05/20 - 05/23 - Carolina Loop

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Hello Cbrats, any one interest in the Carolina Loop this coming spring? This is about a four day trip starting in Norfolk, VA at mile marker “0” on the intercostals waterway. First day going to Coinjock, NC about 50 miles from Norfolk. There is a great restaurant that has the best steak on the east coast. Second day traveling about 32 miles from Coinjock on the North River into the Pasquotank River to Elizabeth City, NC. Elizabeth City has many amenities and is very welcoming to transient boaters. Third day going from Elizabeth City to the Dismal Swamp Canal Welcome Center about 20 miles. This is a remote area with few amenities, but if you like nature you will be home. Forth day travel back to Norfolk about 32 miles. All in all there are 3 locks and much wilderness to travel. If we pick a Friday start we can have a long week end arriving back in Norfolk on Monday. Go to http://www.discoverelizabethcity.com/pd ... -lores.pdf for additional information. I am open to the date and it would be great to have company.
Richard Clagett

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Depending on when, and a weekend would be best, I may be very up for this. I have considered it but would feel better doing it with company. Lets talk.
 
I'm game...
Though I am new to this group, I purchased a 22 for this very purpose of doing this sort of boating.
My dock is only less than 4 miles from MM zero and could be used to stage the boats (for start and finish).
 
As you start to set dates etc., please keep the site posted because this is the type trip that I would love to trailer to and see a different area. Being retired, I can fit to about any timing as long as something major is not on the plan already. Shall start a search to see exactly where you are talking about. Sounds good!
Ron
 
Trick question: what does coinjock mean?

When we stayed there a very BIG cruiser also docked there. I'd always been impressed with boats that used 50 amp service. This one tied 2 ea 50 amp supplies together. That's enough electrical service for a house.

Boris
 
I did that in the "reverse" in 2003. Dismal Swamp Canal going down, Albemarle Canal coming back to Norfolk. A nice trip! There are some pix in my album.

Charlie
 
Richard,

We would certainly be interested in this trip. We had hoped to do a good part of it this fall but didn't work out. I'll send you a PM and provide email address and phone information.

Harper
 
Thanks to all that responded, looks like I’ll have some good company on the trip in the Spring. I have been thinking about a date in the May/June timeframe. I talked with Tivo (Litl’ Tug) who lives in the area, his suggestion for good weather was to take the trip sometime between 2 weeks before to 2 weeks after Memorial Day. My constraints for that time frame would be staying away from Memorial Day weekend and the first weekend in June which has been traditionally the Langford Bay C-Dory gathering. Going with a weekend schedule (leaving Friday from Norfolk and returning on Monday) to include those folks that work, that leaves May 13, 20 and June 10, 17 for a start date. I would like to settle on a date by January in order to begin the detailed trip planning. For those interested, think about the dates and get back to me in December.

I will be out of town for the next 2 week enjoying Thanksgiving in West Virginia with my family, so I may not be able to access the C-Brat site until early December.

Boris – I always thought the meaning of Coinjock was a gambler on a one-arm-bandit. However after a web search I found it had to do with mulberries.

Steve – thanks for the offer of your dock, depending on the number going and the size of your dock we may be very interested.

All, any suggestions for the trip are greatly appreciated.

Happy Thanksgiving – Richard Clagett
 
We are interested in making this trip, however, we have plans to go west to Yellowstone by car in late May and June 2011. We are looking to do this in the fall of 2011. We plan to trailer from Florida to Edenton NC. Cruise from Edenton to Coinjock to Chesapeake VA to the Dismal Swamp to Elizabeth City and back to Edenton. As we are retired we plan to take a week or so to do this spending several days each place and not be in a hurry. I will post info in the late summer to see if any body wants to join us at least for part of the trip. :lol:
 
Another item that may be of interest to those that want to trailer near mile marker zero is that there is a very nice double boat ramp very close to my house that has loads of parking. I will check to see if you can leave your rig at the ramp thoughout the weekend adventure if you have interest. Google Portsmouth's City Park.
 
We are very interested in this adventure, if all goes well with health. This has been a desire for a very long time.

We, too, have spent many years (1988 -2003) on the North River from below the locks to Coinjock on my 18' SeaRay. The Coinjock Restaurant there had the best Prime Rib I ever had, back then. It was located across from the Midway Marina.

You may want to be thinking of going the early part of May to keep away from the beginning of the hurricane season and the heat/humidity that starts to really come in June. Hopefully we will have a wet spring so the locks will be allowed to function more frequently.

Water levels are also wind driven, not tidal. When the wind is from from the north for a period of time it will drive the water south from the locks at Great Bridge; but not as much along the "captured" Dismal Swamp Canal. The C-Dories will not have too much trouble if this happens, but will have to keep your eyes open for stumps along the channel's edges.

Charlie's route may be a wise track for anyone who finds they have to make good time to return to Norfolk in a hurry. The Dismal Swamp Canal is all "no wake" and slow going. Returning via the North River will allow you to make up time at cruise speeds, as needed, with fewer and shorter "no wake" areas.

Charlie and Dave- Do you think 2 days to make Eliz. City with one night on the Canal due to normal lock schedule is correct? I know Coinjock to Norfolk/Hampton is an easy run in one day.

I think the north bound "snow bird" traffic may be lighter at that time also.

Art
 
Sea Angel":25vbnjqf said:
Charlie and Dave- Do you think 2 days to make Eliz. City with one night on the Canal due to normal lock schedule is correct? I know Coinjock to Norfolk/Hampton is an easy run in one day.

I think the north bound "snow bird" traffic may be lighter at that time also.

Art
Click to expand...

Art, if you go clockwise (Albemarle>Dismal Swamp) then yes, two days to Eliz. City is comfortable. If you go the other way, one day through the slow canal is fine. We went from Eliz City to Coinjock for one night and then up to Atlantic Marine for the second nite.

Charlie
 
Richard
Kay and I will keep watching this post and your plans. It sounds like a great trip and one we would like to join in. I guess the deciding factor for us would be the weather up here and what date we can get Annalee ready to role.
Rich.
 
Art

I am not opposed to going counter-clockwise. I was going from the suggested route identified in the Carolina Loop brochure. From the charts, the North Landing River looks like it is marked well in its widest area, is your concern more in the narrow parts when the winds are up? Also where I live In the Ocean City, MD area, the bottom changes in the back bays with significant storms and sometimes the markers are not updated in a timely manner. Is this a problem in this area?

This discussion is providing good information and will help in the overall planning.

Richard
 
Richard-
Yes, the North River is well marked. What I have seen is when there has been a 2-3 day period of strong north winds you can see the channel edges which are loaded with tree stumps. Yes, the narrow stretches are the worst. Overall there is plenty of water on the River.

The real danger that I had encounted was when some ferry skippers came north, or south, with those large fishing boats that throw a 3-4 ft wake. These guys rarely slowed down with their rush to make the swing bridge or lock on time. I found myself up against some of those stumps from such a series of wakes, back when I had my 18' SeaRay. Some of those guys could match my 45mph on the water. Rarely did they respond on their radios.

So, I hope this has changed. I had learned to just pick my time and let these guys go ahaed of me from whichever direction I would be traveling.
I also found locations where I could duck into a side creek that would have enough water to ride out the event.

These waters are quite beautiful to travel on. When I had traveled on the NC waters, especially on the side creeks, there wasn't a time that I did not get stopped to see if I had a NC fishing license by the NC Fish & Game folks. They were always very pleasent and professional. So, put away your fishing gear. Maybe some of the NC brothers can comment on this.

South of Coinjock there is a river also called the North River, as remember it. It is here that I encountered a deer swimming across the river to a small island in the middle of a large basin and seen a black bear on the banks.

Enough... I'm starting to write a book :roll: . I'll try to find some of my old slides of this area to post later.

Art
 
Boris-
My old days had me going from West Neck Creek in VaBeach , north to the North Landing Bridge for breakfast and then south to Coinjock, NC for ice cream, returning with a side trip to Black Water Creek before returning to the trailer at West Neck.

On several trips we would encounter large vessels like that described. On one trip I heard Donald Trumps vessel call ahead to Coinjock to see if they had enough fuel there to top off its tanks. He called for 1000gals. Coinjock did have it, so fuel and power will not be a problem for any of the C-Dories. There is a large turn over at the fuel pumps there.

The next fuel stop north the locks would be Tidewater Marine in Norfolk Harbor, unless there has been some changes since I traveled there from Lynnhaven River area of Va Beach several years ago.

Another quick story...
On one of my return trips from NC I encountered a new 26' SeaRay broke down with blown outdrives at the VA/NC border. It was the then Sec of the Navy. Garret. We towed him abt 4 mile north till the USCG came along and I passed the tow over to them. I guess he did get a lot of work done with all the phones and black brief cases he carried. By the way, he is well versed with his knots as we set the tow.

Art
 
We expect our 2010 Christmas present will be a 2008 Tom Cat out of Bridgeton Harbor Marina, New Bern, NC. We would love to put the CL on our schedule. please keep us in the loop.
 
Richard-
I found some of my slides from July of 1989 and posted them on the album and from all local indications are not much has changed since then.

http://www.c-brats.com/modules.php?set_ ... _album.php

The ADC Chartbook only covers to the VA/NC state line, but you can get an idea of the some of the scenery that you can expect to see.

Charlie has some pixs of the "Ditch" to help fill in some of the 'holes'. Maybe some others can add more to our little travel log. I have more slides, but they will have to wait for now.

Art
 
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