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Below, you will discover our COMPLETE listing of Virginia to the North Carolina state line cruising news/postings from fellow cruisers, arranged in chronological order, based on publication date.

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

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.

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

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”

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

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

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

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