It is just plain exhausting. Waz's hands were sore from gripping the wheel so tightly as he swerved left and right through the pots...some of the floats were barely far enough apart for us to negotiate. We were sure we would end up with a crab pot around our prop!
Today's travels were by 'interesting' to say the least....one channel was more than 20 miles long, and not that interesting...lots more marshes with small signs of civilization in some places.
Here we are starting up the Pungo River
The homes along the waterway were realistic in size
More IDIOTS and ARROGANT boaters today...two of them on the Alligator Canal. This boat was throwing so much water around and his wake was horrid...there was no way he was going to slow down...I stood on the back of the fly deck and waved myself silly to get him to slow down, which he did at the VERY last minute...They didn't want to look at us...Father and Son with the latter captaining this boat...I did yell out "Thank You for your courtesy" as they went by...barely contained, before speeding off again. See the yacht in the distance on the left? We could see his mast rocking wildly from side to side as this and the next boat zoomed past. He said a very sarcastic "Thanks for the SLOW PASS, you guys" over the radio...to which this boat replied..."You're welcome"..the cheek!
...and this is the second Idiot, whose wake was worse than the first! This guy only slowed down after my wild flailing and his wife digging him in the ribs when they were already alongside of us, made him take the hint. I was so pissed!!! Why? Because the inside of our boat looks like a bomb-site after these jerks have tossed us and left. I have most things stowed really well for high seas, as it were, but not THIS kind of high seas. This fellow then passed the first boat at high speed, giving the first one a dose of his own medicine! ha!
You can see by the time, top left, that it took us two hours or so to get through the Canal and into the Alligator River proper. Another large body of water, larger than the last, in fact. You can see that this channel isn't too deep either! If you stay IN the channel (advisable) it is only about 10-12ft deep. Enough!
Mile marker 100. That means we are just 100 miles from #1 in Norfolk, Virginia. When we pass #0, it will be our third 0 of the trip. The first being Harvey Lock at the western side of the lower Mississippi at New Orleans. The second 0 was at Fort Meyers, before entering Okeechobee and the Atlantic Intra Coastal Waterway.
This was our second bridge of the day, a swing bridge. Only problem, a car had broken down inside the barriers, and policy is that you cannot open the bridge with anything inside the barrier. We had to wait. In the meantime one of the yachts we had passed, way back, caught up with us. There were three of us going through 25 mins later when the car finally got going again. It was a bit frustrating, as we were on a time line here.
We had decided to keep going, at 2pm, with a light chop on the water, with 2-4ft waves, and a gorgeous sunny day. Best to make the most of it as the weather forecast said possible rain and thunder showers later in the afternoon today (Tuesday). Waz had chosen a good anchorage, but it didn't make any sense to postpone crossing Albermarle Sound when we had excellent conditions to do so. It is a large body of water, and best to get it over and done.
The red vehicle was the break down, and just inside the barriers, so that held us up.
All this time, out in the middle of this huge body of water, we were inundated by sticky little flies. These ones didn't bite, like the 'horse' flies do, but they just don't go away either. They were everywhere, and before we realized what a problem they would be, we didn't put the screens on the windows...so Waz because the MAD SWATTER! Here he is holding a dead fly (hence the look of glee on his face) in his left hand..gotcha!!!I, of course, was at the helm. He drove me spare, darting all over the fly deck (aptly named, yesterday!) with swatter in hand (Later the fly spray can), while he was supposed to be steering. I don't care if we ARE in the middle of a huge body of water...someone HAS to be at the helm...says Nervous Nellie! lol.
And because he wouldn't take a photo of ME, I had to do a selfie...not that I managed to kill many flies, but it stopped HIM leaving the helm and doing it. I worked out a system whereby if I waved the swatter enough, they didn't land on us...good thing too, as we entered HELL...more on HELL, later. That is supposed to be my 'Mad Swatter Woman' look! did I succeed??:)
As you can see, nowhere here is very deep, and I was happy cruising along at around 12feet, on average. I am much less nervous about the depths now...you would thunk! after almost a year of cruising!!! Yes, we celebrate 1 yr living aboard, on June 19th!! wow! That went fast!
It is about 4pm,in this photo, and I had to put one of the yellow rags down to counteract the glare on the Perspex...cant read the instruments, but what is more important?? The fan is funning full tilt, because there was never a breeze coming into the boat from the right angle, the way we were running...a Sth Westerly. Light seas most of the way 1-2 ft here, going across Albermarle Sound. No horizon in sight, as yoy can see...well, nothing on the horizon but water, put it that way.
We turned into the Pasquotank River.....and through the bino's we could see this. There is a strong military presence all up this coast, of course, and this is probably another one...looks like a dirigible Hangar...Considering there is a little one parked out front??
We had entered the Pasquotank River from Albermarle Sound, and just before we turned...I have to explain this part of it...we are NOT on the ICW now. There is a fork in the 'road' and one (right) takes you along the traditional ICW route out towards and then inside the Barrier Islands. The second (ours) takes you up this river and through two locks into the Great Dismal Swamp. Waz wanted to go this way, so we are here, at the beginning of this narrow canal leading through the swamp to Norfolk, Virginia.
HELL!
You know how when the light is getting lower on the water...especially on a gorgeous day, you cant see anything on the surface of the water?? Well, we had entered Crab Pot Hell. If there had been a rhyme or reason to the laying of the pots this might have been easier, but for at least two hours, I stood (wind had come up so the water was more rocking and rolling now) balancing, with binoculars at my eyes, trying to steer Waz (at the helm) through the not so logically lay of the Crab Pots. To get one of these around our prop or props would be not only bad, but expensive too. (more on that some other time).
The last 30 mins of the journey to the marina were crab pot free, thankgoodness, but we were exhausted from this ordeal. The pots would have been only 30 feet apart in places...sounds like a lot, but not when you are turning your boat at 8.3 knots through them with a 2-4ft sea running...and then there is yet another pot dead ahead..not in long lines that you can motor down, but twisting and turning through them all...field after field. Like I said..HELL...and that is Waz saying that, so you know it isn't my theatrics at work here:)
This is the light I'm talking about.
Coast Guard Marine/Air station. Lots of Hercules aircraft standing by, here.
This light is lovely if you aren't playing dodgems with the crab pots!
..and at just 6 minutes to 7pm, we arrived totally exhausted, at this...It wasn't written up as being a well kept or maintained marina, but ....at least the bathrooms are clean!!
After docking, we tidied up, closed up on the fly deck and took off for the restaurant next door, where we enjoyed a lovely Chinese meal, General Tsao's chicken and seafood with veg. Yum! We were starving!...and we could see the boat through the window. It was a bit chilly to sit outside.
After dinner we walked the mile and a half into town. We had met a lovely couple at the restaurant, who had witnessed our docking, ad were impressed by the size of the boat. We chatted with them for some time (they had finished their meal and were on the way out) while we waited for our food to arrive. We later met them again, and continued our chatting along the Town Dock (free, but no water or electricity), where we had gone to find more Loopers and others who are making their way north through the Great Dismal Swamp.
This area is so Historic. Black Beard the Pirate, terrorized ships and people all up and down this coast, and his last ship went down just off the coast not too far away. It has been plundered for years by treasure hunters.
Of course we are going into yet more Historic places...(isn't every place 'Historic"??) up this coast and into the Chesapeake and beyond.
We walked back to the boat around 9.30pm, barely able to keep our eyes open, but I had to start this blog, or it wouldn't get done, and we have a car arriving at 10am, so that we can make the trip down the Barrier ISlands to Kitty Hawk etc. So, you know there will be plenty to say about that trip. That will be an all dayer on Wednesday, though, as we are going back down the inside of where we came yesterday...along the River and Albermarle Sound. Lots of lovely little towns to take a look at.
That's it for today, folks. The day is turning cooler (a front was expected, which is why we made the extra miles yesterday..didn't want to tackle big waves on the Sound!) and I see dark clouds gathering. will take our raincoats with us today. Ciao.
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