Thursday, May 10, 2007
From Curmudgeons at the Alligator River Marina (M 83) to Hospitable Rose Buddies in Elizabeth City, NC (M 51) FOG on Albemarle Sound!
Thursday, May 10, 2007. Albemarle Sound is known to be one of the most treacherous bodies of water on the ICW for boaters. It is long and shallow, so any significant wind can whip up seriously steep, high waves. We had no trouble with wind, but just about the time we arrived at a tricky passage through some shallow water with confusing markings, a heavy fog set in. Thanks to good radar plus advice from Claiborne Young the other night, Bob knew how to negotiate the area.
Then the fog arrived with a vengeance. Heavy fog, lots of boat traffic, and a maze of crabpots on the Albemarle Sound was not the combination of factors we were hoping for. Visibility got down to less than ¼ mile. We could see our buddies on Happy Destiny only on radar, even though they weren’t far behind us. We could also hear numerous sailboats in the area, but we never actually spotted any of them. But believe me, we were on high alert for several hours.
Just as we completed crossing the Albemarle, the fog lifted, and beautiful, friendly Elizabeth City came into view. I know I’m sounding repetitious, but this is an especially delightful, hospitable town. We tied up on the free Town Dock (volunteers helped with lines), then headed for lunch and a walk through the downtown area. I can’t describe the friendliness of the townspeople.
Interesting, unbelievable things keep happening. One guy came riding up to the Town Dock on a bicycle with a green parrot perched on his handlebars. He took a walking cane, the parrot jumped on, and he placed the bird in a tree. He said the parrot loves to look at the waterfront, but it never flies away.
It’s been a long day. I’ll describe the renown Rose Buddies in a later posting, but suffice it to say that we were invited to a Wine and Cheese Party at the home of 93-year-old Fred Fearing, founder of the famous Rose Buddies. These volunteers have a unique way of welcoming boaters. After that event, we joined a bunch of other Loopers for Dinner and a Movie at a local movie house. This was a wonderful day after some real doozies during the past few days. More later – with photos when time permits. Tomorrow the Dismal Swamp!
Then the fog arrived with a vengeance. Heavy fog, lots of boat traffic, and a maze of crabpots on the Albemarle Sound was not the combination of factors we were hoping for. Visibility got down to less than ¼ mile. We could see our buddies on Happy Destiny only on radar, even though they weren’t far behind us. We could also hear numerous sailboats in the area, but we never actually spotted any of them. But believe me, we were on high alert for several hours.
Just as we completed crossing the Albemarle, the fog lifted, and beautiful, friendly Elizabeth City came into view. I know I’m sounding repetitious, but this is an especially delightful, hospitable town. We tied up on the free Town Dock (volunteers helped with lines), then headed for lunch and a walk through the downtown area. I can’t describe the friendliness of the townspeople.
Interesting, unbelievable things keep happening. One guy came riding up to the Town Dock on a bicycle with a green parrot perched on his handlebars. He took a walking cane, the parrot jumped on, and he placed the bird in a tree. He said the parrot loves to look at the waterfront, but it never flies away.
It’s been a long day. I’ll describe the renown Rose Buddies in a later posting, but suffice it to say that we were invited to a Wine and Cheese Party at the home of 93-year-old Fred Fearing, founder of the famous Rose Buddies. These volunteers have a unique way of welcoming boaters. After that event, we joined a bunch of other Loopers for Dinner and a Movie at a local movie house. This was a wonderful day after some real doozies during the past few days. More later – with photos when time permits. Tomorrow the Dismal Swamp!
