Trifecta!

We recently saw Facebook memories of our first Great Loop event, a Rendezvous in Norfolk Virginia in 2018. We were still researching boats, what kind would be best for us and where would be the best place to find it. During the conference, we enjoyed several Looper Crawls where other boaters welcome visitors aboard their boat to see the layout and discuss pros and cons of the make and manufacturer. We returned home having switched our minds from an aft-cabin layout to a trawler style similar to Moon Dance.

Something other things we discovered were some of the “famous” sections that are part of the loop. We have put a check mark beside three of them in the last little while. The Pungo Canal and Aligator River, the Albermarle Sound and the Great Dismal Swamp.

The Pungo Canal is 19 miles long. Dead straight, it’s challenge is boredom.

The eastern end of the canal enters the Alligator River. This is another kettle of fish altogether. It is shallow and open. It developed wind driven chop quickly and can produce waves of 5-6 feet. There is nowhere to hide.

We left Dowry Creek Marina at false dawn. Conditions were benign until mid-morning when the wind would freshen. We hoped to finish on the Alligator River before it picked up. We almost made it. The wind started as we exited the canal. The chop wasn’t horrible but was building as we went under the bridge and headed to the marina. Some boaters who left later than we did had a much rougher ride through 3-4 foot waves.

There was quite a collection of boats at the Alligator River Marina that night. We compared notes from the day and plans for the next. We were all going across the Albermarle Sound another section known for its choppy demeanour. Three were going to Elizabeth City, planning on transiting the Dismal Swamp. Four were taking another route through Coinjock.

We set out at first light with Loral and Brian on Port-a-gee. We set out at dawn and bounced across even with just a light wind forecast. Across the sound, we were greeted with hordes of crab pots scattered at random throughout the Pasquotank River. We were sheltered by the land so they were easy to see and avoid. Even the ones with black and blue floats.

We stopped at a free dock in Elizabeth City and took a wander through town. The dock was right beside a double lift bridge. It used a horn and railway signals every time it opened and closed. Rocco didn’t care for the noise so we moved up river to Lamb’s Marina for the night. it is beside Lamb’s Restaurant and Lamb’s RV park. We were landed by Mr Lamb. A nice, quiet, well protected spot.

There was no need to worry about weather as the next day was going to be in a narrow river, then a canal through the Dismal Swamp. The canal was hand dug by slave labour owned by a consortium led by George Washington and Thomas Jefferson. The canal is recognized as a prop destroyer. It is narrow, shallow and stocked with deadheads – water soaked logs that rest on the bottom until kicked up by a passing boat. Guidance is to go slow and follow at least a kilometre behind another boat. We bumped something once but came out unscathed.

This ended up being a very long day as around one o’clock we decided to continue on to Portsmouth instead of stopping overnight in the swamp. We were held up for two hours at the exit lock. Upside of this was a chance to catch up with Rambling Rosie and her crew we had last seen in Crystal River.

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