Cape Charles, VA

We had our first big cruise across the Chesapeake on a fine sunny day on Wednesday, May 23 heading for Cape Charles on the eastern shore.  It was one of the smoothest crossings we’ve had on the Chesapeake. Rob and Jonny put a couple of fishing lines out but unfortunately didn’t catch anything.

We saw at least 15 freighters/container ships lined up  to enter either the Norfolk or Baltimore harbors.  The next day they were still there and we realized that they were anchored likely awaiting orders to enter one of the ports. We had to maneuver among them to reach our destination.

We chose to dock at the Cape Charles town dock because the Oyster Farm Marina, an MTOA partner, was more expensive and didn’t honor their MTOA agreement, only offering the same discount they give to BoatUS members. 

Our marina choice was quite basic but adequate for our needs. Once tied up, we walked into town just across the railroad tracks.  Unfortunately, most of the stores were closed but we’re assuming they’ll open after Memorial Day.  The town had some nice aspects to it but it wasn’t our favorite.

We walked quite a distance to the other marina which the locals refer to as the jellybean marina because of its garishly colored buildings.  We had a drink at the bar there and we confirmed that we had made the right choice with our town docks. We walked back to Zendo along the road next to the beach and later Jon and Rob went back to that beach for a swim.

We had a decent seafood dinner at the restaurant next to our marina.

Later, Rob and Jon went to a beautifully renovated local bar to watch the hockey finals.  They had made friends with the local bartender earlier in the day.  By the time they returned to Zendo, Lynn was fast asleep.

Hampton, VA

On Tuesday, May 22 we waiting for Adam, our marine electronics tech, to arrive with our new depth transducer. He came by promptly at 10:30 and before too long he and Jonny had it installed.

So right after lunch, she set sail for our next stop - Hampton, VA.  But first we had to traverse our first lock of this journey which we did without incident.  

Shortly thereafter, we arrived at the ever-popular Top Rack Marina where we fueled up and retrieved a package we had mailed there (a new AC control unit). 

From there we cruised for about 3 1/2 hours through Norfolk’s extensive military-industrial complex passing aircraft carriers, destroyers, barges, container ships, etc.

We chose to anchor at the Hampton Town Anchorage across from the City Marina that had a friendly dinghy dock.  We had been to nearby Norfolk and Portsmith on previous journeys but had never been to Hampton. Upon anchoring, the three of us took off in the dinghy for the first time to explore Hampton.  We didn’t get very far - just a quick walking tour in the area adjacent to the dinghy dock.  We saw the impressive Air and Space Museum (from the outside), part of Hampton University, and read about Hampton’s interesting history on a series of plaques in a nearby square.  

There was a conveniently located brew pub on the waterfront where we indulged in some local beers while keeping an eye on Zendo in the nearby harbor.

Afterwards, as it started to get dark, we headed back in the dinghy and Lynn made chile for dinner.  We ate at 9 pm, relatively late for us and while Rob tried his hand at some night time fishing, Jonny and Lynn  hit the sack.  Tomorrow, Cape Charles.

Chesapeake, VA Day 2

On our second day in Chesapeake, May 22, we took our shortest cruise yet, traveling directly across the river to Atlantic Basin Marina where we were getting a new depth gauge installed.  This marina has the most amazing boats and we were docked amidst some mega yachts that made Zendo look like a toy boat. Ours is the third one from the left.

Rob made a delicious fish and egg breakfast with the bass that he had caught the day before. What a treat!

The three of us spent the morning on boat chores while waiting for the marine electronics tech to arrive. One long standing task that was accomplished was the installation of a secondary anchor on the forward deck (excellent safety measure). When the marine electronics tech arrived he spent a few hours with Jon crawling through the boat diagnosing the issue. They determined the best solution (which of course required the purchase of a new depth finder, actually the transducer) which would be installed the following day. We’ll have redundancy for as long as our original one continues to work.

Even though it rained on and off during the day, Rob took the opportunity to explore this non-descript town on the bike. Fortunately the nature preserve adjacent to the marine added a pastoral air to our surroundings.

The closing on our Rivo Alto home took place that day so we celebrated by popping a bottle of champagne on board and followed that with a celebratory  Italian dinner at a restaurant that was within walking distance. 

Chesapeake, VA

Jonny and Rob started the day on Sun., May 20 by going out in the dinghy to see if they could catch some fish. And guess what, they got a freshwater bass! Nice way to start the day!

Today we set out for TopRack Marina (we have packages waiting for us there). We’re also working on our itinerary through the Chesapeake. We are running at least three weeks behind where we were on our last big cruise and we want to get up to Philadelphia for an extended visit with Stephanie and then onto our voyage to Canada.

It rained on and off throughout the day requiring us to close all the stratoglass and then open it again because it got too hot. We did this exercise at least three times. We also had a number of bridges with specific opening schedules for which we had to wait (patiently).

Our depth gauge continued to be on the fritz. It periodically provides wildly inaccurate readings and usually at crucial times when we were entering skinny waters.  So we decided to change our destination and stay at a free dock in Chesapeake,VA which was directly across from Atlantic Yacht Basin. 

Because it was Sunday we were unable to reach anyone at this well-respected boatyard. So Jonny figured he would just show up first thing Monday morning to see about finding someone to help get the depth gauge fixed or replaced.

Once we tied up, we went for a walk in a lovely nature preserve that was adjacent to the dock. It was a beautiful walk with three different marked trails some of which meandered along the waterfront and others brought us deeper inland.

Afterwards, we had a delicious dinner onboard of salmon, surprising good corn son the cob and a yummy cole slaw that Rob made from scratch. 

Oh, and Georgio has been spending more and more time on deck. He’s becoming quite the adaptable boat kitty!

Broad Creek, NC

We left Manteo Waterfront Marina and headed out on a windy day with a two foot chop on Sat., May 19.  On the way Rob managed to get a shot of some friendly dolphins.  

We crossed into the northern part of the Pimlico Sound towards an anchorage on the North River.  Our original choice did not provide much protection against the winds so we decided on another anchorage on Broad Creek.  It proved to be much more protected from the south winds so we anchored there - the only boat in a a pristine setting.

Jonny and Robbie worked hard scrubbing the Georgia smile off of the perimeter of the boat. For those unfamiliar, our newly waxed white boat developed a brownish grin from the many miles we covered through the tannin stained waters of North Florida and Georgia.  But after their efforts Zendo is looking  bright white again.

Georgio is much more relaxed on board these days. Here he is in his usual pose, this time on the fly bridge.

The weather continued  its changeable pattern as we were having cocktails on the aft deck.  The wind kicked up and the sky darkened and we could see the rain rolling in towards us. We did our usual fire drill of closing all the windows and rolling down the stratoglass  - this time with one minor mishap - a broken wine glass.  It’s much better not to use glass on a boat but it’s so much nicer having drinks in a real glass that we make exceptions to our own peril!

Jonny and Rob made a delicious dinner of falafel and salad and home made tahini and afterwards we played Scrabble in the saloon.  Jonny, who hates playing board games, of course came out the winner!

Manteo, NC

We had a long day on Thursday, May 17 crossing the Pamlico Sound on our way to Manteo. It was cloudy with a little bit of rain, not as bad as we expected.  While the crossing was mostly OK, the sea was building up to  2 - 3 foot swells that became increasingly uncomfortable as the day wore on. As it got worse, Lynn skipped the idea of going below to make lunch and instead brought granola bars up to stave off our hunger.  We each took turns at the helm since that was the most comfortable place to be.  There was literally no boat traffic probably because the forecast was so poor.

After about 8 hours of this we approached Manteo where we had to follow a very narrow channel with extremely shallow waters on either side. As we were clarifying the location of the town dock, our depth gauge starting fritzing again (bad timing) and we struggled to find the correct route in. Eventually we docked very smoothly without a major fire drill which was a relief since the previous few minutes were pretty tense!  

We were happy to stay at Manteo’s town dock because the first night was free! We were docked right next to this picturesque lighthouse.

We walked into town and discovered what seemed like a very handsome and well-maintained community with lots of red brick buildings. Manteo is on Roanoke Island, part of the Outer Banks of NC.  It was one of the first British  settlements in the new world in the late 1500’s.  It is named for an Indian,  Manteo, who maintained friendly relations between the native Americans and the colonists.  Unfortunately, the colonists disappeared after supplies from England were delayed for three years and the mystery of the “Lost Colony” began.  We quickly found this aptly named local brew pub where we rewarded ourselves with some liquid refreshments.

That evening, Jonny made a great dinner salad with our leftover flank steak and we turned in early. It was a long day!

Because we had arrived so late we decided to stay two nights and take some time to explore the area.  The next morning we got up and took a long walk on the extensive docks that were adjacent to us. 

There were scores of condos built along the waterfront and equally as many empty docks. We didn’t quite understand why. One fellow said the condos were selling well so maybe it was still too early in the season. But it did seem like the “boulevard of empty docks” to us.

Later that morning, we moved Zendo to the adjacent marina which was very quiet and comfortable while Rob went out to rent a bicycle.  

Shortly after, the rain that had been threatening for days finally arrived.  Rob and Jonny were caught in it when they ventured back out to the bike shop for a repair on one of our bikes.  The day was looking like a washout so we decided to treat ourselves to lunch at the Lost Colony.

Fortunately the weather cleared and we rode our bikes a couple of miles to visit a lovely Elizabethan Garden located on several acres and bordering the waterfront.  They were setting up for an outdoor wedding and the workers were convinced that the day was clearing just in time for the ceremony.

Upon returning to Zendo,  Lynn engaged in some healthy retail therapy. Manteo has some very nice shops!  On the way back, she encountered this wild looking animal that was tied with a leash next to the local playground. 

Meanwhile, Jonny and Rob took the dinghy to do a little fishing.  They returned to Zendo very excited because they discovered  a fisherman who was harvesting soft shell crabs. They managed to convince him to sell them four big ones for only $6.00!  Lynn prepared them in our favorite manner, soaked in milk, then dredged in flour and sautéed in butter and olive oil and sprinkled with toasted almonds. What a delicious appetizer we had followed by the rest of the red drum fish that we had purchased in Oriental and frozen. Such a feast!

 

Ocracoke, NC

We had been wanting to visit Ocracoke on our previous cruises but the weather never cooperated. This time, the winds and seas looked better and even though some rain was forecasted we decided to go for it. So on Wed., May 16 we set off across Pamlico Sound for Ocracoke, located on the outer banks of North Carolina.  We had overcast skies with a little rain at the outset and very little boat traffic. The wind was out of the south and the waves were on our beam but it wasn’t too uncomfortable.

We arrived at the docks at Cape Hattaras National Seashore where we were able to use our senior citizen national  parks lifetime pass to get a 50% discount off our dockage. Our discounted rate was only $24 for both dockage and electrical. What a deal!

First thing we did was stroll along the waterfront to find the first watering hole where we had fresh fish and the guys had their obligatory craft beer.

Jonny and I brought our bikes and Rob rented one and we started to explore the town. 

First stop was the Ocracoke Lighthouse which still functions but is now automated like so many others these days. 

We followed this with a walk through a beautiful nature preserve that had been donated by a family who owned a large tract of land along the coast. It was also noteworthy because it was adjacent to the area that Blackbeard, the famous pirate, called home. 

From there we explored a couple of small historic cemeteries including one dedicated to British sailors on loan to the US Navy who were killed by a UBoat along with some Americans during WWII.

Ocracoke can only be reached by boat or ferry. There are a lot of newer beach-style homes, hotels and condos and it is fairly touristy, sort of like Cape Cod. The ferry brings over a lot of cars and between the cars and golf carts, the streets can become pretty busy. Apparently, in the old days, the major form of transportation was bicycles.

Later in the afternoon Jon and Rob rode their bikes out to Hattaras National Seashore where there was crashing surf due to the threatening storms.  Rob went swimming taking care with the rip tides.

 On the way back to the boat it started to sprinkle enough to force them to take cover in the local brew pub. When they returned, Lynn was battening down the hatches as the long awaited rain began to fall.

That evening we ate a hearty dinner of flank steak, Brussels sprouts and potatoes. Georgio made us nervous by becoming more curious about exploring the boat, even venturing out to the dock on his own before he was discovered and dragged inside!