Holiday Inn Express

The thing I liked a lot was...

by AshleyD

The thing I liked a lot was going to the Elisibeatan Garden. it is the most beatiful thing I have seen there. I miss seeing the beatiful flowers and plants and sitting by the ocean and listening to the waves.

MM 47.2 Lamb's Marina

by grandmaR

We have not been to this marina as we like to have more than 5 feet dockside. The entrance channel also is a little shallow for us.

It is reported that they accept transients at fixed wooden piers with electricity, and water available, and that there is a variety store on site, which includes a fresh seafood counter. There's also a restaurant called Track I nearby which is open Mon-Sat. They are reported to charge a flat $25.00.

November 2003 it was reported that Lamb's "was picking up that business [from Pelican], and had planned on dredging the channel and upgrading his facilities to take on more business. However, a leak detected in 2001 is holding up the renewal of an operating permit needed to have fuel delivered to the business, Chrystal Bartlett from the Division of Waste Management, part of the state's Department of Environmental and Natural Resources, told the newspaper.

"Bartlett said the leak was detected in 2001, and the state had sent several notices to Lamb's Marina asking for an assessment of the problem without receiving a response, the newspaper said. Recently, the marina applied to renew its operating permit, but the state decided not to issue a renewal until an assessment was done.

"We'd love to see them back in business," Bartlett was quoted as saying. "But at this point we will not renew their operating license." She said an inspection is scheduled for today.

"Until the marina can start pumping fuel again, there's no supplier on the water in the Elizabeth City area."

Moth Boats

by grandmaR

As I was coming back from the bakery, I stopped and took a photo of the sign in this little park on the river. I have never understood what a Moth Boat was until I went and looked it up on the internet. The Albemarle Museum has a write-up on it which says:

"The moth was developed in 1929 when Captain Joel Van Sant visited Elizabeth City. He was traveling from Atlantic City to Florida and stopped to overhaul his yacht, Siesta.
During his stay, he joined forces with Ernest Sanders of Elizabeth City Shipyard to design a small sailboat which could be easily raced on inland rivers and lakes. This sporty little craft, called the moth because of its ability to flit across the waves, caught the imagination of sailors and boatbuilders seeking an inexpensive vessel which could be built by non-professional boatbuilders." The Classic Moth Boat Regatta is traditionally held the third Saturday in September. Visitors are invited to join the festivities which include boat tours of the harbor, art shows, craft booths along the waterfront, music and the traditional Museum of the Albemarle Barbecue Chicken Dinner.

November 2, 2003 A Sunday Trip down the Pasquotank

by grandmaR

"1400 November 2, 2003"

After we get out of the canal, we see ANNE M, the South African boat behind us get into the trees. She stays right behind us rather than lagging behind as she did before. When we talk to them later, we find that they figure we knew where we were going - they were sticking close so they wouldn't get lost.

We are seeing occasional Spanish moss and mistletoe in the trees.

We hear ADRIANNA and ETHERIA go through the Elizabeth City Bridge.

Close to Elizabeth City there is a railroad bridge which is open all the time except when a train comes. If it is closed, you have to signal with your horn, as it doesn't have a radio.

It is somewhat unusual in that it is right at a bend in the river, so you approach kind of parallel to the track and then make a 90 degree turn, and then make another turn after you get to the other side because the river bends back on itself on the other side. The top picture is ANNE M coming through the bridge.

We passed the A. W. Jones Lumber Company again with the "Plastic and Smoke Free" sign. It said:

" No plastic and no cigarettes allowed on this property. Our jobs depend on it."

This is a family joke, because when I first reported this sign (Plastic and Smoke Free) in an email, my mom wanted to know who would sell smoke.

We got to Elizabeth City and tied up by 1659 - too late for a Rose Buddy party if there had been one, but before sunset.

We did 50.0 miles today at an average speed of 5.9 mph.

The guy on the port side of us helps us tie up and so does the guy from ADRIANA. ETHERIA is over on the restaurant dock.

Fred Fearing the head Rose Buddy apparently wasn't feeling well and called off the party tonight. We are urged to stay another day for the Monday party. So we do.

One of the Rose Buddy ladies told me that she went to Fred's house a couple of weeks ago and found him on the floor from a heart attack. He had an angioplasty and seems to be OK now.

Because there are no restaurants open on Sunday except Groupers in the Waterworks building, that's where we have dinner. I have a cup of red corn crab soup and a curry, and Bob has a chef's salad. Stalks is closed - he sold the store and it is now a dress shop.

The first trawler in line is EMMA LOU a Grand Banks 36, and on the starboard side we have a Beneteau 395 named DESTINATION who have come all the way down from Michigan. A big boat named JUBILEE came in late- two guys who went outside from RI. It seems strange to me that they would come down the Dismal Swamp Canal after they've been outside all the way from RI.

"November 3, 2003"

The guy in the port slip left and also a sailboat named SEA JAY, ETHERIA, EMMA LOU and the trawler CALIOPE. JUBILEE put someone off and fired up their engines and left too.

I met a guy who was in Elizabeth City doing insurance assessment of the hurricane damage who has a CSY named HEAVEN. We still see some damage from the hurricane in store fronts.

Beth and Woody came in with a white ketch. They anchored behind Goat Island last night.

TROUBADOUR that we met last year at the Visitor's Center went past and didn't stop. Another couple tied up briefly but they need fuel and Pelican Marina was damaged by the hurricane and can't dispense fuel. So they left - I guess for the Alligator River.

Beth and Woody went somewhere to get water, not knowing that it is
available at the free docks. He is a refrigeration expert. A houseboat from Maine came in and left. DESTINATION left.

Bob got all his engine/refrigeration belts out and measured them, and fixed the refrigeration. He walked to the store and bought distilled water for the batteries and salt for the LectraSan and got a ride partway back.

I walked over to the bakery and got some very expensive bread and went to the bathroom there. I also took a picture of little Moth Park at the end of that street.

We walked to the Colonial Restaurant to have lunch. I had Navy bean soup and we both had a chicken salad sandwich and I had grapenuts pudding like mom used to make for dessert.

The cruiser's party was fun - Bob and Deb of ANNE M are really on their way to St. Martin to a job.

We met the folks from PIKA (NY state) and there was a guy with a ferrocement boat that he built himself. He said he'd rafted up to a big boat in Alaska - the big yacht asked him how long it took him to get up there and he said 5 days. He didn't tell them that he trailered up to Canada and sailed from there.

We ate at the Cypress Creek Grill and the folks from HELLO DARLIN' came in and sat with us. It is a yellow hulled power boat that they've sold and are delivering. We had the pork loin special, and I had coconut cake which I didn't really want as I was too full to appreciate it. I also had heartburn from it all night.

The next morning we left to go down the Pasquotank and cross Albemarle Sound and go into the Alligator River