Elizabeth City thru Dismal Swamp May 16-21

When we arrived at Elizabeth City we were greeted at the dock by this sign.
 Free dock if you dine at one of their restaurants that they supply.
We stayed three nights waiting for the effects of Tropical Storm Arthur to settle down.  

Elizabeth City had some beautiful churches.

This fountain was in the city center and the trees were cool.

The South Mill Lock was the beginning of the Dismal Swamp Canal.
This was our first lock since the Ten-Tom Waterway North of Mobile AL in November.

Maggie Jo heading down the Dismal Swamp. 22 miles long built in the early 1800's.

Root Beer Swamp water. The water is actually clean. Its color comes from the tannins from the trees.
It is suppose to have medicinal value due to its low pH.

Welcome

Part of the visitor center is also a rest area for a highway???

This is how you dress when you are not used to 60 degrees and mist

Maggie  Jo squeezed into the free dock.

Cool swamp trails.

Angie, Denise, & Dave (Adagio)

Don't park under trees.

Adagio following us in the canal.

The water surface is highly reflective due to the Black/Brown water color.

Before the Deep Creek Lock we were able to tie to a wall and walk to a
Hardees and a Food Lion grocery store for some re-provisioning.

Root Beer foam on the canal.

The end of the canal lock.

Belhaven & Albemarle Sound NC May 15 16

Crossing the Pamlico Sound on the way to Belhaven NC.
We wish all our crossing were like this. You almost couldn't tell the sky from the water.

Angie and Denise (Adagio) heading to town on one of the three carts at the River Forest Marina.
The laundry room was in the mansion in the background.

This tourist pirate ship was coming from Ft. Myers, heading to New Jersey.
The captain built the boat and was traveling with his son.

Angie driving down the 21 mile Pungo River - Alligator River Canal.

More Root Beer water. 

It was a calm day when we got to Alligator River Marina and Swing Bridge area so we and Dave and Denise (Adagio) decide to push on to Elizabeth city. Tropical Storm Arthur was developing out in the Atlantic.

Albemarle Sound can be one of the toughest sound on the loop.
We were glad we pushed on and made this crossing on this perfect day.
The last 1/2 hour coming into Elizabeth City we had 1 1/2 swell on a trailing sea.
Great Day 85 miles.

Carolina Beach State Park NC, May 9-11

At Carolina Beach State Park.
Maggie Jo was the largest vessel in the marina. $30/night with power and water.

Our new bike parking spot. It was about a mile bike ride to town and the beach.

Carolina Beach Boardwalk.

Angie back on the beach.

The state park had great walking trails.

This is a large lily pond.

Read the shirt. It says; if you can read this shirt pull me up back in the boat.

Cannot get enough of the natural beauty of flowers.

We were looking for Venus Fly Trap plants but did not see one.
The red plants were also a carnivorous eating plant.

We are seeing more swing brides than lift bridges.

Beaufort & Oriental NC, May 12-14

Our marina in Beaufort NC. Homer Smith Marina and Seafood. Clark
the dock master was one of the best!!

We got 4 1/2 pound of whole large shrimp for $9.00 total.
Great tasting Carolina Shrimp.

The Shrimp boat unloaded right at the marina.

I don't know what these plant were but you could smell them about 1/2 block before you got near them.

Maggie Jo and Adigio (both Mainship 390's) docked in Oriental NC.

If you look close this sailing vessel is unloading a cannon that they must have found scuba diving.

This vessel was near us. It's a scallop boat that cleared 1.5 million on it last time out.

Shrimp Supper Time with hash-brown potato patties.

Southport NC, May 7-9

Our friends and Harbor Host (Robert & Kay Creech) home located right on the bay.
The movie "Safe Haven" was filmed next door and in the bay.

Robert and Kay Creech. They actually did the loop in 2008/2009 in their boat and
traveled with our boat and the previous owners.

My favorite curb side pickup.

Fried oysters and corn and oyster Rockefeller, Southern style, covered in collard greens and pimento cheese.
All for me, the captain. 

Another great restaurant with great fish tacos! First Mates favorite!

Seafood right off the boat.

BEAUTIFUL HOUSES IN SOUTH PORT NC

With the Full Moon the tide is extra high, even the street in front of our dock flooded.

We stayed at a restaurants free dock for two days. Being the restaurant was closed for COVID they decided to remodel.
Sometimes we could step right from the dock to the deck and other times we had to climb 5 steps.
I unloaded and loaded the  bikes at high tide.

When we pulled into the dock there was the channel marker #5 with a 20 ft pole was under the restaurants deck.
The owners called the coast guard and they came and cut the post up in sections before  the tide rose again.