Start of Our Erie Canal Adventures
Starting a new journey to and through the Erie Canal
April 21-25, 2026
We are in a slip at New Bern, NC. There is a mama duck with 12 ducklings always near our boat.
This morning we checked out the local outdoor market that featured fresh produce, honey, jellies and jams, homemade soaps, sewing and knitting items and numerous other products featured by local artisans. Then we walked to Tryon Palace and took a tour of this historic site and its extensive gardens. This estate served as the first colonial and state capitol and is a reconstructed 18th-century palace. The tour was worth the admission price. The last couple of days we’ve walked the town of New Bern checking out the stores. On Friday, the 24th, we met up with Bob and Julie, the prior owners of Heidi-Ho and had lunch at Gemelli’s Italian Deli. The food was delicious! It was great seeing Bob and Julie and talking about our travels on the Loop and their travels with their new boat that they took to the Bahamas.
A couple of days ago we met Joe and Dede on Assisted Living. They are having canvas work done on their boat and will be leaving this area beginning of May. They recently started their journey on the Loop. We’ve gotten together with them the past two nights and taught them the card game, Liverpool; they thoroughly enjoyed the game. We answered, as best we could, any questions or concerns they had regarding the Loop.
Tonight we had dinner at the local Tai restaurant. On our stroll back to the boat, we stopped at Baxter’s 1892 and had a cocktail. Lauren requested an Espresso Martini and chatted with the bartender that she hasn’t had a decent one in a long time; they were too sweet! He gave her options as to how he could make it. Once it arrived and she taste-tested it, she told him it was perfect! Walking back to the marina, Brian spotted a pocket book just sitting on a brick wall. There was no one around. He called the police and explained what he had found and gave the officer his name, telephone number and let the officer know that we would hold the pocketbook on our boat. Within about 10 minutes, a police woman showed up and Brian handed over the pocket book. We chatted with her for a few minutes and she thanked Brian for contacting them. She no sooner got back through the marina gate, when she turned around and came back on through with a woman; the owner of the pocketbook. The owner had just arrived, discovered the pocketbook was not where she thought she had left it and saw the police woman with it. She wanted to thank us; she was so relieved! She had taken a river cruise and upon returning sat down on the brick wall for a few minutes then walked off to have dinner. She didn’t realize it was missing until it was time to leave the restaurant. We can’t believe no one took off with it. We felt good that it all ended well.
Brian reading: Silas Marner by George Eliot
Lauren: The Shop on Blossom Street by Debbie Macomber
April 26, 2026
A rainy, cold, blustery day. We caught up on reading and cleaning (always). On and off during the day, we kept in touch with Paul and Jill who were driving from Florida to New Bern to meet up with us. They have a long day of driving ahead of them; they are bringing their dog, Charlie with them. After dinner, we took a brisk walk about town; it was still cold and really windy. Brian stopped for an ice cream. While waiting for the ice cream, Brian asked both staff workers about all of the decorative bears around town. One girl, said the town was known for the bears that lived in the woods surrounding the town. The other girl stated the Bern was another name for bear in Switzerland. After some research, New Bern was founded in 1710 by a Swiss nobleman, Christoph von Graffenried and Swiss/Palatine German settlers. The town was named after Bern, Switzerland. New Bern is the second-oldest European-settled colonial town in North Carolina.
Tomorrow night, Paul, Jill and Charlie will arrive to New Bern. We will spend Monday and Tuesday with them to celebrate our Looper finish, tour the town and play Liverpool.
April 27, 2026
After breakfast, Paul, Jill and Charley came to see us on the boat then took us for a ride to Cherry Point Marine/Air Base. Both Brian and Paul had been stationed there and both were curious to see the changes. Paul, being a retired colonel had no issues getting us on base. A lot has changed over the last 50 years. Then we rode to Moorehead City and had lunch at the Sanitary Fish Market, a seafood restaurant. After that, it was on to Beaufort and then back to Oriental. Paul and Jill had lived in these areas and were taking a trip down memory lane. Back on board, we played Liverpool; Paul won. He was so tickled, that he requested a second game and he also won that one. It was a great spending time with them and Charlie. Heidi didn’t have any issues with Charlie being aboard; they basically ignore each other.
April 28, 2026
Paul, Jill and Charlie came by the boat late morning. Paul had a work call, so he sat out on the back deck for privacy, while the rest of us sat inside and chatted. After his call, we walked about town and stopped at Gemelli’s for lunch as we knew the food would be good. After lunch, they went back to their hotel. We met up early evening for dinner, then back to the boat for another round of Liverpool; only one game tonight and Paul did not win. It was a good time; lots of laughs. It was bittersweet when they disembarked. We have tentative plans to meet up with them in the Fall when we are back in the south; hopefully.
PS: mama duck was down to 9 ducklings
April 29, 2026
Up at 5:45am. Brian called the Alfred Cunnigham Bridge tender to check on openings. Brian told him we were exiting the marina and would be there for the 6:30am opening. The bridge is right near the marina. Once we cleared the marina, the bridge tender called us and said to come on ahead and he would open the bridge early for us; yeah – no waiting!
Our ride today was uneventful. We saw two other Loopers and several sailboats. Anchor was down at 3:10pm at Belhaven, NC. Grace and Bob on Saving Grace are here in a marina. Grace sent a text saying she could see our boat. She wanted to know our plans for crossing the Albemarle for tomorrow. The Albemarle is a very shallow, large open area and the waves can build rather quickly if the winds pick up. Tomorrow looks like a good day to cross; which is our plan, but it will be an even longer day than today.
April 30, 2026
Anchor was up and we were on our way at 6:00am. It was a long day on the water; 11 hours. We saw several adult and young bald eagles. Another interesting thing we saw, was purple paint on trees. This signifies “No Trespassing” or “No Hunting” acting as a legally binding alternative to traditional signs. The first several hours was a smooth ride.
The Alligator River was a bit livelier and had become a bit rougher entering the Albemarle Sound. Albemarle Sound is a large, brackish estuary in northeastern North Carolina. It is part of the large Albemarle-Pamlico estuary system and the second largest in the U.S. The Sound covers approximately 450 square miles which is part of a 3,000-square-mile system. Because it’s predominantly shallow, it can get rough if the winds kick up. Today we saw between 1 and 2 ½ foot waves; so, it wasn’t bad. The boat was constantly hit with waves coming up over the bow and mostly the starboard side and these weren’t even large waves. There were several Loopers leaving Belhaven area about the same time that we had headed out. Tortue de Mer was the only Looper heading to Elizabeth City that we were aware of.
Along the way we saw a humungous hangar. It was the Weeksville Dirigible Hangar. This hangar is an airship manufacturing, storage and test facility. It was originally built by the US Navy in 1941 for servicing blimps that were conducting anti-submarine patrols of the US coast.
We were also near the hangar area a Coast Guard Base. This particular Coast Guard is home of the largest USCG base on the East Coast. In addition to the Air Station’s search and rescue operations, the Aircraft Repair & Supply Center is the main repair depot for the Coast Guard’s helicopters and airplanes as well as a training facility. We did see a couple of the airplanes out and about circling the Sound. Before we knew about the USCG Base, we thought the plane was out looking for someone in the water because it was flying low and going in huge circles; guess they were just training.
Arrived in Elizabeth City just under 11 hours after pulling up the anchor. Charles from B-Positive was on hand to help with our lines while docking. He and his wife, Michelle were on their 7th day of the Loop. Tortue de Mer arrived about an hour after us. After helping them dock, introductions were made. Mike and Bobbi are also going to be traveling the Dismal Swamp. The 6 of us walked across the street and had dinner at the Cypress Creek Grill; there were no complaints about any of the meals. It was great meeting new people and discussing our travels. While eating, Dave, a harbor host stopped by our table. He knew a few boaters had arrived, but had been unable to meet us at the dock. He hunted us down – lol. The ladies were presented with a rose. We were also given tokens to use about town for discounts on food and merchandize.
Brian reading: Wedding of The Waters: The Erie Canal and the Making of a Great Nation by
Lauren: Simply Lies by David Baldacci
May 1, 2026
We woke to a beautiful sunny, crisp day. Yesterday, the sun didn’t peek through until late afternoon. We took a walk to Colonial Café for breakfast. We actually had eaten there about 12 years ago when we were traveling on our sailboat, Que Sera Sera. After walking around a bit, we stopped at the visitor center and picked up a couple of brochures. Back on board, Lauren discovered the forward locker was still leaking; this seems to be a never-ending issue. Everything was pulled out. Brian tried to pin point the leak, but to no avail. All the shelves and walls were Lysol-wiped down and left bare to dry out. Where the water came through was the side that took the brunt of the waves coming across the Albemarle Sound.
Dave gave Brian and Bobbi a ride to the grocery store while Lauren caught up on laundry and updating her library list on her spreadsheet.
Tomorrow Tortue de Mer and another Looper will be moving up the river to a small marina because it has electricity. Most likely we will just stay the day and head to Dismal Swamp on Sunday.
May 2, 2025
We decided to move on and cast off from Elizabeth City about 10:00am and head to the Dismal Swamp Canal. As we left our slip, Brian called for next opening at the lift bridge right near the marina. The bridge tender said to come on ahead and lifted it for us ahead of schedule. The Dismal Swamp Canal is a historic 22-mile waterway in Virginia and North Carolina. It connects the Chesapeake Bay to the Albemarle Sound and was built by enslaved labor between 1793 and 1805 entirely dug by hand. It was originally a vital transportation route for goods and passengers. It was also provided a route to freedom for many enslaved people. Today, it is a popular spot for recreational boating, fishing and hiking/biking along the adjacent Dismal Swamp Canal Trail. The trail runs through the Great Dismal Swamp National Wildlife Refuge.
It was light rain all day, but still an enjoyable ride; saw quite a few eagles. No other boats out that day. The shallowest we saw, was 7 feet and we did kiss a few logs laying on the bottom a couple of times. We arrived at the 2nd scheduled lock opening right on time. Haven’t been in a lock for a while, but no issues tying off. Once through the lock, the lock tender had to drive ahead to open the bridge for us, so we moseyed along until he was set to open the bridge. A few miles later knowing we were nearing a pedestrian bridge, Brian called ahead to let them know we were about a mile away. When we got near, they opened the bridge and right after the bridge was the wall to tie off to for the visitor center. Another boat came in later in the day. It’s a rather short wall, so if there are more than 3 boats that want to stop, they will raft up to the boats on the wall. Since it was a rainy, damp day, Lauren prepared a meatloaf dinner; yum! Then she made brownies and we had ice cream to go with them.
May 3, 2026
This morning after a hearty breakfast, we took Heidi on a short hike on a couple of trails.
Late morning, Tortue de Mer and Barong came in and tied up to the wall. We saw four other boaters continue on. A little further up the canal, there is another wall to tie off to that is near a grocery store. Today is a bit chilly, but the sun is shining making it a great day to get out and explore the area.
Mid-afternoon, Lauren and Bobbi from Tortue de Mer took another walk on the trail that runs along the canal.
Early evening we took another 2-mile walk. We certainly got our exercise today.
May 4, 2026
Lauren made blueberry pancakes for breakfast. Then we took a walk to the Dismal Swamp Museum. Late morning, Mark and Diana on Ramble On came by and rafted off of Tortue de Mer. This afternoon was low-key. About 4:00pm, Ramble On, Tortue de Mer, Barong and us gathered our travel chairs and snacks and sat out in the shade and talked about our travels. Tomorrow, we are all planning on leaving and 3 out 4 of us are heading to Tidewater Marina.
Brian reading: Swann’s Way by Marcel Proust
Lauren: Running Blind by Lee Child
May 5, 2026
Left the visitor center on the Dismal Swamp with Tortue de Mar, Ramblin’ On and Barong. To start, the day was sunny, birds were flitting around and chirping and we had a slight breeze. The canal was covered in pollen. About a half mile into our idyllic trip, the traffic from the main road paralleling the canal soon drowned out the sounds of nature. Oh well!
We all tootled on to our first bridge; just before a scheduled opening of the lock and had to wait a good half hour. Brian tried to tell everyone the night before, that here was no need to rush as the bridge tender was also the lock master. When we were travelling alone, we time our speed for our arrival time to bridges and locks. No sense in just hovering. Anyway, after hanging around, we were contacted by the lock master stating he would open the bridge and then drive to the lock to open it for us. Once we were all through the bridge, the lock master gave us all instructions as to what side to tie off on. Along the way a sailboat joined our little troupe. Just before the bridge, Barong pulled to the side to meet up with another boat they had been traveling with. The rest of us entered the lock, tied up and waiting for the lock doors to close, the water to drop and then the front doors to open before traveling on. Everything went smoothly for everyone. Tortue de Mare had to leave his engine running in the lock as he was having starter issues. He was afraid if he shut down the engine, it would not start up again. Normally, the lock tenders request all engines are shut down and we all have to wear lifejackets.
We moseyed along and passed under several railroad bridges and arrived at Tidewater Marina in Portsmouth, VA just before 1:30pm. We hovered outside of the marina until we received instructions as to what slip we would be put in. Lauren backed the boat into the slip on her first try. Tortue de Mar and Rambin’ On are on a different dock. The plan is to get together for dinner. In the meantime, Lauren caught up on laundry, washed breakfast dishes while Brian and Heidi took naps.
May 6, 2026
After breakfast, Lauren tackled the stateroom, bathroom and short hallway for a thorough cleaning. Brian was on the hunt the compass unit for the auto pilot. It needs replacing because it’s no longer supported by Garmen. Brian practically dismantled sections of the boat looking for the hub. He cannot find it; frustrating to say the least. He even contacted Bob, the previous owner, but he didn’t know where it was at. Late morning we got together with Bobbie and Mike on Tortue de Mare for a walk into town. We stopped at the bakery that Lauren has been dreaming about since we were here last. They had the best lemon squares; not too sweet and not too tart; Lauren was bummed. After a short walk about town, we stopped for a bite to eat. Three out of four of us were so disappointed in our meals. Brian left a note on the receipt stating same. After lunch, we toured the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard Museum. A small museum with a minimal entrance fee. The museum featured exhibits on naval history, ship models and artifacts from 1700’s to the present. This afternoon, Brian went back to trying to track down hub to no avail. Tomorrow it is supposed to rain all day, so he will devote his day to trying to find it. On her way back to the boat after taking Heidi out for her business, Lauren met the owners of the catamaran in the slip next to us. Brian had called the office this morning after he noticed one of the lines holding the catamaran in the slip was in the water. Two dock hands came out right away, got on the catamaran and got the boat secured and thanked Brian for calling them. The owners, were happy that Brian had noticed the issue and called the marina to have it taken care of. We had a wonderful chat with them. We may see them when they stop by on Friday. They wanted to meet up with us again, but we weren’t sure if we would be on the boat or out and about.
May 8, 2026
Yesterday was cold and it poured all day. Lauren decided after a year on the boat, it was a good idea to wash the curtains in the salon. Even though they were washed on a delicate cycle and warm water, they still shrunk and are so wrinkled; no travel iron on board. Also, one of the curtains fell apart; guess it’s time to replace them. She also defrosted one of the fridges; one plate always freezes up. Brian still couldn’t find the hub for the auto pilot. He’s taken apart every conceivable cabinet and chased wires all over the boat; it’s a frustrating mystery. It was a great day to catch up on reading.
This morning we woke to a sunny, cold, blustery day. Lauren went on deck and wiped the boat down from yesterday’s rains. Brian planned our next route to Severn Yacht Club; we moved up our departure date to this Sunday as the weather looks perfect to move on. Brian informed the marina we would be leaving a few days earlier than planned. After a nice warm bowl of oatmeal with fresh fruit, we caught up on our calendars to make sure we were good with all of our appointments for when we are home next.
In the afternoon, we took a ferry across the Chesapeake Bay to Norfolk to walk around. Lauren wanted to buy sunglasses as hers went into the water at our last stop. Brian had a really cheap pair for her to use; she actually like them. She thought they were better than her expensive ones that took a swim; so, no need to get another pair. Lunch was at an Irish Pub and our food was delicious. Lauren requested an Irish coffee; there were a variety to choose from on the menu, but she doesn’t like all the added syrups or variations of the drink. She told the waiter exactly how she wanted it made and he delivered. Back on board, Lauren started her inventory of what miscellaneous items, medications, dry-goods, etc. as we will be heading home soon. Brian worked on billing and made another effort to try and get through his current reading selection. When we were in Elizabeth City, we patronized a huge used book store. Brian found several leather-bound classics and bought them all.
There was a message from Bobbi on Tortue de Mare stating it was a rough passage for them and numerous other Loopers that left here this morning. They arrived at York Town and tied off to the outside of a long dock. She sent Lauren a video; their boat is doing the bucking bronco movement. She said the waves were not supposed to die down for two days. We were at York Town last year, but tied off on the inside of the dock; so protected.
Brian reading: Swann’s Way by Marcel Proust
Lauren: The Hunted by Elmore Leonard & Gramercy Park by Paula Cohen
May 10, 2026
There have been some wonderful sunsets while docked in Portsmouth.
Last night a little after 9:00, we watched a rather impressive fireworks display that was set up across the river in Norfolk. This morning we left our dock in Portsmouth at 5:55am and headed to out. We almost immediately passed the zero mile marker of the Atlantic Intercostal Waterway. It was a great day on the water; sunny and calm waters.
Several hours into our trip, we saw Tortue de Mare crossing in front of us heading to Deltaville. We arrived at Severn Yacht Marina and tied off just before 11:30am. Docking was easy as we are the only boat on an outside dock and Ray helped tie off our lines. Ray is a rep for Rainman, our water maker. He will stop tomorrow to see how it’s working. Of course, now that we are here, Brian told him the water maker hasn’t been giving us any issues the last few times we’ve made water. The diesel tanks need to be filled, but the office and pumps were closed today. Depending on winds tomorrow, we may bring the boat around to the diesel dock to fill the tanks. Lauren is already anxious as it is a confined space; there will be quite a bit of maneuvering to get the boat turned around and backed into the fuel dock; this will make it much easier when leaving the dock. For lunch and dinner, Lauren cleaned out leftovers. Tomorrow, Brian has scheduled an Uber pickup to take him to Hertz to pick up our rental vehicle. We will be driving home Tuesday.