We left Elizabeth City!

16 last night, ice on the INSIDE of our ports in the bedroom...

We were more than ready to leave. We left Eizabeth City and the Pasquatank River for a brisk sail across the Alabemarle Sound, down the Alligator River, and to an anchorage at the mouth of the Alligator River/Pungo River Canal. Even though we waited in Elizabeth City for "good" weather, we still had 15 to 20 kts, gusting 25, fortunately on a beam reach, for our journey across Albaemarle sound, with enough chop to get our bow splashed,

No, not many pictures - it was just too damned cold.  The high today was 32, the water temperature is 35.6.  ugh.  This is amazing to us ---- ice on the boat during our sail.  We've NEVER had that before!

We finally met other crusing boats.  So, now there will be 4 of us working our way south, taking different side trips en route.  I know the weather is cold everywhere, all the way to Florida. Forecast is for snow in Norfolk, tomorrow. Hopefully only cold rain here. I sure am ready to find some warmth!

It's so cold!

Still in Elizabeth City.  We have finished day 4 of our "48 hour welcome".  We decided to beat the cold and rented a car yesterday and drove 3 hours to Morehead City to 1)stay warm 2) see a friend 3) pick up a boat part.  The well-meaning (I'm sure...) Elizabeth City Power Co. disconnected our power cord yesterday while we were gone, coiled it up neatly next to the boat, and left us an extrodinarily nice note saying that they could not provide us electric power.  oh, well.  It was good while it lasted.

En route to Morehead City, we toured Edenton - what a cute town! http://www.edenton.com/ 
Edenton was the first permenant settlement in NC. I would have loved to walk around, have coffe, etc, but we were in a bit of a rush to meet our friend and it was COLD AND WINDY. But very cute. We'll visit it again!  That statue that you can see from the back is honoring their Confederate War Dead.  There is an identical one in Elizabeth City.

We also saw New Bern - need to take some time there Tryon Palace  http://www.tryonpalace.org/governors_palace.php
The royal governor of NC lived there in the 1770's   New Bern was the first capital of NC.

Burr - 16 tonight but we think we can leave tomorrow morning. There is still snow on the rear of the boat from yesterday (it's ice now...). But tonight should be the last of the frigid days for a bit. Hopefully we'll be further south by the next cold snap. We sure hope so.  It was snowing horizontally yesterday when we left the boat.   The heat pump is running in the boat right now and I have on a long-sleeved tee shirt & 2 sweatshirts, flannel lined jeans, 2 pairs of socks, and shoes.  I'm not toasty warm.  It's 26 outside & windy, 53 in the bedroom, 61 in the salon, and 45 in the front of the boat.  Time to cook something warm on the stove.

Luke replaced the bilge pump, the bilge pump float switch, and the bilge pump circuit breaker.  Lotsa electrical bits and pieces scattered around.  Better work now!  Smokey was most interested and wanted to help. She really wanted to go down into the bilge and explore it.

Before we took the car back today we decided to run past the Elizabeth City Wal-Mart.  oh, my...biggest Wal-Mart store on the east coast...wow.  Anything and everything you could possibly want.  But, it was built on an old farm field and the winds there are FIERCE.  Yes, it's a windy day, but that was horizontal wind, taking your breath away.

So, here's to tomorrow - let's hope we can make it across the Albemarle Sound and another 50 miles south!

Still in Elizabeth City

Rain yesterday, wind today and Tuesday.  Maybe we can leave on Wednesday.  At least there is no competition for the dock...

Frosty morning and Rain in Elizabeth City

Yulp, it was cold leaving the NC Welcome Center.  21, I believe.  Frost on the bimini.

Ice on the waters of the Dismal Swamp.  That white stuff is frozen foam.

Here is the sight of leaving the Welcome Center.  That's the dock and welcome center on the right.  The little bridge is about 2 years old and goes across the Dismal Swamp to a new little state park, The Dismal Swamp State Park http://www.ncparks.gov/Visit/parks/disw/main.php   It's still small but very nice - trails through the swampy area.

Fortunately, the sun was out and the cockpit heated up nicely with our little "Florida room".  Even Smokey decided that it was ok under way and came up to join us in the sun.

We still had the lock at South Mills, NC, to transit.  This is the one that takes us back down about 8 feet when we are southbound.  It had frozen areas, too.  Only boat in the lock --- oh, surprise.

It was a nice trip to Elizabeth City.  The Chamber of Commerce was holding mail for us (cool, huh?), we ate  lunch at the ever cheap, ever good Quality Seafood Restaurant & Market, bought fresh talipia for another night, and revisited the Museum of the Albemarle.   Then we rechecked the weather and discovered that we'll be here a few days. Rain today and Sunday, howling winds Monday - Wednesday.  The nice Rose Buddy at the dock helped us move Latitudes to a new spot, one where we can reach electricity.  Electric heat!  Endless lights!  Christmas lights!

Unfamiliar with the Rose Buddies?  Check out http://www.elizcity.com/rose/  Sure enough, someone is always here to help arriving (and departing) boats with the lines and decision on which slips the boat will fit into.  No wine parties, though, unless there are at least 5 boats by 5 p.m.  We really appreciate these guys.

No parties this week - we are the only boat here.  If you get a chance during daylight, check out the Elizabeth City webcam on http://www.ecncweather.com/harborcam.php   Latitudes is the only boat in sight, at the far end of the dock.

One little bonus, Elizabeth City has a farmers/craft market each Saturday from 11-3.  No real farm products today, but lots of crafts.  Fun to wander through, especially since our boat is about 15 feet from the booths.

Rain forced a shortened market, starting about 1:30.  We're in the boat, warm, dry, and doing "stuff".  Luke is replacing that leaking faucet in the galley.  I'm going to make split pea soup as soon as he clears the area.  Smokey has been helping Luke, but has decided that a cozy nap is more appropriate.  Think we'll be boat bound for a while.

Cold and NC Welcome Center

Wow, is it cold.  29 this morning outside, 43 in the boat. Thank goodness for electric blankets!  Smokey likes them too, as the warmth comes through through the comforter.  And we also have the generator which we turned on at 6 a.m. and poof! warmth!
We cruised through Norfolk this morning, stopping for diesel (no water, sigh, too cold so they turned off the water..).  Got waylaid by a closed railway bridge, but we made it to the first lock in the Dismal Swamp just in time for the 11:00 opening.

Just as we left the lock, we were treated to a beautiful blue heron.  What a gorgeous bird!

After the lock, there is a short run to the opening bridge at Deep Creek. Immediately after the bridge, El Familia Mexican Restaurant!  A cruiser's favorite, you can dock just behind the building and have dollar tacos and dollar beers.  We stopped for lunch!

Once we really started down the ICW, the "tea" water of the Dismal Swamp became evident.  Brown water, turns everything brown, including the waterline of the boat.  Scrub, scrub next spring!

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About half way through our 18 mile trip today, we came across a dredging operation in the swamp.  Now, we love to have it dredged, keeps the boat from hitting bottom too often.  But we've never seen it.  Apparently, as no other boaters have come through here in 3 days, they decided that it was an ok time to dredge.  Dredging involves big floating pipes in the water, snaking back and forth across the narrow channel.  Fortuntaely, a guy in a little skif was there to move the pipeline to one side of the canal, and make a path for us to use. It took a while; the dredging work was probably a mile long.  But we did make it through.  Here is what the dredging pipe looks like, suspended by floats (aka blue plastic trash bins).

We made it to the NC Welcome Center, home of a free dock for the night. They have a water spigot and we were able to fill up 6 x 5 gallon jugs to put into our tanks. 

Very peaceful here now, but still cold.  23 degrees at 9 pm...glad to have that generator and electric blanket!



we left Deltaville!

We finally left the slip in Deltaville this morning.  We were up early, at 5:30 to check the weather and get things ready.  Sure enough, at 7 a.m., we were ready to cast off, most of the lines already thrown ashore.  But we didn't move ...

Fast aground, were were sitting in the mud.  We had to wait another hour before we could leave.

Smokey was ok with the noise, but once the shaking and rattling started, she decided to hide behind the toilet in the front bathroom.  I did bring her into the  cockpit once, and she settled down in the blanket, but not for very long.  It was cold.

We sailed southward, past the Wolftrap light.

Into the Elizabeth River, home of the vaious sailing ships of our navy.

Sister-in-law Judy met us at the end of High Street, Portsmouth, for dinner.  Very good!  tapas, something for eveyone!

We are snuggled in the cool boat tonight, waiting for another 50 miles south tomorrow.The generator is going and we're warming up. Warmer tomorrow and further south!

The Great Escape...

No, not us, unfortunately.  But little Smokey is definitely a cat. sigh.  Got what we deserved.  Being a foundling, she has some degree of separation anxiety.  Luke was putting insulation around an outside duct and I was helping him, both of us at the lower part of the stern (back) of the boat.  Smoke definitely wanted to come out with us.  She managed - I don't know how - to work her way out of the back piece of cockpit enclosure.  Once free, the call of the wild was too much.  One acknowledgment of us and she was off to explore.  Pounce!  to the dock!  Pounce!  to the boat next door!  Pounce!  who knows where --- she was AWOL for half an hour.  Pounce!  Let's start over again!  But she was back and ready to be sociable and eat (surprise) and is now happily sleeping off her adventures (probably reliving them).
Luke's duct work is great - keeps the boat warmer without heating up the back lazarette (locker).
A busy day-laundry, Wal-Mart, a few groceries, and lunch at one of those strip mall places, "#1".
Wednesday or Thursday is looking like a possible sail day. Will let you know WHEN we set sail.