Elizabeth City

There was a mass exodus from the welcome centre yesterday and at 0730 sharp a flotilla of 10 boats moseyed down the lazy river to Elizabeth City

They call Elizabeth City the "Harbour of Hospitality" and they weren’t kidding. This town loves cruisers. Dockage is free, volunteers greet you at the dock and help with dock lines, there is a free shuttle to the grocery store, and there is even a welcome wine and cheese reception. The mayor of the town, who happens to be a boater himself, came down to welcome us and, of course, to promote his beautiful town.

Tonight is Halloween and, since there are several cruising families on this dock, it promises to be a fun time.

The Great Dismal Swamp

October 30/09

After reading the cruising guides, we noticed that we will be hitting places like Cape Fear, Mosquito Creek, Alligator River, and Skidaway Creek. With names like that it makes me wonder why anyone would want to enter the I.C.W. However, it was obvious today that we should not to let the names fool us as the Great Dismal Swamp, from what I could see, is anything but dismal.

We entered the Deep Creek Lock at 0830 this morning, (the entrance to the Dismal Swamp), and were greeted by the friendliest lock master who took the time to chat to everyone on each boat and make sure we were all tucked in safe. Even as we were coming up in the lock, he tried to play a tune for the nine boats by blowing into a conch shell. What a cool guy! Now there is someone who loves his job.

It would have been a scenic trip regardless but it's even nicer this time of year with the Autumn colours in the trees. The decision was made yesterday that we would go as far as the Dismal Swamp Visitor’s Centre today, which is about half way through the swamp. We were told it was a stop not to miss as there are walking trails and a wildlife centre. The stop had a dock that could hold three boats but we were told that rafting was expected. By the end of the day there were at least twelve boats rafted together and we had a great time meeting everyone and hear their stories.

On board three of the boats were cruising families and one even had a new ten-week-old baby on board. (Yes Brent, we met up with Adrian and Sarah!) At cocktail hour we all met on shore and a good time was had by all.

Getting Ready for a Swamp Stomp

October 28/09















Our sail from Hampton to Norfolk was great and we didn’t turn the engine on once (except for when we made a wrong turn but we’re not talking about that). Once we got into the city of Norfolk though we had to take the sails down as the tall buildings were ruining our wind (lol).















Norfolk, Virginia is an interesting place to see from the water as there are many war ships docked along the shores of every shape and size.
















The weather was warm today 80°F and the sun shone bright making it most enjoyable. We stopped for the day just short of the “Great Dismal Swamp” in a wonderful anchorage called the “Hole in the Wall”. After spending five nights in Hampton, this was like a little piece of heaven.

Tomorrow we get ready for a swamp stomp.

There Goes the Budget

I can't believe it. Harley has chipped another tooth and is at the dentist right now as I write. There goes the budget.

If there is anything that controls a cruiser’s life more than the weather, it’s the “Cruising Budget”. Rich or poor, most cruisers live by a strict budget. With little to no money coming in, every penny is carefully watched and accounted for.

Ours is a moderate budget, which allows us to eat out now and then and go to a marina when necessary to plug into electricity, do laundry, and have a nice long hot shower, but it doesn’t allow for much more. Some cruisers live on such a shoe string budget that they have no refrigeration (no need to plug in) and live on rice and beans. Luckily we're not that desperate.

Regardless of what kind of budget one is on, every cruiser has to expect the unexpected ……like dental emergencies. Poor Harley chipped this tooth about two weeks ago but he didn’t want to tell me. He bit down on a hard candy some vendor was handing out at the Boat Show, and after having to take time out to go back to Barrie for some dental work at the beginning of the trip, he was feeling a bit embarrassed.

Oh well, these things happen, and he needs his teeth if he wants to eat. But maybe not, we could always go to the rice and bean diet. Who knows we may have to…….JUST KIDDING!

Check Your Anchor

There is never a dull moment on a sailboat.

Today, as we were getting ready to head into town, the wind picked up so we decided to stay on board to make sure our anchor was holding. Luckily, our anchor was well stuck but that was not the case for the 43-foot Catamaran that was anchored directly in front of us. We just happen to look up at the very time it broke loose and started bearing down on us. To add to the drama, the owners were not on board at the time.

While I did my best to protect our boat (and their's) by putting up the fenders, Harley jumped in the dingy to do whatever he could to fend it off. In the meantime another boater came to our assistance while someone on shore called the coast guard.

The hulk of a boat drifted along side us when it's anchor snagged again stopping it just a few feet abreast of us. There was not much we could do but watch as it broke loose and re-caught two more times. Each time getting closer and closer.

It created quite a stir in the anchorage with a crowd watching from shore and the coast guard showing up. The Coast Guard were reluctant to board the vessel but were quite concerned as it was now causing a navigational hazard.


Two hours later a very embarrassed couple arrived with a dingy full of groceries.

Today's lesson.....check the anchor and the weather before leaving the boat.

View The Trail of Blue Blazes in a larger map

Goodbye Chesapeake

Recommended or not, Deltaville just wasn’t doing it for us and at 0830 we left.

We bucked a head wind and did a lot of tacking but we made it to the end of Chesapeake Bay today where we turned right and settled in Hampton, Virginia. Goodbye Chesapeake; hello ICW (Intracoastal Waterway)

The ICW, also called “The Ditch” is the waterway that travels from the Chesapeake to Miami. It officially starts in Massachusetts but the heart of the ICW starts at Mile 0 at Norfolk, Virginia and goes to Mile 1,095 in Miami.

We plan to stay in the Hampton area for a few days to take in the sights before heading over to Norfolk were we will hopefully meet up again with Lions Paw. Besides, since our insurance coverage changes considerably if we head south of Norfolk before November 1st, we think it would be best to wait till then.....or maybe not.