Days 36-37, October 15-16: Dismal Swamp to Elizabeth City, North Carolina
I must be acclimating to the slower pace of life on board because I was impressed that in barely one month of sailing we have entered North Carolina! What a different way of thinking when I would have expected to get to North Carolina in one very long day of driving. A month of sailing seems quite the right speed.
Here is a ‘do it yourself’ bridge that a local farmer installed in order to get his cattle from one side of the canal to the other. The guide book asks boaters to be patient with the farmer moving his livestock if the bridge should be closed when approaching it.
The further south we went along the Dismal Swamp, the more duck weed we saw! It looked like continents of duck weed!
Entering the second lock at South Mills, this time accompanied by quite a few more boats! Going down was even easier than going up.
We exited the canal into Posquotank River to arrive at Elizabeth City at noon on Tuesday. There is a well established tradition here of boats being welcomed to a free night of dockage and a wine and cheese party by local volunteers who continue the tradition of the well known “Rose Buddies” started by Fred Fearing and Joe Kramer in the mid-1980s. While both Joe and Fred have passed on, I was very fortunate to meet Fred’s good friend Gus, who personally welcomed me to Elizabeth City.
Every evening that there are boats on the dock these volunteers host a wine and cheese reception for the sailors. Here I am with Gus on the left (of the photo) and former mayor Carl on the right. Can you see my rose? Fred grew roses until his death in the mid-2000s, and every evening at the reception he would give a rose to each woman present! His rose bushes have now been transplanted to the harbor’s edge.
This is the dawn that greeted us this morning. If I didn’t know the weather is supposed to be stunning today, I’d sure never venture out with this warning of both red and mackerel sky!
Today we plan to visit the Albemarle Museum and the local fish market. Then off we go the rest of the way down the Posquotank River and across Albemarle Sound to the Alligator River. It all sounds quite exotic, doesn’t it?
