Adams Creek-Beaufort-Morehead City-Bogue Sound-Camp LeJeune, Day 38, Wrightsville Beach, Day 39

We weighed anchor at 7 AM. The creek shrimpers and crabbers we’re out early at 5, one with a radio blaring. We wanted an early start anyway as we want to get past the Camp LeJeune area today as they are doing live firing exercises soon and close the ICW.  

It was a beautiful morning. Very still air and water. In fact, most of the day was like that, very different from yesterday! The morning light made for some good photos.

After passing Beaufort, Morehead City and into the Bogue Sound, it is a pretty monotonous but narrow channel. You can see the sandbar with the birds. That's how narrow the channel is the whole way.

We passed Swansboro, maybe next trip north, we will actually stop here.

 These guys buzzed by us twice today. Military boats going fast, yes, they waked us. 😒

 I didn't get a photo of the posted signs when going north, so here they are!

Shrimp, scallops and pasta dinner 

and free entertainment!

Click here if video doesn't open.

Beautiful evening dining al fresco

Glass is half full but the bottle is empty! But in this case, the glasses are empty too.

Miles today: 58

Miles total: 1129

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Camp LeJeune to Wrightsville Beach, NC, Day 39

We had a full house last night at the anchorage, 7 boats but there is plenty of room there. Weighed anchor at 7:45 and headed south. The winds have picked up just a bit again today but it is a welcome breeze. 

The marine guys were out again today, going fast, making big wakes. I guess it is ok for them to wake us all up causing potential damage or harm? People and things go flying . Hmmm.....

The channel is narrow all the way down to Wrightsville with lots of shoaling and crab pots and the jet skiers were out buzzing all around and in front of us. We can only imagine what Wrightsville Beach will be like this weekend as the 4th of July approaches. We will be out of there by Friday morning! 

Entering Wrightsville Bridge waiting for the bridge to open.

Miles today: 41

Miles Total: 1170

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Bellhaven NC to Adams Creek (somewhere behind the Outer Banks), Day 36

We weighed anchor at 8 AM with the promise of light rain showers here and there throughout the day. We have 2 large bodies of water to cross today besides the creeks and rivers that the ICW goes through. The Pamlico River crossing is only about 5-6 miles where as the Neuse River is about 20 + miles. That crossing when going north was not a good day for Bella so we treated her to a drug laced peanut butter bite.

 Pamlico was a piece of cake and then the creeks after were smooth as can be even though there was a light rain shower. 

Here comes the rain.

It was calm enough to pull out the paints and put some finishing touches on one I started a few days ago. Thanks to the sailor that radioed us and said seeing me paint on the fly bridge was the coolest thing he’s seen! 

Kathy's Gardenias, oil on linen panel

Our friends, Kathy and Roger Tatum had met us for dinner while we were at Southport, NC when we were going north and she brought these. Part of the Summer Breezes series!

This is what our roadways sometimes look like these days! This is rush hour traffic!

Approaching the Neuse, we could feel the wind pick up and see the waves. Yahoo! Not! We had about 3 1/2 miles to go in rough head on seas 😳, then 5 miles to go with beam seas (rolly)🤢, then 9 with following seas 🤗, then 3 back to beam seas🤢 before heading into the creek with protected seas. In all that, our bistro table and chair went flying as well as a few items inside but no casualties. Bella had a very nervous look, and oh yes, she went flying too at one point but she didn’t get sick. Relief Band to the rescue again today for me! 

We exited the river into Adams Creek which is somewhere behind Pamlico Sound behind the Outer Banks. The shrimpers are out! At our anchorage, there are 2-3 small guys like above, working the channel, occasionally causing some honking to go between the tugs and some radioing from the cruisers. They don't care. They are working. Shrimping!

Click here if video doesn't open

Storm clouds around us but none on top of us

 Happy Hour

 Lots of entertainment tonight on the "back porch".

We made a lot of miles today and tomorrow we will as well. We are trying to get past Camp Le Jeune area as they will be doing live firing across the ICW on Friday and we will be blocked from passing for part of the day. Then, Southport the following day for a couple of days and some more crab cakes. The best we've had so far!

Anchored in Adams Creek at 3:30. 

Miles today 52 

Miles total: 1071 

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Elizabeth City, VA to Little Alligator River to Bellhaven, NC, Days 34 and 35

June 24, Day 35

Elizabeth City to Little Alligator River

Today we traveled the rest of the way out of the Dismal Swamp from the Pasquotank River. This part of the river through Elizabeth City is very pretty. 

Today is our Albermarle Sound crossing. Wave conditions were posted as 1-2’ seas. Not bad. Even Bella can sometime do that! But we’ve learned that 1-2’ can mean 0-1 OR 3-4s! And Bella didn’t fare so well. I wore the Relief Band and did great though that’s my threshold so I might’ve been ok anyway. 

After the crossing, we entered the Alligator River (that bridge tender was busy today!) and the winds picked up even more.  Bruce clocked them in the sound as 20-25 knots. We had laundry drying overnight that was still wet but they dried real fast in those winds. 

 We stopped about 4 pm in the Little Alligator River just before we enter the long Alligator Pungo Rivers Canal. Storms are supposed to be coming. It was a monotonous crossing and the most exciting thing are the dragonflies. I love dragonflies and today they loved us too. 

 When we anchored they were everywhere. I had googled earlier to see if they bite and apparently these big ones chew on you and it hurts. 

We put our crab lines out again hoping for crabs for dinner. This is the 3rd time we’ve tried and I forgot to mention that the 1st time, no crabs. The 2nd time we did BUT we didn’t realize our net wouldn’t reach the water to pick them up! We never checked. So today, they are set off the aft deck where we can step on the swim platform to reach them. But there was a pretty swift current and our lines got all twisted. Bella was about to have an apoplexy with the crab pot floats near by. It’s so hard to be on crab patrol!

 We had a beautiful sunset on the aft deck watching the storm clouds go around us. We never got any rain. 

0 cell service in this whole area

Miles today: 66.3

Total Traveled: 982 

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June 25, Day 36

Little Alligator River to Bellhaven, NC

We entered the 22 mile long Alligator - Pungo River Canal about 8:30. In 1928, the canal was dug (took 6 years to complete) to complete the ICW.” Bellhaven is on the Pungo River and it’s claim to fame is the “birthplace of the ICW.

 We are reminded to be on bear patrol as it is common to see them here. No bear sightings. 

Bella on bear patrol

 The canal is much like the Dismal Swamp but actually prettier, wider and deeper. 

We stopped in Bellhaven for the night. The write ups all say that it is a must stop.

 We dinghied in for some walking and shopping in the this quaint little old town. We saw 2 other people shopping also. 2!  Quiet, quiet place but a convenient place to break the trip. 

So we went back for dinner at the Spoon River Restaurant which came highly recommended by other cruisers on Active Captain and by Yelp and by the Waterway Guide. We have to say that it was pretty amazing. One of the best tunas we have ever had. Their wine list is a bit different. You don't chose from a list but instead you get to browse a room and pick your wine. Fun! 

 Soft Shell Crab appetizer, of course.

 Ahi Tuna Steaks

Miles today 37

Miles total 1019

Norfolk/Portsmouth, VA Day 32 And The Dismal Swamp, Day 33

Its supposed to be a rainy day here so instead of plugging along the ICW and Dismal Swamp in the rain, we decide to sit here and have a down day. We enjoyed watching the small sailboats with colorful sails in the harbor around us. 

 But it didn't really rain until late, about 9 PM, Summer Breeze was going in circles around the anchor with the storm. Rocking and rolling. It was fast and furious and that was all.

The Dismal Swamp

aka

Norfolk, Va to (almost) Elizabeth City, NC, Day 33

We weren't going to do the Dismal Swamp but several people told that we should, so we are. In anticipation of 2 locks 😱, 3 bridges to open after we get through the Norfolk bridges, we arise at 5 am.

And we had some beautiful sunrise pics. (I'm never up this early to catch that!)

Entering into the Dismal Swamp Canal....

Weighed anchor at 6 in order to give us a bit of time for the Norfolk area 5 bridges, 3 of which are RR and are we hoping there aren’t any trains in order to get to the 1st lock entering the canal by the 8:30 opening. No trains! Got to the lock with time to spare, so we hovered. 

No makeup, wrinkles really showing and some silvers.

Robert, the lock tender and the bridge tender (bridge that is just down the way) is amazing. He jumps in his car and drives to open both for boat traffic. Actually both lock tenders are also the bridge tenders. He gave us all kind of tips and info. Suggested that we don’t stop at the state park, visitor center ☹️ in order to make the last lock opening at 3:30 because “you don’t want to spend the night here as the big black biting flies are here now!”

The area is on the National Historic Register.

This area and lock are very historic. 

For more info, click here.

Turns out that George Washington was one of the owners of the property and these locks date back to that time. Actually, this is the 1st lock to be built in the US. 

So we mention that we had planned on going to the visitor center to fill our water tanks, so Robert pulls his hose out and we are now lip lapping full! I can wash my hair and underwear tonight! 😀
(The things I do and look forward to now....)

He has conch shells that boaters bring to him from the islands and he is very good!

Click here if the video doesn't open. He is great!

Bella is helping.

The lock filling with water (8')

We averaged about 3-4’ of water under our keel the whole way and we bumped on logs a bunch of times in the Dismal Swamp "canal". Not a good feeling. We were told to stay in the center of the canal as it is very narrow. Hard to do when you have north and south traffic!

This is how close we have to be to pass...

This guy is really big and wide. He was taking up more than his side of the narrow canal.

There is also a road beside some parts of the canal with picnic tables here and there. We hear the state park is a great place to visit. 

We got to the 2nd lock 10 minutes past the opening time so we called the lock tender to say that we were around for the next opening 2 hrs later but he said to come on, he would open for us now. He hadn’t opened for anyone at the scheduled time and Robert from the first lock had called him to say we were on the way. Tim was great also and we do appreciate him opening for us.

Thank you Tim! 

There is also a lot of duckweed in the canal which is very pretty and abstract looking but not good for our sea strainers. Those are definitely getting checked tonight!

We anchored behind Goat Island in the Pasquotank River about 4 pm and it was time for the afternoon storms. 


Below in red is the Dismal Swamp route and the black one is the Virginia Cut route which we took on the way up.

Saturday, June 23, 2018

Miles Today: 44.2

Total Miles: 915.2

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