Rougher Than a Corn Cob Off-shore

Dolphins travelled with us most of the time while off-shore.

We took advantage of a short weather window that allowed us to head off-shore from Beaufort Inlet, NC and come back into the ICW 70 miles south at Masonboro inlet. We sailed 20 miles off shore, saw one other boat and were accompanied by dolphins and rain most of the trip.  Winds peaked around 20 knots, seas two to four foot.  We sailed at a top speed around 7 knots.  The wind was not bad although it was a little confused.  Fishermen we heard on the radio during the day described the seas as "rougher than a corn cob". It was a relief to see the sea bouy marking the entry to Masonboro Inlet after 15 hours and feeling cold and wet.  All in all, it was worth it.  We did some off-shore sailing, adding to our experience.

Happy Thanksgiving from the ICW!

When we were sorting and packing stuff before shipping our belongings back to Australia, we re-visited some of the priceless works of art created by our boys when we first arrived in the States.  Thanksgiving is indeed all about the turkey..... and about being thankful but 

most of all, about family.  We miss you both!

You can see our Thanksgiving meal on our B.Y.O.G. Food & Wine blog - click on the link at right under "Other Bristol Rose Blogs".

Daisie has to get in on the action from her perch as Robert charts our course for the next few days.

Shannons Are Built for This and More

The minimum height for fixed bridges over the ICW is 65ft. However, like most things in life there is always an exception to the rule. The Wilkerson Creek Bridge crosses the Aligator-Pungo canal just south of the Alligator River, NC, with a vertical clearance of 64 feet! Bristol Rose's vertical clearance is 63 feet. It felt too close for comfort but we managed to make it without any problems except for a few more grey hairs. Good thing the tide was low. It's also a good thing Shannon 43s are built for this; cruising down the Intracoastal Waterway to the shallow waters of the Bahamas.  They are also built for a cruising couple to circumnavigate! Walt Schulz thought of everything!

Crossing The Albemarle Sound

Boats appear to float on the glassy waters of the Albemarle Sound as the 

Alligator River Swing Bridge opens to allow them to pass to the south.

Following a delightful trip through the Great Dismal Swamp we were looking forward to stopping and exploring the township of Elizabeth City. We docked at the free dock with the help of Calvin, a Canadian/Jamaican, sailing his Alberg 30 Voyager from Nova Scotia. No sooner had we docked Bristol Rose, Calvin mentioned that tomorrow will be a great weather day to cross the Albemarle Sound. We decided to go for it and departed around 4am. So much for exploring Elizabeth City. As they say, time and tide wait for no man, woman or dog!

Albemarle Sound is the largest freshwater sound in the U.S. It's also reputed to have the roughest inland waters with the potential to quickly turn nasty. So it's worth taking advantage of a favorable weather window. We had a very pleasant crossing with the water positively glassy. Trish's picture of the boats coming behind us through the Alligator River Swing Bridge will give you a sense of just how unpredictable the Albemarle can be! Ha! Not on this occasion.

Voyager at anchor Pungo Creek early morning after crossing the Albemarle Sound.

Miss Daisie - Boat Dog

Daisie enjoys just being with her family. As a puppy she loved running in the snow but she seems to be feeling the cold. Not surprising given the temps are close to freezing during the day and in the 20’s overnight. Everyone we meet is complaining about the unusually cold weather for this time in the Fall - snow for heaven’s sake! Our Espar heater is keeping us cosy below deck. When Miss Daisie’s warm jacket appears for her to go outside, she tries to hide. She gets to dress up anyway, and we throw a cover over her if she’s resting out in the cockpit.

Before we could tie up at the North Carolina Welcome Center on the Great Dismal Swamp she had jumped off the boat to say hello to some of the locals. We can tell she is missing Owen and Elliot and hugs and kisses from Miss Alyss.

Traveling with a pooch can be a challenge, not so much for us but for her. Daisie is sweet tempered and easy to have on the boat with us. She has some basic needs, like regular trips ashore. She loves the dinghy rides when we are anchored out. She barks encouragement at the outboard and you’d swear she thinks the dinghy is hers exclusively.

Frost covers the dinghy.

The greatest challenge is getting Daisie to “go potty” on command when we are underway and can’t get to shore at her usual times. Daisie’s training; so far, ongoing! We are using the pungent canine training drops that when dropped in the appropriate place, should prompt a response in dogs to “go potty”. She’s holding on like a trooper not wanting to mess on the boat. Time for the Daisie dinghy dash to give her some relief poor pooch.

The Great Dismal Swamp Aboard a Shannon 43

At the end of the Great Dismal Swamp, Virginia - entering Elizabeth City, North Carolina.  It's quiet except for the sound of our engine and utterly beautiful. We savour every sight and moment in the Swamp, knowing we will probably never pass this way again. Trish, tending the lines in the South Mills Lock and doing a good impersonation of the Michelin Woman, all rugged up. It's cold out here!

River Tapestry - this one is for you, Dawn, a little quilting inspiration?

Walt Schulz designed the Shannon 43s with the ICW in mind.  Not only is the draft shallow enough to navigate the Great Dismal Swamp, the mast is just under the height of the many bridges that cross the 3000 mile (4,800km) waterway from Boston around the southern tip of Florida to Brownsville, Texas.

Five Foot Draft Pays Off Motoring Down the Intracoastal Waterway ICW

The Day of the Triffids, Norfolk, VA.

Anchored overnight at ICW Mile marker 0 in Norfolk, Virginia. We left Friday am between snow flurries and with wind threatening to blow us over crab pot buoys as we raised the anchor. We had memories of anchoring one dark night off Deal Island on the Chesapeake only to awake and find ourselves in a sea of crab pots. Robert had the joy of an early morning swim that time, hoping no crab men were watching as he cut the offending line from our prop. Fortunately we were positioned outside swinging distance of the pots in the anchorage this morning.

After the late start from Norfolk, we arrived after 3:30pm, Friday and had to tie up and wait for the 8:30am opening at Deep Creek Lock, Mile 10.5. We were the only boat in sight. Daisie enjoyed dinghying ashore for a run in the park at the lock. We motored all day Saturday through the Great Dismal Swamp. We're glad we took this route at the last minute. We'd planned to take the Virginia Cut route down the Virginia-North Carolina part of the IntraCoastal Waterway until a call to the North Carolina Welcome Center confirmed there was plenty of water in the canal for our 5ft draft. Times like this a fairly shallow draft (4'9" with a retractable centerboard lifted) really pays off in being able to get to places most 40-50ft boats can't go.  Clever Shannon Yachts!

Sailing into port Norfolk, Virginia

Norfolk is a busy port with war ships and commercial shipping at every turn.  The sights to be seen along the waterways, heavy with industrial and naval history, hold their own unique beauty.