Alligator River

In many respects this years trip south is proving to be a very different experience than the last one. In 2007 it was a race to Florida. And we were simply one boat in a line of thousands heading towards the sun. Every day we were up at the crack of dawn, jockeying for position within the convoy of boats and competing for anchorages each evening. We only stopped at two marinas before reaching Florida and--except for Charleston--did not take time to linger in any of the pretty towns or historic villages we passed in our mad dash south. This year we are taking as much time as we want to meander on down. We have yet to see a single Canadian boat and many days find ourselves having the entire waterway to ourselves, with not another boat in sight. As a result, this years trip has turned into one long holiday rather than an endless journey. We stop whenever we feel like it, stay as long as we like, do lots of interesting things ashore and only venture out again when the winds are fair and the water relatively calm. And we are really enjoying the experience.

The Alligator River is a long, wide stretch of water that connects Albemarle Sound in the north to the PungoRiver/Pamplico Sound area in the south. And since we spent the first half of this week at the north end of it and the latter half of the week at its southern extremity, we decided that “Alligator River” would make a fitting title.

After leaving Norfolk, a days journey took us through safe narrow waterways to the marina at Coinjock NC where we planned to stage our trip across Albemarle Sound. This is one of our favourite stops because of the wonderful restaurant here and we always treat ourselves to a special dinner out whenever we come this way. As usual Vince ordered the legendary slab of roast beef and I enjoyed crab stuffed flounder. The next day, both wind and water cooperated and we were able to make a safe crossing of the Sound to the Alligator Marina at the other end. No sooner had we tied up in the slip for the evening than we found out that the Alligator Bridge next to the marina was going to be closed for repairs for the next two days and that we’d be unable to move on until then! Vince was exhausted from the trip across Albemarle and the idea of staying put did not seem like a bad thing. And the next morning we rented a car and spent a great day exploring the Outer Banks.

Our first stop was north to Kill Devil Hills, just a few miles south of Kitty Hawk where the Wright brothers experienced their first powered flight. There is a great little museum here full of photographs and artifacts documenting this event augmented with a variety of lectures, films and activities throughout the day. They even have a full scale replica of the biplane that the Wright brothers flew in. We then headed south to the Hatteras National Seashore, where we parked the car, clambered over the sand dunes lining the road and spent a few hours strolling along the beach collected seashells. When weather threatened we went back to the car and ended our day on the island of Roanoke where the first English settlers landed and established a colony in the 17th century. What became of that settlement of over 100 men, women and children remains a mystery to this day, because when a supply ship came back a 3 years later, everyone was gone--never to be heard from again. There were no signs of a struggle, just a deserted village. The present day inhabitants of Roanoke have made much of this history, recreating settlement houses, establishing a theatrical group which re-enacts the story on weekend summers in a beautiful outdoor ampitheatre and building a museum--where docents give lectures and show films about this historical event. The next day we met a very interesting couple while enjoying breakfast at the marina. Marcia and Barry, aboard “Troubadour” were tied up in the slip next to Fortnight, and after a brief chat, invited us to join them for dinner aboard their boat that evening. Barry is the Choral Director of the Annapolis Naval Academy and his wife Marcia Talley, a mystery novel writer with over 7 books currently in print! We had a delightful evening with them and have promised to look them up in the Abacos when we are there in the spring. I’m also looking forward to returning home and signing out one of Marcia’s books from the local library.

The next day the bridge opened and we both moved on--along the Alligator River and through the Alligator/Pungo Canal to its southern terminus. At this point we knew we had to find a sheltered anchorage in which to spend the next few days. The winds were up, and with “big water” all around and up ahead, it was not going to be comfortable, Unfortunately, there were no good anchorages in the area that could offer protection from all directions of winds. Lovely Slade Creek was the only real possibility. But the thought of spending the next three days at anchor there in the middle of nowhere stuck aboard the boat did not appeal to us. And so we decided to stop in at Dowry Creek Marina--a place that had been highly recommended to us by friends in the past. And we were not disappointed. What a wonderful place this turned out to be! The Marina building was a graceful three storied “home” with wide wrap around porches where guests were welcome to relax in comfy oversized wicker furniture. The view from the verandah was gorgeous--wide open water ahead, endless skies above with meandering creeks, and sheltered coves lined with tall swaying reeds and grasses edging the shoreline. There was a beautiful swimming pool and comfortable lounge for guests to enjoy and even a courtesy car that could be taken out for shopping and jaunts into town.

The next morning we awoke bright and early and drove into the neighbouring village of Belhaven. We found a delightful little cafe filled with locals and enjoyed a leisurely breakfast at a little table with flowers and a checkered tablecloth. It was fun listening to the locals with their strong Carolinian accents and we were welcomed and made to feel right at home. We spent the rest of the morning strolling along the streets and waterfront and poking about in the shops. Then it was back to the southern comforts of the marina in its gorgeous setting. We spent three relaxing days here--enjoying leisurely conversations with the owner--a widow our age, and other boaters, reading and basking in the 80 plus degree sunshine. There were more trips to town, some baking, and evenings spent watching TV--just happy to be alive and warm in a wonderful place.