Voyage 2008: Chapter 4

10 Jun 2009, Elizabeth City to Norfolk, 36 50.74 N/ 076 18.04 W

We managed to get up and leave the Pelican at 0606 ET and left astern the EC bridge at 0630. The Pasquotank River upstream of EC is a remarkable experience. It has large stands of bald (and other) cypress, windy waterways, wildlife (mainly turtles and birds), and a peacefulness that is hard to find these days.

We set the 'toy' to achieve an arrival at 1100 at the South Mills lock. Several boats passed us and then had to wait at the narrow entrance to the locks. We did not see Frank there but met several new guys working the lock. As usual the tie up was painless and up we went the 9'.

After the bridge, the procession of boats headed their way to Deep Creek. Of course, Jule III was last. We like it that way. However, there as enough traffic that a few deadheads were kicked up and we felt them on our hull. No big deal but still a bit of a distraction.

The Dismal was a nice as ever. The water to the Visitor Center was a little thin at 7.5 ft but after that the depth was never an issue. As usual we noticed a 0.5 kt foul current until after we passed the Lake Drummond feeder ditch. Then the current slacked and we got a bit of a boast to Deep Creek.

At 1530, Robert and U-turn were waiting for us at the Deep Creek bridge as he had no southbound traffic. Another flawless tie-up was followed by a 10 ft drop into the creek. We had to wait for the Gilmerton bridge opening at 1730 so we drove really slowly. That didn't work, as the d*@n Norfolk Southern #7 bridge closed for over 4o minutes. We finally got through at 1745 and not more than 15 minutes later, it closed again.

Hospital Point was quite empty when we arrived but we still anchored in our normal spot. We stayed there for three days hoping to meet up with friends of the family but that never happened. Instead, we dinghied to Waterside Marina, took a much needed shower, went to Hooters for shrimp and wings, then to the Farm Fresh, then back to the boat. Today an electrical storm came through with winds near 30 kts. Everybody held their anchor but the light show was impressive. Tomorrow we head for Deltaville, then Reedville the day after to meet friends and colleagues.

12 Jun 2009, Deltaville and Reedville, 37 32.89 N/ 076 19.76 W

We left Norfolk at 0535 with a favorable tide and a modest SW wind. Today we would try the whisker pole as the wind would be on our stern most of the day. After our last practice session on the Albermarle, Bob brought the 'system' up without incident. We left the Norfolk channel at 0735 heading North. No crab pots so far. Not bad. We passed Wolf Trap light sat 1200 with the wind abating a bit. At 1350, we changed course and headed for Jackson Creek.

We arrived in Deltaville in Jackson Creek at 1435 and Ann wanted to try the north branch of the creek. Bob favored the western branch as we had done it many times before. Guess which branch we ended in? We encountered two pretty active thunderstorms that night but again without incident. Not bad.

Yesterday we left Deltaville at 0815 after waiting for the rain to abate from a 0530 storm. Wind was great from the SW but it did not last very long. We did not use the pole as the wind was on our quarter and would soon veer to a few points off of our bow. We passed the spider buoy of the Great Wicomico River around 1300 and arrived at the Reedville basin at 1330. Ann suggsted that we tie up on the Crazy Crab bulkhead pier while Bob wanted to anchor as we have done many times before. Guess where we spent the night? We had an enjoyable dinner at the CC with the crews of SV Elizabeth Rose and SV Passions.

Today we chatted with Charlie, the owner of the marina and the Crazy Crab. Nice guy. Got some useful information on the history and direction of Reedville. At 1200. Claude and Carol picked us up and took us to their house in Ingram Bay. Bob and Claude have worked together for nearly 15 years. They fixed us a great lunch and then gave us the tour of the bay area. Later we gave them the tour of the Jule III. They liked the boat but were amazed the places we have gone. We went for some ice cream and then they were gone. We made plans to visit here again in October. Now it is time to prepare for our 0503 departure tomorrow.