Day 199 - May 9, 2013: Departing Portsmouth for Dozier's Regatta Point Yachting Center in Deltaville, VA

Leaving Portsmouth/Norfolk is a bit intimidating. There are Navy ships everywhere, some in for maintenance, some in mothballs, and some in recommissioning. We saw destroyers, tankers, surveillance ships, aircraft carriers, floating dry docks, and a hospital ship. If you get too close, beware, as a security boat will dart out and direct you to the other side of the channel.

Navy Hospital Ship

Surveillance and Communications

The USS Enterprise

This was the chart plotter display as we departed Norfolk and headed into the Chesapeake Bay. Each of the dark triangles represents a commercial or Navy ship. Great Laker is in the middle with the curved sides. The red line is our heading, the green line is the course over ground, and the blue line towards the stern is the direction of the tide. We really had to pay attention in these waters!

Chart plotter displaying Navy and Commercial Vessels

The Chesapeake Bay was calm and sunny, and we ran comfortably north passing the Wolf Trap Lighthouse. It was completed in 1894, replacing several smaller earlier structures that didn't survive. The small vertical shape on the right side is - yes, the outhouse. The weather was perfect for sitting on the bow and getting some sunshine.

Wolf Trap lighthouse

Privy is on the right

Anne enjoying the sunshine on the Chesapeake Bay

We continued on towards Dozier's Regatta Point near Deltaville. Many of the loopers are gathering here for the weekend. It turns out this marina is an AGLCA sponsor, and they are offering a wine and cheese party, special games and events, a potluck dinner, and a free third day on the docks if you pay for two. After docking, a margarita, and grilled salmon for dinner, we went out and enjoyed the quiet darkness of the marina and a most beautiful star-filled sky.

Day 198 - May 8, 2013: Back to Portsmouth, VA, from our Michigan Visit

We had a very successful trip back to Michigan over the last few days. The main purpose was to move Elizabeth into a house that she has rented with four other girls for her upcoming junior year at the Universtiy of Michigan. This required moving her out of an apartment, going back to Spring Lake for a few days of reassessing and shopping for an intern's wardrobe, and then going back to Ann Arbor and moving her into the house. We had rented a large minivan and driven it back in order to help with the moves, and it worked out well. The trip was 725 miles to Ann Arbor (a 12-hour day) and another 165 miles to Spring Lake (about 1830 miles overall)!

A side benefit was having a chance to check on our home, catch up on mail, and chat with neighbors and friends. Plus, I did much of the normal spring yard cleanup. This business of leaving our home for the better part of a year is challenging but is proving easier than we thought thanks largely to good neighbors.

We awoke here in Norfolk this morning, feeling fairly well rested. It was good to be back on Great Laker, and we are anxious to begin cruising again. The unpacking went smoothly, and after lunch we took the ferry over to Norfolk to see how the AGLCA Spring Rendezvous was going at the Sheraton Hotel. We ran into and visited with a number of other loopers we had met along the way.

We also visited the General Douglas MacArthur Memorial and Museum, which tells the story of his rise through the Army, his great success as a military leader during WW II and the Korean War, and his removal from command by President Truman. It is very well done, free of charge, and well worth seeing.

General Douglas MacArthur Memorial

Day 197 - April 28, 2013: Ferry to Norfolk, VA

Today we relaxed during the morning and then took the Elizabeth River Ferry over to Norfolk. It is a 10 minute ride with views of Portsmouth, Norfolk and the shipyards.

Norfolk skyline and the Elizabeth River Ferry

One of the leading attractions in Norfolk is the Nauticus, which is a maritime museum and the site of the Iowa Class Battleship Wisconsin. We spent most of the afternoon touring the ship, which was one of the largest and the last battleship ever built by the U.S. Navy, and seeing the museum.

Battleship Wisconsin

Nine massive 16-inch guns

The Wisconsin was commissioned in April, 1944, joining the 3rd Fleet late in WWII. It supported Pacific operations including Iwo Jima, Okinawa and the bombardment and occupation of Japan, before being decommissioned after the war in 1947. It was recommissioned in 1951 to support troops with bombardment in the Korean War, and then again decommissioned in 1957. With the advent of the Gulf War, it was once again called on to serve and was recommissioned in 1988 and participated in bombardment and missile strikes during Operation Desert Storm. In 1991, the Wisconsin was set in reserve, and in 2000 she was berthed at Nauticus with full ownership being transferred to the City of Norfolk in 2010.

Tomorrow we are driving back to Michigan for a nine day visit. We will be spending some time together in Spring Lake and then helping Elizabeth move into a new apartment for the summer in Ann Arbor. So, tonight Anne cleaned the boat interior, and we packed in preparation for tomorrow's travel.

We have cruised 197 days and traveled 4,171 miles to date and will look forward to continuing the Adventures of Great Laker soon!

Day 196 - April 27, 2013: The Portsmouth area

After a number of days cruising, we needed some time to catch up. I spent the morning washing the boat, which was heavily coated with salt, wind blown dirt and dead insects. In addition, I cleaned the in-hull speed sensor and removed the bow thruster for some maintenance. Anne was busy with laundry and reorganizing and getting rid of unnecessary travel books and brochures.

We are staying at the Ocean Marine Yacht Center, which is right in the heart of Portsmouth, and there are a number of boaters living on boats here or cruising through the area. The couple next to us is preparing the sailboat they purchased in Florida to cross the Atlantic and go back to their home in England. They have never done this before and were sitting in the cockpit today reading a book on how to cross an ocean. I admired their courage, but then remembered we started on a 6,500-mile cruise without having done that before as well.

Our marina in Portsmouth, with Great Laker visible in the back row next to the office building

Mid-afternoon, we took advantage of the sunshine to walk the Portsmouth Waterfront and Historic Home District. There is a Naval Shipyard Museum and a Lighthouse Museum and several blocks of shops and restaurants, all within easy walking distance. From the marina and the waterfront, we could see the shipyards supporting the Navy Station at Norfolk, VA, directly across the Elizabeth River. There are two patrol boats in the river monitoring boat traffic here at all times, and if boaters get too close to the ships, they get a stern warning to stay away.

Ships undergoing refitting and a patrol boat in the channel

For dinner, we ate German food (for the first time on this cruise) at The Bier Garden, one of the highly recommended restaurants in town. This is great if you like beer, as they have between 400 - 500 beers of all types on the menu! The beer, brats, cucumber salad and red cabbage were delicious.

Day 195 - April 26, 2013: The Dismal Swamp and Portsmouth, VA

They call it the Dismal Swamp, but today it was most pleasant. We awoke to dead calm winds and full sunshine, a perfect day for this much anticipated part of our cruise. We spent the entire day crossing the Dismal Swamp in this man-made canal, which runs from the Pasquotank River in Elizabeth City, NC, almost to Portsmouth, VA. The history of this area is rich and also somewhat tragic.

The Dismal Swamp covers the coastal plain in northeastern North Carolina and southeastern Virginia and is estimated to have at one time occupied over 1 million acres. In 1763, George Washington purchased 40,000 acres, formed the Dismal Swamp Company with the idea of draining it for settlement, and supervised the initial canal work. He later sold this land to the father of Robert E. Lee. In 1793, North Carolina and Virginia authorized completion of the canal, which was accomplished in 1810. With this efficient transportation highway, the focus turned to logging, and soon the entire swamp had been depleted of all desirable trees. The swamp also began to drain and shrink, drastically modifying the natural wilderness and animal habitats. In the 19th century with pressure from conservation groups, the government bought the canal and later formed a national wildlife refuge. Over time, Elizabeth City lost the rich trade the canal offered, and there have been two recent government attempts to close the canal.

The canal entrance wound around, narrowed, and then became straight as an arrow for 20 miles up to a visitors center. The guide books warned to keep a lookout for hidden tree stumps, submerged logs, and floating debris. We saw turtles, ducks, geese and herons, large butterflies and a myriad of birds.

Winding entrance to the canal

20 mile long straight section

Mama, papa, and baby turtle

Two geese taking flight

The tree roots and peat deposit large amounts of tannin in the water, which turns it the color of dark tea or a full-bodied Shiraz wine. We could see it in the water breaking on the bow, and it leaves stains on the fiberglass. After going through a lock designed to keep the water levels high in the swamp, we stopped at the Dismal Swamp Welcome Center, which is part of a state park. There were hiking trails, bike lanes, and a museum devoted to the area.

Tannin in the water breaking off the bow

Great Laker on the Welcome Center dock

The canal continued for another 20 miles through a second lock, and it became so narrow in places, you could barely negotiate a pass of another boat. It will be quite a shock to emerge from this serene canal and soon find ourselves in the busy shipping port of Portsmouth, VA!

Extremely narrow sections of the canal

This was one of our favorite days on this trip, and we arrived treasuring the experience.

Day 194 - April 25, 2013: Touring Elizabeth City

This morning Anne did extensive trip planning, and I spent some time catching up on overdue maintenance items. The bow thruster has been giving us some trouble and the davits that attach the dinghy to the swim platform needed tightening. I did some diagnostics (thanks to the internet), ordered a part for the bow thruster, and plan to work on it again in Norfolk. The davits were a matter of wrenches and patience. Overall, I would rather do this than mow the grass...

Elizabeth City, incorporated in 1793, was initially known as a trading site and a shipping port, as it was located on the Pasquotank River with access to the Atlantic. When the Dismal Swamp Canal was improved in the early 19th century, Elizabeth City had a direct link north to Norfolk, and ship building and commercial trade flourished. Today, the largest Coast Guard Air Station on the East Coast is located here.

After lunch, we headed out for the Museum of the Albemarle, which is in a very spacious and modern building in the heart of town. The many displays and artifacts depict the story of the region's fisherman, farmers, lifesavers, and soldiers. We walked the town and enjoyed the exercise as we had been weathered in for several days. 

Museum of the Albemarle

18th century skiff used for Shad fishing

We ate a wonderful dinner at Cypress Creek Grill, where Anne had Red Snapper and I had a Texas Style Smoke Beef Brisket. As we walked back to Great Laker, a full moon was rising over the river.

Full moon rising over the Pasquotank River

Day 193 - April 24, 2013: A Long Day to Elizabeth City

Today proved to be our greatest mileage day yet on the loop. We didn't plan it that way; it just unfolded as we went. This area of the ICW is known for two broad water crossings that can be as treacherous as any waters on the Great Loop, so we needed to be careful.

It was early, and the wind was still low and on the stern as we crossed the Pamlico River. This made this first crossing go smoothly. Next, we traversed the Pungo River past Belhaven to the Pungo River - Alligator River Canal. This canal is a man-made ditch, 20 miles long, with only one small bend full of stumps and fallen trees. Winds were not a problem here, and we found it to be a desolate area with much wildlife.

Pungo River - Alligator River Canal 

Deer drinking along the shore

Our plan was to anchor in the Alligator River just short of the second crossing called Albemarle Sound. As we approached the anchorage, the winds were still on our stern, but rapidly building with gusts to 30 mph, and they were forecast to be as high tomorrow but on the nose. Although we had already traveled 70 miles in 7 hours, I decided today was the more favorable crossing and pushed on. It proved to be a good decision despite the high waves. Our final destination became Elizabeth City, and we arrived at dusk, having traveled 103 miles and 12 hours! We went to the free city docks and got some well-deserved rest.

High winds and waves on the stern while crossing the Albemarle Sound.