(Click on photos to enlarge)

6/23 1130-1630 Crew arrived 6/22 late. Lantz & Schlomo had cab accident a few blocks from marina. Met for dinner at Mr. P's. Again outstanding- voted best crab cakes in world. Late departure after extended grocery shopping and cleaning sea strainer. Motored 3 hours to Wrightsville Beach against strong current. Docked at Bridge Marina and cabbed to Wilmington for tour of battleship North Carolina which was a treat. Dinner at Oceanic Rest. on waterfront at Wrightsville Beach - very good, but not as good as Mr. P's. Cigars on bridge till 0100.

6/24 0800-1800 Left Wrightsville for Beaufort arriving at 1800. Marina is downtown in quaint waterfront area, an easy walk to restaurants, shopping and ships stores. Only drawback was loud band at dockside. Dinner at the Net was unremarkable (family type restaurant, poor wine selection). Scenery along the waterway was better than expected, interesting homes, Ft. LeJune. Several drawbridges with low clearance. Got a close up of navy ship of undetermined type in Beaufort turning basin. Temp around 90 but not bad with good breeze. Anchored for lunch just off waterway.

6/25 0730-1700 Departed for Hatteras. ICW north to Neuse River (nice scenery) then down the river to Pamlico Sound and across to Cape Hatteras. Nice day, calm seas. Channel from sound into town of Hatteras is shallow 5 1/2 to 6 ft. Stayed at Teach's Lair Marina which is inhabited mostly by local sport fishing boats and is not well located from town. Famous Cape Hatteras lighthouse is 12 miles away and we elected not to make the trip. Dinner on board prepared by Schlomo.

6/26 0940-1545 Transited Pamlico Sound then channel to Manteo, NC on Roanoke Island, site of the first English settlement in North America and birthplace of Virginia Dare, first white child born in NA. Saw several dolphins, the first on this leg. Ran aground at split channel marker at entrance to Manteo. Soft bottom and mushed through. Breezy 20kts. Nice dinner at 1587 restaurant, good wine list. Just 1 blk.... from boat. Historical museum just across inlet from dock.

6/27 1030-1515 Crossed Albemare Sound to the Pasquotank River, thence to Elizabeth City, NC at the south end of the Great Dismal Swamp. Lunch enroute while on autopilot. Docked for a couple of hours at the Hospitality Dock in Elizabeth City for rest and provisions. Also attended a cocktail party given by Fred Fearing a member of a community group called the Rose Buddies; part of a local effort to keep mariners using the Dismal Swamp route and stopping in Elizabeth City. Departed at 1815 and motored under the drawbridge and up the waterway to a secluded anchorage just south of the South Mills lock. Beautiful cruise through wilderness like, tree lined waterway. Only problem was an abundance of yellow flies.

6/28 0815-1545 Cleared South Mills Lock and continued up the waterway through the beautiful Dismal Swamp. Narrow-tree lined, very quiet. Only saw one other boat all day. Depths are generally 6 ft or more and no problem except for a few submerged logs which are impossible to see. Cleared the Deep Creek lock at 1350. Had to cut a stern line when it bound against itself in the chock, creating a brief moment of consternation as we hung on the line for a couple of minutes. We entered the Norfolk harbor shortly beyond the last lock and cruised by a gaggle of navy ships including the carrier George Washington. Circled R36 at mile marker 1 on the ICW, thus completing a total of 1200 miles from home port in Longboat. Dinner that evening at "219"was very good. Toured the Nauticus Marine Museum and the Missile Cruiser Leyte Gulf on Monday. Dinner Monday night at Todd Jurich's Bistro. Moved SeaBird Tuesday morning from the Norfolk City Marina which is very convenient to downtown, to the Tidewater Marina across the channel where it was to be moored for the month of July.

End of Voyage

Total Distance 1200 NM
Engine Hours 150
Average Speed 8 Knots
Time Enroute 21 Days
Fuel Used 1050 Gal.
Wine Consumed 32 Btls..
Crew Lost Overboard 0
Rail Ralphers 0