November 5, 2007
After transiting the Dismal Swamp Canal we made a run for it to Elizabeth City. The Pasquotank River continued on with its windy and narrow and swampy waterway. Very picturesque! As the sun set lower in the sky we motored on in earnest with the goal of getting there before dark…which we barely did.
We had read that Elizabeth City caters to cruisers with a wine and cheese party whenever there are more than four boats in the city’s free docks…which was an added incentive for us to beat feet. Though we missed the cocktail party by 30 minutes we did meet some of the locals who were on the docks helping direct us to the free slips for the night. They yelled to us, “What’s the beam of your boat?” We responded, “Twelve, eight!” And they then pointed to the slip that our boat would fit into. Very helpful.
Even though we missed the wine and cheese party we had one of our own. Richard and Andrea, our boating buddies, hosted a fine dinner and we listened to Richard sing and perform Flamenco on his guitar. Andrea got us stomping and clapping to the music by plying us with some great sampling of homemade ‘mescal’ which they found and bought in Mexico. Great fun.
Though we would have enjoyed a tour of Elizabeth City we were on a mission to move on with the good weather window we still had. Weather was scheduled to deteriorate in a few days with Tropical Depression Noel churning off the coast of Florida. So we made a 50 mile day to the Alligator River, passing through Albermarle Sound, which CAN be a very nasty body of water in wrong weather conditions, though you certainly can’t tell by this photo.
At the Alligator River anchorage we hosted a dinner on Kloosh and had a night cap (or two) with the 16 year old Lagavulin that was gifted to Cheryl on her retirement. Next morning, which arrived way too soon, we made reservations at River Forest Marina in Belhaven. The weather report indicated possible 50 knot winds in the Sounds and we decided to wait that out at a dock.
Later, that decision was proved sound when Noel was reclassified as a Category 1 Hurricane. Though we had only a 31 knot gust come through the marina Noel passed us within 450 miles and did have considerable wind and wave action on North Carolina’s Outer Bank. Not a place to be.
As Hurricane Holes go, Belhaven turned out just fine. We had a great dinner of fresh flounder at Fish Hooks Cafe, enjoyed walking the streets of the neighborhoods and took photos of Noel’s building winds.
However, after 3 days in Belhaven when the weather permitted we made a predawn departure and ate our underway replenishment and coined it…Breakfast on the Pungo. Crossing the Pamlico River we ducked into Goose Creek, the ICW canal, then we emerged into Pamlico Sound proper. Shortly thereafter we turned up the Neuse River headed on our last leg…but, had a change of heart.
South River had sounded so inviting when we read about it in the guide books. And a last, quiet, scenic anchorage seemed like the thing to do before putting Kloosh in storage for a month or so. Though the river had room enough for hundreds of boats, it only lodged three that night. Very secluded.
Next morning we finished that last leg to the marina/boatyard which had been recommended to us by Doug and Charlotte Kerr of s/v Abbotsford. Coming into the harbor was not for the faint of heart. Narrow, shallow and with a tight 90 degree turn, this was definitely a one-way channel. But, when we got inside we liked what we saw. Kloosh will have protection from winds and waves in this extremely snug hurricane hole.
We plan on returning to Kloosh in a month or so after handling landlubber activities.
