Virginia, here we come . . . .

On Monday, April 25th following a smooth ride across the Abermale Sound, we continued north passing Elizabeth City, NC, a friendly port voted one of the top 100 best places to live on the East Coast. 

About 2 miles up the Pasquotank River from Elizabeth City, we arrived at our next destination, Lamb's Marina.  

We had a few days to kill before our planned arrival at the AGLCA Spring Rendezvouz in Norfolk, so we decide to stay here & hang out with fellow Loopers, Ann & Mel.  We originally met them in the Keys back in February & have "bumped" into them several times along the way.  They are such great people & fun is always had by all with them!  While there, they presented us with The Giving Plate, which is a beautiful plate that "shall have no owner, for it's journey never ends, as it travels in a circle of family & friends..."  We will then pass this plate on to another Looper to continue the tradition.

The following day, the four of us jumped into the courtesy car to go explore Elizabeth City.   After bumping into several other Loopers, we all toured the Abermale Maritime Museum.  We then attended a wine & cheese outdoor reception the locals hold for visiting cruisers, of which there were about six boats at the free city docks.

While at Lamb's Marina, we found plenty of good walking trials, like this "Senior Trail" near the town's community center.

After a fun stop at Lamb's, we set out to navigate the Dismal Swamp Canal, which is an alternative route between Norfolk & the Pasquotank River.  We had heard so much about this beautiful passage & we were so excited to start the journey.

The construction of the canal, which was conceived by George Washington, began in 1793 & was completed in 1805.  It is 22 miles long, is very narrow & shallow & has two locks.  We ended up traveling in a caravan of nine other boats, which made passing through the locks quite interesting (& crowded!)

There is a Welcome Center about half way, which is the only place you can stay for the night & typically requires "rafting off" with other boats.  It's no surprise this rafting turns into a party, as you can see here.

Some sections of the canal ran only a few feet from the adjacent roadway, but we never saw a car.

We did see "road signs" that welcomed us to Virginia.

The next day we arrived in a totally different world . . . . Norfolk, VA.  It was such a shocking & extreme change in scenery, from desolate to populated with bridges

& massive boat reconstruction.

And our home for the next week . . . . The Waterside Marina in Norfolk, where we would attend the AGLCA Spring Rendezvouz with 260 past, present & future Loopers!

Wrightsville Beach on up . . . .

Leaving Southport, we headed up the Cape Fear River with a rising tide to hopefully help offset the strong current.  No such luck, as the Cape Fear River is just a beast, which made the short 16 mile run up the river seem like an eternity.   Once we turned off the river near Carolina Beach, it was back to smooth sailing.  We passed a barge that was used to dredge an inlet to the ICW to keep the channel depths passable.

On the way to Wrightsville Beach, the 3rd boat in our "convoy" was hailed by the Coast Guard for a random safety check.  Upon arrival at the Dockside Marina, Captain Steve & Admiral Kevin, the crew of Lone Star, passed with flying colors.

We were scheduled to stay a week in Wrightsville Beach so that Josh (an awesome diesel mechanic that we met 4 years ago when we had the boat on the hard in Hampstead) could take care of a few engine "issues".

While Dave was tied up with Josh, I drove over to Anderson, SC to visit Stephen & Kendall.  While there, I got to surprise my Mom & Dad to celebrate their 60th wedding anniversary.   They stopped at Stephen's on their way home from Sarasota.  It was so great to see everyone & to celebrate such a wonderful occasion (60 years!!!)

Stephen & Kendall live on Hartwell Lake, which is absolutely beautiful.

Back in Wrightsville Beach, we had a great time relaxing, eating at waterfront restaurants & walking the beach.

On Tuesday, April 19th we took off at sunrise with Capt Dave smiling about how well the engines were running.  We made the 7am bridge opening & were on our way.

The sunrise was beautiful.

Along the way we passed some interesting homes, like this PINK house,

. . . and this house with a huge swan lawn ornament.

Along this section of the ICW, there are a few old swing bridges remaining, like this one at Figure Eight Island.  One of my duties is to hail the bridge tender on the VHF radio to request a bridge opening.  It's really cool to watch these old bridges operate.

After a week of the hustle & bustle of a marina, we were ready for a night "on the hook" (which means we drop the anchor, typically in a remote location).  We anchored in Mile Hammock Bay, which was very close to Camp Lejeune.  Several times during the evening we were startled by what sounded like cannon fire.  And in the middle of the night, it sounded like we were in the middle of a gun battle.  Apparently we were in the middle of training maneuvers.

It was on to Beaufort, NC the next day.  Another incredible sunrise . . . . 

and a easy 45 mile run & we were docked at the City Marina.

In Beaufort, it was another day of exploring . . . . the historic downtown shops, the old cemetery, waterfront restaurants & the local Maritime Museum.

After a full day & a beautiful sunset from our back deck, we turned in for the night.

Along the way the following day, we saw quite a variety of boats.  This 1930's boat was actually docked in Beaufort with us.

And this shrimp boat was odd to see on the ICW.

One of the challenging bodies of water to cross in the Carolinas is the Pamlico Sound.  If the winds & waves are strong, it can be a "sporty" ride.  As you can see here, we had a perfect weather day, which resulted in smooth waters & a very pleasant cruise.

We anchored in Campbell Creek for the night & enjoyed a beautiful moon rise.

On Friday, April 22nd we took off for Belhaven, NC.  My research showed Belhaven as a quaint & friendly southern old water town.  We arrived to find just that.  The marina had courtesy golf carts that we could use to go downtown & to the grocery store.  Actually the town passed a law that golf carts could go on any roads that had a 35 mph or less speed limit.  So off we went!

Every year many coastal towns celebrate the "burning of the socks" ceremony, which signifies the end of the cold weather & the need to wear socks.  Belhaven was one of those towns, so we joined in the festivities & hung an old pair of socks on the line. . . 

. . . & then dropped them into the official "sock burner"!

In Belhaven, we met up with fellow Loopers, seen here giving a "thumbs up" for the festivities.  We have met so many great people & it is such fun bumping into Loopers all along the way.  

The weekend activities also include the Blessing of the Vessels, which we were thrilled to have done (nothing better than having God on your side in this adventure!)  After another fantastic stop, off we went leaving Belhaven in our wake.

The other "challenging" body of water to cross in NC is the Abermale Sound.  We traveled to an anchorage to wait for a good weather day to cross.  We anchored with 3 other boats at Durant Island & were able to cross the following day.

At another beautiful sunrise, we left the anchorage & headed to the  smooth waters for a great crossing of the Abermale Sound.