Hi all,
Janda and I had such a wonderful time at the NC Gathering. It was great meeting such nice folks! And many thanks to Erma and Ernie for all the work they did in preparing for the gathering.
You all encouraged us to do the Carolina mini-loop. Sooo, last Tuesday we launched from Pelican Marina in Elizabeth City. We went up the Dismal Swamp Canal . The first night we stayed at the visitors center and moored with two large sailboats. The next day we finished the Dismal but not before visiting with a bobcat sunning itself on a fallen tree out in the water. We took the cutoff over to the Albemarle & Chespeake Canal and the North Landing River and stopped for the night at Centerville Bridge Marina. There was a really big thunderstorm that night in which we really got quite wet. The next day we continued through Currituck Sound to Coinjock. We stayed that night at the marina, enjoying the food , people, and the quiet beauty. Also great fun mooring with five 50-to-60-foot yachts and watching other 130-foot yachts pass by. The challange for me was the run around Camden Point and into Albemarle Sound, which we did in the early morning on Friday and were back at Pelican Marina by noon for lunch at the Colonial Restaurant in Elizabeth City.
Great time, great trip! Thanks for encouraging us to do the Mini-Loop!
We'll post pictures later, after we get home.