After the flight from Hell,we crashed on the boat at Lamb's Marina, then went back to Elizabeth City in the AM for supplies.
There is a grocery store there that will pick you up, and take you back to the marina, unfortunately their is not a lot of groceries there to choose from. Lucky for us, Phil and Rose, (look a bit like Jack Nicholson?) offered us a ride to wall mart and we stocked up real good.
6/14/07
Up for the 7:30 am bridge opening, and we are heading into the Dismal Swamp. It's called that because years ago the bugs were so bad it was "Dismal". It's also very long and very straight.
The water is very brown from all the Tannic Acid from the plants
There were very few houses on the waterway, and some were right on the edge of the canal.
We pulled up to the South Mills lock to wait for the next opening,
Tied up to the Dolphins, ...
Which put the starboard side, right at the trees. This is a picture from the bridge.
Besides being dismal, it's also slow speed and very narrow
This metal guy was across the shore from several houses, and full of bullet holes.
Looking back to the dam, after the bridge
The original Superintendent's house, in need of repair.
There's lot's of logs in the Dismal, and unfortunately, we found two, but luckily, one hit the hull, and the other one that the prop got, and we have no vibration from that hit. Thanks God!
We stopped at the Welcome Center, that has free docks, water,and info.
This is the Floating people bridge that they swing across the canal for pedestrians.
This trip we did no stop here, but next trip I would. The free dock next to the damn, next to shopping etc
It was VERY cold, in the 50s! Note the rain gear and long pants.
The sign said we were 1139 miles from home,, wow!
It was in the 50's, and when we arrived at our free dock at Chesapeake Boat Works, the water was steaming, I guess from the factories effluent up stream.
This facility offers free docks, with water and trash!
This old world war 2 wooden PT boat was on the shore there.
6/15/07
We waited at the docks till 8:15 to depart, as the Norfolk bridges are locked down till then.
Lots of commercial traffic
How did this guy see to drive?
Norfolk is a gigantic ship port, for the Navy, this ship is covered because it is being painted.
The old light ship , Portsmouth, now high and dry on display
Later that day, saw another one of these statues, which seem to be everywhere.
Saw several of the large tows on the bay
Ya think the fishing might be good around the light house?
about 4 pm we pulled into Urbanna, a bit off the beaten path, but worth it.
Here's some pics of the town
Typical Urbanna house..
The token Urbanna ice cream parlor....
This is the hill you have to walk up from the bay to get to town, I hadn't walked up a hill in about 25 years,,,,,,,,,,, huff and puff.
Took a dingy ride up the river, it was very different.
The lady slept on the hook that evening.
Osprey and her two new born's.
6/16/07
Got an early start , as we had to cross to bay to Tangiers Island, several hours west. Tangiers was like a step back in time, no cars, old crabing village.
Lucky for us it is NOT crabbing season, so we don't have to dodge the millions of crab pots usually here.
Most the homes were really small, and old, but nice.
Couldn't help but wonder where they get their water from?
The channel was lined with crabing boat, shacks,and pots stacked on the docks.
A look down main street..
I think this was a joke, no cars and all, just golf carts.
And there waited the lady, at the end of the street off crabers row.
If you burried Grandma in the front yard, and put a fence around her, and a stone, you just might be a redneck!
After a few hours on Tangiers Island, we decided to head up to Smith island for the nite. Smith Island is another small crabbing community.
The horse flys were so BAD, we could not take many pictures,and literally had to go from the boat , to the office, to the resturant. It was terrible!! No anchoring out with all these flys, got a slip at Smith Marina.
It was Sunday ,and most everything was closed, and the restaurant was having a Fathers Day dinner special, so we tried it. I should have know there would be problems when the waitress brought out the smallest glass of Ice Tea on the planet.
We had the Roast Beef, and the prime rib, the two specials, and in a word, NEVER EAT AT THIS RESTURANT! nuff said.
Our home that nite was behind the overpriced bad food restaurant
6/18/07
Today we are heading towards Solomons Island.
This small tall ship was anchored at the entrance
And this very strange aircraft flew over us
The fuel was cheap, and so was the dockage,so we filled er up, and got a floating dock @ Calverts
Calvert's has it all, reasonable rate, all the amenities, including this Mercedes Diesel loaner car. So far, this is the best loaner car yet, beating out Gloria Vanderbilt Limo Loaner car at Lake OkeeChobee
I've never seen so many boats in one location!
This is the original Drum Point lighthouse on display at the Maritime Museum, built in 1899
6/19/07
A mere 5 hours , give or take , and we were in Annapolis, sailing capital of the World. Oh yeah, it was rougher than a cob with a 30 knot tail wind pushing us all over the place, and the Chesapeake is not kindly with weather. We had to fight the helm all the way here.
Decided to stay here two days, so we got a city mooring ball, $25 a day, right down town.
Walking around the city of Annapolis, is like touring a movie set, unbelievable old buildings. Lot's of history here.
This B and B was establish in 1776
Toured the Marina in the dingy...
Pirate Tour Boat
United States Naval Academy Training Tall Ship, at the Academy dock
This restored boat had this frog on the aft deck, doing ??
Sorta speaks for itself
Every Wednesday,around 6 ish, they have sailboat races that start in the sound, and end in town. In the Dingy, we went out to where is the starters boat with the starting gun was.
There were probably well over a hundred boats, this is just one class starting.
Since I promised the first mate dinner, we went back to the boat where I prepared a delicious Beanie Weinee meal, and we sat on the bridge to watch the sailboats finish the race. Nut'n but the best for my crew.
Oh, yeah, I forgot to mention, the fishing line for the sailboats was at the bridge south of us and the mooring field, and ALL the sailboats had to sail (race)thru all the boats in the mooring field to get there. exciting.
This is how close the racing sailboats came to the bow...
And the stern, that's our dingy tied to the stern of the boat they are just missing!
6/21/07
Today is back on the Chesapeake and up to Chesapeake City on the C and D cannal.
Hard to get used to all the ships out here.
This is the Great Loop Burgee on the bow, not Flapping in the 15 knot winds. It does that alot, not flap that is.
The shore line is getting much higher. What a diference from Florida.
As we left the Chesapeake and ented the C and D cannal, the waterway narrowed and our speed increased 3 mph due to currents
Chesapeake City provide free dockage and an anchorage for cruisers. As the lady at city hall said, "we don't charge you dockage , so you can spend your $$ in town" Key Largo could learn a lesson from these folks.
