Voyaging America's Great Loop Aboard Still Waters II

Tag: North Carolina

Fabulous Fisherman Finale
Hello virtual crew members and fellow adventurers!

Norfolk is that-a-way

Summary of week:

The crew had six good travel days this past week: 1 – travelled to Belhaven and took a slip at River Forrest, 2- Anchored just north of the Alligator River Bridge to stage for an early morning crossing of the Albemarle Sound, 3- Stayed at the Dismal Swamp Visitor Center Free Dock, 4- took a marina slip at Top Rack, 5- anchored off the shore of Hampton, 6- took a slip on the eastern shore of Chesapeake Bay at Onancock Wharf.

Click on the link to read the day-to-day travel log. This includes weather report, sea conditions, captain’s log, and a summary of the day’s experience.

The voyage of discovery did answer the following questions this week:
1. Who won the Big Rock Blue Marlin Fishing Tournament?
2. How much was the purse for the first place finish?
3. Why did the third place finisher win the Fabulous Fisherman contest?
At the Box Office

This week’s video shows Still Waters II meet a shrimp boat in Adams Creek, cross the calm Albemarle Sound, transit the Dismal Swamp, and get a few lessons on how to blow a conch shell. Enjoy!

To see past videos, click on the link to the Still Waters II Vimeo site. The library contains videos of Still Waters II cruising America’s Great Loop.

Sunday, June 10th

A follow up to the ‘Big Rock” Fishing Tournament: Interesting enough, the fisherman take a break on Sunday and do not wet a hook. The crews were all onboard their respective boats prepping for the big week ahead.

While the fisherman were busy rigging lines, the crew had Sunday Brunch with Satisfied Frog at The Spouter Inn. The food was exceptionally good.

The restaurant from the water.

Following Brunch, the crew took a tour boat to learn about some of the local history of Beaufort, North Carolina.

Much of the colorful history started with Blackbeard the Pirate. He had a home in Beaufort overlooking the inlet into town. His home also just happened to be next door to the county tax collector, interesting arrangement.

The Pirates Revenge tour boat

The governor of North Carolina once pardoned Blackbeard, but he did not stop his pirate ways. He just shifted his tactics to attack ships headed to Virginia rather than North Carolina. The Virginia government eventually killed Blackbeard after they petitioned the North Carolina governor for help with Blackbeard, and got no help at all.

New born colt spotted from tour boat

Monday, June 11th

The day got off to a good start as the crew made good time thru Adams Creek. While transiting the Creek, the crew met a shrimp boat who had their nets down. There must have been several hundred gulls following the shrimp boat looking for an easy meal.

After exiting Adams Creek, the crew ran north along the Neuse River and eventually came to Gale Creek. At the right angle, looking at the shore in the distance along the Neuse River, the trees and shore seem to form the looks of an alligator.

The tree alligator

After the Neuse River, the crew entered Gale Creek. The name of this creek would soon become an omen. The skies began to darken as storm clouds began to form. The temperature dropped about ten degrees in front of the pending storm.

The calm before the storm on Gale Creek.

Just after passing under the bridge in the above pic, the rain started with just a sprinkle. Within just a few minutes, the rain was falling so hard that visibility was down to less than a quarter of a mile. Then the winds hit. The skipper put the boat in neutral to allow the winds to push the boat backwards into both deeper and wider water. Once the boat was in a wider part of the channel, the skipper turned the boat to face the wind. Visibility had dropped to about 50 yards, and it was difficult to see the shore and Satisfied Frog. The skipper had turned the radar on when he noticed the heavy rain headed their way. The radar helped the skipper keep the boat in safe water.

The skipper also checked the weather radar and watched a red cell pass directly over them. The weather radar showed 40 plus mph winds (gale force winds) After about 5-10 minutes of these high winds and heavy down pour, the winds died back off and the rain slacked back to a sprinkle. The skipper looked over at the Admiral and said, “Well, that was exciting!”

The weather predicted more storms for the rest of the afternoon and thru the night. Rather than anchor, the crew decided to call it a day and pulled into the River Forrest Marina in Belhaven.

Tuesday, June 12th

The original cruising plan was to make Elizabeth City on Tuesday and the Dismal Swamp Visitor Center on Wednesday. But due to the high winds (20 mph/ plus or minus 5) coming from the east, the skipper did not believe crossing the Albemarle Sound on Tuesday was a good idea. Instead, they choose to anchor just north of the Alligator River Bridge along the eastern shore to get protection from the east winds.

The first half of the voyage was relatively calm as the crew passed thru the Alligator River-Pungo River canal. After coming out of the canal, the crew entered the Alligator River and ran north along the eastern shore.

Canal conditions were flat

Conditions in Alligator River were about one foot waves

As the crew navigated towards the bridge, they met a sailboat headed south. The skipper picked up the radio and hailed the sailboat. After a short conversation, the skipper’s decision to NOT cross the Albemarle Sound was confirmed. The sailboat captain reported that the waves were 3-5 foot and because of the wind direction, the waves were hitting the beam of the boat. He reported that the waves broke over the bow of his sailboat several times as he crossed. The skipper reminded the Admiral that this is supposed to be ‘recreational boating’, and fun. Three to five foot waves are not fun.

After passing thru the Alligator River Bridge, the crew followed a couple of other boats over to the eastern shore and dropped the anchor, along with Satisfied Frog. Another indication that this was not the day to cross came when the Coast Guard announced that a 16 foot sailboat had capsized in the Albemarle Sound and asked boaters to keep a look out for the boat.

Passing thru the Alligator River Bridge

Wednesday, June 13th

What a difference 12 hours made. The winds died off over night as predicted, and the Albemarle Sound calmed down also. In fact, this was the 6th time our crew has crossed the Sound, and this was the smoothest crossing to date. The light wind had shifted out of the south and caused less than one foot following seas across the Sound.

The crew made good time to Elizabeth City, but decided not to stop for lunch because it had started to rain. However, after passing thru the Elizabeth City Bridge, the weather abruptly changed again. The grey dreary clouds gave way to a beautiful sunshine afternoon.

Elizabeth City Bridge, dreary conditions

Entering the Dismal Swamp

An interesting tree ornament 30 feet above the water

After 18 miles at idle speed (6 mph) the crew arrived at the South Mills Lock. The lock raised the boat about 8 feet. After the lock is a bridge that must be opened, and then only a couple of miles to the Visitor Center.

The Dismal Swamp Canal is not very wide so when you have a situation with boats meeting, it gets a little tight.

Meeting a boat in the swamp

When Satisfied Frog arrived at the Visitor Center Dock there was only room for one more boat. Once Satisfied Frog was safely landed, the skipper pulled up and rafted off Satisfied Frog. Then another boat arrived, a 32 foot PDQ catamaran. The skipper got two other boats to adjust their position on the dock which opened a 36 foot spot on the dock. The PDQ managed to slip in the tight spot. Eventually, a 32 foot Nordic Tug also showed up. The tug rafted off the PDQ motor cat, so there were 6 boats along the dock for the night.

Boats docked at Visitor Center

Thursday, June 14th

Today would be another short day to cruise. It was about eighteen miles to the Deep Creek Lock and then just a few more miles to the Top Rack Marina where the crew would stay the night.

The Corps of Engineers reopened the Dismal Swamp in the fall of 2017 after dredging the canal. The controlling depth is now around 6 feet. With the draft of Still Waters II at 4 feet and only 2 feet of water below the keel, the skipper was a bit nervous. The depth alarm was sounding almost continuously, so the skipper finally just turned it off. Luckily the crew made it thru without hitting bottom or a deadhead log.

The water was glassy smooth on the way to the lock. The reflections on the water looked like a mirror.

The Deep Creek Lock experience turned out to be the best lock experience ever. Robert, the Lockmaster, gave a demo on how to play music on a conch shell, as well as gave a brief history of the Dismal Swamp. Watch the video to see Robert do his thing.

The Admiral was so impressed, she left one of her prized Bahama conch shells on the lock wall to add to Robert’s conch garden collection.

1100 o’clock opening of the Deep Creek Bridge

After the Deep Creek Lock, it was time to head towards the Top Rack Marina. Our crew will stay the night. However, the crew of Satisfied Frog is off to Hampton where they have work scheduled on the boat to start on Friday. It has been a blast cruising up the ICW with Berrlin and Debra.

Friday, June 15th

The skipper struck up a conversation with a couple that are on a sailboat. The skipper has passed this sailboat almost daily for the last week. The sailboat is crewed by Howard and Sue from England. In fact, they sailed the boat across the Atlantic Ocean. Their story was a bit surreal.

After leaving England and heading for the British Virgin Islands, they ran into a large storm that raged for a few days. Howard commented that the waves were in excess of 15 feet. After the storm passed, their engine failed, day 4 of their crossing. They raised the sails and soldiered on. Then they found the doldrums. For ten days they basically drifted in the Atlantic Ocean because they had no wind. The winds did eventually return and they completed their crossing in a total of 22 days.

Howard and Sue aboard Sundowner

Today the crew only traveled to the north side of Norfolk so they could stage to cross the Chesapeake Bay on Saturday. The weather, wind, and waves are much more favorable on Saturday to make way across the Bay to the Eastern Shore.

There were many more US Navy ships at the Naval Shipyard than in years past. Looks like the Navy is putting those new tax dollars to work.

A sub in for overhaul

Even saw the Ike in for maintenance

OK, only one more ship, but how about that dry dock

The Waterside Marina also had a new addition. They have added a Ferris Wheel to the waterfront.

After passing thru Norfolk, the crew completed the Atlantic ICW leg of the Loop. The crew anchored in Hampton Flats for the night, prepared to weigh anchor and cross the Bay early in the morning.

Mile Zero of the A-ICW

Saturday, June 16th

The crew woke to very calm conditions so they attempted to bring the anchor up and set out for Onancock. However, the anchor brought up some garbage off the sea floor that the skipper had to untangle before they could get started. It was only a short delay, and the crew still managed to get underway by 0630.

Never a dull moment

It was about 70 uneventful miles across the Bay. About the only excitement occurred when the crew passed thru the large ship anchorage near Cape Charles.

A helicopter came and landed on one of the ships to drop off a navigation pilot. Then a boat pulled alongside another large ship and the navigation pilot had to climb some stairs to get onboard.

Helicopter

The run up Onancock Creek was pretty with many nice homes which line the River.

Fabulous Fisherman Final update, from the Big Rock

In the Big Rock Fishing Tournament, the boats can enter as many as 9 different contests. Total cost to enter all 9 events was $23,000 this year. One of the events is called the Fabulous Fisherman. The cost to enter the event is $5,000, but the payout was $500,000 to the first boat to land a 500 pound fish. Well, sorta.

The first 500 pound fish was a blue marlin weighing in at 518.5 pounds caught by Honey Hush on Tuesday. Unfortunately for them, they did NOT enter the Fabulous Fisherman event so could not claim the prize.

In fact, the prize remained unclaimed until the last day of the contest when Carterican landed a 500.9 pounder and claimed the cash. The fish put them in second place for the overall contest, for the moment.

However, the final results would not be known until the last weigh-in of the day. Fender Bender landed a large fish and eventually won second place with a 514.3 pound Blue Marlin.

With only three 500 pound fish caught all week, and two of those on the last day, you might understand why Honey Hush did not enter the Fabulous Fisherman contest. However, since they ended up winning the overall tournament and the $753,875 purse, I think they are just fine with the outcome.

Next Week –

The skipper has looked at the weather forecast for next week, and the Bay looks to be calm all week with winds under 10 mph. If these conditions hold, the crew will attempt to cruise 8 hours each day. With fair winds, they hope to make Cape May next weekend.

Loop On – Where the road ends, the water begins. The water goes on forever, and the adventure never ends.

Eric the Red
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June 17, 2018
A Fishy Week
Hello virtual crew members and fellow adventurers!

We picked up two more virtual crew members this week. Welcome aboard Debra and Picklesnan.

A ladies team first day catch in the fish tournament.

Summary of week:

The crew had their traveling clothes on this week as they made way from Beaufort, South Carolina to Beaufort, North Carolina. They anchored out all but one night, and spent the week travelling with a buddy boat, Satisfied Frog. They made the following stops along the journey:
1. Monday, just south of Charleston on Stono River
2. Tuesday, north of Georgetown off Butler Island in Waccamaw River
3. Wednesday, just inside the Bird Island Inlet on the Carolina state line
4. Thursday, took a mooring ball at Carolina Beach
5. Friday, in Mile Hammock Bay on Camp Lejeune
6. Saturday, At Town Creek Marina in Beaufort, North Carolina
Click on the link to read the day-to-day travel log. This includes weather report, sea conditions, captain’s log, and a summary of the day’s experience.

The voyage of discovery did answer the following question this week:
1. Where is the largest fishing tournament in the United States?
At the Box Office

This week’s video shows Still Waters II traveling with a bow escort of dolphins and following Satisfied Frog thru a swing bridge. Enjoy! (Watch for the dolphin to surface twice for a breathe of air.)

To see past videos, click on the link to the Still Waters II Vimeo site. The library contains videos of Still Waters II cruising America’s Great Loop.

Monday, June 4th

The crew set out for an eight hour cruise this morning. They were in the process of making time towards New York City as quickly as the weather will allow them, so they can spend the summer cruising the Erie Canal. They arrived at an area just south of Snows Cut which leads into Charleston.

Along the route, they were greeted by several dolphins which are always fun to watch.

The skipper also noticed this gator practicing his backstroke.

The crew travelled with Satisfied Frog this week. This is her passing thru Fenwick Cut.

The day ended with a beautiful sunset. Ahhh, the beauty of burnt orange.

Tuesday, June 5th

Today the crew met favorable tide and current conditions and were able to knock out almost eighty miles thru the last of the salt marsh that the ICW offers as scenery. The crew arrived at their pre-day anchor spot way ahead of the anticipated time, so they decided to push on to the north side of Georgetown.

Somewhere along the route, the two boat flotilla grew to three boats. The third boat transited some very skinny water by McClellanville. There are seven shoaling hazards in just under two miles of travel. The skipper was glad they came thru at high tide, but the low water level alarm still went off several times, making for a nervous skipper. After the safe passage, the third boat peeled off and docked at Georgetown.

Our two boats continued and dropped the anchor off the Waccamaw River near Butler Island.

However, the skipper found time to take only a few pics to document the days travel.

The Battery of Charleston in the background.

There were many Pelicans out flying today. The skipper enjoys watching them glide just above the water.

At the end of the day, the crew got to witness another beautiful sunset. Red sky at night, sailors delight. Should have good weather again tomorrow.

Wednesday, June 6th

The crew weighed anchor and headed into the Waccamaw River which winds its way thru a swamp just south of Myrtle Beach. The run thru the swamp and Cyprus trees was a welcome relief from the days of salt marsh.

A look at the swamp.

Saw these ladies out for a morning row.

Cruised by this Osprey nest to see a baby chick. Looks like mom was giving a speech about ‘failure to launch’ on the chicks first flight. What is the worst thing that can happen mom? Oh nothing to worry about darling, there are just alligators down there swimming in the water. They mean you no harm.

After cruising thru the swamp, the crew was greeted by the numerous boat docks that line the waterway heading into Myrtle Beach. Most of the docks have signs warning boaters that they are responsible for their wake and the damage the wake may cause. So it is a slow go thru the area.

This guy has a strange since of humor I suspect.

At the end of the day the crew anchored near Bird Island Inlet just on the North/South Carolina state line..

Thursday, June 7th

Today the goal was to make Carolina Beach and take a mooring ball for the night. The skipper was hoping the timing might work out to stop at Southport for a quick lunch at the Dead End Saloon. However, upon arrival at Southport, the best decision was to press on and take advantage of the current going up the Cape Fear River. Just have to put this stop on the ‘next year list’, and try to make it on Tuesday for half price burger day.

There were several inlets that had to be passed by on the journey today. These inlets present hazards due to shifting sands and shoaling. The skipper slows down and honors the markers because the Coast Guard seems to be moving them all the time to mark the safe passage. Sometimes the charts and the actual marker placement are not the same. In these cases the skipper always honors the actual marker placement in the water. So far, this strategy has always met with success.

The Lockwood Folly Inlet

The Carolina Beach Inlet

After both boats were moored, they decided to dinghy ashore and walk around town. They learned that Thursday is summer concert and fireworks night, what a deal.

Headed to shore.

There was a small donut shop in town, supposedly known for great donuts. The skipper said they were pretty good for an afternoon snack. He did not let the snack get in his way for the fried flounder and shrimp he shared with the Admiral for dinner. After eating they headed back to the dinghy dock and witnessed a few boats pull in with their catch-of-the-day.

Looks like this boat had a good day fishing.

They all played a couple of games of Joker on Satisfied Frog, and then ended the day with a short fireworks program.

Friday, June 8th

The challenge for the run today was to negotiate timing three bridges to minimize waiting. The skipper adjusted speed frequently to make the bridge openings, and at the end of the day they only had to wait about fifteen minutes for the bridges. Most of that time was wasted at the last bridge at Surf City. The crew was getting a little worried when the bridge finally opened eight minutes late with the bridge tender apologizing for the late opening. Seems he could not get the bridge to cooperate and open.

They passed thru a few more of those hazardous inlets again. But because the path was well marked the crew had no issues.

The New River Inlet

There was a bunch of shallow water to work thru today, also. This is a good example of why you want to stay in the channel. This boat was probably only 50 yards off the marked channel. If you did not know better, it looked safe to travel over there.

Some shallow water

After a successful journey, the crew dropped anchor at Mile Hammock Bay. The crew took the dinghy over to Satisfied Frog to play a couple of more games of Joker to round out the evening.

Saturday, June 9th

During the week, the crew was not sure if they would be able to stop in Beaufort, North Carolina or not. The Big Rock Fishing Tournament is in full swing. Who knew this was the largest tournament of its kind in the U.S. Along with the Big Rock, there is also the Keli Wagner Lady Angler tournament running. There are 130 boats in the Big Rock and 38 entered in the Ladies tournament.

With a little help from our friends, we were able to secure Saturday and Sunday night dockage.

On the way to Beaufort though, the crew took an unscheduled stop in Swansboro. After weighing anchor and clearing the Onslow Beach Bridge, the crew was about an hour ahead of schedule for their arrival in Beaufort. To kill a little time, the crew docked at the Swansboro Free Dock and walked to Yana’s for some fruit fritters. To their surprise, the annual arts festival was gearing up. Berrlin and the skipper had fruit fritters while the ladies shopped the art festival.

Debra and the mermaid

After getting back on the boat, it was off to Beaufort, for a hopeful no current dockage experience near 1300. As it worked out, the crew arrived just in time to experience slack current and the easiest dockage in these waters ever. The current can really rip thru here and the skipper wanted no part of that after last years bad experience.

All in all a good day and a good week of cruising.

The Admiral did witness some ladies bringing in their catch for the day. A 16.5 pounder.

Boat name of the week:

Next Week –

At this point, the weather looks good for Monday and Tuesday to cruise some of the large open waters such as the Neuse River, Pamlico Sound, Pungo River, Alligator River, and Albemarle Sound. Therefore the crew will make two long days to travel to Elizabeth City and get that open water behind them while the weather window is open. Then they will cruise the Dismal Swamp Route to Norfolk. They hope to cross the Chesapeake Bay on Friday, and end the week in Onancock on the eastern shore of the Chesapeake Bay.

Loop On – Where the road ends, the water begins. The water goes on forever, and the adventure never ends.

Eric the Red
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June 10, 2018
Rescue 911
Hello virtual crew members and fellow adventurers!

Eric here with the latest travels of Still Waters II.

This short video shows the crew trying to help a sailboat who ran aground. After pulling the bow around they were able to pull her into deeper wat

Summary of week:

Another strange week unfolded for the crew. They were stalled in their journey south by two different waterway closures due to bridge issues. They also were delayed as they stopped and rendered aid to two sailboats that had run aground. Needless to say, they did not make much progress during the week, only traveling four days:
1. On Monday, the crew had to stop short when the Onslow Beach Swing Bridge was reported broken and unable to open. The crew stopped in Swansboro and had strawberry fritters at Yana’s.
2. The bridge was repaired late on Monday, so the crew made way to Carolina Beach to visit some local friends, John and Ann Marie.
3. The crew only made 12 miles on Wednesday so the skipper could stop and buy a auto pilot control head from a local consignment store.
4. On Thursday, the crew entered South Carolina and stopped at Barefoot Landing in North Myrtle Beach where they will remain through the weekend. A new construction bridge had the waterway shutdown on Friday. Then the winds are unfavorable for travel over the weekend.
Click on the link to read the day-to-day travel log. This includes weather report, sea conditions, captain’s log, and a summary of the day’s experience.

At the Box Office

This week’s video shows Still Waters II cruising south through North Carolina. Two of the three clips are the skipper running his mouth, while the third clip is a short piece just cruising along. Enjoy!

To see past videos, click on the link to the Still Waters II Vimeo site. The library now contains 45 videos of Still Waters II cruising America’s Great Loop.

Monday, November 13, 2017

You just never know what you might see out on the water. When the crew passed by Morehead City, they saw a ship loaded with wind turbine blades. There must have been about 70 blades on the ship from Panama. The skipper was wondering if they were coming or going?

The crew has also learned that boating plans are cast in Jello. Today would reinforce the idea that you should never have a schedule on board, and that your plans should remain flexible. The plan was to cruise to Swansboro, stop to have lunch, and then continue down the AICW to an anchorage at Camp Lejeune, in Mile Hammock Bay.

About an hour into the days cruise, the Cost Guard came over the radio and announced that the Onslow Beach Swing Bridge was reported to have a mechanical failure and could not open. Since the Bridge clearance is only 12 feet, Still Waters II would not be going past Swansboro until the Bridge was repaired.

The crew made the short run to Swansboro and walked up to Yana’s for some peach fritters. Unfortunately, the crew ran into more bad news. Peach fritters are out of season and will not return till next spring. The skipper had to settle for strawberry fritters instead. This day is just not working out as planned.

After lunch, the crew returned to the boat and later learned that the Swing Bridge had been repaired. The maintenance crew had to replace a hydraulic cylinder

Tuesday, November 14, 2017

Before shoving off the dock, the skipper called the Camp Lejeune Range Director to ensure there was no live fire training going on today. Once the Range Director gave the skipper the green light, the crew shoved off and headed toward Camp Lejeune.

The skipper had plans today to make the 0830 opening of the Onslow Swing Bridge. However, these plans turned into Jello about an hour into the run. With the Bridge in sight and only 10 minutes to the Bridge, a sailboat hailed the skipper and asked him to slow down. The sailboat was clearly in the marked channel, notice the green marker, but had still gone aground. The sailboat was from Canada, so the skipper, with some minor nudging from the Admiral, decided to give them some American hospitality.

Active Captain has a warning that there is shoaling on the channel side of the green marker. These folks obviously found the shoaling. The skipper went by the sailboat to sound the depths and determine how close he could get without grounding himself. The depth was about 4.5 feet at the bow of the sailboat.

The wind and current were causing problems for the skipper, so it took three passes for the crew to get a line over to the sailboat. Once the line was secure , the skipper began dragging the sailboat to deeper water. Notice the water spray coming off the line at the bow of the sailboat.

After a few minutes, the boat was free of the ground and a new problem emerged. How to get the 50 foot line off the sailboat and back on Still Waters II without crashing into each other. Luckily the captain of the sailboat was able to keep clear and all ended well.

Well, except the crew missed the 0830 bridge opening. The skipper guided the boat to the Bridge and waited for the 0900 opening. After two days of trying, the crew finally got south of the Onslow Beach Swing Bridge.

The next obstacle to overcome was the Surf City Swing Bridge which only opens on the hour. The skipper adjusted speed so that they could arrive in time for the noon opening.

At about 1130, the skipper was keeping an eye on a sailboat that was about a half mile in front, and was trying to determine if he should overtake them or slow down. He was calculating time to the bridge if he slowed when he noticed the sailboat heeled over about 45 degrees and came to an abrupt halt.

The skipper hailed the sailboat and confirmed that they were indeed aground. The sailboat reported that they were in five feet of water. The skipper agreed to try and help get them off. The captain of the sailboat launched his dinghy and brought a line over to Still Waters II. The skipper used the line to pull the bow of the sailboat until she was pointed back towards the channel.

Then the sailboat captain took a stern line from Still Waters II and tied it to the bow line from the sail boat. The skipper then pulled the sailboat back into the channel and deeper water.

Once free, the sailboat captain untied the lines and both crews were off towards the Surf City Swing Bridge.

The skipper likes to arrive 15 minutes early to most events because 15 minutes early is actually on time. On time is late. And if you are late, you just might get left behind. This life philosophy worked well today, because once the crew got the line back from the sailboat, the skipper put the throttle down and arrived just in time to pass through the noon opening of the Surf City Swing Bridge.

The skipper did spot a couple of deer feeding in the yard of a home owner along the waterway.

The crew had two more timed bridges to make before they would arrive at Carolina Beach. Between the Bridges and the sailboat rescues, the crew managed to arrive at the marina just at sunset.

The Joyner Marina is the homeport of John and Ann Marie. The two couples first met at a one day Looper Seminar before either had a boat. Then met again at the 2015 and 2016 Spring Rendezvous held in Norfolk. This year, John and Ann Marie were south bound while our crew was northbound and met in the Alligator River-Pungo River Canal.

After a few sea stories on the sundeck of Still Waters II, the four set off for Flaming Amy’s Burrito Barn. One of the truly fun and remarkable things about this Looper Lifestyle is the incredible people you meet and the unique experiences you get to have.

Tonight’s dinner would be one of those unique experiences because it is Churkeychanga Time of year, November 1-22. And just what is a Churkeychanga you ask? That would be a roasted turkey breast, garlic mashed red potatoes, and cornbread stuffing rolled into a flour tortilla and then deep fried ’till crispy. Then they smother it with jalapeno cream gravy and serve it up with a side of cranberry salsa.

Wednesday, November 15, 2017

After a wonderful evening yesterday, the crew took a short 16 mile run down the Cape Fear River and pulled into the South Harbor Village Marina. Today is the culmination of about a months work of effort to try and determine if the auto pilot works aboard Still Waters II. Yes the skipper has manually steered the boat for just over 15,000 miles over the last few years.

He has determined that the auto pilot computer is still wired to the fluxgate compass, the rudder feedback mechanism, and the chart plotter. The only thing needed to make the system work is an auto pilot control head. The company who made the autopilot has been out of business for over ten years, so finding the control head has been a daunting task.

The skipper has chased a control head down at a local consignment store here in Southport. After arrival, Rusty, the store owner came and picked the skipper up. The control head turns out to be the right model number and looks to be in decent shape so the skipper purchased the part. Rusty then returned the skipper back to the marina.

The skipper spent the rest of the day reading the User Manual and installation instructions. After the head was wired into the computer, the skipper was able to adjust the boat settings in the pilot control head. Once all settings were entered, the skipper performed dock side trials and the auto pilot passed all the tests.

The ‘new’ auto pilot control head mounted at the helm.

Tomorrow the skipper will perform sea trials and hopefully commission the auto pilot for use.

Oh, and did I mention that the skipper celebrated today’s success by eating a hamburger at the Dead End Salon. It was just to good of a deal to pass up half price burger Wednesday.

Thursday, November 16, 2017

To the surprise of our crew as they left the marina, they saw Avocet cruise by this morning. The two crews last saw each other back in 2016 on the inland rivers.

The skipper also spotted a buck that was hard at it chasing down a doe in the marsh.

The crew made him a bit nervous, so he pulled up and walked deeper into the salt marsh. While he was thinking about his next move, the doe scampered off about two hundred yards ahead.

After the excitement of watching the deer, the skipper finally got busy and put the autopilot to the test. The skipper tested the ‘compass mode’ of the autopilot. Basically you give the computer a compass heading and the autopilot steers the boat along the heading. The skipper used the autopilot for most of the day.

However, when the crew arrived in the ‘Rock Pile’ just north of Myrtle Beach at low tide, the skipper decided it best to manually steer until he gains more confidence in the system.

The skipper likes to go through here at low tide so you can actually see the rocks. He says you do not have to wonder where they are if you can see them.

And besides, you also get to see the turtles sunning on the rocks at low tide.

Then it was just a few more miles and the crew pulled into the marina at Barefoot Landing.

Boat Name of the Week

The crews oldest granddaughter loves all things Panda, so this one is for you Emma.

Next Week –

There is a bridge that is under construction about ten miles south of Barefoot Landing. They have the waterway closed from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Friday. The winds pick back up over the weekend, so the crew will not move again until Monday. They hope to make it to Charleston by the end of next week.

Loop On – The water goes on forever and the adventure never ends.

Eric the Red
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November 19, 2017
Waiting and Wind
Hello virtual crew members and fellow adventurers!

Eric here with the latest travels of Still Waters II.

Antebellum home in Belhaven, dressed up for 4th of July and posting now for Veterans Day.

Summary of week:

This would turn out to be one of the strangest weeks on the water yet.
1. The crew left Norfolk on Monday and made a measly 12 miles to the Great Bridge Bridge.
2. On Tuesday, they crossed the dreaded Albemarle Sound and pulled into the Alligator River Marina to wait out the weather.
3. On Thursday, the wind dropped into the high teens, so the crew decided to make a go of it and made way to Belhaven. Once again, they had to wait out the weather before getting underway for points further south.
4. Saturday, the winds had dropped into the high teens again with forecast that the wind speed would continue to fall. The crew made it to Beaufort, N.C. but had to dock in a 20 mph cross wind.
Click on the link to read the day-to-day travel log. This includes weather report, sea conditions, captain’s log, and a summary of the day’s experience.

At the Box Office

This week’s video shows Still Waters II headed down the Alligator River with some Gulls feeding in the boat wake. Enjoy!

To see past videos, click on the link to the Still Waters II Vimeo site.

Monday, November 6, 2017

The day started with the Admiral piloting the boat out of the Waterside Marina and back onto the AICW. The skipper then took over the helm and guided Still Waters II through the many Norfolk boat yards and container ship transfer points at idle speed.

When they finally arrived at the Gilmerton Bridge, they noticed three other boats hovering in the area. As the skipper moved forward, he noticed the normally open #7 RR Bridge was closed. Turned out the RR Bridge had closed to allow a train to pass over, but was now stuck in the down position and halting all boat traffic.

The crew arrived at 1055 to begin the wait for the RR Bridge to open. At 1128, it appeared that a maintenance crew arrived to start work on the RR Bridge. By this time, there were now nine boats hovering around in the channel.

At 1210, the maintenance workers left and hopes were high that the RR Bridge would open. The skipper called the RR Bridge Tender and learned that the crew observed had only come to pick up some equipment. The folks that were dispatched to fix the RR Bridge had yet to arrive. There were now 15 boats hovering in the channel, so the skipper decided to move out of the way and drop the anchor and wait.

Just after the crew set the anchor at 1214, the RR Bridge Tender came over the radio at 1216 and said the Bridge was fixed and would be opening momentarily. At 1217, the RR Bridge was open. The crew weighed anchor at 1221, but had to wait for the other boats in the pack to pass by before they could join the parade and go through the RR Bridge. They passed through the RR Bridge at 1229.

The plan was to go a few miles further down river and pull into the Top Rack Marina to take on fuel and eat lunch. When the crew arrived at the Fuel Island there was no room to dock. Looks like our crew was not the only ones wishing to take advantage of the low fuel prices at Top Rack.

The crew arrived at 1255, had to hover out in the channel for about 30 minutes while others fueled. After Leap of Faith left the Fuel Dock the skipper backed in and fueled up. When they finished lunch, they noticed some boaters that they had met on the inland rivers last fall. After talking with the crew of Let It Ride, our crew finally got back underway at 1425.

At 1450, they arrived at the Great Bridge Lock for the scheduled 1500 opening.

However, the Lock master did not open the gates until 1520, so once again the crew hovered in the channel. Once the gates did open, then they had to wait for another boat to arrive. They finally cleared the lock at 1548, almost an hour after arrival.

Since it was getting dark here at 1700, the crew was glad to see space along the Great Bridge Bridge wall that they could tie up to and bring this day to a close.

While docking, they did notice the sailboat in front of them had a hailing port of Kamah, Texas. The crew is Wayne and Linda C. They have been full time cruisers since 2004.

The skipper also noticed another Texas favorite nearby, a Dairy Queen was less than a half mile down the road. There were Blizzards in the crews future.

Tuesday, November 7, 2017

The winds were predicted to be less than 10 mph all day, but were forecasted to build over 20 mph overnight. Armed with that information, the crew decided to make a long day of it and try to make the Alligator River Marina on the south side of the Albemarle Sound.

This is Isla sliding under a 65 foot bridge with a 64 foot mast.

The crew made the 0900 hourly opening of the Great Bridge Bridge, then negotiated two more bridge openings. They managed to clear all three bridges by 1030, but had only travelled 8 miles. With 64 miles to the Marina, it became apparent that the crew would probably be docking in the dark.

The crew of ISLA, Wayne and Linda.

Sure enough the sun set at 1702, the crew arrived at the Marina at 1730 just as dark was setting in for the evening. The crew did find Let it Ride and Dragonfly on the docks. The three crews had an enjoyable dinner aboard Let It Ride.

Thursday, November 9, 2017

As predicted the winds picked up and howled Tuesday night, all day Wednesday, and are still going strong Thursday morning. By 0900, the winds had dropped to 15 mph out of the south, so the crew decided to make a run for it to Belhaven. The hardest part of the day would be getting off the dock.

Still Waters II was facing east, with the wind directly out of the north. The wind had her pinned to the dock fairly securely. With the aid of two folks on the dock, the skipper’s first two attempts to free her were unsuccessful. On the third attempt, he finally got the bow pointed out and gunned the engines to get away from the pier. Unfortunately, the last two inches of rub rail kissed a pilling. The smack caused about a foot of the rubber rub rail to break. The good news was that the rub rail did its job and protected the boat from any fiberglass damage.

After the excitement of shoving off the dock, the next mile and a half was the roughest part of the day. The Marina is on the north side of a highway. The crew had to travel with three foot beam seas out to the bridge to go under the highway. Once the boat turned south the crew had a more enjoyable ride.

Sailboat enjoying the ‘freshened’ winds

With the wind on the stern and following seas, the crew made good time down the Alligator River. After cruising through the Alligator River-Pungo River Canal for 20 miles, they arrived at the Pungo River in the rain.

Birds feeding in the wake.

Luckily, by the time the crew arrived at the River Forest Marina the rain had stopped. Leap of Faith, Let It Ride, and Dragonfly also arrived later in the day. A mini Looper Rendezvous on the docks as the crews all swapped their latest sea stories.

Dock hands waiting for the next arrival at River Forest Marina.

Saturday, November 11, 2017

The theme of the week, waiting and wind, would continue. The winds were in the mid 20’s with gusts to the mid 30’s much of Thursday night through Saturday morning. The winds dropped down into the mid-teens on Saturday morning with forecast to continue to drop during the day.

This next section of water has some wide open and exposed areas so before leaving the dock, the skipper found three bailout locations along the route just in case things did not go as planned.

The crew shoved off the dock in 17 mph winds. This time the wind blew them away from the dock and it was much easier to get underway. Amazingly, the waves were only 1-2 footers and following which made for an easy ride on the Pungo River.

Seas as the crew crossed the Pamlico River.

When they arrived to cross the Pamlico River, the wind had picked up to 19 mph and whipped up the waves to 3-5 feet. The angle of the waves were off the back starboard quarter which caused the boat to fishtail back and forth. The crew got across this nastiness in 30 minutes and entered a narrow canal where things were much nicer.

Another sailboat enjoying the wind.

The crew of Leap of Faith were about an hour ahead of our crew and were texting back sea conditions in the Bay River and Neuse River. Lets just say the weather forecasters were wrong again. The winds continued to stay strong all day. The crew passed their first bailout point and decided to press on to see for themselves the waves in the Bay River.

The waves in the Bay River turned out to be about 3 footers. But with the direction of travel the ride was comfortable. The skipper took an angle out of the channel over marked deep water that also helped to make for a calm ride. They passed their second bailout location and continued south on the Neuse River

When they passed Oriental, the third bailout location, all seemed to be going smoothly. With all the big water behind them, it would now only be another 15 miles in narrow creeks out of the wind. Well of course, except for docking.

A small reprieve from the wind.

When they came out of the narrow creeks, they discovered that the winds had picked up again. The wind was now blowing in the low 20’s. To make matters worse, the wind would be blowing directly across the boat while trying to dock. It took three tries before the skipper was finally able to get the right strategy to back the boat in the slip. He started backing the boat towards the slip, two boat slips north of his designated slip. The wind blew him south and as he arrived in front of his slip he was able to get between the dock and the boat just south of him. Good thing that big 60 foot boat was blocking the wind after he got in the slip.

After getting all secure, the skipper went up to the office to check in. To his surprise, the dock master gave him a large bag of fresh shrimp. This has been a strange week, but at least it will end on a good note with a shrimp boil tonight.

Boat Name of the Week

Waiting at the North Landing River Bridge

Next Week –

The forecast continues to show wind to be a challenge to safe navigation. So depending on how the weather actually plays out will certainly have an impact on how far south the crew makes it this next week. They hope to get somewhere between North Myrtle Beach and Charleston.

Loop On – The water goes on forever and the adventure never ends.

Eric the Red
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November 12, 2017
Treasures of Memories
Hello virtual crew members and fellow adventures!

Eric here with the latest travels of Still Waters II.

Who knew Pepsi-Cola was born in New Bern and was originally called Brad’s Drink?

Summary of week:

The crew did not venture far on the waterways this week because they spent most of the week on shore excursions with their grandkids. They spent Sunday exploring New Bern. They managed a day cruise on Monday afternoon for about 3.5 hours, and a Pirate Cruise on Tuesday out of Beaufort, North Carolina. On Wednesday, they went to Plymouth to go bear hunting and actually saw four bears.

The grandkids headed home on Thursday so our crew took a day of rest to recover from all the fun. On Friday, the crew cruised almost 60-miles and dropped anchor to spend a quite evening on the hook. Saturday, they made a short 22-mile run to Belhaven and stopped at the River Forest Marina for the weekend.

Moving north in North Carolina

To read the day-to-day travel log, click on this link.

Still Waters II VIMEO site

At the Box Office this week, is a short video of the pirate crew in training, practicing their sword fighting skills, the battle to secure the treasure, and celebrating the victory.

Beaufort Pirate Revenge from Still Waters II on Vimeo.

Sunday, June 25, 2017

The grandkids arrived early in the morning to the New Bern area after a long two-day drive from Bryan/College Station, Texas. After everyone (mainly parents) got some needed rest, The Lathers Crew showed up at the boat and the whirlwind began. The skipper took the crew on a walk around town and the nearby parks.

While walking in the park and playing Pokémon Go, the skipper noticed the crew of Leap of Faith sitting on a park bench near their boat. Turns out the bridge only opens at 1600 on Sundays so they had a two hour wait before they could move to the marina.

Colonial Palace

Monday, June 26, 2017

The skipper took The Lathers Crew out on a day cruise from the marina. They cruised out about 10 miles and then turned around and headed back to the marina. The Lathers Crew was fascinated by the bascule bridge opening and were excited beyond delight when they passed an Osprey nest with a mother and chick.

Eager anticipation of some of the Lathers Crew

The skipper was nervous as the proverbial cat on a hot tin roof, but the worry was for naught as The Lathers Crew managed to all make it back to the marina without anyone initiating a man-overboard-drill. Not many pics of the cruise because the adults were all busy herding the cats, if you know what I mean.

Tuesday, June 27, 2017

The Lathers Crew headed to Beaufort for a Pirate Cruise. After a picnic lunch, it was off to the Maritime Museum where they participated in a scavenger hunt around the museum. There were over twenty objects they each had to find to earn their reward.

Seems the most popular items were the whale heart and Louie the Rat. After all items were found they each got a sticker commemorating their success and a sea shell.

Scavenger hunters with list

Next it was time to take part in the Pirate Revenge Adventure.

On the pier prior to adventure

Safety Briefing

Preparing for battle

Currently losing the battle

Dividing the spoils of war

After the hard-fought battle to win the treasure, The Lathers Crew spent their new-found wealth on ice cream. Well, maybe their Papa Fuller (our skipper) pulled a few George Washington’s out of his pocket and paid for the ice cream because plastic gold coins are not really worth much. (but don’t tell The Lathers Crew.)

Wednesday, June 28, 2017

The Lathers Crew headed to Plymouth to visit the God’s Creation Museum. When they arrived, they found a new Bear-Ology exhibit about the North Carolina Black Bears.

Beth doing an excellent job narrating the tour at the museum

They watched a 20-minute film about the bears and then enjoyed the museum exhibits. The Skipper asked if there was anywhere nearby that they could go and see live bears.

In the theatre

Beth’s answer was similar to the disclaimer you get from any financial planner, “now I cannot guarantee you will see a bear……. but you might try the Pungo Wildlife Refuge.”

After the museum tour and the necessary shark tooth fossil dig, The Lathers Crew set off for the Pungo National Wildlife Refuge.

Digging for shark teeth

While driving around the Refuge, the crew spotted a lone Black Bear. The Lathers Crew went wild. Then after driving around some more they came upon another bear, and she had two small cubs. And yes, the crowd went wild again. Unfortunately, the skipper did not bring his telephoto lens, so the ‘Kodak Moment’ is not all that great. But trust me, that is a North Carolina Black Bear and cub.

Sow and one of the two cubs

Thursday, June 29, 2017

As stated earlier, The Lathers Crew hit the road back towards home early in the morning. They planned to head south towards Georgia to Amicalola Falls and then on to the Atlanta Aquarium to wrap up their 2017 vacation. Ahh, to be young again and have endless energy.

Atlanta Aquarium

Our crew just lazed around all day to rest up from the whirlwind known as The Lathers Crew.

Friday, June 30, 2017

Our crew set out to make the 24-miles back to the ICW and then head east towards Belhaven. After a 58-mile cruise, the crew dropped anchor in the Campbell Creek for the night.

While performing engine checks following the run, the skipper noticed the alternator belt was broken on the starboard engine. The skipper decided to rely on the solar panels and replace the belt on Sunday after the engines have a day to cool off.

Back on the ICW at mile 175

Shortly after stopping it began to rain. When the rain stopped a beautiful rainbow appeared, then a double rainbow appeared.

Sharing our anchor spot with these folks on a sailboat.

Saturday, July 1, 2017

After a morning rain shower passed, the crew weighed anchor and made the last 22 miles to Belhaven. After getting docked with the help of a young dock hand, the dock master showed up and asked the crew to move over to the other side of the pier. So they backed off the pier, rounded the T-dock, and pulled back up to the pier to get settled. You can never get enough practice docking in 15 knot winds.

Mile 150 in Pamlico River

The dock master said there was a 70-footer coming in and he needed that side to park the big boat. There was also supposed to be four other boats showing up here today. Looks like the wind and rain have kept them away. The dock master did say they were ‘fair weather’ boaters and was not surprised by their no-show.

Boat Name of the Week

The Scalawag

Next Week –

The crew will continue their northbound journey towards Norfolk to complete the Atlantic ICW leg of the Loop.

Loop On –

The water goes on forever and the adventure never ends.

Eric the Red
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July 2, 2017
A Bear’y Good Week
Hello virtual crew members and fellow adventures!

Eric here with the latest travels of Still Waters II.

We had a few more virtual crew members come aboard in the last week. Welcome aboard Scollier99 and Joshua Duns!!!

Summary of week:

The crew left North Myrtle Beach on Monday and docked at Southport at the end of the day. Tuesday the crew put in a long day and anchored just east of Swansboro in Mile Hammock Bay. Then the crew pressed on to Morehead City on Wednesday. The crew took a side trip up to New Bern, the colonial capital of North Carolina, on Thursday.

Click on the link to read the day-to-day travel log.

Still Waters II VIMEO site

Click on this link to see the weekly Vimeo video. This week’s video shows a few bridge openings, a helicopter flying overhead, and an Osprey in her nest.

Sunday, June 18, 2017

The crew started the day by walking 1.5 miles to a Fuddruckers’s so the skipper could get a ½ LBS Elk Burger to celebrate Father’s Day. After gorging on burgers and fries, the crew walked back to Barefoot Landing to walk amongst the shops.

They saw a gator swimming just beneath the boardwalk. Then a gator sunbathing by a store.

When the evening fell they found a few street performers. One guy was playing the sax and was very good. A man on stilts tying balloons for kids of all ages.

Then they found a guy doing a juggling act while sitting atop a seven-foot unicycle. This guy put on a really good show with audience participation.

Monday, June 19, 2017

This was a very non-descript cruise until the last ten miles. Really not much to report. But leaving North Myrtle Beach always requires the utmost in situational awareness as the helmsmen navigates the ‘Rock Pile.’

However, at about mile 315 a large blue boat overtook Still Waters II.

The owners of the blue boat, Another Bubble, turned out to be Cathy and Glen. Who just happen to be the parents of a young man named Brandon. Who just happens to own Sweetwater Landing. Which just happens to be the marina where our crew started and crossed their wake on the Great Loop.

The Admiral and skipper first met Cathy and Glen in Norfolk in May 2015. They last saw them in June 2015 at Sweetwater Landing where they were helping Brandon with some work around the marina. It was a pleasant surprise to see and talk with them on the water.

About this same time the wind decided to kick it up a notch or two to 18 knot winds. Just in time for the crew to dock. Upon arrival, the skipper just turned the boat parallel with the dock and let the wind blow the boat up against the dock.

After docking, it was time to go walk the town done to see what this place is all about. After walking around a bit, the crew decided that they had actually been here before. The skipper came here back in the early 2000’s to assist another nuclear power plant with some work control issues. The Admiral had also accompanied him on the business trip.

The river pilot lookout station

While walking down the river walk, they read about a man who was a Cape Fear River pilot that helped smuggle confederate goods to Wilmington during the Civil War. These waters leading into Cape Fear have sunk more than their fair share of ships, so a knowledgeable pilot is a good thing when carrying commercial cargo. Pilots are still used to this day.

River pilot T.M. Thompson’s home overlooking the inlet

Amazing enough, the pilots were paid $3,000 in gold per transit back in the Civil War days because not only did they have to negotiate the hazardous shoals, they also had to bust thru the Union Blockade that was established to prevent goods from making it into the southern states. T.M. Thompson made 34 successful runs in three years during the Civil War. After the war, the fee for a river pilot dropped down to $200 per transit.

Tuesday, June 20, 2017

Leaving Southport

Cruised in the rain most of the day so not really much to report. The below pic was taken during some slack rain when the skipper could actually see out the front. He ran with the radar on most of the day practicing piloting the boat in low visibility.

After stopping at Mile Hammock Bay to anchor, a helicopter buzzed around the bay until nightfall. The crew thought he was gone for good when it appeared he had left. Unfortunately, sometime in the middle of the night he showed back up and buzzed the boat a few times, waking everyone on board.

Wednesday, June 21, 2017

When leaving the anchorage the crew ran down a long stretch of water that is surrounded by Camp Lejeune. When passing this sign on the water, the lights were off so the skipper continued north along the waterway.

Mile 240 on the Atlantic ICW

However, the marines must have been practicing some artillery drills because the booms , bangs, and percussion sound blasts were vibrating the boat for the next twenty miles.

The crew pressed on though because they had there sights set on a dock and dine experience in Swansboro. Back when our crew left Jacksonville, the crew of Miss My Money recommended a restaurant in Swansboro to stop at and try their peach fritters.

Headed to the dock in Swansboro

Our crew arrived in Swansboro and docked at the free town dock. From the dock, it was a short three-minute walk to Yana’s to try the peach fritters. The fritters were exceptional. This might just be the best desert on the Great Loop, even better than Canadian Butter Tarts.

The Admiral walked in a few of the shops on the way back to the boat. After shoving off from the dock the skipper noted that they had spent about two hours in town. They will add this stop to future passages thru the area.

After the pit stop at Yana’s, the crew headed for Morehead City where they docked for the evening. The boat they shared the dock with dwarfed Still Waters II.

Thursday, June , 2017

The crew got underway and were passing under the Morehead City/Beaufort Bridge when a tow backed out of a side channel. The skipper had to stop and back up to prevent getting hit. The skipper does not think the tow captain saw Still Waters II before backing out. The tow did not blow his horn either to warn he was backing out. Good news though, no collision, just a near miss.

The crew ended up following the tow for around twenty miles thru Core Creek and Adams Creek. When the tow reached the Neuse River, she turned right and our crew turned left to head to New Bern.

A close-up of that shrimp boat to see all the birds swarming around.

After another twenty-four miles on the Neuse River, the crew docked at the Grand Marina and Yacht Club to begin their exploration of the town.

Friday, June 23 , 2017 – Saturday, June 24 , 2016, 2017

New Bern was settled in 1710 by Swiss and German immigrants. The leader of these folks was from Bern, Switzerland so he named the town after his hometown.

New Bern is the second-oldest colonial town in North Carolina and has served as the capital of both the colonial government and the state.

The word Bern is Swiss for Bear and bears are the towns mascot. In 2010, as part of the 300th birthday celebration, a public art display of bears was commissioned. There are over 50 bears around town, many of them in the historic district near the water front. Some of the bears the crew has found while exploring the area:

Black Bear’d the Pirate

Sailor Bear

Farmer Market Bear

Emma’s cruising days have come to an end

The skipper and Emma have also started on the Pokémon Adventure. They have been hunting Pokémon all over the Historic District.

Boat Name of the Week

Not sure what the name of this boat means but liked that it hailed from Fort Worth, Texas. Saw the boat as the crew entered New Bern Grand Marina.

Next Week –

The crew will sit in New Bern until Thursday. The parents and siblings of Emma will arrive on Sunday and spend a few days before heading back to Texas on Thursday. The crew will then set sail back to the ICW and continue north towards Norfolk.

Loop On – The water goes on forever and the adventure never ends.

Eric the Red
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June 25, 2017
The Good Old North State
Hello virtual crew members and fellow adventurers!

Eric here reporting on the travels of our crew after leaving Barefoot Landing Marina and making their way across the state of North Carolina and part of Virginia.

But first one funny story about the good fortune of the skipper while at Barefoot Landing. You may recall that our skipper has a liking to ice cream and he is on a mission to test as many ice creameries as possible while on this adventure.

Someone living off the grid. No external power. Rain barrels for fresh water.

When he arrived at his favorite Barefoot Landing ice cream store there must have been 25-30 people jammed in line at the store. He noticed that the servers were not serving and that someone was on the phone trying to troubleshoot the cash register. Seems they had lost their internet connection so they could not charge the customer transactions. (Do you see the irony in calling this machine a cash register?)

After about a five minute wait with no activity, the server on the phone hung up and announced that the ‘cash’ register was broke and that they could not accept credit cards, only cash. Darn the bad luck, almost everyone cleared out of the store and left the skipper third in line behind two other older gentlemen. One of the three reached in his pocket and pulled out some cash and showed it to the leaving crowd. Needless to say they were not impressed. The three had a good laugh as the young folks left the store moaning and complaining. The skipper placed his order and paid cash at the cash register, what a novel idea.

Crossing North Carolina

Day 1, Sunday, April 24, 2016, The crew left Barefoot Landing about 0930. As they travelled up the river they noticed more and more local boaters getting on the water. The skipper was aware of an inlet not too far away and began to wonder if most of these folks were headed out into the Atlantic. The skipper reviewed the weather and wave forecasts and proposed that they travel up to Southport on the outside, i.e. Atlantic Ocean.

After a little discussion the crew decided to go out the inlet and run on the outside as long as the forecasts were correct about the wave size. When they arrived the Atlantic looked good so they proceeded out into the Big Pond. They ran East three miles off of the coast for some 25 miles and then came back in at the Cape Fear Inlet.

Coming back in at Bald Head Island

After getting back on the ICW they anchored out in the Bay at mile 305.

Day 2, Monday, April 25, 2016, The crew weighed anchor and headed north on the Cape Fear River at 0801. The Cape Fear River does not seem as scary to the skipper as the movie made it out to be. Actually very calm and serene.

Every day presents new challenges to overcome and today that challenge will be to make bridge openings on time. Several bridges through this section only open on the hour. Miss the opening and you have to wait for the next opening.

Kite surfing the Bogue River

The skipper timed the Wrightsville Beach Bridge just about right. Only had to wait for 15 minutes to pass through. There was a funny exchange between the skipper and the Bridge Tender though. The charts show the bridge to be 22 feet. Still Waters II air clearance is 17.5 feet. The skipper was looking for the clearance markers on the bridge to verify he could go under, but could not see them. He hailed the tender and asked for the current clearance. The Bridge Tender informed the skipper that there was only 15 feet of clearance. He also suggested the skipper wait for the bridge to open.

The Figure 8 Island Bridge had 22 feet of clearance when the crew arrived so they did not have to wait. However, they arrived 30 minutes early for the 1400 Surf City Swing Bridge Opening.

The crew caught a break though because a commercial Ferry was headed south so the Bridge Tender opened the Bridge early and allowed Still Waters II to pass. Not bad, only 20 minutes of waiting this year. Beats the hour wait from last year when the bridge Tender closed the bridge just before the crew was about to pass because so many boats were in line and car traffic really got stacked up.

At about 1450, a powered catamaran passed Still Waters II. Her name was ‘Next Adventure’ and she was flying a white AGLCA burgee. When the crew approached Mile Hammock Bay to drop anchor, they noticed that ‘Next Adventure’ was already swinging on the anchor. The skipper dropped anchor next to “Next Adventure.”

In a little while the skipper noticed that someone in a dinghy was rowing over to Still Waters II. It was the captain of ‘Next Adventure”. Tom Hoffmann rowed over to swap boat cards with our crew. Tom retired after 31 years at the Kennedy Space Center.

How to borrow a cup of sugar from your neighbor

Day 3, Tuesday, April 26, 2016, Three unusual events unfolded as the day progressed.

The crew pulled the anchor at 0815 and headed north through Camp Lejeune. They arrived at the Onslow Beach Swing Bridge at 0847. While waiting for the 0900 opening, a crimson boat arrived at a high rate of speed. The captain radioed the skipper and asked his cruising speed. The skipper answered, “Usually 6-8 knots. The captain then asked if he could pass them prior to the bridge opening. The skipper maneuvered Still Waters II off to the side and then behind the crimson boat. As the Swing Bridge began to rotate the crimson boat started forward and by the time the boat was between the fenders of the bridge he was throwing a huge wake. So much for the No Wake sign hanging in plain view.

The skipper let that die down a little bit before he went through the bridge at idle speed. He commented to the Admiral that that guy must be in a big hurry. Not to long after that another person came on the radio and said that he was pulling back on the throttles and asked the red boat for a slow pass. Obviously that did not happen because the next thing you here on the radio is “Thanks for the @#%$^ slow pass and huge wake.”

Then a little later, the crew heard the marinas in Swansborro hailing the red boat and telling him to slow down because he was in a posted No Wake Zone passing by town. Again, he ignored them and was met with some sarcastic thank you’s.

The next strange thing that happened today was a report of a sailboat wrecking into the fenders at the Beaufort Bridge. A sailboat captain hailed the Coast Guard and asked to go to Channel 22A. The skipper decided to listen in and also went to 22A. The sailboat captain reported that another sailboat, ‘Evergreen’ had come within 20 feet of colliding with him as they approached the bridge and then ‘Evergreen’ actually collided with the bridge fenders.

That had to hurt.

The Coast Guard sent a boat out to find ‘Evergreen’ and then had them return to port for a safety vessel inspection. The skipper suspects they got some other type of inspection also. Something about walking a line and touching your nose.

When the crew passed under the bridge about 45 minutes later, you could see the damage to the fenders. If the bridge fenders look that bad, I would hate to see the damage to the 40 foot fiberglass sailboat.

The final creepy event occurred after dropping anchor up in Cedar Creek. A few hours after dropping the anchor, the Admiral looked out the window and commented that it looked like the boat had moved. The skipper jumped up and looked out, and sure enough the anchor had let loose and the boat was drifting to shore. She was only 30 yards or so from the bank.

At least the view is good from Cedar Creek

The skipper got the depth finder turned on and determined they had 5 feet of water under the boat so he started both engines. The Admiral hustled out to the bow and began retrieving the anchor. With the anchor up, the skipper moved the boat back to the leeward shore and they dropped the anchor again. This time they let out 150 feet of chain in 5-6 feet of water. That should hold them tight for the night.

Never a dull moment on Still Waters II. Needless to say the skipper did not sleep well as he monitored the anchor every other hour.

Day 4, Wednesday, April 27, 2016,

The challenge over the next several days will be the weather. More specifically, the wind speed and direction. Still Waters II will be passing through some large bodies of water that can get nasty with strong winds. However, by the look of today’s weather forecast, the crew should have favorable conditions most of the day.

The cruise turned out to be pretty good due to the favorable winds. The winds were normally blowing from the stern of the boat causing 2 foot rolling waves. Still Waters II handles these just fine. There was about twenty minutes though that they took the waves directly on the port beam and this caused some rocking motion as each wave passed under the boat. Hope you did not get sea sick Teddy Paul. It was only twenty minutes.

Harvesting Oysters

The crew made good time and arrived in Belhaven to dock at the River Forest Marina. The winds were building as they approached the marina and the skipper backed the boat into the wind. The Admiral and Eddie, the dock hand, did a great job of getting the boat secured to the dock.

Never know what is coming around the next bend

There were four other Looper boats in the marina. The skipper talked to the Dock Master and learned that the boats had been there for three days waiting on a good weather window to leave and cross the Pungo River, Alligator River, and the Albemarle Sound. These waters have a bad reputation. The Dock Master said that the wind was supposed to die down over night. The skipper hopes so, because it is howling at 20 mph at 2030.

The skipper talked to a few of the other looper captains and seems no body is ready to commit to leave in the morning. Our skipper looked at the weather and expects to leave in the morning with winds less than 10 mph. Time will tell.

Day 5, Thursday, April 28, 2016. When the skipper woke and looked out, he noticed that one boat was already gone. He noticed several others prepping to leave. By 0700, there were only three boats left in the marina. Our crew continued their morning routine and prepped to leave by 0900.

A storm blew thru and after it passed our crew safely left the dock with one other boat. ‘Triple Threats’ captain, decided to sit it out one more day before heading on to Norfolk. The morning cruise was comfortable but the skipper was mulling over how to proceed. Most of the other captains were all going to stop at the Alligator Marina, just south of the Albemarle Sound. Sounded like a good plan B for our skipper but he desired to get across the Sound.

Getting passed in the Alligator River

The skipper decided to delay the decision of where to stop for the night and whether to cross the Sound until he actually got to the Alligator River Bridge. Then decide based on weather conditions and time of day. When they passed through the swing bridge the winds were in a favorable direction and there was plenty of daylight left to make it across the sound safely.

Sailboat in the North River

The crew had an easy crossing in two foot waves and about 10 mph winds. However, they still had 10 miles to navigate before they got to a good anchorage location. After nine hours of cruising and 80 miles the crew dropped the anchor. But while dropping the anchor the anchor lower switch stuck in the lower position. The skipper had to turn the power off to the windlass to get the windlass to stop letting out chain. This should make raising the anchor interesting in the morning.

Day 6, Friday, April 29, 2016. The skipper found a simple solution to the anchor issue. The electrical connections for the switch are in the chain locker are easily disconnected. Does not solve the problem to disconnect the switch, but it did allow for the Admiral to raise the anchor in the cool misty rain this morning.

Another day of timing three bridges and one lock. Two of the bridges open on the hour and half hour while the lock and associated bridge only open on the hour. Initial plan was to try and make it through the North Landing River and make the 1300 opening of the North Landing Bridge. Even with the fog reducing visibility to less than 2 miles, the crew made the 1300 opening. The skipper kept monitoring his progress and adjusting speed accordingly to make the bridge.

Shrimper at work

The Centerville Turnpike Bridge is 5 miles up the canal. The skipper set the speed for 10 knots and arrived just in time to make it through the bridge for the 1330 opening.

Now just 3.2 miles to the Great Bridge and Lock. The skipper set the speed at 6 knots and they arrived a few minutes early to be in a group of four boats to pass through the lock. Two of the boats had passed our crew earlier in the morning but missed the 1300 opening and had to wait an hour. A crew member of one of the boats commented on the crew’s ability to time the bridge and lock just right.

If the truth be known, the skipper has a little tool that helps him. If you know the time of the bridge opening, and know the distance to the bridge, the little tool does the math and tells the skipper what speed to set the throttle. Works every time. The skipper loves math so he has fun checking the numbers for an on time arrival.

Bald Head Eagle keeping an eye on the canal

With the bridges and locks behind them, the crew pulled into Top Rack Marina to spend the night. The marina offers a good deal for transient boaters. If you spend $75 dollars in the restaurant, you get to dock for ‘free.’ The crew was stopping here because of the fuel prices, so might as well stay and celebrate completing the AICW, again.

Day 7, Saturday, April 30, 2016. The crew made the final 9 miles to the Waterside Marina in Norfolk on Saturday.

Big Barge on the way to Norfolk

They will spend Sunday cleaning the boat and getting her ready for company. Monday through Thursday, next week the crew will attend the Spring rendezvous of the AGLCA. Part of the agenda is called a ‘Looper Crawl.’ Think tour of homes. The boaters at the rendezvous will open up their boats and let others tour and see what they like/dislike. It is a good deal for people in the planning stage of doing the Loop. Our crew has signed up to open up Still Waters II for the ‘Looper Crawl.’ The Admiral wants to make sure the boat looks her best for the guests.

Signing off for now, but I will bring you the latest news on the crew once they get moving again in a little over a week.

Next up will be the Chesapeake and Delaware Bays.
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May 2, 2016
Parade of Boats
Hello fellow adventurers and virtual crew members!

Eric here reporting on the southbound voyage of Still Waters II. Before leaving Top Rack Marina on Friday morning, the crew topped off the fuel tanks. After taking on fuel the crew headed south on the Virginia Cut route. The crew anchored out Friday and Saturday nights, then pulled into the River Forest Manor and Marina in Belhaven, North Carolina early on Sunday.

Friday October 23, 2015

There are two routes south from Norfolk to cross the Albemarle Sound. The Dismal Swamp and the Virginia Cut. Since the crew took the Dismal Swamp route on the way north, they decided to try the Virginia Cut on the way south. The Virginia Cut has one lock to navigate and several bridges that are on set opening schedules. So the way takes some patience and coordinating.

Entering the Great Bridge Lock

The Great Bridge Lock was the first obstacle to time. The lock operates on the hour and the crew arrived at 0953. A tug had just passed through so the lock gates were open and Still Waters II motored into the lock and took her place along the south wall. She was the fourth boat in the lock and one additional boat pulled in behind her. The gates were closed and the lock master raised the water level about a foot and opened the south bound gates. All five boats exited the lock with no issues and were headed to the Great Bridge for the 1000 opening.

Parade of boats at the Great Bridge

Next was the Centerville Turnpike Swing Bridge three miles south which opens on the hour and half hour. The five boats stayed in order and all made the 1030 opening.

Parade of Boats thru the swing bridge

Next up was the North Landing Swing Bridge 5 miles south. There was a sailboat that was second in line of the parade of boats and was not making much speed. There was not enough room for the three boats behind to pass so they arrived at the swing bridge at 1110 and had to wait 20 minutes for the 1130 opening. While waiting at the bridge the sailboat moved over and let the three motor boats pass.

Mile 10 – Southern Branch of Elizabeth River

After negotiating all the obstacles and clock, the crew dropped anchor in the North River after cruising an additional five hours.

Mile 50 – Coinjock Bridge over North Carolina Cut

With the parade of boats headed south, all of which are making different speed, and some in a hurry while others are not, the patience of some captains has begun to wear thin. Common boating curtesy is to hail the boat in front of you and request to pass. Once permission is granted the lead boat slows and the passing boat slows to minimize the wake while overtaking the lead boat. The radio was alive with chatter of boats requesting to pass. However, there are some folks in a hurry that just plow by other boaters and give off huge 3-5 foot wakes, some even larger. One of these guys got reported to the Coast Guard by several other boaters. When he passed within 15 feet of Still Waters II he threw a 7 foot wake and really rolled her. There is a special place in Sheol for people like that.

Mile 57 – Sunset at anchor in Broad Creek

On the lighter side, there are some very creative people who come up with interesting boat names so we will begin to feature the boat name of the day as the crew journeys south.

Boat Name of the Day – 44 foot powered catamaran – “Stray Cat”

Saturday October 24, 2015

The crew logged a 70 mile voyage and crossed the Albemarle Sound. The plan was to get across the Sound in the morning before the winds got up and caused the big waves that the Albemarle is famous for. The Sound is also known for ‘confused seas’ which means waves from all directions. The Sound did not disappoint. The wind was out of the north/northeast at 15 mph with gusts to 20. This made for 3-5 foot waves coming from all quarters and a bit of a rough ride across. However, the skipper is getting better at finding the right speed to cruise the rougher water to make for a smoother ride. He has been getting more practice than he wished for, but hey, practice makes perfect.

Mile 70 – in Abemarle Sound

After crossing the Sound the crew entered the Alligator River with plans to stop at the Alligator River Marina for lunch and one of Wanda’s excellent hamburgers. Unfortunately, when the skipper called Wanda to ensure that they could dock, she informed the crew that the low tide was very low and they would not be able to get into the marina. Since there would be no stopping the crew passed the marina and headed for the Alligator River-Pungo River Canal. The canal was a 25 mile long welcome escape from the wind and waves. After exiting the canal, the crew dropped anchor in a crowd of about a dozen other boats in the Pungo River.

Mile 110 – Alligator River-Pungo River Canaal

One interesting side note was a sailboat that also wanted to enter the Alligator Marina. The sailboat turned off the ICW and entered the channel markers leading to the Marina entrance. Wanda saw them coming so she tried hailing them on the radio. However, there was no response from the sailboat. When the sailboat entered the breakwater, Wanda came back on the radio and told them to stop, but the sailboat kept going. The next radio transmission was Wanda on Channel 16 in a very smug voice for all to hear, “Sailboat stuck, sailboat stuck, Alligator Marina back to monitoring Channel 16.”

Mile 125 – Alligator River- Pungo River Canal

Lesson Learned – One should carry a radio onboard and monitor Channel 16 while underway. You just never know what you might need to know.

Boat Name of the Day – on a 70 foot motor yacht – ‘Castle Finn’

Sunday October 25, 2015

The crew weighed anchor and made 15 miles to the River Forest Manor and Marina in Belhaven, North Carolina, AKA “Beautiful Harbor.” The crew needed to provision and there was a grocery store about 1.5 miles from the marina. The marina offers courtesy golf carts and the crew used them to make the provisioning run to the store. New experience cruising through town on a golf cart.

River Forest Manor and Marina

The marina is under new ownership and the owners have spent the last year performing upgrades to the marina. The owners and dock hands were very friendly and provided excellent service. The marina owners are now in the process of restoring the River Forest Manor that was built in 1899.

River Forest Manor

Boat name of the Day – 44 foot catamaran – Gypsea Cat

The next big challenge is to cross back through the edge of the Pamlico Sound. The weather report is for 15 mph winds on Monday, but the winds are going to grow to 20 mph on Tuesday. The talk of the dock was about who was going and who was staying. For those staying, the talk was for how long to stay before a good weather window.

Our crew has decided to venture out and cross with the 15 mph winds. The winds should be north/ northeast and only cause a problem for about an hour.

Keep a look out for the next log entry as I describe the wisdom or folly of the decision.

Till then may the wind be in your back and you find still waters.
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October 28, 2015
The Beginning or the End
Hello fellow adventurers and virtual crew members!

Eric here reporting on the run to Elizabeth City, North Carolina and Norfolk, Virginia.

The crew left Hertford, North Carolina on September 1^st and made their way to Elizabeth City. The next morning the crew entered the Dismal Swamp and spent the night at the Visitor Center dock. On Thursday, the crew finished off the Dismal Swamp, made their way to Norfolk, circled the navigational aid Red Buoy #36, and then docked at the Waterside Marina in Norfolk.

Back on the ICW, What is that strange building in the background?

The crew decided to have an extended stay in Norfolk over the holiday weekend and let the crazy people enjoy the water while the crew stayed safely tied to the dock.

Run to Elizabeth City

After leaving the dock at Hertford at 0900, the crew spent 3.5 hours dodging those nasty crab pots in the river and sound. By 1220 the crew had made it out of the Albemarle Sound and into the Pasquotank River. Then 20 minutes later they rejoined the ICW at mile 65 officially ending the side trip around the Albemarle Sound.

There were some interesting sites to behold on the way to Elizabeth City. Most interesting was the Blimp Air Field. The crew spotted a strange building on the horizon which eventually showed itself to be a blimp hanger.

Small Blimp and hanger

Upon arrival in Elizabeth City, the crew strolled around the waterfront. At 1800 they were entertained by a local band for two hours, as the town came out to enjoy a concert in the park.

Summer Concert in the Park

The town lived up to their nickname, “Harbor of Hospitality.”

Though the mate was hoping for 5 boats to be in town so she could get a rose, Still Waters II was only one of two boats docked, so no rose this trip.

Run to Dismal Swamp Visitor Center

On Wednesday September 2, the crew went to the local Mariner Museum and then headed out to the Dismal Swamp. The only thing more dismal than the swamp was the Texas Longhorn’s showing against the Fighting Irish on Saturday. Looks to be another loooooooooooong season for the burnt orange fans such as the skipper.

Dismal Swamp

The trip up the swamp took a little planning to time scheduled bridge and lock openings. The crew left about 1220 and needed to be at the South Mills Lock before 1530 to make the last opening of the day. The skipper knew the time and distance and used that info to calculate the speed needed to make the opening.

Swamp Reflections

The skipper padded the calculation a little and the crew arrived 30 minutes before the lock opening. Plenty of time to set the fenders and ropes to pass through the lock. The trip through the lock raised Still Waters II about 12 feet.

South Mill Lock

The same person operates both the lock and the South Mills Bridge. So after opening the lock gates the bridge tender jumped in his truck and raced down to the bridge to open it so as not to cause any delays on the water. As usual though, plenty of delays for car traffic as they wait for the bridge to close so they can get on down the road.

Just 5 more miles of swamp and the crew arrived at the Visitor Center. There were already 2 boats tied to the dock, but there was plenty of room to dock on the north end past a 26 foot sailboat. The sailboat captain jumped up and helped the mate secure Still Waters II to the dock.

At Visitor Center Dock

Run to Norfolk

Barred Owl keeping an eye on things

North Carolina Smooth Green Snake

The crew spent the morning exploring the Dismal Swamp Park and Visitor Center. However, they needed to get back on the water so they could make the bridge and lock openings again. They shoved off about noon, and thirty minutes later they passed into Virginia.

The crew arrived at the Deep Creek Bridge about 40 minutes ahead of schedule. Just south of the bridge on the east bank was a large concrete structure with cleats attached. So what do you do when you need to wait 40 minutes for the bridge to open?

Deep Creek Bridge

Duh, you tie up to the structure, run across the street to Hardees, and order vanilla shakes for the crew. Then buy a watermelon from the guy sitting on the corner in his pick-up truck. Yes, that is exactly what you do!!!

First Mate enjoying vanilla shake

After making it passed the bridge and through the lock, it was another two hours to Norfolk. There was very little traffic on the Elizabeth River on the run up to Norfolk, but there was plenty of activity along the water front.

Deep Creek Lock

Before entering the Waterside Side Marina in Norfolk, the crew went a little further up river and rounded Red Buoy #36.

The end at marker 36, or is it the beginning?

This buoy is mile marker “0” for the beginning of the Atlantic ICW. The crew was pretty excited that they had actually made it all the way from Fort Myers, Florida.

USS Wisconsin in Norfolk

The crew would like to thank the virtual crew members who have completed this leg of the journey from the safety of their electronic devices. Your words of encouragement keep the crew going strong.

The crew will take shore excursions to visit Jamestown, Yorktown, and the National Mariner’s Museum over the Labor Day weekend, then start the next leg of the journey on the famed Chesapeake Bay next week.

Wildlife sequence – Osprey catching fish

Hunting next meal

The Dive

The take-off

The catch
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September 9, 2015
Run to Alligator River
Hello fellow adventurers and virtual crew members!

Eric here with the latest update on the north migration of Still Waters II and crew.

On Tuesday, August 18^th, the crew left the little charming town of Oriental (population 900 in the 2010 census) and headed towards Belhaven, NC.

Shrimpers returning from sea

The crew was met with returning shrimp boats once they got out of the harbor. The wind was calm and the large Neuse River looked like glass. They found the Neuse River Junction with ease and made a left hand turn up the Bay River for 5 miles.

Neuse River

Then it was another 5 miles up Gale Creek and Upper Spring Creek. The skipper gets a kick out of these names. He says a creek back in Texas is usually dry in the summer and can easily be jumped over when full. These creeks in the Carolina’s are at least a half mile wide, the rivers are miles wide, and the sounds look like oceans. So much for everything is bigger in Texas.

Large body of water in these Carolina’s

Five miles up Goose Creek dumped the crew into the Pamlico River. It was 5 miles wide and led to the Pungo River. It was 10 miles up the Pungo River when they reached Belhaven. The crew decided to travel another 10 miles up-river and anchor for the evening at the mouth of the Alligator River-Pungo River Canal.

Anchorage spot at the south end of canal

This canal was the last link of the ICW to open, which completed the Atlantic Inter Coastal Waterway back in September 1928. Belhaven, the closest town, was the center of celebration to dedicate the opening. Belhaven is the self – proclaimed “Birthplace of the ICW.”

South entrance to canal

On Wednesday, August 19^th, the skipper was up about 0630 reading on the sundeck when a little fishing boat came darting by way to close. The fishermen were yelling “Time to wake up, Time to wake up.” The fishermen did not notice the skipper until he waved at them. They immediately moved further away and quit yelling. The skipper thinks these two are future Darwin Award winners.

The 20 miles through the canal were uneventful but beautiful. The skipper had a keen eye out for deer and black bear but saw none. The crew did spot 2 flocks of turkeys and 1 bald eagle though.

Wild Turkeys

Looking East

A few underwater hazards

As they exited the canal they entered the Alligator River. The crew was provided their own private air show while cruising the river. Two military jets were performing maneuvers overhead. The jets would fly by, make an arcing u turn, fly into the distance, perform an aerial 360 degree loop and then buzz by Still Waters II at a low altitude. They performed this routine 4-5 times before finally disappearing in the horizon.

Incoming

Fly by

The crew’s timing for docking was perfect. The marina is known for its hamburgers cooked by Ms Wanda and the crew was looking forward to taste testing the burger. For some unknown reason, the marina store closed at 1500 rather than the usual 1800. The crew got tied up at the dock about 1400 and went over and ordered burgers. The dock hand had told the crew that Ms Wanda was closing the grill at 1430. She did an excellent job of grilling the burgers and the crew was happy that they made it in time for last call.

Alligator Marina

Still Waters II was the only vessel in the marina. This marina is geared for transient boaters making the spring and fall runs up and down the east coast. Looks to be a peaceful night in North Carolina.

All alone in the marina

Nothing could be finer

Than being in Carolina

In the morning…………

Next on the agenda is to cruise the Albemarle Sound. The crew will divert off of the ICW and head over to Edenton, NC. They will then work their way back east to Elizabeth City and prepare for the Dismal Swamp run.
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August 21, 2015