Here’s some really good words for the New Year from SALTY SOUTHEAST CRUISERS’ NET SPONSOR, Mike Marker 0 Marine Supply!

What a great year and we owe it all to you and your faithful followers.The marine community came and supported our new store. We are stocking up on all kinds of new products.

We are featuring “Rugged Shark” retail $79.00 sale $64.95

New england rope boxed dock lines 20% off reg line off the reel 20%

Lanocote spray or jar 20% off

Fiberglass propane tanks all sizes 20% off

Binoculars and hand held VHF radios 20%off

Our thanks to Donna Stewart for this timely notice. We will stay in constant contact with Donna and the USACE to keep you posted on the date of the canal’s reopening. South Mills Lock is at the southern end of the Canal and opens into the Pasquotank River north of Elizabeth City, A SALTY SOUTHEAST CRUISERS’ NET SPONSOR!

I have been informed by the Army Corps of Engineers the South Mills Lock “River Gate” will be refurbished starting Jan. 3rd, 2011, after the 3:30pm locking. The gate will be lifted from the water and inspected, repairs made where appropriate and repainted. I’m told this process occurs about every 15 years or so and it must be budgeted accordingly with each of the two gates receiving their proper care. This is a process which helps to keep the Canal operational and all in good working condition.
It takes 60-90 days to refurbish, depending on weather and the amount of repairs required, so unfortunately the Dismal Swamp Canal will be closed from Jan. 4, 2012 until the work is completed. The good news is this will occur during our least busy time of year and hopefully will not affect too many boaters. We will keep you informed of progress as it is made and will let you know as soon as the date to reopen has been established. Forgoing any problems, we should be back open in time to greet the migration north in the spring.
Again, we are open and will be until the last locking of 3:30pm on Jan. 3, 2011 and will reopen when the gate work has been accomplished.
Merry Christmas to all and Happy New Year!
Donna Stewart, Director
Dismal Swamp Welcome Center
2356 US Hwy 17 N
South Mills, NC 27976
Phone ~ 252-771-8333
www.DismalSwampWelcomeCenter.com
Bird, Bike, Hike…..take in the sights!

Week 52/11 NC/VA – DISMAL SWAMP CANAL/ROUTE 2 – (AIWW ALTERNATE) – TEMPORARY CLOSURE FOR REPAIRS
On Wednesday, 04 January, 2012, the ACOE will begin repairs to the South Mills Lock on the Dismal Swamp Canal/Route 2. Therefore, the locks at Deep Creek, VA and South Mills, NC will stop operating after the last scheduled locking at 3:30 p.m. on Tuesday, 03 January, 2012. The Dismal Swamp Canal, Route 2, of the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway, will be temporarily closed to through traffic for approximately 90 days. The Albemarle and Chesapeake Canal, Route 1, through the Great Bridge Lock at Chesapeake, VA will continue to operate 24 hours a day/seven days a week and may be contacted on VHF-FM channel 13. For questions on this closure contact 757-201-7642. Chart: 12207.

From Fort Myers, FL to Chesapeake, VA, Capt. Sassaman pinpoints sources of good diesel fuel prices. This message is reproduced from the AGLCA mailing list, an organization that all of us at the Salty Southeast Cruisers’ Net continue to highly recommend for anyone considering the exciting “Great Loop” passage.

My wife, Pat, and I have traveled aboard our boat around Florida and the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway for several years, and below is a list of places we have found that have consistently lower, and sometimes much lower fuel prices than are normally found in each area.
• Fort Myers Beach, Florida – Ballard Oil Company – 239-463-7677 (commercial fuel dock that sells to pleasure craft). The fuel is $.50 – $.80 lower per gallon than other suppliers on the west coast of Florida.
• Miami, Florida – Palm Bay Club Marina – 305-751-3700. Stay one night at the marina ($2.00 per foot, plus they offer a Boats U. S. discount on dockage) and they will have a fuel truck come to the marina and deliver the fuel directly to the boat (200 gallon minimum and 24 hour notice required for fuel). The fuel is $.60 – $.75 lower per gallon than other suppliers in the Florida Keys, Miami, or Fort Lauderdale areas.
• St. Augustine, Florida – Rivers Edge Marina – 904-827-0520. Stay one night at the marina ($2.00 per foot, plus they offer a Boats U. S. discount on dockage) and they will have a fuel truck come to the marina and deliver the fuel directly to the boat. The fuel is about $.30 – $.40 lower per gallon than other suppliers in the area. If you do not stay at the marina, there is a surcharge of $.06 per gallon.
• Brunswick, Georgia – Ocean Petroleum – 912-262-9264. (Commercial fuel dock that sells to pleasure craft). The fuel is $.30 – $.70 lower per gallon than other suppliers in Georgia and northern Florida.
All of the above prefer to be paid by cash or check (even out of state checks are okay) but there is an additional charge for using a credit card.
• Myrtle Beach, South Carolina – Osprey Marina – 843-215-5353. This marina consistently has the lowest fuel prices we have found in North and South Carolina. They give a $.10 per gallon discount for Boat U. S. members, there is no extra charge for using a credit card, no overnight stay is required, and their dockage prices are low.
• Chesapeake, Virginia (just south of Norfolk) – Top Rack Marina – 757-227-3041. This marina consistently has one of the lowest fuel prices we have found in the entire Chesapeake Bay area, there is no extra charge for using a credit card, and if you dine at their excellent on-site “Amber Lantern” restaurant, there is no charge for overnight dockage with power
and water.
I hope this will be of some help.
Patricia & George Hospodar aboard Reflection

One addition to George Hospodar’s excellent fuel stop list would be the Myrtle Beach Yacht Club. They generally match Osprey Marina’s price without Boat US requirement and will beat the price for volume and non credit card sales. Information for fuel prices on Active Captain is virtually useless.
Jim Thompson
Gold Flag

Agree with your post. We stopped at Top Rack (Gals 150), VA and Ocean Petroleum, Brunswick GA (Gals 515) and fueled. We saved over $500 by visiting these two places. Awesome!
Tagamor

According to their web site, Horn Harbor Marina lies on Horn Harbor Channel at “HH,”the Mo(A) buoy 4.3 nautical miles southwest of Wolftrap Lighthouse.

We kept our Boat at the Horn Harbor Marina , Boatyard & marine railway over the summer months while we went home. The staff at the marina took great care of our vessel. She went thru Hurricane Irene well protected and cared for. We have nothing but good things to say about this marina and the facilities that it has to offer. Floating slips, covered and open, gas and diesel, water and electric 50/30 amp. ship’s store , a pool, a very nice kitchen area and lounge, boat ramp, on site service and repair and wi-fi . Check them out on line @www.HornHarborMarina.com or call 804-725-3223, you will have a wonderful staff waiting to help you. Safely tucked away, Just inside the Chesapeake Bay at Port Haywood, Virginia.
Thank you Horn Harbor marina for taking care of our vessel, a catamaran
Sheila & Chris
” Neverbored”

Cruisers needing a good harbor in a storm or excellent boat yard repairs or just getting those hard to identify and locate boat parts could not do much
better than the Atlantic Yacht Basin in Chesapeake, just south of Norfolk, Virginia. Our boat, True North, spend two days in their capable hands and
felt blessed.
We have no business association with Atlantic Yacht Basin other than very happy customers.
Stay Safe,
Tom

And, a very different point of view:

As a counter to your good experience with AYB, my experience with them last year left me with a bad taste and unsettled as to the actual condition of my boat. Let me suggest that staying with your boat while its being worked on, or having pockets so deep as to not care, is probably the key to an acceptable outcome. Last July, I left my just acquired 1985 sundeck for some engine work recommended in the pre-purchase survey. AYB was recommended by the hired capt. I had at the time to help get acquanted with the boat and the intercoastal. I had estimates from the engine surveyor in Charleston and from AYB of around $3800. When I returned two weeks later
to continue our travels, I was presented with a bill 3 times the estimate and way beyond expectations. Since then, while continuing repairs and updates on the boat, I have seen enough to infer poor workmanship (replacement ofthe wrong ignition keys at the wrong locations), and even the possibility of items not done (all desolved zincs in the supposed dismantled and cleaned heat exchangers after only 2 months in seawater and 2 months in fresh!). Clearly, I was a new owner, on a schedule, and with other distractions related to a business. Time and travel have improved the first handicape, the second, scheduling, has been a little slower to overcome, and the work related distractions are nearly gone now that I’ve retired for good. Please, avoid the situation I found myself in, even with a business like AYB. A good reputation or recommendation can’t make up for poor staff or distracted management.
Jon Patterson

Fair warning and a word to the wise! Pungo Ferry lies along the North Landing River, just north of the VA – NC state line.

Cruising News:
A word of warning…yesterday traveling from Norfolk to Coinjock at Pungo Ferry we were stopped by skiff manned by three VA police officers. Our offense? Violation of a no wake zone. We are running a 55 ft. Fleming weighing 70,000 lbs. We had just done a slow pass of a small sailboat. The no-wake sign was buried in a marsh. Our wake was probably 6 inches. We were stopped and detained for about 45 minutes, while they also stopped other boats, mostly sailboats. They were “guilty” of doing about 6 knots…imagine that!! What huge wakes!
Bob Scalia

Came through today (11/2) no one in site. Could this have been a holiday prank?
Ken Christian

Click Here To Open A Chart View Window, Zoomed To the Location of Pungo Ferry

This is not the first posting we’ve had here on the Cruisers’ Net concerning the great dining at Amber Lantern Restaurant, hard by Top Rack Marina. Really must give this place a try SOON!

Cruising News:
Wow what a great gormet meal and the dockage is free. We highly recommend this Restaurant, Could be the best on the ICW.
Ron & Audrey aboard Lucky Girl

The Lock in Great Bridge, VA was closed on 10/23/11 for a few hours while divers removed debris. It is now on a normal schedule of operation.

Click Here To View the Cruisers’ Net’s NC-VA Bridge Directory Listing For Great Bridge Lock

Click Here To Open A Chart View Window, Zoomed To the Location of Great Bridge Lock

Wow, even though the naval craft involved in these exercises are small, Greg and Susan’s video is nothing short of eye opening. DON’T DARE MISS THIS ONE! Click on the link below and watch.
Incidentally, Pungo Ferry lies on the primary North Carolina – Virginia Cut/Albemarle and Chesapeake Canal section of the AICW, just north of the Virginia/North Carolina state line.

We spent the night at Pungo Ferry at the old marina dock to hide from the winds. At 7:30 AM we were “attacked” by the Riverine patrol of the US Navy Norfolk. Smoke Grenades, miniguns, concussion grenages erupted all around us. Well we were forewarned of the ambush by the Navy photo crew stationed on the dock. The HD video I have which was too large to post online was even more thrilling.

http://tinyurl.com/3ob5oue

Greg and Susan Han
USCG 100GT Master, Near Coastal
Key Biscayne, FL
Allegria — Krogen Whaleback #16

“Live-fire” means using lethal ammunition. So methinks this was not live-fire otherwise we would be hearing of a court martial and/or trespassing cruisers arrested.
And we may still, as this video depicts a training scenario where civilians were too close to the action to be within DOD Guidelines. (I served as a munitions officer.)
Still, I have no doubts about which side of those warriors I would rather be on. Whohah!
Chris

Well the firing seemed live enough but all the ordnance were dummies, thank god.
Gregory Han

Bridge center support now removed. Construction of new high bridge is underway just south.
Gregory Han

Cruising News:
We stayed at Top Rack Marina, ( just before Dominion Highway Bridge) Chesapeake VA last night. They have the cheapest Diesel in the area. They also have some slips available. We have a 62′ Vicking. She is really too big to stay here but they made it work. For smaller boats it is perfect. The folks here are very nice and helpful. If you dine at the Restaurant and spend at least $75.00 the stay at the Marina is free. The Restaurant is five star. Food, presentation, service, ambiance is perfect. Will be back.
Claudia Young

Cruising News:
Still the best stop for either the Coinjock jog, or the Dismal saunter. Free overnight and electricity if you eat in the really outstanding Amber Lantern. $336.9/gallon diesel.
Dock boys waited for us until after 6:00pm due to a delay at the Gilmerton Bridge and a really long coal train. Fuel, pump out, outstanding dinner, and a good night’s sleep. We’ll come back this way again and again.
Jim & Talley

Cruising News: Amber Lantern Restaurant Top Rack Marina
Wow, what a great gormet meal and the dockage is free. We highly recommend this Restaurant, Could be the best on the ICW.
Ron & Audrey aboard Lucky Girl

The following discussion has been copied, with all author’s permission, from the MTOA List Serve. All of us at the Salty Southeast Crusiers’ Net continue to highly recommend a membership in the MTOA for ALL trawler owners. You won’t find a better bunch of cruisers anywhere.
The one and only lock on the primary AICW North Carolina – Virginia Cut/Albemarle and Chesapeake Canal route, is located at Great Bridge. The discussion below centers around dockage and shoreside opportunities at this location.
I have never had the good fortune to sample the dining attraction reported on below by Captain George, but it WILL be on my to-do list, effective immediately!!

Just a Note we passed through Great Bridge on 9/28 and stayed at the south dock before the bridge and found a couple of boats had been there for a few days and were staying longer the stay is posted for 24 hours but some are not doing that so the wall can get over loaded very fast. You can also tie up to the wall on the other side as long as you stay back from the bridge so the tow’s can get by, you have to tie to the trees or drive a stake in the ground. When we went through the bridge the dock on the east side had signs on it that it was closed for the park construction my guess is that you can use it but it looked very hard to get off the boat because of the construction fence barrier.. just our observations.
Larry & Margie Ross
Wanderin’ L&M
55′ Hampton

While you are at Great Bridge DO NOT FORGET to eat at Franks 2 Italian Restaurant.It is located north of the Great Bridge in a shopping center just past Kellys Pub.Frank is from NY and his food is very good.If you like N.Y. pizza then you must stop at Franks.I love good Italian!
George Kay
Summer Slopes
36 Marine Trader

We came through Great Bridge on Oct 19. The Lock Master told us that the dock across from Atlantic Yacht Basin had been closed off and docking banned by the company building the museum on that site. The usual wall between the lock and bridge had been full the night before and the locktenders let people tie up to the entrance wall on the Norfolk side of the lock. She also said that tying up to the trees on the left side between the lock and bridge was risky as commercial traffic had priority on that side and could demand that you move.
Chuck Berry

The so-called “Carolina Loop” cruise consists of a journey north on the Dismal Swamp Canal, to the Norfolk, VA area. Most cruisers stay here for night or two, then cruise south via the AICW principal route, alternately known as the “North Carolina – Virginia Cut” and the “Albemarle – Chesapeake Canal.” This latter passage flows through a lock at Great Bridge, VA, then down the North Landing River, across a dredged passage bisecting northern Currituck Sound, through a canal bisecting the marina rich, but tiny village of Coinjock, NC, down the North River to a short hop west on the Albemarle Sound, and finally north on the Pasquotank River to Elizabeth City, NC. This latter community is a SALTY SOUTHEAST CRUISERS’ NET SPONSOR, and has the deserved reputation of being one of the most cruiser friendly stops anywhere.
Of course, you can start the loop at any convenient place, and there are variations, but the account above lays out the general route. It’s a great trip!

I did the Carolina Loop last year from up in the Chesapeake to Norfolk then to Coinjock, Elizabeth City, Great Bridge, Norfolk and home. It was a total of 245+/- miles. It is a wonderful short trip with a lot of wilderness and undeveloped river country. It was not a difficult trip from a navigation or logistical point of view but a nice introduction to canal, river, sound and swamp cruising. I recommend it as a test cruise and short adventure for anyone in the Tidewater area. There are three locks (Great Bridge, South Mills and Deep Creek), a few bridges and some open sound to traverse. The only real issue is the limited opening times of the locks. That changes from time to time based on water levels so check before you leave as to what schedule they are operationing on now. In Coinjock there are two marinas for fuel, food and lodging. There are many in Norfolk and Portsmouth and Elizabeth City has free docking at the town docks but not power. Water depth was never an issue but be alert to snags in the Dismal Swamp part and the North Landing River sections. Have a good time.
Jim Wagner
(Daddy’s Dream

Click Here To View the Cruisers’ Net’s North Carolina Marina Directory Listing For Elizabeth City’s Mariners Wharf Docks

Click Here To Open A Chart View Window, Zoomed To the Location of Mariners Wharf Docks

Click Here To View the Cruisers’ Net’s North Carolina Marina Directory Listing For Midway Marina

Click Here To Open A Chart View Window, Zoomed To the Location of Midway Marina

Click Here To View the Cruisers’ Net’s North Carolina Marina Directory Listing For Coinjock Marina

Click Here To Open A Chart View Window, Zoomed To the Location of Coinjock Marina

Despite what was implied by this week’s Local Notice to Mariners, according to Mr. Weldon Diggs of the McClean Construction Co. navigation channels will NOT be affected by repairs being done to the bridge fenders. The bridge will close ONLY for normal railway traffic. At all other times, repairs will be done with the bridge in open position. All southbound cruisers can breathe a sigh of relief!

Per the bridge operator.. this is routine maintenance on the fender system.. the notice was for large ships.. not cruisers heading through. Said even a barge could make it through.. the contractor will move for traffic with notice.. but not needed/necessary for typical cruising traffic. As of 3:26pm today. (i.e we need 65 ft/14 ft beam)
Dan Craig

And as Capt. Pascal confirms, it seems to be much ado about nothing!

Update.. came thru this morning, no reply hailing them on 13. barge is off to the side and work on the fender system is underway, i can’t imagine why they’d block the channel… looks like a non issue.
Capt. Pascal aboard M/Y Charmer

[10/13/2011] Just heard the bridge tender telling a tug on 13 that the LNM was wrong… All good.
Capt. Pascal

Click Here To Open A Chart View Window, Zoomed To the Location of Norfolk Portsmouth RR Bridge

This update is from our good friend Donna Stewart, Director of the Dismal Swamp Canal Welcome Center, who was so faithful in keeping us all up to the minute on the recent wildfire and canal closure. The canal’s return to normal could not have occurred at a better with so many of you heading south, plus this is the perfect time of year to transit the canal.

Thanks for the note about the Canal. The Lateral West Fire update states the fire in the Dismal Swamp Refuge was 100% contained on Sept. 30, 2011. Containment of a fire means the fire perimeter has stayed in a confined, controlled area, without threat of spreading. Even at 100% containment, the interior area of the fire has smoldering ground fire on
small elevated ridges located west of Lake Drummond. These areas are surrounded by water and deep pockets where burned out trees, remaining charred logs and other hazards prevent fire fighters access. Smoke has not been an issue here for some time.
From a boating stand-point the Canal is completely open for business and as beautiful as ever. Boaters will see our lovely fall colors beginning and no damage from the fire. We have 9 boats here tonight and every one was excited about their trip from Deep Creek. Robert was on duty at the North end and doing a great job of providing information.
We’re looking forward to a great season!
Donna Stewart, Director
Dismal Swamp Canal Welcome Center
2356 Highway 17 North
South Mills, NC 27976
Phone: 877.771.8333 ~ Fax: 252.771.2055

If anyone can give some good advice to Captain Privette, please send that info to us at CruisersNet@triad.twcbc.com.

I am planning a trip south from Norfolk to Charleston and have become concerned with the bridge schedules leaving Norfolk. My initial plan was to move into Norfolk in the afternoon and leave at first light to head south via the Virginia cut. It seems that I will get trapped until after 9:00 waiting on bridge openings and not make a favorable marina, or a marina at all at the end of daylight. Any advice of this transit would be very appreciated. I’m traveling in a 380 Lagoon cat making 8 knots under power. I have just purchased my boat and moved it from Annapolis to just off Mobjack Bay. Have not really set it up to be self sufficient at anchor as of yet. I have traversed the waterway from Morehead City to the Florida Keys, just not alot of experience in this area. Thanks so much for any advice you may have.
Regards,
Roger Privette

Hello.
We are taking that same route and what we have figured out is this: Gilmerton Hwy Bridge is the first one we have to wait, opening at 9:30am (MM5.8), then Dominion Bridge opens on the hour so we’ll have to wait for the opening at 10:00am (MM 8.8). Great Bridge and Lock also opens on the hour, go thru at 11:00am (MM 11.5). Centerville Bridge opens every thirty min, probably make it at noon the latest (MM 15.2). North Landing bridge opens every hour and half-hour therefore we should be able to make it easy at 1pm (MM20.2). For us that would the first day, anchor around MM 56. We also are planning to do 8-9 knots. We have never done this route, so we’ll see. Good luck!
Tagamor

Now here is a REALLY USEFUL posting for all who are cruising south on the AICW, from the Chesapeake, this fall. What a great listing of free (or inexpensive) dockage. I only wish Captain Parky had provided Lat/Lon positions for these five finds. If anyone has Lat/Lon’s for any or all of these, PLEASE e-mail that info to CruisersNet@triad.twcbc.com.

Cruising News:
Thanks to Robert and the boys of Deep Creek Lock the Dismal Swamp Canal is now free of the dreaded intake blocking duckweed. If you’re a cheap and mean sailor like me, there are several free docks in this area.
1) Portsmouth City Docks – either one – 48 hour restriction but not enforced.
2) Chesapeake City Landing just south east of what was the old Jordan bridge. Next to a park and shops within walking distance.
3) Great Bridge Lock – great for stores and Canadian geese
4) Elizabeth Dock at Deep Creek Lock. Capn Bill, who built it, has just kindly finished another at Marker 19 on the Dismal Swamp Canal. And of course a little further down the Visitors Center where you can get water and lots of info.
5) The least expensive marina docking in the area – Scotts just north east of Portsmouth. The least expensive marina for fuel – Top Rack Marina just north of Steel Bridge.
I’ve spent over a month going from to another, meeting many nice cruising
friends along the way.
Happy gunkholing
Cap’n Parky on Pisces

I e-mailed Cap’n Parky, and asked for more details on the locations of these free and inexpensive facilities, and received the following reply:

My emphasis is that it is possible to find free docks in this area despite the attempts of the two big marinas (Ocean Marine and Tidewater) to place time restrictions on them – which nobody enforces fortunately. Cruising traffic is very much down from two years ago – presumably because of the poor economy – and I find that most owners these days are seeking good places to moor out and dinghy in – as well as free docks.
Cap’n Parky

Great timing for this we will be making our first trip south through there in a copule of weeks (Oct 21 ish)
JIM Lady

Of course Captain Anderson found that Mile Marker “0″ Marine Supplies went the extra mile. After all, they are our newest SALTY SOUTHEAST CRUISERS’ NET SPONSOR!!!

I’m a full time liveaboard cruiser and appreciate the information, and its’ presentation, on your website. Additionally I want to give an endorsement to Mile Marker 0 Marine Supply. Bob, the owner, will do anything – I mean it anything – to satisfy the customer. He drove to his paint supplier just to get me a quart of paint. He offered to take me shopping, look after my cats, and take me to the airport. There is free overnight dockage right in front of the store. It doesn’t get any better and I want to pass that on.
Mike Anderson