We flew back into Baltimore from Minneapolis on November 5th intending to stay on the boat. Gaviidae had been put back in the water earlier that day by the Herrington Harbor marina crew. It was time to get serious about heading south to the Intracoastal Waterway or ICW as it is generally called.
Our sailing buddies, Howard and Kerri-Ann (H&K) had also left their Gozzard (also named Gaviidae) at Harrington and went home to Toronto. H&K had driven their car back from Ontario and picked us up at the airport. Realizing that neither boat was ready to be occupied–no food onboard for starters, we took rooms at a suites hotel so we could get some provisions before returning to our respective Gaviidaes.
ICW Prep
We had a long list of chores to accomplish before we could continue our journey south to the IntraCoastal Waterway, 150+ nautical miles (NM) south . The first priority was to put the interior of the boat back together. It was filled with sails, cockpit cushions, and the cockpit enclosure.
Getting the sails out of the way and re-installed was the highest priority as they were occupying a huge amount of space – space we needed to sleep! In our haste, the main sail got loaded onto the mast incorrectly and resulted in a tear. Fortunately there was a canvas repair shop onsite at the marina and we were able to get the repair done immediately.
During our absence from Gaviidae, a local diesel expert from Chesapeake Dockside Services adjusted the valves and installed a new valve cover gasket on Gaviidae’s engine. Before we left, we had removed part of the aft cabin wall over the engine to give Rob, the mechanic, full access to the big, red Westerbeke diesel. Removing and reinstalling the one-piece wood firewall was a two-person job. I accessed the area under the companionway steps with Dan in the aft cabin. Getting it out initially turned out to be much easier than getting it back in! There is nothing square, straight, or plum on a boat!
Rob returned to the boat for a final check of the engine with the boat in the water – the engine purred like a very large kitten!
Off the Dock
Both Gaviidaes departed Herrington Harbor on November 12th and motorsailed (with the staysail) 36NM south dropping anchor in Bow Cove, near Solomons, MD. Along the way, we saw a couple of loons and our first pelican swooping by looking for dinner. Seeing loons is always a good omen for Gaviidae!
The next day took us to another anchorage in the Mill Creek River, just south of Sandy Point, VA. The distance was about 43NM and there were lots of crab floats to dodge as we motorsailed with the staysail deployed. The staysail is forward of the mast and partially blocks our view of the channel ahead, so we rolled up the staysail and raised the mainsail so we would have clear visibility forward. After our experience snagging a lobster float in Maine, we had no desire to repeat the experience!
Deltaville, VA
Departing Mill Creek early the next morning, we were sent on our way by some chattering loons and a couple of bald eagles. We arrived in the Deltaville area after dodging more than a few crab trap buoys – they always put them where you would least expect them and there is no evident pattern to where they are placed. We dropped anchor in the bay across from the Jackson Creek Marina after being greeted by a few more loons.
Big winds from the northeast kept us holed up at the anchorage for three days. We took full advantage of all the marina had to offer as well as having a fabulous dinner at the restaurant next door. The seafood chowder was so good, that we bought a quart to take back to the boat!
The marina has an interesting method of dealing with the boats at anchor – they charge a $15 fee/per person/per day for use of their dinghy dock. Except they don’t really charge per person nor per day. It’s more like an honor system. For the fee, you get to leave your dinghy at the dock, use their courtesy car, showers, laundry, and hang out in the boaters lounge. With their car, we were able to get propane, provisions, and some fresh lump crabcakes at J & W Seafood. Awesome crabcakes!
Phoebus, VA
Phoebus is the Greek god of light, music, poetry, prophecy, and healing. His Roman name was Apollo, and is the son of Zeus and Leto. It is also an anchorage squished between Fort Monroe and the I-64 tunnel exit between Norfolk and Hampton. The fort side was charming, the other side not so much.
As we departed Jackson Creek, another sailboat was leaving another anchorage area nearby. They also went into the Phoebus anchorage. The sailboat, Ragnelle, was from Montreal and the crews from both Gaviidaes joined them for a lively dinner ashore at Fuller’s Raw Bar, a local restaurant that has a Monday night special of shrimp and a pitcher of beer. A delightful evening of sailing adventures and laughter!
Norfolk and the ICW
Norfolk, VA is not only home to a major naval station and also is Mile 0 for the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway. When we departed Phoebus and crossed the Elizabeth River into Norfolk, our intent was to drop anchor and stay a day or two to do some exploring.
The weather had other plans.
We stopped to get fuel and a pump out and did a second review of the weather for the upcoming days. The wind prediction had jumped by 10 knots and the direction was not favorable for anchoring. We had a quick discussion with H&K and decided to push on.
Coinjock or the Dismal Swamp
From the ICW Mile Marker 0 there are two routes that both end up south in the Albemarle Sound in North Carolina. One route goes through Coinjock and is famous for the prime rib served at the Coinjock Marina. It’s also the route that all the commercial traffic transits. The other route is a mix of natural river channels and manmade canals. It goes 35 nautical miles through the Great Dismal Swamp, which promised a couple of locks, abundant muddy shoals and tree branches arching over the waterway reaching for side stays that get too close to shore.
There was no question as to which route we would take – how could anyone resist going through something called the Great Dismal Swamp? There were plenty of warnings about boats drawing more than five feet hitting the bottom of the canal. According to the ICW Cruising Guide that we were using, the controlling depth was supposed to be six feet. We only need 5 ½ feet. The same guide also suggested the deeper draft boats should be the lead boat or follow well behind any other boat that might kick up a log along the way.
Day One on the Intracoastal
With an empty holding tank and plenty of diesel, we set off on the Intracoastal. We arrived at the Deep Creek Lock just after it closed for the day. There were notes on the chart that you could anchor in the area. Thinking we needed to get out of the channel, we moved over to the side and promptly ran aground. It’s always good to get those little mishaps out of the way early on.
With a little reverse, we got off the lump and dropped anchor right in the middle of the channel. With the lock in front of us, there was going to be no traffic going through until morning. H&K clearly were not watching what we had done and promptly got stuck in the same spot!
Day Two on the Intercoastal
The next morning we discovered another sailboat had joined us in the canal. We all transited the lock first thing in the morning. Compared to the St. Lawrence or the Welland Canal, this lock was a cake walk. I think we dropped about six feet.
The third boat hailed us early on and requested that we let them pass as they were in a hurry. Not sure why someone in a hurry would take the Dismal Swamp route defies logic! We let them pass and thirty minutes later they hailed us to let us know they had hit something very hard and gave us the approximate location.
We puttered along under 3 knots, dodging the occasional tree branch that hung out over the canal. What the other boat hit, we have no idea as neither Gaviidae hit anything serious. Not long after leaving the lock, we heard the first “clunk” on the hull. It was probably a small log or branch. From that point on, we started counting the “clunks”. By the end of the day, we had three hull clunks and one keel clunk. Just a little noise, nothing serious!
The Great Dismal Swamp Welcome Center – South Mills, NC
You’d think the people who work at the Great Dismal Swamp Welcome Center would look like gray ghosts with personalities to match. Nope. Our first dose of serious southern charm! They greeted us with big smiles and a welcome package. With the Intracoastal on one side and a highway on the other, the Welcome Center provides information and services to both boats and cars.
They have a long dock that is free to the boaters who come by. There’s no electricity but we did find a water spigot that we could use to fill our water tanks. We ended up staying there three nights as I had packages shipped to the Welcome Center and we had arrived ahead of schedule. The staff was very nice about both boats staying longer if we let any other boats raft to us. The third night three boats arrived together – we adjusted our boats forward and along with rafting, all five boats spent a comfortable, albeit chilly, night at the dock.
While we were there we walked across the bascule bridge (a bridge that lifts up from one side) to the Dismal Swamp State Park. They have an interesting historical display of the area and some walking trails. We did one of the shorter trails that was all boardwalks.
Elizabeth City, NC
Once past the Welcome Center, the depths in the canal increased as did our speed. We zoomed along just over 5 knots keeping a watch for overhead obstructions. Eventually the canal merged with the Pasquotank River and broadened out significantly but turned into a twisty route.
Elizabeth City welcomes boaters with free docks at several locations close to the downtown area. It prides itself in being the “Harbor of Hospitality”! We docked at the Jennette Brothers docks. The company services restaurants in the area and their informal requirement for docking is that you eat at a local restaurant.
Our choice for the first night was Hoppin’ Johnz which specializes in southern cuisine. It was a lively place and the food was excellent.
Dan and I did some wandering the next day and came across some fancy horses down by the waterfront along with some very loud Spanish music coming from a brewery courtyard. Curiosity got the best of us and we ventured further to see what was going on. The horses were Paso Fino and they and their riders were dressed in flashy colors. The riders took turns showing off the specialized footwork of their horses as they danced to the music. A completely unexpected treat and a great ending to our Great Dismal Swamp excursion!
November 5 – November 24, 2024 36°18.113’N 076°13.054’W 1761.4 Nautical Miles
Wonderful remembering our passage way back in 2001. Forever memories. WOW, has Elizabeth City changed except for being exceedingly friendly. Back in the day two elderly gentleman would greet ladies with a rose. They were called the Rose Buddies.