Different Worlds

Since we left Hospital Point across from Norfolk, Mother Nature has been kind to us, but we did begin with a couple of man-made issues. For those who are familiar with this portion of the route, you know that we must deal with several lift bridges and a lock. At the first stop, two bridges must open at the same time, since they are so close together. One is a railroad bridge. When we arrived, we learned that the railroad bridge wouldn't open due to an electrical issue caused by someone stealing wire during the night. A repair crew was on hand to get the bridge up...an hour later than planned. However, the highway bridge then wouldn't open – another electrical problem. After another hour of waiting, the second repair crew got the problem solved and the bridge up.

By this time, there were 22 boats waiting, one of which was nearly 100 feet long. For those of you who've not experienced this sort of challenge, let me add a couple of comments. First, while waiting, we can't just park the boat. Dropping the anchor would mean blocking the path for another craft. The channel is not that wide, so we must keep the boat under control with the engine while preventing the wind or currents from pushing us into another boat or out of the channel. So now imagine 22 boats ranging in length from 30 feet to 100 feet all slowly dancing around each other without hitting one another or running aground in a somewhat restricted area. Great fun! This number of boats also became an issue when we got to the lock and most of these boats wanted to get in. The number was down to sixteen of us and they all squeezed in, but three boats had to raft up with those already tied to the wall on either side. All cooperated, and the locking process went smoothly.

The rest of the day went well, but our time for getting to our planned anchorage was really shortened. Fortunately, the Centerville Tpke bridge no longer is restricted on weekends. It opened as we arrived, so we got beyond all the bridges a bit more quickly. However, the time was still tight. We pushed the engine a bit and still just managed to drop the anchor just as the sun disappeared below the horizon.

Even if we're busy dropping the anchor, we still take time to enjoy the sunsets!

Miles to go in one direction

The next two days were easy by comparison. We managed to cover 70 miles the first day and 60 the second. (That may not seem like much to most people, but keep in mind that we travel at 7 -8 mph – not 65 mph.) The sun was warm and the winds were light, so our travel was smooth. The first day included traveling through the Alligator – Pungo Canal, a man-made canal for the ICW about 20 miles long with only one minor bend in the entire length. We could see little evidence of civilization during the entire stretch, but we also generally see no signs of wildlife beyond a vulture or seagull. On this occasion, a boater ahead of us saw a black bear swim across the canal, just as we had in a similar canal last spring. Then we saw two bald eagles seeking supper in the canal just in front of our boat. What a treat!

The canal shoreline appears untamed.

So here we are out in wild and our day influenced so much by what Mother Nature throws our way. Little of our life impacted by civilization. Then we tune in to the news and presidential debate and hear about all that has been going on in the world as well as so much that might possibly go on in the future. This represents a world so different from what we see each day; it just makes me wonder which is more real. The rational side tells me that they both are, and what I see on TV will impact my life, but it all seems so remote from that which is all around me each day. My concerns relate to weather, tides and resulting water depth, fuel consumption and how much water remains in our boat's tanks. Of course, all this reminds me of how fortunate we are to be able to experience this. For so many around that other world, the day's concerns are quite different and less appealing...even tragic for many.

So we'll continue to appreciate our days as we travel. We've arrived in New Bern, NC where we met up with two other boating couples we first met in Marathon two years ago – Libby and Dick Mills and Carol and George Myers. We'll also meet up with a long=time friend of Sandra, Priscilla Temple, whom we've had the good fortune to meet up with before as travel through the state. We'll be here for nearly a week enjoying good company and waiting for some stormy weather to pass by before continuing our journey south. So till my next update...

Carpe Diem

Captain Bob