Nov. 15-18 Elizabeth City to Beaufort, NC

This post LOON leaves Elizabeth City and arrives Beaufort. ICW Miles 50 to 200 +/-.



Final look at Elizabeth City. Hopefully the sun will be shinning when I return next April.

Blimp at US Coast Guard Station, Elizabeth City. The hangar is relatively new. In 1990 I came this way the there were two WOODEN structures built during WWII. They burned sometime between 1990 and 2004--my second trip.

Look at the size in relation to the trees!!

Wing and wing crossing the Abermarle Sound--well at least part of the way.

Cockpit-- drying dock lines from Elizabeth City's rain. Also tools- chart, binoculars, RAM Mic, GPS on nav pod, and autohelm--otherwise could not have taken the picture.

Had the best luck when it was time to cross the Albemarle Sound. No seas.

Picture of the helm. And I'm thinking the instruments show THREE important readings.

1) lower right --dept is good 19',

2) top center-- wind is aft of the beam, and

3) center-- compass is point SOUTH!!

Alligator R. Marina. ICW Mile Marker 84.

Alligator R. Marina. Just North of the Alligator R. Bridge. Nice stop and only $1/ft.

Lot for sale on Alligator R., Pungo R. canal. Lawn furniture conveys.

Alligator River swing bridge.

Alligator River/Pungo River Canal. It's 20 miles long and has only one turn, but someone thought it required a daymark...

A 200', shallow draft, cruise ship cruising the ICW. Here leaving the Pamlico R. to enter the Hobucken Canal.

Looking down the Hobucken Canal.

Adams Creek (connects Nuese R. to Beaufort/Morehead City) first time currents become stronger and a part of the daily routine.

Arrive Town Creek Marina, Beaufort, NC.

Next update- Pictures from Beaufort and Morehead City to Wrightsville Beach.

Nov. 9 thru 14, Depart Norfolk, Dismal Swamp, Elizabeth City, NC

Nov. 11th.

Leaving Hospital Point. Photo of Bob Smith raising anchon on his Shannon 37.

Norfolk-- Hospital Point is mile zero on the ICW. South of HP, BRIDGES begin!

Approaching a Railroad Lift Bridge (Per cruising guide "normally open").

Norfolk- Another bridge!

LOON in Deep Creek Landing Lock. Around 8' to 9' lift. Note the slime on the lock walls. Place your fenders in trash bags. Otherwise you'll spend a lot of energy cleaning.

Dismal Swamp canal--surveyed by George Wahsington, original canal 60 feet wide (man-made wakes have washed the shore line out). This passage I saw depths of 6' to 7.5', depends upon the rain. One, 30 degree turn in approximatley 27 miles.

Just like the highway.

NC Welcome Center. About 100 yards to the left is NC highway 17. This is the only rest area I ever DOCKED. The pier holds three 40' +/- boats. But, they ask you to raft and we've rafted four boats wide. Canal is closed at night.

At NC Welcome center met Marc (Briston Channel Cutter 28) single handing from Canada.

LOON in South Mills Lock. Single handing thru these locks is not hard. I was advised by a Pacific Seacraft 34 owner--it's simple-- take two 40 foot lines, cleat one each from bow and stern, run the lines up around the bollards, stand amidships with the ends of each line, adjust accordingly. A LOON tradition (my fourth trip)--wrap a cold one in a paper towel and hand to the Lock Master.

Mileage Post in South Mills. Only 1200+ nm to Key West. Heck, John Wiggins and Steve Craig (each with multiple trips down the ICW) told me KW was just passed the Dismal Swamp...

Water stain on lock wall shows the rise and fall--8-9feet.

Marc's BCC in the head waters of the Pasquotank River. Note: Lyle Hess designed the BCC and it is a SOLID!

Docked at Mariners' Wharf in Elizabeth City Mile 51. Mariners Wharf offers 48 hour free dockage, security camera, no water or electric, but a nice place to dock. Plan to sop on my return.

Arrived 1200 Tuesday. It $%^&$$# rained until sometime Saturday morning. Wednesday it blew 35 kts from 20-30 degrees off the bow. I had nine dock lines (do you see the steel bulkhead off my stern?) . Some "fairly new" lines took a lot of ware. I have a solution.

A day in the rain at Mariners' Wharf.

Contents of engine sea water intake strainer. Pine needles and small fish. I believe the pine needles are from the Dismal Swamp. Not sure how/where the fish arrived, but if you had smell-a-photo you'd know they are deceased.

Sunday Nov. 15th departing Mariners' Wharf.

Final shot of Elizabeth City.

Next, down the Pasquotank R., across Albemarle Sound, down Alligator R. to Belhaven.

Then on to Beaufort, NC.