On Saturday, June 7, we headed on up the Pasquotank River toward the Dismal Swamp Canal. The upper part of the river and Turner's Cut (which connects the river to the canal) are beautiful, but they are just preparing you for the Dismal Swamp Canal. I'm going to copy what Randy wrote in our sailing journal (Jonathan, Justin and Tanner: we are using the journals!).
   "God's creation is spectacular! This kind of beauty can take your breath away at times, but it always soothes the soul. And, as Patti pointed out, this is just a speck of heaven. Garden of Eden? Went past a few kayaks and I thought of how we relish the slower more sedate pace of this voyage compared to trawlers, and thought that these kayakers probably think the same about us. :) This and the cypress trees made me think of Fred and Sherry. A little ways back, I noticed what looked like pots (in the edge of the water) with plants growing out of them. Mental flash: "Wow that will take a lot of loving care." Then I realized that they were cypress stumps and the flowering plants were just taking the opportunity for life. Lots of Carolina wild roses grow out of these stumps. Also realized that these "stump pots" did take a lot of love--God's love for us. Very humbling and thank you, God. We're passing a few floating logs and debris. The helmsman must keep a sharp eye out. Surprisingly cool for what I expected. "I could live here!" Every once in awhile you catch the sweet aroma of flowers. What a joy!"

Carolina Roses

Reflections along the Dismal Swamp Canal

   And I second that! Very quiet and beautiful. There was no wind and the water was so still that, at times, you couldn't tell what was real and what was reflection. We docked at the Dismal Swamp Visitors Center and Dick and Libby Mills caught our lines. They were the couple we met in Elizabeth City and had come in earlier that day. We took a hike along a boardwalk into the swamp at the State Park and can tell why it was named the Dismal Swamp. I can't imagine trying to hike through it. It's, of course, swampy :) with tangled growth everywhere. The slaves that dug the canal must have had a really hard time of it. That evening we shared a supper with the Mills and they headed on north early the next morning. We enjoyed visiting with them. We left about noon and only went a couple of hours farther along the canal to tie up to a wharf and get the dinghy unloaded. We took a dinghy trip down a feeder ditch toward Lake Drummond, which is in the middle of the swamp. The feeder ditch was like a smaller Dismal Swamp Canal. At one point, there is a lock (that's how they control the water levels in the canal) and we had to portage the dinghy up over a short section of land back to the ditch. Then we got to the lake. WOW! The water was completely still and we were the only people there. It was almost eerie.

Dismal Swamp Canal

The Dismal Swamp Visitors Center

Opening from feeder ditch to Lake Drummond.

Lake Drummond

   After getting back to our sailboat, we went on to the end of the canal. There is a low, opening bridge at that point that only opens when the lock beyond it is ready to open, which was 8:30 the next morning. We tied up to a landing there and worried at first about the area. We were in a city and right next to an abandoned restaurant and a house with a barking dog. There were a couple of young men fishing when we came in. They were nice and helpful about shopping and restaurants nearby. They even hushed the dog. :) Anyway, no problems there.

Locking through. And, yes, we wear our life jackets whenever the boat is moving.

   The next day we traveled through Norfolk, VA right through the "big boys". Norfolk has a big naval yard and is a large port city. We sure seemed small compared to the ships around us. We came out of the Elizabeth River and into Chesapeake Bay.

Norfolk, VA

One of the many naval ships we saw.

   We anchored for the night in a creek off the York River in a very developed housing area. No cruisers' baths here. :) Going out of the creek the next morning, I was at the helm and got mixed up as to which side that green marker should be on. I grounded us. As we were trying to back off, a couple of men came out onto a dock of the nearby yacht club and said they called a skiff from the boatyard to come help us. Two men showed up and hooked a line to us and pulled us off. They were very nice and at least didn't laugh at us while we were within hearing distance. :)

Osprey nest on the navigation markers. Sometimes you can hardly read the numbers.

Point No Point Lighthouse.

  That day we mostly motored because the wind was directly behind us. The following day we had more favorable wind and were able to sail for awhile. Toward late afternoon we tried to find the inlet to the anchorage we had planned on stopping at, but even after calling the marina there, couldn't be sure of our approach. So we moved to plan B and sailed on toward Coan River. The wind had been at 10-15 knots most of the day, and the waves were at 3-4 feet. We were doing okay as we turned up the Potomac River until the wind increased to 20 knots and we had to turn 90 degrees to reach Coan River. Then the waves were hitting us broadside and it had started to rain. Not really my idea of fun! Randy kidded me and reminded me that next time would seem easier. :) How is it that "Asbill Adventures" are so often scary?!
   We stayed put the next day because it was stormy all day. The following day looked like more of theame so we decided to move to the nearby marina to get fuel, do laundry and have a real shower. While getting docked we started having an engine starter problem. So Randy spent the rest of that day and part of the next chasing that problem. Eric and Ellen, people on another boat, loaned us their car to go get parts and groceries. They're in the midst of transitioning from boating to RVing. The boat is for sale and they have an RV and a car ready to go.

Saw several rays. Randy just caught his "wings" out of the water.

Stormy day and more to come.

   We left there on Father's Day and just kept heading up the Chesapeake for a couple of uneventful days. Last night we anchored in Harness Creek off of South River which is just south of Annapolis. We did a 45 minute hike through pretty Quiet River State Park to get to a West Marine store for some items we needed; like a replacement boat hook since I lost our long one over the side. :(  This morning our engine wouldn't start and we ended up calling Boat US for a tow. We are now at Port Annapolis Marina and Randy replaced a starter and did some work on the battery systems, but it doesn't look like that fixed it. We'll have a mechanic look at it tomorrow. It's kind of expensive to stay here, but it's a nice place so we're glad to be here right now.
   As my beloved father-in-law used to say, "Every day's a good day. Some are just better than others."

   I'm posting today from the city dock of Elizabeth City, NC. We got here early Wednesday afternoon. It's a pretty place with a small park next to the piers. We walked around the old downtown area Wednesday afternoon and, after a much needed "real" shower, walked to a restaurant for dinner. Yesterday and today were stay-put days. Randy did some little jobs here on the boat (we took off with a to-do list for on the way) and I walked about 6 blocks to a laundromat. I only had one large load to do, but the lady on the boat in the slip next to us said there's not much available for the next several days when heading north. She also said about the laundromat, "The place is dirty, but the water is clean." :) And she was right. Nice people working there, though. Yesterday afternoon we went to the Museum of the Albemarle. It's housed in a large new building close to the waterfront and was very well done. Well worth a couple of hours. This morning our neighboring boat captain, Dick Mills, spent over an hour with Randy, giving him advice and tips about what to see and where to stay heading north. He and his wife, Libby, were very nice and very helpful to us.
   Now I'm going to backtrack a week or so. Over Memorial Day weekend our son, Craig, and his family came to Tennessee to see us before we left. We had a great visit but, as always, it was just too short. On Tuesday, May 27, we said goodbye to our daughter, Rachel, and her family and headed out for Oriental, NC. Our good friends, Stanley and Juanita Swartzel, went with us so they could take our car back home. We spent Wednesday sailing with them on the Neuse River and the weather and the company were both great. Then the next morning, another goodbye (ugh, it's hard) and they left for home.

   The next few days were spent with final projects and preparations. Friends at the yacht club were nice enough to run us in town (about 3 miles) or loan us a car when we needed one more part or forgotten item. They also threw a bon voyage party for us on Friday evening, then threatened to cut our dock lines when we didn't leave for two more days. :) A special thank you to Robert and Susan for their encouragement and help, for Bob and Robin for quick canvas work for us (it looks great!), to dock masters Lisa and Paul, and to everyone else there that gave such a beautiful welcome to these "newbies". Sea Harbour Yacht Club is a first rate facility with first rate people.

Sunset at Sea Harbour Yacht Club. Taken from the stern of our boat.

Sea Harbour Yacht Club

   On Monday morning, June 2, we coiled our dock lines and "sailed off". Well, actually, the wind was not good, so we motored. A lot of this Great Loop trip will be motoring because the intercostal waterway follows a lot of creeks and rivers where there isn't really room to sail. We headed out of the Neuse River, then into Bay River and into Gale Creek and Goose Creek. Coming from out west, as we did, a creek is sometimes a trickle of water you can jump over. Out here they can be a mile wide. At the Pamlico River we were able to put the sails up and be a sailboat. We sailed up the Pungo River a ways before losing our breeze, and turned into Pungo Creek to anchor for the night.

A cormorant dries his wings on a channel marker in the Pungo River.

The Pungo River and the best seat in the house.

   On Tuesday we continued up the Pungo River and then into the man-made Pungo-Alligator Canal. It connects the Pungo with the Alligator River and crosses a swampy area for 18 miles. I enjoyed it for the first hour (understand that we motor at about 6 mph), then told Randy I wouldn't want to do it for 2 days. :) It was pretty but just straight and a lot of the same scenery. I think he enjoyed it more. We anchored that evening at the beginning of Alligator River. After dinner we took a "cruiser's bath" off the swim platform of the boat. The water was chilly but not bad. Later we got to wondering why it's called the "Alligator" River! Maybe because there are alligators? :) Still don't know.

Our wake in the Pungo-Alligator Canal. In the distance is one of 2 bridges you go under on the canal.

A doe and her fawn on the bank of the canal.

Anchored for the night at the head of the Alligator River.

   Wednesday morning we got underway about 6:30 because we had heard that the Alligator River and Albemarle Sound, that it empies into, can be pretty rough water. We wanted to leave ourselves plenty of time to make it to Elizabeth City. Well, we hit a very benign day! We put out the sails shortly after taking off and sailed down the Alligator River, across Albemarle Sound, and up the Pasquotank River almost to Elizabeth City. Beautiful!! The only worry we had was dodging crab pots all the way across the sound and half way up the Pasquotank. But we didn't tangle in one, so all is well. We arrived at the pier and our dock lines were caught by the "welcome committee", the Rose Buddies. Since the 1980's there have been various local retired men that meet and welcome boaters to their city. They used to bring a rose to every boat docking here. They were very nice and helpful.

A memorial to the two original "Rose Buddies".

The free city docks. We stayed here three nights and enjoyed the city.

   And this is where I came in with this posting. We're heading north again tomorrow and into the Dismal Swamp Canal. We've heard it really isn't dismal. More on that next time. Keep your sails trimmed.