Ego Alley, Low Oil and Near Broach on Way to Norfolk, Alligator River and Bath

Ego Alley

Great catching up with family.

The Chesapeake Bay can be a first class bitch, and she was! I am sure that none of my friends or family would have enjoyed this day, with the possible exception of our daughter Caroline, the risk taker and lover of danger. After spending a great night in Silver Spring, Maryland with Bill's brother Bob, wife Nora and sons Max and Danny, we got off to a leisurely start from what turns out to be nicknamed Ego Alley, a dock in the middle of old Annapolis where people apparently pull their boats in to show off. Of course that's what we were doing, right alongside 60 foot Whiskey Tango Foxtrot and some other massive, shiny cruisers.


The first 20 miles were pleasant enough. We saw some sailboats with spinnakers flying, likely racing naval teams. We were quite a bit offshore, as the Bay is shallow throughout. The sun was strong and the air was nice and warm.  The historic lighthouses beautiful.

Then the first major issue of the day - our low oil warning alarm sounded.  We immediately switched to our auxiliary motor and spent the next 90 minutes limping into the nearest harbor.  After docking with some difficulty because of the increasing winds, Bill got the large cover off our main engine, added oil and, voila, we were back on course.

As we approached the Potomac River, the waves started getting intense. We had chop from the wind and swells, a nasty combination. Just south of the mouth of the Potomac, with the boat on autopilot, Salty Paws decided to turn sideways while surfing down a big wave. I know we heeled to 45 degrees (or more?) and held there. I knew we were going to capsize. Bill says no. I was completely terrified and really couldn't shake the feeling for quite awhile. Bill saved us again and took control of the helm from then on. He tells me that steering for long periods is exhausting. We are often going into the sun, as we are headed south, also wearing. We were finally able to pull into Little Wicomico Harbor and found a quiet anchorage for the night.


A quiet night in the  Little Wicomico River.

The next morning, we motored over to the sole marina in the harbor to get gas. Two fisherman in small skiffs, not sure if they were crabbing or fishing catfish, told us that we wouldn't do well out there today, so we turned around and headed back to our anchorage for another night. Who is going to argue with a crabber?



Norfolk Naval Yard

The next morning was great. We got an early start and were able to put in our longest day, about 130 nautical miles, or about 155 statute miles.

From Wicomico, we made it down to Norfolk Harbor, considered one of the best natural harbors in the world.
Our pix can't really show how massive some of these naval vessels are. And so many of them. On our tour through the Naval Academy, I had chatted with a fellow on the tour who happens to be an admiral in the Royal Navy, and is currently stationed at the Pentagon. He described our impressive navy and told me that I should be assured of our country's safety.



Waiting for the lock to open.

After Norfolk/Portsmouth, we reentered the ICW.  We wanted to go through the Dismal Swamp Canal, but it was closed due to debris from Hurricane Matthew.  We passed under 6 bridges, 2 of which we had to wait for openings on the half hour.


Just before the last bridge, we entered the Great Bridge lock. The 500' lock can hold many boats at once. We secured to the starboard side while waiting for the lock to empty. The boat waiting in front of us was from Maine, headed to Florida.

Our goal had been to get across the Albemarle Sound, which can also be nasty. It is shallow and even a small wind can stir things up. We made it across with no excitement and pulled into a small marina near the mouth of the Alligator River in Virginia at 5:30, half an hour after sunset. Ten minutes later would have greatly increased the difficulty of pulling in.


The sun was already setting when we arrived at the marina.

The slips in this neck of the woods are quite different from the ones we see in Maine. The boats pull in between pilings and throw lines over the pilings. There are then 3 spring lines on each side of the boat. The tide in this area has been 1-2' v. the 9 ' tides we have in Maine. Our high tides make this system impossible, so we have floating docks which rise and lower with the tides. Bill has become quite competent at managing our docking.

The next morning we went down the Alligator River, wide open and clearly marked. We then entered the 20 mile Alligator Pongo Canal. The book had suggested that we might see all kinds of wildlife, including deer, bears and maybe even an alligator. We saw not one living creature. Not a bird, nothing, for 20 miles. The canal was tricky as it was narrow with submerged fallen trees and other hazards on either side.

The Alligator Pongo Canal

We did see a few shipwrecks, but they were personal craft from the last 20 years or so. The canal was oddly beautiful in a bleak sort of way. After the canal, the Pongo River opened up and then the Pamlico River. Both were relatively calm. We came into Bath Creek off the Pamlico and are staying at the Bath state dock, which is free for 72 hours.

At the free dock in Bath, NC.

A real Southern meal

We stayed in Bath today because of another windy day and have taken a couple of nice walks in this tiny, historic town. We had a great lunch at the only eatery in town and had fried catfish and hush puppies. Wish I'd known they have fried okra. Maybe I didn't get offered that because the waitress knew we were Yankees.

Off tomorrow for Morehead/Beaufort, NC.