"November 2, 2003 A Sunday Trip down the Pasquotank" Elizabeth City Travelogue by grandmaR

Pasquotank River with bald cypress

After we get out of the canal, we see ANNE M, the South African boat behind us get into the trees. She stays right behind us rather than lagging behind as she did before. When we talk to them later, we find that they figure we knew where we were going - they were sticking close so they wouldn't get lost.

We are seeing occasional Spanish moss and mistletoe in the trees.

We hear ADRIANNA and ETHERIA go through the Elizabeth City Bridge.

Approaching the RR bridge

Close to Elizabeth City there is a railroad bridge which is open all the time except when a train comes. If it is closed, you have to signal with your horn, as it doesn't have a radio.

It is somewhat unusual in that it is right at a bend in the river, so you approach kind of parallel to the track and then make a 90 degree turn, and then make another turn after you get to the other side because the river bends back on itself on the other side. The top picture is ANNE M coming through the bridge.

Wood chip plant on the shore

We passed the A. W. Jones Lumber Company again with the "Plastic and Smoke Free" sign. It said:

" No plastic and no cigarettes allowed on this property. Our jobs depend on it."

This is a family joke, because when I first reported this sign (Plastic and Smoke Free) in an email, my mom wanted to know who would sell smoke.

Elizabeth City bridge opening

We got to Elizabeth City and tied up by 1659 - too late for a Rose Buddy party if there had been one, but before sunset.

We did 50.0 miles today at an average speed of 5.9 mph.

The guy on the port side of us helps us tie up and so does the guy from ADRIANA. ETHERIA is over on the restaurant dock.

Fred Fearing the head Rose Buddy apparently wasn't feeling well and called off the party tonight. We are urged to stay another day for the Monday party. So we do.

One of the Rose Buddy ladies told me that she went to Fred's house a couple of weeks ago and found him on the floor from a heart attack. He had an angioplasty and seems to be OK now.

Model ship in Groupers restaurant

Because there are no restaurants open on Sunday except Groupers in the Waterworks building, that's where we have dinner. I have a cup of red corn crab soup and a curry, and Bob has a chef's salad. Stalks is closed - he sold the store and it is now a dress shop.

The first trawler in line is EMMA LOU a Grand Banks 36, and on the starboard side we have a Beneteau 395 named DESTINATION who have come all the way down from Michigan. A big boat named JUBILEE came in late- two guys who went outside from RI. It seems strange to me that they would come down the Dismal Swamp Canal after they've been outside all the way from RI.

S/V RosalieAnn at the Elizabeth City docks

The guy in the port slip left and also a sailboat named SEA JAY, ETHERIA, EMMA LOU and the trawler CALIOPE. JUBILEE put someone off and fired up their engines and left too.

I met a guy who was in Elizabeth City doing insurance assessment of the hurricane damage who has a CSY named HEAVEN. We still see some damage from the hurricane in store fronts.

Beth and Woody came in with a white ketch. They anchored behind Goat Island last night.

TROUBADOUR that we met last year at the Visitor's Center went past and didn't stop. Another couple tied up briefly but they need fuel and Pelican Marina was damaged by the hurricane and can't dispense fuel. So they left - I guess for the Alligator River.

Beth and Woody went somewhere to get water, not knowing that it is
available at the free docks. He is a refrigeration expert. A houseboat from Maine came in and left. DESTINATION left.

Bob got all his engine/refrigeration belts out and measured them, and fixed the refrigeration. He walked to the store and bought distilled water for the batteries and salt for the LectraSan and got a ride partway back.

I walked over to the bakery and got some very expensive bread and went to the bathroom there. I also took a picture of little Moth Park at the end of that street.

Baltimore Bricks in the crosswalk

We walked to the Colonial Restaurant to have lunch. I had Navy bean soup and we both had a chicken salad sandwich and I had grapenuts pudding like mom used to make for dessert.

The cruiser's party was fun - Bob and Deb of ANNE M are really on their way to St. Martin to a job.

We met the folks from PIKA (NY state) and there was a guy with a ferrocement boat that he built himself. He said he'd rafted up to a big boat in Alaska - the big yacht asked him how long it took him to get up there and he said 5 days. He didn't tell them that he trailered up to Canada and sailed from there.

We ate at the Cypress Creek Grill and the folks from HELLO DARLIN' came in and sat with us. It is a yellow hulled power boat that they've sold and are delivering. We had the pork loin special, and I had coconut cake which I didn't really want as I was too full to appreciate it. I also had heartburn from it all night.

The next morning we left to go down the Pasquotank and cross Albemarle Sound and go into the Alligator River