Abelmare Loop and a dinghy

[mnh]

We are planning a 2 week trip to Abelmare sound in September, and plan to take advantage of the free 2 night stay at most of the marinas on the sound. We will leave the Annapolis area, and do an overnighter to Norfolk. I'd rather not wrestle with the dinghy if I don't need to. So, given the hopeful stays at all the free docks, my question for those who have done this trip is, Do you need your dinghy? I'd appreciate hearing from any of you who have done this trip before, and appreciate your responses in advance.
Mike

[boatpoker]

2 nights free ?
details please.
Leaving Toronto on Wednesday for the Bahamas.

[mnh]

Albemarle Loop

[SailFastTri]

Originally Posted by mnh

Albemarle Loop

That's pretty cool. But I wouldn't count on having a free slip where/when you need it. Even if you're able to reserve, the weather will surely make a mess of your plans.

Schedules are for power boaters with enclosed helms, IMHO.

[Capt n Ron]

We did this trip last summer, took our dinghy but certainly did not need it nor did we ever use it, our trip last year was about three weeks but we expanded it out of the Albemarle loop locations as follows
New Bern to River Dunes 2 nights
River Dunes to Ocracoke 4 nights,
Ocracoke to Manteo 3 nights (this yr I believe 2 nights free) last yr. not included
Manteo to Elizabeth City 2 nights (free) no power or Elec. at town docks
Elizabeth City to Albemarle Plantation 2 nights free
Albemarle Plantation to Edenton 3 nights (2 free)
Edenton to Columbia 1 night (2 free)
Columbia to Belhavern 3 nights (not included in the loop )
Belhaven to Washington NC 3 nights (not included in loop )
Washingto to Oriental 2 nights
Oriental to New Bern (home port)

Great trip, I'm pretty sure Manteo City Marina was added this year, be sure to print out the Albemarle Loop cupon to take with you as they will probably ask to see it
Plymouth and Hertford you won't be able to visit because of low bridges and your mast height.
Beware of crab traps coming and going up and out of the Pasquotank River to and from Elizabeth City, I think the only place you will need advance reservations will be for Manteo
Have fun and enjoy
Capt. Ron

[DrDelmas]

We did this last year, never took the dink off the davits

[Old Swampy]

The question I have is do you have a liferaft? If not the dink is a fill in, if the seas aren't great.

[Boatguy30]

Hard to imagine a 45' cruising boat that can't easily carry a dinghy?

[mnh]

Thanks for all of your thoughtful responses! Our dinghy is a fiberglass 110 lb
beast to pull up on deck. Just did not want to do that if we are going to be at dockside the whole time, and not really need to use it. We gunkhole a lot in the Chese, and take the dink with us virtually all the time. I figured this trip might be different, in that we would be at the docks most of the time. That's rare for us.
Yes, we have a liferaft.
mnh

[Capt n Ron]

Originally Posted by mnh

Thanks for all of your thoughtful responses! Our dinghy is a fiberglass 110 lb
beast to pull up on deck. Just did not want to do that if we are going to be at dockside the whole time, and not really need to use it. We gunkhole a lot in the Chese, and take the dink with us virtually all the time. I figured this trip might be different, in that we would be at the docks most of the time. That's rare for us.
Yes, we have a liferaft.
mnh

You really won't need it, even thru late Sept., you will be ahead of the snowbirds, and you will be off the beaten path, we are heading your way, (Chesapeake) in mid Sept. thru most of Oct to do a little fall cruising on the bay we will carry our dinghy.

Capt. Ron

[hpeer]

We did a lot of the loop in May. Elizabeth City, Edenton, Columbia, and also Belhaven, Roanoake, Coinjock, Ocracoke, New Bern. The three on the loop did not require a dingy. However Columbia could only handle one or two boats on the dock. All the others except New Bern required a dingy to keep costs reasonable.