Stevedore

Five thousand, two hundred fifty eight and one quarter nautical miles.  One thousand, six hundred sixty seven gallons of diesel fuel.  Three point one five, miles per gallon.  Total fuel cost, four thousand, two hundred sixty six dollars and twenty eight cents.  Total engine hours seven hundred eighty.  Cost per mile eighty one cents.

The above information is for boaters following the blog who want to know what it takes to do the Great American Loop.  For everyone, it is the “trip of a lifetime.”  It’s a goal that was made, a date that was set and the drive to make it happen.  It was one unfolding adventure after another.  It was challenging, sometimes tense but mostly it was one glorious feast for the eyes.   We met the heart of America, people who go the extra mile to help others and fill the void of loved ones left behind, people who know the nourishing power of water and love our beautiful country. 

Now we clean, pack, survey what needs updating and/or repaired and prepare to return to our land home.   We can’t bear to leave Stevedore, our home for nearly eleven months.  But, we’ll be back in the fall to take her out again and find new adventures. 

This blog started out as a means to stay in touch with my family and closest friend and it has turned into so much more.  We’ve met new friends, drawn closer to distant relatives and I’ve had fun chronicling our adventure.  We feel blessed to have made this journey and hope that we have inspired others to do the same.

Elizabeth City Bridge Opening

“Elizabeth City Bridge Tender, Elizabeth City Bridge Tender, this is the motor vessel Stevedore, over”.  “This is Elizabeth City Bridge skipper.”  “This is northbound vessel Stevedore requesting an opening over.”  “Bring her down a little closer skipper and I’ll open her on up for you.” 

We passed under the bridge at 0756 heading northbound toward the South Mills  lock.  The sun is shining, the waterway looks like dad had his iron out earlier, and cousin Scottie is at the wheel.  Couldn’t be much more beautiful.  I forgot how lovely the Pasquatank is – a lot like the Waccamaw, starts out wide then narrows and winds its way toward the 22 mile long Dismal Swamp Canal.   The swamp was great with trees showcasing spring buds, and kayakers and swimmers along the way.  After the quiet trip down the swamp we were greeted at the Deep Creek Lock by the conch-playing lock tender.  He remembered us from previous years and we remember him as one of the nicest, most accommodating lock/bridge tenders in the country.  I gave his dog some treats which he quickly buried!  We put Scottie to the test handling the bow line in today’s locks and he took it pretty well. 

Soon we were on our way entering the Elizabeth River wherethe excitement began.  Scrap metal yards, huge cranes, coast quard vessels and yes US Naval ships were everywhere.  It’s always exciting on this river and today was no exception.  We didn’t have to wait for too many bridges though, as one was decommissioned and the railroad bridges were all open – what a nice ride!  We pulled into the river taxi landing for the night and were greeted by the US Sequoia the old presidential yatch – what a beauty.  Check the gallery to see her picture.  We stayed here to be closer to St Paul’s church in the morning.  We’re only a little more than a mile away from our destination and where Stevedore will spend her summer.  Tomorrow we’ll complete our journey then prepare to leave Stevedore.

We pulled out of Alligator River Marina at 1310.  Cloudy, winds up to 20, supposedly dying down.  We were already rockin’ when we hit the Alligator river and when the river met the Albemarle the seas were roiling and we were too.  We saw some five and six footers today that lifted us up, rolled the wine bottles in the fridge, tossed our captains chair on the floor and sent rain seeping in under the port side pilot door.  Sophie was drooling and Max crawled into her crate with her!  Scottie was at the helm as the two waterways met and we were impressed with  handling skills.  As soon as we headed north the winds were on our bow so there was no relaxin’.  When the winds did start to die down the crab pots came up and they were everywhere.  I was at the helm with Stephen on the starboard and Scottie on the port- watch helping me find the crab pots.  There were hundreds-Scottie says thousands strung in random patterns- in the Sound and as we headed into the Pasquotank river.  As the water settled so did we and we enjoyed the captivating surroundings of the evergreen-lined river  leading into Elizabeth City.  We passed a blimp factory built in World War II.  The factory still builds dirigibles and there were three on the shore as we passed by.  We entered a slip, stern in (Stephen did a great job), and two men from a Nordic Tug 42 reached for our stern lines.  How nice does it get.  Scottie was a real help and we love having him aboard.  Travelled 31.7 nautical miles today.  Tomorrow the Dismal Swamp!

Betty and Scottie Huneycutt having too much fun!

We departed Belhaven Waterway Marina at 0700.  The Pungo river crossing was comfortable and the Alligator-Pungo cut was easy so we put our new crew member to the test behind the wheel.  He did fine until we got out into the Alligator river and the waves hit a constant one to two feet with occasional three footers.  This was right after lunch and for some reason the captain and our new crew member decided this was when they should nap.  So, the galley wench who fixed the meals, including having a goulash and a triple batch of key lime pies underway by 0900, took the wheel all the way to Alligator River Marina.  That’s right, big rolling waves most of the way to the marina with a bridge opening and a blast from a wave that sounded like a giant log that hit us at our beam and I was at the wheel.  Stephen did back the boat into a slip with a very short pier.   Scottie called all his friends to let them know he made it safely into the marina his first day out!

We’re having Ariel and Surprise crew members over for dinner as it’s our last day crusing together.  They don’t know about their surprise pie!

Note To Boaters:  Belhaven Waterway Marina is a must stop.  It’s small and charming with a gazebo for cocktails, landscaped grounds, flip-up dock-boards to run power lines underneath and the cutest bathrooms you’ll ever see.  There is also a good down home cookin’ restaurant two blocks away called Fish Hooks.  Eat before Eight!

Amber Water Meets Pollen on the Pungo

The Neuse river can be naughty.  We’ve seen it worse but it did cause us to turn our stabilizers on and give Sophie a relaxation pill.  The last time we were in the Neuse and Pamlico Sound we had two-four foot waves pounding our bow so today when we heard there would be 15-20 knots of wind we prepared.  The sun was shining and I have to admit I wish it would rain as the pollen is terrible.  I can’t keep up with it on the boat and all of us are sniffing and scratching.

We made it into Hobucken Cut without incident on the Neuse or Pamlico Sound.  We left the narrow cut and entered Pungo river with its Amber colored waves famous for leaving amber colored “mustaches” on the bow of boats.  We tied up in Belhaven at 1300.  It’s hot out so we won’t get much work done today.  We look forward to Scottie Honeycutt’s arrival at 1500.  Traveled 43 nautical miles today.

One high note of the day, we passed our friends on Miss Julia again and they spent the night at the same marina in Swansboro.  Swansboro is a charming historic village along the waterway with several nice shops.  In the evening the Millers stopped by, Harry David, was Stephen’s next door neighbor while growing up in Albemarle.  They have a beach house five minutes from Swansboro.  It was nice to visit and catch up with their  family.  We’re picking up a cousin in a couple of days to help us keep our spirits up as we head into Portsmouth, the end of our journey and where we departed with Mom and Dad.

One of the things we didn’t do while planning this trip was plan for what comes after the journey.  I’m hoping for the “Northeast Loop” in 2011 but I have to work on the Captain…

Coming into SeaPath Marina, Wrightsville

Cape Fear Inlet is a dramatic contrast from the Waccamaw.  Cape Fear is wide, mighty and proud.  There are rock formations just north of it’s ocean channel called Frying Pan Shoals that go thirty miles off-shore keeping any sailor humble when sailing around it’s entry.  We came up the ICW along Oak Island, Southport and then, into the Cape.  It was glorious.  Lots of weekend boats, ferries and a freighter.   We had current in our favor giving us a little push as we made our way across the wide expanse of the cape into Snows cut where we reached over 10.2 knots with the tide’s push!  Most of the day the current helped us along the skinny waters of the NC ICW.  There were several dredges along the way giving us confidence for next year.  We pulled into Wrightsville at 1500 a bitter sweet visit as I missed my brother and his family who have a home here.  Hopefully they’ll be here when we next pass by.  Three loads of laundry later we shared another Key Lime pie with our travel buddies.

We tied up at “Dock Holiday’s” in North Myrtle Beach last night in order to be able to walk to Mass.  Going to church has often been an adventure in itself.  Our Lady Star of the Sea was about six blocks from the marina so we knew we could walk to Easter Mass.  We walked however, across unkept lawns, parking lots and along highway 17 to get there!  There were no sidewalks and plenty of wet gullies along our way.  We’ve tried cabs before only for them to arrive late or charge a ridiculous fare so we always try to use our feet first.   You can bet we got a ride back after the vigil mass!

This morning we’ve left North Myrtle Beach, crossed the Little River and it’s inlet and are now waiting for an opening at North Carolina’s Pontoon Bridge.  Soon they will have a high-rise bridge but for now we wait for an opening.  Tonight we’ll make Wrightsville, NC.

Happy Easter dear readers.

Waccamaw

She starts out wide and mighty near Georgetown with her shoreline draped by Spanish moss-laden trees.  Then, she slowly narrows into one of the most beautiful waterways in the country, The Waccamaw River.  As she starts to narrow, her trees begin to thicken and lose some of their moss drapery.   They frame the river while holding back the marsh land and proclaim that we are heading north.   Their fresh greenery announces Spring and lure you into her narrowing heart.  Soon you’re anxious  for the visual feast that’s around the next curve of her graceful shoreline but you don’t speed up – you just go slow and let her draw you into her beauty.  The more she narrows, the more you love her with her veiled ceiling providing shelter.  Her curves are abundant and so are her anchorages – enjoy her beauty.