"ICW Trip 2001 Leg 8 Belhaven - November 4 -5" Belhaven Travelogue by grandmaR

Alligator River Swing Bridge

It was cloudy, and the wind was about 18 knots, so after we went through the swing bridge (pictured) Bob pulled out the jib and we motor sailed just like CASEOPIA was doing.

Banks of the canal

We turned into the Alligator Pungo canal at 10:15, and furled the jib as there was no useful wind. This section of the canal is desolate as the trees are just recovering from having been burned over. There are lots of stumps and downed trees which sometimes slide into the canal catch unwary boats and damage them.

I cooked bacon and Lucette made BLT sandwiches using the last of the rye bread from the bakery in Elizabeth City.

New fixed bridge

After lunch, Bob put up the staysail. The sky cleared and it warmed up. We were at the marina by 3:00 pm, after 54.2 miles at an average of 6.8 mph.

Since it was Sunday, the only place open for dinner was River's End, so we walked down there and had the buffet. The marina was oversold, so they had to put people on the slip going into the travelift. There was a group of power boats that came in behind us - none of them had been down the ICW before except one guy and he led a group down each year. There was also a sailboat from La Plata. I talked to the wife and she was a little concerned about the weather because it was her first time down the ICW.

The boat in front of us (top photo) flying a pirate flag was having engine trouble, and Bob lent them some wrenches, but they had more serious problems. Bunch of guys - plenty of beer on that boat, but no food. And no charts for the places they intend to go. They don't even know about Frying Pan Shoals, and they were going out at Beaufort and come in the Cape Fear River.

Museum/police station

Weather was predicted to be lively but the boat from La Plata left
anyway. Today Bob did the wash, and we talked to folks. At about 12, we went to lunch at the Helmsman, and then went to Eva Blount Way's museum with a button collection etc. It was supposed to be open weekdays between 1 and 5 pm. We were told though, that it opens when the curator gets there. The museum is in what I think used to be a school. It is upstairs in what looks like it used to be the gym. Looking at the building, the entrance to the museum is the gray door up the steps on the left, the center door is the City Hall, and the right door is the Police Station. Next to the police station is one of about 3 pay phones in town.

jcnctravel writes onTue Jul 5, 2005 21:23 EDT
Re: Museum FYI. Began as a theatre & was converted to gym. HS games were played there in the early 50's. My basketball team practiced there late 50's. Mrs. Way was my next door neighbor. I helped her preserve some of the snakes.

Some of the 80,000 buttons at the museum

The museum was very interesting. I was interested in the collection of 80,000 buttons because my grandmother collected buttons. I was also interested in the museum because Bob's family has Blounts in it way back. It is free for a donation. Another picture of the exhibits is on the main Belhaven page.

Max and Lucette weren't interested in the museum and didn't go. They took an electric golf cart to the Food Lion. Bob walked. On the way back, Max and Lucette came across Bob and Carol from a big ketch named CAROLINA which was anchored out. They had taken their propane bottle to be refilled and were struggling back to the boat with it, and Max and Lucette gave them a lift - it was pretty heavy and they were grateful.

The Highlander in the travel lift

A huge catamaran THE HIGHLANDER (dinghy was named (HAGGIS) which had been in the yard repairing their rudder which had been damaged and was being put back in the water.. Owner was a Scot, and two crew were Canadian and Australian. The boats in the travelift slip had to be moved in order for them to put this boat into the water. Later I found a web page about this boat called The Usual Suspects. I sent them a couple of my photos.

What happened (from the Usual Suspects site)

"Minor disaster. On Mon in Alligator River Canal going south, a large fast barge going north moving north created large waves. Our starboard rudder crashed down on a deadhead bending it back & up into the hull. We had to lower the rudder post to clear it from the hull then proceeded to Robbs Boatyard in Belhaven,NC. They have a travel lift wide enough to lift Highlander. The result showed a wrecked rudder & a substantial hole in the hull, fortunately in a watertight section. We will get a replacement rudder from PDQ tomorrow & the glasswork should be completed by Sunday."

American Eagle getting fuel

While we were in Belhaven, the small cruise ship AMERICAN EAGLE came in to the dock and to get fuel. Many of the passengers got off to walk around town. Some got the electric carts. However there isn’t much to the town and they soon came back to the ship.

We went to the Helmsman again that night and it cost the two of us $28.26 including tip.
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Nov 6th we got under way very early, (AMERICAN EAGLE came out of the channel just after us, and so did the HIGHLANDER - they both passed us pretty quickly)

Next stop Oriental