Port Winch

Last night (Nov 15) we spent our first night at anchorage.  Which basically means we weren’t moored up in a marina and didn’t have to pay anyone to stay the night.  It also means that we don’t have access to internet, water or electricity.  The water and electricity is fine since we have enough water on board and plenty of power.  But it is a bit of an adjustment not having internet access 24/7. 

It was a beautiful day of sailing.  They were calling for rain and rough seas, but we had a beautiful sunny day with good winds for sailing.  We didn’t get down to Norfolk as quickly as we expected so we headed in to Chrisman’s Creek.  Most of the area is protected for wildlife.  There are a lot of shoals and very shallow areas.  We managed to ground the ship twice, but luckily Captains Jens was quick and got us out.  We were just about to give up when a nice couple in a fishing trawler stopped their trip to guide us in to a spot where we could anchor.  The water became very still as the wind died down at sunset and it was a quiet night aboard SEGWUN.

Wednesday, November 16^th.

We have arrived to Norfolk where we see the full force of the US Navy.  I couldn’t count how many helicopters, TomCats, planes, Hovercraft and Navy ships we saw.   At one point we felt a helicopter was inspecting us.  It seemed to be coming very close to us.  I think maybe the Danish flag caught their eye and made them curious.  

We are now entering the Intra (not Inter as I previously called it) Coastal Waterway or ICW as it is more commonly known.  We have a very helpful booklet given to us by Ed at Gratitude and written by Captain Vincent Trovato.  It says the ICW is a series of canals, creeks, rivers and sounds that are sometimes too wide to see the other side.  Some refer to it as a ditch but it is said to be a beautiful waterway constructed many years ago so vessels could safely travel down the coast. 

We’ll have some maneuvering to do as it is said to be a bit shallow in areas and there are many bridges that we have to pass under – a lot of them draw bridges. 

See you all next time.  First Mate Eve has to go to the galley and rustle up some dinner for the Captain. 

November 17^th

We have entered the IWC and are following the Great Dismal Swamp Canal.   The weather turned extremely cold last night.  A cold wind from the North together with rain had us wearing our cold weather gear all day.  We went under four bridges (two drawbridges) and we had to wait for a lock, so it was pretty slow going.   There were 5 sailboats and 4 catamarans anchored in Norfolk, NC heading to the ICW.  Three of us took the Great Dismal Swamp Canal – the others took the Albemarle & Chesapeake Canal.  We’re now moored at the North Carolina Visitor Center for the night and are warming up in their centre catching up on email.  They have a very old computer here and I was not able to upload the postings to our blog.  

We met a young couple on the ship Anastasia who are also heading south.  They're spending the winter in the Bahamas and have been living aboard for the past three years.  Maxwell and Jen gave us some helpful hints such as "stock up on beer before leaving US shores because it is very expensive in the Caribbean and the Bahamas".  I think we still have some storage space on the boat to accommodate that.  We were also advised to fill the fridge and freezer to the max as food can be expensive and it can sometimes be difficult to get want you want.

November 18th

Today we woke up to a heavy layer of frost on the boat.  It was 0 Celcius in the cabin.  But, the good news is that there was not a cloud in the sky.  We are through the Great Dismal Swamp and are now moored in Elizabeth City.  We headed into town and stopped at the local library to use their free wifi before heading out to restock our food supply.