It was pretty much “Just another day at the office” cruising until I reached the turn in the middle of the Dismal Swamp Canal where there was finally something to write home about. It isn’t often after a half century of cruising that something new happens.
I arrived back at Solomons after a three hour drive filled with energy and anxious to be moving again so, after refilling the icebox with the ice I picked up on the way in, I drove back up to the store and restocked the boat. I was at Enterprise car rental when they opened the next morning and they dropped me off to say my thanks and good by’s to the Rachel Carson crew as they prepared to leave for a trip.
I was bound for Dymer Creek, just north of Windmill Point in order to see a new place but a large shower appeared ahead just as I was off Reedville so I diverted in there finishing up the run in pouring rain and glad for getting as early a start as I could. I spent half the next day listening to rain and then made the three hour run down to my original destination late in the afternoon.
I made Point Comfort the next day in conditions that were tolerable only for being dead downwind once I had splashed my way around Windmill Point. The next morning, I ran down to Portsmouth for lunch with forumite “Buck420” and then continued on to the Hole in the Wall at the entrance to the Dismal Swamp.
I was up just before dawn to move up to the lock and anchor hoping to be the first in line but there was a powerboat ahead of me so I ended up following it. I love the view of the swamp when it stretches ahead empty but had to settle for hours of watching their transom. It was a beautiful day, hot and humid but with a brisk wind that made it quite pleasant.
As I rounded the bend at the middle of the land cut, I heard a loud crack overhead and that swishing noise of a large tree falling. I ducked for the moment it took for me to locate that the sound was behind me and looked back to see the splash of a large tree falling into the canal just two or three boat lengths behind me. I couldn’t see whether it would have hit me but called the sailboat following to warn them as it was just around the blind bend. I looked back to see them hugging the far bank.
The rest of the day was beautiful. The run down through the Cypress Swamps with muted fall colors just appearing was a great follow up to the colored leaves on the black water of the canal. I anchored in the mouth of a little creek just past the railroad bridge and a couple miles before Elizabeth City for protection from the strong thunderstorms that are predicted for this afternoon. A burst of rain just went though and it looks like the front is fizzling but the official forecasts are still a lot more dire than the radar picture.
Weather after tomorrow looks perfect for continuing on down to Beaufort where Dreameagle will finally join me next week.
I arrived back at Solomons after a three hour drive filled with energy and anxious to be moving again so, after refilling the icebox with the ice I picked up on the way in, I drove back up to the store and restocked the boat. I was at Enterprise car rental when they opened the next morning and they dropped me off to say my thanks and good by’s to the Rachel Carson crew as they prepared to leave for a trip.
I was bound for Dymer Creek, just north of Windmill Point in order to see a new place but a large shower appeared ahead just as I was off Reedville so I diverted in there finishing up the run in pouring rain and glad for getting as early a start as I could. I spent half the next day listening to rain and then made the three hour run down to my original destination late in the afternoon.
I made Point Comfort the next day in conditions that were tolerable only for being dead downwind once I had splashed my way around Windmill Point. The next morning, I ran down to Portsmouth for lunch with forumite “Buck420” and then continued on to the Hole in the Wall at the entrance to the Dismal Swamp.
I was up just before dawn to move up to the lock and anchor hoping to be the first in line but there was a powerboat ahead of me so I ended up following it. I love the view of the swamp when it stretches ahead empty but had to settle for hours of watching their transom. It was a beautiful day, hot and humid but with a brisk wind that made it quite pleasant.
As I rounded the bend at the middle of the land cut, I heard a loud crack overhead and that swishing noise of a large tree falling. I ducked for the moment it took for me to locate that the sound was behind me and looked back to see the splash of a large tree falling into the canal just two or three boat lengths behind me. I couldn’t see whether it would have hit me but called the sailboat following to warn them as it was just around the blind bend. I looked back to see them hugging the far bank.
The rest of the day was beautiful. The run down through the Cypress Swamps with muted fall colors just appearing was a great follow up to the colored leaves on the black water of the canal. I anchored in the mouth of a little creek just past the railroad bridge and a couple miles before Elizabeth City for protection from the strong thunderstorms that are predicted for this afternoon. A burst of rain just went though and it looks like the front is fizzling but the official forecasts are still a lot more dire than the radar picture.
Weather after tomorrow looks perfect for continuing on down to Beaufort where Dreameagle will finally join me next week.
