Voyage 2012: Chapter 1

6 Oct 2012, Through Norfolk to the Dismal Swamp, 36 44.916 N/ 076 20.244 W

We left the Rhode River Monday morning for Norfolk by way of Solomons and Deltaville. We ended up spending two nights in Solomons at anchor in Mill Creek. We visited Roy Rogers (fast food) and West Marine on Tuesday but hunkered down the next day due to foul weather. Today we headed for Fishing Bay near Deltaville VA for an overnight anchorage. We normally would stop in Reedville also, but we had a rough weather window that would get us to the Dismal Swamp by Sunday.

We left Fishing Bay at daybreak and motorsailed towards Norfolk. Current turned foul early and stayed that way most of the day. The seas were nearly calm so Bob decided to perform refueling while underway. We dumped three jerry jugs into the tank via a siphon tube while we passed New Point Comfort. Jule IIIhas not stopped at a fuel dock in nearly 5 years. Rather we fill jerry jugs and use them as needed.

Early last evening, we arrived at Hospital Point between Portsmouth and Norfolk in time for happy hour. The Norfolk nightscape is more impressive than we remembered. Lots of stuff going on which we checked out today. We filled up the empty jerry jugs via dinghy, then headed to Norfolk for some lunch at Hooters. At about 1400, we left the anchorage and headed for the Deep Creek lock of the Dismal Swamp Canal. Of course we had problems at the Gilmerton Bridge and Norfolk-Southern RR bridge #7 as both are under constuction. We arrived at the headwaters of the lock at 1630 where we anchored for the night.

8 Oct 2012, On to Elizabeth City, 36 18 N/ 076 12.72 W

They were calling for lots of rain and they did not lie. Yesterday we entered the DSC at Deep Creek and Robert (lock master) offered coffee and donuts and played a tune on a conch shell. We locked through without rain, but we were 'blessed' with downpours all ther way to South Mills. Bob managed to scrape a tree with Jule's mast during one of the deluges. We managed to transit the southern bridghe and lock at 1530 and anchored at Goat Island after cutting through seas of duckweed; a potential clogger of strainers.

Today, we left the anchorage at 0900 and continued to EC. Fortunately, the duckweed has mostly disappeared and the rain dimished to an occasional drizzle. We always stay at the Pelican Marina and this year is no exception. We negotiated our normal slip and were greeted by Earle and a few of thre local slipholders. More drizzle greeted our arrival at the Pelican. Sigh.