04/01/2024 Southport to Norfolk, Virginia 04/22/2024

 

 

04/01/2024

Caught the sunrise this morning.

 

What a cool deck at the water made from the rear end of a boat

This house was massive - check out the upper level deck (the 4th level)!!

We headed to our next stop Southport, SC. (a very small town with a population of 4,478) We were going to catch up with some old friends - we had spent 5 weeks together in Marathon 3 years ago. They have the same boat as us but a 2011. Lynn had taken my comforter and re-sewed it to fit my bed correctly (our beds have an odd shape  that they call a v-berth). She also made the hatch covers to reflect the sun which helps keep the cabin cooler. Matt always calls Bob whenever he has Ranger Tug issue. 

After we arrived we went to their home for drinks with their neighbors and then headed off to dinner at one of their favorite places.

4/2/2024

Matt & I went to play pickleball (the first time in a couple months). Dave and Nancy left they wanted to get to the next port to try to find a guy to work on their engine. A storm was brewing and if they did not leave they would have to stay for 2 more days - which is what we did. Lynn came and got me to go the grocery store - I needed to replenish several items. Later that evening,  Matt & I walked to their house - had a couple of drinks and walked to dinner. We went to a small pizza place down the street from them (very good meal )

4/3/2024

The storm that was predicted arrived. High winds and rain. It was worse at the marina, which I realized after Lynn picked me up to show me around town. Outside the harbor seemed to have less rain and howling winds.

This was a church that is now someones home. Although they are doing renovations they intend to keep the front as is.

This is now the Visitors Center and Museum. Governor Gabriel Johnston in 1744 appointed a committee to select the best location to construct a fort for the defense of the Cape Fear River region. The General Assembly of North Carolina colony in April 1745 authorized the construction of "Johnston's Fort" near the mouth of the Cape Fear River. In spring 1748, the legislature appropriated 2000 pounds, and construction finally began.North Carolina garrisoned the fort with a few dozen militia soldiers and used it for coastal protection and as a quarantine station for incoming mariners. In 1775 it was burned down by defiant colonists, it was later rebuilt. Only the officers quarters remain
 

The main towns street

A few shops in the downtown area. The one below - the owner is one of Lynn's friends (a very cute shop)

This is a haunted House in Southport

In the 1980s, the Northrup House above was selected to be the scene of the family home in the movie Crimes of the Heart with Sissy Spacek and Diane Keaton.

Lynn dropped me back at the boat so we could get ready for dinner. Matt and I walked over to Lynn and Bobs house to have dinner. It was a great dinner also fun talking about old times and about their new adventure to the Bahamas. 

 

Lynn and Bob such great people !!

4/4/24

Bob helped get us off the dock under a very windy start to the day. The waters were rough for boats coming towards us. We were riding the waves which were coming from behind us not necessarily smooth sailing but definitely not as rocky !!

We headed to a place called Top Soil at Sloop Creek to anchor for the night. An American flag on a small island !!

This tanker boat came upon us with no warning. The captain should of called and let us know he was passing. He was much closer than it looks. We got rocked from his wake !!

This was such an unusual home on the water

Just stayed on the boat (no where to dinghy to) and watched the sun set

4/5/2024
                                                                                                                                                               We left early to head to Swansboro, NC a small town along the ICW.

Really trying to keep this boat upright - lots of lines

This sailboat was just sitting on the sandy bottom - the tide had already come in

You could get a two for one sale here !! 

We thought of anchoring but the winds were predicted to pick up so we went over to the city dock. Later that evening Nancy and Dave, who had been a day behind us, also planned to anchor out for the night but found the winds to be to strong and raced to get to Swansboro before dark. Once we docked Matt and I walked around the town.

Swansboro was named for Samuel Swann. He was a planter, militia officer and politician in the Colony of Virginia and the Colony of North Carolina.

These are the Muscovy ducks of Swansboro. The towns people said they are overpopulating the area

There were several different types of baby ducklings here

These two were less than discreet as we stood talking. I thought he was coming to attack us but instead he just jumped on the female duck. LOL

Elvis is in the town

The Old Brick Store (below) has served many functions through the years. Church services and school were held in the building in the 1890s. It also served as the post office during the early 1900s. Daniel A. Harget, brother of Ida Harget, operated a drugstore beginning about 1912. Robert Barnum was owner from 1931 until the early 1970s.

Notice you can no longer enter thru the front door !!
 

Matt and I went to check out this place early in the afternoon as place to have dinner. We went back later to have dinner !! When Nancy and Dave arrived we walked back over with them and sat while they had the dinner (the waitress was laughing as we kept coming back)

It was an Irish Pub - this was a mural inside

This was a very nice memorial dedicated to all branches of service
 

 

4/6/2024

Got up early to go to the Bagel Place for breakfast with a stop at the Old Fashioned Candy Store. Of course a pirate located outside. 

Nancy outside the Candy Store

The azaleas are in full bloom

A very cute butterfly bench outside the nature store

 We got back on the boat and headed to Beaufort.

This was a row of waterfront homes looks like they were all built with pretty much the same specs

Welcome sign taken care of by the Garden Club

Mural along the Boardwalk

The salt water has not been nice to the ceramic coating which was done last year
 

Nancy and I walked around town

Two types of shrimping boats

Different types of outboard motors

The home of Jacob Henry The first Jewish member of N.C. legislature, 1808. He delivered a landmark address on religious freedom.

Went to dinner at the Grocery Restaurant( called this because they also carry some groceries and have a lunch meat counter)

4/7/2024

Continued walking around Beaufort

A veterans Gold Star Family Memorial - every city has a different variation of the photos

Used to be the train station but now was restored and is used by the Woman's Club

I guess the men needed a place

Dave and Nancy moved to another Marina - one that would work on his engine issues. This marina gave them a loaner car. They were able to get it at the end of the evening which allowed us to use all night. !! We drove over to Morehead City, NC to the Casa San Carlo Italian Restaurant. A very good restaurant with lots of food.

4/8/2024

Nancy & Dave planned on staying in Beaufort for the next week. Dave was driving to meet up with friends to go golfing. Matt and I headed  to Oriental to their free City Dock. The solar eclipse was this day but didn't even notice it. Oriental is one of the smallest towns we have been to. A hardware store, a souvenir store and a clothing store (which was closed). There was a bait shop.

There was also a small coffee shop called The Bean which was right across from our slip. It seemed to be a popular gathering place for the town of approx 989 people

4/9/2024

We headed out with intentions of staying on the city dock in Belhaven NC. When we got there the dock was further from town than we expected and didn't look good so we went back to the Belhaven Marina (Good choice). The water was a little choppy with waves crashing over the bow after we left Oriental.

But it did calm as we got closer to the town. (Still finding abandoned boats)

Belhaven has had several names. In the 1800's it was known as Matcha Pungo an Indian name meaning "river of many fish". It was also known as Jack's Neck, Belle Port meaning "beautiful door or harbor". This was also a small town with a population of 1400 !! It had several more shops on main street but many were closing since we didn't get there until almost 4 PM. I did walk around to check things out.

The town mural

The Marina did have cute welcoming signs.

These were just recently renovated with small shops below the apartments (of course the stores were closed)

The biggest store in town (a hardware store with everything you could need)

This of course was closed on a Tuesday but was only open from 5PM to 8 PM on other days.

We were going to check out breakfast at his place but didn't open early enough.

We ate dinner at this Mexican Restaurant - Taco Tuesday - our cheapest dinner so far $10 for both of us. My pepsi cost more than Matt's beer !!

4/10/2024

I guess this guy has been sitting here a long time waiting for a ride

A storm was predicted to be coming to the east coast. Our initial plan was to possibly hold out at Belhaven for two more days. But, the town was so small and having seen pretty much everything we decided to leave at 7AM and travel to Elizabeth City which would be a long travel day and hold out there for the approaching storms. We decided to skip Alligator River as we had heard that the town was really scarce after 5PM - everyone leaves and no where to go but stay at the dock !!

We also had to cross the Albermalle Sound, which a few people we talked to thought it was a worse than crossing then into the Gulf of Mexico. We found the crossing to be pretty calm and uneventful. 

There was a free city dock at Elizabeth City which had just been redone. We tied up the boat and headed out for dinner. 

Marketed as the "Harbor of Hospitality", Elizabeth City along the Albemarle Sound in northeast North Carolina has had a long history of shipping due to its location at the Pasquotank River. Founded in 1794, Elizabeth City prospered early on from the Dismal Swamp Canal. The largest United States Coast Guard base in the nation is located here. 

Back in 1983 two gentlemen (Fred Fearing and Joseph Kramer known as the Rose Buddies) decided to host a gathering for mariners. Joe cut roses from his garden while Fred supplied refreshment.The “Rose Buddies," became the world-renowned waterfront ambassadors, greet visiting boaters with a rose, wine and cheese. When Joe died in 1987 his rose bushes were transplanted in front of the hospitality sign. Fred continued the tradition until he died in 2002 in his 90's. In Sept, 2008 there was a commemorative ceremony for the two men at Fisherman's Wharf. No one has continued the tradition !!

One of the Joe's rose bushes

A mural dedicated to the men

We had dinner at small Irish restaurant - Foley's Tavern.

This past winter Elizabeth city had their first Cocoa Crawl:
From cups with bourbon syrup, mugs you can decorate with sprinkles and candies, to steaming cocoa topped with ice cream, there's something for every sweet tooth. 

There was a storefront dedicated to corn hole (bags) and axe throwing - it was a hopping place as we walked by.

  The bikes below (there were a lot more) were placed strategically around the downtown area advertising the business that had donated the bike.

4/11/2024

I rode my bike around the town with the continuously changing time of when severe storms would be arriving. 1st stop was the museum. Rain was to start by 11AM.

"When a cabinet maker and an undertaker are located side by side, it is a forcible reminder of the shortness of the distance from the cradle to the grave" - Washington Progress Newspaper. 

Thomas Day was a famous carpenter - North Carolina’s most in-demand, pre-Civil War, master cabinetmaker Thomas Day had everything it took to be Southern royalty–land, money, education. Yet, Day was a black man. These are a few of his items.

The decoy ducks are examples of ducks throughout the years from 1920 to 1940

A smokehouse was essential to the food supply on a farm. Meat was first packed in salt to draw out as much moisture as possible. Later it was hung and "cured" in the smoke of a low fire. the doors were always locked to protect the valuable contents within.

Daniel Jackson, Jr. and his wife had this house built about 1755. Its hall and parlor plan is larger and more finely furnished than most farmhouses of the time. The children slept in the unheated loft above. They believe Jackson did more than farm, probably carpentry or coopering.

 Joseph Price (1854 - 1893) was an African American orator and teacher. A founder and president of Livingstone College. He was born in Elizabeth City.

The lady at the desk said not to miss the hat museum section - well this was it LOL !!

Hats can be worn as status symbols, forms of expression, military uniform components, as fashion statements, or a glimpse into the wearer's personality. Hats are worn to work, church, weddings, funerals, tea parties, sporting events, outdoor activities and other functions. Sometimes a hat just covers a bad hair day. 

Another exhibit was the kite area with two kites and this sign.

The quilt (below) consists of a collage of three appliqued landscapes representing the Albemarle region. The bottom farm scape represents bounty of three growing seasons preparing the ground, growing and harvesting the crops.

The middle depicts forests, swamps and bramble fields necessary to sustain wildlife living in harmony with agriculture.

At the top level is water, the life source of the region, and a sailboat plying the rivers, sounds and ocean. Adjoining the beautiful blue sky is a patrolling USCG C-130 aircraft passing by the iconic Hatteras Lighthouse, a beacon to guide and protect mariners.

The quilt was hand crafted by Jackie and Frank Howard.

After leaving the museum the weather showed storms coming in at 1PM. 

Some historic homes

This no longer functioning hotel was built in 1829. Called the Southern Hotel it stayed open in one form or another until 1991, when it was a residential hotel. Two businesses rent space in the lower section, one of them being Serenity Studio Arts which may have painted most of the windows.

A hotel in the past but a Historic River City Lodge today.

Some beautiful blooming flowers

Storms were now supposed to arrive at 3 PM. It was getting windy so I decided to head back to the boat. The storms finally arrived at about midnight with lots of rain and high winds. during the storm The restaurant docks next to us were under water during the heavy rain as well as our dock. The storm lasted about two hours and passed. Guess we dodged some severe storms !!

04/12/2024

Left before 8 AM to catch our first bridge opening. We headed to another Marina to get some gas. Part of their pier was under water from the storm and the marina hand told us that the next bridge opening was 11am or 1 pm etc. We needed to make the 11 am so we raced thru the river (possibly a little faster than we should have with the chance of fallen trees and shallow water). We made it on time and proceeded thru a lock something  we have not done since the Mississippi (I believe). Our next stop would be up the Dismal Swamp free dock at the welcome center.

Does not look like the railway bridge worker will be coming to live here anytime soon. The bridge is pretty much gone also !!

The lock gate would not fully open (due to a log from the storms last night) we had to sneak in around it.

South is where we have been and North is where we are going

Made it to the Dismal Swamp (this is not only a welcome for us but a rest stop for traffic on Highway 17)

We were able to dock on the free wall (its only a 24 hour stay)

We got our bikes off and headed to the trails to ride. We made it 2 miles before we decided to turn around the trail is not really made for bike riding.

Hiding in the swamp was an old distillery

We went to the welcome center which had lots of taxidermy animals from the swamp area.
 

Black Bears are common to the region (we did not see any)

Pelts from the different animals in the Dismal Swamp

The Dismal Swamp History:

 Construction began in 1793 and was completed in 1805. The canal, as well as a railroad constructed through part of the swamp in 1830, enabled the harvest of timber. The canal deteriorated after the Albemarle and Chesapeake Canal was completed in 1858. In 1929, the United States Government bought the Dismal Swamp Canal and began to improve it. The canal remains the oldest operating artificial waterway in the country.

4/13/2024

Left the dismal swamp early in the morning to get through the lock and bridge opening. Heading down the canal was so narrow and quite. You need to cruise slowly as to avoid and possible fallen trees or shallow spots. It is also very narrow if you meet another boat.

We made it to the lock and the lock master tied your lines to poles as the water dropped

Not sure if you can tell from the pic that on the other side of the canal you can see the lower water level (Had never been able to see this thru the other locks)

 

After getting thru the lock we headed toward the Chesapeake Bay. First we had to get thru this bridge of two different styles. Fortunately there were already boats waiting for the requested opening.

Getting past here led us into the Chesapeake Bay. There were several naval boats and a boat that looked like a floating hotel to house the marines.

We were headed to Norfolk, Virginia. The chesapeake Bay had been calm when we 1st started but then got rough. There were 2 - 3 foot waves. We headed into Little Creek Marina. We cleaned up the boat and headed to a nearby restaurant for dinner. 

04/15/2024 to 04/22/2024

We left our boat at the marina and flew home for a week !!