Day 9 - Dismal Swamp South (20.5 nm, 9:08 hrs.)

Missed yesterday so catching up on 5/13.  Left Welcome Center at 7am and motored south to South Mills Locks - about 5 miles.  Area between the bridge and the lock was real nicewith homes right next to the canal and easy tie ups.  The dock master at South Mills was not as friendly as Robert at Deep Creek.  Anchored at Goat Island for a couple hours and showered.  Seemed like it woiuld take forever to get to Elizabeth City - one bend in the river after another.  Arrived in Elizabeth City around 5pm - expecting to tie up with Dan at the University.  He had just left a few minutes before I arrived on his new (to him) Albin 32. He ended up not returning till just after the sun set. I docked and walked into town.  Had a beer (Fat Tire)  at the bar of a local restaurant who was doing a wedding on the deck.  Later in the evening, met up with Dan who gave me a tour of his boat.  A real classic cruiser. 1971 with 5-90watt solar panels.  Emptied the trash, showered, did two loads of laundry, and filled the water tank.  Nice place to stay (free).  Has wifi.

Mid Atlantic Christain University Docks - a little short for "What I Do"

Day 8 - Dismal Swamp - North (17.3 nm, 5:35 hrs.)
Beautiful day!  Yesterday's high pressure blew great weather into the area.  Up at 5:30am.  Had deck scrubbed down by 7.  Left dock at 7:15am for Deep Creek Lock.  Anchored on North side of lock - waiting for opening. I was the only one "locking in".  Robert was the Lock Master - really nice guy.  Poured me a cup of fresh coffee and gave me advice on what to watch out for - in his and in South Lock.  Hit bottom (bumps) twice on the way to the Information Center at mile 28.  Got to Visitors Center at around 1pm.  Met super nice guy - Neal.  Owns an English 32' Fisher cat.  Met several others but don't recall their names.

Locked in at Deep Creek Lock

Highway 17 parallels the Dismal Swamp and has lots of areas for picnics etc.

Not a lot of room to pass!

Goodby Virgina

 Dismal Swamp Information Center - Free docks, bathrooms.  Great place for sharing sea stories with other cruisers.

Day 7 - Mobjack Bay to Norfolk (46.0 nm, 12:13 hrs)

Great Day.  What a difference 24 hours can make.  Last night didn't blow NW as they forecasted so got a decent nights sleep.  Up at 5am.  Inside the boat was like a sauna from yesterday and wet clothes. Sun was out at 7am.  Great.  Left at 7:30.  Had 15 to 30 NW all the way to Norfolk. Passed the Hampton Fort at noon.  What a ride - like being on a roller coaster for 4 hours straight.  I had been a little nervous going through the Norfolk - with all the current, nav marks, big ships, etc.  Never had time to worry about it as it was happening.  Could only focus on NOW.  Stopped at Tidewater marina for ice.  Got to the Gilmerton Bridge at 3:30pm and was told they were closed till 8pm for railroad construction.  Anchored off a scrap metal dump till I drug anchor 5 or 6 times.  Then headed back down river (back north) about a half mile to a better anchorage.  At the sight of 5 or 6 boats heading North, I called the bridge.  They said they opened early at the request of some big barge. So they opened for me and I got to the docks at the north end of the Dismal Swamp at 7:30pm. Great (free) floating dock. I was the only one there and had water.  Was a little noisy from I664 traffic but once my head hit the pillow, it didn't matter.

Left goes to ICW Eastern Cut.  Right goes to ICW Dismal Swamp

Docked at Chesapeake Yachts - North end of Dismal Swamp

Day 6 - Fleet Bay to Mobjack Bay (40.2 nm, 10:25 hrs)
Good news!  No (water) leaks.  Bad News.  Rained 75% of the day.  Wind S-10 - on the nose. Motored for 5 hours.  It's now 7:30pm and I'm at anchor on the Mobjack Bay East River.  Left Fleet Bay around 9am.  Nice wind, S - 10 - 15 till about 1pm. Poured from 2 to 5.  Starting to think Mother Nature doesn't like me.  No shower tonight - still raining at 8pm. Engine wouldn't start this morning.  Vented filter, pumped transfer pump lever a few times and it started right up.  Not sure what that was about.  Had some fuel leakage but seemed smaller.

Day 5 - Great Wicomico to Fleet Bay (63.3 nm, 13:37 hrs)
Another rough day.   Left at 10am after fiddling around and getting ice at a the Great Wicomico Marina - cool place.  Ice was $3 for 20 lb.  The guy comes down only when paged from the dock.  Very laid back. Tacked 11 times just getting out to the bay.  Wind in the river was 25 to 30 and on the nose (SE).  Considered going out and around Windmill Pt. to the Piankatank but decided not to due to the 5 ft. waves and  S, 15 to 25 winds.  Found fuel in the engine sump yesterday.  Appears to be coming from the fuel pump.  Tightened banjo fittings and screws on the pump.  Leaks about a half pint per hour.  Also found barrel nut in engine bilge - off what??   Stored solar panel below today - good move.  Outlet for Garmin broke again.  Moved Garmin below after an hour with no GPS - used charts.  Snap shackle on main sheet bent and came off with main luffing wildly for a period.  Had to repair it underway in 20 to 25 knots - a little bloody.  Entrance into Fleet Bay and Little Bay was a little confusing with all the fish traps. Anchoring in Antipoison Creek was appropriate for the day (N37 38.053 W76 21.148).  Was glad when this day was done. 

Beautiful homes at entrance to Antipoison Creek.

Fish trap at entrance to Fleet Bay

Day 4 - Solomons to Great Wicomico (23.7 nm, 6:19 hrs)
Raised anchor at 6:30am and dropped it at 8:30pm.  Long, rough day with SSE winds at 15 to 20 kts - right on the nose.  Never did reef but wished I had as it went from 10 to 12, then 14 to 16 and gusts to 20.  Big waves and lots of pounding.  Tacked 10 to 16 times.  Anchored in Barrett Creek on the Great Wicomico - N37 50.433 W76 20.803.

Hooper Light - on the Eastern side of the Bay below Solomons.  To me, Hooper Light marks the area where things, south of which, are somewhat sparce on the bay.

This is a photo I took in May, 2010 from Hoopers Island (showing the East side of the light).

Day 3 - Solomons Maryland (0 nm)
Up at 6:30am.  Climbed mast to straighten new windex tabs (later failed again).  Motored to Zanheizers at 10am for ice.  They let me stay at one of their moorings for nothings since they were not busy and I was to only be there for a couple hours.  Jody and Quinn had just arrived by car to take Mike home.  Mike and I dinghied in and met they in the museum.  Coming in from the water bypasses the fees. Museum dinghy docks were nice.  Went to lunch at the Ruddy Duck - about a mile north of the museum.  Then back to the museum where we all toured for about an hour. Took Quinn out to the boat in the dinghy.  They were having RC sailboat races off the museum docks - had to row around the outside of the course.  Left around 2pm and went back up mill creek to Spring Cove (N38 19.937 W76 26.644).  After about 1pm, it cleared up and turned out to be a nice sunny day. Unfortunately, the weather over the first couple days wasn't that great.