Sunday, June 10, 2012

I finally leave my comfortable anchorage on the Lafayette River. I sailed down to Hospital Point, the formal beginning of the ICW, to pick up 5 gallons of diesel. Since I will be motoring for the next 50 or so miles, I figure why not fill all my tanks up at this time while the opportunity presents itself., you never know, for some reason, when the next fuel stop will be unavailable (maybe out of order). From Hospital Point I motor down the Elizabeth River, which is still congested due to the Op-Sail celebration, actually they have their own version of  our 'South Street Seaport', police and coast guard boats everywhere controlling the boat traffic. No Wakes. Eventually I get to the entrance of the Great Dismal Swamp Canal (GDSC). I motor in about a mile or so and pull into a little indentation on the right and drop the hook. I got here pretty early in the afternoon so there was time to organize the boat, again, and just relax. When ever I do some cooking, and have to clean up the dishes and pots, I use river,or bay water. So I dip my bucket into the canal and come up with this amber colored water. Not sure what this water was all about so I at least scrubbed the worst of the leftovers off with it. Tomorrow I will know the story about the water. Tomorrow the first lock opening is at 8:30 AM. So I figure if leave here by 7:00, then I will be fine. I am at present about five miles from it, and I usually motor at 5 knots.
   It is starting to get hot and humid and I feel, unfortunately, that this will only increase as I push South. My cat who usually sleeps most of the day anyway, now is starting to show a complete reluctance in doing anything except sleeping.
   Yesterday, after I left the library where I was posting to my blog, I get back to my boat and decide to play around with my wireless antenna to see if I could make it work. Well in an hour or so of fooling around with it, it starts to work. I say to myself, isn't that the way it goes, when I needed it this morning it wouldn't work. Anyway I play around with it just to see who's wireless I can piggyback on. Well there were lots of choices. Maybe 15 unlocked possibilities. Now I am at the entrance of this canal and I figure that I will do a little blogging. So I look to see where I can piggyback. Well there was only one wireless signal available, and that was locked. I guess that I am in the boonies now.