Pasquotank River to Elizabeth City, NC

We headed out early on Saturday, Nov. 15th, towards Elizabeth City, Va. We had to pass through another lock, to exit the Dismal Swamp Canal. This time, we were lowered down 10-12 feet in the lock, and then proceeded to the Pasquotank River. It looked much more "dismal" than the Dismal Swamp, and it is also very curvy, too.

After a five hour trip, we landed at Elizabeth City, NC. They call the city "The Harbor of Hospitality"; it's pretty true. We were waved toward the seawall by Sam, a WWII vet who, along with other "elders" of the town, hang out at the pier every day, helping boaters tie up. Sam gave us the rundown on what the town had to offer(we knew most of the info., having researched this stop ahead of time), told us we were welcome to stay as long as we liked and that the town was happy to have us...welcome to the south!

There are slips for 14 boats, and they were all full, as well as the sea wall, where we tied up. It's been so windy, and Saturday was no different, we were bouncing around pretty good at the wall. I think boaters are killing time here until they get a favorable weather window to cross the Albemarle Sound. We've heard that it can be a lot worse than the Chesapeake Bay, as it's waters are more shallow, kicking up big waves. Anyway, we came across a lot of boats we'd seen or passed along the way so far..including "Frenchie", our incredibly slow going friend. Boats from both Eastport and Annapolis(sailboats, surprise) came in, as well as one from Lancaster, Va., which isn't too far from where my parents live....small world! There's also a guy from New Jersey in a sailboat that can't be more than 18 feet long...CRAZY!!

We planned to spend the weekend here, and were glad to get a chance to get off of the boat and stretch our legs. We took a good bike ride, to enjoy the 78 degree weather and see the town. Downtown, very small and old-timey, a half mile out, you find most everything you'd need(great supermarket, Lowes, many fast food choices, and a decent mall). We also spied a Mexican place, so, you guessed it, we made plans to eat dinner there.

The local grocery store will come pick you up to shop, and then give you a ride back to the pier when you're done, so we took advantage of that to stock up on the essentials: ice, water, and beer. I LOVE checking out grocery stores, and seeing what different things they offer. The one in Elizabeth City is GREAT! I showed very good control, as we already have a full fridge and freezer, and no room to store anything else. Then it was on to the laundromat, to get some clothes cleaned. Scott did really well, having never had the laudromat experience. He quickly learned that you go through more quarters than you'd think...only TEN minutes of dry time for a quarter! Anyway, we got our required jobs done, and called a cab to go to Mamasitas for dinner(threat of big rain made us decide not to bike it there).

The cab for dinner came lightening quick, and we settled in for dinner. We talked of walking back to the pier, but then looked outside to torrential rain; there was actually a tornado watch for Elizabeth city until 8pm. So, we called our friendly cab company, and got another lightening fast pick up back to the boat. It was a really, really windy night. Glad we didn't have plans to travel any further until Monday. We're crossing our fingers for our trip across the Albemarle Sound.

We woke up today, Nov. 16th, to beautiful blue sky, but a definite drop in temperature...high of 54 today. :( This morning was cleaning day. I did a good once over on the boat, and Scott got into the motor to check it out...all looks good. After a shower, it was off to the local sports bar, to watch the Ravens game. I was shocked to see that our game was on the big screen, with the sound..yea! Although the outcome was not a yea. Oh well, on to next week!

We're now making a plan for tomorrow's crossing of the Albemarle Sound. Our hope is that if we leave at the crack of dawn, we'll be across before the winds have a chance to kick up..fingers crossed! Here are our photos from the trip down the Pasquotank, and a few of Elizabeth City.