doing odd jobs around the boat. The forecast was for more rain in the afternoon so we didn’t want to do any more painting. That can wait for another day.

Hampton, Va., - Crown Pointe Marina, Hayes, Va., - May 19, 2008

We left this morning a little before 7 with nice, blue skies and very calm water. We were in the shipping lane for awhile and met a Navy ship, large container ship, Coast Guard Cutter and a tug pulling a barge, all returning to Norfolk. We rounded the Thimble Island Shoal light and headed north. We saw many more large vessels on the horizon.












Shortly after turning north we were in the large, open water of the Chesapeake. The water became rougher, the wind started increasing. The forecast of a calm day was not accurate. This crossing was extremely rough, worse than the Albemarle Sound crossing. We were taking on spray for a large part of the trip, sometimes over the top of the bridge enclosure. The microwave fell off its stand and the TV, which had been laid down, fell off its shelf. It was a terribly rough and uncomfortable ride. We were extremely happy to get to the marina about 11 a.m. We felt like we had been traveling for 8 hours and it was lucky neither of us gets seasick very easily. Darrell says we’re having a good time.

Luckily the marina was very well protected. It was quite windy outside, but the boat hardly moved.

We saw the Goodyear Blimp go over us. Don’t know if it’s going to its home or to cover an event.

Hampton River, Va., May 18, 2008

While we had planned to leave Hampton today and cruise to Yorktown, the weather forecast wasn’t very good. It called for 15-25 knot winds, gusting to 30+, which would have made it quite uncomfortable on the open Chesapeake. So, we decided to stay where we were and take care of some never ending boat maintenace.

Sometime last night or early morning the birds decided to use the boat as target practice. We needed to hose off the boat.

Darrell worked on the washdown pump. It is only working sometimes and it is quite frustrating when it stops in the middle of use. He discovered the high pressure cuttoff switch is faulty. We have a workaround for the problem until we get a replacement switch. We’ll have to pick one up when we can.

We worked some on the next section of the boat to be painted with non-skid. It needed to be sanded and taped before the first coat of non-skid.

Later this afternoon we were treated to some Hampton Yacht Club races right beside our boat. It was made up of group of 9 youngsters, probably ages 8-12, racing Optimists dingys. The wind had picked up and there were several races. It was quite entertaining. More than one went in the water when their boat overturned.

There were 3 other boats anchored in the same place. Two of the boats have couples who met a while ago and are traveling together for part of their trip. The four of them were in one of their dingys and stopped by to visit for a bit. One of the couples is doing the Great Loop and they are from Trempalo, Wisconsin. We didn’t get their names.

Fuzzy in the Park

Fuzzy got to go to a park and he had so much fun. Look at the turtles next to the pond. They climbed out of the water and were sunning themselves. Then he saw another turtle that was swimming. Did you know turtles could swim?


Fuzzy doesn’t have any idea what kind of a duck (or bird) this is. Look at his feet, they’re not webbed like a duck’s foot, they look more like chicken feet. He really has to work hard to swim.










Then Fuzzy saw a merry-go-round and he really wanted to ride on it. Nana and Papa said he could and he had such a good time. Jackson, Emma, Hunter and Hayden, do you like merry-go-rounds? Halle probably hasn’t been able to go on one yet. Will she like it when she can?

Norfolk, Va., - Hampton River, Va., May 17, 2008

We left Waterside Marina about 11 and only went about 15 miles to anchor in the Hampton River next to downtown Hampton. We went past quite a few ships in a naval shipyard, including the USS Theodore Roosevelt, the fourth Nimitz-class supercarrier. Her call sign is Rough Rider, the name of President Theodore Roosevelt’s volunteer cavalry unit during the Spanish-American War. After nine deployments she is in Norfolk after having several upgrades.



We took the dingy ashore. It was the first time we’ve used the dingy since Marathon, Fl., and it needed some air before we could use it. There was a Wine Festival going on in a park next to the dingy dock so we walked over and went through it. We didn’t buy a glass for the wine tasting, but Darrell had a beer and Beth had something called a Winerita. It was a blackberry wine slushy.

We visited the Jacques Cousteau Society exhibit, which is the U.S. headquarters for the Cousteau Society. We saw photography, artifacts from past Cousteau expeditions, and some of his inventions. One was the Sea Flea one if his early submersibles, which he designed in 1969. How far we have come! We had just seen some of the most current ones at the Nauticus Museum in Norfolk.

While walking around we ran across this boat in a marina. Whoever owns the boat is obviously a live-aboard. There were palm trees and decorations all over. Notice what the signs say.

We also walked into the Virginia Air & Space Center, but it was too late in the day to be able to see everything in the museum so we didn’t get tickets. We had thought about just going to the IMAX theatre in the center, but the next showing wasn’t for 90 minutes.

So, back to the boat.

Norfolk, Va., - Hampton River, Va., May 17, 2008

We left Waterside Marina about 11 and only went about 15 miles to anchor in the Hampton River next to downtown Hampton. We went past quite a few ships in a naval shipyard, including the USS Theodore Roosevelt, the fourth Nimitz-class supercarrier. Her call sign is Rough Rider, the name of President Theodore Roosevelt’s volunteer cavalry unit during the Spanish-American War. After nine deployments she is in Norfolk after having several upgrades.
We took the dingy ashore. It was the first time we’ve used the dingy since Marathon, Fl., and it needed some air before we could use it. There was a Wine Festival going on in a park next to the dingy dock so we walked over and went through it. We didn’t buy a glass for the wine tasting, but Darrell had a beer and Beth had something called a Winerita. It was a blackberry wine slushy.

We visited the Jacques Cousteau Society exhibit, which is the U.S. headquarters for the Cousteau Society. We saw photography, artifacts from past Cousteau expeditions, and some of his inventions. One was the Sea Flea one if his early submersibles, which he designed in 1969. How far we have come! We had just seen some of the most current ones at the Nauticus Museum in Norfolk.




While walking around we ran across this boat in a marina. Whoever owns the boat is obviously a live-aboard. There were palm trees and decorations all over. Notice what the signs say.

We also walked into the Virginia Air & Space Center, but it was too late in the day to be able to see everything in the museum so we didn’t get tickets. We had thought about just going to the IMAX theatre in the center, but the next showing wasn’t for 90 minutes.

So, back to the boat.

Norfolk, Va., May 16, 2008

We decided to stay another day at the marina because of the weather forecast. It was supposed to start raining and develop into isolated thunderstorms with widespread thunderstorms later today and it was already raining when we got up.

We hung around the boat for awhile this morning, then went out walking. We walked by the MacArthur Memorial and then to MacArthur Center, which is huge shopping mall and very near the marina.

We saw the movie “Iron Man” which is probably the first movie we’ve seen since December. It was not what Beth thought it would be from the previews and interviews she had seen on TV, but it ended up being a pretty good movie. If we had been here a week later we could have seen the new Indiana Jones movie. Hopefully we’ll be able to see that somewhere.

Since the sun was shining after the movie (what happened to the forecast?), Beth put on the 2nd coat of non-skid while Darrell was planning our next stops.

Norfolk, Va., May 15, 2008

While Darrell worked on the boat, Beth walked to the grocery store to pick up a few items. She took her camera and took pictures of the mermaid statues she came across.

In 1999 the idea of “Mermaids on Parade” was introduced as part of a way to help revitalize the city of Norfolk. The city choose the young, free-spirited mermaid as its official symbol as part of the “Life Celebrated Daily” campaign.

The mermaids started appearing in 2000 on street corners, parks and storefronts. The mermaids are designed and decorated by local artists and many of them represent a theme related to their location. There are now over 130 of them and they have inspired mermaid trails, books, jewelry, sculptures and art.

This afternoon boat work continued. We’re starting to repaint the non-skid surfaces on the boat. Darrell was sanding and taping and Beth painted the first coat of the non-skid finish.

Bob & Lynn Williamson from Legrace pulled into the marina this afternoon. We had last seen them in Charleston at the AGLAC rendevous.

Norfolk, Va., May 14, 2008

We are staying at the Waterside Marina, which is right in downtown Norfolk. It is within walking distance of many different attractions. We are right next to the large park and the U.S.S. Wisconsin and Nauticus Museum.

The statue you see is “The Homecoming”, a sailor returning home to his wife and son. The large anchor is one of two which was on a large aircraft carrier.

We spent most of the day at the Battleship Wisconsin and Naval Museum and the Nauticus Maritime and Science Museum which is in the same building. We really enjoyed both places. The Wisconsin had retired veterans aboard as resources for questions, some who had served on the Wisconsin. We met one very nice retired naval captain.

The Nauticus Museum had an extensive NOAA Exhibit. There were ‘hands on’ exhibits which would be wonderful for children (and adults like them too). There was a Touch Tank where you could touch large snails, horseshoe crabs, starfish, etc. There was also a Shark Touch exhibit which we did not particiate in. We did participate in a simulated naval battle on an Aegis-class destroyer and watched “The Living Sea” in a large screen theater.

“The Living Sea” was a 45 minute movie talking about the power and significance of the world’s ocean. The music was by Sting and Meryl Streep narrated. It was beautifully done and not only showed the power of the ocean but how we need to stay aware of the beauty of what’s underneath and how keeping it healthy benefits all of us.

Downtown Norfolk is very clean and thriving. Darrell had been here for a few weeks back in the late 60’s and he said he wouldn’t have recognized it. The city has made it a goal to have a safe, clean waterfront and is doing what it takes to make it happen. Norfolk has an excellent free NET (Norfolk Electric Transfer) system which runs around the downtown area. They have Downtown Norfolk Public Safety Ambassadors who are on the streets 7 days a week providing information, directions or recommendations, and who can be called on to be an escort if you feel unsafe. We met one of their ambassadors when we were riding around on the bus. Even though he was off duty he answered our questions and was very helpful.

Walking back to our boat we came across Bruce and Bonnie, a couple we had met previously at the AGLAC Rendezvous. They are staying in the same marina we are.

Elizabeth City, N.C., - Waterside Marina, Norfolk, Va., May 13, 2008

It was cold outside when we got up. We could see our breath when outside. We were underway at 5:45 a.m. (another sunrise picture which shows a sailboat we followed) to be able to make the first bridge opening and then go 18 miles to the first lock. The lock allows traffic through at set times, 8:30, 11, 1:30 and 3:30. We wanted to make the 8:30 locking.

We followed the Pasquotank River up to the lock. It is a very scenic, beautiful, narrow, windy river. Each side is lined with trees growing out of the water. The leaves were the light green color of the early spring. Along with the early morning sun and the calm water it was gorgeous.

Beth got through her first lock ever with no problems. There were 2 other boats in the lock with us. About .2 of a mile after the lock was a bridge which opens in conjunction with the lock opening. In between the lock and the bridge there were 5 sailboats which had spent the night and were waiting for the bridge opening. So, there was a group of 8 boats, in line, cruising up the canal.

About halfway through the canal we entered Virginia.

While the canal is pretty, we both think the Pasquotank River was by far prettier and more scenic. The twists and turns of the river were much more interesting and beautiful than the straight 22 mile canal.

Due to the bad weather the past few days, boaters decided to stay in the canal or ran to the canal for shelter. We were unable to stop at any of the places we had planned to in the canal. The Welcome Center had 9 boats, rafted up 4 deep, another stop had room for 2 boats and was filled and the final place we could have stopped was supposed to have space for 4-5 boats and there were already 8 there. So we continued through the north lock and out of the canal. We had heard that the lockmaster was proficient in playing the conch shell and he serenaded us when we left the lock.

The winds were really increasing and we could certainly tell when we got out of the canal into big water. We went past the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard and are staying at the Waterside Marina in Norfolk, VA. We got in at 3:45. A long day, but not many miles, 10 hours and only 51.1 miles.

For those of you who are interested in the history of the Dismal Swamp Canal:

The Great Dismal Swamp is a marshy region on the Coastal Plain of southeastern Virginia and northeastern North Carolina. The Dismal Swamp Canal connects the Chesapeake Bay in Virginia via the Elizabeth River and the Albemarle Sound in North Carolina via the Pasquotank River, and is the oldest continually operating man-made canal in the United States. What keeps it alive are the numbers of pleasure boaters who transit this waterway every year on the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway.

This canal was built over 200 years ago in order to easier transport goods between North Carolina and Virginia. Both George Washington and Governor Patrick Henry of Virginia felt this would be the most efficient means of transportation.

In 1784 the Dismal Swamp Canal Company was created. Digging began in 1793 and it was dug completely by hand. Most of the labor was done by slaves hired from nearby land owners. It took about 12 years to complete the 22 mile long waterway.

Wartime activity left the canal in a terrible state of repair. In 1892 the Lake Drummond Canal and Water Company started rehabilitation efforts. By the 1920’s commercial traffic had all but stopped and it was used mainly by passenger vessels. In 1929 it was sold to the federal government for $500,000 and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers operates and maintains it.

Today boaters travel where famous explorers and Presidents have stood and literary greats have been inspired for over 200 years. For example, astride the two states’ border is the site where the infamous “Halfway House” hotel was built in the late 1820s. The hotel was a popular spot for marriages, duels and those escaping the law. Since the hotel was on the state line, these last simply walked to the other side of the hotel to avoid being captured in either state. It is also said that Edgar Allen Poe wrote “The Raven” during one of his stays at the hotel. Boats today follow the course of James Adams’ Floating Theatre, where Edna Ferber got the idea to write the novel “Showboat,” upon which the famous musical is based.

Elizabeth City, N.C, May 12, 2008

This morning it was cold, stormy and very windy. The wind had increased during the night, but had also changed direction so it was comfortable sleeping. It rained off and on all day long.

This morning we walked around the town. Elizabeth City is the site of the county courthouse and a federal building but there are many empty storefronts. The economy has probably played a role in the deserted stores.

Elizabeth City is the stop for many boats after crossing the Albermarle Sound and before taking the Dismal Swamp route. There were no new boats in today which tells us the winds are too high for any one to risk crossing the sound.

Elizabeth City is also the home of the Rose Buddies. The Rose Buddies was started in 1983 by Fred Fearing and his friends. They would come down to the dock and welcome boaters to Elizabeth City and would host a wine and cheese party if there were more than 4 boats. He also gave roses to the ladies. Unfortunately, Fred Fearing died last fall and the state of this hospitality program is uncertain at this point. The city’s community leaders are trying to find enough volunteers to keep this wonderful tradition alive.

Alligator River – Elizabeth City, N.C., May 11, 2008

Sunrise – 6:04 a.m. We’d already been underway 20 minutes. The day started out clear and sunny but quickly became overcast.



We got to the start of the Albemarle Sound about 8:30. With very confused seas and 10-15 knot winds the crossing was very uncomfortable. We are glad we got such an early start. It would have been miserable crossing in higher winds. The winds did start to increase as we got to the middle of the sound and Darrell was tacking the boat to keep out of the trough of the waves and make the ride smoother. The winds are supposed to increase to gale force tonight and tomorrow.

We arrived in Elizabeth City around 1. Elizabeth City offers free dockage for up to 48 hours and they have space for 14 boats. There were already some boats here and their captains helped us dock. With the wind blowing as it was we were very happy for the help. We walked around a bit, but the town is pretty much shut down on Sundays. We got back to the boat around 2, just before it started to rain.

We’re going out for dinner tonight.

Fuzzy and the Aircraft Carrier

Fuzzy got to go with Nana and Papa for their visit to the USS Yorktown, an aircraft carrier. An aircraft carrier is a big ship where airplanes take off from and land on when they’re in the middle of the ocean. The Navy only flies planes on and off ships. The Air Force flies planes on and off land.

The airplanes are stored in the ship when they’re not flying. The wings fold so they have room for more of them. Fuzzy got to see a lot of planes and even sit in them. He also got to see some guns that are on the ship. Can you find Fuzzy in each picture?

Now Fuzzy wants to join the Navy and fly planes! Hunter, is your Mom in the Air Force, or Army, or Navy, or Marines, or Coast Guard? Does she fly planes?

Oriental, N.C. – Alligator River, May 10, 2008

We left Oriental around 8 this morning after a much calmer night. Today’s travels took us on the Neuse River, Pamilco River, Pungo River and the Pungo River-Alligator River Canal. Some of the rivers were very wide and reminded us of when we were in the Gulf of Mexico. We could see land a couple miles away and only on one side.

We did a little work on the boat while we were underway. We sanded some areas of the bridge to repair the bad repairs the previous owner had made.

We passed a manta ray swimming in the water but couldn’t get the camera fast enough to get a picture.

Today was a very long day. The forecast for tomorrow talks of 10-15 knot winds increasing considerably in the afternoon. We need to cross Albermarle Sound and if the winds are greater than 15 knots we are advised to wait and not attempt the crossing. If we can’t cross tomorrow, we may have to wait till Wednesday because the high winds are expected to continue for 3-4 days. So, we wanted to go as far as we could today and plan to be underway at sunup so we can be across the sound by 10:00 a.m.

We dropped anchor at 6:15 and traveled 78.7 miles.

Oriental N.C. - May 9

Last night was pretty uncomfortable. The wind picked up as forecasted and the boat was really rocking all night long. It continued today, but fortunately didn’t rain. All the rain and severe weather stayed inland or went north of us. Darrell spoke with someone who had wind instruments and was told the wind had been a constant 25 knots with a couple gusts of 40 knots. The wind is supposed to ease tonight, so we hope it gets better.

Oriental is located on the Neuse River, which is like a very big Lake Pepin, and is the sailing capital of North Carolina. There are 875 residents and 2,700 boats. Oriental has 4 marinas, all located at mile marker 181, with 2 more only 2 miles away.

There are some small boutiques, restaurants and The Inland Waterway Provision & Treasure Company, a store which has nearly everything you can imagine. It is kind of like an upscale variety store selling knick-knacks, shoes, clothes (Columbia outerwear and others), books, greeting cards, souvenirs, nautical decorations, jewelry and all sorts of miscellaneous items. Everything is crammed in. It also has a wide range of marine supplies; at least half the store is devoted to that. Darrell found some things that West Marine doesn’t carry.

The people here are also very nice and friendly. Beth started to walk to a grocery store for some provisions. It was probably about 1 ½ miles away. Each way a woman stopped and offered to give her a ride. She accepted.

We walked by the Oriental Yacht Club and one house where we saw a large carved bear as a yard decoration. We saw child size pirate ship as some lucky kid’s backyard playhouse, a painted shack/house which sells fresh seafood, interesting deck chairs and a very old butler who guards the door to a boutique. He is motion activated and is supposed to start nodding and moving his head and arm. He didn’t work today because of the heavy wind.

Towards late afternoon the sun came out and the wind eased. We hope to have a peaceful night.

NOTE: We have had extremely poor internet connection the past 2 days and we do not know what to expect from here until we reach Norfolk. If we miss posting a day (or more) it is due to no connection.

Beaufort N.C. – Oriental, May 8, 2008

We left Beaufort a little after 11 this morning. Because the 3.5 knot current and 15 knot wind would tend to blow us into 62 Nordhaven next to us, 3 dockhands helped leverage the boat into the wind so we could back out of the marina.

By the way, Beaufort N.C. is pronounced Bofort as opposed to Beaufort S.C. which is pronounced Beufert. Keeping that straight is difficult.

It was only 24.7 miles to Oriental, but we didn’t arrive till around 3. Right away we had to wait for a bridge to open, then stopped for diesel along the way. We paid 3.95 a gallon, which included tax. Believe it or not, that’s a pretty good price right now.

Darrell had checked the weather forecast this morning and found that rain along with 25-30 knot winds was expected late today and into tomorrow. Because of that, we are planning to stay 2 days here. Our next leg is through the Neuse River which is the 2nd roughest passage we would see going up the east coast. The river is very long and wide and relatively shallow and has a tendency to develop a very short steep chop

The marina is nice, with very nice, clean restrooms and showers. There also offer free laundry. There are courtesy bicycles available and we took a couple for a short time. We will explore more tomorrow, weather permitting.

Beaufort N.C. – May 7

Darrell changed the impeller on the generator this morning. Because of where the pump was located, it took quite a while just to get it out of the generator. One of the screws for the impeller housing broke while taking the pump apart. Around noon we used the marina courtesy car to go the hardware store (it’s also the UPS store) to mail back the old inverter, pick up the screw for the generator, and stop at a market to pick up a few groceries. Then back to the boat where Darrell finished putting in the impeller and got the generator back together.

While Darrell was working on the generator Beth walked around the waterfront area of Beaufort. Beaufort has many stores and some nice homes. There are also a lot of restaurants within walking distance. As always, there are also a lot of churches.

Miss Kitty is the Queen of the Docks, a cat who roams the waterfront and is apparently owned by everyone. There is a sign which requests people stop leaving food for her because she is losing her girlish figure.

Last night we ate at the Beaufort Docks restaurant. Tonight we will try another one of the many fine dining places in town.

This week-end Beaufort has their Music Festival. It is always a big success. Beth talked with a woman at the Welcome Center who said that Beaufort is crowded every week-end. We will not be able to stay for the festival. We have decided to leave tomorrow and go to Oriental. That is another place which we’ve been told is a “must see”.

Swan Point Marina - Beaufort Docks, Beaufort NC, May 6

We got underway this morning at 8 a.m. and had a pretty easy 46.2 mile trip. We passed by the Camp Le Jeune Marine base and its firing range. The ICW is sometimes closed if the firing range is in use by the marines. The Navy also uses this range since the range in the Spanish Virgin Islands was closed.

We arrived at the Beaufort Docks at 2:00 and were happy to find that our inverter had arrived. Darrell installed it right away, however it took awhile because it is in a very awkward place to work.

We were trailed by a U.S. Coast Guard boat as we were coming into Beaufort. We were wondering if we would be boarded and checked. We’ve heard that has been happening frequently this year.