From Hampton, VA to Elizabeth City, NC

Wednesday, October 29th: Hampton, VA

We've spent a nice couple of days in Hampton and have been congratulating ourselves that, by happy coincidence, these have also been days when we wouldn't have wanted to be on the water anyways - winds to 35 knots and cold.

We rented a car. What luxury! After you've lugged bags of laundry up hills to a laundromat, and carried backpacks and bags filled will groceries short and not so short distances, it was wonderful to get in the car and just load up. Yesterday, while the clothes were in the washer at the laundromat, we went to the nearby Food Lion and bought lots of heavy groceries. Later, Bob took one of our 2 propane tanks to be refilled. It was nearly empty - it's great to be able to move on with both tanks full.

Today we drove to see the historic Williamsburg recreated as it was in revolutionary times - a sort of giant Black Creek Pioneer village experience. It was a beautiful, if chilly day, and we were able to go to a couple of the presentations where people in period costume explained the society and politics of the times.

We have also had time to visit a little with the Woolseys. They are getting anxious to be on their way down the ICW. Eileen tells us that Charleston will be a special experience and we plan to do a little touring of the city together. Hopefully, the Woolseys will catch up with us by the time we reach that historic city.

We have put away all of our Chesapeake charts and pulled out brand new charts that begin at Norfolk - the start of the true Intracoastal Waterway. We are leaving at "first light" tomorrow so as to be able to make the bridge opening at 8:30 and then move on for the 11:00 a.m. opening of the first of the 2 locks on the Dismal Swamp canal.

Friday, October 31st: Elizabeth, N.C.

Dismal Swamp Canal

When we got up this morning, there was frost on our deck, on the deck of the boat we were rafted to - and on the deck of the boat rafted to us. (Thankfully, we have our Espar heater!) We were tied up to a boat on the wall at the Visitors' Centre on the Dismal Swamp canal. At this wall, rafting is expected - so, by the end of the day, there were three boats on the wall each with boats rafted to them for a total of 10 boats tied up for the night.

Wall at the Visitor's Centre, Dismal Swamp Canal: There were 6 boats when I took this picture: 3 boats rafted to 3 others. A couple of hours later, four more boats arrived to raft up to the outside boats. Our boat is just behind the outside boat at the front.

There are two ways to move south through the ICW after Norfolk, Virginia: the Dismal Swamp or the Virginia Cut. The Dismal Swamp, in spite of it's name, is the prettiest of the two but is only 6 feet deep. (Dismal is a local word for swamp.) Sailboats with deep keels take the Virginia Cut as do "fast boats" who want to avoid the 2 locks on the Dismal.

Our lock through experience was a pleasant surprise - at the first lock there was a helpful, cheerful dock master who used a boat hook to grab our bow line and then took our bow line as well. How easy is that?

After we were rafted up at the Visitor's Centre, we went for a walk in the Dismal Swamp State Park - quite beautiful - and then all of the boaters gathered for impromptu drinks and hors oeuvres. It was interesting to hear where everyone was from and where they were traveling. Two of the boats are from the Bay of Quinty Yacht Club. Another boat is from the Toronto Hydroplane and Sailing club: it's the boat Sound of Silence and the owners know our friends Ed and Lucy from the same club.

This morning, we were among the first group to leave so that we traveled with 4 other sailboats through the remainder of the canal, the second lock, and then up the Pasquotank River to Elizabeth City where we are docked at the city docks (a loose term - there are 4 pilings - 2 for bow lines, 2 for stern lines, and a tiny triangle dock).

The docks are free and some men who are part of the "Rosebud" group of retirees helped us dock. Good thing as it was a challenge for us to figure out the protocol - this was our first time with this kind of docking system. You're supposed to throw a stern line around one of the pilings as you pass it (I think) - we didn't - so there was a lot of jockeying until we had all lines in the right places.

The Rosebuds are a group of retired men who welcome boaters, help them out and host a wine and cheese every night that there are 4 or more boats. Sam (from the Rosebuds) drove me to the library where I am posting this - and then Bob and he went on to fill our diesel can. At 4:30 we go to an outside area near the docks for the wine and cheese gathering. How nice! and what a treat to have this help.