Harrie and Pati delivered us to the dock at Hampton Roads around 11 a.m. We fired up WishBone and crossed Hampton Roads bay and headed up the Elizabeth River. A destroyer came along past us headed for the Norfolk shipyard, joining the many other destroyers there. We arrived at the Gilmanton bridge at 4:00 p.m. and found they were under security restrictions to open. We were told they were scheduled to open at 6:30 p.m. We dropped anchor along with three other boats and waited. Around 5 p.m. the bridge radioed it was our lucky day, pull anchor and he would open. Okay, anchors pulled and a train comes along under the bridge and we get the call from the bridge to forget it. Anchors are dropped again. What fun! We finally did get under the bridge around 6:15 p.m. and made our way to the abandoned pier at the beginning of the Dismal Swamp where we tied up and stayed the night.
We were up and going Friday morning to get to the 8:30 a.m. lock opening into the Swamp. The Swamp was interesting this time, but not as pretty as it was in the spring when we last traveled it. April, on the other hand, was up and alert the whole way. We and two other sailboats arrived at the Elizabeth City bascule bridge for the 4:30 p.m. opening five minutes too late and all the talking was not going to get the tender to open the bridge for us. We decided to anchor for the night and searched around the area for a good place to anchor and get April off the boat. We had a quiet night but not in Elizabeth City, N.C.
This morning the bridge tender was in a more generous mood and opened the bridge for us so we could get underway. Our journey was smooth across the Albermarle and down the Alligator River. We stopped for fuel and tied up in Columbia, NC just off the Alligator River. Bill changed the oil in the engine, we filled up with water, had showers and April had a good walk..
April bird watching from her boat along the Dismal Swamp
Boats following WishBone in the Swamp
Tied up at the locks
Playing with the big boys in Norfolk
No comments:
Post a Comment