Day 348 - 350 June 3 - 5, 2023

 Day 348 Saturday, June 3, 2023

Beaufort Docks, Beaufort NC MM 204 to River Forest Marina, Belhaven NC MM 136

Long day of travel today.  A heron was fishing at the dock when we left at 7:15am.  Pelicans were diving as we went under US 70 bridge in Gallants Channel.  We are still experiencing electrical issues starting the boat and maintaining a charge; hopefully we will find a marina that can help us.  Jerry is still not feeling the best so I drove for about 4 hours.

We are back on the ICW from our short detour on Taylor Creek to Beaufort Docks.  The ICW is easily identified by the symbols you find on the navigational markers.

Yellow squares are found on the markers on the east side of the ICW; yellow triangles are on the west.  If you see a marker without them you know that you have left the ICW.

 

We had an awesome experience -- a SLOW pass from a sport fishing boat.  The Captain of "More Time" radioed us requesting a slow pass.  We've heard that before; often their definition is very different from ours! This guy was fantastic!  We heard him request to pass several times as he went on ahead of us.  

 Seafood Supply -- will sell to passing boats

 Shrimp boats at dock

The Neuse River is the longest river in North Carolina and the the widest river in North America at it's mouth.  It is 275 miles long and 6 miles wide.  We left it where it joined the Pamlico Sound.  We passed Looper "Kissed Some Frogs".  By 11:20 we had left the Pamlico Sound and were traveling from Goose Creek, across Pamlico River and on to the Pungo River.  Thank goodness for navigational charts!

We arrived at River Forest Marina at 3:10pm.  It is a small marina under new ownership.  With 6 boats there it was very quiet.  Tina B, another Mainship there, is also doing the Loop.  The marina is on the grounds of an old mansion with 4 courtesy golf carts and free laundry. 

We took advantage of the golf cart and went to dinner at Spoon River.  Yummy Caprese salad, scallops and caramel bar dessert.  

 

Spoon River Decor

 

I also took advantage of the free laundry.

Tomorrow we head to Alligator River Marina in Columbia North Carolina.

Day 349 Sunday, June 4, 2023

We left the marina at 8am, traveling with Tina and Richie from Tina B.  They are from Put-On-Bay Ohio.  It is grey and breezy and promises to be a bit snotty.  We traveled today to take advantage of a very good day across the Albemarle Sound tomorrow.

Sea birds were "drafting" behind us in the wind. It doesn't look like it from the pictures but the birds were so close it felt like they were going to fly right inside the boat.  We also had dolphins.    

 

The Alligator-Pungo River Canal is 22 miles long and was much smoother since it was more protected.  In the Alligator River seas were 2 foot with 3 footers mixed in and eventually increasing to 4 footers.  We needed to watch for crab pots (Ugh!) while water was splashing up to the helm onto the windshield.

A sailboat, Peter Pan, was hobby horsing in the wind.   We found out later that they were having engine trouble.  

 We reached Alligator River Swing Bridge -- fast opening, our marina was right after the bridge.  We arrived at 3pm; Jerry was feeling much better and drove most of the day.

 Bridge Tender

Alligator River Marina is more like a gasoline station/rest stop at the end of the bridge with a popular breakfast and lunch menu.

 

Day 350 Monday, June 5, 2023

Columbia, NC MM 84 to Elizabeth City, NC MM 51

What a difference a day makes.  We were very protected from the wind in the marina but no worries today.  It was sunny, clear and calm.  We planned for a short day of 33 miles but left at 7:30am hoping to have time for exploring in Elizabeth City.  Tina B was gone by 7am but they planned for a longer travel day.

We reached the Albemarle Sound at 8am.  It was calm.  YEAH!  It can be nasty, influenced by the Atlantic Ocean.  The worst part of the day was all of the crab pots.  There is no pattern to them making it very important to keep watch.

Blimp

 Blimp Maintenance Facility?

We traveled from Albemarle Sound to the Pasquotank River.  Elizabeth City offers several free docks to cruisers. 

  

We requested passage under Elizabeth City Bridge (Highway 158) and landed at Mid-Atlantic Christian University Docks.   The docks are located right on the University campus.

 

 

Posted signs instructed us to call the Dockmaster upon arrival.  Dan gave us a nice welcome and recommendations for our stay.  Showers in the campus athletic facility are available to boaters.  When class is in session boaters can even eat in the cafeteria.

We visited the Museum of Albemarle and then took an Uber (too far to walk) to Currituck BBQ.  Lots to eat so we came back with lefties.  

Our ride back was by taxi since we couldn't get an Uber.  That was an adventure.  

We were met by an old van with a handicap tag hanging from the rearview mirror.  Our elderly gentleman driver was pleasant; he made up for the condition of his van.  Crack in the windshield spread the entire length of the window, driver side passenger door didn't work, the seats didn't seem firmly attached, it was full of junk and tools and the headliner was held in place by hundreds of thumbtacks!  Gratefully it was a short, uneventful ride.

We met Keith, one of the dockmasters, back at the docks.  The free docks are actually managed by Maritime Ministries.  Their mission "We serve the local church by facilitating adventure and discipleship through the use of sailboats on the waterways, rivers, and seas.....We share the Gospel with all that we come in contact with.  We use our boats as conversation openers and as a methodology to make new friends who share our passion for the sea."  They have sailed to Alaska, Bahamas, Puerto Rico, on the Inland waterways and Atlantic Ocean.

Keith has been readying his sailboat to sail around the world.  Each boater is gifted a cloth bag containing info about the town.

Tomorrow we travel the Dismal Swamp.