SIGMACHI: Views from the Crew..Post Tropical Storm Isaias...Greetings from Atlantic Yacht Basin! 08.08.20


Wow!

 Looking at the storm track of Hurricane/Tropical Storm Isaias was a "shadow" of SIGMACHI's uneventful cruising track from Palm Beach Gardens, FL to our current location at Atlantic Yacht Basin in Chesapeake, VA. [See attached " storm article" below.]

The photos of Southport,  NC in the devastated aftermath of  Isaisa are particularly disturbing to Jeanne and I because about 3 weeks ago we first anchored in the "town harbor"in shallow water when the VHF sounded a hail from Robert Creech. Robert and hi wife Kay are " AGLCA Harbor Hosts" for Southport. Robert's home is near the harbor and he suggested that because of shoal water we might want to dock for free at one of the waterfront restaurants...we did and the next morning our gracious "Harbor Host" assisted us in casting off. (A call to Robert and Kay was answered Saturday morning..he left a message.

Apparently the Creechs and their home are OK....some branches and a lot of leaves stripped when a tornado zipped by their front yard.  Their cruising Looper  boat, was in the marina with much damage to the fleet but "C-LIFE" was able to motor away from the tangled mess today (Saturday) perhaps because her dock was on th ICW side of the marina...The Creech's 25 ft sailboat, lamentably, is in the "tangle!"

Reading the attached article Cruisers' Net August 7 th issue is erie in that last Thursday SIGMACHI left the hospitality of the Mid-Atlantic Christian University docks on the North side of Elizabeth City, NC and followed the cypress lined  Pasquatank River into the Dismal Swamp Canal.Now the US Army Corps of Engineers has closed the canal because of fallen trees from the  storm.

In deciding whether to take  either the more commercial Albemarle-Chesapeal Canal or the historic Dismal Swamp Canal from North Carolina to Norfolk  I had first searched my wallet  for the phone number I'd carried 4 or 5 years since I'd met Donna Stewart at an AGLCA Spring Rendezvous in
Norfolk.  Donna is the Executive Director of the North Carolina Welcome Center that serves both busy US 17 and offers gratis docking  facilities for boaters that choose to travel the nation's oldest still used canal.  Donna not only administers the Welcome Center but acts as ambassador of good will for the Dismal Swamp Canal for all that will listen and even at Congressional hearings on funding of the historic canal.

My reason for hailing Donna was to inquire about the state of the nefarious "Duck Weed" in the Canal that when heavy can block raw water intakes on marine engines.  She responded to my inquiry by stating that she hadn't heard and negative reports...then she proffered the phone number of the one man who knows most of what there is to know about all things Dismal Swamp...and that was the famous Deep Creek Lockmaster and Bridge Tender "Robert!"

Utilizing that phone number brought a hearty but inviting voice from one of the (if not the MOST)affable lockmasters in America!  Robert answered my inquiry immediately. "Duck Weed should not be a problem yet. Later in the summer.."  Query answered and decision cast...I was to take both SIGMACHI & Jeanne on their first traverse of the Dismal Swamp Canal!

Much has been written about the Dismal Swamp Canal and George Washington not only surveyed for it...he was part of the original company. Tree lined almost the entire route..go slow and enjoy the scenery!

Just after having Robert entertain us passing both the Deep Creek Draw Bridge and Deep Creek Lock our next juncture was a turn to Starboard at the Albemarle-Chesapeake Canal and to the very large 
Great Bride Lock , then the Great Bridge Draw Bridge and almost immediately AYB (Atlantic Yacht Basin is on hour Starboard ..headed South. 

We had arrived at out last major stop before heading into the Chesapeake Bay for that final push toward doctors' appointments and our "dirt home" for the first time in almost 8 months!



Tight Lines!
Alan
Alan & Jeanne Cecil 
Aboard SIGMACHI 
..........................30..........................

See attachment from Cruiser's Net new on Hurricane Isaias:
https://cruisersnet.net/usace-lnm-dismal-swamp-canal-closed-due-to-trees-down/

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