Andy’s Pancake & Steakhouse 252-335-4700 Hoppin’ Johnz New South Cuisine 252-679-7716 Ghost Harbor Brewing Company 252-599-1030 Down Town Dawgs 252-202-3534 The Mills Downtown Bistro 252-621-1471
Provisioning Possibilities:
Take taxi to Food Lion Supermarket, some 2 miles away - free bicycles with baskets are also available at the Visitor's Center immediately south of the docks
Karen and Lee McClellan- August 26, 2018 - 3:23 pm
We did the Albemarle Loop in May and it was incredible. The next stop was Elizabeth City: the Albemarle Bay Museum, great restaurants and, of course, the memorial to the famous “Rose Buddies”. It is so worth doing the Albemarle Loop, one of the highlights of our (AGLCA) loop. Karen and Lee McClellan AGLCA Forum
What a great city! I’ve been visiting by boat since back in the day when the original Rose Buddies greeted everyone at the docks, and I go out of my way to return the favor by purchasing groceries, eating out, and patronizing other local businesses. One of my favorite ICW stops and a great reason to take the Dismal Swamp route. John Kettlewell
Just a note about Dismal Swamp Canal…. Not only do you need to watch the depth, with a sailboat, you need to watch the trees overhead too. When calculating your speed, the shallow depth limits your boat speed, ask the lock tender what daily distance to expect. There is also not room to pass slower boats, unless they agree to pull off to the side. Still a very nice, pretty route and Elizabeth City is wonderful. Lee Haefele
We had a wonderful stay for 2 nights at Elizabeth City after an eventful transit of the dismal swamp. The only navigation hazard was the duck weed [being cleared as of 10/17/2013] in and around the Deep Creek Lock. Robert is doing all he can to clear the weed which should be gone as the north wing abates this week, call him if concerned. We had a blocked strainer but after clearing it all was OK. After the DC bridge there was no weed to worry about and no other hazards for our 5′ draft IP45. Elizabeth City exceeded our expectations for free dock space and great hospitality. There is good shopping 1.5 miles from the dock and great shops and restaurants on the wharf. We thoroughly enjoyed a great value meal at Groupers! The visitor center had a Rose Buddies reception with free wine and cheese and it was great to hear about Elizabeth City and meet fellow cruisers. The museum is well worth the free entry and soon the theatre season will start too! Please pay these folks a visit – you won’t regret it! Devin Taylor s/v Moosetracks
Chuck and Susan Baier- October 13, 2013 - 10:15 pm
Construction has begun on the heads and showers and the contractor wants to have them done by Thanksgiving. Here are a couple of photos. Chuck and Susan, Trawler Beach House
We cruised in here on August 29 and left on the 31. This was the first we had stayed at these docks. Docks were nice but finger piers are short. Could be a problem for some boats. Also the heavy creosote on the pilings made a mess of my lines.The town is a great place to visit. Easy walk to several restaurants and bars. We recommend Cypress Creek Grill and Groupers. Nice museum close by that you can spend several hours. It would be nice if they had some bathrooms.
Interesting comment by Grey Ghost. We stopped on the way south last fall and the rose buddies put on a program in the large tent for a 30 person group of transients. We got our rose! Learned much about the area. s/v Skye
Stopped in Fall of 2012 at city dock and Rose Buddies/volunteers were no more – still good stop (without dock hands or electricity) with good size city resources including a great museum. Gray Riddick Gray Ghost
Our home is in Kinsale, VA, and we have just made our 6th stop at the Elizabeth City Visitors Center, and of course were greeted by ‘Rose Buddy’ Gus! The folks in Eliz City are most friendly, accommodating, and we can’t say enough good things about our experiences at our favorite stop on the ICW. So take our word for it and stop on your next trip ‘North’ or ‘South’. You won’t regret it! Tom and Kaye aboard the S/V SHEARWATER
Cruising News: Elizabeth City is always a great stop for cruisers. A great place to talk with some of the boaters you’ve been traveling with and get ready for the trip across the Albemarle. Especially want to thank Jessica and Susan at the Convention and Visitors Center for their help when I found out that I needed to get some parts and do some rewiring. Bill Watson
Stopped off here doing the Carolina Loop. Met Gus who stated he is last of the original Rose Buddies. Unfortunately we stopped on Labor Day and everything was closed. Gus said they do not get the boats they use to due to the economy. We stayed here many years ago and I recall it was a full house. This trip we were the first boat in awhile. Can’t beat the rates but if you desire more services I suggest cruising a short distance north to Lambs Marina. BTW – the Carolina Loop is a nice cruise and everyone should do the Dismal Swamp at least once. May not be there forever.
Several of us opted to take the Dismal Swamp route north so we could experience Elizabeth City and the “Rose Buddies” that we had heard about on many occasions. We arrived on Fri. night and attended the rose buddies welcome complete with beer, wine and snacks and useful information about our stay. Dave gave us good info on the trip north to mm 0 and Steve Atkinson (sp?) the former mayor was exemplary in his welcoming us to his town. We liked what we saw (especially the free dock) and decided to spend an additional day in E city spending cash on restaurants, farmers market and Karen even found a dress for our son’s wedding in Nov at a small boutique near the docks! Elizabeth City is a must stop on the loop. Don’t pass this one by – it’s a gem.
Roger & Karen Montembeault m/v Karen Anne 1986 KK Manatee
Dear Mr. Young, My family and I aboard S-V Whirling Dervish docked at the city docks in Elizabeth City on our trip south after exiting the Dismal Swamp. WOW, what a welcoming place! Every cruiser coming through the Dismal Swamp should stop at the free city docks and enjoy this town! Paul Dolan & Family SV Whirling Dervish November 1, 2009
Mile 50.9 – Elizabeth City. Another example of the well known hospitality of dockeepers Sam and Doug and others helping to welcome boaters. My Chinese motor scooter had suddenly stopped working – an emergency in my book since I have found it so useful for getting to grocery stores. Having determined it was an ignition coil failure, Susan Hartley of the Welcome Bureau not only ran me some 8 miles to only scooter store in town – but waited there as we tried to find a replacement part and ran me back! Fitted the new coil, paid the $50, pressed the button – Bingo! – I was back in business at 45mph and 126 mpg…….. The Farm Fresh grocery store will still pick you up and take you back – but the week before some boater got the service but bought only a single pack of cigarettes! Now that’s just not fair folks! Great showers at the Fitness Center – $2 but well worth it. The nearby coffee shop sells a great Reuben sandwich. It’s hard to beat Elizabeth City for a free 2 or 3 day dockage. Arnold
Hello, Mr. Young, My wife and I recently cruised up to Virginia from Florida. Our route north included taking the Virginia cut in lieu of the Dismal Swamp Canal route. On our return, however, some fellow cruisers told us it would behoove us to take the Dismal Swamp and make a stop in Elizabeth City, NC. They said the city is boater friendly and we should have an enjoyable visit. We followed their advice and took the Dismal Swamp route, arriving in Elizabeth City on Monday night, September 14th. We met two other cruisers at the Visitors Center on the Dismal Swamp canal and arrived with them at Elizabeth City simultaneously. We checked in with the tourism center and were given a rousing welcome. They catered to our every need, including offers for rides to grocery stores. laundromats, to purchase ice and pretty much anything else we needed. The dockage was COMPLIMENTARY and they also provided Wi Fi computer service. Later in the day, a representative came by each boat and advised that they were hosting a wine and cheese reception for the visiting boaters. We decided to attend and were greeted by a member of the “Rosebuddies”. This is a group that was started many years ago for the purpose of making cruising boaters feel welcome in Elizabeth City. Part of the reception was giving a rose to each female member of a boating party. In addition, the Mayor of the city was in attendance at the reception and made it a point to greet each boat owner and their respective families personally. I don’t believe I have ever visited another town anywhere in the United States in a boat and had the mayor come out and greet us. Mayor Steven Atkinson told us about the many services and programs that are available to us cruisers as well as their many attractions, especially the Albemarle Museum. Lastly, the rosebuddy who spoke to us advised us on additional areas of interest to boaters together with local knowledge of the water which enabled some of us to shorten travel time and several miles on our way south after leaving Elizabeth City. I have to say that as one who has been cruising for over twenty years, never have we been received so warmly as we were in this small town waterfront town in North Carolina. They are currently promoting “The Carolina Loop” for people in North Carolina, Virginia, and other areas. They have a brochure on their website that provides a detailed explanation of the trip. I am sure you have probably been made aware of this city, however, I felt I would be remiss in my duty as a fellow cruiser if I did not tell you what a great time we had on our visit. My wife Nancy and I would highly recommend spending time there. Also, we wish to congratulate Elizabeth City Tourism on the splendid job they did making all of us cruisers feel welcome. We will visit this charming city again. Arlington(Sonny) and Nancy Lambert S/V Sonrae 79 CSY 33 Hull #10 Fleming Island, FL
At Elizabeth City docks, if you’re nice and friendly to the dockmasters, they ‘ll show you two hidden spigots for topping off your water tanks………. No fuel alas – but there is at the marina just south – who also sell block ice Arnold
We did not get to experiance the well known welcome of a rose and wine reception. The man who used to do it had passed on. We had breakfast at a little place in town that took you back to old days. We stayed there for 3 days, also the day before we left we met a South African couple who were delivering a 44ft. Knysna catamaran to Annapolis. We developed a relationship because my wife is originally from South Africa. The girls still keep in touch. We enjoyed Elizabeth City for our short stay there. Clif & Peta Lewis s/v Immanuel
Elizabeth City is always great. When I was there a Canadian owner suggested a pot luck supper which in turn led to a party and singing songs from a variety of countries represented. Dockmasters Sam and Gus are very friendly and will let you stay more than a couple of nights if the docks aren’t full. Good fish restaurant near the dock. laundry withing walking distance and a breat Farm Fresh grocery store who will pick you up and return upon request. Best wishes Arnold Parkinson The British Club Worldwide http://www.britishclubworldwide.com
As to EC’s hospitality, we cannot overstate how welcome we were made to feel. Even had the Mayor (Stephen Atkinson) come by and introduce himself. We stayed at the city dock, which is free. It was about half full. We went to dinner at a restaurant, Montero’s, named after the owner and chef, who came and picked us up in his car and took us back to the boat when we were through. The food was fine. Bill & Claudia Bagwell M/V Runaway
On to Elizabeth City where everything I’ve heard about their fabulous welcome is evident even though Fred Fearing, the last “Rose Buddy” has died. In his place is a granite marker describing the rose buddies and their legacy. Instead, we were greeted by the Elizabeth City mayor himself whoat the traditional wine and cheese party told us about his plans for expanding the services available. He is a boat owner and is a strong advocate for the city docks. He even set to to help late arrivals with their dock lines. A call to the local supermarket brought a courtesy car driven by the store manager himself, and he drove us back to the docks when we had made out purchases. This is one of the most complete supermarkets I have ever been in. The only negatives about Elizabeth City is the lack of fuel service at the docks. Jack Wisner and I walked a couple of blocks to an automotive filling station and lugged back a six gallon jug of fuel. There presently are no fuel docks in Elizabeth City, and out next available pit stop was Dowry Creek Marina where we later had difficulty fueling from their high speed pump whose nozzle will not fit in most sailboat’s deck plates. The lack of heads and showers is high on the mayor’s list of new services which he feels need to be provided at Elizabeth City. Ted Jones
ELIZABETH CITY (8/17 – 8/20). You have to know where the water spigots are buried – a city worker who was watering flowers in the park one morning showed us. The Chamber of Commerce no longer deals with the waterfront, but the Convention & Visitors Center (252-335-5330) has taken up the cause and Susan was very helpful. She is in the brick building immediately south of the docks. Groupers restaurant is also there, was the only place open on Sunday night, and we thought it quite good. We also did the Colonial (great basic supper and breakfast), Cypress Creek Grill, and Rachel’s, all very nice and reasonably priced. We stayed at EC three nights and would have gone to Pelican Marina for the third, but they were not taking transients – something about all slips privately owned and full – so we stayed at Mariners’ Wharf with the city’s blessing, there being only two boats in port at the time. The best discovery was the Lowry Oil Company (252-335-4283) who can deliver diesel directly to the boat at a very reasonable price for a minimum 100 gallon order. And the Farm Fresh supermarket about a mile and a half from the docks will pick up cruisers for grocery shopping. All in all, EC was a very enjoyable layover. Regards, Nita and Rick George aboard MV Hale Kai
Message: Claiborne, The free city docks in Elizabeth City were full yesterday when we arrived. We noticed a trawler tied to the long face dock just north of the Elizabeth City bridge, and the bridge operator said we could stay there. The docks are part of the Jennette Brothers food distributors service. This locally owned company will make you sign a form excusing any liability, but otherwise they are very accomodating to cruisers when the city docks are full. No power, but water is available. The Dismal Swamp was beautiful with the changing Fall colors, with depths averaging 7 ft. As the morning temp. was 42, we\’re heading south! Capt. Miles
If you are looking for dock space in Elizabeth City and all the “in town places” are taken, for the price of signing a waiver you can dock North of the bridge on the West side next to the Jennette Bros Provision Co. building. Say hello to Eric the bridge tender.
When we passed through Elizabeth City last summer, the docking looked a little tight for us and we were going to just anchor. But, “some guy” waved us over to the area just about 50 yards south of the free city docks and helped us tie up. I was a little concerned since the bulkhead had a sign “no docking”, but since the “some guy” turned out to be the mayor, we were all smiles. How many places do you know in which the town’s mayor grabs a line for visiting boats??? Ken
Hi, We had the same experience in early Oct when pulling in late, about 1700, at Elizabeth City. The guy ran across the park and waved us in to where the tour boat used to dock. The pilings were a little treacherous, but we managed to tie and enjoy the evening. Our two dogs enjoyed the park as well as ourselves. The mayor is Steve Atkinson and he was heading to the Annapolis sailboat show the next day, so I gave him my card so he could use the Annapolis Yacht Club. A very nice fellow and a credit to the city. Bob and Claudia
Subject: Elizabeth City Cruising News: As one of the early boats heading north on the ICW. It was refreshing to find the hospitality of the Elizabeth City Mayor. On April 1, at about 4:30 in the afternoon we arrived at the Elizabeth City Dock. A short time later the City Mayor approached us and offered the hospitality of the city. Explaining all that was available in town from dinner theater, great places to eat, museaums, Post Office and Library as well as free wi fi at the dock. What a great feeling being made so welcome after a long days cruise. Cudos to Elizabeth City John and Dottie on the DAR SEA
Reviews from Cruisers (25)
We did the Albemarle Loop in May and it was incredible. The next stop was Elizabeth City: the Albemarle Bay Museum, great restaurants and, of course, the memorial to the famous “Rose Buddies”. It is so worth doing the Albemarle Loop, one of the highlights of our (AGLCA) loop.
Karen and Lee McClellan
AGLCA Forum
AMEN! Kudos to Elizabeth City! Another 2 day dock courtesy city in North Carolia is Edenton. Another beautiful stop.
Alan
What a great city! I’ve been visiting by boat since back in the day when the original Rose Buddies greeted everyone at the docks, and I go out of my way to return the favor by purchasing groceries, eating out, and patronizing other local businesses. One of my favorite ICW stops and a great reason to take the Dismal Swamp route.
John Kettlewell
Just a note about Dismal Swamp Canal…. Not only do you need to watch the depth, with a sailboat, you need to watch the trees overhead too. When calculating your speed, the shallow depth limits your boat speed, ask the lock tender what daily distance to expect. There is also not room to pass slower boats, unless they agree to pull off to the side. Still a very nice, pretty route and Elizabeth City is wonderful.
Lee Haefele
We had a wonderful stay for 2 nights at Elizabeth City after an eventful transit of the dismal swamp. The only navigation hazard was the duck weed [being cleared as of 10/17/2013] in and around the Deep Creek Lock. Robert is doing all he can to clear the weed which should be gone as the north wing abates this week, call him if concerned. We had a blocked strainer but after clearing it all was OK. After the DC bridge there was no weed to worry about and no other hazards for our 5′ draft IP45.
Elizabeth City exceeded our expectations for free dock space and great hospitality. There is good shopping 1.5 miles from the dock and great shops and restaurants on the wharf. We thoroughly enjoyed a great value meal at Groupers! The visitor center had a Rose Buddies reception with free wine and cheese and it was great to hear about Elizabeth City and meet fellow cruisers. The museum is well worth the free entry and soon the theatre season will start too! Please pay these folks a visit – you won’t regret it!
Devin Taylor s/v Moosetracks
Construction has begun on the heads and showers and the contractor wants to have them done by Thanksgiving. Here are a couple of photos.
Chuck and Susan, Trawler Beach House
We cruised in here on August 29 and left on the 31. This was the first we had stayed at these docks. Docks were nice but finger piers are short. Could be a problem for some boats. Also the heavy creosote on the pilings made a mess of my lines.The town is a great place to visit. Easy walk to several restaurants and bars. We recommend Cypress Creek Grill and Groupers. Nice museum close by that you can spend several hours. It would be nice if they had some bathrooms.
Interesting comment by Grey Ghost. We stopped on the way south last fall and the rose buddies put on a program in the large tent for a 30 person group of transients. We got our rose! Learned much about the area.
s/v Skye
Stopped in Fall of 2012 at city dock and Rose Buddies/volunteers were no more – still good stop (without dock hands or electricity) with good size city resources including a great museum.
Gray Riddick
Gray Ghost
Our home is in Kinsale, VA, and we have just made our 6th stop at the Elizabeth City Visitors Center, and of course were greeted by ‘Rose Buddy’ Gus! The folks in Eliz City are most friendly, accommodating, and we can’t say enough good things about our experiences at our favorite stop on the ICW. So take our word for it and stop on your next trip ‘North’ or ‘South’. You won’t regret it!
Tom and Kaye aboard the S/V SHEARWATER
Cruising News:
Elizabeth City is always a great stop for cruisers. A great place to talk with some of the boaters you’ve been traveling with and get ready for the trip across the Albemarle. Especially want to thank Jessica and Susan at the Convention and Visitors Center for their help when I found out that I needed to get some parts and do some rewiring.
Bill Watson
Stopped off here doing the Carolina Loop. Met Gus who stated he is last of the original Rose Buddies. Unfortunately we stopped on Labor Day and everything was closed. Gus said they do not get the boats they use to due to the economy. We stayed here many years ago and I recall it was a full house. This trip we were the first boat in awhile. Can’t beat the rates but if you desire more services I suggest cruising a short distance north to Lambs Marina. BTW – the Carolina Loop is a nice cruise and everyone should do the Dismal Swamp at least once. May not be there forever.
Several of us opted to take the Dismal Swamp route north so we could experience Elizabeth City and the “Rose Buddies” that we had heard about on many occasions. We arrived on Fri. night and attended the rose buddies welcome complete with beer, wine and snacks and useful information about our stay. Dave gave us good info on the trip north to mm 0 and Steve Atkinson (sp?) the former mayor was exemplary in his welcoming us to his town. We liked what we saw (especially the free dock) and decided to spend an additional day in E city spending cash on restaurants, farmers market and Karen even found a dress for our son’s wedding in Nov at a small boutique near the docks!
Elizabeth City is a must stop on the loop. Don’t pass this one by – it’s a gem.
Roger & Karen Montembeault
m/v Karen Anne
1986 KK Manatee
Dear Mr. Young,
My family and I aboard S-V Whirling Dervish docked at the city docks in Elizabeth City on our trip south after exiting the Dismal Swamp. WOW, what a welcoming place! Every cruiser coming through the Dismal Swamp should stop at the free city docks and enjoy this town!
Paul Dolan & Family
SV Whirling Dervish
November 1, 2009
Mile 50.9 – Elizabeth City. Another example of the well known hospitality of dockeepers Sam and Doug and others helping to welcome boaters. My Chinese motor scooter had suddenly stopped working – an emergency in my book since I have found it so useful for getting to grocery stores. Having determined it was an ignition coil failure, Susan Hartley of the Welcome Bureau not only ran me some 8 miles to only scooter store in town – but waited there as we tried to find a replacement part and ran me back! Fitted the new coil, paid the $50, pressed the button – Bingo! – I was back in business at 45mph and 126 mpg……..
The Farm Fresh grocery store will still pick you up and take you back – but the week before some boater got the service but bought only a single pack of cigarettes! Now that’s just not fair folks! Great showers at the Fitness Center – $2 but well worth it. The nearby coffee shop sells a great Reuben sandwich. It’s hard to beat Elizabeth City for a free 2 or 3 day dockage.
Arnold
Hello, Mr. Young,
My wife and I recently cruised up to Virginia from Florida. Our route north included taking the Virginia cut in lieu of the Dismal Swamp Canal route. On our return, however, some fellow cruisers told us it would behoove us to take the Dismal Swamp and make a stop in Elizabeth City, NC. They said the city is boater friendly and we should have an enjoyable visit.
We followed their advice and took the Dismal Swamp route, arriving in Elizabeth City on Monday night, September 14th. We met two other cruisers at the Visitors Center on the Dismal Swamp canal and arrived with them at Elizabeth City simultaneously. We checked in with the tourism center and were given a rousing welcome. They catered to our every need, including offers for rides to grocery stores. laundromats, to purchase ice and pretty much anything else we needed. The dockage was COMPLIMENTARY and they also provided Wi Fi computer service. Later in the day, a representative came by each boat and advised that they were hosting a wine and cheese reception for the visiting boaters. We decided to attend and were greeted by a member of the “Rosebuddies”. This is a group that was started many years ago for the purpose of making cruising boaters feel welcome in Elizabeth City. Part of the reception was giving a rose to each female member of a boating party. In addition, the Mayor of the city was in attendance at the reception and made it a point to greet each boat owner and their respective families personally. I don’t believe I have ever visited another town anywhere in the United States in a boat and had the mayor come out and greet us. Mayor Steven Atkinson told us about the many services and programs that are available to us cruisers as well as their many attractions, especially the Albemarle Museum. Lastly, the rosebuddy who spoke to us advised us on additional areas of interest to boaters together with local knowledge of the water which enabled some of us to shorten travel time and several miles on our way south after leaving Elizabeth City.
I have to say that as one who has been cruising for over twenty years, never have we been received so warmly as we were in this small town waterfront town in North Carolina. They are currently promoting “The Carolina Loop” for people in North Carolina, Virginia, and other areas. They have a brochure on their website that provides a detailed explanation of the trip.
I am sure you have probably been made aware of this city, however, I felt I would be remiss in my duty as a fellow cruiser if I did not tell you what a great time we had on our visit. My wife Nancy and I would highly recommend spending time there. Also, we wish to congratulate Elizabeth City Tourism on the splendid job they did making all of us cruisers feel welcome. We will visit this charming city again.
Arlington(Sonny) and Nancy Lambert
S/V Sonrae 79 CSY 33 Hull #10
Fleming Island, FL
At Elizabeth City docks, if you’re nice and friendly to the dockmasters, they ‘ll show you two hidden spigots for topping off your water tanks………. No fuel alas – but there is at the marina just south – who also sell block ice
Arnold
We did not get to experiance the well known welcome of a rose and wine reception. The man who used to do it had passed on. We had breakfast at a little place in town that took you back to old days. We stayed there for 3 days, also the day before we left we met a South African couple who were delivering a 44ft. Knysna catamaran to Annapolis. We developed a relationship because my wife is originally from South Africa. The girls still keep in touch. We enjoyed Elizabeth City for our short stay there.
Clif & Peta Lewis
s/v Immanuel
Elizabeth City is always great. When I was there a Canadian owner suggested a pot luck supper which in turn led to a party and singing songs from a variety of countries represented. Dockmasters Sam and Gus are very friendly and will let you stay more than a couple of nights if the docks aren’t full. Good fish restaurant near the dock. laundry withing walking distance and a breat Farm Fresh grocery store who will pick you up and return upon request.
Best wishes
Arnold Parkinson
The British Club Worldwide
http://www.britishclubworldwide.com
As to EC’s hospitality, we cannot overstate how welcome we were made to feel. Even had the Mayor (Stephen Atkinson) come by and introduce himself. We stayed at the city dock, which is free. It was about half full. We went to dinner at a restaurant, Montero’s, named after the owner and chef, who came and picked us up in his car and took us back to the boat when we were through. The food was fine.
Bill & Claudia Bagwell
M/V Runaway
On to Elizabeth City where everything I’ve heard about their fabulous welcome is evident even though Fred Fearing, the last “Rose Buddy” has died. In his place is a granite marker describing the rose buddies and their legacy. Instead, we were greeted by the Elizabeth City mayor himself whoat the traditional wine and cheese party told us about his plans for expanding the services available. He is a boat owner and is a strong advocate for the city docks. He even set to to help late arrivals with their dock lines. A call to the local supermarket brought a courtesy car driven by the store manager himself, and he drove us back to the docks when we had made out purchases. This is one of the most complete supermarkets I have ever been in.
The only negatives about Elizabeth City is the lack of fuel service at the docks. Jack Wisner and I walked a couple of blocks to an automotive filling station and lugged back a six gallon jug of fuel. There presently are no fuel docks in Elizabeth City, and out next available pit stop was Dowry Creek Marina where we later had difficulty fueling from their high speed pump whose nozzle will not fit in most sailboat’s deck plates. The lack of heads and showers is high on the mayor’s list of new services which he feels need to be provided at Elizabeth City.
Ted Jones
ELIZABETH CITY (8/17 – 8/20). You have to know where the water spigots are buried – a city worker who was watering flowers in the park one morning showed us. The Chamber of Commerce no longer deals with the waterfront, but the Convention & Visitors Center (252-335-5330) has taken up the cause and Susan was very helpful. She is in the brick building immediately south of the docks. Groupers restaurant is also there, was the only place open on Sunday night, and we thought it quite good. We also did the Colonial (great basic supper and breakfast), Cypress Creek Grill, and Rachel’s, all very nice and reasonably priced. We stayed at EC three nights and would have gone to Pelican Marina for the third, but they were not taking transients – something about all slips privately owned and full – so we stayed at Mariners’ Wharf with the city’s blessing, there being only two boats in port at the time. The best discovery was the Lowry Oil Company (252-335-4283) who can deliver diesel directly to the boat at a very reasonable price for a minimum 100 gallon order. And the Farm Fresh supermarket about a mile and a half from the docks will pick up cruisers for grocery shopping. All in all, EC was a very enjoyable layover.
Regards, Nita and Rick George aboard MV Hale Kai
Message: Claiborne,
The free city docks in Elizabeth City were full yesterday when we arrived. We noticed a trawler tied to the long face dock just north of the Elizabeth City bridge, and the bridge operator said we could stay there. The docks are part of the Jennette Brothers food distributors service. This locally owned company will make you sign a form excusing any liability, but otherwise they are very accomodating to cruisers when the city docks are full. No power, but water is available.
The Dismal Swamp was beautiful with the changing Fall colors, with depths averaging 7 ft.
As the morning temp. was 42, we\’re heading south!
Capt. Miles
If you are looking for dock space in Elizabeth City and all the “in town places” are taken, for the price of signing a waiver you can dock North of the bridge on the West side next to the Jennette Bros Provision Co. building. Say hello to Eric the bridge tender.
When we passed through Elizabeth City last summer, the docking looked a little tight for us and we were going to just anchor. But, “some guy” waved us over to the area just about 50 yards south of the free city docks and helped us tie up. I was a little concerned since the bulkhead had a sign “no docking”, but since the “some guy” turned out to be the mayor, we were all smiles. How many places do you know in which the town’s mayor grabs a line for visiting boats???
Ken
Hi,
We had the same experience in early Oct when pulling in late, about 1700, at Elizabeth City. The guy ran across the park and waved us in to where the tour boat used to dock. The pilings were a little treacherous, but we managed to tie and enjoy the evening. Our two dogs enjoyed the park as well as ourselves. The mayor is Steve Atkinson and he was heading to the Annapolis sailboat show the next day, so I gave him my card so he could use the Annapolis Yacht Club. A very nice fellow and a credit to the city.
Bob and Claudia
Subject: Elizabeth City
Cruising News: As one of the early boats heading north on the ICW. It was refreshing to find the hospitality of the Elizabeth City Mayor.
On April 1, at about 4:30 in the afternoon we arrived at the Elizabeth City Dock.
A short time later the City Mayor approached us and offered the hospitality of the city. Explaining all that was available in town from dinner theater, great places to eat, museaums, Post Office and Library as well as free wi fi at the dock.
What a great feeling being made so welcome after a long days cruise.
Cudos to Elizabeth City
John and Dottie on the DAR SEA