After a great holiday in Oriental, it was time to keep heading north. We sailed up through the Pamlico Sound and found a great anchorage near the city of Belhaven, NC, on the Pungo River. We celebrated Karrie’s birthday at anchor, with a lovely dinner and beautiful sunset.
The next day, a trip up the Alligator River was memorable as we were surrounded by dragonflies; they especially liked Reed. Many landed on his hands and stayed for an hour or more. Pretty special! We think it may have been the impending weather system that had them looking for shelter before the storm. After finding a secure anchorage, we settled in and the squalls rolled by. Lots of rain, wind, and thunder for a few hours, but beautiful rainbows and a calm evening were the reward.
Albemarle Sound can quickly become treacherous if the wind picks up so the following morning was a sunrise departure in calm seas to cross before the thermal breezes started. The biggest challenge was dodging the hundreds (thousands?) of crab pots that populate these relatively shallow waters. Running over one could foul the prop and cause lots of damage.
We were headed toward the Dismal Swamp, a 30 mile canal cut through the border between North Carolina and Virginia. There is a lock on either side of the canal that only opens three times a day. We were determined to make the 3:30pm (last) opening into the canal, partly because we wanted to catch up with our friends on Raptor, who were just ahead of us. Mother Nature had other plans! Just as we entered the lock, a thunder/lightning squall with 40mph winds hit. We made it through the lock but decided to tie up on the bulkhead just after the lock and call it a night.
The next morning was flat calm, perfect for transiting the canal. It is very narrow, with high trees, so the reflections on the water were spectacular. The canal and swamp are rich in history, having been originally surveyed by George Washington and used by commerce and recreational boaters ever since. It was also a very important part of the Underground Railroad, with many escaped slaves hiding out in the swamp until their turn came to head north. We stopped at the Visitor Center halfway through, met up with Raptor, and explored the trails and history. Later that afternoon, we transited the northernmost lock and anchored/rafted up with Raptor in a little cove just south of Portsmouth, VA.
We arrived in Portsmouth on July 13th and stayed several days, with trips to the Children’s Museum, the Maritime Museum, a ferry crossing over the river to Norfolk, and the Hampton Roads Naval Museum. Eric and Reed stayed with the boat and explored while Karrie and Ava took a side trip north to DC to attend the Taylor Swift concert (Ava’s 13th birthday present that she’d been looking forward to since April).
We were still traveling with Raptor and met another “kid boat”, Dabulamanzi, as well. The three boats traveled north and anchored off of Fort Monroe, traveling ashore to visit the Case Museum at the Fort and then have an evening picnic. The day ended with lots of smiles and more memories made with good friends!
The next day, a trip up the Alligator River was memorable as we were surrounded by dragonflies; they especially liked Reed. Many landed on his hands and stayed for an hour or more. Pretty special! We think it may have been the impending weather system that had them looking for shelter before the storm. After finding a secure anchorage, we settled in and the squalls rolled by. Lots of rain, wind, and thunder for a few hours, but beautiful rainbows and a calm evening were the reward.
Albemarle Sound can quickly become treacherous if the wind picks up so the following morning was a sunrise departure in calm seas to cross before the thermal breezes started. The biggest challenge was dodging the hundreds (thousands?) of crab pots that populate these relatively shallow waters. Running over one could foul the prop and cause lots of damage.
We were headed toward the Dismal Swamp, a 30 mile canal cut through the border between North Carolina and Virginia. There is a lock on either side of the canal that only opens three times a day. We were determined to make the 3:30pm (last) opening into the canal, partly because we wanted to catch up with our friends on Raptor, who were just ahead of us. Mother Nature had other plans! Just as we entered the lock, a thunder/lightning squall with 40mph winds hit. We made it through the lock but decided to tie up on the bulkhead just after the lock and call it a night.
The next morning was flat calm, perfect for transiting the canal. It is very narrow, with high trees, so the reflections on the water were spectacular. The canal and swamp are rich in history, having been originally surveyed by George Washington and used by commerce and recreational boaters ever since. It was also a very important part of the Underground Railroad, with many escaped slaves hiding out in the swamp until their turn came to head north. We stopped at the Visitor Center halfway through, met up with Raptor, and explored the trails and history. Later that afternoon, we transited the northernmost lock and anchored/rafted up with Raptor in a little cove just south of Portsmouth, VA.
We arrived in Portsmouth on July 13th and stayed several days, with trips to the Children’s Museum, the Maritime Museum, a ferry crossing over the river to Norfolk, and the Hampton Roads Naval Museum. Eric and Reed stayed with the boat and explored while Karrie and Ava took a side trip north to DC to attend the Taylor Swift concert (Ava’s 13th birthday present that she’d been looking forward to since April).
We were still traveling with Raptor and met another “kid boat”, Dabulamanzi, as well. The three boats traveled north and anchored off of Fort Monroe, traveling ashore to visit the Case Museum at the Fort and then have an evening picnic. The day ended with lots of smiles and more memories made with good friends!