The Chesapeake Bay Won!

Before I tell you how the Chesapeake won, let me tell you about Urbanna.  We left Yorktown as the sun rose.  What a beautiful sunrise it was!  We were going to travel 57 miles to the town of Urbanna, about 20 miles up the Rappahannock River.  The trip up the river was very scenic and much less rough then yesterday.  Just like in Yorktown, the marina office is on winter hours until May 1st.  When I called to make a reservation, I had to call an alternate number.  The lady said we could dock and she would see us in the morning.  She said, “I will leave a key above the office door so you can use the laundry and the bikes.”  Sure enough, when we pulled in the key was right where she said it would be.   We needed groceries so we jumped on the bikes and headed up the hill into town.  We stopped at the drug store first and there was an out of the 50’s soda fountain!  Neither one of us had our camera.  Dang!   So enjoy pictures of the lighthouse on the river and the sunset in the marina!

We woke this morning to rain!  Should we stay or should we go?  Let’s stay!  A couple hours later it stopped raining and the wind forecast for today looked better than the wind forecast for tomorrow.  Our destination was Tangier Island which means we have to head back out the Rappahannock River and cross the mighty Chesapeake, 20 miles to the other side! 

Let’s go!  So off we went.  The rain had stopped and the waters on the river were relatively calm.  We should be fine.  NOT!!!!  We entered the main bay only to find the waves were 2 - 3 feet and worse yet they were on our beam.  Very uncomfortable and not worth continuing on for 20 miles.  So...........here we are in Deltaville!  The Chesapeake won!

We are docked on the “T” at the end of this dock!  Not much going on yet in Deltaville.   Deltaville is all about boats!  Once home to over 20 boatyards, the town has lost many of its master boat builders but the emphasis on boats still remains.  We are safe for the night and that is the main thing.

We decided to walk into town.  After walking about 2 miles we came to the hardware store, which is the main store in the town.  Not much else in Deltaville except very nice people and pretty scenery.

Walking back to the boat we noticed that each of the slips, although empty now are set up for some great summer parties.  The sign reads, “Beer, so much more than a breakfast drink!”

The rain is forecast to end tonight but the winds are supposed to blow harder tomorrow on the Bay and still be on our beam.  So............day 2 of the mighty Chesapeake winning.  We will check the weather in the morning but the plan is to stay in Deltaville one more day!

We continue to be living the dream!  Pat

Portsmouth and Yorktown!

On Monday, the Ark & the 20BUCK$  left the Dismal Swamp Visitors center, and headed to Portsmouth, VA.

At the end of the swamp, there is another lock that drops us 8’ back to sea level.

We had heard the lockmaster here is a “hoot”! He collects conch shells, and many boaters who have been in the Bahamas bring some to him on their way home every spring. On this lock thru, we heard him give out a big “WHOOPEE!!!” One of the boaters had not only brought him a conch, but also a bottle of his favorite rum - Fire In The Hole from the Bahamas! That’s the lock master down on the end in the red life jacket. You can see his shell collection in the garden.

Portsmouth is a major US Navy port, and they do a lot of repair work here on the war ships. The two on top are being prepped for paint, and the lower picture shows a carrier freshly painted. 

We wound our way through the ship yards, and found Ocean Marine Yacht Basin to spend the night. Michele’s sister Jeanine drove down from Chesapeake to have dinner with us.

We all went to a small family owned / family run restaurant downtown that had been recommended to us. The Lobscouser was indeed a good choice. The food and service were exceptional, and the price reasonable.

This was a “last dinner” for awhile with our travel companions Marc & Michele. They are staying in Portsmouth for a few days so they can visit Marc’s sister. Then they are attending the AGLCA Spring Rendezvous in Norfolk. We are going to keep heading north. Hopefully we will meet up again down the waterway. Bye guys - we’ll miss ya!!

As we pulled out of Portsmouth Tuesday AM, the ship yards, freight terminals, and Navy yards went on and on for miles! There are some BIG ships here! 

We always have the marine radio scanning channels 13 & 16, and began hearing security calls for navy ships leaving their berths. They state that everyone is to stay 500 yards away from the ships, or deadly force may be used! This destroyer pulled out right in front of us, so we stopped and let him on his way. 

A little further down, this carrier pulled out of his berth. The smaller boat is the military police making sure we don’t get too close! We followed the carrier, at a proper distance, out to the end of the channel, where he headed to sea, and we took a left up the Chesapeake Bay to our destination of Yorktown.

We  arrived at a small marina right in the heart of the historic district of Yorktown by noon.

That gave us plenty of time to do some sightseeing. Yorktown is where the British Lord Cornwallis surrendered to the American and British troops in 1781 to end the Revolutionary War. There is a lot of history here, and numerous preserved structures from the 1700’s. 

We toured the Yorktown Victory Center, and walked through the historic district. There were demonstrations of 1700’s cannons and muskets.

One of the houses had been hit with cannon balls, and had one embedded in the brick!

It turned out to be a beautiful afternoon for brushing up on our history. The holly and azaleas were in bloom to top off another wonderful day on the Loop!

Captn Ken

The Dismal Swamp!

Another must do on the Loop is the Dismal Swamp!  What is it I had asked?  We woke up to pea soup fog so had to wait at the dock for an extra hour until it started to lift.  As it was this was our view when pulling out of the slip!  Yes.....DISMAL!!!  Oh me oh my..... what was in store for us today!  We called the bridge at Elizabeth City and three of us headed out behind a couple sail boats that had left an hour earlier.  They had been in touch with us to tell us it was finally starting to break up!  So into the fog we went! 

Before I continue I have to tell you this was probably one of my top five cruising days of the trip!!   So hear we go...............to the Dismal Swamp!

The water in the Dismal Swamp looks like tea!  Sometimes it looks  as dark as coffee!  It is the tannins!  Run off from the trees and ground causing the brown water!  Very clear but very brown!  The cruise was far from dismal.  It was some of the most beautiful cruising we have had and it smelled like northern MN.....pine and cedar!  There’s no place like home!

Mile after mile of beautiful scenery!  Calm, clear water that looked like a mirror.  There are two locks, one of which we entered today.  There were 10 boats locking up!  Several of us had to raft to other boats in the lock!  The lift was only 8 feet!  Here we are in the lock!

We planned to dock at the free Visitor’s Center dock but there was only room for the 20BUCK$ when we arrived!  Marc’s Ark had to raft to us! 

After we were all secure at the dock we went to the visitor’s center to find out how to get to Lake Drummond!  Up the canal about 7 miles, turn at the Feeder Canal and head about 3 more miles to the small railroad lift that would take us up and over to the lake.  Another Looper “have to do”!  What a HOOT!!!!!

We lowered the dinghies and off we went.  Marc and Michele took the lead and we headed to the Feeder Canal.

What a beautiful ride through more gorgeous canals!  We entered VA too as we are close to the state line!  We turned onto the Feeder Canal and in a few miles we arrived at the railroad that would carry our dinghies up and over to Lake Drummond.

Seriously, this railroad track with a lift was going to transport the dinghy!  Here we go!!!!!!

After a short 7 minute ride (Ken and Michele had a bet as to how long it took) we were on the other side and in the channel that would take us to Lake Drummond.

Lake Drummond feeds the Dismal Swamp!  It is HUGE but shallow so we didn’t spend a lot of time cruising on it but it was beautiful!  The pictures below are of the lake!

It was soon time to head back and lift the dinghies back over the railroad lift to the channel that would take us back to 20BUCK$!

Another shot of our ride through the Feeder Channel! 

Now you can see why this was one of my top 5 cruising days!  We will stay at the Visitor Center dock tonight and maybe tomorrow!  It is supposed to rain hard tomorrow and if it does we will stay put!   The Dismal Swamp was anything but dismal!  It was FABULOUS!

The conchs have been blown, our belly is full and it is time to say good night from the swamp! 

I hope you enjoyed the ride with us through the swamp!   Good Night!  Pat

Rose Buddies of Elizabeth City!

Everyone has told us to be careful of the Albermarle Sound when leaving Alligator River.  It can be so rough they said!  Watch the wind and weather.  We carefully checked the weather and the wind before we left Alligator River Marina and felt we would have a decent 12 mile crossing of the sound.  Well the picture above was what kind of crossing we had.  Fabulous.....no wind and no waves. 

We were headed for Elizabeth City!  The Mariner’s Wharf is a free dock right downtown.  It is home of the legend of the “Rose Buddies”!  In 1983 Fred Fearing and Joe Kramer II decided to host a gathering for the mariners.  Joe clipped his prize roses to give to each First Mate and Fred supplied the refreshments.  That day there were 17 boats docked at the free Mariner’s Wharf!  When Joe died in 1987 his rose bushes where transplanted to the wharf and still today provide lovely roses for the mariners to see when they arrive in Elizabeth City.  Fred continued the rosebud tradition into his 90’s!

The day we arrived was the first Rose Bud gathering of the 2012 season.  Roses were given to each “First Mate” and a wine/beer and appetizer reception was held on the waterfront!  What a wonderful tradition!

There is a plaque that honors both Joe and Fred next to his rose bushes on the wharf!

Here is my rose from the “Rose Buddies!”  What a neat tradition!

Tomorrow we head for the Dismal Swamp!  I have no idea what to expect from a swamp with such a name as Dismal! 

Stay tuned!  Pat

Alligator River!

Our run today was 54 statute miles. The first 30 miles was a canal to the Alligator River, then the Alligator River to Alligator River Marina. The Alligator River is 20 miles long,10 miles wide, and lies in a north / south orientation. Any wind will kick up some pretty heavy seas. Wind was predicted from the north / north east at 8  to 10mph. Not too bad, so we decided to run. It was actually a pretty nice ride. We had strong 1 footers with a few 2’s and 3’s thrown in running at us right on the bow - the best direction. Wind and waves on the beam / side give us a very uncomfortable roll from side to side. If on the stern, it makes the boat wallow from side to side, and holding a heading is very hard.
We have some more larger bodies of water coming up, and we again have to start paying close attention to the conditions and the weather. Tomorrow we cross the Albemarle Sound, and soon we will be in the Chesapeake Bay. You do not want to be caught out on these waters in bad weather.

We found the Alligator River Marina with no problem, and were greeted by a replica of the Cape Hatteras light house!

We tied up right behind the Ark, and settled in for the evening.

This  marina is owned and operated by Miss Wanda. She is a very nice gal, and also has a small restaurant and gas station on the property. We went to the restaurant for the “Worlds Best Hamburger”, and it WAS GOOD!

Tomorrow, we head out for Elizabeth City, and, hopefully, a meeting with the Rose Buddies.

Then on to the Dismal Swamp, which we hear is far from dismal!

Captn Ken