On 7/23/09, as part of a “North Carolina Wish List,” I posed the following question:

6. Near Statute Mile 50.5, cruisers traveling the Dismal Swamp Canal Route will discover Elizabeth City (A SALTY SOUTHEAST CRUISERS’ NET SPONSOR). This community has the enviable reputation of providing one of the warmest welcomes to cruisers to be found anywhere in the Southeastern USA. And, free city docks are in the offing for an overnight stay. Who has stopped in Elizabeth City recently? Could you please describe the welcome you received? Did you find any good restaurants ashore?

Responses follow:

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

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

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
www.britishclubworldwide.com

The stay at Elizabeth City was nice. When we arrived coming up the Pasquotank a man on shore took a line for us to help us in the slip. It turned out he was on the boat next to us. He was traveling south on a 40ft. mono [can’t remember what kind] with his wife and a cat. They were french canadian heading to Charleston. They must have liked french poodles because they had the cat shaved that way, Yes they did!
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

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

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