November 17 Elizabeth City, North Carolina
We are continuting to experience delays. We left Hampton after the bridges opened, and found the dismal swamp canal closed due to trees down. Opened Sunday morning and allowed up thru the Deep Creek Lock which raises you up 6 feet and had a very scenic ride down the canal.
At the South Mills Lock we had to queue up to wait for the bridge just before it to open. The current was carrying us into the lock so the 4 boats ahead of us started backing up in the current so as not to be carried into the closed bridge. This was a mess as Kia Ora won't back up straight, as she pulls to starboard. So we turned around and motored slowly against the current and could keep station with steerage. Other boats followed our lead but some were too long to do so in the very narrow canal.
The boat ahead of us tied onto a tree rather than anchoring. They were slow to get going and at the extreme left side of the canal so we went past slowly. Just after we passed we heard a couple of loud cracks and crashes. We thought they got caught on an overhanging limb as they tried to shove off, and that was the case due to the current. The only problem as we found out when they caught up to us at the lock was they got hung up so bad on the tree it took their mizzen mast down (holy crap, Marie). They managed to not get any of the shrouds and running rigging fouled in their prop so they made it under the bridge and tied off for repairs just upstream of the lock.
A few miles south of the lock we attempted to pass a slower boat as the canal turned into a river. When we applied full power to jmake the time passing shorter, the engine started making a lot of noise. This noise was framilar as the silencer on one of the cylinders had vibrated loose a few days before and was easy to reattach. So we anchored and when the boats behind us went by we explained we should be able to get under way in a few minutes. Big mistake in hindsight as when we put the silencer back on and restarted the engine it was running on one cylinder and ocassionally popping very loudly back thru the silencer filling the engine compartment with exhaust gases.
So now we realized we were not ok a.nd all the boats that locked thru with us were well down stream. The next lock was 2 hours later. As a power boat passed us we asked about a tow and were told that Elizabeth City had both Tow Boat US and Seatow. So they seemed disinclined to tow us and headed off. So as a BoatUS member with tow insurance, I called the national dispatch number. We found the closest tow boat was in Coinjock which for him at 30 knots was an hour and 40 minutes away. So with Captain Wayne making preparations to come get us, I tried unsuccesfully to get Seatow in Elizabeth City to give me a hopefully cheaper estimate. Could not get thru to them. So $1170 dollars later we got into Elizabeth City at 10PM with my wallet a light lighter.
We were accomodated at the town slips for free and took stock of the situation.
The fellow we were trying to pass was one slip over and gave us some help and local info.
Tied us in with Loyd Griffith at Elizabeth City Ship yard (where by way there are no ships in sight, just a boat yard really) who gave us good advise and encouragement to tackle the job.
I dove into the engine compartment (litterly) and started taking things apart. Took all day to get the head off the engine and found a broken push rod and a bent push rod on the offending cylinder.
As no one would answer at the Volvo Penta parts outlet in Annapolis yesterday, we were only able to get the replacement parts on order for overnight delivery today. Looks like with luck and the good Lord willing we will have the engine running tomorrow eve.
Charlotte and Sue at the Welcome center have been great. They serve beer wine and cheeze and crackers complementary evernight at 4:30 for all the boaters tied up at the town so called "Hospitality Warf". The tradition started with a guy who used to come down and give a rose to each woman who arrived. The now bunch of volunteers to help welcome the boaters are knownas the Rose Buddies.
Well if we have to be stuck somewhere, this is certainly a nice place to be.
Signing off now as I still have more work to do on the engine. The water pump housing is leaking and I now have the time to fix it while waiting for parts.