October 27^th finds us, once again, waiting for weather. We are currently at anchor in Wrightsville Beach, NC. with strong winds (~20 kts) from the NE. We will be here today and tomorrow as the winds will continue strong through the night with rain and then turn around and come out of the south strong tomorrow with thunderstorms!! We intend to finish up our trip by going to Southport, NC on Thursday and then finally in to Little River, SC on Friday.

How we got here:

     Note: At Elizabeth City, NC this was how we had to get on and off the boat.  We stepped on a tire covered piling!!

  

We left Elizabeth City on Tuesday the 20^th down the Pasquotank River into the Albemarle Sound under really calm conditions. The Albemarle Sound is know for being really rough in windy conditions because it is so shallow. The waves become very steep and close. So we were just as glad to be motoring again. (However, a slight NE wind came up so we put out a little helper sail for a while.) Because the Alligator River really has no anchorage suitable for getting Gracie off (because of, guess what?, alligators and snakes!) we decided to go to the Alligator Marina just at the head of the river. It was a very pleasant night on the dock and an early and simple departure the next morning. The Botulas anchored in a little cove just north of us and we met up the next morning at our first swing bridge at the head of Alligator River.

Our position on the dock at Alligator Marina (which happens also to be a gas station!)

   

 Gracie, once again, enjoying being on the dock.

Rejoined by the Botulas at the head of Alligator River swing bridge.

We made it through the Alligator River and the Alligator-Pongo Canal, which is really beautiful, and anchored in Belhaven, NC on the Pantego Creek about half way through the Pongo River on Wed the 21^st. Belhaven is a beautiful spot but the town seems to be struggling.

  The Alligator-Pongo Canal is just beautiful!

   Anchored at Belhaven, NC

  

The next day (Thursday October 22^nd) we went from Belhaven to a little spot in South River which is just across from Oriental, NC. This was a super beautiful spot but getting Gracie ashore was not easy – we had to go to a little dock by a cemetery and battle the mosquitoes! That night we thought we were going to be sunk by a large motor boat that sounded as if it was headed right towards us!! It turned out to be a military helicopter that passed by overhead by about 400 feet at about 2am! Exciting – NOT.

  Anchored where we could get Gracie ashore - the cemetary!

We were thinking we would go to Oriental, NC the next day but we got word that Thomas and Sabine were going to Morehead City, NC that day so we took off down our last canal to see if we could connect. There was no place to get the dog ashore so we continued through to Swansboro, NC. Swansboro was so cool we decided to spend a day there on Saturday the 24^th. Our first night was at anchor in a very fast moving current so we went dockside at Casper's Marina on Saturday. 

  Anchored at Belhaven and then we went to Casper's Marina 

On Sunday October 25^th we negotiated some of the trickiest parts of the ICW, timing 4 bridge openings to ge to Wrightsville Beach – where we are now! We are anchored way up in Motts Channel near the bridge and right next to the town dingy dock. Getting Gracie in is easy and we have a small grocery store and donuts shop right down the road. We went to lunch yesterday at a Mexican restaurant that allowed us to bring Gracie in with us. Gracie sat with us on the bench seat for a great Mexican lunch!

   

   Joan working hard assisting with navigation on the ICW. Gracie keeps a keen lookout for wildlife!

Janet and Alan waiting with us at one of the bridges on our way to Wrightsville Beach, NC

  Coming in to Wrightsville Beach, NC turning to port to go down Motts Channel

At anchor in Wrightsville, NC and our dingy dock!

By the way, we are still trying to get Gracie to use her sod which we affectionately now call "the grassy knoll"!!

Monday October 19 finds us taking a lay day in Elizabeth City, NC.

On the dock at Elizabeth City

We left Deltaville Friday October 16^th early in the morning facilitated by having been on their fuel dock the night before (by permission!). We had a big “ bon voyage party” the evening before out in the “Mosquito House” with all our friends – Thomas, Sabine, John (single handing from England), Justin Smith (young world boat entrepreneur!). We are hoping that Thomas and Sabine will be catching up to us along the way.

Bon Voyage Party (clockwise left to right – Janet, Justin, Thomas, John, Alan, Sabine, Joan)

And don't forget Gracie!

We went from Deltaville to Norfolk, VA on a very “lumpy” downwind motor-sail – the seas were very confused but we made good time. We go past all the navy ships at Naval Station Norfolk which is one of the main Navy bases in the US. According to Wikipedia “ it supports naval forces in the United States Fleet Forces Command and those operating in the Atlantic.” We anchored that afternoon at Hospital Point which is mile marker 0 (zero) for the inland ICW.

    Some of the navy ships we went by

 

    Anchorage at Hospital Point

   Look who came in just across the channel from us at night!

Saturday October 17 we lined up with about 30-40 other boats (motor, sail, and one tug with barge!) for the 9am bridge opening that then began our travels down the inland ICW. At mile 7.3 we make our turn to depart from the Virginia Cut of the ICW and go down the Dismal Swamp route.

    Go this way.

  The Great Dismal Swamp locks

    

   First day in the Dismal Swamp

     

We were going to stop that afternoon at the Dismal Swamp Welcoming Center but it was quite full – boats were rafting up 3 deep so we decided to see if we could make it to the last bridge/lock at South Mills. We got there just in time for the bridge opening and stopped for the night on the bulkhead wall in between the bridge and lock! Trapped like rats! And it got cold that night – I was showing 38F on the outside thermometer but there was some frost on the grass and bimini the next morning.

  Anchored between the South Mills bridge and lock.  

 Second day in the Dismal Swamp - it was beautiful!

  How Whit does the Dismal

     

   How Gracie does the Dismal - resting
  

   On guard.

We finished up the Dismal Swamp the next day and anchored Sunday night just outside of Elizabeth City, VA. Another very cold night at anchor – down to about 34F! The next day we moved from the anchorage over to the bulkhead right at downtown Elizabeth City.

   

Today (Tuesday October, 20^th) we leave to cross the Albemarle Sound. This will be a short day because we need to stage our passage through the Alligator River in one long day because there is not really any good place to anchor and get ashore with Gracie. So we are headed to the Alligator River Marina at the north end of the river.

Tuesday October 13^th – We are currently in Deltaville, VA. We arrived here Sunday (the day before yesterday) and have finally met up with our friends from Germany, Sabine and Thomas Schuetzendorf.  Thomas has been talking about Deltaville since we met them and it is quite the place. The marina is well protected and it is a great place to haul your boat for work to be done either by yourself or their yard. The Botula's just got hauled out today so they can get a few projects done on their boat (bottom painting, hull waxing, zinc replacement, etc.) Not sure when it will all be done and relaunched so we will be here for a few more days! How we got here:

We left from in front of the Calvert Marine Museum at Solomons Island early Saturday October 10^th.. and motor-sailed downwind all day past the Potomac River to go about half the distance to Deltaville stopping at Reedville. Reedville was an interesting overnight. It was beautiful and calm but the long motor up Cockrell Creek had us pass by the Omega Protein plant. It was one of the world's largest fish oil companies and is still processing today. We had been going downwind in a north wind all day and had to come around up into Cockrell Creek from the south to tuck up in the north end. The fishy smell we encountered was really bad!!! 

          Fortunately, where we anchored, we were not down wind of any of the fish smell.

   The plant was off to our south east.

               

We dinghied ashore for Gracie and went to a small restaurant to get some ice. We thought about dinner but decided against it after we saw the menu! It was a fairly cold night – the temps dipping into the 50s but we had a beautiful day on Sunday (again down wind sailing) to Deltaville.

    The sail to Deltaville - it was a bit more "wobbly" than it looks but Whit took a bit of a ride on the stern. 

  Arrived at Deltaville about 1pm on Sunday

   Looking out from our anchorage in Deltaville to the SE - the way we came in.

   Our friends, Thomas and Sabine - and their boat on the hard.

  Gracie surveys all the work going on down below their boat.

  Thomas is working on fixing his rudder.

  Sunday night we had appetizers, fresh cooked crabs (which a friend had just caught) and then Monday evening we had a burger-fest with Alan, Janet, Thomas, Sabine, Justin, Tom and Deb (friends on the boat next to Thomas) at what Sabine affectionately named the "Mosquito Room" - the screened in porch on the docks.

Our Map
   

Friday Oct 9^{th -} We are currently at anchor in beautiful Solomons Island, MD taking a lay day (aside from the fact that the wind is blowing hard from the south so there is no sense in beating our brains trying to go in to it!). 

Pictorial Summary of our Worton Creek experience!

     Alan and Janet come over for another survivor dinner together. 

                All aboard

      

     Alan bakes bread and Joan made chicken soup.

     And Gracie takes to smoking!!

   Where we went ashore for Gracie - a great community marina.

We left Worton Creek (our hurricane hole!) last Wednesday Oct. 5^th and sailed downwind to Cypress Creek at the NE end of the Magothy River (west shore north of Annapolis). We stayed at Alan's cousin's significant other's marina – Cypress Marine. Alan got a dockside spot and we stayed on a mooring. It was only a 150lb mooring which is way too small for our size / weight boat but it was expected to be completely calm during our two days so we were ok. Alan's parents lived nearby so we went to their place for dinner and showers as well as they provided a car to allow us to re-provision!

  From our mooring at Cypress Marina

     Alan on the dock

  Our hosts - Alan's parents Bernie and Jane Botula  (along with us!)

Wednesday Oct. 7^th we left the Magothy River and motored down past Annapolis to Rhode River for the night. We planned this short trip because we knew we would be having breakfast with Alan's parants and an early departure would not be in the cards. It was a nice warm motor for about 4 hours.

  Rhode River anchorage - next to YMCA Camp Letts at sunset

From Rhode River to Solomons Island was another day of motoring in even nicer, warmer weather. We decided to go up to Solomons #2 on Back Creek right in front of the Calvert Marine Museum and the trip up there was just spectacular. This little area has thousands of boats at its many marinas.

  Solomons Island - at Back Creek in front of the museum

We have gone ashore at the museum for doggie break as well as going in to see the maritime museum.