Wednesday, Oct 2nd
The Dismal Swamp canal puts you out into the Pasquotank which is a pretty river.

We put into Elizabeth City where they have free docks and someone to welcome you, and tell you his life story (I only asked what the tidal range was).
Phil and I were about to go find a grocery store but I went back to the first guy, (Jim I think it was) who was talking to someone sat on the bench overlooking the water. Jim lamented that there was no place close any more. The guy on the bench said he didn't have anything to do until 3pm, he'd drive us to the supermarket. So we climbed into his VW convertible and he drove us a couple of miles to Fresh Farms store, We did our shop while he waited in the car then drove us back. We thanked him and gave him a bottle of wine, then offered him lunch on board. He took us up on the offer as he and his wife were thinking of buying a boat. We shared the salad bar lunch and he opened the bottle of wine we had given him. Thanks again Mike.
Next morning we continued on down the Pasquotank river into Albemarle Sound. I've stayed in a cabin on Albemarle Sound and watched a storm come up in 15 minutes and whip the water up so that you could barely see. However this time the weather was gentle to us and we sailed across the sound and into the Alligator River. We anchored just before the canal that joins the Alligator River to the Pungo River. It seemed very desolate here too with many dead trees. The water has a brown color, no sediment just the tannin from the trees.