May 18, 2009

Hi all, When we left you last week we were peacefully anchored in the Eastham Creek off the Pongo River. That was when we anchored on purpose, deploying Knute, the Rockna anchor. I woke early enough to enjoy that wonderful pre-dawn ½ hour listening to the birds, watching the changes in the colors of the sky and water and simply being grateful for moments that are so completely beautiful that they take your breath away. It wasn't long before fishing boats headed out of the stream—always the early risers. An hour later, we were ready to get underway. Knute, (the anchor) however, was not. It took some serious boat maneuvering to free him from the bottom, and to show his displeasure, when he came up onto the boat deck, he was upside down! We laughed and laughed at how an anchor could be so stubborn and willful. It took two tries to flip him over, but we won eventually, and off we went. Tuesday's ride took us to the swing bridge over the Alligator River. A hard left turn as you clear the bridge allows you to sneak into the Alligator River Marina, where we have stopped before. We tied up stern to on a tiny little pier. I had visions of swinging onto—and over--and off of—the tiny pier, so Fred rigged a handle for ease and safety in leaving the boat. Again on Wednesday we were up at first light, and we were off. Fred was mumbling about following the magenta line (remember that chart marking the route?) as we headed into the Albamarle Sound. And his concern was right on. Very soon we had less than a foot of water under the transducer that tells us the water depth. The boat growled and moaned as we transferred our brand new bottom paint to the shoaling mud beneath us, but we were able to swing in a very slow, very painful circle and get back into deeper water. Another boat hailed us to see if we needed help, and when we were off and running and talked with them, they asked if we'd seen their paint. They, too, had run aground in that spot. Early morning or late afternoon are the best times to cross the Albamarle. We, once again, had smooth waters to move through, and the two hour crossing was uneventful. except for three minnows, two of which chose to commit suicide on the back of the boat. I managed to flip the third back into the water and save his life. Our goal was to get to the north end of the Dismal Swamp Canal by evening. It was hard to pass through Elizabeth City, NC without stopping—it is an adorable, friendly little town and we'd have loved to spend a day, but we had a mission. We followed the Pasquatank River and crossed the beautiful and sedate Turner's Cut, arriving at the South Mills Lock about twenty minutes prior to the 1:30 opening. We were able to loosely tie up to the dolphins (not fish—this kind of dolphin is a group of 3 or so pilings chained together for the purpose of securing boats). So we waited there until the lock tender arrived and opened the lock gates so we could rise 8' to meet the level of the water in the Canal. The Dismal Swamp is a quiet, tranquil stretch of water that reportedly is filled with critters that fly, swim, and slither. We've never seen a living thing there except other boaters. This day was grey and muggy, and so still that the reflection of the trees blended into the trees themselves. Created a very wearying ride, as staying in the channel (usually only 6 feet deep) was challenging. We'd passed an Army Corps of Engineers workboat at the south end of the canal with several large tree trunks on board. Erosion, and heightened erosion caused by boaters who go fast enough to create a wake that roughs up the sides of the canal, results in trees simply falling over. At the north end of the canal we found five or six large logs afloat. More work for the C of E. The lock at the north end of the Canal is an adventure. We'd called ahead to check in with Robert—the lockmaster who serves coffee and danish to his early morning guests. He in turn called Bob and Lynn (owners of LEGRACE, a steel Dutch built trawler) who also were tying up inside the canal for the night. We'd entered the canal at 1:30 and had 22 miles to go without leaving a wake, so our 5:30 arrival was long after the last lock opening at 3:30 in the afternoon. Bob and Lynn had saved a 40 foot space for us to tie up on the wall—our swim platform was snugged under their dinghy—and we met two other couples for dinner at La Familia, the Authentic Mexican Restaurant a stone's throw from the wall. Lots of conversation about the Great Loop, which they were all completing and we are just beginning. Next morning we had a fun time visiting with Robert and U-Turn, his Lock Dog, who wanted very badly to eat the laces on my boat shoes. (I was ashore taking pictures. Guess U-Turn knew I didn't belong there.) Once we'd been lowered that same 8' we were underway and soon entered the hustle and bustle of the Norfolk Harbor. The AIS warning system that beeps when it detects a big boat made constant noise as we passed barges, aircraft carriers, and navy and commercial vessels of all shapes and sizes—-all variations of BIG! We stopped for fuel ($1.81/gallon) and to have the holding tank pumped, and then crossed Hampton Roads and tied up, again stern to, at the Municipal Docks in Hampton. Fred is becoming very comfortable backing the boat. Once again the wind tried to play havoc with our landing but we slid into the slip very nicely, thank you. And that ended our boating for the week. On Friday morning we again rented a car from Enterprise (in the same building as the Dockmaster) and headed north. Arrived in Newburgh around 7:30 pm, and set the condo up for the next day's festivities. We were at OCCC at 9 am and the rain very kindly held off until after the graduates received their diplomas. The family (25 or so) came back to High Point Circle for a fun afternoon of congrats for Kris Tina. We're oh so proud of her for managing work, school and parenting, and staying the course until the diploma is in her hand. She's now registered at Marist College for the other two years of the Bachelor's Degree! Doctor and dentist appointments and family affairs will keep us in Newburgh until the end of the week, so again there will be a bit of a hiatus before we meet again. Until June, be well, enjoy each day, and share lots of love and laughter. Fred and Linda