10/28/2009, Deep Creek Locks - ICW Mile 10 - Dismal Swamp Canal Route
Heading South Fall 09 V
Wednesday, October 28, 2009 - 8 AM Deep Creek Locks - ICW Mile 10 - Dismal Swamp Canal Route Water temperature 62 F
On Monday, I moved the boat to the free dockage at the High Street Ferry Landing at Portsmouth. I really didn't want to dock the boat by myself but Patti was flying in late that night and the thought of taking a dinghy ride in the rain at midnight was enough to make me try it. There was no wave action and not too much wind in the ferry landing and I managed to come alongside and get tied up without too much trouble. I did tap one of the pilings with our big Bruce anchor, the anchor rang like a bell and I think it took a little chunk out of the piling. The contact didn't hurt the anchor and no one will probably notice the small missing piece of the piling.
Patti's flight came in right on time and by midnight we were finally all back in our cozy little floating home. It was raining and it was so nice just to drive up to the ferry landing, park the rent car and step onto the boat.
Tuesday morning I made a last minute shopping run and then turned in the rent car. Enterprise took me back to the boat and we were ready to get underway. After going a short distance, we stopped at a a marina for fuel and water. With our tanks full, we headed south down the Elizabeth River. We only had one drawbridge to go under and it would open on request. But there were several railroad drawbridges to go under and they stay up except for when a train is coming. And you can't talk to the railroad bridges, they are remote controlled. One of the railroad bridges was closed when we got to it and we had to wait a half hour for it to open. By then there were seven boats waiting so we had a little convoy going thru the bridge and down the river. When we got to the Dismal Swamp Canal turnoff, we turned off. Except for one other sailboat, the rest of the convoy went straight. We caught the 3:30 Deep Creek Lock opening and were lifted up nine feet into the coffee brown waters of the Dismal Swamp Canal. We tied up for the night at a FREE dock in the stretch of water between the lock and bridge. The people running the Dismal Swamp Canal are so nice they almost thank you for using their facilities. There were three other boats already tied up there and we all dinghied to a Mexican Restaurant for dinner.
It's great to be back in the cruising community.
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Heading South Fall 09 IV
Friday, October 23, 2009 - 10 AM
Hospital Point, Norfolk/Portsmouth, VA - ICW Mile Zero
Water temperature 61 F
Yesterday was a "just enjoy shore leave" day. You can tie up your dingy in downtown Norfolk at Waterside Marina for $3.15 for the day - come and go as often as you like. A FREE bus stops one block away that makes a loop thru downtown. A very large indoor mall is three blocks away. I ate lunch in a deli, visited the Douglas MacArthur Memorial Museum and went for a bus ride. Then it was time to dinghy across the harbor to the FREE dinghy dock/ferry landing on the Portsmouth side. My first stop was at the Portsmouth Visitor Center where the very nice ladies there told me about their new FREE loop bus and told me where I could get a haircut. After a much needed shearing, I went to Biergarten to sample their wares. When I got back to the boat, Kalko gave me a "Just where have you been all day???" look. Shore leave was over.
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10/22/2009, Hospital Point, Norfolk/Portsmouth, VA - ICW Mile Zero
Heading South Fall 09 III
Thursday, October 22, 2009 - 10 AM Hospital Point, Norfolk/Portsmouth, VA - ICW Mile Zero Water temperature 61 F
I'm anchored back at one of our favorite stops, Hospital Point. I got in early yesterday arriving at 2:30 PM after a short 30 mile run and there was only two other boats already anchored there. By 6 PM there were 20 boats anchored at Hospital Point. The Fall Migration is definitely underway. At 8 AM this morning there was a flurry of boats pulling anchor and heading south. Now there are just a few boats sharing the anchorage but we'll be getting more company this evening.
As I came into Hampton Roads yesterday a Navy warship was coming in behind me. As she got closer, I could see she was all dressed up with flags and banners flying and her decks were lined with sailors in their dress uniforms. There was a tugboat off to the side with her water cannons blasting a salute into the air. It was quite an impressive sight. When the warship reached her dock, there were hundreds of family members waiting for her. I don't where she had been or how long she had been gone; but she received a joyous welcome.
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