New Bern to Elizabeth City, NC

Thursday, May 8, 2014
New Bern to Belhaven, NC

 This is our path: New Bern on the left, Oriental is the next, and Belhaven is at the top of the map.

The alarm clock rousted us at 6:07 am giving us 45 minutes to clear the nearby lift bridge before it closed to navigation due to car traffic.  We were leaving early in order to reach Belhaven before dark. At 6:15 am, we called the Cunningham Bridge master and were jarred awake when we were informed that the bridge is closed from 6:30-8:30 am to boat navigation, and we had 10 minutes to clear the bridge!  With engines purring, we unhooked our electricity, whipped off the boat lines, and slipped Dream Chaser from the dock in record time.  That will teach us to double check with Active Captain for accurate bridge opening times.
After clearing the bridge, our morning settled into routine.  Breakfast, coffee, and reviewing the schedule for the day.  Steve’s homemade bean soup was the breakfast “special” this morning.  Temps are in the 60‘s with a predicted high of  90. It will be a long day of travel with a quick stop at Oriental, NC for a tour of the town and then on to Belhaven for tonight’s dockage.

Last night about 9 pm, Lauthor and Priscilla Parker, from Charleston, SC stopped by for a visit. Their 32’ Sabre trawler, Miles Away, was docked a couple slips down.  They had been contemplating the purchase of an Ocean Alexander and wondered about the layout of Dream Chaser, so they were given “the tour”.

After the two week break at home, our desire for adventure has returned, and we are anxious to see what the day will bring.  We are following the Neuse River on an incoming tide (only a 5” tide at New Bern) about 30 miles back to it’s mouth and the Atlantic ICW.  The Neuse River flows from Raleigh to New Bern to Pamlico Sound becoming 6 miles wide at one point.  As the river widened, we turned on the stabilizers for added comfort.  This would not be an area to navigate on a stormy rough day.

About 9:30 am, Dream Chaser motored to the free city dock in the little riverside village of Oriental.  The city docks were SO nice that we made a phone call to make sure we were at the right place!  Known as the “Sailing Capital of  North Carolina”, Oriental has been drawing sail boaters since the 1960‘s due to the steady winds and wide-open waters.  Many of the residents are retired sailors. 

It’s a boating tradition to pay your respects to the dragon in the pond next to “The Bean”, a popular coffee shop.
One thing I wanted to see were the “Dancing Chairs” of Lou Mac Park.  Supposedly, they dance under the moonlight at night, and as the sun rises they settle into a new spot in the park.  They must have danced away, because we couldn’t find them!  But, cute idea!

Our first stop was the Inland Waterway Provisions Company just a short walk from the docks.  They have an assortment of items for boaters, and also had COMPLIMENTARY bikes for touring the area.  So, off we went pedaling to see the village.

Spring has definitely arrived in Oriental, NC and the flowers are beautiful!

We have enjoyed walking through marinas,  reading all the interesting boat names, and seeing where they are from (their port).  Pictured above is the stern of one of these boats.  Have you ever been in Cahoots with someone?

After a quick stop at the grocery store, marina consignment shop, a gallery, and a cute shop called Nautical Wheelers, we were back on the boat with our purchases and bid Oriental good-bye!

We motored onward to Pamlico Sound.  If you are a boater who needs shore close by, you would not like passing through this sound! This is the first really large body of water we have experienced  on our trip up the Atlantic ICW, and it is protected by islands of the Outer Banks.  We have a strip of land to our port side, but only water off the starboard. As you can see on the map, we hardly ventured into the sound, but we felt how enormous it was. 
These sounds are often shallow with up to 18 ft. of water.  Waves kick up quickly  and any wind can create uncomfortable waves.  Thankfully, it was a good day for us to cross.  We were welcomed by the dolphins, and they dove and splashed around Dream Chaser.  The hazardous crab pots have also returned-scattered over the sound and along the edge of the navigation channel.  We kept our distance so those crabbing lines don’t wrap around our prop.

For you fishermen...to our east is Cape Hatteras which juts into the Atlantic. This is the Mason-Dixon line of the marine world;  the Labrador Current flowing from the north and the Gulf Stream flowing from the south meet here dividing the marine species.  The northern cold-water species are cod, mackerel, and mullet and the southern warm-water species are Spanish mackerel, mullet, and grouper.

We followed the Pungo River to Belhaven, NC or “Beautiful Harbor” which is our anchorage for tonight. The town is set among old forests, wide creeks, and dark water from the tannin.  Originally named “Jack’s Neck”, it began as a settlement of farmers and fishermen.  With the addition of the railroad, lumbering became a major industry for awhile, but seafood and farming are the remaining sources of income.

 This is the view from Dream Chaser-our walk on the dock to Belhaven. 

Dream Chaser slid up to the city docks, and we tied lines.  The tide here is less than two feet, and there is no electricity, so we will be running our generator for power.  With the temp at 91, we walked about a mile to town passing a few shops, but most closed at 5 pm.  We needed the exercise!
Dinner was grilled lobsters and salad-on board.  What a treat!  It was a quiet night, and the cool breeze that blew through the cabin was welcomed after such a warm day.

 A view of the sunset from Dream Chaser.

Friday, May 9, 2014
Belhaven to Elizabeth City

By 6:30am, Dream Chaser was motoring back to the ICW and onward to Elizabeth City, our dockage for tonight.  There are two routes to Norfolk, VA and we have chosen the route through the Dismal Swamp via Elizabeth City.
When we reached the upper end of the Pungo River, we continued on the man-made heavily wooded Pongo River-Alligator River Canal. We were on the look-out for deer or black bear, but only spotted a butterfly, a few flies, and several boats heading north.

 We have been motoring alone much of the time, but through the canal, we had company!

From the canal, we entered the shallow Alligator River (20 miles long and about 2 miles wide and 11 ft. deep) It’s a great day for boating- temps in the low 80’s, high streaks of clouds, and beautiful sunshine!
At the mouth of the Alligator River, navigation becomes tricky due to the fact that you can’t follow the magenta line, and the channel markers are very confusing.  Active Captain, a navigational aid, has 52 comments from boaters regarding this 1/4 mile  stretch.  Any location with over 10 comments is considered a problem.  The captains in the two boats ahead of us knew which markers to follow.  Whew! 
Next, was the 14 mile crossing of Abermarle Sound which can get nasty with up to 10 ft. waves.  It was recommended to enter the sound by 7 am because the heat of the day ramps up the wind and waves, but it's afternoon, and we only have 2 ft. short choppy waves and the stabilizers are on.  For you loopers coming this way-WATCH OUT FOR THE CRAB POTS!  As soon as you clear the mouth of the Alligator River, it’s like going through a land mine.  Pots are everywhere-more here than any other place on the trip so far.

Steve called for information on the conditions of the Dismal Swamp which lies ahead of us for tomorrows trek.  The report is that a tree is down at Marker 24, and boats are backed up waiting for  the tree to be removed.  Lucky us, the channel should be open and clear tomorrow.  Whew!

With Abermarle Sound behind us, we entered the Pasquotank River which will take us to Elizabeth City.  Along the river are tall cypress and the gum trees with mistletoe which add a wild effect to the area.  There is a TCOM Blimp Hangar about 7 miles before Elizabeth City.  We saw the big buildings, but no blimps were being tested.  Darn!

At 4:15 pm, Dream Chaser glided into her slip at Pelican Marina in Elizabeth City.
Elizabeth City is known for it’s Harbor of Hospitality with “Rose Buddy” tradition, so after the boat lines were secured, we hustled across the bridge and into town to join the boating group.  The tourism office encourages boaters to visit the city and provided a wine and cheese party and roses for the ladies.   A resident boater filled us in on the town and answered questions concerning the Dismal Swamp. 
After the gathering, we walked historic Elizabeth City with its 39 historic buildings and two parks.

The city is rich with Revolutionary War and Civil War history.  Elizabeth City is where Wilbur and Orville Wright over-nighted, bought provisions, and sought passage to the Outer banks where they experimented.  Around 1900-1903, they hired Israel Perry to haul them, provisions, their gliders, and planes in his flat bottomed schooner fishing boat, the Curlicue, to Kill Devil Hills.

On our walk back to the marina, we crossed the river where a new bridge is under construction. The picture below shows how they have blocked the water off in the middle of the river, drained the area for the new cement center support, and are constructing the middle of the drawbridge.

 

Tonight, our dinner of chicken salad was aboard Dream Chaser.  The people of Pelican Marina are eager to please, and we are happy to have electricity which the free docks in town don't have.
Below, you see our view of Elizabeth City from Dream Chaser.  It's just magical!