Elizabeth City, town dock

"Take me down to Elizabeth City, where the grass is green and the girls are pretty."

Okay, those aren't the real lyrics but it works.

I have to confess I wasn't sold on how fun or cool boating was until this very town. Last year we crossed the Albemarle Sound to get here, and it was our first bad water day on the loop. Looking back I don't know that it was so bad or that we were so green, but I seriously hated the trip. Once we got the E-City, the waters were calm. We sat outside on the bow under our bimini top, recovering. Just then Martha and John of As You Wish walked by. We chatted and they asked if we wanted to join them for lunch. While we'd met them on and off since Charleston, it was that encounter that started months of buddy boating together. (Seriously, guys, sell the house, buy a boat -- we really miss you!)

Breathe and us, waiting for the bridge.
The lock is just beyond it.

I mentioned that another boat, a sailing cat named Breathe, docked with us at the Visitor Center last night. We were both heading south. After a quick chat, we coordinated our trip for the bridges and lock we needed to go through. Everyone started engines at 9:40 am. The lock would open at 11.

Despite our slow pace we got to the lock around 10:20 am. A bridge needs to be opened before you get to the lock. The two of us did "standing station" maneuvers, waiting. Turns out they locked up 2 boats first. When the lockmaster opened the bridge the very first thing all four of us had to do was pass each other, us heading to the lock while the other 2 boats heading down the canal. We're talking a narrow channel. It was kinda exciting.

Once off the Dismal Canal high water was 
everywhere!

It all went well. We arrived around 3 pm.