Impulse Cruising Again

This morning was chilly – 54 degrees in the boat, 46 outside. We left the dock at 7:20 am and made the South Mills bridge opening at 8:30 am. A half-mile later we entered the lock and looped ropes around bollards and the water level dropped eight feet! We “locked through” and noted a change in the scenery on the other side. We were in a river (the Pasquotank) rather than a canal, and the shoreline is much more natural. Cypress knees and rotting pilings from the old canal bulkheads were visible. The water looks like coffee due to the tannic acid produced when cypress and juniper trees decay. The Peace River in Florida also has brown water just like this! The flora changed a bit – I guess it is a different microclimate? With the storm enclosure buttoned up we were warmer – kind of like in a greenhouse since it is a sunny day. We called for the Elizabeth City bridge, which opened without a hitch even though the wind gusts were near 40 knots. Two men helped us back into a slip in Elizabeth City, which has a nice waterfront park with fourteen free slips. The wind continued to blow, but we were snug against the bulkhead. We got the folding bikes out but that didn’t go so well. Each bike’s front tire was flat, we have no pump, and the tires appear to have dry rot. We attempted to inflate them after riding to a gas station, but that didn't do much. I guess we need to find a bike shop somewhere along the way. Poor planning on our part… So, we spent some time plotting out the next few days, then had wine and walked the dock looking at boats, then went to dinner at Grouper’s nearby. Early night again – it gets real chilly when the sun goes down, (Photo shows our bubble trail in the Dismal Swamp)