05/20 - 05/23 - Carolina Loop

  • Thread starter Thread starter Anonymous
  • Start date Start date
Hi all,

Just 3 weeks from the start of our trip and I’m looking forward to cruising the Carolina Loop with everyone. We will definitely be noticed on the ICW, with 16 C-Dory’s planning to make the trip. My thoughts for the cruise were to follow the daily schedule of stops, but leave all other activities impromptu. However, for our first time together at the Dismal Swamp Visitor Center I was hoping we could share a pot luck dinner or share appetizers prior to dinner. Do you all have a preference? This would also be the time to get our t-shirts from Tivo. As far as weather cancelation or delays, I think each of us need to assess our comfort level based on conditions presented. I plan on starting the trip unless presented with an early hurricane or a late significant snow storm.

For communicating while underway I would suggest we use VHF Channel 68 for our conversations. With commercial traffic along our route we need to monitor VHF Channel 16 and can use that to call each other and then switch to 68 for the conversation.

Does anyone need additional information, have comments or concerns? If so, I will try and help just send me an e-mail or PM. I will be available until May 7th, after that I will be in Maine until a couple days prior to the start of our trip and may not have access to the internet.

See you on the ICW, Richard
 
Richard,
Sounds good to us. We will plan on having something to share with everyone at the Visitors Center. Hopefully the next few weeks will bring settled weather to the area.
Rich and Kay
 
Just in case the city dock in Elizabeth City was full when we arrive on Saturday I called the Pelican Marina and spoke with Harbor Master Josh. I reserved a quest berth for the night and Josh said there were still 2 or 3 spots available, possibly more if the right wind conditions exist like Richard mentioned back in his March 30 post. It looks like it's a quarter mile or so walk from the marina, across the bridge to the city pier and town area. If anyone is interested in checking the Pelican Marina out the number again is 252 335-5108.
Rich
 
Well I am back in the USA now and really looking forward to the trip next week. I arrived to find a box of T-shirts waiting for me! They came out great!

If you are not attending and you need your shirt mailed to you, please PM me with your address. I will reply with mine so you can get me a check. The shirts are came out to $17/ea.

Again, can't wait for next week, really looking forward to it. (Can't believe it since I just got back from 12 days on the road)
 
Toni and I are traveling up the ICW and are now in Savannah, Georgia. We had to withdraw our names from the Memberlist as we just won't have the time to make it to the event and still see everything on the way. Everyone have a wonderful time.
 
***

We on the Lady KC TomCat are now firmly scheduled to do the Carolina Loop with u'all.
We plan to head up the ICW to Belhaven on Tuesday, on to Coinjock on Wednesday and then be at the Centerville Waterway Marina on Thursday, May 19, 2011.

We hope to see some of you C-Brats that evening,
and then meet up with the rest of the boats Friday morning
at the north end of the Dismal Swamp Canal.

***have we set an ETA for this rendezvous???

C U all soon.......Bill & Karan
Lady KC

***
 
We just returned from a 4-night trip on the Carolina loop. Unfortunately, we couldn't join your group--our son has graduation on May 21-22.

We spent Monday night up the North West River, anchored near the state park. It has a great dock for getting your dog to shore! Tuesday night at the Waterside Marina in Norfolk--wonderful showers! "Snappers" on Granby Street had happy hour specials 4-7pm. We had 2 beers, calamari appetizer, AND split entrees of chicken caesar salad and chicken/sausage gumbo, all for $20. However, by 6:30 there was no more room in the bar area (no surprise there)!

Wednesday night, instead of going to the welcome center, we went up the feeder ditch to the "Lake Drummond Reservation". We had a little dock to ourselves, plus picnic tables, toilets, and a great place for the dog to romp. The marine railway will carry boats up to 1000 pounds around the dam. We had to try the railway out, so let it carry our 70 pound Walker Bay dinghy + oars up and over.

The docking at Elizabeth City was crazy with a big wind. I felt like I was sleeping in a hammock for the first part of the evening, but the wind quieted down soon after dark. Susan and Charlotte in the Visitor Center are extremely helpful. The bridge operator noticed we were a little boat in a lot of wind and called Charlotte to come get us so he could suggest another (perhaps quieter) place to dock north of the bridge. The Rose Buddy didn't come out--there have to be at least 5 new boats by 3:30 pm to get roses and wine. I assured them a big bunch of C-Dory's would be around next Friday! It truly is a city of hospitality!

Hope you guys have a wonderful trip! Sorry to miss it, but we certainly had a beautiful time.

Jackie
 
Jackie,
Glad to hear that you enjoyed the feeder ditch stay...I was involved in designing the new docks and the overhaul of the railway several years ago. I also added a phone line for 911 service as cell phone service out in that neck of the woods is very poor. The only thing about the feeder ditch is that the trees fall into it often and I have to get a crane barge in there to haul the trees out, so often the only thing that can safely transit the ditch is a very shallow draft boat, anything with more draft than a very small boat will trash their prop.
Steve
 
Steve,
The lock tender (Robert) told us about going up the feeder ditch. We had 5 or 6 feet all the way, with about 3 feet at the dock, so it was fine for the C-Dory. The cleaning crane must have been through recently--everything was clear. We thought it was a wonderful place. If I lived nearby, I would have youth groups up there to camp and canoe to the lake.
Jackie
 
Jackie, that sounds wonderful. I have always wanted to go up the feeder ditch but never had the gumption to do it. Didn't realize there was a dock with toilets up there. How were the bugs?

To the group,: I am still trying to decide whether or not to come down to the Centerville Marina on Thursday to hang with everyone. What time is everyone planning on leaving Centerville on Friday Morning? Which lock opening are we shooting for?

I will have crew on this trip. My 12 yr old son, Joey, was begging to come, and I've decided to let him come. Will be nice to have company on some of the longer transits.
 
Tivo,
The bugs were not a problem during the day--probably thanks to dragonflies and a breeze. At night they were as bad as you would expect; however, insect-shield shirts worked pretty well. We kept our camper canvas up! The park had two screen houses with a picnic table inside. We never went in to try them out. One has a nest of bumble bees in the eaves--the bees were very interested in my approach to the door, so I left them to it.

That sounds wonderful to have your son along! Could you bring little kayaks or a canoe or something to go on up to the lake? That would use up some of his energy AND it's beautiful up there. We flushed birds and turtles every few feet.

One warning. The banks are held in place with rock piles stabilized by chicken wire. The lock operator warned us that snakes like to live in the rocks and sun up top. I never saw any, but of course they would be there.

Tivo--A question for you. In an earlier post you mentioned free dockage at Portsmouth. The only docks we found said no overnight docking. Where are the free ones?

Jackie
 
I will bring Hunkey Dory to Centervile Marina on thursday morning . I will help with launhing and parking. How do I sterilize my water tank? :) It will be the first time that I have used it.
 
Neal, I'd put a little water in it (hopefully it's empty) and pump it out. Hopefully, you have an electric pump too...

Then put a little more water in, a tbsp or two of bleach and pump that out.

Then repeat with more water until you cannot taste the bleach any more.

Then fill and enjoy!

Charlie
 
Just a reminder for those making the trip. I have plenty of floating dock space if you need it and I am located very close to mile marker zero.
 
Tivo
Regarding the departure time from Centerville Marina on Friday morning, after looking at my charts and bridge/lock schedules I have an idea of how things work but since I have never been through there I think I will talk things over with folks at the marina and get some local knowledge. We are planning on arriving on Wednesday afternoon so I can let folks know what I'm told when you arrive Thursday. I guess we can get together and discuss what will work for everyone on Friday.

I have been watching the weather down there and it looks for certain to be nicer then it will be in upstate NY, whatever it decides to do.

Rich
 
Hi all, back from a trip to Maine and looking forward to Thursday. I see there has been some discussion on the time for leaving the Centerville Waterway Marina on Friday. I think we should plan on making the 11AM locking at Deep Creek with the 1:30 locking as a backup in the event we get held up at the Great Bridge lock, commercial traffic has priority. The Great Bridge Lock operates on the hour in conjunction with the Great Bridge. I am not sure of the speed we can run fom Great Bridge to Deep Creek and the locking duration at Great Bridge. Hopefully someone at Centerville can help with that and that will help us with our departure time. We will have about 17 miles to travel from Centerville to Deep Creek. Once we gather on Thursday we can decide on the time.

Richard
 
Richard

making the 1100 bridge/lock opening at Deep Creek sounds good, I would think that 9AM at Great Bridge will be pressing our luck so maybe 8 AM at the latest will work allright. So leaving the marina early enough to get to Great Bridge for the 8AM opening?
Rich
 
Back
Top